Susan Collins is the Network Concierge

“A lot of times we don't do it because we're afraid or we think, ‘My resume is not right. I haven't interviewed in a long time’. But there are steps that you can take to get ready,” explains Susan Collins, certified growth and leadership coach and founder of The Network Concierge. Today, she discusses strategies and tips for breaking free from fear and uncertainty and building the career of your dreams through developing your network.

True authentic leadership requires not only advocating for your own boundaries and happiness, but also advocating for others and investing time and effort into developing your network. Susan explains that at their core, humans want to help one another, and it is never too late to reach out and rebuild relationships. If you are sitting at your corporate job and thinking that something just is not right, you owe it to yourself to see what else is out there. It can be daunting, especially if you have not interviewed in awhile or have not attempted a lateral career move before, but there are several tools available to help make the process easier like GlassDoor and LinkedIn.

Even if you are in a job position that you enjoy, it is always a good idea to plan ahead for what comes next. Susan suggests thinking 12 to 18 months ahead and beginning to plan for a career shift while you are at your current job. Put time into developing your network so that when you are ready for a change, you will have people in your corner ready to help.

• “A lot of times we don't do it because we're afraid or we think, ‘my resume is not right. I haven't interviewed in a long time’, but there are steps that you can take to get ready.” (4:38-4:46 | Susan)
• “Lateral can be just as impactful as up or forward.” (5:23-5:27 | Susan)
• “You have to put effort into your network and even if you feel like it's too late in the moment, it's really never too late to start building your network again.” (14:29-14:39 | Susan)
• “Too often we run from a job instead of to a job.” (23:19-23:22 | Susan)
• “Take the time to explore the things that keep coming back into your head and give yourself that opportunity to see if it's worth it.” (33:07-33:16 | Susan)