In this week’s installment of our Career Advice video series, Linda Bell, Head of Content at Fair360, spoke with Natasha Miller Williams, CEO and Founder of Work Hearter Consulting. Miller Williams spoke about the importance of self-awareness in one’s career and how speaking up in the workplace is crucial for everyone’s personal and professional development, especially marginalized groups.
“I have done my part to one, speak up for myself on my career interests. And two, when I’m mentoring and coaching others, to ask them the question, ‘Did you express to your manager that you were interested in this particular opportunity?’ ‘Did you communicate in a career conversation where you want to go next in your career?’ ‘Have you actually had a career conversation not assuming that career conversations are taking place?'”
Self-awareness also played a role in how the former Vice President and Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Ferrara transitioned from corporate America to entrepreneurship.
“The first is that I reached out to other people that had done the same thing…and asking them every question that came to mind. ‘How did they get started?’ ‘How did they set their schedule?’ ‘How have they set their rates?’ What did they learn in their first year?’ Just being a sponge and making sure that I leverage my network to learn as much as possible.”
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