The blog for all things Apochromatik.
Farther, Faster…
How To Know It's Time To Go
More evidence amasses each day that experiences, not things, are what bring people happiness. In my own life, I can say that I've had more recurring positive feelings remembering past trips I've taken than enjoying any item I've ever purchased. Being that an average person will spend around 90,000 hours, or 1/3 of a lifetime, at work, it behooves us to pursue careers that provide meaningful experiences in addition to a solid income. For those considering a career change to find more fulfillment, I've compiled a list of questions to ask yourself to sort out whether it's time for you to take the leap.
What if you're in a cocoon? Career lessons from butterflies.
“Are you sure she’s ready?”
“Open the lid, Amy.”
“But what if she’s not ready?”
“She’s ready. Open. The. Lid.”
A few months ago, I found myself having this exchange at a butterfly park. As family members stood waiting, the tour guide kept nudging me to open the lid of what appeared to be a takeout soup container. Inside the container, a rare butterfly had emerged from the cocoon she had made on the underside of the lid. As she sat there, I kept wondering – what if she isn’t ready? And what I would see if I had a microscope? To my untrained and unenhanced eyes, this butterfly looked less like a runner at starting blocks, ready to launch, and more like a creature clutching the remnants of her old life.
What if 2020 is a cocoon? Career lessons from butterflies.
“Are you sure she’s ready?”
“Open the lid, Amy.”
“But what if she’s not ready?”
“She’s ready. Open. The. Lid.”
A few months ago, I found myself having this exchange at a butterfly park. As family members stood waiting, the tour guide kept nudging me to open the lid of what appeared to be a takeout soup container. Inside the container, a rare butterfly had emerged from the cocoon she had made on the underside of the lid. As she sat there, I kept wondering – what if she isn’t ready? And what I would see if I had a microscope? To my untrained and unenhanced eyes, this butterfly looked less like a runner at starting blocks, ready to launch, and more like a creature clutching the remnants of her old life.
Focus on Career: Networking
July is a great time to jump start your job search, so throughout the month, we’re focusing on different elements of the process.
Summer is just around the corner: Everything You Need to Know to Succeed in Your Career I Learned at Noah's Ark Waterpark
With all that’s going on, we thought you might like to be transported for a few minutes to summer, and to times that now seem so much simpler. That’s why we’re resharing this post that has resonated with readers from around the world.
Job Search Month: Networking
September is a great time to jump start your job search, so throughout the month, we’re focusing on different elements of the process.
This week, we’re starting where your search should: networking. Whether or not you’re looking for a new position, no one has ever regretted having a strong network. From client referrals to moral support to, yes, help finding a new job, your network is an important asset you must invest in. In fact, studies show that 70 percent of jobs are filled through a networking contact, and the average annual income for workers who got their job with a referral is 6% higher than those who didn’t.
7 Strategies to Manage Stress, Burnout, and Anxiety During the Job Search
“Kate” has it all together. We’ve worked to ensure her resume is excellent. Her cover letters are customized and strong. She is focused in her job search. She knows that networking is (usually) where the jobs are, and has worked to build an engaged and supportive network.
But . . . she’s at that point where she’s waiting to receive an offer for a job, waiting on another interview that needed to be rescheduled, waiting for a couple of key people in her network to come back from vacation and make introductions. And she’s hit a wall. She is tired from the stress of job interviews, networking, tired of working to find her next job at the same time she’s working ridiculous hours at the current job, tired of also doing her share at home, anxious about how much longer she’ll have to continue enduring this process. . . .
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.
How Listening to Leslie Knope Changed My Life
“As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people’s ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.”
- Amy Poehler
Three years ago, I didn’t know what a mastermind was. Today, I know that my accomplishments over the last two years are attributable in many ways to the focus, accountability, and development that a mastermind provided. In short, Amy Poehler (or, as I prefer to think of her, Leslie Knope) is right. Let me back up.
You've had the Thanksgiving feast...now it is Cyber Monday!
You’ve had the Thanksgiving Feast...
Stood in line for the deals of the century...
Took a nap over the weekend and watched a game, binge watched that show you have been wanting to watch, or spent time with friends or family...
And now?
You are back at work.
Things haven’t changed since before the holiday, have they? They probably won’t change in the new year either. In fact, they probably haven’t changed for a long time now, right?
Are you ready to move your career to the next level?
One Common Mistake to Avoid in the Search for True Job/Career Satisfaction
Job satisfaction, and for that matter career satisfaction, can play a big role in our overall happiness. I don’t know many people who haven’t had the Sunday evening “workweek dread” come over them around 4:00 p.m. But if that happens to you more weeks and sometimes days than not, you might need to consider whether you have real job satisfaction.
Preparing for your annual performance review?
Performance reviews are just around the corner for many firms and organizations. In addition to our recent four-part series on performance reviews, check out Amy M. Gardner’s conversation about performance reviews on Heather Hubbard’s Hustle & Flow podcast.