CAREER COACH AT DLE CULTURE CHAT ADVISES: MIND THE CUES AROUND YOU

By Alaina Stanisci, DLE Communications Intern, Sophomore at Fordham University, Bronx, NY

When it comes to deciding whether to stay or move on, take the time to reflect on your behavior at work, and consider how you would perceive someone else behaving the same way.

That was one of numerous tips offered by seasoned career coaching expert Ryan Dickerson at the October 27 DLE Culture Chat. During a lively, virtual exchange exploring the topic of career transitions, Ryan, who is president and founder of Colorado-based Good Fit Careers, posited the idea of the human-centric decision when making a change.

“Often, the people around you may see it before you do,” Ryan shared, hinting at the value of how coworkers see you and the way that you show up at the workplace. He added, “Asking yourself questions like ‘How would the people around me describe how I am working?’ can be a valuable exercise to gain self-awareness. If you’re not happy, the people around you can see it.”

The role of AI in finding and preparing for a new role was explored during the moderated full-group discussion and more intimate breakout sessions, which set Culture Chat apart as an ideal format for learning and networking. Explained Ryan, “AI can extend your reach but will not replace your expertise and writing style yet.” While generative AI and large language models can be extremely useful for busy work, such as identifying keywords for a job search that you can transfer to your resume, Ryan emphasized that AI will not always be accurate, similar to autocorrect. To put it simply, Ryan concluded “these tools are great, but you still have to be the expert and fact check.”

Acknowledging that it can be difficult to find a career that is right for you, Ryan shared two helpful frameworks for moving forward:

• First, the power of Ikigai, a Japanese concept that can help determine your life purpose. By determining the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for, this exercise can point you in the right direction for your job search.
• Second, it can be helpful to identify your skills, experiences, drivers, and traits by leaning into your self-awareness, maintaining a positive attitude, casting good impressions, and mapping out a realistic timeline for finding a new job.

If you missed this informative program or want to revisit the discussion, catch highlights on the DLE YouTube Channel. Click here.