Alaina Levine Delivers Lecture on Career Development During UA Little Rock’s Eclipse Celebration

During her “Landing your Unicorn Career” lecture at UA Little Rock’s eclipse event, Alaina Levine dropped some gems of wisdom for those looking to improve their careers.

Levine, who authored the award-winning book “Networking for Nerds” and has given countless lectures across the nation, visited UA Little Rock on April 8 to deliver a presentation on how to better your life by bettering your career.

Having been a math major,  Levine struggled early in her career with the idea that she would be limited to a rigid path and worried about what she felt was a very finite scope of options for her future. After a disappointing conversation she had with a trusted professor in her department, Levine had an epiphany.

“We have to be four-dimensional creatures in a three-dimensional world,” stated Levine. “We have to be able to see connections between seemingly disparate fields.”

Understanding that finding opportunities is not always straightforward, Levine shared the importance of being able to read between the lines and find ways to advocate for your own unique set of skills. She specifically touted the value of leveraging your network by finding gaps in the market you can fill to serve others.

The heart of Levine’s message was authenticity. Levine emphasized how adhering to her own authenticity has carved out opportunities and positions for herself and for others. She encouraged listeners to pay attention to what she referred to as ‘intrinsic data,’ or information about themselves and the kind of work they actually enjoy doing.

“We have to be honest with ourselves about what drives us, and about what gaps we are uniquely qualified to fill with our expertise to serve the needs of the greater community,” she said. “When we do this, we are able to create what I call our ‘unicorn career.’”