Autodesk Life
Autodesk’s Young Professionals Network (YPN) is an employee resource group (ERG) dedicated to helping young professionals at Autodesk better navigate the company and their careers. By fostering a culture of diversity and inclusiveness, providing opportunities for professional development and a safe space for collaboration, and driving a culture of mentorship and coaching, YPN enables early and mid-career professionals to become future Autodesk leaders.
Here, a few members of our Young Professionals Network share more about how Autodesk supports their career aspirations:
Beatriz Médola is a Senior Product Support Representative based in Barcelona, Spain. She supports Autodesk’s Architecture, Engineering, and Construction products, collaborating with team members to ensure they deliver the best customer experience. In addition to her day-to-day role, she is also YPN’s Barcelona Site Lead and an Autodesk pro bono consultant.
Filippo Vittori is a Senior Implementation Consultant based in Milan, Italy, and is YPN’s Impact Measurement Lead. In his role, he helps Autodesk customers generate the most value from the implementation of our technologies, building a trusted partnership for collaboration aimed at seeking innovation. Originally from Stroncone, Italy, Filippo played football (soccer) for over 10 years and is a proud participant in Autodesk’s Football World Cup tournament.
Nancy Zheng is a Senior Financial Analyst based in San Francisco, California. In her role, she leads finance reporting, accounting, analysis, and tool building and maintenance to support the Product Design and Manufacturing Solutions (PDMS) and Entertainment and Media Solutions (EMS) strategy teams. She is also the San Francisco Chapter Site Lead for YPN.
Thomas Verotte is an AEC Sales Knowledge Transfer Manager based in Singapore and is also YPN’s Singapore Chapter Site Lead. In his role, he partners with sales leadership and subject-matter experts to create, develop, and drive a program strategy that will improve industry understanding, provide actionable content, and drive sales performance while prioritizing business needs in a thoughtful and scalable way.
What do you like most about being part of the Young Professionals Network?
Thomas: Autodesk’s ERGs are essential to enabling and fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace where everyone can feel like they belong. The Young Professionals Network is a dynamic ERG, and I particularly liked the idea of supporting young professionals in better navigating the company and their careers. I decided to join because it’s an amazing opportunity to give back to colleagues, create new connections, and expand my network – but it’s also a learning opportunity for me!
Beatriz: Young Professionals Network has the potential to inspire people to become new leaders. What I liked the most about YPN before joining as a Champion was that the initiatives were very impactful and helpful for young professionals. Now, being part of the organization as a Site Lead, YPN helps me leverage my leadership skills and empowers some soft skills that I do not necessarily use in my day-to-day job.
Filippo: I have always had a clear idea in my mind of what I wanted from my work: people and innovation must be fundamental components of my daily job. YPN has allowed me to find a community of Autodeskers eager to bring innovation and empathy and be ready to do together what is increasingly difficult alone. We define ourselves as “young” because our approach to things is fresh and genuine, which separates participation in the ERG from a mere age number.
Nancy: I enjoy the opportunity to network across other organizations and groups that I don’t typically interact with at work – especially during a hybrid work schedule when I only go into the office once every 1 to 2 weeks on average.
How have you taken advantage of the Learning & Career Development offerings available at Autodesk?
Beatriz: I have used many of Autodesk’s professional development resources. One-on-one peer mentorship and our personal coaching platform are my favorites; I use them often. In addition to these offerings, I encourage all YPN members to also have conversations about career development with their managers and update their Individual development plans (IDPs) on a regular basis.
Filippo: Being able to rely on the guidance of a mentor who has faced similar challenges can generate huge value for both participants. Our mentorship program provides a highly structured offering to help young professionals first understand the Autodesk world and the infinite opportunities it offers, and then themselves. Participating in the mentorship program as a mentee has allowed me to expand my horizons much faster, and I advise all young professionals to consider it for boosting their careers.
Nancy: I attend virtual sessions hosted by the Learning & Development team to understand the different ways to progress either vertically or horizontally within Autodesk. The company is very open and flexible about these kinds of opportunities, and managers are supportive of them as well. I recommend starting with these calls and networking with people on different teams to learn what interests you.
Thomas: Since joining Autodesk, I’ve leveraged many different learning and career development opportunities through instructor-led classes and the mentorship program. Being a mentee and a mentor is another great opportunity to grow and connect with new colleagues. I would encourage young professionals to identify and list their goals and partner with YPN members to discuss how they can leverage the different options offered by Autodesk to achieve their goals.
Why should young professionals want to come work at Autodesk?
Nancy: Autodesk’s flexibility of work location and people culture are amazing. The company’s transparent leadership culture and inspiring management allow me to collaborate better and grow myself. My advice for anyone interested in joining Autodesk is to first understand the integrity and team culture you work best with and desire because that is where you will spend a lot of your time.
Thomas: Autodesk is an amazing company, offering a great environment for any professional to grow and thrive. This is even more true for young professionals as the company supports career development, learning, and growth. Autodesk truly focuses on and cares about employees. If you join us at Autodesk, I advise becoming a member of the Young Professionals Network, as it will speed up creating connections with peers and leaders.
Beatriz: Autodesk offers many learning resources. From LinkedIn Learning to Harvard courses, the company’s professional development opportunities are endless. Working with extraordinary people also helps you make the most of your skills.
Filippo: At Autodesk, the only constants are change (a positive change aimed at improving how we work today) and innovation (focusing our efforts on creating a better future). This approach allows young professionals to always be in the right room – or certainly to find one that is a fertile environment for professional development first and personal development thereafter. If you are young, curious, hungry, and constantly seeking to innovate and push the boundaries of technology, Autodesk provides the right room for you to make anything.
Looking for a career where you can solve challenging problems, create interesting products, and help customers make a positive impact on the world? Join us!
