Today we’re focusing on the idea of career reinvention. We’ll discuss the pros and cons and then which steps may be helpful in this process once you make the decision that this is the right move for you.

Those of you who were fortunate to keep your jobs during quarantine may have already returned to work or will be returning soon. You may feel a lot of uncertainty around that, like who still works there? How have my co-workers been affected by quarantine? How will the company be different? I’m certainly no expert on the health aspects of the workplace, so I want to focus on some best practices you can personally adopt as you return to work. Here are the 5 top qualities you have the opportunity to demonstrate, or develop, as you return to work.

Many employees would assume that their boss knows exactly what they are already doing, minute by minute. They figure if the boss gave them this responsibility, they should be able to manage it in addition to what they are already doing – otherwise, why would the boss have assigned it? WRONG. Of course, your boss has at least a general idea of what you’re doing, but it is a mistake to assume she knows how full your plate is. Today we’ll be talking about the factors you need to consider when the boss puts a new responsibility on your plate.

Today, we’ll cover my top five ways to quickly become branded as “unprofessional.” I’ve described them as you might talk about someone who is unprofessional and given you some of my real-world experiences with unprofessional behavior.

I came across an article on LiveCareer entitled “14 Skills and Values Employers Seek in Jobseekers,” and I wanted to share it with you. Today we’ll walk through these 14 skills and talk a bit about each.

Today, we’ll talk about how you can have difficult work conversations in a way that doesn’t leave one or both parties feeling like you’ve been run over and left for road kill. The purpose of this exercise is to move the relationship forward, not to convince the other person that you’re right and they are wrong. There is no upside to having a winner and a loser. Be willing to be wrong…or at least not right.

Today’s guest is Jeanne Bohen, and we’re discussing transferable skills. Especially in today’s job search climate, being able to pivot by identifying and capitalizing on your transferable skills has never been more important. We discuss what transferable skills are, why they are so important, and a process you can go through to identify your transferable skills. We also talk about the importance of proactively developing transferable skills as part of your career development plan.

A few years back I coined the term “ARFO” – Always Ready for Opportunity. It is the idea that you should always be prepared to have conversations about job opportunities…and that there are certain steps you want to take to be prepared for those conversations. Today we’ll talk about the importance of ARFO in the time of COVID.

Today’s guest is AmyK Hutchens, and we’re talking about “How to Handle Tough Career Conversation.” AmyK covers how to handle three particularly challenging career conversations: the job interview, dealing with a difficult co-worker, & asking for a raise. AmyK also provides you with her three top tips for handling any tough career conversation you may face.

Today we’ll be talking about the questions that can be useful during a first meeting with a boss. This is your chance to determine what your boss’s expectations of you are, what criteria he will use to measure your success, and what is most important to your boss. This is also the perfect time to clarify job responsibilities, as well as things like work hours, dress code, and expense reporting. For the boss, this is an opportunity to understand how to motivate and communicate with the new hire.

The holidays are a time for family, rest, good food…a time to unplug from the hustle and grind that, for many of us, defines our work life the rest of the year. In the midst of that family time and relaxation, you have an opportunity to reflect and journal on your professional life. Review 2021 and set intentions for 2022. Here are six simple ways to help your career during the holidays.

Today’s guest is Bruce Tulgan of Rainmaker Thinking. Today we talk about how to be indispensable at work. Bruce defines indispensability: to whom should you seek to be indispensable, and how to be indispensable while maintaining a work/life balance (or, as I like to call it, work/life blend). Bruce talks about his extensive research in this area, and the key takeaways you can use to become indispensable at work.

This week, I have return guest Bruce Tulgan with me. We are talking about the unique challenges of managing, and being managed, remotely. With so many companies working from home at least part of the time, this is a particularly relevant topic.

Today, I want to talk about overcoming an employment gap. We’ll be looking at this from an internal and external perspective.

Today we’ll be talking about the 13 career questions I recommend contemplating during the holidays. I am a huge proponent of journaling, so grab a notebook and begin writing.

My guest for today’s episode is Fawn Germer, and we’re talking about why the pandemic offers a tremendous opportunity for those of use willing to step up to the plate. In this episode, we discuss the following: Lessons learned about perseverance in the face of falling down – often, advice for people looking for a job during COVID, especially those who have been looking for months, how to stand out in your job during these times of uncertainty and rapid change, how to keep your skills current to remain marketable in a crowded job market, and the concept of guerilla networking – and how to do it.

My guest today is Jawad Ahsan, CFO of Axon. We are talking about how to move into the executive ranks. Here are the topics Jawad addresses on this episode:

-His personal journey into the executive ranks, including his biggest surprises

-Three strategies to make yourself the obvious choice to step into the executive ranks

-The biggest mistakes he sees others make when trying to move into the executive ranks

Today’s podcast is based heavily on the getlighthouse.com blog, specifically the blog titled “18 Questions to Ask Your Manager to Improve Your Relationship and Better Manage Up.” Whether you are trying to improve your relationship with your manager from bad to okay, okay to good, or good to great, you can work with your manager to improve your relationship and make work much more enjoyable for both of you.

For this episode, I leaned heavily on the article “7 Essential Tips for Effective 1 on 1 Meetings with Your Manager” from the getlighthouse.com blog. In a perfect world, 1:1 meetings with your boss should be something you have regularly, and actually look forward to. Done well, effective 1:1 meetings are an opportunity for feedback, coaching, relationship-building, & goal-setting. Here are some tips on how to have a more successful 1:1 with your boss.

Today’s episode is pulled heavily from the Real Simple article “4 Moments When You Need a Mentor” in the November 2020 issue by Ronnie Koenig. We will cover why having a mentor is important, the 4 moments when they are most helpful, and even the benefits of becoming a mentor yourself.