July 9, 2025 • 31 mins
Let's talk about the value of communication and employee engagement.
Christine Dykeman is a Compassionate Futurist Speaking on Employee Experience. She is a Keynote Speaker, Panelist, & Moderator, an HR Project Manager & Advisor, a Workshop Facilitator, and the CEO & Founder of Lighthouse Engagement Advisors
Christine has multiple degrees and certifications in HR, Project Management, and a masters in managerial technology. She has sat on both sides of the table for hiring and employment so brings an informed and diverse perspective of the process.
At Lighthouse Engagement Advisors she works in many different ways to help organizations create the workplace that help them communicate, engage, and work together toward success.
Follow Marci Talks Money (and Life) wherever you get your podcasts to get the episodes as they post.
Visit MoneyMarci.com to check out other financial literacy resources.
Christine Dykeman is a Compassionate Futurist Speaking on Employee Experience. She is a Keynote Speaker, Panelist, & Moderator, an HR Project Manager & Advisor, a Workshop Facilitator, and the CEO & Founder of Lighthouse Engagement Advisors
Christine has multiple degrees and certifications in HR, Project Management, and a masters in managerial technology. She has sat on both sides of the table for hiring and employment so brings an informed and diverse perspective of the process.
At Lighthouse Engagement Advisors she works in many different ways to help organizations create the workplace that help them communicate, engage, and work together toward success.
Follow Marci Talks Money (and Life) wherever you get your podcasts to get the episodes as they post.
Visit MoneyMarci.com to check out other financial literacy resources.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Powered by Riverside f M.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Hello, welcome to Marcy talks money in life. I am Money, Marcy.
I am so pleased to welcome Christine Dyckman. Christine is
a compassionate futurist speaking on employee experience. She is a
keynote speaker, panelist and moderator, an HR project manager and advisor,
a workshop facilitator, and the CEO and founder of Lighthouse
(00:29):
Engagement Advisors. Christine has multiple degrees and certifications in HR
project management and a master's in managerial Technology. She has
set on both sides of the table for hiring and employment,
so brings an informed and diverse perspective of the process.
At Lighthouse Engagement Advisors, she works in many different ways
(00:49):
to help organizations create the workplace that help them communicate, engage,
and work together towards success. Welcome Christine.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Thank you very much. I appreciate it. It's happy to be here.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
I am so thrilled to have you here. I love
talking to HR people because so many people are trying
to find jobs, are trying to figure out how to
get the most out of their job, how to have
their career be everything they wanted to be, and HR
is this huge resource that people aren't always aware of
what is available to them, as well as sitting on
(01:23):
both sides of the table. You've hired people, you've gone
for interviews yourself, so you are a wealth of knowledge
and I can't wait to pick your brain.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Hey, pack Away, I am so saddened to hear anyone
that's in job search because it is such a tough road,
no matter if it's your first time or your tenth time,
and you're twenty years old or you're forty or sixty,
It doesn't even matter how or any of that information.
It is just it's a really hard road.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
It is so, but let's start by digging into it.
Career change or whether it's a change or even starting
poster syndrome, how these relate to moving forward and finding
your career.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
The word impostor syndrome or the two words of imposter syndrome.
They make people feel inadequate or they feel inadequate and
they need to put a name on it, and that's
what they come up with. But imposter syndrome is really
you feeling like you're not worthy or you don't have
enough experience or education to be compared to others. When
(02:28):
we stop comparing ourselves to other people around us and
people that we work with, people that are also going
for that same job. We're kind of getting rid of
that imposter syndrome feeling you have to give yourself credit
for everything that you have done. There is nobody like
you that is applying for the job. I don't care
(02:48):
if they have the same degree or the same experience
and worth the same places. Everybody is unique and they
have different ideas and different values that mold and make them.
So stop with the imposter syndrome. Because you are you,
and you need to stand tall and be confident when
you apply. That's what truly makes the difference in who
(03:10):
gets a job and who does.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
It if I think the next step from that would
be going into portfolio careers, which is, well, it's a
term that means a lot of different things nowadays, because
portfolio careers are the things where you bring a portfolio
of your work, but it's also that other part. So
what can you share with us?
Speaker 1 (03:29):
The term portfolio careers has morphed and changed over time.
I think that for many of us who are not
in that creative field so to speak, never use that
word portfolio careers and it was. It was reserved for
those types of industries where we have contractor and gig
(03:51):
worker and freelancer. Those are all portfolio career career risks.
So when you look at all the things that you
have done, that is your portfolio career. I was talking
with somebody the other evening and they have brought up
a great point. When you were in school, whether it
(04:11):
was going for a certificate or going to high school
or going to college, did you work a part time job?
Did you work any kind of job while you were
going to school, Well, most of us did, a vast
majority did, but it was probably not in your chosen profession. Well,
guess what, you could have a portfolio career because maybe
(04:33):
you were a waitress and that was all the skills
customer service, communication skills, project management skills. Even though maybe
you were an art history major has nothing to do
with all of those things, but that helped mold you
and make you who you are and then what you're
bringing to the table because you have a different understanding
(04:55):
of what is needed in that profession because of the
background skills that you developed over time. So that's just
one example. A lot of times we have started our
jobs stopped our jobs. We've been laid off, we've been fired,
we've gone through all different kinds of things. We had
the pandemic, and maybe we've taken a part time job,
(05:15):
maybe we've worked from home, maybe we did door dash
just to make ends meet. All of the skills that
are required of all those different part time positions or
gigs help make you who you are. And that's why
when you apply for a job, what you bring to
the table is unique, no matter what your background and
(05:37):
actual job experiences.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
So how did people determine how much of that to
put on their resume? Or do they put the skills
but not necessarily Okay, I worked at this Hamburger place
and I drove this whatever, and they want to put
the skills that they've learned, But you don't necessarily want
to list the seventeen part time jobs that you had.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Absolutely and you're not going to list of seventeen part
time jobs that you've had. But you have those skills,
and that's a place where you can expand on that
information during an interview. And it could be well, I've
worked in and Beliepy, I know how tough that is
because I've pretty much been in every industry you can imagine,
(06:18):
I think, except for engineering and something else, but healthcare
and food service, and I've delivered newspapers for a living.
I've done all of these things. You kind of know
what needs to be done and how to maneuver yourself
to get that job done quickly so that you can
move on with other aspects of what is required of
(06:42):
you your life, another job, whatever it happens to be.
So all of those skills that you've developed are something
that you would list on a resume, especially if it's
relevant to that position. During an interview, you might want
to not only speak about those skills, but expand on
(07:03):
other skills that you have developed through the course of
time that would help you in the chosen job that
you're really trying to go for.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Okay, so there is a place for the skills you've
learned outside of having to list. That's good.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
That's absolutely We are becoming a skills based society as
opposed to a degree society. So you're going to see
that move that change over time, and it may not
be immediate. They've been talking about it for a while,
but there is definitely an increase in companies that are
(07:39):
looking at the skills you possess as opposed to the
degree you've obtained. Are you teachable? Can I teach you
those skills as far as upskilling or reskilling? In this
vast paced change that all of society is going through right.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Now, there are a lot of universities or even just
YouTube videos that will teach you about things. But you're
not going to necessarily walk out with a certification of
some kind. So is there a place to list those
as well? Hey, I learned about this through this program,
but it was not a certificate.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
You know what. It depends on how long your resume
is right now before you consider filling it with information
that might be first, second, third types of prioritization when
you're looking at a resume, So you might want to
leave some of those things for a conversation so that
(08:38):
the person can better understand you. When we read an email,
we don't hear a tone of voice, you don't see
any emotions or reactions. It's the same thing on a resume.
When you start listing skills that you've developed and that
you've enhanced and courses taken, it doesn't come across the
same way as having a conversation and relaying that information
(09:02):
to someone that is listening. Whether it's a phone interview
or a zoom interview or a face to face interview,
you're able to really express how much that meant to
you and how much you learned so that you can
move forward and use that information to better the company.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
So a resume is kind of like an invitation, and
the hope is it gets you in to have that
bigger conversation where you can share yourself more.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yes, a resume will never get you a job period.
If anyone anyone thinks that a resume will get them
a job, they are wrong. It is to get you
a conversation. So it is your marketing material in order
to sell somebody on picking up the phone to invite
you in for a conversation.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Okay, can you think of some green flags when interviewing
that someone might look forward to see how the company
feels about them, or see how the or the energy
is around the company. Are there are there things you
can see when you're interviewing that might help you determine
the fit.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
I think that when you take a look at their
response and their reaction to what you're saying, are they
shaking their head and nodding in agreement. Are they asking
you a follow up question? Tell me more about that,
or that sounds really interesting. I would love to learn
more about that. You know, that kind of thing that
(10:28):
is definitely a green flag because they're leaning in there.
They're showing their interest by asking a follow up question.
When you don't necessarily get that type of response from
what you're saying, then you kind of know that you
need to change it up a little bit to elicit
that kind of reaction that's going to help you to
(10:50):
move forward.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Let's switch a little bit into what HR can do
for you. You're an employee at a company. What are
the kinds of things that you should be reaching out
to HR and aware of.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Usually day one is filled with onboarding and getting to
know what the company is all about in the handbook
and where you're going to be working, your workstation and
that kind of thing. By the end of the week,
I would definitely reach out to HR again because they
may not have the power in every situation, but they
(11:26):
do have the knowledge of who has the power, and
they know more than you think that they know, So
reaching out to them and asking, hey, not so much,
how much am I going to get paid, and when's
my first vacation and ninety day probation. You'll find out
all of that in time. But to reach out to
(11:46):
them just like you would if you were in college,
and ask them about a mentorship. I would love it
if someone would teach me the ropes I want to
go far in this company or in this perfect and
who is the right person internally that I could reach
out to and I could use as a mentor who
(12:08):
would be interested in helping to guide me in the
right direction. Asking those types of questions gives them a
little bit of knowledge into your psyche and that you
want to go places. They're going to keep their ears
open so that maybe there's a learning opportunity, Maybe there's
a webinar you would be interested in, Maybe there is
(12:30):
a group that's meeting that might be a good fit
for you, and they're going to keep you front of mind.
But the minute that you don't do that, or you
kind of stray away from a jar, they're going to
forget about you because you're just one in However, many
people are in the company, So staying in touch and
keeping you yourself in front of them and on their
(12:55):
brain is going to help propel you forward in whatever
capacity to be that you're interested in. The biggest thing
is to not be afraid of HR. HR is compliance.
HR is trying to make sure that the company does
the right thing, but they're making sure they're doing it
for the employees. So they've got your bag. They're not
(13:16):
trying to punish you. They're trying to enable you and
get what you need so that you can move forward
and the company can move forward at the same time.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Okay, and so we hit the employee and the HR.
So let's go to the employer. Because employers want to
find employees that they can train and keep a long time.
The payoff in an employee isn't in that first year,
it's in the years after that when this is a
contributing member of society that doesn't need a whole lot
(13:47):
of active supervision and maintenance because they know their job,
they know what they're doing. How can you make your
company on employer of choice? How can you make your
company some and that the top employees are going to
want to get to and stay at.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
I think that the first thing for trying to be
that employer of choice is to listen. Listen to the
employees to see what they want, what they're interested in.
Are they interested in different benefits, better benefits? Do they
want pet healthcare? Do they want family health care, better
health care, dental health care? Do they want a four
(14:25):
oh one K? Are they interested in a match? There's
all kinds of things that could be of interest, but
knowing the culture of the employees helps to go a
long way so that you can narrow things down. As HR.
You don't want to just throw out a benefit because
it's free and maybe one person out of two hundred's
(14:49):
going to take advantage of it. You want to try
and narrow things down and get the most out of it.
Going on the flip side of what HU said about mentorship,
if you are an employee and you are willing and
able to mentor a newer employee somebody coming on board
(15:13):
your company, that is a big help as well. And
that's when you want to reach out to HR again
and say, hey, I've gotten so much from my mentor
and I appreciate the time that they took to teach
me the ropes. I am willing to do that for
the next group that comes in the next generation, whatever
(15:33):
it happens to be. I want to help them to
be as successful as I have been able to become.
And that's going to go a long way as well.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
So what's interesting is HR is important at the beginning
of your career and it's still important even as you
continue on in your career. And that's that's something it's
so easy to forget. When you get to the company.
You reach out HR and make sure you have your
benefits package, make sure you've signed any other onboarding paperwork.
(16:02):
There has to be, make sure you did your insurance
every year. But there's that continuing relationship and opportunities with
HR to support the employees and in that way support
the employers if you keep that dialogue going.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Absolutely, HR is nothing more than a matchmaker. I mean,
that's what it kind of comes down to, is Okay,
the employee comes in and they say I need this,
and who am I going to find in the organization
that can help them with that? And you're just matching
people for their needs. And if you're afraid of HR,
you don't go to HR. A lot of times out here,
(16:39):
oh my god, you got called to the principal's office.
Well no, that's not true, because I want to know
what you're doing. Or oh my gosh, that is a
great incentive. Let's get the word out. How can we
do that and tell people what you're doing, because this
is a wonderful program, and they're not thinking along those lines.
They're thinking about their job of day to day what
(17:01):
it entails, and they took on this smaller project. How
can we tell everybody about this project, who get it
more advertised and popular and people interested, so that you
have more attendance whatever it happens to be. If we
all look at those things in that way, HR is
just another puzzle piece.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
You know. It's funny the way you said calling to
the principal's office. Because I was a controller at a nonprofit,
a fairly good sized nonprofit, but we didn't have a
dedicated HR department, so a lot of the compliance issues
and paperwork things ended up on my desk and I
would call people into my office and they would come
(17:42):
in They're like, oh my god, I'm going to get fired.
I didn't fire them. That wasn't my job. I wasn't
supervising them, I wasn't whatever. And no matter how many
times I said this is what I do, I'm involved
with XYZ, it would still I would call someone in
because we were missing a signiyure, we needed an answer,
we needed whatever, and they would come in with them,
(18:05):
you know, And then.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
You know, it's so funny that you say that it's
the same thing. It's like, I don't fire people. I'm
there to make sure everything is legal on both sides.
But that's it. It's do we have a signature? Do
we have compliants going forward so that if we do
get audited, everything is in a row, all our dusts
are in a row. It's got nothing to do with
(18:27):
firing you or even disciplining anybody, because that's not our job.
Our job is again that matchmaker job.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Right, And that was that was just where my position
kind of touched on HR and it was it was
humorous and silly and sad and whatever else, because I
certainly didn't want people to be scared to come to
me when I just needed a signature, and then they
would avoid me and evade me. I just need this
freaking signature, and you're taking forever for me to track
(18:57):
it out and get this signature.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
I go around my building in circles looking for that
one signature, and people duck in the corners, and my god,
HR is coming. Oh oh, and people will be who
would you do? It's not that, it's not about that.
I will help you out till the cows come home. People,
you just got to tell me what you need.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
And I'll write hook you up. Yes, HR, We're here
to hook you up. I don't know if that's there
my new uh you know, let's talk about your new
endeavor with Lighthouse Engagement Advisors.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Tell me, tell me what you're doing.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
I am continuing my own portfolio career. I've always been
on the job seeker side. I've always advocated for job
seekers in every way I possibly can, and I've noticed
there's kind of a stopping point, so I've kind of
flipped the table a little bit where I'm still advocating
for job seekers, but I'm advocating to those that are
(19:57):
in position of authority in a company, whether it is management,
senior management, c suite, whatever it happens to be, to
help them understand, educate, change their minds about how they're
thinking about not only portfolio careers, skills based hiring, and
how they can be successful moving forward, especially with all
(20:19):
the changes that keep it thrown at them. So focusing
on that and using the lighthouse method, which is what
I'm working on right now, will help them to clarify
what that foundation is and how to be able to
move forward to help them see the light on the
top of a lighthouse. The light comes to you so
(20:42):
that you can go out and do what you need
to do. So that's the whole purpose.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
You're you're speaking at organizations, you.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
Yes, I'm speaking at organizations. I'm still doing job seekert groups.
I'm doing workshops, keynotes, speakers, breakout sessions, that kind of thing.
So I'm a little bit all over the place. My
goal somewhere along the line is to write a book
eventually and do a TED talk, so I'm working on
(21:12):
those as well. Lot going on when I'm not really
working right, So I'm working, and then I'm doing my
part time job, evening job, my other job. You what
do I call it?
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Right? But you're also they can hire you to come
and speak to their executives and to and to consult
with their HR department and lighthouses is huge opportunity. It's
for reaching with a lot of opportunities for companies to
meet with you and have an outside perspective, an outside
(21:46):
educated perspective, come in and help them look at the
way they are presenting hr the way they are working
with their employees. Employees and personnel are typically the most
expensive resource that a company hans, Yes, So finding the
way to work with them and treat them in a
way that gets that loyalty.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Yes. And if you think about it, how do you
treat people? If you don't treat your employees very fairly
and you're doing mass LIFs and you might not have
a repeat you might not have that boomerang experience where
people come back to you. And when you start kind
(22:27):
of changing the way you treat employees to treating them
as customers and giving them what they need to succeed,
then you're going to reap the rewards of that as well.
And when we enter in the factor of skills based
hiring and portfolio careers and that contractor type position. When
(22:51):
we put all of that together, we have project based teams,
everyone's going to have a little bit to offer and
they're going to be nonlge in a lot of different areas.
We're going to change the way that employment is looked at.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
I think that is awesome because everybody wants to find
that job where they can be their long term. The
employer certainly wants the employees to be their long term,
even if they transition, whether it's upward or a cross
and everyone wins when you have these longer jobs.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Exactly that when you tell somebody I'm working on this
project right now, but I'm interested in something. If you
just keep that to yourself, then how are they going
to read your mind. They're not going to read your mind.
They're not going to know. So that's why you want
to go to HR. You want to say, hey, when
we're done with this project, I will put two hundred
percent into it and I will get you what you need.
But I would like to continue. I want to work
(23:47):
on a different project and I would like to expand
my knowledge here or whatever it happens to be. When
you stay in touch, then we could be that matchmaker,
right and we have all these different mentors. You know what,
You worked really really hard on that team, and I
would love it if we could bring him on to
this team. She was awesome and I wish we had
(24:10):
more place. But our project is done. Now, what is
the next project that I can put that person on
so that we can keep them on board and we
can keep our company moving forward, we can get a
bigger market share, we can be successful all of the
things that maybe management is thinking of by including the
employee's skill set. That's where everybody wins.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
I like when everyone wins. I mean my goal is
for everybody to win, everyone to walk away saying I
did good. I got what I needed and you know,
at least a reasonable amount of what I wanted. Because
you're not going to get everything you want. But if
you get everything you need and a fair bit of
what you want and you see other opportunities in the
future to get more of what you want and to
(24:52):
see that future, I mean, that's that's.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
That's the key. That's the key. I might not have
it all now, but I can see and I can
get a bigger share of that. I can grow in
my knowledge base, in my job based whatever it happens
to be. And I think that that's what people are
ultimately looking for. If you are in job search, you
don't want just a job. You want to care about
(25:17):
what you're doing. You want to feel like you are
respected and you're relevant. So by taking all of that information,
it so creates that win situation.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
So is there anything different you would do if you
are looking for a step up another job within the
company where you already work. Is that going to necessarily
change your mindset when you're looking for a job if
it's within where you already are or is it pretty
much the same process.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
I think that if you are looking for another job
or a bigger job and you wanted that upward trajectory,
you have to take a look at who is above
you and who's above them, and what is the potential
to go up? And sometimes you have to go as
you said earlier, you have to go sideways to go up,
(26:08):
to go across. It is not necessarily that straight up
up projection for a career. And if that's the case,
then you want to take a look at the other
positions that are above you and what they are and
what they entail. Do you need an increased skill set?
(26:30):
Do you need to learn? Do you need to again
mentor have those conversations with the person that is hiring
for that so that you can be ready, willing, and
able when it is time for that promotion of sorts?
Do you again? This makes things so much easier find
(26:50):
someone to replace you. So you need to have the
solution before you move forward, because most management is going
to be very excited that you want to move and
if you're capable, awesome, but they might be afraid to
lose you. And so sometimes it's good to also look ahead,
(27:10):
but look behind you too, who can come up and
take your position as well. If you have an answer,
then it's going to be a lot harder for senior
management or a decision maker to argue.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
That that's a good point. I wouldn't have thought about that.
If you're moving up that you've got to make sure
you replace yourself, especially if you're valuable in your position,
because they might not want to want to lose someone
who brings value to the current position, and that would
be said to lose that upper trajectory because of your value.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
Yeah. Yes, sometimes you become too valuable and they don't
want to lose you, so you're like, kind of where
is that happy media? Right? That's hard sometimes, but when
you have somebody, it's a lot easier to convince them
to move you into a position because you have somebody
(28:02):
in the waiting with wings right there.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Okay, do you have any specific advice to job seekers
that maybe we didn't hit on yet.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
If you're a job seeker. I'm gonna say you have
to go through the five stages of grief, and a
lot of people will agree disagree. Losing a job is
like losing a loved one. You're losing your identity. But
the key to losing a job or being in transition
is to not stay there, get out, get a job
(28:31):
search buddy, start networking, continue networking with people in the
industry you would like to go into, or people that
are in job search period, and though what it's like,
don't rely on the people that are closest to you.
They might not understand as much what you're going through
(28:52):
for this particular thing. But most importantly, don't give up.
It's okay to take a data salk beat up on
the wrong side of the bed, but next day you
better get up and start all over again and keep
that positive attitude. You'll land.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
What about for the people that are new so they
haven't lost a job, maybe they just graduated, and the
jobs they're looking for all want experience. How do they
bridge that gap?
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Wow? Well, portfolio careers, I would highly recommend that you
learn and keep upskilling yourself. There's a lot of free
resources that you can do that especially if you've just
gotten done paying for an education or a certification and
you're like, okay, I'm native and student loans and I
can't afford it. You can learn a lot for free.
(29:40):
The most important thing that I think I've seen is
LinkedIn is wonderful because not only do you have courses
on LinkedIn, but people share wonderful stories, articles, data sets,
everything on that platform, and that's a wonderful place for
you to expand your mind and your knowledge. And just
(30:03):
like the Internet, it's a rabbit hole you can go
on at all, but at least you have a starting place.
The groups, they're really great for mentorship and having that
one on one and making the connection, whether it is
a fifteen minute zoom, just to kind of say where
(30:24):
they're at and how they can help you. Have your
questions lined up and keep on learning because that's where
you need to be, and go for a walk, go outside,
get some fresh are right now.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
And then I like that one. I like that one. Okay,
I want to remind everyone out there. I'm going to
put the link to Lighthouse Engagement Advisors into the show notes.
If you are an employer, if you work with an employer,
that you think might be interested or willing to consider.
They should definitely check out and see if the resources
(30:58):
that Christine offers Lighthouse Engagement Advisors is right for your company.
I know you're New Jersey based, so that most of
your information is specific to New Jersey, but there's a
lot of USA wide stuff as well, so that doesn't
limit you to people just in New Jersey.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Companies, you could use a lighthouse even if you're in
I don't know Unlock's stake, South.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Dakota, Okay, fair enough. There's there's a lot of great
lighthouses out there. Well, thank you, Christine. I'm so glad
that you were able to come and talk with me. Listeners.
I'm so glad that you checked us out, and I
appreciate you coming by to stop and listen. This is money, Marcy,
(31:43):
Thank you for coming by. Marcy talks money and life.
You got this, Siyah
Powered by Riverside f M.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Hello, welcome to Marcy talks money in life. I am Money, Marcy.
I am so pleased to welcome Christine Dyckman. Christine is
a compassionate futurist speaking on employee experience. She is a
keynote speaker, panelist and moderator, an HR project manager and advisor,
a workshop facilitator, and the CEO and founder of Lighthouse
(00:29):
Engagement Advisors. Christine has multiple degrees and certifications in HR
project management and a master's in managerial Technology. She has
set on both sides of the table for hiring and employment,
so brings an informed and diverse perspective of the process.
At Lighthouse Engagement Advisors, she works in many different ways
(00:49):
to help organizations create the workplace that help them communicate, engage,
and work together towards success. Welcome Christine.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Thank you very much. I appreciate it. It's happy to be here.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
I am so thrilled to have you here. I love
talking to HR people because so many people are trying
to find jobs, are trying to figure out how to
get the most out of their job, how to have
their career be everything they wanted to be, and HR
is this huge resource that people aren't always aware of
what is available to them, as well as sitting on
(01:23):
both sides of the table. You've hired people, you've gone
for interviews yourself, so you are a wealth of knowledge
and I can't wait to pick your brain.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Hey, pack Away, I am so saddened to hear anyone
that's in job search because it is such a tough road,
no matter if it's your first time or your tenth time,
and you're twenty years old or you're forty or sixty,
It doesn't even matter how or any of that information.
It is just it's a really hard road.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
It is so, but let's start by digging into it.
Career change or whether it's a change or even starting
poster syndrome, how these relate to moving forward and finding
your career.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
The word impostor syndrome or the two words of imposter syndrome.
They make people feel inadequate or they feel inadequate and
they need to put a name on it, and that's
what they come up with. But imposter syndrome is really
you feeling like you're not worthy or you don't have
enough experience or education to be compared to others. When
(02:28):
we stop comparing ourselves to other people around us and
people that we work with, people that are also going
for that same job. We're kind of getting rid of
that imposter syndrome feeling you have to give yourself credit
for everything that you have done. There is nobody like
you that is applying for the job. I don't care
(02:48):
if they have the same degree or the same experience
and worth the same places. Everybody is unique and they
have different ideas and different values that mold and make them.
So stop with the imposter syndrome. Because you are you,
and you need to stand tall and be confident when
you apply. That's what truly makes the difference in who
(03:10):
gets a job and who does.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
It if I think the next step from that would
be going into portfolio careers, which is, well, it's a
term that means a lot of different things nowadays, because
portfolio careers are the things where you bring a portfolio
of your work, but it's also that other part. So
what can you share with us?
Speaker 1 (03:29):
The term portfolio careers has morphed and changed over time.
I think that for many of us who are not
in that creative field so to speak, never use that
word portfolio careers and it was. It was reserved for
those types of industries where we have contractor and gig
(03:51):
worker and freelancer. Those are all portfolio career career risks.
So when you look at all the things that you
have done, that is your portfolio career. I was talking
with somebody the other evening and they have brought up
a great point. When you were in school, whether it
(04:11):
was going for a certificate or going to high school
or going to college, did you work a part time job?
Did you work any kind of job while you were
going to school, Well, most of us did, a vast
majority did, but it was probably not in your chosen profession. Well,
guess what, you could have a portfolio career because maybe
(04:33):
you were a waitress and that was all the skills
customer service, communication skills, project management skills. Even though maybe
you were an art history major has nothing to do
with all of those things, but that helped mold you
and make you who you are and then what you're
bringing to the table because you have a different understanding
(04:55):
of what is needed in that profession because of the
background skills that you developed over time. So that's just
one example. A lot of times we have started our
jobs stopped our jobs. We've been laid off, we've been fired,
we've gone through all different kinds of things. We had
the pandemic, and maybe we've taken a part time job,
(05:15):
maybe we've worked from home, maybe we did door dash
just to make ends meet. All of the skills that
are required of all those different part time positions or
gigs help make you who you are. And that's why
when you apply for a job, what you bring to
the table is unique, no matter what your background and
(05:37):
actual job experiences.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
So how did people determine how much of that to
put on their resume? Or do they put the skills
but not necessarily Okay, I worked at this Hamburger place
and I drove this whatever, and they want to put
the skills that they've learned, But you don't necessarily want
to list the seventeen part time jobs that you had.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Absolutely and you're not going to list of seventeen part
time jobs that you've had. But you have those skills,
and that's a place where you can expand on that
information during an interview. And it could be well, I've
worked in and Beliepy, I know how tough that is
because I've pretty much been in every industry you can imagine,
(06:18):
I think, except for engineering and something else, but healthcare
and food service, and I've delivered newspapers for a living.
I've done all of these things. You kind of know
what needs to be done and how to maneuver yourself
to get that job done quickly so that you can
move on with other aspects of what is required of
(06:42):
you your life, another job, whatever it happens to be.
So all of those skills that you've developed are something
that you would list on a resume, especially if it's
relevant to that position. During an interview, you might want
to not only speak about those skills, but expand on
(07:03):
other skills that you have developed through the course of
time that would help you in the chosen job that
you're really trying to go for.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Okay, so there is a place for the skills you've
learned outside of having to list. That's good.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
That's absolutely We are becoming a skills based society as
opposed to a degree society. So you're going to see
that move that change over time, and it may not
be immediate. They've been talking about it for a while,
but there is definitely an increase in companies that are
(07:39):
looking at the skills you possess as opposed to the
degree you've obtained. Are you teachable? Can I teach you
those skills as far as upskilling or reskilling? In this
vast paced change that all of society is going through right.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Now, there are a lot of universities or even just
YouTube videos that will teach you about things. But you're
not going to necessarily walk out with a certification of
some kind. So is there a place to list those
as well? Hey, I learned about this through this program,
but it was not a certificate.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
You know what. It depends on how long your resume
is right now before you consider filling it with information
that might be first, second, third types of prioritization when
you're looking at a resume, So you might want to
leave some of those things for a conversation so that
(08:38):
the person can better understand you. When we read an email,
we don't hear a tone of voice, you don't see
any emotions or reactions. It's the same thing on a resume.
When you start listing skills that you've developed and that
you've enhanced and courses taken, it doesn't come across the
same way as having a conversation and relaying that information
(09:02):
to someone that is listening. Whether it's a phone interview
or a zoom interview or a face to face interview,
you're able to really express how much that meant to
you and how much you learned so that you can
move forward and use that information to better the company.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
So a resume is kind of like an invitation, and
the hope is it gets you in to have that
bigger conversation where you can share yourself more.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yes, a resume will never get you a job period.
If anyone anyone thinks that a resume will get them
a job, they are wrong. It is to get you
a conversation. So it is your marketing material in order
to sell somebody on picking up the phone to invite
you in for a conversation.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Okay, can you think of some green flags when interviewing
that someone might look forward to see how the company
feels about them, or see how the or the energy
is around the company. Are there are there things you
can see when you're interviewing that might help you determine
the fit.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
I think that when you take a look at their
response and their reaction to what you're saying, are they
shaking their head and nodding in agreement. Are they asking
you a follow up question? Tell me more about that,
or that sounds really interesting. I would love to learn
more about that. You know, that kind of thing that
(10:28):
is definitely a green flag because they're leaning in there.
They're showing their interest by asking a follow up question.
When you don't necessarily get that type of response from
what you're saying, then you kind of know that you
need to change it up a little bit to elicit
that kind of reaction that's going to help you to
(10:50):
move forward.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Let's switch a little bit into what HR can do
for you. You're an employee at a company. What are
the kinds of things that you should be reaching out
to HR and aware of.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Usually day one is filled with onboarding and getting to
know what the company is all about in the handbook
and where you're going to be working, your workstation and
that kind of thing. By the end of the week,
I would definitely reach out to HR again because they
may not have the power in every situation, but they
(11:26):
do have the knowledge of who has the power, and
they know more than you think that they know, So
reaching out to them and asking, hey, not so much,
how much am I going to get paid, and when's
my first vacation and ninety day probation. You'll find out
all of that in time. But to reach out to
(11:46):
them just like you would if you were in college,
and ask them about a mentorship. I would love it
if someone would teach me the ropes I want to
go far in this company or in this perfect and
who is the right person internally that I could reach
out to and I could use as a mentor who
(12:08):
would be interested in helping to guide me in the
right direction. Asking those types of questions gives them a
little bit of knowledge into your psyche and that you
want to go places. They're going to keep their ears
open so that maybe there's a learning opportunity, Maybe there's
a webinar you would be interested in, Maybe there is
(12:30):
a group that's meeting that might be a good fit
for you, and they're going to keep you front of mind.
But the minute that you don't do that, or you
kind of stray away from a jar, they're going to
forget about you because you're just one in However, many
people are in the company, So staying in touch and
keeping you yourself in front of them and on their
(12:55):
brain is going to help propel you forward in whatever
capacity to be that you're interested in. The biggest thing
is to not be afraid of HR. HR is compliance.
HR is trying to make sure that the company does
the right thing, but they're making sure they're doing it
for the employees. So they've got your bag. They're not
(13:16):
trying to punish you. They're trying to enable you and
get what you need so that you can move forward
and the company can move forward at the same time.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Okay, and so we hit the employee and the HR.
So let's go to the employer. Because employers want to
find employees that they can train and keep a long time.
The payoff in an employee isn't in that first year,
it's in the years after that when this is a
contributing member of society that doesn't need a whole lot
(13:47):
of active supervision and maintenance because they know their job,
they know what they're doing. How can you make your
company on employer of choice? How can you make your
company some and that the top employees are going to
want to get to and stay at.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
I think that the first thing for trying to be
that employer of choice is to listen. Listen to the
employees to see what they want, what they're interested in.
Are they interested in different benefits, better benefits? Do they
want pet healthcare? Do they want family health care, better
health care, dental health care? Do they want a four
(14:25):
oh one K? Are they interested in a match? There's
all kinds of things that could be of interest, but
knowing the culture of the employees helps to go a
long way so that you can narrow things down. As HR.
You don't want to just throw out a benefit because
it's free and maybe one person out of two hundred's
(14:49):
going to take advantage of it. You want to try
and narrow things down and get the most out of it.
Going on the flip side of what HU said about mentorship,
if you are an employee and you are willing and
able to mentor a newer employee somebody coming on board
(15:13):
your company, that is a big help as well. And
that's when you want to reach out to HR again
and say, hey, I've gotten so much from my mentor
and I appreciate the time that they took to teach
me the ropes. I am willing to do that for
the next group that comes in the next generation, whatever
(15:33):
it happens to be. I want to help them to
be as successful as I have been able to become.
And that's going to go a long way as well.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
So what's interesting is HR is important at the beginning
of your career and it's still important even as you
continue on in your career. And that's that's something it's
so easy to forget. When you get to the company.
You reach out HR and make sure you have your
benefits package, make sure you've signed any other onboarding paperwork.
(16:02):
There has to be, make sure you did your insurance
every year. But there's that continuing relationship and opportunities with
HR to support the employees and in that way support
the employers if you keep that dialogue going.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Absolutely, HR is nothing more than a matchmaker. I mean,
that's what it kind of comes down to, is Okay,
the employee comes in and they say I need this,
and who am I going to find in the organization
that can help them with that? And you're just matching
people for their needs. And if you're afraid of HR,
you don't go to HR. A lot of times out here,
(16:39):
oh my god, you got called to the principal's office.
Well no, that's not true, because I want to know
what you're doing. Or oh my gosh, that is a
great incentive. Let's get the word out. How can we
do that and tell people what you're doing, because this
is a wonderful program, and they're not thinking along those lines.
They're thinking about their job of day to day what
(17:01):
it entails, and they took on this smaller project. How
can we tell everybody about this project, who get it
more advertised and popular and people interested, so that you
have more attendance whatever it happens to be. If we
all look at those things in that way, HR is
just another puzzle piece.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
You know. It's funny the way you said calling to
the principal's office. Because I was a controller at a nonprofit,
a fairly good sized nonprofit, but we didn't have a
dedicated HR department, so a lot of the compliance issues
and paperwork things ended up on my desk and I
would call people into my office and they would come
(17:42):
in They're like, oh my god, I'm going to get fired.
I didn't fire them. That wasn't my job. I wasn't
supervising them, I wasn't whatever. And no matter how many
times I said this is what I do, I'm involved
with XYZ, it would still I would call someone in
because we were missing a signiyure, we needed an answer,
we needed whatever, and they would come in with them,
(18:05):
you know, And then.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
You know, it's so funny that you say that it's
the same thing. It's like, I don't fire people. I'm
there to make sure everything is legal on both sides.
But that's it. It's do we have a signature? Do
we have compliants going forward so that if we do
get audited, everything is in a row, all our dusts
are in a row. It's got nothing to do with
(18:27):
firing you or even disciplining anybody, because that's not our job.
Our job is again that matchmaker job.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Right, And that was that was just where my position
kind of touched on HR and it was it was
humorous and silly and sad and whatever else, because I
certainly didn't want people to be scared to come to
me when I just needed a signature, and then they
would avoid me and evade me. I just need this
freaking signature, and you're taking forever for me to track
(18:57):
it out and get this signature.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
I go around my building in circles looking for that
one signature, and people duck in the corners, and my god,
HR is coming. Oh oh, and people will be who
would you do? It's not that, it's not about that.
I will help you out till the cows come home. People,
you just got to tell me what you need.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
And I'll write hook you up. Yes, HR, We're here
to hook you up. I don't know if that's there
my new uh you know, let's talk about your new
endeavor with Lighthouse Engagement Advisors.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Tell me, tell me what you're doing.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
I am continuing my own portfolio career. I've always been
on the job seeker side. I've always advocated for job
seekers in every way I possibly can, and I've noticed
there's kind of a stopping point, so I've kind of
flipped the table a little bit where I'm still advocating
for job seekers, but I'm advocating to those that are
(19:57):
in position of authority in a company, whether it is management,
senior management, c suite, whatever it happens to be, to
help them understand, educate, change their minds about how they're
thinking about not only portfolio careers, skills based hiring, and
how they can be successful moving forward, especially with all
(20:19):
the changes that keep it thrown at them. So focusing
on that and using the lighthouse method, which is what
I'm working on right now, will help them to clarify
what that foundation is and how to be able to
move forward to help them see the light on the
top of a lighthouse. The light comes to you so
(20:42):
that you can go out and do what you need
to do. So that's the whole purpose.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
You're you're speaking at organizations, you.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
Yes, I'm speaking at organizations. I'm still doing job seekert groups.
I'm doing workshops, keynotes, speakers, breakout sessions, that kind of thing.
So I'm a little bit all over the place. My
goal somewhere along the line is to write a book
eventually and do a TED talk, so I'm working on
(21:12):
those as well. Lot going on when I'm not really
working right, So I'm working, and then I'm doing my
part time job, evening job, my other job. You what
do I call it?
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Right? But you're also they can hire you to come
and speak to their executives and to and to consult
with their HR department and lighthouses is huge opportunity. It's
for reaching with a lot of opportunities for companies to
meet with you and have an outside perspective, an outside
(21:46):
educated perspective, come in and help them look at the
way they are presenting hr the way they are working
with their employees. Employees and personnel are typically the most
expensive resource that a company hans, Yes, So finding the
way to work with them and treat them in a
way that gets that loyalty.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Yes. And if you think about it, how do you
treat people? If you don't treat your employees very fairly
and you're doing mass LIFs and you might not have
a repeat you might not have that boomerang experience where
people come back to you. And when you start kind
(22:27):
of changing the way you treat employees to treating them
as customers and giving them what they need to succeed,
then you're going to reap the rewards of that as well.
And when we enter in the factor of skills based
hiring and portfolio careers and that contractor type position. When
(22:51):
we put all of that together, we have project based teams,
everyone's going to have a little bit to offer and
they're going to be nonlge in a lot of different areas.
We're going to change the way that employment is looked at.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
I think that is awesome because everybody wants to find
that job where they can be their long term. The
employer certainly wants the employees to be their long term,
even if they transition, whether it's upward or a cross
and everyone wins when you have these longer jobs.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Exactly that when you tell somebody I'm working on this
project right now, but I'm interested in something. If you
just keep that to yourself, then how are they going
to read your mind. They're not going to read your mind.
They're not going to know. So that's why you want
to go to HR. You want to say, hey, when
we're done with this project, I will put two hundred
percent into it and I will get you what you need.
But I would like to continue. I want to work
(23:47):
on a different project and I would like to expand
my knowledge here or whatever it happens to be. When
you stay in touch, then we could be that matchmaker,
right and we have all these different mentors. You know what,
You worked really really hard on that team, and I
would love it if we could bring him on to
this team. She was awesome and I wish we had
(24:10):
more place. But our project is done. Now, what is
the next project that I can put that person on
so that we can keep them on board and we
can keep our company moving forward, we can get a
bigger market share, we can be successful all of the
things that maybe management is thinking of by including the
employee's skill set. That's where everybody wins.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
I like when everyone wins. I mean my goal is
for everybody to win, everyone to walk away saying I
did good. I got what I needed and you know,
at least a reasonable amount of what I wanted. Because
you're not going to get everything you want. But if
you get everything you need and a fair bit of
what you want and you see other opportunities in the
future to get more of what you want and to
(24:52):
see that future, I mean, that's that's.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
That's the key. That's the key. I might not have
it all now, but I can see and I can
get a bigger share of that. I can grow in
my knowledge base, in my job based whatever it happens
to be. And I think that that's what people are
ultimately looking for. If you are in job search, you
don't want just a job. You want to care about
(25:17):
what you're doing. You want to feel like you are
respected and you're relevant. So by taking all of that information,
it so creates that win situation.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
So is there anything different you would do if you
are looking for a step up another job within the
company where you already work. Is that going to necessarily
change your mindset when you're looking for a job if
it's within where you already are or is it pretty
much the same process.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
I think that if you are looking for another job
or a bigger job and you wanted that upward trajectory,
you have to take a look at who is above
you and who's above them, and what is the potential
to go up? And sometimes you have to go as
you said earlier, you have to go sideways to go up,
(26:08):
to go across. It is not necessarily that straight up
up projection for a career. And if that's the case,
then you want to take a look at the other
positions that are above you and what they are and
what they entail. Do you need an increased skill set?
(26:30):
Do you need to learn? Do you need to again
mentor have those conversations with the person that is hiring
for that so that you can be ready, willing, and
able when it is time for that promotion of sorts?
Do you again? This makes things so much easier find
(26:50):
someone to replace you. So you need to have the
solution before you move forward, because most management is going
to be very excited that you want to move and
if you're capable, awesome, but they might be afraid to
lose you. And so sometimes it's good to also look ahead,
(27:10):
but look behind you too, who can come up and
take your position as well. If you have an answer,
then it's going to be a lot harder for senior
management or a decision maker to argue.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
That that's a good point. I wouldn't have thought about that.
If you're moving up that you've got to make sure
you replace yourself, especially if you're valuable in your position,
because they might not want to want to lose someone
who brings value to the current position, and that would
be said to lose that upper trajectory because of your value.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
Yeah. Yes, sometimes you become too valuable and they don't
want to lose you, so you're like, kind of where
is that happy media? Right? That's hard sometimes, but when
you have somebody, it's a lot easier to convince them
to move you into a position because you have somebody
(28:02):
in the waiting with wings right there.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Okay, do you have any specific advice to job seekers
that maybe we didn't hit on yet.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
If you're a job seeker. I'm gonna say you have
to go through the five stages of grief, and a
lot of people will agree disagree. Losing a job is
like losing a loved one. You're losing your identity. But
the key to losing a job or being in transition
is to not stay there, get out, get a job
(28:31):
search buddy, start networking, continue networking with people in the
industry you would like to go into, or people that
are in job search period, and though what it's like,
don't rely on the people that are closest to you.
They might not understand as much what you're going through
(28:52):
for this particular thing. But most importantly, don't give up.
It's okay to take a data salk beat up on
the wrong side of the bed, but next day you
better get up and start all over again and keep
that positive attitude. You'll land.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
What about for the people that are new so they
haven't lost a job, maybe they just graduated, and the
jobs they're looking for all want experience. How do they
bridge that gap?
Speaker 1 (29:17):
Wow? Well, portfolio careers, I would highly recommend that you
learn and keep upskilling yourself. There's a lot of free
resources that you can do that especially if you've just
gotten done paying for an education or a certification and
you're like, okay, I'm native and student loans and I
can't afford it. You can learn a lot for free.
(29:40):
The most important thing that I think I've seen is
LinkedIn is wonderful because not only do you have courses
on LinkedIn, but people share wonderful stories, articles, data sets,
everything on that platform, and that's a wonderful place for
you to expand your mind and your knowledge. And just
(30:03):
like the Internet, it's a rabbit hole you can go
on at all, but at least you have a starting place.
The groups, they're really great for mentorship and having that
one on one and making the connection, whether it is
a fifteen minute zoom, just to kind of say where
(30:24):
they're at and how they can help you. Have your
questions lined up and keep on learning because that's where
you need to be, and go for a walk, go outside,
get some fresh are right now.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
And then I like that one. I like that one. Okay,
I want to remind everyone out there. I'm going to
put the link to Lighthouse Engagement Advisors into the show notes.
If you are an employer, if you work with an employer,
that you think might be interested or willing to consider.
They should definitely check out and see if the resources
(30:58):
that Christine offers Lighthouse Engagement Advisors is right for your company.
I know you're New Jersey based, so that most of
your information is specific to New Jersey, but there's a
lot of USA wide stuff as well, so that doesn't
limit you to people just in New Jersey.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Companies, you could use a lighthouse even if you're in
I don't know Unlock's stake, South.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Dakota, Okay, fair enough. There's there's a lot of great
lighthouses out there. Well, thank you, Christine. I'm so glad
that you were able to come and talk with me. Listeners.
I'm so glad that you checked us out, and I
appreciate you coming by to stop and listen. This is money, Marcy,
(31:43):
Thank you for coming by. Marcy talks money and life.
You got this, Siyah
Host
Marci Grossman
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