A quick google will tell you I am currently working in the Human Resources search practice at Korn Ferry Hay Group where I get to talk to the most interesting, innovative people in the human resource profession at some of work world’s most revered and dynamic organisations – it is AWESOME!
I used to be a Business Development Manager for the University of Edinburgh Business School where I sought out and facilitated opportunities for the school (the students and the academics) to collaborate with Industry. For me this was the frontline of higher education, exploring in the market and figuring out where academic knowledge and industry practice intersect and helping both parties to make the most of these opportunities.
Prior to this, I was the Employer relations Manager for the School’s MBA programme. Loosely translated this meant jack of all ‘career’ trades. I connected students to networks that will support their career growth and development,as well as afford them the opportunity to give breadth and depth to their proposal and professional networks. I wrote and delivered skills development sessions in lecture and workshop based format, I was, and still am at heart a careers counsellor, coach, friend, mentor, travel agent, librarian and many other things at the same time.
All these have been and are great experiences – putting me in challenging, but inspiring situations where I get to connect with so many different people and ideas, but what does that mean for WHO I AM?? Well to borrow a term from Malcolm Gladwell, I suppose I am a ‘connector’. Gladwell attributes the social success of Connectors to the fact that “their ability to span many different worlds is a function of something intrinsic to their personality, some combination of curiosity, self-confidence, sociability, and energy” (source: Wikipedia). I would agree with that (not to toot my own horn…) because unequivocally, my most valuable asset is my network, and my most positive personal trait is the energy with which I like to be a conduit of opportunities through that network.
The variety of my network is down to one thing, I will talk to anyone… if you listen carefully, everyone you meet will give you a nugget of information or knowledge you didn’t have before but will forever be a part of your narrative moving forwards…
And that’s all we are really isn’t it….one ever evolving ‘story’
