Coffee Chat Notes

Lily Hodder

A conversation about career flexibility, learning across industries, networking with genuine curiosity, and staying open to paths that may not make sense immediately.

Publishing note: This page is written as a personal learning summary rather than a transcript. If publishing publicly with Lily’s name and career history, it is a good idea to ask her permission first.

1. Career & learning

“You can always learn”

The challenge of changing industries or roles

A non-linear career can be powerful, but other people may not immediately understand how one role connects to another. The responsibility is therefore on you to explain that connection clearly: what you learned, which skills transfer, and why your previous experience strengthens your current direction.

My reflection · Think Again

This strongly reminded me of Adam Grant’s Think Again. Career choices do not have to be treated as permanent commitments. As you gain information, experience and self-knowledge, it is reasonable to reconsider earlier assumptions and change direction.

2. Life philosophy

Do things that make you happy

Progressing along a conventional path does not mean you have to remain on it forever. You can still explore a new interest, study something different, join societies, volunteer, read widely, or move in a different direction.

When your current position is not what you expected

Do not assume immediately that you made the wrong decision. Stay long enough to observe, learn and explore. Sometimes the value of an experience only becomes clear after you have immersed yourself in it.

There is always a way to change

My reflection · Hidden Potential

This conversation also connected with Adam Grant’s Hidden Potential. I kept thinking about the idea of learning like a sponge: being open, absorbing experience, and developing through the quality of your learning rather than assuming your starting point determines your ceiling.

3. Networking

Reach out to interesting people

Do not be afraid to contact people whose careers or experiences genuinely interest you. Many people are happy to share what they have learned. The important distinction is approaching them with curiosity rather than immediately asking for something.

4. Psychology + Economics → Consulting

Psychology

  • Working with people
  • Understanding team dynamics
  • Understanding clients
  • Communication
  • Stakeholder management

Economics

  • Seeing broader patterns and trends
  • Understanding markets
  • Quantitative and analytical skills
  • Thinking about incentives and systems

Consulting: problem solving + willingness to learn + communication.

5. University advice

Do not over-optimise university around one predetermined career. Explore subjects, societies, volunteering, internships, industries and people. Some experiences may seem irrelevant at first and become useful later.

A useful question from the conversation: do not ask only “What will this lead to?” Sometimes ask, “Am I interested in this?”

6. AI + future of work

AI is evolving quickly, which means assumptions and plans may need to be revisited more often. The data-centre industry is also changing rapidly because of growing compute demand.

One especially interesting takeaway was that AI is not only a technology issue. It also intersects with business, infrastructure, sustainability, regulation, public policy and energy requirements.

7. Books mentioned

8. Career snapshot

Current

Strategy & Operations Manager @ NEOM

Previously