Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone: An Interview with Brittany Mallas
Meet brittany mallas
Elevating connections to partnerships
Brittany Mallas has been a relationship curator and a Milwaukee community connector for 15 years. From her previous experience in alumni relations at Quarles and Brady, to her current role as Rotational Development Program Coordinator at BMO Financial Group, Brittany champions the importance of networking and a strong community presence.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
If you don’t ask, you will never know.
What do you wish you would have known before you started your career?
Company loyalty isn’t everything. Job hop if it feels right for you. Try new things, do not get fixated on people pleasing.
What is the best advice for your younger self just entering the workplace?
Learn corporate maturity and be respectful to everyone you encounter.
You are going to fail and make mistakes; they will help you grow in both your professional and personal life. [Mistakes] are only a moment in time, typically non-defining. Start thinking about what is more important to you and why – money or power (it can be both).
How can young professionals excel or stand out in the workplace?
Do not be afraid to volunteer for things that interest you outside your role within the company.
If there is a way to promote yourself and have capacity – do it! If there is an opportunity to network, take it – you never know who you will encounter throughout your career.
Best tips for those new to networking?
Have a general arsenal of questions ready to ask, which will grow as you network more. Set goals for yourself - i.e., get 10 business cards by the time you leave – to make it a game.
Find a friend who has the same goals for networking as you do and go to events with them.
What do you wish the generations ahead of you, and behind you, knew?
Many of us have the same feeling of unease and uncertainty when first starting a career. Life is messy and there is not much you can do to control external factors, but you can control your choices which help define your outcomes.
Why is mentorship important?
It’s nice to have someone on your side.
Mentorship is a chance to talk about shared experiences and get unbiased advice on how to grow and learn.
What does being a first generation professional mean to you?
It means being the example for my younger siblings and cousin. It gives a feeling of accomplishment and that anything is possible if you are always routing for yourself.
and finally, What do you love about Milwaukee?
It is small enough where you can have access to amazing, diverse Leaders that can turn to longstanding relationships. Those relationships can then turn into partnerships. If you network well, the opportunities in this city are abundant.
More Posts You May Like
