Meet Cindy Makita-Dodd: Career Strategist & Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cindy Makita-Dodd and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cindy, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
One of my all time favorite quotes is by Kahlil Gibran and it says “Work is love made visible.” I believe we were put on Earth on purpose to work, and more importantly to love our work. I remember growing up, my dad (who is a doctor) used to tell us how much he loved his job. I always grew up with the notion that loving your work was possible and very normal. I read a statistic that said that over half of the U.S. workforce was unhappy at work. This rang true when I would speak to friends and see talk on social media of how people hated their jobs, dreaded going into work, or struggled to land the jobs they actually wanted. I knew that I could help change that. I do not believe that we have to live our lives being in roles we do not enjoy or that we don’t want to be in. I knew with a strategy and a plan, job seekers could gain the guidance they needed to land jobs they truly loved. I always had a deep desire for helping people and making an impact and it was as clear as day that career coaching was the way that I could put these two into practice daily, while loving the work I did.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
“Cindy Makita-Dodd is a top-rated Career Strategist & Coach and the founder of Hired Institute. In 2020, Cindy was selected by LinkedIn as a ‘LinkedIn Career Expert’ and through her company Hired Institute helps people land their dream jobs. Cindy believes that everyone has the potential to pursue their ideal careers but most don’t know the steps to get there. She helps people navigate the complexities of the job market and overcome the hurdles holding them back from achieving career success to ultimately land jobs they love. She’s been featured in WGN-TV and Business Talk Radio sharing her strategies with job seekers all across America.”

I was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa with a Congolese heritage and I moved to the U.S. to pursue a degree in International Business. From a young age I was always passionate about people and impact and that led me to get involved with local and international non-profits. My career started in asset and wealth management and when I identified a need in the market for career coaching, I jumped at the opportunity to put my passion for people into practice through helping people land their dream jobs. I initially started offering career services and selling an online course as a side-hustle to help people navigate the job market and in October 2019 I left my job and decided to go full-time into entrepreneurship. My heart was so invested in the work I was doing. Hired Institute officially launched in January 2020 and the last thing I expected was for a global pandemic to hit… Millions of Americans were left unemployed and were struggling navigating the newly complex job market, and I was ideally positioned to help them. Throughout 2020 I have helped hundreds of people navigate the job market, update their resumes and LinkedIn profiles, while learning key strategies to stand out from the masses of job seekers and ultimately go on to land their dream jobs. Through the process of building my first business I have come to love entrepreneurship and the opportunities I have to build, empower others, and truly make a difference. I currently live in Miami, Florida with my husband who is also an entrepreneur and together we also run a digital marketing agency. I am blessed to be able to do life and business with my best friend.

CHALLENGES: I think the two biggest challenges when starting a business are knowing where to put your focus when there are so many moving parts, and finding the right talent. At the beginning it can be difficult to know what is the main or most important thing you need to do in order to move your business forward. We might get caught up in the day to day whirlwind of “to-do’s” without doing the tasks that will actually move our businesses forward. It can be a challenge remaining productive and focusing on the tasks that are really going to move the needle for your business. Secondly, finding the right talent. Most entrepreneurs start off alone, but for most, as the business grows, there comes a time when you need to hire talent to assist you with getting to your business goals. Finding people that are in alignment with the vision you have for the company, the company’s values, and the overall culture while possessing the right skills needed for the role can be a HUGE challenge. When hiring is done right, that can be revolutionary for your business. Done wrong and it can go in the complete opposite direction.

MY PASSION/INSPIRATION I believe that at the intersection between your strengths/skills and your passions/interests lies your ideal career. I started my career in asset and wealth management, where I utilized my strengths daily, but I was not passionate about my work which left me unfulfilled. I have a motto that “people are my passion, and impact is my purpose” and I realized that at the intersection between my strengths and passions lies my ideal career which was career coaching. I identified that millions of people were in careers that did not lie in that intersection, and that led them to dread waking up for work on a Monday, and to ultimately be unfulfilled. I wanted to change that. I believe that we were all put on Earth for a purpose by God and that our unique combination of skills and passions should be used in our daily lives. We spend so much of our lives at work and I believe everyone can and should be in a career they love. One that they get excited about waking up for on a Monday morning. Most people want that out of life but don’t know how to get there. That’s where I come in. I made the transition from corporate to career coaching and now I get to help land their dream jobs everyday.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Tim Dodd – my husband, business partner, and best friend! Could have not had this success and overcome so many hurdles without him <3

Website: www.hiredinstitute.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cindymakita
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/cindymakita
Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/CindyMakita

Image Credits
Rue 3 photography