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Highly Effective References
Many job seekers put together a thoughtful job search plan, prepare their resume and cover letter carefully, and agonize over their interview attire, but when it comes to their references, they just type up some names, phone numbers, and email addresses and call it done. The good news: because so many people just throw their reference list together, this is an area where it’s easy to stand out.
VOTW 031219 | Questions Your References are Likely to be Asked
This week’s topic is how to serve your network. For the Video of the Week, we’re featuring one of our favorites: Drew Dudley’s “lollipop moments” TEDx Talk about everyday leadership. Invest 6 minutes in this great reminder that a small favor can make a big difference. And check back for Thursday’s post on easy ways to help others in your network.
Serve Your Network a Little ICE: 3 Ways to Serve Your Network
Building your network is an obvious and important step to build your career. So important that we’ve written before about three common networking mistakes you can avoid, how holiday parties can help you expand your network, and our four part series on building a network from scratch in 15 minutes per week. Once you’ve built your network, though, then what?
Herminia Ibarra, in her book Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader, states, “…just because a person knows that a network is important to her success, it doesn’t mean she is devoting sufficient time and energy to making it useful and strong.”
Video of the Week...March 5, 2019
This week’s topic is how to serve your network. For the Video of the Week, we’re featuring one of our favorites: Drew Dudley’s “lollipop moments” TEDx Talk about everyday leadership. Invest 6 minutes in this great reminder that a small favor can make a big difference. And check back for Thursday’s post on easy ways to help others in your network.
How to Travel for Work Without Derailing Your Life
“Business travel.” Two words that can spur thoughts of luxurious hotels, interesting cities, and free meals. Or, for those who do a lot of business travel, those words can prompt thoughts of suspicious stains in hotel rooms with thin walls next to the ice machine, repetitive conference rooms, and surviving on Southwest pretzels and granola bars eaten while jogging through airports.
Taming the Procrastination Monster
As a kid, did you ever hear a creaking floorboard in the night, and become convinced that there was a fully grown boogieman waiting to pounce out of your closet?
Procrastinated tasks can become the adult equivalent of monsters in the closet. You don’t want to admit it, but you see the signs every time you look at your to do list, whether it’s in an app, a spreadsheet, a paper planner, or on a post-it. Maybe it’s scheduling your annual physical, sending a thank you email, texting your niece, or finding a contractor to finally fix the bathtub. Or maybe it’s writing an article for a professional publication, filing an amended tax return, getting your job application materials together, reviewing resumes for a position you’re supposed to be filling, or finally cleaning up your office.
3 Ways to Love Your Career Again
You’ve probably heard some version of the adage “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” I think many of us would roll our eyes, at least internally, at that. But it is, in some respect, true. Even if you are planning to change employers or make a career transition, falling back in love with your current position can help you be more successful both in your career, but less obviously, with a job or career change. This week we’re going to present three strategies to fall back in love with your career.
6 Hacks to Crush Anxiety About Writing
This week, we're excited to share our first guest post. Julie Schrager is an attorney and the legal writing coach at Schiff Hardin, a full-service law firm of more than 300 lawyers in seven offices. She works closely with summer associates, associates, and partners to improve their legal writing. Julie firmly believes that everyone can improve their written communication skills. Below, she shares practical tips that can help anyone feeling anxious or overwhelmed about a written assignment, regardless of industry. Thank you, Julie!
Feeling anxious? A few ways to calm down when anxiety is getting the best of you.
We’re addressing stress and anxiety this week on the Apochromatik blog. Before tomorrow’s weekly post addresses overcoming anxiety around writing, we’re looking back at one of our first posts, when I wrote about ways to calm down when you have a big meeting or other project causing you anxiety.
Apochromatik's Mentoring Month Roundup
January was National Mentoring Month. Mentoring can be one of the most beneficial tools in your career toolbox, but it can be intimidating to figure out how to get someone to mentor you, and it can be easy to give up if you sense a prospective mentor or mentee isn’t excited about working with you. We addressed aspects of mentoring in depth on the blog during January in the Apochromatik Guide to Mentoring, and provided the Apochromatik Mentor Finder: The Five Step Method to Find Your Mentor, a free tool you can download to start working on finding your mentors.
The Apochromatik Guide to Mentoring: Part V – The Three Types of Mentors Every Professional Needs to Succeed
During National Mentoring Month, we’ve talked about mentor and mentee expectations, and differences between sponsors, mentors, coaches, and friends. We also addressed how to know whether you’re ready to be a mentor. Today, we’re tackling the three types of mentors that every professional needs to succeed. If as you read this, you realize you’re missing one or more of these three essential mentor types, know that you’re not alone, and download the free Apochromatik Mentor Finder tool by joining the Apochromatik email list.
The Apochromatik Guide to Mentoring: Part IV – How do You Know Whether You’re Ready to be a Mentor?
January is National Mentoring Month, so we’ve been focusing on mentoring here on the Apochromatik blog.
We’ve addressed differences between sponsors, mentors, coaches, and friends , mentor and mentee expectations, and the one thing you must do to make the most of a formal mentoring program. Tomorrow we will cover the three types of mentors that every professional needs to succeed. If as you read this, you realize you’re missing one or more of these three essential mentor types, know that you’re not alone, and download the free Apochromatik Mentor Finder tool by joining the Apochromatik email list to get a jumpstart.
But today we are addressing a question we’ve been asked many times: How do you know whether you’re ready to be a mentor?
The Apochromatik Guide to Mentoring: Part III – The One Thing You Must Do to Make the Most of a Formal Mentoring Program
Not everyone is involved in formal mentoring programs, but we’ve had several requests to address how to make them more worthwhile.
Before we jump into that topic, though, January is National Mentoring Month, so we’ve talked about mentor and mentee expectations, and about differences between sponsors, mentors, coaches, and friends. Later this week we will tackle the three types of mentors that every professional needs to succeed, but if you can’t wait to get started strengthening your own mentor relationships, download the Apochromatik Mentor Finder tool by joining the Apochromatik email list.
Back to how to make the most of a formal mentoring program.
The Apochromatik Guide to Mentoring: Part II – 8 Things Mentees and Mentors Want
Last week we addressed the differences between mentoring, sponsorships, coaching, and friendships, and delved deeper into mentoring. This week, we’ll focus on what mentors and mentees want from each other. When mentors and mentees have differing expectations, problems can crop up in the relationship or, even worse, cause it to fall apart completely. By understanding what your counterpart wants, your relationship can be positive and productive for both of you.