6 tips to driving your career

There are many things in our careers that we have no control over, so I started thinking about the things that we actually can control. Isn't it true that we often undervalue our own power to improve our work lives? In a recent NYTimes article, Birchbox co-founder Katia Beauchamp said something that I find very honest from an employer: “This is your life. This is your career. I’m here to set you up for success. But you’re driving.” Inspired, I compiled 6 tips to driving your career that I hope will benefit your company, your colleagues, and yourself.

1. See the potential in yourself. Know your own weaknesses and opportunities for growth better than anybody else -- having humility in all the things you don't know will drive you to work harder and learn faster. You should never be blindsided during mid-year and annual reviews with your manager. In fact, you should be adding to the list of things you'd like to develop further within yourself.

2. Banish that concept of "beneath you" kind of work. Some of the most junior team members are closest to tracking data, executing on your business and watching your competitors. Keep your fingers on the pulse of your business: don't look down on the "junior" tasks (i.e. pulling and analyzing data) that are often most critical to influencing strategy.

3. If you don't feel intellectually challenged, find your own challenge. Put in longer hours to take your projects to another level beyond what's asked. Think of work as getting paid to learn and investing in your professional development, instead of just a means to pay the bills. Remember: some people go back to grad school to learn the kind of things that you get to learn for free!

4. Don't obsess over your job description. Your actual job will never completely match your job description, so don't obsess with what's on paper. Stubbornly committing to a defined role makes you inflexible to change, and guess what-- industries change and evolve all the time. Your title may not be reflective of your actual responsibilities, but remember what's actually important (your responsibilities).

5. Say yes to projects that are not in your field. Raise your hand for new work on new teams. Deeply understanding other teams' contribution to the company will help you understand the entire business in a more comprehensive way. Your perspective may actually provide great insight to a team that has only been seeing things in one way.

6. Practice communicating the hard stuff. If you have any working relationship issues with your team, ask if you can do anything to help. If your manager is too micromanaging or doesn't manage enough, it's your responsibility to schedule that one-on-one meeting to identify ways to improve working together, and to do it with compassion and respect.

These are my tips... what other ways can we drive our careers? Do you agree or disagree with anything in the above?

PS: 16 tips to rocking your job interview.

(Photo of Wonderwoman via here)

16 tips to rocking your job interview

Five of my close New York friends are currently interviewing for new jobs right now, so I've been emailing tips and mock interviewing the past couple of weeks. Until this year, I didn't really have much experience interviewing. I had received a full-time offer after my junior year college internship at L'Oreal, so I was out of practice until Amazon/Quidsi reached out on Linkedin three years later. (That led to 5 interviews, which then led to an offer). Anyway, I wanted to share some advice that I've accumulated from very smart people in my life and through personal experience. Here are 16 tips to rocking a job interview...

The First 11 Basic Rules: These rules are tweaked by me but originated from Josh Golden, CMO of Story Worldwide, a millennial in a Gen X body and a great advice giver. (Thanks Josh!)

1. Dress appropriately -- either plus one over the interview if it's a corporate job, or reflective of the company's culture if it's a start-up (i.e. don't come in wearing a suit if everyone wears jeans).
2. The interview starts before you arrive. Be nice to everyone and turn off your cell phone.
3. Bring multiple copies of your résumé, which should be customized to reflect the job you're applying for.
4. Rehearse your interview with someone. You'll be surprised by how often you say "um".
5. Do your research. Seriously... research voraciously.
6. Write down 3 things you remembered from the interview. Take notes during or immediately after so you can reference some nice details in your thank you note.
7. Thank you note within 24 hours. Under 3 hours is too short. Over 24 hours, not interested enough.
8. Have 3-5 questions ready. More on that below.
9. Stalk them beforehand (on Linkedin). Not knowing who you'll be talking to is just irresponsible. You don't need to share this info with your interviewer, but being prepared is always a plus.
10. If it feels right, ask what next steps should be. 
11. Follow up within 2 weeks with an appropriate email that highlights something you read or is related to what you talked about during the interview. This shows that you keep up with industry news and that you're on the same page as your interviewer.

The Next 5 Rules to Raise The Bar: These are my gold stars that will take you from standard to exceptional.

1. Be an Active Listener. Never interrupt. Actively listen, then answer questions without a 5 minute long prelude. Don't ramble so much that you forget the question they asked in the first place.
2. Be positive and additive. Why would you ever complain about your current role? Even if the complaints are warranted, the negativity will cling to you. Suddenly, you're a Debbie Downer with a sense of entitlement. Also be careful when giving feedback on the company you're interviewing for, because you are probably about to critique something your interviewer directly works on. Be additive, not negative. 
3. Have your 5 good stories. Learn them so well that you can fit them into any question coming your way.
4. Use the STAR methodology. Before the interview, take out a piece of paper and split the page into: Situation, Task, Action, and Results. Now write down your 5 stories, find the STAR in them, and practice your narrative.
5. Make your questions count. Don't be redundant and ask a question that your interviewer already addressed. Here are a few general favorites:

• What's your background and how did you end up here at X?
• What are some of your key challenges in your career and how did you overcome them?
• What’s your favorite part about your job?
• What kind of challenges is the business facing and how can I help?
• What type of skills and characteristics will help a person in this role thrive and succeed?
• What are your key priorities/projects for this year?

Any other tips to add to the list? Hope this helps, and best of luck on your interviews! I'm here to mock interview you, if you need me. :)

career advice from stanford business school

What's the most valuable career advice you've ever gotten? I'm learning a lot this week thanks to the great content over at Stanford Business School's Youtube channel.  All of the interviews provide insight into a particular business topic-- storytelling, branding, negotiation, etc. -- but they also contain nuggets of guidance into the intersection of our careers and our passions. Here are a two of my favorites...

"When I talk to entrepreneurs, I always speak about that-- to really think forward, and not just take what comes along, and really be thoughtful in building your business." -- Tory Burch (via Stanford GSB)

"You get so much more done during those little moments of emotional connection and using story to make those moments of emotional connection makes it even more powerful, and keeps the organization more healthy, and strengthens you as a leader." -- Nancy Duarte (via Stanford GSB)

Thoughtful advice, right? I also just purchased Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In which I'm excited to get started on. I've heard great things!