Sunday, January 5, 2020

women networking

women networking Mentor month may be coming to a close, but matches are still being made If you want to be matched with the mentor/ mentee of your dreams, shoot me a message on Networks todayIf youve job hunted with us before, youve probably already spoken to her, but I had an awesome conversation with one of our Senior Recruiters, Amy, who is always going above and beyond to help women find their dream jobs on PowerToFly. She reveals how she manages to find jobs for so many women on our platform, while traveling to five states and three different country (working remotely definitely helps) and gives her advice on being a great mentor and mentee belowQ Have you ever had a mentor or mentee thats made a significant impact on your career and why? A Too many to count There are two who really stand out to me though-the first would be Marie-Elizabeth Oliver who is my former colleague. She taught me so much about communication and voicing your opinions strategically, both verbally and in wr iting. The second would be our Chief Talent Officer, and my manager, Rachel Valdez. She has shown me how to put the growth mindset into action and exudes positivity. Q What makes a good mentor/ mentee? What makes a good mentor is trust and the ability to build relationships-you need to have an honest and transparent way to communicate so you can really listen to your mentee and help them problem solve. A good mentee is someone who can not only listen to constructive criticism but put it into action to continually improve. Q Whats one piece of advice youd give to someone looking to abflug a career in recruitment? It may sound cliche, but I think being your authentic self goes the furthest when it comes to recruitment. Particularly in the technical landscape, candidates are often in such high demand they are contacted by numerous recruiters daily. Its about building rapport and trust. Sometimes, you get to give life changing good news if interviews go well, and sometimes you have to d eliver bad news. A recruiter is successful if they can deliver both types and elevate the candidate on their career path regardless.Q Youve attended a lot of our live PowerToFly events recently, whats been your favorite moment thus far?I love getting the chance to interact with women who attend our events face to face. I think there is so much power in solidarity. You can tangibly feel the energy and excitement emanating from the room when a panel of women in executive roles discuss their own challenges in rising to the top, and how they overcame them. Q It seems like you love to travel How has working remotely changed your life?I feel so lucky to have come of age professionally at the time that technology and travel really intersected with the work environment-I didnt have to choose between a great job and seeing the world. In the past 6 months Ive worked from Cape Cod, Nashville, Seattle, New York, Spain, Portugal, and now Im back in New Orleans. Las t year I worked from India for a month. Its all about delivering results no matter where you are. Q What tips do you have for other women looking to start a remote career?Take advantage of your ability to be transient, but always put work first. If you want a true vacation offline, take the PTO. Otherwise, be ready to commit and manage your responsibilities in whatever time zone necessary to make your team successful. Also, time management is your best friend. You can be so much mora productive and have a better work-life balance while working remotely-just communicate clearly with your team and be available via slack. Q Whats the best piece of advice youve ever been given throughout your career? The best piece of advice Ive been given is to constantly challenge yourself. If something makes you anxious or scared, it means youre growing.Q Whats the best piece of advice youve ever given someone throughout their career? I always advise talents to frame negative feedback positively. If a particular role or path you wanted to follow doesnt work out, use that feedback to improve for your next opportunity. It will undoubtedly come. Q What motivates you to come to work every day? I truly believe in our mission. We still have a way to go when it comes to gender equality in the workforce, and PowerToFly is contributing to getting there. Its been cool to witness the reckoning on a larger scale taking place in the US with movements like TimesUp and MeToo across industries as well. Q Why do you love networking on PowerToFly?Its a great space to share knowledge and learn. You can speak to people globally in various industries with our networking tool, so whatever steps you are looking to take, someone will be there to give you great advice on your career. Related Articles Around the Web Why Women Arent Networking And 7 Ways To Fix It Networking Isnt Easy for Women, but It Is Crucial - WSJ Why Do Professional Women Need Networking More Than Men ... One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 milli on construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot mora to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growi ng industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work ca n be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.