People in Transition 63. Neha Ratnakar - Global Learning and OD and Talent Development expert
When Neha Lagoo Ratnakar was in school, she wanted to be a postwoman, then a librarian and then a doctor. After a failed attempt at the entrance test and a stint with Clinical Psychology. She found her true calling in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.
Her first job was in Training and Organizational Development, and she realized that there was a better way to onboard and train executives beyond a traditional classroom (and don't even get her started on sterile classroom team building sessions).
In her next role with a retail chain, she storified onboarding and gamified product knowledge sessions. She was floored by the response and thought this could be the next big thing!
Life took her to 8 different countries in the next 12 years, waking her inner entrepreneur. In addition to earning her MBA, she also designed websites, blogged, volunteered, and even made Henna.
Then motherhood happened and, as a mompreneur, she turned to her original calling of Industrial Psychology, experimenting with treasure hunt style games in various corporate settings and even family gatherings.
These days she works with global teams at IMA, which is a Finance non-profit to help make sure their educational offerings are meeting the diverse needs of almost 140,000 members around the world.
Her book, Back on your Feet, is for all of those job seekers who need help in finding a path forward.
Some of the key take a ways from our discussion include:
· “If you self-reject and don’t even try, your failure rate is 100%” – and what can you do about this.
· Some ideas on LinkedIn update to consider.
· How the wrong introduction of yourself, by your partner, on social media or your own, can sabotage your brand.
· What is your career portfolio and how do you use it in your search?
· What is strategic volunteering and how can it help you in finding a job?
Neha is smart, creative, and giving of her thoughts and experiences. I know you will enjoy listening to her ideas and will be able to put into practice next week, several of her suggestions. Enjoy!