Modern careers differ wildly from the past. In the past, moving up in a career was like a ladder. In the corporate world, moves and promotions were dictated by management and came at regularly scheduled intervals. This was matched by financial rewards, job security and often increased professional challenge and responsibilities. Career moves tended to be vertical and individuals were more limited in their range of business and global experiences.
That system is no longer valid in today’s world.
Career journeys today are anything but linear. They can cross industries, functions, and geographies, and you are more in charge to pursue the career you want than ever before. This career empowerment puts you in the lead for planning your own career – for deciding where you want to go, what experiences you need to get there and where you will find those experiences. Each of our journeys is unique, and our career priorities will ebb and flow over time, so good career planning takes careful thought.
We believe navigating a career should be simple, straightforward, and transparent.
To support you, we will connect you with information, resources and experts who can inspire you and teach you something new to help you navigate your unique path to success. Whether you’re thinking about changing, advancing or reinventing your career, we want to help you live your full potential.
Our Framework
There are three main anchors of Modern Career management: Know, Grow, Flow.
In Know, you are getting ready for your purpose; your life’s work. It’s all about increasing your self-awareness so you can bring your authentic, true, genuine self to your work and career.
Knowing yourself enables you to get the most out of your career. What are your unique traits and skills? What do you value? What motivates and drives you? What are your goals for your life’s journey? What work environments lift you up and which ones zap every ounce of life out of you? How can you build resilience for the journey ahead? What’s your untapped potential?
In Grow, you are exploring the possibilities that match the unique you and are continually updating your experience and skills to stay relevant in an ever-changing post digital world.
You’ve got to know what’s possible to get the most out of your career. How is the world of work changing and which skills and experiences will you need to stay most relevant? Who are the people you need in your network and how to build and leverage it? How do you find your next opportunity internally or externally? How can you best position yourself for a promotion or raise? How can you thrive in a gig economy or pivot to your ‘next act’?
In Flow, you are actively moving towards more career impact and fulfillment. Proactively planning your career and keeping it agile allows you to get the most out of your career.
Planning to go from where you are now to where you want to go will allow you to make it happen. How can you find and work with great recruiters or search firm partners? How do you shape your resume/CV to show your best potential? How do you interview like an expert and refresh your digital footprint? What are the inside secrets to the hiring process and how to best bounce back if the job search gets you down? And because it’s very possible, how do you balance more than one offer?
Our Team
Mary Humiston is the founder of Modern Career and host of the Modern Career podcast. She is a Strategic Business Advisor to Accenture and was the Executive Director for their Chief Human Resources Officer Forum.
Prior, Mary was the Chief Human Resources Officer, for Rolls-Royce plc. headquartered in London. Rolls-Royce plc is the world’s second largest maker of aircraft engines and power systems. Mary oversaw a workforce of 55,000 across 30 countries and partnered to lead the Company’s transformation.
Before joining Rolls-Royce, Mary was Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Communications and Public Affairs at Applied Materials headquartered in Silicon Valley. She had additional regional responsibilities for Europe & Asia, overseeing all regional Country Presidents and their teams.
Prior to joining Applied Materials, Mary was Vice President of Human Resources at Honeywell International Inc., a diversified global technology and manufacturing company for six years with responsibility for various corporate and international organisations; living in Belgium during that time.
Mary started her career at General Electric on the esteemed Human Resources Leadership Program and was selected to join GE’s Corporate Audit staff, spending seven years at GE in HR and Finance leadership.
Mary earned a Master of Business Administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the oldest technological research university in the US and studied at Siena College and Oxford University during her undergraduate years. She was awarded the Epsilon Delta Sigma award from Rensselaer for outstanding academic achievement and is a Distinguished Alumnus of Siena College. In 2016, she built a leadership academy with Oxford University for Rolls Royce.
Hayley Humiston, Operations
Hayley Humiston is the Operations Manager at Modern Career. Prior to this role, she was the Programs and Communications Manager for the Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN,) where she planned programs that train college women for careers in public policy. Prior to PLEN, she worked in a District Attorney’s office, on Capitol Hill, and at NGOs in Washington, D.C. and Dakar, Senegal, where she worked on projects related to women’s leadership and sustainable development. Hayley is originally from Lake George, New York and graduated from St. Lawrence University with a B.A. in Government and African Studies and a minor in French. She is currently pursuing a MSEd at The College of Saint Rose.
Jack Ryan, Analytics
Jack provides operational and analytical support to Modern Career and is a key member of the team. He brings great insight to the changing nature of launching a career from university and the needs of early career professionals. He attends the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at the College of William and Mary majoring in Business Analytics and Management and Organizational Leadership. He is also a three-year member of the Division 1 William and Mary baseball team.
Taylor Buckingham, Partnerships
Taylor Buckingham graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Management from Siena College in 2019. She has been a consultant, brand representative, and a surveyor for the Siena College Research Institute. At Modern Career, she leads marketing and partnerships, including alliances with universities and other organizations. Taylor also enjoys hiking, kayaking, and reading and is an avid volunteer for Relay for Life and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Carla Ryan, Management
Carla Ryan leads Strategic Initiatives and Offerings for Modern Career. She has been in the consulting business for over 25 years partnering with global organizations on defining, implementing and sustaining large scale, transformational change with companies like Applied Materials, Fitbit, Honeywell, Kraft, Nabisco/Mondelez, Merck, Rolls Royce, Viacom, and Yale School of Management. She is passionate about helping others to discover their true aspirations and the ideal career choices that will best bring them to life.