Building Professional Relationships Pt 1- Trust
Having a network of professional relationships is important to career success, but it does not come naturally to all of us. So, how do you explain to a young person still in school, or just starting their career, how to build professional relationships? We came across a great video by David Buterbaugh of the Gwinnett County Public Library (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wYQpYZMbq0), who outlines the four traits needed to build professional relationships: Trust, Respect, Self-Awareness, and Open Communication. This month, we focus on Trust.
Trust can be thought of as being able to rely on people to behave in a dependable and positive way towards you.
At work, for example, a manager builds trust with an employee by providing a good job description, training the employee to meet the goals of the job, and providing them with feedback on their progress. Similarly, an employee can build trust with their manager and co-workers by asking for more information if they are uncertain about a task, working cooperatively with others, and completing tasks on time (or communicating in advance that they are delayed). It takes time and a lot of effort to build trust!
Most adults have stories about how they built trust in the workplace. Maria shares one of her experiences when she was starting out: In the depths of deep unemployment (almost 11%) in 1982, as she graduated from college, Maria was fortunate to get a three-month internship with the U.S. EPA. Maria’s supervisor taught her what she needed to know to perform her job well and then trusted her to do a good job. Maria returned that trust by asking questions to make sure that she was doing what was expected of her and delivering on her assignment. That experience paid off—a recommendation from her supervisor led to a full-time position with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
What’s on our mind?
In Fall 2020, the YES Project (“Young. Employed. Successful.) released a report called “Finding a Way Forward: Young People’s Experiences Navigating the World of Work” (link). One of the report’s findings was that “Young people believe that connections and social capital are essential for navigating their career journeys – but often struggle to build them”. In a subsequent report in Spring 2021 (link), YES presented survey results that indicated 58% of young people did not have a “network of professional connections that can help them find a job”. At Youth.Work.Connect., we are looking to change that by working with partners to help youth build career networks. If you are involved with youth in any way, as an employer, a teacher, a counselor, a nonprofit, etc., consider how you can help youth make professional connections to help them decide on career paths and get satisfying employment.
As The School Year Begins …
As our high schoolers return to school it’s the perfect time to plan for career exploration. Is your school hosting any career fairs? Do you know of any community-based organizations that can connect you to professionals in fields you might be interested in? Is there a teacher whose class you enjoy who you might talk to about what you need to do to get a job in the field that they teach – for example, can you talk to your English teacher about jobs in writing, or your biology teacher about a career in medicine?
On our website’s Resources page, under the Explore tab, you will find a document about how to conduct an informational interview. Give it a try!
For adults, now is the time to step in as allies. Share your career experiences and connect youth with professionals in your network. Youth might be hesitant to ask for advice, so when they do, your support is invaluable. By sharing your story, you can make a lasting impact and help open doors to new opportunities for the next generation.
LET’S STAY CONNECTED
We would appreciate your thoughts on our initiative and welcome opportunities to collaborate. You can reach us at info@youthworkconnect.org and we look forward to staying connected.
