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#Leadership : #WorkPlace -We Need to Change the Conversation Around Motherhood and Work.

May 29, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Motherhood, by definition, is all-encompassing. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only thing that defines you. I’m an entrepreneur, and I’m always pushing boundaries. I’m also a mother.

While I love my sons fiercely, motherhood is not my only defining trait. Like many mothers, I am so much more. We’re badass career women, dreamers, creators, partners, homemakers, business builders, mentors, and leaders. The role of “mother” is one I’ll never outgrow, but I’ll always remember that there was a point when all of us were something else. It’s something that society often forgets when we become a mom.

THE CHALLENGES OF BEING A MOTHER TODAY

Some things will never change about motherhood. But many things make 2019 a different time to be a parent than previous generations. For starters, we have more tools and information at our disposal. In the U.S., we have more laws in place to protect our time while pregnant, take leave from work, and breastfeed than in previous generations. But we still lag behind the rest of the developed world, and those rights don’t speak to the core of the challenges inherent for mothers, especially those that choose to work.

The isolation and identity shift that come each time a mother has a baby has a profound impact on her life. As an entrepreneur in the parent-tech space, I am fortunate to hear from moms and dads alike about their experiences navigating newborn and infant feeding. I’ve listened to moms whisper about why their job wouldn’t accommodate pumping milk, which forced them to stop breastfeeding before they were ready. I’ve spoken to moms who are on mute during work conference calls so that their coworkers wouldn’t hear the whir of the pump on the background. I’ve also heard dads talk about cleaning pumping parts or hearing the noise emanating from offices at work.

For others–the “lucky” ones who’ve cobbled together an arrangement that works– it’s an ongoing series of hacks. The challenges are universal and affect women at all income levels, though there is undoubtedly a considerable disparity between women in blue collar and white collar jobs. Even stay-at-home moms often choose to isolate themselves during pumping time, and we shouldn’t minimize or ignore the effort and strain involved in this forced isolation.

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WE’VE MADE PROGRESS, BUT WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO

Despite the progress in paid parental leave law and offices adding lactation rooms, moms who breastfeed still face a stark gender pay gap. Moms give up breastfeeding because they can’t find time to pump on the job. Some moms speak up about breastfeeding rights and face retaliation, or even lose their jobs.

We need to make the motherhood experience better for moms. For too long, we’ve overlooked the fact that moms are people too–with unique needs–and a fully formed person from well before they had children. Here are three ways we can do that.

1. WE NEED TO SHIFT THE CONVERSATION

What’s working for moms and what isn’t? What support do moms need to make the choices they want? If moms want to breastfeed and keep working, what is holding them back? Do the right tools even exist yet? Are we doing all we can to ensure advances in technology are reaching every woman?

The challenges around breast pumps weren’t even really part of the conversation before 2014. We’ve made plenty of progress since then, but there is still a massive opportunity to do better. Statistics help and uplifting stories do wonders for the soul, but we need to continue to raise our voices on these topics. More importantly, we can’t leave this work and conversation to mothers alone. There are real-world impacts here, in terms of societal benefits, economic improvements, and something that has the potential to impact an entire generation. There is plenty of evidence that shows how offering paid parental leave helps companies retain and attract the best people. Creating a culture that is inclusive to all employees–including working mothers–makes companies more innovative.

2. WE NEED TO FOCUS ON MEETING THE NEEDS OF MOMS

I know I’m biased because I run a company that is building new parent-tech products, but we need to stop making outdated assumptions about mothers. Companies also need to ask moms what they actually want before designing products for them.

Let’s take the breast pump as an example of a piece of technology that isn’t getting the job done. No one wants to hear the whir of the pump through cubicle walls or over the phone, and not everyone wants to strip down in their workplace. A quiet pump, controllable by an app, with a small enough breast shield to fit in a nursing bra, goes a long way toward easing that experience.

3. WE NEED TO STOP SEEING PARENTING AS A MOTHER’S ISSUE

Parenting should concern dads, partners, grandparents, workplaces, healthcare experts, and legislators. There are many issues surrounding parenting that transcend party lines: returning to work, childcare, feeding, and work-life balance. We can’t isolate mothers as the ones to be the primary beneficiaries and victims here. Too often, we minimize the experience of dads and partners. Creating better products for mothers helps the entire family–as does closing the pay gap between working mothers and working fathers. If we want more parents to feel supported in their choices during the early childhood years, then we have to deepen the pool of people who feel invited to sit at the decision-making table.

We’re living in an age of unprecedented flow of information and adaptation of technology. More people feel empowered to come up with creative solutions to the obstacles of parenting. But we can’t do it alone. To make significant progress, we have to work together and change the conversation. That means seeing mothers as more than just mothers, and acknowledging that their identity outside of being a parent is just as important.

Author: Samantha Rudolph is the cofounder and CEO of Babyation.

FastCompany.com | May 29, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #JobAcceptance -Should I Accept a #NewJob Late in my Pregnancy? “You Don’t Really Want me Right Now. I’m Super Pregnant.” Your Thoughts??

May 29, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

“You Don’t Really Want me Right Now. I’m Super Pregnant.”

Those were my thoughts when I received a phone call late one December day when the person on the other end was asking me to consider accepting a position at a different company.

At the time, I was expecting my first child. I had a great job in Connecticut, working as Cigna’s vice president of product strategy. I had a phenomenal boss who provided me many opportunities, as well as a highly flexible work arrangement when I returned from maternity leave. I wasn’t looking to change jobs. We had also just built our first home, and I didn’t think life could get any better.

I originally thought this phone call was to be about sharing best practices in talent strategy. To my surprise, the woman actually wanted to talk to me about my background and whether or not I would consider coming to work for Bank of America. I distinctly remember laughing and then saying aloud what I’d been thinking: “You don’t want me. I’m nine months pregnant! And even if I wanted to, I can’t fly to North Carolina to interview.”

I was playing into the fears and assumptions that many expectant working moms have. Will my pregnancy and baby limit my career? What if I want to stay home? How will I be able to work the crazy hours I do with a new baby? Why would I move? Where will my network as a new mom be? How can I possibly add one more stress to our plate?

I thought that was the end of the conversation.

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Instead, the recruiter said, “We have an office in New York. Take the train down, meet the team, no pressure.”

She ended up talking me into going to the interview, where I met many amazing individuals–none of whom mentioned my pregnancy. We only discussed my skills and experience.

I headed back to Connecticut that night, and the very next day, my son, Cooper, arrived two-and-a-half weeks early. I called the recruiter to let her know that the time was not ideal for me to change jobs. She said not to worry and to let her know when I was ready. They sent me a beautiful gift.

Eight weeks later, still on maternity leave and still intrigued by the company, I told the woman I would come down to meet the rest of the team. Not only did they bring me to North Carolina, but they also let me bring my husband and newborn son.

Once more, the questions during their interviews centered on my expertise, not my status as a brand-new mother. Because I have a solid mix of business- and talent-related experience, they gave me the opportunity to select from five different roles. They also provided a highly supportive relocation team to help us navigate this major change and made me feel welcome.

Most importantly, they never once put constraints on my capabilities, neither as a business leader nor as a new mom. Frankly, they made me feel like I was invincible and provided me a boost of confidence that I had lost during my maternity leave. They also, unknowingly, provided me with the strength to believe that I–and other women–could have it all. Two-and-a-half years later, while still working at Bank of America, I had my daughter, Aspen. Once more, I felt supported, and when I returned from maternity leave, I was offered a promotion and a brand-new challenge.

The knowledge I gained during those years has been instrumental as a guiding force in my career. When I accepted a position last year as chief human resources officer at WEX, I doubled down on my mission to open doors and bust many of the tired old myths that women and managers still believe about themselves and their employees, both consciously and unconsciously. At WEX, I’m proud to be part of a leadership team that is nearly 50% women, including our CEO, all of whom have amazing families and demanding careers.

As a change advocate and catalyst for career moms everywhere, I often tell working parents these things:

Yes, it is okay to take that conference call in the school drop-off line.

Yes, it is okay to sit at karate practice or horseback riding competitions or lacrosse games while sending a text or email or hopping on a conference call.

In order to do it all, you have to first give yourself permission to live by your rules. You also need to decide what “all” means for you. I wanted a challenging career while also spending quality time with my husband and kids. As a result, my definition of “all” doesn’t leave me much time to form new, deep friendships, which is, at times, a challenge.

Clearly, the expectation of any company is to consistently deliver strong performance. At each company I’ve worked for, I’ve been clear on my expectations and have ensured that my “say/do” ratio is 100%, which means I do what I say I am going to do and more. In return, these companies have provided an environment in which I felt like I could work, live, and thrive.

If you truly love what you do for a living, you can make it work. Working parents who are unsure of what they want and feel resentment toward their work or family because they perceive they are missing out or haven’t made their expectations clear are setting themselves up to fail.

I knew when I had children that I would not have them at home forever, and my husband and I vowed to always put them first. Our grounding in our family has made my choices easier. Make no mistake: If you want to bifurcate work and family, it is nearly impossible in the 24/7 world that we live in today. I prefer to call it “work-life integration.” You work hard, you play hard, and you have no regrets.

But first, you find a job you can’t live without and a company that can’t live without you–you the whole person, not just you the employee.

Author: Melanie Tinto is the chief human resources officer at WEX.

FastCompany.com | May 29, 2019

#BestofFSCBlog : Over 300K+ Reads! One Stop #JobSearch Read- How to Get a Job. Tons of Articles/Links!

May 29, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

We’d like to deliver you some very good news: a job search doesn’t have to be tough, and neither does landing a new job—if you know exactly how to get a job, that is.

Some job seekers, for example, don’t realize that a handwritten thank you notesent post-interview can clinch the job deal, while others have never heard of applicant tracking systems—technology that reads resumes and chucks those that are missing job description keywords in the trash. But with this insider information, you can defy the odds and land your dream job—all while making it look oh-so-easy.

Here are 13 pieces of advice that will strengthen your job search and help you get a job that fits your life.

GUIDE OVERVIEW

How to Get a Job #1. Pay attention to your social media presence.

Recruiters and hiring managers will be looking at your resume, of course—but they also want to see complementary online content, too, such as your LinkedIn profile and online resume. In fact, one recruiter told Glassdoor she likes to see attachments, project work, videos, or blogs, too.

How to Get a Job #2. Highlight your transferable skills.

You want to show off why you’re right for a particular role. But you also want to make clear why you’re right for any role, we’ve heard recruiters say. So, when it comes to your resume and cover letter, focus on the skills and experience you have that would make you an ideal candidate anywhere. Then, in an interview, be ready to share how you’ll relay those skills in the new role.

How to Get a Job #3. Use your words.

And more specifically, use the right words. Applicant tracking systems scan resumes in search of keywords, and throw out any that don’t contain them before they have the chance to be seen by human eyes. So how can you game the tech? It’s easy. Read the job description for the job you’re applying—then see how those words stack up against similar job postings. Words that repeat across multiple listings belong on your resume—preferably at the top, as well as in context.

How to Get a Job #4. Tell a compelling story in your cover letter.

You don’t want to simply repeat what’s on your resume when you write your cover letter. Rather, you want to dig a little deeper, answering questions a potential employer might ask such as: what makes this company your go-to choice, and why is this company special to you? Answer the questions in as much detail as possible to stand out from the crowd.

How to Get a Job #5. Catch your resume mistakes.

It’s not enough to run a simple spell check on your resume. You’ll need to employ some special editing tactics—such as reading your resume backward and asking a friend to proofread for you—in order to catch every mistake on the page. There’s even editing software specifically for resumes. If you allow an error to sneak in, you are sending the employer an unintended and incorrect message that you are sloppy and don’t care about your work.

How to Get a Job #6. Prepare for an interview before you get it.

You won’t be caught off guard by an interview question if you’ve studied the common questions asked by recruiters and managers alike. Plus, knowing your responses in advance will keep you cool, calm, and collected during the interview—confidence any employer will be pleased to see.

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How to Get a Job #7. Dress for the job you want.

It’s not enough to slip out of sweatpants and put on something fancy. You have to dress for success and be comfortable in what you’re wearing. If you’re uncomfortable, you might lose some confidence in the interview. But if you look and feel good, you job savvy should easily shine through.

How to Get a Job #8. Show off your likable side.

An interview doesn’t have to be all business. In fact, applicants willing to show their personalities are received better by managers than people who remain tight-lipped during the interview. That’s because this manager could become your boss—and he or she wants to make sure you can get along well. Share your personality when answering questions and resist the urge to respond robotically.

How to Get a Job #9. Always send a thank-you note.

A recent study found that 86 percent of hiring managers said not sending a thank-you note shows lack of follow-through. So follow-up—and show off your manners—with a handwritten note on nice paper or even in an email. The point is to do it, and do it promptly; the medium doesn’t matter as much. In the note, thank your potential employer for his or her time, and be sure to share about something you learned during the interview. Why? Sharing the lesson shows you were paying attention to the employer, and you’re serious about the role.

How to Get a Job #10. Avoid getting too personal in interviews.

Turns out, some of the answers you think are appropriate to share—like your favorite childhood memory when asked question, “Tell me about yourself”—are actually a turnoff to recruiters, and in some cases, can cost you the job. So just like you’ll practice what to say in the interview, you should also research what not to say to a potential employer.

How to Get a Job #11. Don’t talk about money during an initial interview.

Bringing up any salary questions during an initial interview—especially a phone interview—is a big no-no, career experts say. Why? It’s simply not the appropriate time, because you haven’t made it far enough into the interview process. So save the money talk for a second or third interview, when it’s clear you’re taking steps toward landing the job.

How to Get a Job #12. Be proactive during the interview.

Rather than allow for the recruiter or hiring manager to ask you all of the questions, be confident and proactive during your time together. You’ve researched the company’s culture and mission on Glassdoor, and you’re looking for a job that fits your life. Therefore it’s important to dig deeper. If you ask questions about management style, professional development, performances measurements and team collaboration, you’ll show a potential employer you’re both an informed candidate and serious about the job.

How to Get a Job #13. Use social media to brand yourself.

Hopefully, you know by now that Facebook statuses that describe wild nights with friends can a turnoff to potential employers. But did you know that you can use social media to build a personal brand, making you more attractive to a hiring manager? One easy way to do just that is to expand from what’s on your resume—you can post pictures or summaries of projects you’ve worked on, include a short bio about your skills, or share articles that show you’re an expert in your industry.

How to Get a Job #14. Seal the deal by negotiating.

The final stage of getting a job is negotiating the package. While compensation often comes to mind first, remember that there are far more facets of the job that you can customize than you think. From benefits to work-from-home options, stock options to a travel stipend, there’s a lot on the table. Make a list of the things that are most important to you and that you’ll need to execute your job well. Be sure to check Know Your Worth to make sure their base salary offer is competitive with the market. Then, speak to your hiring manager and the recruiter about whether those needs can be fulfilled. These days, negotiating is an expected part of the job search process. Ask as many questions as you need and get the answers you need to make the best job decision for you.

Learn More!

Getting a job can feel like winning the lotto. However, with a few tips and tricks, getting job will have much better odds. Here are additional resources to help you on your path to finding a job that fits your life:

How to Write a Resume

How to Write A Cover Letter

The Ultimate Job Interview Preparation Guide

How to Prepare for a Behavioral Interview

50 Most Common Interview Questions

How to Negotiate Your Salary

How to Network

GlassDoor.com | May 29, 2019

#CareerAdvice : How to Cope with a Long #JobSearch. A Must REad!

May 28, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Whether you’re just entering the workforce or are currently between jobs, it can be frustrating and stressful to be looking for a job. And the longer that the job search has dragged on, the worse it feels. The initial hope you had may turn to anger and then resignation. You may find your motivation flagging.

Here are a few things you can do to deal with a long job search, adapted from my new book Bring Your Brain to Work.

DIAGNOSE PROBLEMS

There is a lot of randomness in the job search process, and so it can be hard to know why you haven’t landed a job yet. Sometimes a firm already has a person in mind for a particular job. Sometimes there were just a lot of qualified applicants for a position. But, sometimes there are things you’re doing that are getting in the way of success.

That means that you need to take a pretty clear look at your entire application package to make sure you’re not doing anything that is causing problems. If you’re having trouble getting interviews at all, then sit down with a good employment coach to get a thorough evaluation of your resume and the cover letters that you’re sending out. Perhaps you’re not expressing your qualifications in the right way. For example, many people making the transition from the military to civilian jobs have difficulty translating what they have learned out of the jargon of the armed forces and into the language that hiring managers use.

If you are getting called in for interviews, but aren’t getting positions after that, then it’s time to work on your interview skills. After each interview, write down all the questions you can remember and jot down notes about how you addressed those questions. Then, practice answering those questions with someone who has experience doing interviews. They might be able to suggest a few things you can do differently in the future.

If you don’t have the resources to hire a coach, there are often groups that meet in your local area for people who have been dealing with long job searches. They typically have a few people who donate their time to help people looking for work.

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CAST A WIDER NET

The randomness in the hiring process has another implication. There is a tendency for people to apply for the jobs that look ideal to them and perhaps a few others that are just on the border of the ideal. The problem is that you often overestimate your chances of getting a job, just as people overestimate their odds of winning the lottery just because they bought a ticket.

Consider applying for a wider range of jobs than you think you should. That will increase the chances that you’ll get an offer.

You might be concerned that you are applying for a job you’ll hate. But research suggests that you can learn to love almost any job–provided that you feel like the position is allowing you to serve a goal that you think matters. Be less concerned about finding your passion than about bringing your energy to the job you get.

Plus, you are not obligated to take a job just because it is offered to you. If you go through the recruiting process and decide that you simply don’t want the job you’re offered, you can decline it. At least you’ll gain some confidence that you can get an offer.

KEEP ACTIVE

Work days often go by in a blur. But days when you are out of work can drag on, because you’re not mentally engaged. A few days playing video games might be fine, but you really need to stay active during the job search. The best thing you can do is to put yourself in situations where you can encounter people who might consider hiring you.

One option is to sign on with a temp agency. In the past, temps were mostly people who did menial jobs for low pay. Now, though, agencies also have jobs for more skilled workers that can fill in at firms while someone is on leave or can bridge the gap until the firm can afford to hire a full-time person. A great way to get yourself in the queue for a position at a company is to be working for them already.

Another option is to volunteer for an organization that needs your skills. It is easy to think about volunteering as being primarily about walking dogs or delivering meals. Those are wonderful opportunities, of course, but nonprofit organizations also often need help in their offices to keep finances in order, maintain websites, do marketing, or do outreach. Working in that context can help you hone your skills and may also bring you in contact with people (particularly board members of the nonprofit) who might be hiring. Even one day a week of this kind of volunteer work can add a lot of value during a long job search.

STAY CONNECTED

Finally, don’t bear the stress of a long job search alone. Many people deal with their stress by looking inward and shunning social interactions.

Find some people in your life that you trust and let them know how you’re feeling. That will help to keep you motivated to continue your search rather than giving up hope. It will also make the hardest days more bearable. There will be days when it is hard to treat yourself with compassion. On those days, you need the energy of friends and loved ones.

Don’t feel like you are being a burden to the people around you. You would help a friend or relative in need just as they are willing to help you. And when the job search is finally over (and it will eventually end), you can always buy them flowers, take them out to lunch, or cook them a nice meal.

FastCompany.com | May 28, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #ResumeWriting -64 Action Verbs That Will Take Your #Resume From Blah to Brilliant. Bonus: Worksheet Included!

May 28, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

You’ve probably heard the advice that action verbs should be sprinkled throughout your resume. By starting each bullet point about your past experience with a powerful action verb, you draw hiring managers in and give them a concrete picture of your expertise. Certain action verbs are also likely to help your resume get past automated scanning tools.

But it’s not as simple as just throwing a bunch of verbs on a piece of paper and hoping something sticks. Here’s how to use action verbs on your resume intelligently to help you land the job of your dreams.

Choose Them Carefully

“It is important to be strategic on the action verbs used to describe your skills and experience,” notes Jessie Czerwonka Roller, Manager of Career Services at Turning the Corner. “Being in the career services field for over a decade, I have seen an abundance of resumes: the good, the bad and the ugly.” The ones that stand out, she says, are resumes that are tailored toward both the job and the industry, using verbs that feel relevant and targeted.

Shefali Raina, an NYC-based executive coach, agrees. “For maximum impact, use action verbs selectively and convey simple, direct messages. Nothing dilutes the impact of action verbs than being surrounded by many other action verbs!” In other words, you definitely want action verbs throughout your resume, but don’t go overboard.

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Show Who You Are

It’s a good idea to include action verbs that showcase your personality. “Empowered speaks to your ability to give energy, authority, confidence and power to a group or a team to achieve a certain result,” Raina says. “It suggests that you possess the confidence and the influence to be able to authorize and energize a team or group to have a powerful impact.”

“Organized is a wonderful verb that denotes an individual who can prioritize not only the items on their desk, but their tasks too,” says Gabrielle Pitre, Recruiting Team Lead at Coalition Technologies. “This lets employers see that you understand what is valuable to your job. But, perhaps, an even better verb is orchestrated, as it’s rarer and more likely to attract attention.”

“Initiated is a powerful one because it demonstrates that you are proactive and that you spent the time and energy to begin a project or originate an idea,” Raina notes. “To employers and recruiters, it speaks to a positive, ‘can-do’ mindset and says that you will be a solution starter.”

Be Specific

One of the most important rules for using action verbs effectively is to choose them based on the jobs you’re applying to. “If you are a job seeker who wants to gain a leadership position, you want to describe both your skills and experiences using strong leadership action verbs such as advocated, bolstered, drove, engaged, elicited and spearheaded,” Roller explains.

To highlight management experience, you’ll want to use verbs like establishedand delegated, Pitre says. “These words can say much more than more common verbs, such as led or oversaw. You want to show how proactive you are and these verbs express that well.”

Try brainstorming industry-specific action verbs, as well. For example, “if you are a job seeker targeting the IT industry, use action verbs such as administered, centralized, configured, engineered, installed and programmed,” Roller recommends. These show that you know the space inside and out and you won’t need to be brought up to speed.

If you’re looking at creative jobs, you might want to consider the verb designed. “This word tells me that the candidate has built something new that did not exist before,” says Amanda B. Gulino, founder of A Better Monday.

Be Open to Trial and Error

“A job seeker’s goal is to entice the recruiter or search committee member to read more and get excited about their background to elicit an interview invite,” Roller points out. “You know your resume isn’t working if you aren’t getting interviews.” If your current resume isn’t working for you, be flexible in switching it up until you find the right eye-catching combination of words and phrases.

And remember, it’s not just about the verbs. “We love to see candidates stray from ordinary statements,” Pitre says. “It’s not always just about a specific adjective or verb, but everything around it. The best candidates often understand how important it is to share their specific stories, give examples and show how and why they are good at something, rather than just stating that it’s a skill.”

More Verb Ideas

Need a little more inspiration? Here are some of our favorite action verbs to get your resume-updating wheels spinning.

Entry level and above:

Audited, Built, Collaborated, Created, Delivered, Earned, Exceeded, Generated, Identified, Improved, Minimized, Negotiated, Obtained, Outperformed, Planned, Presented, Produced, Redesigned, Reduced, Researched, Solved, Trained, Tested

Manager level and above:

Championed, Coached, Consolidated, Decreased, Enabled, Facilitated, Grew, Hired, Implemented, Instituted, Integrated, Launched, Managed, Mentored, Partnered

Executive level:

Advised, Aligned, Cultivated, Developed, Evaluated, Founded, Guided, Motivated, Transformed

GlassDoor.com | May 23, 2019 | Posted by Julia Malacoff

#CareerAdvice : #YourCareer -This Method can Help you Figure Out IF you Have the Right Job. Great Three(3) Min Read!!

May 23, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Chances are, your daily life is pretty busy. You answer a lot of emails, have discussions with colleagues, clients, and customers. You work your way through your to-do list each day, hoping to keep up with the many things that need to be done. As a result, one day bleeds into the next. You complete a lot of tasks. You might even see those tasks add up to important contributions to your workplace.

But will they make you happy?

That depends in part on how those contributions relate to your own personal values. Your long-term satisfaction with your work is certainly influenced by whether you feel like you have accomplished your work goals. But it is affected quite a bit by whether those work goals align with what is important to you.

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As I discuss in my new book Bring Your Brain to Work, the social psychologist Shalom Schwartz has demonstrated that there is a universal set of values that can be observed across cultures. The particular value a person holds depends in part on what the culture promotes, but it is also affected by a person’s experiences and beliefs.

THE BASIC VALUES

First, consider which of these values are most important to you:

Power, which reflects how much people want to have control over people, resources, and social status.
Achievement, which reflects the importance of personal success.
Hedonism, which relates to the importance of pleasure and enjoyment.
Stimulation, which refers to excitement, and the pursuit of novel experiences and challenges.
Self-direction, which relates to independence in thought and action and the importance of creativity.
Universalism, which refers to tolerance and acceptance of all people.
Benevolence, which reflects the importance of helping others and protecting their welfare.
Conformity, which relates to obeying social norms and restraining impulses.
Tradition, which values respect for cultural customs, norms, and ideas.
Security, which reflects the importance of safety and stability.

HOW THEY AFFECT YOUR WORK

Generally, there are a small number of these values that you hold at any moment. And, of course, some of these values are contradictory. For example, if you value hedonism, then you probably don’t value conformity (and vice versa).

Every so often, it is a good idea to take stock of your current values. You may find that they have changed over time. You might value achievement early in your career, but be more focused on self-direction at mid-career and on security later in life. Taking note of changes in your values can help you to reassess your career path to place it more in-line with what is important to you.

For example, I knew someone who focused on achievement early in his career and put in long hours in jobs that led to recognition by his peers. Later in life, however, this individual shifted his emphasis to benevolence, which led him to quit a high-powered job and go to work for a nonprofit that helps others.

The trick is to seek a career path that is consistent with your values, even if you may not be able to make significant progress in living out those values at the start of that career path. For example, if you value self-direction, you might start on a path that will eventually give you a lot of autonomy, even if you have to carry out the orders of someone else at the front end of your career. In this case, you’re delaying your gratification for a while.

Finally, if you find yourself feeling dissatisfied with your career path, it might be a good time to take a look at the alignment between what you are able to accomplish with your work and your underlying values. That nagging frustration with your daily grind might just reflect that your job is a poor match to the goals that are fundamentally important to you.

FastCompany.com | May 23, 2019

#Leadership : #ProductivePeople -These are the 4 Ways that I Cope with #Anxiety in the #Workplace .

May 23, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

I had my first panic attack in math class when I was 15. It was an otherwise ordinary day.

Panic is a difficult thing to articulate to someone who has never experienced it. I can’t explain why I began hyperventilating in class that afternoon, or why just yesterday, I broke into a sweat during a regular company meeting. I knew that these situations didn’t pose any danger to me, yet my fight or flight instinct kicked in and took over.

After I experienced my first brush with severe anxiety, I shut myself away from all the pressures in my life. I dropped my rigorous course load at school, and I remained on the sidelines during soccer games. But eventually, I had to learn to cope. A brilliant and compassionate therapist taught me how to talk myself off a ledge. I also took up distance running to keep my nerves in check–a pastime that continues to be a lifeline for me today.

I wasn’t able to keep my anxiety entirely at bay, but for a long time, I felt in control. That all changed when I entered the workforce. After all, the modern workplace demands composure and reliability from employees. It’s also filled with twists and turns–whether it be layoffs, company restructuring, or a change in strategy. It’s a recipe for anxietyfor anyone susceptible to it.

I haven’t found a simple fix to anxiety, but I have found a few techniques that have mitigated it. Here are the four practices that have helped me cope with anxiety in the workplace.

1. I SPEAK UP

In every place I’ve worked, I’ve found a confidante. I let this person know about my anxiety, and update them if anything is happening in my personal life that may cause increased stress. Over time, I’ve also gotten more comfortable delivering feedback to my managers about conditions or interactions around the office that make me uncomfortable. Just having someone around who knows what I’m going through is helpful, but an honest dialogue also gives me a feeling of control.

This is extremely powerful. Anxiety is grounded in the feeling of loss of control, so it’s been valuable to have an antidote to that.

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2. I GO FOR A WALK

When my body tells me to escape, I comply. Fortunately, I live in New York City, so it’s easy to take a little walk and mask it as a coffee break. If I didn’t live in a walkable area, I imagine a short drive would have the same effect. These few minutes away from the office gives me some time to collect my thoughts and identify what may be at the root of my anxiety. I am then able to acknowledge and move past whatever triggered my anxiety.

3. I WORK FROM HOME WHEN I NEED TO

If I wake up with a sense of dread and I don’t need to be in the office, I stay home. I can do a lot at home that I can’t at work (like pet my cats or sing along to my favorite Taylor Swift songs, the two best medicines for me). In previous roles, when working from home wasn’t an option, I occasionally took a sick day to recuperate, just as I would with any other illness. In both scenarios, having a confidante makes me more comfortable staying at home. I know there is someone I trust at work who knows that I’m not merely slacking off.

4. I PROTECT MY PERSONAL TIME

Long hours pose a threat to the things that keep me mentally healthy, like therapy, sleep, and exercise. It isn’t easy, but I set boundaries wherever I can to ensure work doesn’t become my whole life. That doesn’t mean I leave the office by 6 p.m. every evening–I don’t. What it does mean, however, is being aware of work creeping into my personal time. When that starts to happen, I resist the urge to say yes to everything, and I am upfront about asking for help.

I’m not saying that any of these practices are easy. In our work-first culture, it can be a constant battle with the voice in your head that says, What if you lose your job? What if your boss views you as a complainer? What if you make your colleagues uncomfortable?

The thing is, there will always be a million what-ifs. But we’re not going to end the mental health stigma with staying silent. We need to be vocal, and employers have to be willing to listen.

A healthy, encouraging work culture is essential to anyone who faces anxiety, depression, or any other mental illness. So many businesses are waking up to the business case for mental wellness and inviting their employees and recruits to be open and honest about their needs. If your employer isn’t one of them or doesn’t follow through on promises of an inclusive culture, take your talents elsewhere. It’s not worth your mental health.

Author: Kayleigh Taylor is a senior content strategist at Hot Paper Lantern.

FastCompany.com | May 23, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #InterviewingQuestions – How To Respond To Failure Questions In An #Interview .

May 22, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

A scene from the NBC comedy series, The Office, parodies an interview question and answer perfectly.

America’s favorite clueless manager, Michael Scott, is interviewing for a corporate promotion with his CFO and is asked about his great strengths.

“Why don’t I tell you what my greatest weaknesses are? I work too hard, I care too much and sometimes, I can be too invested in my job.”

Puzzled by the answer, the CFO probes with, “OK. And your strengths?”

“Well, my weaknesses are actually my strengths.” Michael grins as if he just nailed the question while his CFO grimaces as if he just fell for a bad joke.

Doing the opposite of what Michael Scott does on this show is typically excellent career advice. Any interviewer who has listened to a clever answer like this cringed when watching that scene.

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Bad Advice Is Now Common Practice

Stop me if you’ve heard this before. When asked about your failures or weaknesses in an interview, use it as an opportunity to humble brag about a real strength.

This advice is terrible and comes across as painfully transparent to any experienced interviewer. Hoping to show off their work ethic or passion, candidates dodge, duck, dip and dive to avoid answering a question they fear.

In a survey of 570 early-career professionals, WayUp found that questions about weaknesses and failure were the second most feared query in interviews. Young professionals assume this is a trick question meant to weed out the weakest candidates.

This misunderstanding stems from the false view that those who dare to fail are weak. The opposite is more likely the truth. Those who rarely fail spend their careers playing it safe.

What Is The Interviewer Looking For?

Your interviewer got to their position by taking a risk. They took chances to move up in their organization and often failed along the way. They understand that real growth occurs when someone experiences a setback and changes behavior as a result.

Interviewers are looking for several hints in your answer:

1. Are you confident enough to share defeats? Top performers see failure as a necessary step along the path to greater success. Achievers can drown out their misfires with many more successes and are not intimidated to talk openly about foundering.

2. Are you humble enough to honestly assess your setbacks? Ego can be a limiting factor in one’s career, as you can’t grow if you can’t admit to your role in defeat. A study in the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making found that people spent 25% more time working on a solution after focusing on their emotional response to an initial failure.

3. Do you grow from failure? Everyone gets knocked down, but the response is more important than the fall. Knowing that you will suffer setbacks if you accept the role, your interviewer is keenly interested in how much resilience you have.

Focus Your Answer On The Right Type Of Failures

Remember that you are not the only person who fails. The more success your interviewer has enjoyed, the longer the list of failures they have overcome. When asked this question, embrace it with some humor. I like to say something like, “How much time do we have?” This shows your interviewer that you embrace failure as a path to personal growth.

One failure that will hurt your chances is that which involves a lack of effort. This is one of the few variables we can control in life and is a transferable behavior in any function. If you failed on a project because you chose not to put in the time, your interviewer has no choice but to envision the same effort from you in the future. We have all come up short where effort was the culprit. These instances are not the ones to share in an interview.

There are several types of situation that best share what type of person you are.

1. The Knowledge Gap Failure: You took a run at a project that you are unequipped to handle and fell on your face. Perhaps, you accepted a sales role after working in operations. Your early months were humbling as hard work didn’t translate into results. You responded by studying top performers in the office, reading sales books, and listening to sales podcasts. After a challenging first year, you came back to finish in the top ten the following year.

2. The Poor Fit Failure: You always wanted to play for the varsity basketball team but just didn’t have the athletic ability. After being cut the first three years, you finally made the team your senior year. Though you didn’t play often, you were voted team captain by your teammates. You could find a similar setback in a business setting where you initially failed in a position that didn’t highlight your strengths and flourished when you changed positions.

3. The Approach Failure: You worked hard with poor results until a manager or mentor offered some direct feedback about your approach. Taking that feedback personally, you made sweeping changes and saw your results take off. This shows your future employer that you respond well to constructive criticism, a trait admired by any manager.

Before your interview, think through several examples. Many interviewers will probe for multiple answers to this simple question. Embrace your failure with confident, honest answers. Let the other candidates roll out the nauseating Michael Scott boilerplate response.

Author: Ian Mathews Contributor : Connect with Ian on LinkedIn and visit 5on4 Group.

Forbes.com | May 21, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #JobOpenings -Highest Paying Work From Home Jobs.

May 22, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

A growing number of professions are becoming increasingly flexible to remote workers. Medicine, for example, a field that traditionally required long visits to the doctor’s office and in-person checkups, is being revolutionized by the advent of telemedicine, which allows doctors and patients to communicate remotely. The global market for telemedicine is projected to climb 19 percent from 2018 to 2025, making for massive job openings for healthcare professionals to work remotely.

While it’s great news that remote work opportunities are growing across a variety of sectors, the even better news is that remote positions don’t require you to take a pay cut. In fact, work from home positions can help you save money by reducing transportation costs, or cutting the cost of having to live close to your workplace. Some positions even pay more for remote workers — one study on web developers, for example, found that developers who work remotely earn an average of 40 percent more than their counterparts who work in offices.

What kind of work from home job is right for you?

Work from home positions are available across a variety of industries, from tech to finance. While positions like software engineering have traditionally been more remote-friendly, companies are realizing that positions from client services to project management can also be opened up to remote workers. Use the Glassdoor job search tool with the location filter “Remote (Work From Home)” to see if the type of positions you’re interested in are currently available for remote work.

Which work from home jobs pay the most money?

Senior Software Engineer

Glassdoor Salary Range: $94,000 – $166,000

Software engineers work to develop, implement and refine applications software and computer systems software. Software engineers must have substantial knowledge of a number of programming languages, in addition to knowledge about software development and computer operating systems. While some software engineers are self-taught, many gain bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees or even Ph.D.s in computer science.

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Project Manager

Glassdoor Salary Range: $51,000 – $111,000

Project managers coordinate the team of people working on specific projects within a company or organization. This involves ensuring the timely completion of projects, helping solve roadblocks specific team members are facing, correctly budgeting for a project, documenting the steps of a project and overseeing the timeline of a project.

Physician

Glassdoor Salary Range: $119,000 – $303,000

With the advent of telemedicine, the options for physicians to work from home are now wider than ever. Becoming a physician is one of the most education-intensive career paths, requiring a bachelor’s degree, at least four years of medical school and between three and seven years of residency training.

Client Services Director

Glassdoor Salary Range: $76,000 – $160,000

The role of a client services director is very similar to an account manager, although sometimes less sales-focused. Client services directors are employed across businesses and organizations to maintain long-term relationships with clients and find solutions to client issues if they arise.

Business Development Manager

Glassdoor Salary Range: $49,000 – $118,000

A business development manager finds new opportunities for a company to sell its products or services. This includes identifying and fostering strategic partners, tracking new markets and emerging trends, creating sales opportunities with existing and new clients, and developing new business strategies for a company to increase sales.

Accountant

Glassdoor Salary Range: $40,000 – $77,000

Accountants collect, analyze, organize and make use of the financial records of their clients. They help file taxes, create budgets, analyze past and future financial performance of an organization, and keep accounting records. Becoming an accountant typically requires a bachelor’s degree, and sometimes a master’s degree, in accounting, as well as gaining licensure as a certified public accountant (CPA). Accountants work with the paper and digital records of their clients, so it is easy for them to work for the computer and conduct phone meetings with clients when needed.

Account Manager

Glassdoor Salary Range: $39,000 – $90,000

Account managers handle the relationships and sales with clients of a particular company. Wherever a company is making a sale or providing a service to a client, you’ll often find that account managers have a role there. Account managers are employed across many industries, from aerospace to beauty. The responsibilities of an account manager may vary across the industry they are employed in, but typically their responsibilities include managing and solving client issues, reaching company sales targets with clients and maintaining a smooth relationship between the client and the company.

UX Designer

Glassdoor Salary Range: $62,000 – $130,000

A UX designer, short for “user experience designer,” guides the design process of both digital and physical products in a way that ensures an ideal experience and interface for users. This includes designing and testing user friendliness, branding of products and ensuring an enjoyable and useful experience for users of a product.

Full Stack Web Developer

Glassdoor Salary Range: $50,000 – $117,000

A full stack web developer is a jack of all trades in the area of web development — they can develop the front end and back end portions of a mobile application, website or native application. Full stack developers must be proficient in multiple computer languages, as well as being able to work with databases, servers and systems engineering.

Graphic Designer

Glassdoor Salary Range: $34,000 – $69,000

Graphic designers imagine and create digital images and art for all types of clients, ranging from a business that needs updated graphics on their website to a band that wants posters for their upcoming tour. Since many clients require designs on a temporary basis, a high proportion of graphic designers work freelance and work from home.

Work From Home Career Paths

Work from home positions can be found across many industries at many different skill and education levels. If you are currently in a job that is not remote, but has the potential to be, consider speaking to your boss about working from home once or twice a week to try out the arrangement. If you are looking for a new job, consider tailoring your search to work-from-home options. You can easily filter for remote-only results using Glassdoor’s job search tool, and setting the location filter to “Remote (Work From Home)”.

GlassDoor.com | May 16, 2019 | Posted by Lillian Childress

#CareerAdvice : #OlderWorkers – How to Plan for Two or Three (or Seven) Different #Careers in your Lifetime.

May 22, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

When Qadirah Bridgeman was 22-years-old, retirement was the furthest thing from her mind. A dance major when she earned her undergraduate degree, Bridgeman was transitioning pretty dramatically into the real world. “I had just changed my religion, got married, and was pregnant,” she says, “so it was hard to say where my career would go, but I knew I wanted it to go somewhere.”

So Bridgeman taught for a while but switched to customer service as her family grew to include four more children. As she got older, she knew retirement was an option but understood that working as long as possible was best for her mentally, physically, and financially. “My father worked until he was 81, and I believe it is what kept him going for so long,” she says.

What she hadn’t planned for either was landing a job at T-Mobile at the age of 45, 14 years ago. “I had done customer service roles for other companies, so I was familiar with the work,” she says. “But it was definitely a different experience going through onboarding and training as one of the oldest of the bunch.” Bridgeman didn’t even own a mobile phone at the time. “From a tech perspective, there was a learning curve,” she recalls. But the company’s training process was inclusive, putting everyone into teams right away.

Despite a tough transition, Bridgeman maintains her age was a huge benefit. Not only was she seen as a natural leader, but her experience also gave her the stick-to-itiveness required to get through the training. “When everyone would pull out their fancy tech, which was great for them, I used my trusty pen and paper to my advantage, because I knew it was what worked for me,” she says.

Now at age 59, Bridgeman is a T-Mobile customer care senior-level expert based in Nashville, TN., who recently completed her master’s and has no plans to retire for at least another 30 years.

Bridgeman is not alone. The traditional arc of a career that lasts 25 to 30 years–usually with the same company–has become exceedingly rare. This translates to most workers having two, three, or more phases of their career during their lifetime. This can involve switching industries, gig work, or even entrepreneurship. The conventional strategy of mapping out a single career path needs a radical rethink.

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AN AGING LABOR FORCE

The number of people who 65 and older in the workforce is the highest it’s been in 55 years. And that’s not going to change soon. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 36% of 65-to-69-year-olds will be part of the labor force by 2024. Part of this is due to financial considerations. Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president of AARP Foundation, says that as many as 42 million adults who are 50 or older struggle with some aspect of their financial lives. “There’s a misconception that most people older than 50 are comfortably heading toward retirement by putting money away in savings and paying down their debts,” she says. “Today, that path to retirement has been replaced with far more complex scenarios and, for many, delayed retirement.” Longer life expectancy, stagnant wages, and the shift from pension plans to 401(k)s are impacting how long many people stay in the game. “From research, focus groups, and conversations with individuals, we know these challenges force older adults to make difficult decisions, including career changes,” she says.

As Marsh Ryerson points out, older adults need to have tools and resources to make informed financial decisions–from determining if the gig economy is an option to identifying and learning new skills to compete in today’s job market–to achieve the financial freedom required to find a job that provides intellectual and creative stimulation, to pursue their passions, or to quit working altogether.

FOLLOW YOUR PASSION, NO MATTER WHERE IT TAKES YOU

Take McAfee’s current chief consumer security evangelist, Gary Davis, who switched careers and industries to pursue his passion–all while staying relevant working with current technologies.

The self-professed “farm boy” launched out of a high school graduating class of 32 students into the U.S. Navy, where he landed his first job as an avionics technician. During his service, Davis completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

His thesis for the master’s was based on a comparison study of the voting habits for two different military bases in Hawaii. “It was during that work that my passion surrounding the importance and effect of influencing people by informing and educating them came into strong focus for me,” says Davis.

From there, Davis held a variety of roles in marketing before moving into security at McAfee in 2009. “The work on my thesis taught me the value of implementing compelling programs intended to educate and inform a target audience and measuring the efficacy of those programs,” says Davis, who never thought he’d end up in the tech industry. But it was the best fit for his personal passion.

STAY CURIOUS

For those who do remain in one industry, it can be challenging to stay relevant as they age. Sheila Talton, the CEO of Gray Matter Analytics and a 30-plus year veteran of tech companies like Cisco, puts it this way: “If you are in this industry, change is inevitable.” Talton watched colleagues who didn’t like change and often professed nostalgia for “the good old days” inevitably get passed over and phased out. “You have to be keeping your skills updated,” says Talton, who is an avid reader and researcher, as well as a keen observer of trends.

“Most of my staff are much younger,” says Talton, “I learn a lot from them.” One thing she says stymies older workers from progressing is that they mistake their age and experience for knowledge. This can come across as being obstinate or resistant to change–and can paint the older executive into a corner of being hard to deal with.

Experience has taught Talton to recognize patterns in situations, and she credits her time working internationally for helping her learn to work with all different types of people. “When you’re the only [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][African-American woman] in the room, you have the ability to learn and listen,” she explains. Talton says this taught her the importance of gaining trust. “You can be successful in gaining trust by showing your human side, exposing where you made mistakes.” As she’s advanced in her career, Talton says that this ability to be humble combined with being intellectually curious has served to keep her career advancing, with no end in sight.

IF YOU HAVE A GOOD GIG, STICK WITH IT–BUT KEEP EDUCATING YOURSELF

Being willing to learn is a vital ingredient for navigating the vicissitudes of an episodic career. “I am most definitely a student for life,” says Vince Digneo, who has been Adobe’s sustainability strategist since 2013. Digneo says he still takes classes on topics related to his role or that simply pique his interest. “Adobe has been very supportive of continuous learning,” he notes.

Digneo’s career shaped up unconventionally, after earning an MBA at Berkeley while in graduate school in biophysics at Stanford. From there, he followed a series of opportunities including at HP Labs on their biosciences team (what is now Agilent Technologies). He initially thought that he might eventually launch his own biotech startup. “I did end up working for a number of startups and along the way transitioned from a biotech business professional to a corporate tech sustainability lead,” he explains.

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone, and Digneo was no exception. “I realized a few years ago that I was not going to be a retired startup billionaire, and I’m good with that,” he states. “I really believe that I continue to contribute and to do good for Adobe, the environment, and the communities where we work and live,” he says, “My role is a happy reality.” And one that he’s not planning to quit any time soon.

STUDY A COMPANY’S CULTURE

Whether it’s continuing to take the opportunities that present themselves, sticking with a passion, or doing the work necessary to put food on the table, Bridgeman–who’s looking to put her newly earned master’s degree to good use as she climbs T-Mobile’s customer care ranks– says it’s important to look at a company’s culture before deciding to take a job there as an older adult.

“Look for a company that has a proven track record for diversity and inclusion,” she says, clarifying that it needs to be one that’s open about age diversity. “It is one thing to say you are accepting of all ages, it is another to specifically seek out older generations as part of your hiring process and give all ages the tools to advance their careers,” she says.

KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS

Bridgeman, like Talton, urges older workers to lean into their strengths. “Our leg up is knowing exactly what those [strengths] are, whether that is working with people, or helping innovate behind the scenes,” says Bridgeman. “Find a role that will highlight these strengths, so that you can succeed in a competitive workforce.” Chip Conley is a great example of this. At 52, the veteran of the hospitality industry found himself being scouted by Brian Chesky, the cofounder and CEO of the nascent Airbnb. “We were able to combine Brian’s impressive design skills and visionary leadership with my know-how and know-who of the hotel industry to turn home sharing from a peripheral to a mainstream part of the hospitality sector,” he writes.

Just don’t forget your personality along the way, says Talton. Intellectual curiosity and intellectual capability are key she says, but “a lot of it is your spirit.”

FastCompany.com | May 9, 2019 | BY LYDIA DISHMAN 7 MINUTE READ

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