Halogen Foundation x LinkedIn Social Impact: A Fireside Chat

Today, my colleagues, Jonathan Fung , Monica Bhatia (Kapur) , and I had the opportunity to join in an enlightening panel discussion among ~60 students from various Junior Colleges, Polytechnics and Universities in Singapore through close partnership with Halogen Foundation & the LinkedIn Social Impact Team.? Halogen's goal is to help youth develop positive belief systems and values, so that they can take action in their circles of influence.

Our theme was "Charting your unique path to career success," and I was asked to share some of my personal stories and insights - which suddenly transported me back to when I first joined the workforce as a graduate 18+ years ago!?- as well as the most important skills I look for when hiring and building my team at work.

Here were some of the highlights I shared:

On personal brand & identity

• A lot of it starts with honest self-reflection.? Ask yourself what 3 adjectives your closest friends or family would use to describe you, and write them down (e.g. helpful, funny, considerate).? Then write down 2-3 things you're really passionate about?(e.g. travel, writing, running/wellness).? Finally, write down 2-3 skills you have been working on, and want to keep investing in (e.g. communication, leadership).
• Then, brainstorm and write down all the different types of environments or organizations that could benefit from these unique things you offer. This becomes the audience you want to focus on, and connect with as many people in that industry as possible - to learn, and understand what the current or future opportunities with them could look like.
• The more you can get in touch with what makes you unique, and what your innate strengths and motivations are, the more easily you can start to create a story around your brand and the value you bring. Experiment with Gen AI and try putting a brief version of this summary on your LinkedIn profile. Keep iterating and playing around with what sounds like an authentic description of you. And don't forget to populate your profile with your most up-to-date skills. Your LinkedIn profile, by the way, is never fully complete - it's a constant work in progress! :)

Some things I wish I knew that school didn't teach me…

• Don't chase titles or pay, or even 'name brands' of companies - especially in your first year out of school.? Work for organizations that have leaders who inspire you, really strong or well-known training programs/boot camps for the skills/profession you want to learn.? Be hungry to learn from people you respect.? Be a sponge, patient for results, but impatient to learn as much as you can in the shortest amount of time.? When you invest in building in-demand skills and skills needed for the future; the success, results and money will follow.

What skills do I look for when hiring, and how can candidates stand out?

• For early career professionals looking to get into sales:? Communication, Organization, Time Management
• Then there are the equally important intangibles:? Curiosity, Resilience (able to deal with, and learn from failure - because failure is inevitable), Clockspeed (ability to think on your feet), Accountability, Resourcefulness (know how and where to find answers when you don't know them) & Growth Mindset (always be learning)
• The candidates that always stand out to me, demonstrate any combination of the above skills, but also show courtesy (thank you notes), openness and seeking out feedback (growth mindset), following through on any commitments made (accountability) & the personal touch (authenticity).

My advice to students entering the workforce:

• You don't have to have it all figured out.? Life and career paths are not always linear, and again in my opinion - not defined only by money, titles and levels.? Life and career paths are actually about the plot twists, uncertainties, and how curious, resilient, humble, and kind we are to one another along the way.? Surround yourself with good people wherever you can, keep reading and learning, staying sharp on your skills, do your best each day, and take it one step at a time.? The path won't always be clear - but sometimes, if we pay close attention, the opportunities find us!

And finally, on the topic of Gen AI, while I'm personally still scratching the surface on what's possible and just how powerful it is and will be for the future of work - it's important we experiment, use it, and be curious.

The skills needed for jobs are expected to change at least 70% by 2030 (!) due to rapid developments in AI (LinkedIn AI at Work Report, Aug '23).? Meaning, we need to keep evolving and embracing how technology will change our jobs; but also not lose sight of developing our People Skills (Critical Thinking, Managing & Leading Teams, Cross-team Collaboration, Mentoring, Problem Solving and more).

A big thank you to Jonathan for moderating a great discussion; my fellow panelist, Monica, whom I learned from as well! And to Phebe Cheong & Remko Glatzhofer for extending the opportunity for us to share. Also kudos to Candice Cheng for kicking things off with her keynote, and sharing her expertise from a data & insights perspective.

And most importantly - thanks so much to all the students who joined us for the Fireside Chat! What an attentive audience, filled with bright minds ?? I wish you much success in this next year and beyond, and hope you'll keep in touch and let me know what amazing things you'll go on to do from here!