Durga J.
Career Advice | Stanford MBA | Senior People Partner at Verkada
Studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business
Works at Verkada
Available Wednesday at 1:00 AM UTC
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
Durga’s Career Development Qualifications
Experience level: Manager
As an HR/People professional, much of my day job is focused on employee coaching and development. I regularly engage with employees on career transitions, self-advocacy, work-life balance, how to work with your manager, etc. Helping others gives me energy, and I'd love to work with you in whatever stage you are at in your career journey! On a personal level, I have been coaching since high school. I started out as a part-time consultant for families relocating between the US and Asia. At Middlebury, I founded a first-generation student-to-student mentorship program. At Stanford, I was an Arbuckle Fellow and spent years honing my coaching skills. Please read my profile for more about me!
Durga can help with:
Skill Building
Career Planning
Professional Networking
Personal Branding
Networking Strategy
Salary Negotiation
Job Search Strategies
Durga also coaches for MBA, Sales, and Human Resources. View all.
About Durga
I have always been passionate about understanding and helping others. My parents are an Executive Coach and a College Counselor, so it's in my blood! I grew up internalizing the importance of coaching and mentorship, and it influenced my education and career. I have a BA in Psychology and Sociology from Middlebury College, followed by an MA Education and MBA from Stanford University. My career has spanned Sales, Business Operations, and Human Resources/People. After my MBA, I committed to pursuing a career in People. So much of what I do day-to-day in my role is coaching and development: helping employees navigate their careers, self-advocate, approach difficult conversations, and build the experiences they need to achieve their goals. My coaching journey actually started in high school when I worked as a part-time consultant for families relocating between the US and India. Then, at Middlebury, I founded a first-generation student mentorship program and lead our student Diversity Committee. At Stanford, I was an Arbuckle Leadership Fellow, spending my years in coaching training and practice. My style is reflective, empathetic and honest. We will work together to explore your values and how your career can align with what fulfillment means to you. We will look at the version of yourself you want to be, and see how we can get there. I will challenge you, hold you accountable, support you, and do everything in my power to ensure you get the most value out of every hour we have together. We will get a lot done! I offer the following: 1. Career Coaching: transitions, promotions, people management, soft skills 2. Life Coaching: work life balance, marriage, relocation 3. MBA Coaching specific to Stanford GSB and Harvard Business School, and waitlist strategy 4. Specific Career Pivots into Human Resources or Sales More about me personally: I live in Redwood City with my husband. At all 3 companies I've worked at, I've led the women's employee resource group and put my energy towards achieving gender equity. I love traveling, wine tasting, reading, and spending time with friends and family. I am very extroverted and look forward to chatting with you!
Why do I coach?
My career and personal life have been transformed by coaches and mentors, and I am excited to help others on their journey! I can't wait to pay it forward and watch you grow and succeed in the way that's right for you.
Work Experience
Senior People Partner
Verkada
February 2024 - Present
Business Operations
PayPal
August 2023 - February 2024
Human Resources Rotational Program
PayPal
August 2022 - July 2023
Strategic Account Executive
Twilio
January 2020 - July 2020
Account Executive
Twilio
September 2017 - December 2019
Sales Development Representative
Twilio
April 2017 - August 2017
Business Development Representative
Twilio
August 2016 - March 2017
Education
Stanford Graduate School of Business
MBA
2020 - 2022
Stanford University
MA, Education
2020 - 2022
Middlebury College
Bachelor's Degree, Psychology
2012 - 2016
Durga was also personally admitted to
Harvard Business School