Culture
A Day in the Life: Senior Career Coach Jennifer Bangoura
This story is a part of our ‘A Day in the Life’ series that highlights the career journeys of 2U employees across the world. Throughout March we’re celebrating Women’s History Month and featuring members of one of our Business Resource Networks: the Women’s Alliance Network.
By April 2012, Jennifer Bangoura had been living in Mali for four years as a Peace Corps Volunteer. She loved what she did and, as such, extended her service. She had planned to stay for two more years while working on a USAID education project and completing a Master of Arts in international education. But then, her life plans changed: she was evacuated from Mali following a coup d’etat.
Forced to pack up and move in 48 hours, Jennifer quickly shifted gears from working on a primary education program in Mali to searching for international development jobs in Washington, DC. She still remembers reactivating her LinkedIn account and adding as many contacts from her network as possible—including a former Peace Corps Volunteer.
Knowing first-hand how strong the bonds between Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) can be, Jennifer reached out to a former volunteer about an open position at the environmental think tank where he was working. Little did she know that he was leaving his job and that vacant spot meant a new opportunity for her. One month later, she was living in DC with her first full-time job secured in the United States.
The Peace Corps continued to serve as a meaningful network for Jennifer—personally, but also professionally. Her first boss outside of Mali was also a Returned Volunteer and when she joined 2U, she found an internal network of RPCVs. That, to her, was not all that surprising. Like the Peace Corps, 2U is deeply committed to service.
“When I read the Peace Corps mission and reflect on how 2U partners with universities, there are many parallels,” Jennifer said. “We’re all trying to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges and doing so in a thoughtful way that recognizes our partners’ strengths.”
Jennifer credits her skills in flexibility and adaptivity to the Peace Corps, which she now uses all the time at 2U while coaching students navigating different aspects of their career.
Are you interested in learning more about Jennifer, her journey to and within 2U, and what it takes to be a member of the Career Success team? Read on for a day in the life of Jennifer Bangoura.
Why did you join 2U? What is it about the company that sparked your interest?
I joined 2U for three reasons: to gain experience in 1:1 career coaching, to understand the relationship between companies like 2U with non-profit university partners (it’s a role that is analogous to how international development organizations facilitate synergy with local NGOs and universities abroad), and to really understand the pedagogy behind online education and how to deliver it well and at scale.
As someone who completed their MA in an online/low-residency format, I respect the importance of providing options to graduate students to further their education. After all, I was pursuing an MA in International Education when I was evacuated from Mali, and I was able to complete coursework and class while on lockdown in my home in Bamako, Mali, from a hotel in Ghana, and then continue from my apartment in Washington, DC.
How would you describe your role as a senior career coach?
My role as a senior career coach is fulfilling. I derive so much joy from helping students uncover previously misunderstood tools to advance in their careers and make the most of their incredible graduate education. Navigating a career and job transitions are stressful and it is such an honor to be someone that students can turn to in order to make sense of their professional journey and to help them tap into their strengths and support systems to secure meaningful employment that aligns with their values. I love that I get to be nimble and creative as I work with students to design strategies that work for them and are relevant to their careers.
What do you find most rewarding about your job?
The most rewarding aspect of my job is when students let me know that something I taught them is already having an impact on their job search or networking strategy. That’s why they’re pursuing (for the most part) a graduate degree—to advance or pivot in their career. A couple of weeks ago I gave a presentation to some students on leveraging LinkedIn and one of them messaged me afterward and let me know that within 48 hours of participating in my presentation and making subsequent updates to her LinkedIn profile, she was already getting contacted by recruiters. That made my day, week, and month to know I helped her tap into her skills and expertise to be ‘findable’ by the recruiters and hiring managers who want to hire people with her skill set.
What’s your favorite part about working at 2U?
My favorite parts about working at 2U are our mission, #NoBackRow, and how we all have lives and identities outside of work. Now, that’s something that is likely the case at many workplaces, but I feel like at 2U it’s celebrated and aligns with one of my favorite guiding principles: relationships matter. We have this neat internal content series called’ Life After 5’ that highlights what people do outside of their work hours. From DJing to baking to photography to craft cocktail freelancing and professional wrestling, it’s refreshing to think about my colleagues as more than their work, which can be easy to forget in between meetings and deadlines. Getting a glimpse into their life is a great way to build rapport and make a large company feel a little smaller. It’s something I recommend to students as well—to not forget who they are in the midst of their job search and that they’re more than their title or employer.
Why did you join the Women’s Alliance Network (W.A.N.)?
I joined the Women’s Alliance Network because I was curious about how 2U would support women and allies in practice. I feel passionate about lifting up other women and also understanding how 2U’s business resource networks function. Through W.A.N. I have had the opportunity to share my skill set in career services through events like the “Women in Leadership Panel: Ally-ship” around best practices in crafting a meaningful career journey and leveraging LinkedIn for passive and active job searches. This event was created to ensure members have access to tools and resources to advance their careers and to encourage W.A.N. members to take initiative on their professional platforms. I’ve also been a moderator for W.A.N. Lean In circles. I know I wish I’d had someone who proactively reached out to me when I was starting out in my career, and I want to be that person for someone else even as I continue to navigate my career path.
The theme of Women’s History Month this year is valiant women of the vote. In that spirit, we’re asking 2Utes why they run. Why do you run?
I imagine us all running through a forest and the women before trampling down the path to mark the way and clear the brush. I run because the path gets overgrown with thorns and branches falling. I need to continue to participate in women’s groups like PEO International or my local city council committees so my children and future generations have opportunities I didn’t have and ones my mother didn’t have, either.
You have spent the last decade working in the primary and higher education sectors and coordinating career services training across the globe. What have you learned from those experiences that you have applied to what you do at 2U?
From living in a 1,000 person village in Mali to engaging with career center teams throughout Morocco and Iraq to supporting graduate students as they advance in their careers, I’ve focused on the three Cs: compassion, curiosity, and connection. These three things have guided me in my approach to my work and I try to apply them to all of my interactions. At the root of them are relationships, which I love building and nurturing—whether it’s with my students, colleagues, or industry partners.
You’re currently pursuing your Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership through the top-ranked USC Rossier School of Education. Why did you choose USC Rossier’s OCL online program?
I feel blessed every week when I get to log in to Zoom and connect with my professors and cohort for class. While I might have some darker circles under my eyes as I stay up late to finish papers and work on my dissertation (I can’t believe my first chapter is already due May 1st!), I chose the USC Rossier School of Education because of the academic rigor and global awareness of the faculty and fellow students. I love that part of the Rossier mission is to advance educational equity—something I’ve been passionate about advocating for through my engagement in PEO International, in my work on a USAID-funded primary education program in Mali, and now as a career coach at 2U where I help students pull back the curtain on techniques that we should all know about as we navigate our careers.
I chose to do this program online because of 2U’s generous tuition benefit and also because there’s no other way that I would be able to pursue this degree right now if it weren’t online. I started this program the week I came back from maternity leave after having my second child, so I’ll always know how long I’ve been in the program by looking at my baby boy! My husband and I both work full-time and we have two small children. The flexibility of having class in the evenings after my kids have gone to sleep means I don’t have to sacrifice my career or time with my family to advance my learning in a meaningful way. It’s a lot to balance, that’s for sure, but with the thoughtful curriculum that spaces assignments in a balanced way and my supportive cohort, I get excited to tackle assignments and bring what I’m learning in class to my work the next day.
Prior to 2U, you served as a Peace Corps Volunteer. The Peace Corps is well-known for its efforts to change lives all over the world. Are there similarities between the Peace Corps and 2U that drew you to work at the company?
Volunteering has been a cornerstone of my professional journey and I’m proud to have served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali. Earlier this year I searched for fellow RPCVs working at 2U and organized a virtual meeting between the more than 20 RPCVs who work here. Since then, some of us have continued to connect for virtual coffee dates. After learning who the RPCVs are, I’ve noticed a pattern that they’re often the people volunteering to lead service efforts through our 2U Engage community steering committee, or hosting kid’s clothing swaps at the office.
Out of everything you’ve done at 2U so far, what are you most proud of?
I’m proudest of reconnecting with my former colleagues at IREX from the USAID Morocco Career Center program and inviting them to 2U to share how we provide virtual career coaching to students enrolled in programs across the entire 2U portfolio. It was fun to reconnect to my international development side, deliver a presentation in French at our beautiful 2U HQ office, and to brainstorm ways the Moroccan Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research could provide a similar service to students throughout Morocco.
What advice would you give to someone just starting at 2U?
Be curious! This is advice I give to students who are exploring new industries, or someone starting a new job, and what I shared in a recent podcast interview. I like to think of it as collecting puzzle pieces for a puzzle where you don’t know what the final picture is going to look like. While being curious is important, it’s also essential to do your research and ask thoughtful questions. Look people up on LinkedIn to understand where they’re coming from professionally, and try to exhaust the internal resources available to you like LinkedIn Learning, or 2U’s business resource networks. Foster and nurture relationships with people outside of your department, too. This will help you do your job better as you can understand the different ways departments and people interact.
Are you interested in a job like Jennifer’s? Check out our University Operations page for more information on open jobs within her department.
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