Things They Don't Teach You In Business School

Thanks Pam! Appreciate the kind words. It's ...

2012-05-29T16:14:09.507-05:00

Thanks Pam! Appreciate the kind words.

It's truly important to know your aversion to risk. I was the girl who kept her apartment for an entire year when she first worked abroad, so tales of people walking away from their jobs after six months petrified me. That's not to say that six months is rash, it's just something that would have been too quick for me.

It was all worth it as the six years were spent questioning absolutely everything. I came away from this exercise knowing myself a lot better and confident that I could pull it off.

Great post, Alicia! I met Pam Slim 3 years ago and...

2012-05-29T15:25:17.117-05:00

Great post, Alicia! I met Pam Slim 3 years ago and continue to look to her for inspiration - which, by the way, is how I found your post! It's a great reminder that transforming your life takes time - nothing worthwhile happens fast (at least most of the time.) I really like how you talk about doing it on your own terms - to your own "level of comfort and tolerance to risk" - just because I may be a bit slower doesn't mean my dream is not true or relevant.

Great job on doing it your way!

LaSaan definitely knows her stuff! I went to a tas...

2012-05-15T08:51:29.378-05:00

LaSaan definitely knows her stuff! I went to a tasting and enjoyed new wines that I haven't heard of before. She is a wonderful teacher at helping you understand what it is that you do and don't like about the wine. You can describe what your mouth is doing and she explains it well and guides you to wines that you would enjoy more. Definitely a wonderful teacher!

Good observation about a recommendation pile-up be...

2012-02-08T15:18:01.223-06:00

Good observation about a recommendation pile-up being a more ominous sign!

On endorsements: My approach is to review the relationship of the endorser to the endorsee. I pay more attention to individuals the candidate's reported to as well as his or her clients. These reviews tend to be shorter, less effusive and provide good talking points for a screening or interview.

Sudden bursts of LinkedIn activity can definitely ...

2012-02-08T14:59:18.252-06:00

Sudden bursts of LinkedIn activity can definitely signal a flight risk, though I believe it's more from multiple "recommendations" appearing rather than connections. I'm guilty of letting business cards queue up for one large LI invite blast (though I do personalize the invites to where I met the individual)

Along those lines, I seriously question the value of a LinkedIn recommendation. They are always glowing, effusively enthusiastic, and worse, they are reciprocal. Typically written in quid-pro-quo response and equally enamoring. What can one really learn about a potential hire from their recommendations?

You're very welcome! Start with baby steps the...

2011-11-18T09:49:51.627-06:00

You're very welcome! Start with baby steps then build on from there.

Thank very much for thes information! Telling the ...

2011-11-18T03:00:33.360-06:00

Thank very much for thes information! Telling the truth I didn't know anything about it before... Very interesting stuff.

One thing I have found very useful in the last thr...

2011-11-09T12:08:11.435-06:00

One thing I have found very useful in the last three jobs I've landed - I have grouped my experiences and skills to present a "suite" of expertise (such as organizational change, or troubled project rehab). That seems to be what HR is using to characterize on their end, so it is easier to find a good fit.

oh wow!!!

2011-10-11T14:45:24.152-05:00

oh wow!!!

Very true about the phone screen

2011-08-30T19:57:03.230-05:00

Very true about the phone screen

The evolution of social media can lead to that. Th...

2011-07-05T03:19:31.553-05:00

The evolution of social media can lead to that. Thanks a lot for that info.

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Thanks Anonymous! Your comments are spot-on. The d...

2011-06-13T12:25:37.342-05:00

Thanks Anonymous! Your comments are spot-on. The drought is over -- I've chosen entrepreneurship and it's been challenging and rewarding in every way. Cheers for stopping by and reading.

Job interviewing is like dating: • a ton of ridic...

2011-06-10T13:43:01.550-05:00

Job interviewing is like dating:

• a ton of ridiculous ritual
• both people feel awkward
• the incredibly judgmental usually put stock in the wrong trait

and also,

• when you meet the right match, what matters most comes through without fuss

but sadly,

• it can a be depressing drought before it happens.

Good luck in your search!

Thanks Ashley! Many of these are lessons learned a...

2011-06-09T15:45:37.687-05:00

Thanks Ashley! Many of these are lessons learned after several years in the workplace. I'm glad Susan has listed them all down in one handy document!

great post! Important information to always keep ...

2011-06-09T15:20:03.084-05:00

great post! Important information to always keep in mind!

... who's accomplished much in her career beca...

2011-06-09T11:37:29.012-05:00

... who's accomplished much in her career because she has the integrity to express her opinions and put her name to them. What about you Anonymous Blogger? Come out in the open and express your views. That's what real leaders do.

Obviously written by a boss......

2011-06-09T11:18:24.731-05:00

Obviously written by a boss......

Absolutely. Taking little (calculated) risks every...

2011-05-02T02:32:53.203-05:00

Absolutely. Taking little (calculated) risks everyday should be rewarded so people can take bigger (and still calculated) risks in future. Leadership is not just about maintenance but more of advancing the cause. And you can't do that without taking risks.

Some people are afraid of change. Fear of failure ...

2011-05-01T20:42:17.871-05:00

Some people are afraid of change. Fear of failure are holding them back for greater opportunities.

Great creative work. Transmedia would not take muc...

2011-04-27T11:39:39.090-05:00

Great creative work. Transmedia would not take much long to come. Way too interactive :D

I think your preferences are spot-on for an innie,...

2011-03-31T01:18:03.892-05:00

I think your preferences are spot-on for an innie, and it may seem that most of the time you're living in the Twilight Zone. The ease with which people blather on at gatherings? It's a skill they've developed, not something that comes naturally to most people. You may feel you're the only one feeling out of place and foolish in a room, but I can assure you that at least half the room feels that way too.

There are some practical things you can do to give you more control over the situation. Know your limits. If the thought of being stranded when conversation dries up is your main turn-off, work around it.

Commission a friend to be your 'wing man' when you need to network, and make an agreement beforehand that this person should not leave your side all throughout. Nobody needs to know.

Duck out whenever you feel awkward, saying you've got a call to make. Make arrangements to call a friend when you're feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes a short conversation with someone you know gives you a second wind.

Most of all, don't feel obliged at all to play by the rules, because there aren't any. I've found that the most stress comes from the demands we place on ourselves, e.g. "I just got here, to leave right now is rude." Tell the host or hostess that you can only stay for a few minutes as you've got a dinner to attend. Pre-plan your exit. You may just find that you'll be sticking around longer than you thought you would.

I would like to know how not to do this. Honestly...

2011-03-29T13:37:12.026-05:00

I would like to know how not to do this. Honestly, I feel very awkward when people seem to naturally break into groups and start talking. I feel like an alien, and I don’t know how they manage to do this. I always, without fail, end up alone in a corner for mysterious reasons I simply do not understand. Maybe it’s body language on my part or a look on my face, whatever it is it must be unconscious and non-verbal. And it always happens. I hate the feeling completely. Now I am most assuredly introverted and I may not want to talk long whatever the case, but I am not averse to talking. I am averse to looking like a f*cking fool, which in these situations I seem to have no control over. It’s particularly awkward when I’m with my husband who is an extrovert extraordinaire and needs to be yakking with someone nearly every minute of the day (and I’m not exaggerating). He’s on the phone or internet 95% of the time. I don’t need that type of face time. It cuts into my web surfing, book reading, movie watching and just general daydreaming. I truly live inside of my head; that’s how I know I’m a true innie. It’s a much better place than the yucky, ultra competitive social rules laden and un-magical world in which we live. Maybe that’s why I find most actual people tiresome. They just don’t live up to the fun characters of the imagination.

Thanks Jill! 30 minutes a day is more than enough ...

2011-03-15T01:19:40.609-05:00

Thanks Jill! 30 minutes a day is more than enough and reaps huge rewards.

I couldn't agree with you more, Alicia. That b...

2011-03-14T08:30:50.339-05:00

I couldn't agree with you more, Alicia. That being said, this post was a great reminder! It's very easy to get caught up in the day to day grind and forget about the longterm. However, it is exactly those efforts that are necessary to true success.

I'm officially scheduling 30 minutes of "me" time into my daily schedule!

I particularly love the last quote, really true. I...

2011-03-01T04:06:52.384-06:00

I particularly love the last quote, really true. I haven't been contributing much in the sense of comments, but I really enjoy your blog.