340: The Power Of Networking and Always Practice Self-Care with Jossie Haines

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Jossie Haines, a software engineering leader at the forefront of emerging customer technology across Silicon Valley. She has held management roles at Apple, Zynga and American Express and she is currently VP of Software Engineering and Head of DEI at Tile. She’s also a public speaker and she coaches technology leaders on creating inclusive and diverse working spaces. Jossie talks about the importance of networking in growing your career in tech. She also discusses the value of resilience, and why we must practice self-care   KEY TAKEAWAYS:   TOP CAREER TIP Networking is invaluable to your career. So many people in tech are introverted, but they must try to do better to get to know others, as the positive impacts are very important.   WORST CAREER MOMENT At Apple, Jossie found that being too nice was not always effective when it came to developing her leadership qualities.   CAREER HIGHLIGHT Working for Tile has provided many highlights as it has allowed Jossie to make the biggest impact. During her tenure, she has successfully grown a team and implemented a more inclusive culture.   THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Tech has solved many convenience problems, and is now maturing into a sector that will provide life-changing issues for the world, including racial and gender diversity.   THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Jossie was given a Commodore 64 for Christmas What’s the best career advice you received? – It’s important to learn from your mistakes and not dwell on them. What’s the worst career advice you received? – That the first step in your career will define it forever. What would you do if you started your career now? – Jossie would not have gone to grad school. What are your current career objectives? – To positively impact women in tech through empowerment, education and retention. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Empathy. How do you keep your own career energized? – Finding the right work life balance What do you do away from technology? – Spending time with her puppies, walking and hiking, visiting the beach, playing video games and travelling.   FINAL CAREER TIP Thriving in technology is about building resilience, building your network, and practicing self-care.   BEST MOMENTS (8:36) – Jossie – “I want to help empower leaders to build those inclusive and diverse teams” (9:28) – Jossie - “Networking, networking, networking! It’s invaluable to your career!” (10:29) – Jossie – “We need to have resilience in order to thrive” (12:57) – Jossie – “Niceness is something that a lot of people suffer from and it really can impact your career”   ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions.  Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers.  And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.   CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/_PhilBurgess LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Instagram: https://instagram.com/_philburgess Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast’s website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer   ABOUT THE GUEST – JOSSIE HAINES Jossie Haines is a software engineering leader at the forefront of emerging customer technology across Silicon Valley. She has held management roles at Apple, Zynga and American Express and she is currently VP of Software Engineering and Head of DEI at Tile. She’s also a public speaker and she coaches technology leaders on creating inclusive and diverse working spaces.   CONTACT THE GUEST – JOSSIE HAINES LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jossiemann/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/maidmarianjd