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Searching for a Remote Job? 5 Mistakes to Avoid

Careers

Woman looking at computer while working remotely from home office

By Jillian Hamilton

Remote jobs are a hot search term — even in national security, thanks in no small part to workforce changes post-2020. But while many say they want to work from home some or all of the time, it doesn’t mean candidates know how to find a remote job. The candidate market may be hot, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to find the right job that fits you.

5 MISTAKES TO AVOID IN YOUR REMOTE JOB SEARCH

But if you’re in the market for a remote job and not finding one, you might be making some basic mistakes. Sometimes, you don’t have to overhaul everything — just make a few adjustments.

Focusing only on the remote-side of the search.

When it comes to jobs, it’s really about lining up the right skills to the position. It may be tempting to apply for every and any remote job, regardless of whether or not you even want to do the actual work. However, if you want to go remote in national security, your best bet will be to keep your job search open to all requirements and focus on your specific skillsets. You may find that in a candidate market, cleared employers are willing to offer some hybrid options. You can narrow your search for specific remote jobs, but it’s important to keep your skillsets the key piece of the equation. Employers are most concerned with finding cleared candidates who meet the job requirements.

Never changing your resume for the different jobs.

This isn’t a remote-only issue. It is a normal struggle for candidates, but it’s worth mentioning because it can have such a negative impact on the success of a job search. If you’re not adjusting your resume based on each job description, make that your first change you make. If you want the job, you have to connect the dots for recruiters, highlighting how your skillsets map to the job requirements. Don’t just blast your resume out to every opportunity without making adjustments.

Searching remote jobs outside your geographical location.

When it comes to cleared, remote opportunities, the odds of having to make an appearance at the office or the client site are high. Unless the contract allows for billable travel, you will need to be close enough to commute in, sometimes at least once a week. Unless you have a personal SCIF at home or the contract has zero classified information that you will have to handle, then you should expect some in-person interactions will need to happen. Try narrowing down your search to opportunities that are at least a drivable distance from your home.

Forgetting your network.

You build your network for many reasons, but one of the best times to lean on them is when you are job searching. Whether it’s to ask someone to review your resume or it’s to connect to a company that has remote openings, you have to remember to reach out. Asking for help isn’t easy for everyone, but every job search is made better when your network is involved. Don’t forget to reach out to recruiters as part of your network, as well as key associations in the industry. Those connections could be your ticket to answering emails in your comfy pants at home.

Skipping your remote skills section.

You might not think this section is important, but you’d be wrong. If you want to have a remote job, you have to highlight how you are suited to it. Not everyone thrives or has the right skills to make the remote life work for them. Team communications and collaboration skills in a remote world need to be highlighted. How are you at tracking tasks? Don’t talk about how much easier working at home makes your personal and professional life. That shouldn’t be your reasoning for an employer to offer you a remote job. If you really want to land your next remote gig, you need to highlight on your resume your remote skills, as well as share that information during the interview too.

BE FLEXIBLE WITH REMOTE DEMANDS

Sometimes in national security, the remote jobs just aren’t there. But be sure that it’s because all the contracts are actually requiring 100 percent on-site support and not because you’re making some key mistakes in your remote job search. And you may need to be flexible on the amount of cleared remote work you can get. With federal agency offices opening back up, mask guidelines being adjusted and vaccine mandates on hold, more clients will be expecting more faces on-site. Being able to support the mission with a hybrid schedule is a win for the national security workforce.

Source: ClearanceJobs

Five Ways to Gain Work Experience

Careers

latina professional smiling while taking on cell phone

Most employers want to hire people with experience. But how do you get experience if you can’t get hired? It’s a classic bind.

One solution is to volunteer or do other unpaid work. You’ll gain skills and practical experiences. You’ll also gain references and a better understanding of your work preferences and talents. And all of those will improve your chances of getting hired.

Here are five types of unpaid (usually—sometimes you can get paid) work experiences:

Volunteer work

To volunteer actually means to work without being paid. There are opportunities to volunteer in every community, typically at nonprofit organizations and schools. You can gain skills like writing, childcare, teaching, coaching, fundraising, mentoring, sales, phone answering, organizing materials, construction, arts, and much more. Many organizations provide training to volunteer positions.

Get started by thinking about organizations you’d like to support. You can also search the Business Finder for businesses and non-profits in your area. Check organizations’ websites for volunteer opportunities,or call or email them directly.

Internship

An internship is a short-term job that can be paid or unpaid and gives students or job seekers experience in a real-world work environment. Usually if an internship is unpaid, it does provide some college or classroom credit. Internships are available in government, private businesses, and non-profit organizations. Interns, unlike volunteers, usually have a specific mentor or co-worker who helps them navigate the experience.

Apply for an internship through a college or high school internship office, by using an internship finder service, or by contacting the human resources office of a business directly. You can also use the Business Finder to locate companies and search their websites—or contact them directly—for internship opportunities.

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships combine a full-time job with training—and prepare workers to enter in-demand careers. They are formal programs designed to provide affordable pathways to high-paying jobs and careers without the typical student debt associated with college. Apprenticeship opportunities are typically available in industries such as information technology, finance and business, healthcare, hospitality, transportation, and manufacturing.

To find apprenticeship opportunities that match your interests and skills, visit the new Apprenticeship Finder on Apprenticeship.gov—a one-stop source to connect career seekers, employers, and education partners with apprenticeship resources.

Job shadowing

Ranging from a few hours to a few days, job shadowing allows you to learn about the real, day-to-day work of an occupation by following someone as they work. You can arrange a shadow experience by asking to observe someone you know through your network, or requesting a contact through a professional association or school program. Read accounts of job shadow experiences.

School and community activities

You gain skills when you participate in clubs, sports, theatre, music, dance, parent organizations, religious affiliations, and other community activities. Include these on your resume. To develop skills in a specific area, join a group involved in that field. Find opportunities through school districts, community education, local arts groups, religious organizations, and the public library.

Source: Career One Stop

It’s 2023—Do You Still Need a Cover Letter?

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If you’re job searching, you may notice that some postings or online applications don’t require that you send a cover letter. You may have even heard that in today’s job market, overwhelmed hiring managers have no time to read through cover letters. So, do you still need to send one with your resume or application?

The short answer is yes. You should send a cover letter. For one thing, a well-crafted cover letter is your best chance to stand out from other applicants. It gives you a chance to add some color to your resume and highlight both your achievements and why you’re a great fit for the position. Experts agree that if you have an opportunity, you should still attach a cover letter. In fact, ResumeLab recently surveyed employers and found that 83% of hiring managers said that a great cover letter can actually help you get an interview, even if your resume doesn’t match all the job requirements.

It’s true that some employers don’t ask for a cover letter when you apply. But it’s still a chance for you to demonstrate extra effort (which can signal extra interest to employers). If a job posting asks that you email your resume, you don’t need to attach a separate cover letter, but you can use the body of the email to highlight your unique qualifications for the job—basically you can format the email as a cover letter.

If you’re applying for a job through an online application, adding a cover letter might be marked as an “optional” step. But even if it’s not required, it’s wise to include one.

The good news is that cover letters don’t have to be as long as they were just a few years ago. Today, most experts recommend that your cover letter is between 200-400 words, with just 3-4

paragraphs. But don’t use the same one for each job. You need to write a targeted letter for each position.

Think about including these main sections in your cover letter:

Heading and greeting. Include the date, your name and your contact information, including phone and email. Address the letter to a specific person whenever possible. If you can’t find an individual’s name, use the job title of the recipient (Maintenance Supervisor, Office Manager), or perhaps “Human Resources” or “Search Committee.” Do not address your letter to a business, a department or “To Whom It May Concern.”

Brief introduction. Explain who you are and your reason for writing, including how you found out about the position. Use the first paragraph to express your energy, enthusiasm, skills, education and work experience that could contribute to the employer’s success.

Your highlights. Sell yourself. Reveal why you are a perfect and unique match for the position. Explain why you have chosen the employer. Briefly summarize your talents, experience and achievements.

Assertive closing. Thank the person for taking the time to read your letter. Use an appropriate closing, such as “Sincerely” and tell the employer how you plan to follow-up.

Source: CareerOneStop

Creating Effective Employee Resource Groups

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employee resource group - group shot of professional diverse employees

Members of underrepresented groups within a company, whether women, different ethnic minorities, LGBTQ, veterans, differently abled, parents, etc., may feel isolated at a company, lack a sense of belonging and support, and even feel as though their needs are being met. One way to support them is to create an employee resource group (ERG). While there are a variety of benefits (outlined below), there’s also been an increasing concern over the potential lack of intersectionality and creation of “echo chambers,” implying that the only people hearing the ERG’s “voice” are its own members. These concerns, while valid, don’t necessarily mean we should do away with ERGs. However, we should consider how they can evolve to best support the needs of an increasingly diverse workforce.

What Are ERGs?
ERGs are volunteer-led groups of people within a company that organize around a particular shared background, interest, or issue. Most commonly, we see ERGs form around women, parents, people of color, LGBTQ, veterans, and people with disabilities. They can be run without fiscal support, but they can have much more of an impact if they are given financial support, as well as full, committed support from senior leadership.

Traditional Benefits of an ERG
There are a host of benefits to supporting an ERG at your company. Here are a few:

Connecting with others with similar needs in order to help push innovation, both internally and externally
Providing increased support for professional development and leadership opportunities
Offering insight into specific business opportunities related to the ERG focus
Expanding recruitment efforts to be more inclusive
Feeling part of a community with others who understand various backgrounds and challenges

Leveraging ERGs to Their Fullest Capacity
A major benefit of ERGs is that they bring like-minded people together to support each other and advocate for their needs. However, this can end up being a double-edged sword, as ERGs are sometimes viewed as exclusive and alienating to others. Additionally, as we evolve as a society and are increasingly aware of our intersectionality, it becomes harder to lump people into categories. That said, this doesn’t mean we need to do away with ERGs. In fact, it’s a perfect opportunity for different ERGs to work together more intentionally. If ERGs are siloed and exclusive, they lose one of their greatest strengths, which is to share across backgrounds, ideas, concerns, etc. A great way to address this is to have regularly scheduled events across ERGs.

Starting an ERG
Typically employees will start an ERG, as there’s no point in having a resource group if no one’s interested in participating. It’s important to note, however, that they should also have absolute support from company executives. While having an ERG doesn’t have to cost anything to start, it will likely take up staff time and therefore requires support from leadership. Ideally, an ERG will have an executive sponsor—one who is not part of the ERG but will advocate on its behalf to senior leadership. Once you’ve come together as a group, we recommend the following:

Decide what you want your mission and goals to be.
Determine a leadership structure, so the group can live on regardless of whether people come and go.
Write down and present the group’s mission, goals, structure and roadmap to leadership, as well as to the rest of the company.
Find an executive sponsor to champion your group. You want someone who will be able to work with senior leadership to advocate on your behalf.
Invite others to participate. Be inclusive by noting that friends of the group are welcome too!
Set up a calendar of events. This should include regular times (monthly, quarterly, etc.) when you meet as a group, special events that are open to all, and cross-ERG events. One event to start with could be a kick-off event to celebrate your ERG’s formation and see who might be interested in participating in the future!

Source: shegeeksout.com

Top Questions to Expect in a Job Interview

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Job interview, Young executives man asking questions to applicant

Job interviews consist of two types of questions — questions about you and questions about what you know. The latter type, knowledge questions, are usually related to the particular requirements of the job you’re applying for and are very specific. Here are the top questions to expect:

Tell me about yourself.

This may be your best opportunity to highlight what you believe are your most important characteristics related to the job. Maybe you have a passion for a particular part of the position. For example, “In my previous role as a customer service representative, I enjoyed helping people solve their problems.” Or maybe you were recognized for a special talent. For example, “I won several awards for training new employees at my last job.”

You may also consider explaining large resume gaps when responding to this question. If you’ve decided to disclose your disability during the interview, you can explain medical leave. You can also use this as a chance to talk about any hobbies or volunteer work you pursued during the employment gap that helped you build your skills and gain experience.

Why are you interested in this position?

Before your interview, learning more about the company or the job is prudent. Is there something about the job requirements that you think is a good fit for your strengths? Maybe your skill set aligns well with the job tasks or company goals. Perhaps it’s their reputation for how well they treat their employees. Answering this question with facts about the company or the job tells the interviewer that you care enough to have done your homework.

What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?

Talking about your assets can be tricky. Make sure you’ve thought about how your strengths will relate to the job requirements and come up with an example of how you’ve used your skills.

If the interviewer asks about a weakness, indicate that you’ve thought about that question and identify a particular trait that will not affect the job position. For example, if you’re applying for a programming position, acknowledging that you aren’t a skilled public speaker may not hurt your chances if the job doesn’t require public speaking. It is also good to mention what you are doing to address your weakness or provide an example of how you learned from it.

Why are you the best person for this position?

As you prepare for the interview, reread the job description to see how your skills match the job requirements and responsibilities. During the interview, discuss how you’ve used the same skills in previous jobs or had similar duties during training, volunteer work or internships. As you detail why your background is a good match for the position, explain what excites you about the job and how you think you can make a difference for the company.

Can you tell me about a time when you faced a challenge and how you handled it?

Many employers use this question to seek concrete examples of skills and experiences that relate directly to the position. This type of question is based on the idea that your success in the past is a good gauge of your success in the future.

It may be hard to answer a question like this “on the spot,” so take some time before your interview to prepare. Think of an actual situation you faced that had a successful outcome. Describe the situation and give details on what you did and why. Then describe how it turned out. You may even want to add what you learned from the experience and how you might apply that to future challenges.

Do you have any questions for me?

It’s always a good idea to have a few questions prepared to ask the interviewer. It allows you to learn more about the position and responsibilities, the person interviewing you and the company. It also shows the interviewer that you’re enthusiastic about the job. However, this is not the time to ask about salary or benefits. Instead, ask questions about the company or position to demonstrate your interest.

Keep in mind that an interview helps hiring managers determine that your skills and experience match well with the responsibilities of the job, but also that your personality would fit well with the other employees on the team. Preparing to answer questions about yourself and your professional experience may help you feel confident and leave a lasting impression during your next interview.

Consider practicing your responses with family members and friends. Going over your answers with someone else may help you find a more conversational tone and cadence, which can help you relax when answering questions during an interview.

Source: Ticket to Work

‘Quiet’ is the workplace word of 2023

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serious professional woman whispering shhh

It seems fair to say that “quiet” is the workplace word for this year. “Quiet quitting,” “quiet hiring,” and “quiet firing” have all entered the work lexicon in the last several months, each marking a trend in how workers and employers are continuing to adapt to changes in how work works three years after the start of the pandemic. Experts think those “quiet” trends and more are set to continue throughout 2023 and beyond.

While not everything in today’s workplace are related to these quiet terms — there’s also rage applying, career cushioning, and chaotic working to name a few — there are a lot of quiet trends happening at work.

Quiet hiring

According to Vicki Salemi, career expert for Monster, quiet hiring involves shuffling workers into new roles within a company and “happens when people internally are being asked to move to another area internally.”

“Quiet hiring” is one of the “biggest workplace buzzwords” of 2023 per Insider’s reporting. That’s based on Gartner research, which considered it one of nine “Future of Work Trends for 2023.”

Emily Rose McRae of Gartner’s HR Practice said per reporting from GMA that quiet hiring is a workplace trend in 2023 in part because of a shortage in talent.

“We do not have enough talent for the roles that are available,” McRae said. “The jobs report that just came out said we had the lowest number of job seekers in months, so we’re not in a situation where we’re easily finding lots more talent.”

Salemi noted a few other reasons as to why quiet hiring may happen, including that it can be a strategy to get around having to lay off workers. She added that it could be the case too that “the company realizes that the employee’s talent are being underutilized.”

She pointed out that there can be pros to these internal moves like acquiring new skills, but some may find out they aren’t happy with this change. Salemi pointed out a Monster poll that half of those impacted by quiet hiring are in roles that actually don’t match their skills. This could lead to people joining the ongoing Great Resignation.

“Companies are redeploying resources and employees are — depending on their situation — it could be a move or stepping stone to a bigger opportunity or they could feel perhaps like they’re not in alignment with their goals,” Salemi said.

Quiet quitting

As Insider’s Samantha Delouya reported, “quiet quitting,” or just doing a minimum workload, was one prominent trend last year, and according to Payscale’s new 2023 Compensation Best Practices Report, it “isn’t going away.”

Today’s high inflation of over 6% may also be one reason people are not going above and beyond in their roles.

“In the midst of inflation, these employees who stayed, they’re being asked to take on more and more work for what feels like less pay if they haven’t got a raise or promotion,” Bonnie Chiurazzi, director of market insights at Glassdoor, told Insider. “So when you think of it through their eyes, it seems more of a natural response to the context that they’ve been living through.”

And layoffs, such as those at companies like Spotify and BlackRock, may not help this trend.

Amid those kinds of layoffs, “there is the likelihood that there’ll be increased responsibility for the employees that are left behind,” Ruth Thomas, pay equity strategist at Payscale, told Insider. “And that may potentially exacerbate that quiet quitting movement where employees become more frustrated at the fact that they’re having to take on more responsibility, so that’s a dynamic we see potentially happening.”

Salemi also said she thinks quiet quitting is still taking place in the labor market. Similarly, Chiurazzi thinks the “quiet quitting trend will persist until employers are ready to turn up the volume on employee feedback and really dig into these conversations.”

“I do think quiet quitting will remain prevalent until some of the underlying issues are addressed,” Chiurazzi said.

Chiurazzi pointed to Glassdoor findings that suggest some workers aren’t too happy with their employer. Chiurazzi said about a third “of employees feel a lack of transparency with their current employer,” but also about a third aren’t happy “with how their employer engages employees” and about a third are unhappy with “how their employers follow up on employee feedback.”

Other buzzwords of the year from Insider’s reporting relate to quiet quitting even if they don’t use the word quiet. That includes resenteeism, which Glamour UK’s Bianca London described as “the natural successor to ‘quiet quitting.'”

Another related buzzword of 2023 is Bare Minimum Monday — or as Insider’s Rebecca Knight and Tim Paradis wrote: “the TikTokian progeny of ‘quiet quitting.'” While this involves doing just the minimum on Mondays, it’s similar given quiet quitting includes not doing more than you are required to. However, not all buzzwords are about quiet things in the workplace. Newsweek reported that “loud layoffs” will be a trend this year, and Salemi told Insider “rage applying” is also happening usually because people want to leave “toxic workplaces.”

Quiet firing, thriving, and promotions

Quiet firing is another trend describing what has been taken place for some in the workplace. As Insider’s Britney Nguyen wrote, this quiet term means “employers treat workers badly to the point they will quit, instead of the employer just firing them.”

Read the complete article originally posted on Business Insider.

Want to Promote — or Hire — the Best Candidate? Follow the Rule of Skill Over Talent

Careers

Job interview, Young executive man asking questions to applicant

By Jeff Haden

Years ago, I facilitated a promotion committee made up of shop-floor employees who used performance evaluation data to rank all the eligible employees for a machine operator opening.

Even though Mike (not his real name) was the top candidate, many in the room still had doubts.

“He looks good on paper,” one person said, “but I don’t think he has what it takes.”

Others agreed. Early on, Mike had struggled in his current position. He wasn’t quick to learn. He sometimes needed to be shown multiple times. He wasn’t a “natural.”

I pushed back. It wasn’t fair to bypass him based on feelings rather than objective reasoning.

For a while, it looked like I was wrong. Once promoted, he was slow to pick up basic skills. Worryingly, he made a few of the same mistakes several times.

But once he did know how to do something? He really knew how to do it. Within a few years he was an outstanding machine operator whose skills surpassed those of his doubters. He even went on to earn several different machinist licenses, and later opened his own machine shop.

Mike wasn’t a natural. Nor was he talented.

But that didn’t matter.

Because Mike was exceptionally skilled.

The Difference Between Talent and Skill

Talent and skill are often used interchangeably since the outcome — performing a particular task, hopefully at a high level — is the same. The difference lies in how you acquired that ability, and how quickly.

Think of talent as natural aptitude. My best friend growing up was a natural athlete; he could, to an irritating degree to less talented me, pick up any new sport in no time. (Within the first ten minutes of playing tennis he was already hitting topspin forehands.)

In simple terms, talents are things you have.

Skills, on the other hand, are things you learn. I had to be taught to put topspin on a ball. I had to practice. I had to acquire that skill. It didn’t come quickly.

Again, that’s where the line between talent and skill can blur. We both ended up at roughly the same place in terms of skill, but talent allowed my friend to get there much quicker.

The rate of acquisition is one way to distinguish talent from skill. Mike took longer to learn; he wasn’t as talented as most.

But that didn’t keep him from acquiring exceptional skills.

And Why It Matters

Even so, for years most people couldn’t see past Mike’s initial lack of talent. Since he had started slowly, they underestimated him. First impressions lingered. He was rarely asked to help repair other operator’s equipment. He wasn’t chosen to train new employees, even though he would have been an excellent trainer. (The last person you want to teach you to do something is a person for whom that skill came easily.)

In the eyes of most, he was forever tarred by a “lack of talent” brush.

The opposite also happens. People who pick things up quickly are often assumed to be rated highly for that skill even if others eventually eclipse their skill. “Naturals” were usually chosen to train new employees, with predictably poor results. They couldn’t understand why trainees were slow to learn. They couldn’t explain the steps they performed instinctively.

And they were usually the ones people assumed “have what it takes” to deserve promotions.

Even though the rate at which you acquire a skill is, in the end, irrelevant. What matters is how well you can perform.

Not how long it took you to become a high performer.

Especially for Promotions

Granted, talent often results in a higher ceiling for aptitude. No matter how hard I tried, had he put in the work my friend could have been better than me at tennis, or really any sport.

Even so, assuming people who pick up things quickly have greater long-term growth potential is often misguided. Plenty of talented people top out fairly quickly, if only because innate talent tends to foster a fixed rather than growth mindset.

Plus, your other employees are less concerned with potential than actual. That’s one reason employees are more likely to be happy if their boss was promoted from within, rather than hired from the outside. A Joblist study showed that nearly 70 percent of respondents prefer to be managed by an internal hire — a seasoned company veteran who climbed the ranks — than an external hire.

They know the skills she has. They know the work she put in to acquire those skills.

Again, because what matters is what someone can do, not how long it took them to learn to do it.

The same is also true for you. Don’t have a “talent” for sales? Sales skills can be learned. Don’t have a “talent” for leading people? Most leadership skills — like giving feedback, building teams, setting expectations, showing consideration for others, seeking input, focusing on meaningful priorities, etc. — can be learned.

Granted, talent and skill are necessary to perform at a high level in some pursuits, like music, or sports or acting … but most pursuits — like starting a small business — only require skills.

And with the willingness to put in the work to acquire those skills.

Mark Cuban: 4 Powerful — Yet Surprisingly Simple — Strategies Anyone Can Use to Be More Successful

BusinessCareers

By Jeff Haden

Of the 12 billionaires I’ve met (yes, I keep count), Mark Cuban seems the most relatable. Partly that’s because he’s entirely self-made.

But also because, like most, he believes success comes down to effort and ability. And because, like most, he hates meetings. And because, as most of us like to think we are, he’s a genuinely good person.

As a result, Cuban’s advice often seems more applicable to the average person hoping to achieve success in their chosen pursuit. He’s done what we hope to do — and as a result, he knows what really matters.

Like:

Sales Skills Matter

What would Cuban do if he had to start over again?

“I would get a job as a bartender at night and a sales job during the day,” he says, “and I would start working. Could I become a multimillionaire again? I have no doubt.”

The reason is simple: Everyone needs to be able to explain the logic and benefits of a decision. To convince other people an idea makes sense. To show investors how a business will generate a return. To help employees understand the benefits of a new process.

To motivate and inspire and lead.

Because sales skills are, in essence, communication skills — and communication skills are critical to any business or career.

Which means spending time in a sales role, whether formally or informally, is an investment that will pay off forever.

Constant Learning Matters

What does Cuban feel will drive the next wave of business change? Artificial intelligence.

As Cuban says:

“If you don’t know AI, you’re the equivalent of somebody in 1999 saying, “I’m sure this Internet thing will be OK, but I don’t give a shit.” If you want to be relevant in business, you have to, or you will be a dinosaur very quickly. If you don’t know how to use it and you don’t understand it and you can’t at least have a basic understanding of the different approaches and how the algorithms work, you can be blindsided in ways you couldn’t even possibly imagine.”

That’s not just posturing; Cuban put his mind and money where his mouth is. He frequently recommends books about artificial intelligence, like Competing in the Age of AI: Strategy and Leadership When Algorithms and Networks Run the World. And he’s committed millions to expand his AI Bootcamps Program, an organization that teaches artificial-intelligence skills at no cost to high school students in low-income communities across the country.

“The world’s first trillionaires,” Cuban says, “are going to come from somebody who masters AI and all its derivatives and applies it in ways we never thought of.”

While most of us don’t dream of becoming a trillionaire, no matter what your industry, no matter what your pursuit, things always change. Things always evolve. They key is to know how to change with them. Which you can only do if you’re constantly, actively learning.

Being Nice Matters

Think about the best boss you ever had. Odds are they were demanding. They had high expectations. They may have provided occasional doses of tough love.

But I’m guessing they were also nice. Not soft, not lenient. But even so, nice.

That’s a lesson Cuban had to learn. As he says:

“I went through my own metamorphosis. Early on in my career, I was like bam, bam, bam, bam, bam — I might curse. I might get mad. I got to the point… I wouldn’t have wanted to do business with me when I was in my 20s. I had to change. And I did. And it really paid off. One of the most underrated skills in business right now is being nice. Nice sells.”

He’s right. When you’re nice, other people are more forgiving of your mistakes. Other people are more tolerant of your lack of experience or skill. Other people are more willing to work with you, help you, encourage you and, if you’re a leader, follow you.

Finding Your Passion Doesn’tMatter

Ask 10 people if they love what they do — ask 10 people if they’ve found their passion — and at least eight will likely say no.

Sound depressing?

Not to Cuban, who feels “follow your passions” is “one of the great lies of life,” and is the “worst advice you could ever give or get.”

According to Cuban, passion doesn’t come first. For Cuban, passion comes later:

“A lot of people talk about passion, but that’s really not what you need to focus on. When you look at where you put in your time, where you put in your effort, that tends to be the things that you are good at. And if you put in enough time, you tend to get really good at it. If you put in enough time, and you get really good, I will give you a little secret: Nobody quits anything they are good at, because it is fun to be good. It is fun to be one of the best. But in order to be one of the best, you have to put in effort.”

So don’t follow your passions. Follow your effort.

That’s why Cuban completed Amazon’s machine learning tutorials. That’s why he spent time building his own neural networks. That’s why, at one point, he kept the book Machine Learning for Dummies in his bathroom.

“The more I understand AI, the more I get excited about it,” Cuban said.

In short, Cuban didn’t discover a passion for artificial intelligence. He developed it.

Oddly enough, according to a 2014 study published in the Academy of Management Journal, that’s how the process often works for entrepreneurs.

While it’s easy to assume that entrepreneurial passion drives entrepreneurial effort, research shows the reverse is also true: Entrepreneurial passion increases with effort. The more work entrepreneurs put into their startups, the more enthusiastic they get about their businesses.

As they gain momentum, gain skill and enjoy small successes — even if those “successes” only involve ticking off items on their seemingly endless to-do lists — their passion grows.

Can passion spark effort? Absolutely.

But effort can also spark passion, which in turn sparks greater effort, and greater passion, until one day you wake up and realize you are doing what you love.

Even if it didn’t start out that way.

Jeff Haden is a keynote speaker, ghostwriter, LinkedIn Influencer, contributing editor to Inc., and the author of The Motivation Myth: How High Achievers Really Set Themselves Up to Win.

Photo Credit: STEVEN FERDMAN/GETTY IMAGES

The Mentor Match – Would You Be Swiped Left?

Careers

By Allison Struber

Recently, a friend shared with me she was meeting a lot of great people by swiping right. I was a bit taken aback because she is, what appears to be, happily married. My response caused her to grin and clarify she was not looking for romance. She was using a new app to find mom-friends. It has similar features to the infamous Tinder dating app, but the purpose is to narrow down the vast number of moms in an area to those who share similar interests.

As she further explained how the app worked and her success, my opinion of this swipe left/swipe right function began to change. With correct intentions, the technology could be helpful.

HOW TO SWIPE FOR NETWORKING SUCCESS

Consider all of the factors that go into choosing a mentor or mentee. It would be great to quickly swipe through professional profiles to find a good match. I would look for things like: integrity, honesty, enthusiasm, skills and experience. I would want someone who was passionate about growing new leaders and committed to investing the time it takes to do so. But just like the popular dating app, a swipe right on a mentor’s professional profile would not mean a match. My profile would also need to reflect good mentee status.

If you were seeking a mentor, here are a few things you would need to get swiped right.

Availability

Good mentors and good mentees use their time intentionally. It can be difficult to find coordinating availability, so be accommodating. Make this opportunity a priority and accept the meeting time offered.

Prepared questions

Good mentors have a wealth of knowledge, and a good mentee is going to pull out that great information. Think about what you admire in this mentor and ask questions to discover how he/she developed that skill or ability.

Teachable

Nothing is worse than a person who ‘knows it all’ except a person wanting to be mentored who ‘knows it all.’ If the conversation turns to a topic you feel confident about, pivot the discussion to something else with a new question or ask for feedback about a time you have utilized that specific knowledge.

Listener

It is ok and important to open up and share about yourself, but give your mentor the chance to lead the conversation. If you are doing most of the talking at every meeting, the balance is off.

Willing to take advice

No mentor is perfect, but there is an assumption their role has been given because he/she has been successful in an area. There is no expectation that a mentee must mirror the mentor’s experience, however, if instruction/advice/guidance is continually being disregarded, you will be right on track to find yourself without a mentor.

Willing to be a mentor

A good mentor has a goal to inspire and teach others. It is a reward to see the investment of their time multiplied by their mentee becoming a mentor. Honor your mentor and give yourself the joy of pouring into someone else. Swipe right on your own mentee.

Source: ClearanceJobs

Your first career move, powered by Netflix

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Netflix is partnering with Formation to build a world where people from every walk of life have a seat at the table in tech.

Our program will be completely free of charge for students accepted. It is designed to unlock your engineering potential with personalized training and world-class mentorship from the best engineers across the tech industry.

The below information will be required, and adding why you want to land a New Grad Engineering role at Netflix.

The application requires:

Info about your experience, education, and background

Info regarding your eligibility for the program

A one minute video telling us about yourself

Apply today at https://formation.dev/partners/netflix

Application deadline is March 5, 2023.

3 Steps to a Great Elevator Pitch

Careers

Latina business woman professional in a suit standing looking confident with arms crossed

By T. Johnson

Imagine you step into an elevator, and someone you professionally admire is standing inside. You exchange pleasantries, and she casually says, “So tell me about yourself.” It’s a broad question we’ve all heard, and a great answer can create new opportunities in both your professional and personal life. But you only have 30 seconds to impress your abilities upon this influential person. Are you able to articulate your strengths and accomplishments in that time? And can you naturally integrate an “ask” into the conversation?

Perfecting a response to such a general inquiry can be quite challenging, and it requires some thoughtful preparation. Having a solid answer to this question can help in many settings — in interviews, networking events, etc. — not just elevators.

To help you draft and complete an exceptional elevator pitch, here are three key steps you need to consider:

Step One: Brainstorm Your Skills

Let’s brainstorm your best qualities, skills and past performance highlights that you should mention in your elevator pitch. What comes to mind first? This is not exclusively for professional experience — maybe you are highly organized and efficient in your personal life. Perhaps you volunteer regularly in your community. List everything that you’re proud of or passionate about.

What do you enjoy doing? What are you great at?
What positive feedback have you received from an employer and/or teacher?
What are your greatest accomplishments?

Step Two: Personalize Your Answer

A personalized elevator pitch will make you memorable and relatable. Think about how you can stand out and look special amongst a large candidate pool. What makes you special and worth investing in over another applicant? We can refer to this as your “unique value proposition (UVP).”

Your UVP can be a professional qualification or certification, but it can also be a personal characteristic, such as intellect. Just make sure you quantify your claim with detailed, factual information. For example, if your UVP is that you are highly intelligent, make sure you follow that claim with quantifiable and relevant proof.

To develop your UVP, answer the following questions:

What does a hiring manager desire? Whether applying to an actual position or imagining your dream position, what is that professional position’s objective and/or purpose? Think about why the position exists and how it functions. What is the goal of someone in that position? You can follow an actual job description or imagine what a hiring manager would desire from such a candidate.
What do qualified candidates offer? What type of skills or abilities does a person need in this position? This can be anything from education to professional and life experiences. Think about what the perfect candidate would embody. You can follow the requirements listed in an actual job description or imagine what an ideal candidate would provide.
What unique abilities do you offer? What do you want to mention that is not detailed through your general qualifications and skills but makes you unique? While only listing skills, talents and/or hobbies relevant to the desired position, make sure to include extra details about yourself beyond the requirements contained in the job description.

When answering these questions, your overlapping answers are the best qualities to focus on for your UVP.

Step Three: Define Your Goal or “Ask”

What is the professional goal that you are currently working towards? This is a pivotal part of your elevator pitch. If the person to whom you are speaking is a hiring manager, your boss or someone who can help you attain your professional goals, what would you like to ask of them?

While your goal can be hugely aspirational, your “ask” requires someone else’s assistance, so remember to keep it reasonable. Ask for an informational interview to explore potential opportunities, rather than directly asking for a job, which could be seen as requesting preferential treatment. An elevator pitch is not an opportunity to set an expectation of another person; it’s an opportunity to prove yourself!

What is your short-term professional goal? What is your long-term professional goal? If you need more help defining goals, check out the YALI Network Online Course lesson “Setting and Achieving Goals.”
What is the career objective or your dream job?
What will help you achieve your objective or attain your dream job (e.g., internship, job, advice, reference, mentor)?

Put It All Together

Once complete, go back through these three exercises and highlight or circle the top points you want to emphasize in your elevator pitch. Pick one top point from each step, then place each part together in a smooth and natural dialogue. While having a written script helps draft what you wish to say, you won’t always have a precise script in front of you, so try to keep things conversational and light. Be sure to practice giving your elevator pitch in front of a mirror and with friends, family or colleagues.

Here are a couple of examples of strong elevator pitches. Make sure you tailor yours to speak about your own experiences, strengths, skills and goals!

Example 1: Hi, my name is [insert name]. I’m currently studying education, and I’m interested in securing a job that will allow me to continue teaching and developing lessons. One of my greatest strengths is my ability to make my courses very practical for my students, helping them apply these lessons in their communities. Because my former volunteer work with nonprofit programs was key to my success, it’s important for me to help others develop to their highest potential. Do you know of any education nonprofits where they are looking for someone like me to help others reach their potential?

Example 2: Hi, I’m [insert name]. I’m a Human Resources Manager at [insert company] looking for more experience in the field. I’m looking for advice on further expanding my expertise in this field because my ultimate goal is to help organizations develop more tolerant workplace cultures. My supervisors frequently compliment me for being able to see different sides of the same story and negotiate with different personalities.

So, you gave your elevator pitch? Great work! Don’t forget to exchange contact information with your new professional acquaintance, and always follow up with a thank-you note (if the acquaintance did you a favor).

Source: Young Africans Leaders Initiative

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