Most people live in an “or” world. Whether we like it or not, we think in terms of always having to choose between two or more options or paths, rather than thinking in terms of “and”. I was reminded of this when hearing the CFO of Eli Lilly, Derica Rice, speak to a group of college students who have received scholarships he and his wife fund. He told them that he always thought in terms of “or”. I can have this career “or” that, but not both. I can have this life “or” this one, but not both. But
Working in career development, I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to work with individuals from all over the U.S., and I occasionally have clients that live or have lived abroad. It is eye opening to see how different cultures and areas of the country approach career planning. Embracing diversity and inclusion is important for job seekers, employers and career practitioners. Here are 3 ways to embrace Diversity and Inclusion: Job Seekers – Seek out companies that are searching for candidates based on culture fit. You can often recognize these organizations because their culture is evident in their marketing, mission statement
I was 24, interviewing for a job in economic development, of which I knew almost nothing about. Moving because of my husband’s job prompted me to start looking in my hometown, and an indirect connection had landed my résumé on the President’s desk. Through conversations with the President, I felt like this interview was just the last step before they would hire me. The board chair was there. I knew him, but not well. He was the mayor of our town when I was growing up. I never will forget what he said to me. “You know, economic development has always been a man’s job.”
I distinctly remember the first time I knew I lived in a bubble. I was 17- a junior in high school. I had two elective slots open. For one, I decided to be a science lab assistant that didn’t require much work. This allowed me to walk across the street one day a week to spend time with an at-risk elementary student as her mentor. Up until that point in my life, I thought most people lived like me. Some had more and some had less but I didn’t think there were drastic differences. As I got to know this
Mary Ila had a chance to chat with Ben Eubanks on the We’re Only Human podcast about the importance of calculating the value that HR programs and efforts bring to business. You can tune in below to learn more about how and why to calculate ROI and run statistical calculations to prove the value of your efforts. A big thanks to Ben and the HR Happy Hour Network for the chance to chat about this important topic! Listen to Mary Ila’s interview with Ben here.