Aah. November. Crisp and refreshing. I love autumn for just that reason. Even the San Francisco Bay Area has its pops of color and brisk air. November is also a great time to refresh from the inside—and maybe think about refreshing your career. This could be anything from learning a new skill so you can grow in place, to redirecting your path altogether.
If you’re considering a transition to a new role, read on.
Continue reading “Career Transition in 6 Steps”
Let’s talk about career gaps without stirring up the usual associated anxiety. Your career opportunities don’t dry up just because you took time off from work. In fact, some important personal or professional growth may have taken root during those periods. If you plan to travel, study, volunteer, or take care of family, you may find you return to the office reinvigorated and with a newfound appreciation for work in the traditional sense.
The good news: according to a recent LinkedIn poll, the perception of employment gaps may be shifting.
Continue reading “A Gap in Your Career Doesn’t Have to Mean a Gap in Progress”
Ok, so not everyone thinks networking is icky. Some people love the social element and the idea of (sometimes) free food.
But a lot of us would prefer not to have to mingle over coffee with people we don’t know. And now that it looks like we’re turning the corner with the pandemic, we’ll be have to mingle more as we move toward in-person events.
Here are a few ideas that might help you ease into the new back-to-normal:
If you’re feeling anxious about jumping into an event without knowing a soul, look for those where you already have a connection, or find a friend or colleague to go with you. One caveat: do not spend the event with that person. Sure, you can pop in and out of their conversations, but remember, they aren’t the reason you’re there.
Continue reading “Take the Ick Out of Networking”
If you’re having trouble getting motivated to start your job search, you may need a mindset adjustment. Or, you may need to simplify your approach. Or maybe you need a combination of both. In my own case, when I’m feeling overwhelmed by a project I know is important, it helps if I give it structure and break it down into more manageable buckets.
Try organizing your job search that way. If you can structure your job search plan around what I call the three Rs—research, relationships, and readiness—I think you’ll find it easier to tackle the project.
Continue reading “Kickstart Your Job Search”
In 2020, I finally admitted to myself that my days of running were over, and with my gym closing and my devoted canine companion Clover staring up at me with her beseeching brown eyes, I committed to walking every day. Mind you, although this was something I enjoyed doing periodically with friends, walking was never an activity I relished doing solo.
So, how was I going to get myself out on the trail? I’m a big fan of pairing fun activities with what seem to be mundane (albeit necessary) ones to make the latter a little easier. I’m one of those who like a little sugar to help the medicine go down.
The first step was to distract myself by listening to the Godmother of podcasters, Terry Gross. And lo and behold, I soon found that I could actually forget the task at hand. Since then, I’ve built a library that includes all kinds of topics, from the writing craft to meditation to comedy. I got so into podcasts over the past year that I even launched my own.
Continue reading “My Gift to You: A Career Podcast Playlist”
Last week I had the opportunity to participate in a global career summit where my colleagues and I discussed what’s in the pipeline for our clients in terms of remote work and AI, and how we can help them navigate this very different kind of work world we live in.
I feel energized because after that week-long series I’m confident that I’m better equipped to help my clients bridge their current situation with their next career milestones.
But there was another benefit to attending the conference. After that week, I have to say I came away as grateful as I’ve ever been for being a part of this wonderful career-focused community, who, by their very nature, want to help others and are so generous with their ideas. I also came away beaming because, as I always do, I met some really cool people who challenged my ideas and helped me grow as a person and as a professional.
Community is so important, especially now. And I want to remind you that even though physical bonding may not be an option, there actually seem to be more opportunities to cultivate our existing community or build a new one. So many organizations are going virtual, and you’re likely to have access to more groups (and individuals!) than you had in the past because of that.
By the way, I don’t like the term “social distancing.” Can we just say “physical distancing”? I think it’s a much more accurate term, and certainly makes me feel less…well…anti-social, in spite of the circumstances.
Anyway, besides strengthening relationships with your all-important family and friends, the following are three ways you can build community:
Continue reading “Thank You to My Community!”
There’s a reason Nike has one of the most iconic and sustainable taglines. Their succinct “Just Do It” is something most of us can relate to as we’re tempted to put off even that which might help us grow. The reason? It could be that we’re fearful that the results won’t be perfect.
So last week, when I launched my podcast with a conversation on perfectionism with my colleague Pooja Dang, I hoped the topic would resonate with listeners.
One of Pooja’s mantras is to “Break up with perfect,” so I knew she’d have some opinions on the subject. And like me, she has personal experience overcoming the pursuit of perfection. In fact, the whole process around the podcast was a little scary for both of us, because, well…perfectionism. More on that later.
Continue reading “Don’t Let the Quest for Perfection Hold You Back”
| As the youngest of eight, I’ve been blessed with lots of nieces and nephews, many of whom now have small children of their own. Normally, I can count on connecting with most of these families at least once a year, since we’ve been going through a bit of a growth spurt with weddings and new babies. As we hunkered down in March and came to grips with the possibility of not seeing our family “live” in 2020, I was also feeling special compassion for parents of younger children who were suddenly thrust into the roles of second-grade teacher and camp counselor while maintaining their “day” jobs and navigating new technology, to boot. I knew that if my own boys were still in elementary school, I’d surely be pulling my hair out. So, with the idea of connecting with the little ones while (maybe) lightening the load of their parents, I reached out to see if they’d be interested in virtual story time. |
I’ve been thinking a lot about how we’ll have evolved when this is all over.
Will more people decide that they’re actually just as productive if they work from home? Now that they’ve staked out their own workspace and have invested in new equipment, will they discover that it’s not so bad, after all?
Continue reading “What Will Our Story Be?”
If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be to loosen up and not be afraid to be myself — in interviews, in social situations, and in business meetings.
I encourage this with the job seekers and entrepreneurs I help, as well. I’m amazed by some of the stories that shake out during our conversations. I’ve worked with hundreds of clients, and one thing’s consistent: there’s always something sparkly and genuine and unique that bubbles up from their background. Yes…always. From there, it’s just a matter of them confidently flying that flag. Continue reading “Let’s Get Real!”