4 minute read
Tips from the Pros: Thinking About a New Career Pathway?
BY MARLENA SCHUGT | BLOOM PROGRAM MANAGER & LISSUANNETTE MERCADO RIVERA | BLOOM OPPORTUNITY SPECIALIST
Are you struggling to be happy and confident in your workplace? Do you want to make a career change but don't know where to start? Experts Kashonna Marrow, President & CEO of Simply Kashonna LLC, and Julia Groft, Market Principal at Manpower share their advice on how you can put your career on a pathway you’ll bloom in.
WHAT TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT MAKING A CHANGE
1. Don’t make a permanent decision based on a temporary emotion. Take your time, breathe, and respect the pause…Respecting the pause helps you think about things clearly and strategize.
2. Be creative and open yourself up to new opportunities. Sometimes a company doesn’t even know they need a position until they meet you.
3. Do your research on the company you’re applying for and do your research on yourself. Understand who you are and what your morals are. Try to identify the common denominator that tied all your previous roles together. Why did you accept those previous roles and what did you like about them?
WHERE TO LOOK FOR YOUR NEXT OPPORTUNITY
1. Reach out to your local workforce development organizations. For example, the YCEA hosts York Hiring Fairs at WellSpan Park throughout the year where you can meet with employers face-to-face. The YCEA also maintains the Pathways Portal website which has a Connection Center where employers can post their available jobs, training programs, internships, and much more.
2. Connect with staffing agencies. Staffing agencies, like Manpower, constantly work with companies to attract qualified talent for a variety of roles, fields, and industries. They can put your resume in a great position to be reviewed by a company’s human resources team.
3. Take your next steps intentionally. Your ideal role may require that you gain new skills in a different position, but every experience is valuable and can add to your resume.
HOW TO MAKE SURE YOUR NEXT PATHWAY IS A GOOD FIT
1. Understand your core values. What are your non-negotiables? Do your values align with the organization you’re seeking out? Ask questions about the things that mean a lot to you while in your interview. For example, what are the expectations related to the work-life balance at this company? Or, does this company prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion and what does that actually look like for them?
2. Find a mentor at your new employer. Either identify someone you look up to at your new company or ask your company’s leadership to pair you up with someone really good at the job.
3. Be comfortable with being uncomfortable. new person at a company is uncomfortable, even if it is a positive experience, but think back to a time when you were uncomfortable at first but you got through it and things worked out. Put in the work before you give up on an opportunity, but if it’s not a good fit that’s okay and something else will be out there.
Kashonna Marrow is the President & CEO of Simply Kashonna LLC which includes SK Leading Forward, a training, professional development, and coaching organization, as well as SK Collaboration Space, a coworking hub for professionals who are looking for a place space to think, connect, and create.
simplykashonna.com | leadersmoveforward.com
Julia Groft is the Market Principal at Manpower, a global staffing agency that has opportunities in light industrial, engineering, skilled technical, and more. Their branch in York County heavily focuses on opportunities in manufacturing including short-term jobs, permanent roles, and contingent roles with the potential to become a permanent role.
To learn more about how the BLOOM Business Empowerment Center can help you, visit BLOOMyork.org.
