Janet Parker, an HR veterans guide to your career: overcoming the ‘not ready’ myth, cultivating allies, termination tactics, and taking risks

Career Wanderlust

Unlock the secrets of career success with Janet Parker, a seasoned HR executive who's navigated the corporate landscape for decades. In this eye-opening episode, Janet shares transformative insights that will reshape how you approach your professional journey. Are you ready to discover the hidden keys to thriving in your career?

Guest Bio:

Janet Parker is the Managing Director of Operations at a national nonprofit, where she works with the executive team to implement vision and reach organizational goals. With a rich background in HR leadership at major companies like Time Warner Cable, Nextel Communications, and Starbucks, Janet brings a wealth of experience in supporting corporate functions across sales, marketing, engineering, legal, and operations.

Content Sample:

1. Uncover the vital importance of understanding your company's business dynamics beyond your specific role.
2. Learn the crucial difference between mentors and allies, and how to cultivate both for career advancement.
3. Listen to advice around the best ways to go about dealing with a termination.

4. Discover why taking calculated risks can lead to unexpected opportunities and personal growth.

Key Takeaways:

1. [00:01:36] Understand the business beyond your function to become a more effective problem-solver and leader.
2. [00:04:07] Cultivate allies who will advocate for you even when you're not in the room.

3. [00:08:10] Don't let self-doubt hold you back from applying for senior positions - you'll learn and grow into the role.
4. [00:16:26] When addressing performance issues, be clear about expectations and follow through consistently.
5. [00:20:02] Take more risks in your career - you can always course-correct if things don't work out as planned.

Memorable Quotes:

1. "You really have to understand the business, not just your function, but you have to understand what makes your organization tick."
2. "Allies are going to be advocating for you, even when you're not in the room and you don't know about it."
3. "I wish I had taken more risks. It's helpful to be thoughtful in your decision making and plan things out, but along the way in my career, I could have taken more risk."

Related Content:

1. "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol S. Dweck - Expand on the growth mindset concept Janet mentions.

2. "This Is Not The Life I Ordered" by Deborah Collins Stephens, et al. - Janet's recommended book for resilience and support.

3. Article: "The Importance of Understanding Business Dynamics in HR" - Dive deeper into Janet's first piece of career advice.

Suggestions:

Subscribe to the Career Wanderlust Podcast for more insightful conversations with industry leaders. Follow Janet Parker's work and connect with her on LinkedIn to continue learning from her wealth of HR experience. https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetparkerhr/

Host and Platform Information:

This session was hosted by Jolie Downs with Paradigm, for more on career evolution and growth you can connect with Jolie here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joliedowns/

If you enjoy learning from others, please give us a like, subscribe, and share with a friend. If you are looking to add talent to your public relations, marketing, communications, sales, or business development team with the best talent, and quickly, check us out at paradigmstaffing.com.

Ending Note:

As you reflect on Janet's advice, ask yourself: What risks have you been hesitant to take in your career? How might embracing these opportunities lead to unexpected growth? Share your thoughts with us and join the conversation about career development and personal growth.