Aleenah Ansari, Writer
Writing what I should have been able to read

Speaking

Book Aleenah Ansari for speaking engagements on storytelling, personal branding, and acing the job interview. She has given webinars at Microsoft, Products by Women, OwnTrail, and more.

Speaking

Breaking into Tech with a Non-Traditional Background | Aleenah Ansari

It’s easy to feel like you’re sending out hundreds of applications, meeting people, using LinkedIn, and yet you’re still not getting you’re foot in the door.

Thankfully, I’m a problem solver by nature, which is why I wanted to figure out how to support all the students, entrepreneurs, and professionals in media, tech, and business who were coming to me with the same questions:

My TEDxSahaleeRoad talk about channeling jealousy as a tool for reflection

  • How do I stand out to hiring managers during the job search, especially if I have a non-traditional background or am switching industries?

  • How can I build an authentic personal brand on LinkedIn and beyond so I can find other collaborators or future colleagues that see the value in my skillset?

  • How can I communicate my job accomplishments, not just responsibilities?

I've given 15+ talks to organizations for professionals, students, and entrepreneurs for Microsoft, Classwallet, Columbia University, TEDxSahalee Road, Products by Women, Tech Ladies, and more. Expect a lot of tangible examples, audience participation, and actionable tips that attendees can implement in their own lives.

I’m also available to moderate Q&As and discussions with authors, entrepreneurs, and more. I recently moderated a Q&A with author and Her First $100k founder Tori Dunlap for An Inclusive Guide to All Things Money and have interviewed authors Charles Yu, Putsata Reang, and Linda Meeker for The Seattle Times.

Webinar Topics

Using storytelling to build your personal brand: It’s no secret that personal branding is a buzzword these days., but how do you put them into practice? In this workshop, we’ll go through strategies and guiding questions that you can use to discover and hone in on your brand and tell stories that are authentic to you. Learn how to write a compelling bio and craft stories about your identity and work and translate it across your LinkedIn, portfolios, job interviews, and more. I’ll share the tips and tricks that I’ve learned after writing hundreds of stories for Microsoft, the Center for Neurotechnology, and more.

Past webinars on this topic include:

Breaking into tech with a non-traditional background, and supporting inclusive teams: So you want to break into tech, but you don't have the traditional background in program management or software engineering skills. That's okay! In reality, there are so many roles in tech ranging from research and content strategy to marketing and partnership managers. I’ll share strategies for breaking into tech as a content creator and multimedia marketer in tech, and how you can do the same. Learn more about leverage to LinkedIn and networking events as tools for relationship building, tips for advocating for your transferable skills, and strategies you can use to find roles that align with your skill set and values.

“I was lucky enough to discover Aleenah’s work through Microsoft’s Inclusion is Innovation campaign, and invited her to speak at Classwallet as part of our celebration of Pride Heritage Month. I was impressed by her personal story and took a chance that she would deliver a conference-style motivational presentation…and yes, she did just that!

ClassWallet’s core value is authenticity and Aleenah showed up as her authentic self, and shared how to use the power of curiosity to have more meaningful and inclusive conversations ... She not only acknowledged her vulnerability but opened the door to encourage self-reflection and provided action-oriented ideas on making connections. ”
— Robin Simkins, ClassWallet

Past webinars on this topic include:

Landing your dream job/role by acing the interview: Learn how to go beyond the STAR method by communicating the impact of your work and accomplishments, connecting your interview responses to company values, when to send that follow up email, and how to stay in touch with hiring managers and decisionmakers. This is the end-to-end guide to the job search that you've been looking for.

Past webinars on this topic include:

How to build an impactful business: This webinar focuses on how to build an impactful business rooted in your strengths.

“Aleenah is an excellent and energetic speaker and event facilitator ... Aleenah’s webinar discussed the power of building a personal brand in a way that was accessible and engaging. She also underscored the importance of highlighting your accomplishments using measurable language, rather than just listing out job responsibilities, which highly resonated with the audience. Roughly one-third of the attendees submitted questions after her presentation to receive further guidance (i.e. how to build a dynamic personal brand following a career transition, best platforms to leverage, how to talk about accomplishments in a way that feels authentic, etc).”
— Cheryl Morris, Community and Partnerships Manager at Tech Ladies

Get in Touch

“I could tell that Aleenah is an an expert in storytelling! It was very engaging and using examples that brought things to real life helped me understand how to make use of those tips ... As a matter of fact, I just used the elevator pitch Aleenah talked about using the companies values, I think I aced my interview!”
— - Acing the Job Interview Attendee

On-Camera Work for Microsoft Inside Track

As an on-camera host for the Microsoft Inside Track YouTube channel, I conduct interviews and narrate stories about the employees who build and deploy Microsoft technology.

Securing Microsoft’s network with an internet-first, Zero Trust model

Podcast Appearances

Testimonials

“Aleenah’s superpower is encapsulating an entire room as a storyteller and mentor. We worked closely with Aleenah to bring her as a speaker for our campus wide diversity event to lead a workshop on Storytelling via LinkedIn. The beautifully designed presentation and interactive activities prepared guided students, faculty, and staff on ways they can grow their LinkedIn network and storytelling skills rooted in being their authentic self. ”
— Leah Shin, co-founder of Now Spoke

“Aleenah came to the Early-in-Career (EIC) employee resource group at Microsoft Digital, to pitch an interactive webinar on storytelling and personal branding ... We ran a successful workshop with ~50 participants, where they were able to reflect on their own values and experiences, and practice their personal branding skills by sharing with others through interactive breakout sessions. Our attendees enjoyed the event, and expressed the value they found in learning to share their stories effectively. - Cleo Tracey, committee member for Microsoft Early in Career

“Out of all our workshops, Aleenah’s had the highest interest; we had 196 RSVPs, 86 people attending and about 10% of those who couldn’t make it have directly reached out and requested a recording. Aleenah’s webinar covered the interview process from elevator pitch to follow-up, and she provided actionable tips and guidance for standing out. At the end, she led a lively discussion about highlighting the value of transferable skills, managing nerves, and addressing gaps in your resume ... I cannot stress enough the positive feedback I’ve heard from our attendees; not only about Aleenah’s camera presence, but her capability of providing tangible advice and her 1:1 mentorship skills. ”
— Joss Richard, CEO and founder of Margot

“Given the large base of students and career transitioners in our community who may not know where to start with the process, we worked together with Aleenah to host a Job Search & Interview Skills Workshop. With over 200 sign-ups, about 80 attendees, and 17 questions submitted to the event, Aleenah’s workshop with us went through the process of finding roles and decision-makers, while also acknowledging the challenges of impostor syndrome and standing out in a sea of applicants. Aleenah’s speaking skills are incredible, and attendees were able to take lots away from the event!” - Julie Van, Community Marketing Coordinator at FLIK