Q&A and Recommendations

(Photo credit @jontyson)

This week is a bit of a hodgepodge collection of Q&A advice & tool recommendations & job/intern/training links to help you navigate the current hiring landscape & remote work environment. Enjoy!

Q&A

• Should I be networking right now?

  • Yes, I think it's fine to be networking. Many employees have had at least two weeks to figure out their new working at home situation, and might be ready to accept networking emails/calls.

  • One thing to consider: how to balance being persistent and pestering. Right now, it's helpful for you to be diligent about following up as everyone is juggling many things. However, you don't wait to follow-up as quickly as you might normally - I'd wait at least a week in between follow-ups, maybe even two weeks.

  • Also, if you do end up on a call with a contact, it's ok to start the call with a general 'how are you handling remote work right now?" I find that most of my calls/meetings right now default to starting with a similar question. Phrasing it this way makes it easier to acknowledge the global situation & focus on the work-related aspects of it, vs veering too far into someone's personal details.

• Is anyone hiring right now?

  • Yes, there are multiple companies who are in need of help -- areas that come to mind include: ecommerce platforms/distribution channels; remote work/productivity software; CPGs producing household goods like toilet paper/cleaning supplies; tech companies powering the streaming services & the internet backbone itself

  • Scroll down for additional links to jobs

• If I have received an offer from Company A and I'm still interviewing with Company B, should I tell either of them about the other?

  • Yes! It's good practice to keep your recruiters informed as it gives them the best opportunity to be your advocate and help you get the best offer from their company. However, you don't need to share all the details with each of them, only the pertinent info they need to move things along.

  • First, I suggest you call company B and tell them you just received an offer from another company and they have given you a deadline of X date (that's all you need to share). Tell B that you remain interested/excited in interviewing with B, and would appreciate the chance to complete the interview process with them on an accelerated timeline. The recruiter will then be able to tell you if it's possible for them to accelerate your interview process to meet A's deadline, or not.

  • If B needs more time, you go back to A to ask for a short extension to their deadline (based on what time B told you they need), so that you are able to complete the interview process with one other company & thus fully evaluate both career options.

  • Most times, as long as recruiters see you are working with them in good faith, they will try to help you as best as they can.

4 Productivity "Survival" Tools/products I've been using & recommend

• Headspace

  • I became a Headspace devotee about 5.5 years ago when my father became ill and I moved home to help take care of him in the months before he passed away. One of the best gifts from Google was the Search Inside Yourself class. I'm proud to say I'm on day 473 of a daily 20-minute meditation streak. Great quote from the MindfulMBA: "Mindfulness is leadership training because it teaches you how to continue through discomfort, uncertainty, and even chaos. It trains you to be the calm in the middle of the storm."

• Focus@Will

  • Founded by neuroscientists & musicologists, the Focus@Will app alters subtle music characteristics to help you focus longer. Using the Focus@Will app is like flipping a switch on in my brain that sends me into super focus mode. I've been using it for at least 4 years and find it amazingly helpful to put on headphones and just focus. My preference is the Ambient channel. I just saw that they are offering 50% off memberships too!

• Stand Steady X-Elite Pro

  • I bought a desktop standing desk a week ago as I have gotten so tired of sitting at my desk all day. Brilliant choice. This one is very easy to use & relatively inexpensive for the quality of life it provides! Not sure yet about buying other items (like an anti-fatigue mat) - will keep you posted!

• Clickup

  • I think I found the holy grail of project management tools. I love how highly structured and infinitely flexible Clickup is for managing projects. I especially love the ability to have a list, board, calendar AND gantt chart view of a project, without having to pick one like many other tools force you to do (I'm looking at you Asana and Trello). Still working on the best practices but thus far, it's been amazing (is it too much to say my heart pitter-patters when I think of Clickup? Maybe that's the cabin fever talking...)

(Note: I am an affiliate for these tools -- tho I only recommend products I *actually* use often!)

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Want personalized career guidance? Take a look at my Career Strategy Session options.

Handling job searches in tough times

(Photo by @andrewtneel)

As I meet with students, I am hearing a continuous stream of questions: "what do I do? is this going to get better? how do I handle it? what will happen next month/year?" I try to be as honest as I can in my assessment of the hiring landscape, and share my story to show that you too will face challenges in your career and figure out ways to recover.

Can I tell you a secret? I've been laid off three times in my career.

Once, in early 2001: I have the dubious distinction of being one of the first people McKinsey ever laid off. As a junior recruiter, I started my job and was there for 6 weeks before getting laid off in early 2001. I then received 6 weeks of severance and 6 months of outplacement services (which is what senior executives received at companies like JP Morgan and Ford). At the time, that meant a personal career coach and a dedicated office in midtown Manhattan to help support my job search. Luckily for me, the outplacement firm then offered me a job -- and that's where I was working on 9/11/2001 when tragedy struck New York City. My job was the only secure thing in a world of chaos and fear, and I believed that my work was helping others who had lost their jobs recover and move forward.

Second, in 2004: I was excited to join a social networking startup called TheSquare.com. As Director of Marketing/Membership, I hosted parties to get new members -- and when actors Chris Noth (Sex in the City) & Scott Speedman (Underworld) attended, membership skyrocketed 30%!! Things were going great! And then we started cross-promoting with this tiny college startup called TheFacebook...and within a couple months, I was laid off. It took me a few months but then I landed at MIT to help grow a preprofessional program called UPOP. I loved helping students gain skills to get their foot in the door & launch their careers.

Third, in 2007: I was poached from MIT to start a campus recruiting program at growing B2B startup Endeca. I worked with the CEO and senior leaders to build a program to hire coders & consultants as intern and full-time hires, managing $.5M budget ...until the company started to see a sharp decline in sales as the mortgage crisis turned into the Great Recession. I was offered the chance to stay on in a regular HR role but I enjoy engaging with students more than benefits administration. I landed my role at Harvard Kennedy School a few months later and had a front-row seat to the Obama election. I worked for David Gergen, a former advisor to 4 US Presidents, and helped connect graduate students to senior leaders in healthcare, government, education and business - from General Colin Powell to Bill George (former CEO, Medtronic) to Valerie Jarrett (former senior advisor to President Obama).

Why am I telling you this?

I know what it's like to have hard things happen and to not know what to do next.

I know that it can feel like the wind is knocked out of you.

I know what it feels like to not be sure how you'll pay your rent.

I know that we are facing something unprecedented in our lifetimes and that's scary for everyone.

Leaders we admire face all kinds of challenges on a daily basis and all of them started right where you are.

I know that you have the skills and the initiative to figure out a way forward -- and sometimes, really great things can come from uncertain times.

This too shall pass.

I was able to bounce back from each of these challenges by trusting my skills, my instincts and my network.

Many organizations are full of good people who are trying to do the right thing by their employees, customers and future candidates (though there will be some who make a lot of mistakes along the way). There is an incredibly generous spirit out in the world right now - try to tap into it or add to it if you can.

#WhatShouldIDoNow

• Take a deep breath. Exhale. Repeat until you are calm. Trust me. It will get better. You are amazing.

• Practice empathy towards others. Imagine what it is like to be in their shoes and let that guide you in your responses.

• Build your resilience. My post last week was full of tips on how to cope & how to build your resilience.

• Look to see who is hiring.

  • 28 Companies that are Hiring Now

  • Umbrella is hiring immediately for an Operations Partner to help provide services to seniors who are stuck at home. Let me know if you want to be connected.

• Stay in the process. Continue to keep networking to find out about job opportunities before they are posted. And keep submitting job applications - the only way for you to be considered is if you have applied.

• Ask for help when you need it. Family, friends, colleagues, etc are all great resources to help you with problems big and small, or seek out professional support for the challenges that require more focused attention.

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Want personalized job search strategy tips and career guidance? Take a look at my Career Strategy Session options.

Adjusting to the Dynamism of Tech

(Photo credit @jesuskiteque)

When I do my tech industry overview, I talk about the dynamism of tech, with constant mergers & acquisitions. Having the ability to recognize & react to ambiguous situations is a hallmark skill for accelerating innovation in tech.

In business, the ability to transform obstacles into opportunities is highly valued. The same growth mindset that helps you navigate working in a dynamic industry like tech will also help support you during the uncertain challenges that we're all facing in the coming months. Speaking to students today about identifying what they can control (interview readiness) vs what they can't (no responses from networking emails) was helpful to reframe expectations.

Learn more:

• 10 principles of resilience for women in tech

• 4 ways to boost your resilience in tough times

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