Ep 201 - Redefining Networking, Especially for Introverts Who Hate Networking, with guest Jessica Pierce

Does the mere thought of networking make you want to run and hide? Join us on Episode 201 of The Quiet and Strong Podcast, where host David Hall chats with Jessica Pierce, founder of Career Connectors, about how to transform networking into a meaningful and enjoyable experience - especially for introverts who hate networking

Jessica and David highlight how introverts can leverage their strengths to excel in both networking and career development.

In this conversation, you'll learn practical strategies to prepare for networking events, tips on overcoming small talk challenges, and the power of building meaningful connections. Key takeaways include the value of preparation before attending events, and redefining what it means to network effectively as an introvert. 

Hear Jessica's expert insights on making networking more introvert-friendly, creating meaningful connections, and leveraging platforms like LinkedIn for career success. 

Tune in to discover how you can turn networking into a fulfilling experience and be strong.

- - -

Jessica Pierce is a networking expert and the founder of Career Connectors, Arizona's second-largest networking association, dedicated to connecting professionals with meaningful career opportunities. Career Connectors has helped over 71,000 people connect with great jobs! With a passion for empowering jobseekers, Jessica has transformed her own challenges with networking into a powerful framework that helps others build authentic connections with confidence. With a unique blend of leadership insight, networking finesse, and an unwavering commitment to empowerment, Jessica captivates audiences and equips them with the tools to navigate the complexities of the professional world and unlock their full career potential.

Connect with Jessica

Websites: JessicaPierceSpeaks.com | CareerConnectors.org
Socials: Instagram | LinkedIn

- - -

Contact the Host of the Quiet and Strong Podcast:

David Hall

Author, Speaker, Educator, Podcaster

quietandstrong.com
Gobio.link/quietandstrong
david [at] quietandstrong.com

Take the FREE Personality Assessment:

Typefinder Personality Assessment

Follow David on your favorite social platform:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Youtube

Get David's book:
Minding Your Time: Time Management, Productivity, and Success, Especially for Introverts

You may also like:
Quiet & Strong Merchandise

Transcript

David Hall [00:00:00]:
In the past, before I started this even at the beginning of this organization, people would say, hey. You need to network. And just this feeling in my gut, I just wanted to be sick. I'm like, I hate it. I don't wanna walk into a room and hand out my business card and talk to people about nothing and get pitched on products. Like, my worst nightmare, I don't like small talk. When I talk to people, I need a reason and a purpose to talk to them, and the purpose and the reason not being or trying to sell me something. So, like, literally walking into a networking space, it was my worst nightmare.

David Hall [00:00:46]:
Hello, and welcome to episode 201 of the Quiet and Strong podcast, especially for introverts. I'm your host, David Hall, and the creator of quietandstrong.com. It's a weekly podcast dedicated to understanding the strengths and needs of introverts along with strategies for success. Introversion is not something to fix, but to be embraced. Normally, we'll have each episode on a Monday. Be sure to subscribe on your favorite platform. Leave a review or a rating. That would mean a lot to me and help others find the show.

David Hall [00:01:15]:
Tell a friend about the podcast. Help get the word out there that introversion is a beautiful thing. Jessica Pierce is a networking expert and the founder of Career Connectors, Arizona's 2nd largest networking association dedicated to connecting professionals with meaningful career opportunities. Career Connectors has helped over 71,000 people connect with great jobs. With a passion for empowering job seekers, Jessica has transformed her own challenges with networking into a powerful framework that helps others build authentic connections with confidence. With the unique blend of leadership insight, networking finesse, and an unwavering commitment to empowerment, Jessica captivates audiences and equips them with the tools to navigate the complexities of the professional world and unlock their full career potential. Alright. Well, welcome to the Quiet and Strong podcast, Jessica.

David Hall [00:02:09]:
Jessica, it's so good to have you on today.

Jessica Pierce [00:02:11]:
Thanks for having me.

David Hall [00:02:12]:
We're gonna get into the work that you do. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey to the work that you do.

Jessica Pierce [00:02:18]:
Yeah. So my name is Jessica Pierce, and I'm the CEO and founder of Career Connectors. I launched Career Connectors back in the recession 2,008 and 9 when, you know, it felt like everybody was looking for work at that time and myself and my husband actually had been laid off. We had also I had closed a business, and he had been laid off 3 times in 6 months. And not really sure what we were gonna do, and so I just decided to start volunteering and helping people write resumes. And so I called my local church and just said, can I have a room in the back of the church? And, we started inviting people, and I was helping with resumes and then pulled together some friends that I knew knew this space as well. And one day, we had over 300 people show up to an event. We went from 25 to 300 in one day, and I was like, woah.

Jessica Pierce [00:03:10]:
What is happening here? And so that's what kind of really got started moving forward with CareerConnectors and making an impact in our community and helping people get jobs.

David Hall [00:03:21]:
Wow. So you both were laid off, and you made something out of it.

Jessica Pierce [00:03:27]:
Yeah. I mean, and coming from my background is corporate America and kinda just climbing that corporate ladder until I was there at a large corporation for 10 years until our whole group got laid off. And then opened my staffing firm, and then the staffing firm had to go out of business because of the recession, and all of our clients were no longer hiring. But it wasn't this was not the path I was on. You know, this was not I didn't I was not set out to be the CEO of a nonprofit organization. I didn't even know anything about that. I didn't know anything about workforce or job searching. Nothing.

Jessica Pierce [00:04:07]:
And, you know, I just kind of followed the path that was in front of me to help some people, and that's, you know, what ended up happening.

David Hall [00:04:15]:
Wow. Yeah. And, we're gonna get into how that turned into what you're doing now for sure. Yeah. But first, of course, this is the Quiet and Strong podcast, and you're a fellow introvert.

Jessica Pierce [00:04:26]:
Yep.

David Hall [00:04:27]:
So tell us how you figured that out.

Jessica Pierce [00:04:30]:
So I think it's been a process to figure that out because things I have what most people would say are, like, extrovert tendencies where I like speaking on stage. But when I think about it, I really had to learn how to do that. The first time I spoke in front of people, I cried. And it was only a 3 minute talk about myself. And I walked out of the room and I cried because I was like, oh my gosh. So nervous. So I learned how to do that. I've learned how to engage large groups of people, but make them feel like I'm talking to them individually.

Jessica Pierce [00:05:06]:
So I've learned these skills over time. I like to be around people, but I like to be around people that I know. And so I'm comfortable there. And I guess so I've really never not never. I've really had a hard time ever really accepting. I don't know if accepting is the word, but saying, you know, yes. I'm an introvert, and here's why. And I can tell I have all these traits that are definitely introverted.

Jessica Pierce [00:05:34]:
And so it's really probably been the last 10 years I've been able to say things that that been able to say, yeah. Actually, I'm an introvert. And I think people, when I tell them that, one of the reasons I struggle with it is when I tell people that and they're like, no way. You're on stages and talking in front of a whole bunch of people. But they don't understand that this is stuff I know what I'm talking about, and I'm prepared. But as soon as I walk off that stage, I would usually walk directly to the couch, the closest couch to lay down or I'm completely by myself. So it's a journey it's it's been a journey to figure this out, and it's really just been the last 10 years I've been able to start to really verbalize the the fact that I am an introvert. And I just have these tendencies where I know how to do things and I enjoy doing things that seem extroverted at times.

David Hall [00:06:27]:
Yeah. And, we also bust myths on this show because you like to do public speaking, be around people. It doesn't make you an extrovert. It's just as an introvert, you're gonna go about these things differently. Like you said, after your speech, you need a break. That's right. Before your speech, you probably do some thorough preparation, I I'm guessing. Right?

Jessica Pierce [00:06:50]:
Yep. I can be flexible, but I I can only be flexible and speak on topics that I know about.

David Hall [00:06:57]:
Exactly.

Jessica Pierce [00:06:58]:
If it's something brand new, I have to spend the time really getting to know and understand, and I will process for weeks weeks weeks before I can get it down and really understand it.

David Hall [00:07:11]:
Yeah. And and that's that's the thing. Like, we think before we speak. And if it's new information, someone's asking us something that we haven't really thought about. That's where we need to think. But, you know, if I'm gonna ask you about the job search or the, you know, networking, you don't have to think about that. You you you've been doing it. You've been thinking about it.

David Hall [00:07:35]:
So and that's that's part of the myths that we bust here. And, you know, in this show, I I talk to a lot of people that are public speakers or work with a lot of public speakers, and there may be more than half of the really popular public speakers out there that are introverts. And sometimes it's even a more comfortable space because you get to we we have all these ideas because we're always thinking, and you get to share them uninterrupted. You know? And so sometimes it's even a more comfortable space giving the public speech. Do you have any other tips for especially introverts and public speaking?

Jessica Pierce [00:08:12]:
Well, the preparation is key. But what I tell people in general is just start. So whatever that looks like, if you really desire to be a public speaker, maybe you have a message that needs to get out there, or or it's on your heart. Like, this is something I really want to do, or I wrote a book, and I really wanna get that message out there. So this is something I need to do. It's really just start, and it can start with small groups. In fact, that's one of my main tips because I talk about networking a lot also, but just going in front of a small group and trying it out, doing something like Toastmasters. That's how I started.

Jessica Pierce [00:08:51]:
Doing something with Toastmasters because that's an encouraging space, and that's a place where you can mess up and you don't have to be perfect, and your career is not on the line. You know? Staff meetings, offering to give an update in staff meetings. That's a start starting point. So go to these places where you have an opportunity to speak in a smaller group because that's how you become more comfortable. Some people hire speaking coaches, and that will help them actually put together a presentation that they're very comfortable with. And but there are so many tools out there now with AI and Canva and a whole bunch where it can help you put together a presentation if you aren't even sure how to do that well. And so just taking the next right step, do one thing, then do the next. And I know as introverts, they'll people will be prepared.

Jessica Pierce [00:09:35]:
They're only gonna talk about stuff they really know about or they prepared for. So that's I think that's not even a tip for worthy of saying because that's a given for us.

David Hall [00:09:44]:
Well, no. Absolutely. It is something because people don't get it. People don't get people don't understand. There's a reason why you're being asked to give this presentation or the speech. It's because you know something. It's and some people don't get that, and they still get really nervous. And, you know, I've learned these things myself, like, I have to prepare.

David Hall [00:10:04]:
Mhmm. And I I'm the confidence comes from, you know, there's a reason why I'm doing this. Also, I'm not perfect, but nobody else in the audience is either.

Jessica Pierce [00:10:16]:
Yeah.

David Hall [00:10:16]:
And then as you said, what's do I have some downtime planned? You know? Will will I if if I if I'm worn out, do I have some downside? So all those things and and part of the reason I do this show is because they're not coming intuitively to people. So

Jessica Pierce [00:10:35]:
Yeah. And, you know, something else that I think about is when we're asked to talk on a topic, usually, it's because most of the people that you're speaking to don't know that topic very well. And so I think a lot of times, I'll see introverts that feel like they have to have it perfect or exactly right. Well, the reality is if you're asked to talk in front of people, the people you're talking to don't know don't know what you're talking about. If I go in a room and talk about networking or job search, most of the people need help in that area understanding. And so if I mess up, nobody would know. And so that's why I think it's really important to understand. You can get on the stage and you can mess up, and only you would know that.

Jessica Pierce [00:11:16]:
And you just keep moving on, and who cares if you mess up? It doesn't have to be perfect. And so that's something else I had to learn.

David Hall [00:11:22]:
Yeah. And then a gift that I think all introverts share is we have a gift of reflection. So you give the presentation, you can think about it after, you know. What went well? What would my might do differently next time? I think we all share that gift of reflection and we can use that as and knowing, oh, you know what? I'm not I'm not perfect, but it's gonna be better the next time.

Jessica Pierce [00:11:46]:
That's right. That's right.

David Hall [00:11:47]:
Like, I I'm giving a series of presentations that are the same. I know I know number 2 is gonna be better than number 1. I just know that I'm gonna try to make number 1 the best. Yeah. But number 2 is gonna be better.

Jessica Pierce [00:12:00]:
Yeah. 100%. That's right.

David Hall [00:12:03]:
So is there a particular strength you feel like you have because you're an introvert?

Jessica Pierce [00:12:07]:
I would think definitely a piece of that reflection. Because I think a lot of times people will go from thing to thing to thing to thing, and that reflection or that processing time, I, you know, I get a lot done essentially, at least in my brain when I process. And so sometimes, I also do though sometimes feel like I get stuck and I don't just get it down. But I can take weeks to process through something and it will drive me crazy, but I don't quite have it yet. And so maybe I'll go ask people. I do that a lot. I'll ask what they think about something, what they think about something, what they think about something. And I'll pull I'll be processing through all that, and then I'll be like, oh, this I mean, I just did it this morning.

Jessica Pierce [00:12:53]:
Just this morning, I have been thinking about putting together this handbook to help people with AI that are in job search. And I have been thinking about it and thinking about it, and it hit me today. And I just went and, like, as I'm just out of the shower, it hit me. And so I went over to my app and I told it all this stuff that I needed it to do, and it spit out exactly what I needed. So I got it done in literally less than 10 minutes, but I've been thinking about it for 3 weeks. And so I think that's a strength because it's given me time to really process and think through until I'm there.

David Hall [00:13:30]:
Yeah. And you're thinking about it, but you're also gathering information and picking up pieces to the puzzle. And your brain, your introverted gifts were putting that information altogether. It took some time, but that's and that's another thing. We may not always have the quickest answer, but we will have a well thought out answer like you just described.

Jessica Pierce [00:13:52]:
Yeah. Yeah. Because if somebody had asked me to do what I did today, like, overnight, it would have been difficult for me to because this is something brand new. It's not something I knew about or how to do. And so I really had to think through it and process.

David Hall [00:14:09]:
Yeah. And sometimes that's another thing that introverts don't get is that's a strength that we have, and some people might expect the quick answer. But there's been so many times where I've thought about decisions I've made and the ones that I took some time on and how if I hadn't, they wouldn't have gone as well. And that's another thing. You know, We are gonna think longer, but our world needs that. There's some things that need to be thought through and not just instantly decided on.

Jessica Pierce [00:14:39]:
Yep. Absolutely. I agree.

David Hall [00:14:42]:
So you brought up AI. What what's what what are employers expecting job candidates to know about AI? I heard you talk about that.

Jessica Pierce [00:14:50]:
Yeah. So it's not even job candidates. It's everybody in the workforce. And so I was in a meeting last week with a city representative, and then I think there were 20 executives in the room from large companies from around my area. And I was the nonprofit kind of representative in the room. And everyone, every single company, didn't matter if they were education, if they were manufacturing, didn't matter. Finance services, I technology did not matter. Everyone in the room was tell saying how AI is dramatically changing their business.

Jessica Pierce [00:15:32]:
And so what they said is the for 2025, and I actually give a talk specifically on this, but in 2025, there are some workforce trends that are coming, that are new. And 2 of them are around analytical thinking and data analysis. And so, basically, what they're saying is people who have the ability to analyze information, you know, read information, analyze it, and then make decisions, edit or move forward, those are the those are the that's the top professional skill that's gonna be needed moving forward. For many, many, many years, communication has been that number one thing. Communication. It's moving. It's changing because AI is changing the way we do business. And so it's job seekers.

Jessica Pierce [00:16:22]:
All they have to do is jump on to a platform like chat gpt and start using it to understand. It's really, really a simple thing to learn. Not to learn the whole thing, but to just start to dabble and play in it. Because everyone's gonna be needing to understand it. Robots are not taking jobs, but people are taking jobs that understand how to program the robots or how to use the robots or how to ask questions into chat gbt and that's called prompt engineering. Sounds fancy. It's not. It's asking questions into the platform.

Jessica Pierce [00:16:59]:
And so it gives you responses that you want. That skill right there is a going to be a highly desirable skill. It already is highly desirable skill. So the analytical thinking and data analysis are huge when it comes to workforce and being able to do that, and that is a shift in the market. Big, huge shift.

David Hall [00:17:20]:
Okay. And your advice for someone that hasn't been using is just to gets get going.

Jessica Pierce [00:17:26]:
Let's go. I I was speaking yesterday, and I was explaining AI, and I said, you can go in as simple as opening chat GPT and asking for recipe ideas for that night. I it is easy. Instead of using Google for everything or YouTube, try chat GPT. The results are astounding, and it's simple. It's not hard. People get scared because it's like, oh, robots are gonna take over the world. I don't know the answer to that, but what I do know is it's simple, it's easy, and anyone can use it.

David Hall [00:18:01]:
Yeah. Absolutely.

Jessica Pierce [00:18:02]:
So You use it? I have to know.

David Hall [00:18:05]:
Do I? Oh, yeah. Of course. All the time.

Jessica Pierce [00:18:07]:
Okay. Good. Then you know why I'm such an advocate.

David Hall [00:18:11]:
Yeah. And, I mean, it's it's definitely it can it can help you get started. It can help you do research. I like to think that some of my ideas are original, so, you know, you have to make sure that your ideas are in there. You know? It's it's a tool. It's not doing all of your work, but, yeah, of course, I use it. Yeah.

Jessica Pierce [00:18:31]:
That's right. Exactly.

David Hall [00:18:32]:
I'll use it to make some video clips of our episode.

Jessica Pierce [00:18:35]:
Oh, great. Fun. Yeah.

David Hall [00:18:39]:
So you created an a national networking organization, but yet you admit that you hate networking. So tell us about that.

Jessica Pierce [00:18:47]:
Oh, boy. Okay. So whenever in the past, before I started this even at the beginning of this organization, people would say, hey. You need to network. And just this feeling in my gut, I just wanted to be sick. I'm like, ugh, I hate it. I don't wanna walk into a room and hand out my business card and talk to people about nothing and get pitched on products. Like, my worst nightmare, I don't like small talk.

Jessica Pierce [00:19:16]:
When I talk to people, I need a reason and a purpose to talk to them, and the purpose and the reason not being or trying to sell me something. So, like, literally walking into a networking space, it was my worst nightmare. And so I started CareerConnectors, and we would have these networking experts come and speak because all the rage was to get a job, you had to network. And so I'm like, alright. I'm helping people get jobs. I gotta bring these experts in. So these experts will come in and give their top 10 tips on how to network, and I just hated it. I just was like, this advice, though it was the way it was and it was true, I'm just like, every person in this room is just not every person, but at least, I guess, the introverts who are dying.

David Hall [00:20:03]:
50% likely.

Jessica Pierce [00:20:05]:
Okay. 50% are just like, do not make me get up and shake somebody's hand I don't know. And and it it's just right? So I hated it. Well, I would say between about the last 5 years, it's probably only been the last 5 years, I really started to switch my brain on what is networking really because I was doing it, but not realizing I was doing it. So I'm it's important for me when I'm meeting people that I am getting to know them a little bit. And so it might it doesn't have to be a long deep conversation, but at least know a little bit about them, and it doesn't matter where I am. So I could be sitting down at a table in a meeting, and it's before the meeting starts, and I start talking to the person next to me. And even that, I mean, I'd be like, oh, gosh.

Jessica Pierce [00:20:58]:
I don't I wouldn't show up on time a lot of times. I'd go be a couple minutes late so I could just slide in when the meeting started. Because the small talk just I I did not like it. So what I learned was I kind of changed the definition for myself, and I started teaching it to other people that networking is really just building relationships. It's getting to know people. And so that's what I talk about a lot. And so our organization is one of the largest possibly the largest I don't have the data on that, but possibly the largest career networking association in the United States. And that is because I really think one of the reasons is because we talk about not networking as in go into a room and introduce yourself to everybody and be pitched, but go meet a couple people.

Jessica Pierce [00:21:47]:
Ask some questions. Get curious about people. Who are you? You know, tell me a little bit of what what you what do you do? Why are you here? Get to know them first. You become the asker, and then instead of awkwardly standing there waiting for them to say something to you. And so that's how we shifted because the reality is most really good jobs do come through networking in some capacity. And it's either knowing somebody who knows somebody or through LinkedIn networking or there's various avenues, but it's usually through somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody. They're the ones that has the really good job you want, but you have to get to them. And so that's why I I knew we had to take on this networking topic, but it couldn't be the normal.

Jessica Pierce [00:22:35]:
It couldn't be the normal way that people could talk about networking because what 50% you said are gonna like, no way. I'm not doing that. And so I'm just gonna keep submitting my jobs online and to, you know, the applicant tracking software. And then we're not helping those people, because that's not the way to get a really good job. And so that's when it shift when my brain shifted there and we started really talking about relationships, then I was like, alright. We can do this networking thing.

David Hall [00:23:06]:
Yeah. And, again, busting myths, we love to build relationships. We just don't like to do it like the extroverts do. And, you know, if there's a networking event, you know, I have a goal. Like, what do I wanna accomplish here? And I guarantee it's not bouncing for 1 person to the next as quickly as I can. That's so not only do I not enjoy it, it's not even effective.

Jessica Pierce [00:23:31]:
No. Not at all. And that extroverts take our advice and use it around how to network because it's way more effective. Sorry. Go ahead.

David Hall [00:23:41]:
Yeah. So I had a guest on, and and she figured this out that it wasn't working for her. And she had a whole bunch of business cards. And when she got home, she just threw them in the fire. And she's like, okay. I'm gonna I'm gonna learn to do this effectively as an introvert. And she did, and she's very successful.

Jessica Pierce [00:23:59]:
You know, I don't even take business cards anymore. I don't even they're probably tucked away somewhere. I have some somewhere, but I don't take them. I just put them in my phone immediately and send a text because that reminds me. Business cards sit and I forget about them. But I if I'm gonna build a relationship with you, I'm gonna you're gonna be on my phone, and I'm gonna say hi.

David Hall [00:24:22]:
Yeah. Probably people aren't using business cards as as much anymore, but, yeah, that's definitely a better way. So how do you how do you what's your advice for showing up authentically as an introvert to networking?

Jessica Pierce [00:24:33]:
Yeah. I think come prepared. Well, we come prepared is first of all. And so you actually said something that's exactly right. When you're going to an event, if you can any way, shape, or form know people that are gonna be there or maybe a company or somebody that you wanna talk to, then you go do that research ahead of time, learn a little bit about the company or the person connect with them on LinkedIn because then you have a goal and a purpose. And so maybe you find or know about 3 or 4 people that are gonna be there, And you do that research ahead of time, and then you go into the event and you target, you know. I oh, I wanna go talk to this company. I wanna talk to this person.

Jessica Pierce [00:25:18]:
And so you come in with a purpose. So that's a great tip. That's one. Another one is if you don't know who's gonna be there, then, like, they don't have it posted on the site or whatever, then prepare some basic questions going in. And so one that always works. There are 2 I use all the time that always work. I will ask, you know, hey. What you know, what's your purpose for being here? Why are why are you at this event? That kind of thing.

Jessica Pierce [00:25:44]:
That's a good opener. The other one is, depending on where you live in the United States, it's, hey. Are you from here? Did you grow up here? And so you get to hear a little bit about their story. Maybe they grew up in the Midwest, and then if they're like me, it was too cold, so I had to get out of there when I was 21. And so it's kind of a funny, like, connection point, especially if you're somewhere maybe warm and you both moved, or even if you're cold and you had to get out of the heat, whatever the story is, there is a connection point. Maybe they went to college, and so all of a sudden you're, like, oh, you're a big 10 guy. So am I. Who's your team? And so there's this connection point.

Jessica Pierce [00:26:25]:
So that's the goal. The goal with networking is to make a connection point. How can you connect? Because I every single time, every time, I don't even know if there's one that it had this hasn't been true. Every time I make a connection point over big 10 football, because I'm a die hard Ohio State Buckeye fan, like, that comes back around. They connect with me on LinkedIn, and they're like, go Michigan or whatever. You know? Yeah. And you don't forget that. Like, it's a fun connection.

Jessica Pierce [00:26:55]:
So so that's the goal of networking. Get a connection point, a commonality, something that you can then become memorable. Because then, for example, if you're looking for a job or or you're doing business with somebody, you would have, like, this likability factor that isn't just the normal. What's your name? What do you do? You know? Because those are standard. Everyone asks what you do. Ask something else. Ask why are you here, you know, or figure out a are you from here? Those are great questions because they're out of the norm of what people normally ask.

David Hall [00:27:30]:
Yeah. And I think that that's something that small talk is something that introverts struggle with. Yes. And it's because we want to go deeper. We want to build that deeper relationship. We don't wanna stay in small talk for a long period of time. And myself, you know, I I've learned that it's you gotta you gotta do small talk to get to that deeper place. And, you know, I think that we can you know, you gave some good advice right now.

David Hall [00:28:02]:
You we can get better at it, but we still don't wanna stay there.

Jessica Pierce [00:28:05]:
No. No. But yeah. No. You wanna get deeper. You wanna know more, but I'm telling you, having a purpose and a goal of having a connection point gets you deeper without having to spend an hour and a half with somebody.

David Hall [00:28:18]:
Yeah. Do you have any other small talk advice?

Jessica Pierce [00:28:21]:
No. Because I I mean, I don't like it either. It's driving the train. But when I do know that I'm gonna have to do this a little bit more, if I go I have I have a very extroverted husband. Very. And so he will lead in those big groups where I don't know anybody. And then I can come in on the tail. You know? And because he loves that.

Jessica Pierce [00:28:42]:
So sometimes I'll I'll do that. I'll just note Christmas holidays are coming up, and we're gonna go to events that are holiday events. Right? And so I know that that's not my favorite thing to do, and so I'll make sure I'm going with my very extroverted friends or husband to get, you know, to kinda have those. So but preparing couple questions that you're comfortable with asking and going with a purpose and a goal. And then, also, I think even just having the confidence and understanding that you don't need to get to know everybody in the room. 3 to 5 people. Make a connection with 3 to 5 people, and that is an extremely successful networking networking event for you.

David Hall [00:29:29]:
Yeah. So does your husband wanna get to know everybody in the room?

Jessica Pierce [00:29:33]:
Oh my gosh. Yes.

David Hall [00:29:35]:
He's And you

Jessica Pierce [00:29:36]:
Like, all these people just aren't friends I haven't met yet. And I'm like Yeah. Dog. And and, you know, he's the one I'm like, okay. We have 30 minutes until we leave. Go say your goodbyes. We're leaving in 30 minutes.

David Hall [00:29:53]:
You know, that's that's that's key to all this. You know, part of me really embracing is the word I I use for introversion. Really embracing my introversion was doing different things with extroverted colleagues and watching them just like your husband wanting to meet everybody. And me saying, you know what? That's I don't wanna meet everybody. I wanna make a couple I wanna have a couple really good conversations here. And I and they've got their gifts, and I got mine. And, obviously, you must like some things about your husband. You know? He's got he's got his own gifts, but it's natural.

David Hall [00:30:29]:
That's the thing that's the point I'm making. It's very natural. Your introversion is very natural to you. You came that way. Your husband's extroversion is very natural, and we all we need each other. We all have our different gifts. And that was kind of a big epiphany for me, you know, just watching, you know, different personalities and, you know, just with with experience. I'm like, yeah.

David Hall [00:30:50]:
This comes to us very naturally. Let's embrace who we are and our strengths.

Jessica Pierce [00:30:54]:
Absolutely. You're right. Yep.

David Hall [00:30:57]:
So with your career work, tell us, how does how do people find and land their dream job?

Jessica Pierce [00:31:04]:
So that is a lot of that is through networking, but there's this huge part of it to, being prepared and knowing. And so a a step in the career space, a huge step that a lot of people miss is really defining what it is you want to do and you enjoy doing. So two quick examples. One is maybe you are an accountant or something. You work in corporate America. And that job, you like it, maybe you don't love it, but you like it, and it's a good salary, and it has the schedule you like, and it works for your family. But you get maybe you get laid off. And so your goal is to find a job you like, that pays a good salary, has the schedule you like.

Jessica Pierce [00:31:59]:
That's what you wanna do. That is perfectly fine. You do not need to go out and think you have to land your actual job of your dreams. Like, if if your career is doing what you needed to do around the things that are most important to you, perfect. So I think there's this concept out there that I have to be so passionate about what I do and love every minute, and that's just not reality. If it's providing what you need and you're it's good and you're in a good culture and you like it, perfect. So that's great. So that's one of the answers.

Jessica Pierce [00:32:35]:
I think a lot of people just think I'm not successful because I'm not doing what, you know, this huge big thing. But you gotta get rid of that and understand that it's providing you what you wanna do in in your life. So that's one answer. The other one is maybe you're I talked to a lot of people that are in a shift in their career. They have been doing this one thing that they've you know, that's been fine. They've had a good career, but they don't really love it, and they actually are ready to make a shift and go into something they feel called to do. Like, I really feel called to do this thing and serve my community or help people in this way. I was talking about my husband.

Jessica Pierce [00:33:21]:
He did that. He was a recruiter for 20 years. Loves talking to people. Can you imagine on the phone all day long, talk, talk, talk, talk, recruiting? I mean, what a nightmare for me. But, like, he loved it. Right? He was talking, talking, talking. But what he really loved to do and what he was really good at was counseling, like marriage counseling. He helped an a ton of marriages through really hard times unofficially.

Jessica Pierce [00:33:45]:
So what he did was he went back to school, got his masters in clinical mental health counseling, and became a therapist. And that's what he's doing now and literally living his dream life. He will have 10 appointments in one day and come home on fire because he helped all these people. Now some of them, you know, he wasn't able not everyone is a success story. Right? Some just literally will storm out of his office because they're fighting or whatever. So it's it's not a a dream, but it's for him, it's a dream, and he loves it. But he had to do that, you have to get serious about what are your skills, what are your qualifications, what do you need, and define it before pursuing it. Because what a lot of people do is they pursue something, and they're not clear on what they're trying to do.

Jessica Pierce [00:34:36]:
And they'll say to people, I want a new job. I need to do a job, something I really like, and we wanna help them. And you're like, okay. What is it? What kind of thing are you gonna do? Well, I'll kinda take anything. Well, we know that's not true because you're not gonna go from a $95,000 job to working at McDonald's. We know that's not true. So you nobody can help you until you define what this dream job is. But once you define it, you can start to speak it, and you can start to talk to people about it.

Jessica Pierce [00:35:08]:
And that's how you start to pursue your dream job because you once you start networking and you're telling people what this dream job is, that's when the the ball actually starts rolling, and you can land into to it. I couldn't have start I mean, career connectors, I just wanted to help people write resumes. And so then I started talking about it and talking about it and talking about it and finding what people needed. And then started making that happen, bringing companies in, bringing other resources in, started making it happen. And then, you know, we've served over 74,000 people now. It's mind blowing, and I am living the dream, my dream. Not everybody's dream. My dream, but I didn't even know this was it until I started taking steps into defining it.

Jessica Pierce [00:35:49]:
So

David Hall [00:35:50]:
Yeah. That's yeah. Thank you. That's that's amazing. And, yeah, it wasn't part of your plans, but, you know, it is it is now.

Jessica Pierce [00:35:58]:
Yes. It is. It is now for sure.

David Hall [00:36:01]:
And even something you said, we can be you know, for me, the ideal is that you are using your strengths most of the time. Yep. Because when you're doing that, that is when you love the work. That is that's when you're, you know, really feeling it. But I don't think there's any job where we get to use our strengths all the time. There's always gonna be something that you don't like that you have to do that you can't pass off to somebody else.

Jessica Pierce [00:36:26]:
100%. And so I always say, if we can get around an 80 20, that would be, like, ideal. Right? Yeah. 80% of the time, you're living what your strengths are, what you're really good at. But, you know, 20% of the time, I still have to do budgets, and I hate it. But I still have to do it every month every month. I still have to do the budget. I still have to work my accountant and send it to my board and work with my board.

Jessica Pierce [00:36:48]:
Like, there are things we all don't like about our job even if we're living our dream, like we are. So, yes. About 80 20 is what I would say is, in my opinion, the ideal.

David Hall [00:37:01]:
No. I agree with that ratio. It's like yeah. Most of the time, if we can be using our strengths and, you know, I'm sure there's 20% of things that your husband doesn't like either. But, you know, but it sounds like he's really, you know, really thriving in that. Mhmm. You mentioned using LinkedIn for networking. Talk more about LinkedIn and networking and job searching.

Jessica Pierce [00:37:23]:
Yeah. So LinkedIn is the platform that companies use for recruiting, for hiring, for just getting information out about their companies. And what is really important to understand that, yes, it is for job seekers. It is for people that are actively looking for jobs. It is the number one platform to utilize for people looking for jobs. 100%. And it's also for those of us that are fully employed, either we're working for companies and we are good in our job, or we're business owners, or we're running companies. It's for everybody.

Jessica Pierce [00:38:03]:
And I can tell you this because I when I remember it's been so it's 2,009. 2,008, I left a large corporation, and I had been there 10 years, and my whole identity was in that company. The corporate color was blue, and I would say, I bleed blue. You know, literally, like, I spoke in acronyms. I was just talking to a room yesterday, and the lady was leaving a 20 year career at a major aerospace company. And that's her story. That's her friends are from that company. That's all she knows.

Jessica Pierce [00:38:41]:
And so when I'm talking about networking, it's it's like, how do I even like, I don't I don't even know if I know anyone outside of this network of people. So regardless of where you are in your career, a platform like LinkedIn, which is the only one, so LinkedIn, you must be using layoffs are normal now, and they happen. Economy changes, business changes. And so if you have a built in network and you're utilizing LinkedIn to continue to build your network, to continue to share your expertise, to continue to engage with people, then if and when you do get laid off, or if and when you have to make a shift in your business, you're already connected. You're already connected, and it's much easier. So I am running this nonprofit organization, and I've been speaking for years all over. But I've been speaking for free to get the word out about career connectors. In 2024 well, it was 2023, our board decided, Jessica, you need to have a strategy to go do big large paid events.

Jessica Pierce [00:39:54]:
And so you're looked at as the true expert in the room, and you're bringing inspiration to people in these different areas. We kinda define them. So in January 2024, I had to shift what I was talking about and make it very, very clear what my expertise areas were. And but I already had the built in network. And because I had been doing the work, the shift has been pretty easy, and I was able to start to get these paid speaking events right away. And I've been speaking all over the place now, you know, fee based talks. And so when you're ready to shift, if you have that built in network through LinkedIn, it's so much easier. It's so much easier when you get laid off, you have this built in network.

Jessica Pierce [00:40:41]:
So, basically, you just get on the platform, and you build out a profile. And on LinkedIn, it will tell you it will walk you through it. You know, do this, then this, then this, then this. Put a picture in there. Put your work experience. Put a bio. All that kind of stuff. You fill it in, and then you start to connect with people you know.

Jessica Pierce [00:41:00]:
And so the cool thing for introverts is that when you connect with people, you get to see what they're doing nowadays. You get to do some research. You know, before you and I talked, we I know we were both on each other's LinkedIn profile taking a look. Hey. What do I know about this person? Are there any connection points we have? Who do we know in common? Like, it gives you all this information that is helpful as you are networking because then you can come in with information, and you're not just trying to learn it on off the cuff. Every single time I go into a meeting, I go on their LinkedIn profile before I before I meet with them just to learn more about them and see, you know, how to make the conversation flow much easier.

David Hall [00:41:46]:
Yeah. Absolutely. And, you know, there's all kinds of great information. You know, they're about section that you can learn or where they're working or where they've worked. You also mentioned, you know, the picture. How important is it to have a good professional headshot? And I happen to know that that's part of some of your events where you do offer, you know, people can get headshots.

Jessica Pierce [00:42:08]:
Yeah. We a lot of times at our live event, in person events, we'll bring in a photographer and do free business portraits that are really good business portraits. And so I it's essential. The reason there's a couple reasons. On LinkedIn, if you don't fill in a picture or you just put a logo or a landscape or something, you don't look real you look like a scammer. I mean, you don't look like you're a real person. And so you have to have a headshot for that reason. And, also, just like anything, visual a picture kind of it just helps make the connection more real.

Jessica Pierce [00:42:47]:
And companies essentially are are not going to reach out to you without a picture. On the things that you need to do, the list on LinkedIn, when you get your profile to a 100%, that's one of the things that you have to do to get it to a 100% is load up your picture. Then when recruiters are doing searching, the people that have a 100% profile come up to the top of the search results. And so even from a data standpoint, the risk results are better when you have a picture in there. But, also, if you're going to events and you're going to go network, people will look at your LinkedIn profile to look at your picture, and then they'll recognize you at your events. I get recognized all the time because we have an email, my pictures on it, or also LinkedIn, and people go, oh, I'm gonna be on LinkedIn. It just makes the interaction so much easier. They already know a little bit about me, so I can just get to know them and start asking questions.

Jessica Pierce [00:43:48]:
And so there's many reasons, and I recommend getting some type of professional, really nice looking photo done. If you can't do that, if you can't afford it, you can at least go. There are free places that do it, but also have somebody take a really nice headshot with a very basic background. If you cannot, there's no way to get a professional portrait done.

David Hall [00:44:07]:
Yeah. Absolutely. And, you know, we're talking about networking goals. If if you wanna meet someone, it's so helpful to already know what they look like.

Jessica Pierce [00:44:16]:
So helpful. Yeah. I'm like a stalker before I go meet someone. I'm like especially if it's in person. Like, okay. I gotta know who is this so that I know if they come up to me or if I can go find them, what they look like. Yeah.

David Hall [00:44:27]:
Yeah. Jessica, this has been a wonderful conversation. It's gone by really quickly. So what's next for you? What are you working on?

Jessica Pierce [00:44:35]:
Yeah. So I'm doing a lot of talks out and across US actually. And to get the word out about workforce, you know, what the workforce looks like in the future, 2025 is gonna be a year. It's gonna things are gonna change in 2025. I talked specifically about AI and some of the skill sets that we're gonna be looking for. So we're talking about that a lot a lot around networking and relationship building. And then I have this real passion and desire to help women. Women that are business owners or are trying to figure out, like, they're an emerging leader trying to figure out their career.

Jessica Pierce [00:45:09]:
And I just I just have a I mean, I have 2 daughters. I have a son too, but my 2 daughters are the the 16 and 18, and they're getting ready to, like, figure out their workforce in the world. And, I mean, just wanna help women have the confidence to be able to do that. So those are come some of the things we're gonna be doing. We or I'm gonna be doing, and Career Connectors just launched a program called inspired leader. A leader is l e a d h e r. So it's for emerging young leaders that are coming up and need some mentoring, need some networking support, need to understand professional development. So that one's come that one just launched for recruiting for the class of 2025.

Jessica Pierce [00:45:49]:
And so there's just a lot coming up. We have a big event coming up December 5th, career connectors.org, where people can find out. If you if the if you're in job search, like, December 5th virtual event is a must because we're bringing in an expert from a national standpoint that knows what jobs are growing, what industries are growing, and what it's gonna look like in 2025. And so and then we have interview coaches, resume writers, etcetera, at that event to help as well. And that's all free, and, we do it every month as well as other events. But yeah. So I have a lot coming in 2025 that I'm really excited about.

David Hall [00:46:27]:
Awesome. Sounds great. So where can people find out more about you and the great work that you do?

Jessica Pierce [00:46:32]:
Yeah. So our, nonprofit organization is career connectors.org, and all of our events are on there. So and we're doing a ton of workshops as well that are free. So we have that. And then online, I'm at jessicapiercepeaks.com, and then I have social media built into that site where people can find all my links to social media. And would love to connect with people on LinkedIn and Instagram there too.

David Hall [00:46:56]:
Alright. Well, thanks, Jessica. It's been a great conversation. Very helpful, especially for introverts.

Jessica Pierce [00:47:02]:
Yes. Thanks so much. I appreciate it.

David Hall [00:47:06]:
Thank you so much for joining me today. I look forward to further connecting with you. Reach out at david{@}quietandstrong.com or check out the quietandstrong.com website, which includes blog posts and links to social media channels. Send me topics or guests you would like to see on the show. If you're interested in getting to know yourself better, there's now a free type finder personality assessment on the Quiet and Strong website. This free assessment will give you a brief report, including the 4 letter Myers Briggs code, and you can also have the option of purchasing the full report if you'd like to learn more. I'll add a link to the show notes. So many great things about being an introvert, and we need those to be understood.

David Hall [00:47:47]:
Get to know your introverted strengths and needs, and be strong.