DRIVEN Career Map Co-Founder, Val Jennings, Shares Career Story
What is one of the most defining moments in your career? Personally, I’ve had a few “slam on the breaks
and re-evaluate” moments in my career. A significant one hit me in 2007 when my life as a married working
mother of 3 very small children, changed and I became single working mom. Up until that moment, I had
been on the fast track, I’d made the right moves. I’d gotten a great job right after getting my B.S., landing at
a Silicon Valley startup that was growing like crazy. My salary had grown at a good clip, and I’d been able to
focus on moving my career along to a point where I was managing quite a large team. Then, I found myself
not only needing to focus on my career and maintaining my income, but now playing the role of single
parent.
The lesson I learned was that I needed to redefine my definition of success, and quickly. There’s nothing like
a personal crisis to make you stop and think about what’s truly important. And that’s exactly what I did. I re-
evaluated my priorities, dug deep and found what I valued most … being a mom. So, I adapted my career in
order to fit my priorities. What that meant at that at time, was that I chose to reduce my travel, I worked
from home more, and I pumped the brakes on climbing the corporate ladder.
What this also meant, was that I made tradeoffs and choices … this allowed me to balance my career and my
family. Easy, no way…but fulfilling, yes.
My story is not unique. I have partnered with so many clients who have found themselves stuck at a career
crossroad and didn’t know what was next, or in the midst of a career or life transition. Many have needed to
redefine their definition of success. My wish is that everyone experiences their career, life, and leadership
journey with purpose, passion, and peace of mind.
For that reason, I am thrilled to share that I have partnered with Alicia Reece to create DRIVEN Career
Map! DRIVEN Career Map is a professional development program designed to enable and empower
professionals at all levels to navigate their careers and transitions seamlessly with insightful career
management strategies and tools.
Visit our website to learn more about how individual contributors, leaders, teams, and groups can benefit
from DRIVEN Career Map.
