Soft skills

Networking – How to Find the Next Career Opportunity

by
find career opportunity

Last week, Sarah, a fellow Wharton classmate, asked me this question: “How do I find my next career opportunity if I am a generalist?  Do I need to figure out what function I want to specialize in first?.”  Here is the background of Sarah’s story.

Sarah loves working with people and she has worked in a varieties of roles leading many teams from marketing, HR, to project management and operations in the last 15 years.   Now she is wondering whether she is focused enough to keep progressing in the current company and how to find the next career opportunity. ...  read more

Career Break – How Long Can You Take?

by
career break

Can you take a career break – time off from work to do other things like travel or be a full time mom?  If so, how long can you safely take a career break if you want to come back to work afterwards.  These are popular questions among new mothers with young children as well as from anyone who is burnt out by their career and need a break. ...  read more

Mid Career Change – 4 Tips on How to Do it

by
career change at 40

Making a mid career change, a career change around the age of 40 or 45, is a courageous decision. It is possible for anyone in their mid-life to do this, as long as they understand the trade-offs involved.

Below is a great question I received from a reader who is considering a mid career change, and 4 tips I had for her that would make this change possible. ...  read more

Achieving Work Life Balance – A Letter to Myself

by
achieving work life balance

Achieving work life balance takes self-awareness, making tough choices, and being disciplined.  As a recovering over-achiever and perfectionist, this is hard for me.     My natural tendency with any job is to err on the side of working over-time and prioritizing my job above anything else.   The only reason I was able to maintain a healthy work life balance for the last six years was by contracting instead of working as a full time employee.  Being paid by the hour reminded me constantly to stay un-attached and avoid over-working. ...  read more

Dealing with a Difficult Boss – Lynn Marie’s Story

by

Dealing with a difficult boss is always a sensitive topic.  We don’t always know if we should say anything, or how we should go about addressing our issues with them.  This is why I am excited to introduce another candid conversation with one of our Executive Authors, Lynn Marie Auzenne.

In this recording, we discussed Lynn Marie’s first business job.  Her boss was mysteriously difficult, and we’ll see what she did in response: ...  read more

Should I Negotiate Salary: How I Almost Made a $6,000 Mistake

by
should I negotiate salary

“Should I negotiate my salary?” This is a question we will ask ourselves every time we get a job offer, especially for a job we want.    I recently had to go through this decision-making process, and I want to share my thoughts and what I learned with you.    

I think many of us can identify with the reasons why we don’t want to negotiate.  What many of us don’t think about are some of the great reasons we should always negotiate.  I hope this story will help you better answer the question, “Should I negotiate salary?” on your next job offer.   I look forward to your comments. ...  read more