Career, Mentorship & Networking with Shermira & Karmel
On this week’s episode of Carry On Friends, I’m excited to welcome our first mother-daughter duo as guests. Shermira and Karmel both have a melting pot of Caribbean heritage, and we have an interesting conversation about the skills needed to navigate the workplace, how to prepare for new jobs, and networking.
We dive into the importance of being exposed to a variety of experiences throughout life. As Director of Business and Industry Workforce Training Center at CUNY, Shermira frequently interacts with persons who don’t have this exposure and she sees the impact this has had on their work life. So, through her work, she has created training programs to help persons gain the skills that employers are looking for.
In this conversation we also talk about how we should show up in the workplace. We all have different sides of us and so we have to be mindful which sides we present to our colleagues. I reflect on some of my work experiences and how I learned the hard way the importance of showing up confidently Caribbean.
Added to this, Karmel believes that transparency helps us to be more confident in navigating the workforce. By sharing more of ourselves with others we add a human component that helps us navigate challenges.
In this show we discuss mentorship, its misconceptions and the challenges of finding the right matches. Shermira even goes further to explain what it means to transition to sponsorship and the power that it has.
We get tips from both ladies on how people can prepare to enter new careers or jobs. As a talent acquisition business partner, Karmel encourages listeners to bring energy, different perspectives and human connection when going for a job. Shermira teaches how we can figure out what careers may be most suitable for us based on activities we’ve done in the past.
As we wrap up, we learn more about networking and some misconceptions around it. Karmel shares her tricks to make networking feel easier, and Shermira gives insights into what she considers to be a more effective approach than traditional networking.
Key Points
- Mother-daughter duo, Shermira and Karmel, talk about navigating the workplace, preparing for new jobs, networking and more.
- Shermira explains how having exposure to a variety of opportunities can be an advantage.
- We discuss how to show up in the workplace and which sides of us colleagues should see.
- Both Shermira and Karmel share tips on how to prepare to enter new careers or jobs.
- We learn more about mentorship, sponsorship and alternatives to traditional networking.
Stay Connected
Connect with Shermira – LinkedIn
Connect with Karmel – LinkedIn
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