January 17, 2021
Career Development Spotlight: Owning Your Career
A conversation with Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq, Vice President Global Human Resources, Molex
Networking, climbing the corporate ladder, and talent development are buzz words associated with professional growth and leadership journeys. But how does one begin that journey? How does one assess a personal career journey when there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to achieving career goals?
We sat down with IFSL Advisor, author, and Vice President of Global Human Resources at Molex - Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq – to learn about his advice and perspective gained through years of experience at large corporations where he coached and led dozens of leaders to achieve their goals.
Whether someone is just starting their professional career or years into it, it can be difficult to develop professional growth and career goals. How do you suggest food systems professionals re-frame how they look at their career development?
I think the most important first step that many people forget is taking the time to think about where they want to go in their career.
For example, if you were about to go on a long road trip, you wouldn’t just get in a car and start driving. You’d take the time to plan out your trip in advance, put on your navigation, assess the conditions during your journey, and decide on alternative routes if needed.
I suggest professionals map out their career similarly and ask the important question about where you want your end destination to be. Don’t be too quick to jump into something. It’s important to have the end goal in mind. Whatever you need to do to create that space and time for yourself, it’s a necessary step.
As busy professionals, it’s easy to get caught up in the daily tasks of doing the work, but that often means people aren’t thinking consciously about where they want to go. I remind people that the best place to begin is by working backwards; beginning at the end allows you to plot out our career course with intention and focus.
For an industry as vast and complex as our global food system, what skills do you think are needed by food systems professionals in order to break boundaries, work across silos, and navigate in uncertainty?
In my experience as a corporate recruiter at Target and Cargill, leaders I’ve seen be successful change agents have the ability to strike a balance between being very knowledgeable in their industry while also having a strong understanding of their company’s mission and goals. Successful professionals are able to focus their efforts on achieving the goals of the company by driving value through their work with actionable plans that are meaningful to the business.
Another skill that’s important for business leaders to thrive is the ability to be agile and resilient – knowing when and how to pivot. Mike Tyson was quoted as saying “everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth.” I like this quote because it applies to any area of life, including the unexpected bumps in the road that happen in the workplace, particularly for a complex global industry such as the food system. There are bound to be detours and unexpected challenges. Leaders that can course correct are more successful than those who get thrown off when their plans don’t go as expected.
Do you have advice for how someone can navigate career changes during uncertain times?
It is never easy making a career change – be it voluntary (i.e. a new job, going back to school, changing functional areas, etc.) – or involuntary (i.e. furlough, workplace reduction, limited hours, etc.). The COVID-19 era has made these challenges even more difficult. However, I have seen successful career transitions with individuals doing exactly what the IFSL professionals are doing, which is investing their time and effort into a program that is expanding their knowledge and skills. Here are a few ways I recommend professionals navigate transitions and career growth:
- Networking: I’ve seen individuals tap into their known and unknown networks. They’ve reached out to the people they know and have asked for introductions to people they don’t know.
- Upskilling: People are taking classes, coursework, such as the IFSL program, and accepting new projects to gain valuable experience and knowledge.
- Updating: A number of individuals have reached out to me, peers, and agencies to update their resumes, contact information of former co-workers, and increasing their industry knowledge to try and anticipate where future opportunities might arise.
- Pivoting: Especially with COVID-19, so many people have decided to open their own businesses, turn passion projects into work, and do something completely different than the past which creates renewed excitement for them and opens new opportunities.
In your book, “You’re Worth It! Navigating Your Career in Corporate America,” you share tools for how people can begin taking control of their careers rather than allowing others to determine their fate. Can you share a tip or two for how you suggest food systems professionals begin their career ownership journey?
My book is broken into two parts; I call them ‘corporate truths’ and ‘worth-it insights.’ One of the corporate truths – no matter what size the company – a business is always going to do what’s best for it. As employees, we often make strong emotional investments into our jobs and the companies we work for. However, it’s important to keep in mind your role is as an employee that’s paid to do a job. It helps people have perspective when they remember you do work and get paid for it. In the end, a company is going to do what’s best for it. This ‘corporate truth’ is part of the game of the working world; it’s one of the rules of the road for those of us navigating our careers. Once we embrace this ‘corporate truth’ we can understand how it influences our career and use it to take control of our career.
The other part of the book touches on ‘worth-it insights.’ These include self-reflections, tips, and tricks, like knowing when to ask for help. Sometimes we forget about tools that are available to us, or how to sharpen those tools, so I share insights into when to seek a mentor, coach, or support from your manager. It’s helpful to know what tools are needed depending on the challenge you’re facing.
As an IFSL Program Advisor, can you share why you’re involved with this program?
I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity throughout my career to work with and learn from smart, passionate and innovative leaders. During my time working at Cargill, Dr. Jennifer van de Ligt was one of those leaders I was fortunate enough to work with, so I was honored when she asked me to participate as an Advisor in the innovative IFSL Program.
Additionally, as I grow in my career, I want to use my learnings to help leaders develop and understand the leadership skills they’ll need to face the challenges of our global food system. It’s part of my responsibility as a leader to remind professionals of the power that they have in owning their career.
Integrated Food Systems Leadership (IFSL) Program
Designed for working professionals, the IFSL program is a unique graduate certificate program that fosters leadership, collaboration, and innovation across the food system. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Download a program brochure or schedule a consultation call for more information.