Career Hacker Secrets

#12: Going All In

Welcome to the Career Hacker Mini Series. These are really short episodes that get straight to the point and tackle real-world challenges among career hackers in less than 10 minutes. In this episode, we're taking a bite out of Going All In. We go through the 7 steps you'll need to build the conviction to do whatever it takes to break into a top company, break into a top leadership role, or pivot into the job of your dreams. This is for anyone looking to take their skills, career, or life to the next level. Timestamps * 01:32 - The three levels of commitment * 01:37 - Level 1: I’ll try * 01:48 - Level 2: I’ll do my best * 02:08 - Level 3: Whatever it takes * 02:47 - Seven steps to improve your level of commitment * 02:58 - Step 1: Start with the end in mind * 03:22 - Step 2: Define your goal * 03:41 - Step 3: Find your Why * 04:42 - Step 4: Identify your Dream 100 * 05:17 - Step 5: Reach out to your Dream 100 * 05:33 - Step 6: Make a decision * 05:46 - Step 7: Define a Game Plan * 06:00 - Quick overview

#11: How to Land Your Dream Job After Getting Let Go with Dominik Mertens

Welcome to the 11th episode of the Career Hackers Secrets Podcast. Today we welcome Dominik Mertens, a mother of 3 who, after running events in higher education for 15 years, lost her job due to Covid. Despite her fear of not knowing what was next, she didn't settle. She didn't lose sight of her goal, and she managed to pivot into an incredible new career. Today Dominik is Chief Customer Officer at Bond, a platform that assists schools and organizations with digital transformation and virtual community building. In today’s episode, we will discuss job hunting, preparing for interviews, and negotiating a salary. We will also touch on why you shouldn’t assume you don't have the skillset for a new industry and field and why you are never too old to pivot. Finally, we will discuss the importance of knowing and advocating for other priorities in life, such as being a mom. This is an inspiring story, and I hope this episode will inspire as much as it inspired me. So if you are someone who recently lost your job and is looking to bounce back and redefine your career, this episode is for you. TimeStamps 00:00 - Introducing Dominik Mertens 03:04 - Dominik’s background: From Belgium to Barcelona and traveling all over the world 05:00 - The new job: Sales and building relationships 05:20 - Bond’s mission: Education and private community engagement 06:17 - Being let go due to Covid and bouncing back 08:40 - What inspired you to make this pivot? Focusing on the next step 10:40 - What options did you have available? Looking for jobs and filling out my Linkedin profile 12:18 - How long did the search take, and how did you approach it? Keep your energy up and be realistic 14:50 - What was the thing that helped you move forward? Believing in myself: If you want something to happen badly enough, it will happen 16:30- The three levels of commitment 17:41 - How did you determine this was a good opportunity? Because of how the job was described: Humanizing technology and sales as building relationships / Don’t assume you don't have the skillset for a new job, since a lot of skills are transferable 20:42 - Were there some skills you didn't have? How did you bridge the gap? Acquiring digital knowledge / Setting clear expectations about what soft skills you have and what hard skills you need to learn 23:04 - How did you prepare for interviews? Googling, looking at the competitors, thinking about what would you reply to questions, and showing interest 24:59 - The five C's: A framework to identify blind spots in a company 25:50 - Read the company’s website and focus on your strong areas 26:35 - Negotiating your salary when you are starting: Let them make the first offer and know your priorities (family first) 30:50 - Being a mom and a career woman 32:29 - Why do you think you got hired over other candidates? Being authentic, knowing your value, and being humble 34:14 - What advice would you give to someone who wants to pivot? Think about what are your transferable skills. You are never too old because experience is worth gold 37:17 - Any last words of wisdom? Don't worry if you don't have a clear path, new opportunities come.

#10: Finding Self-Compassion and Pivoting Into Your Dream Job with Selma Chang

Welcome to the tenth episode of the Career Hackers Secrets Podcast. Today we chat with Selma Chang, a rock star product marketer who pivoted from sales. I met Selma at LinkedIn in San Francisco a few years ago when she was passionate about pivoting into product marketing. You'll hear specifically how Selma overcame imposter syndrome and how she overcame mental breakdowns to pursue her dreams. She hired a life coach to help build confidence while is making that pivot to product marketing. There are many excellent takeaways, and so I'm not going to spoil them, but let me just tell you this: If you're someone looking to pivot into your next play, have that negative self-talk, or you're battling imposter syndrome, this interview is for you. Whether you're looking at pivoting into tech or pivoting within tech, you'll walk away feeling energized and more compassionate with yourself so you can move forward swiftly towards your career. Timestamps 00:00 - Introducing Selma Chang 02:45 - Working at LinkedIn and exploring what's next: From sales to product marketing 05:37 - Transitioning: Scared but ready for a change 07:14 - What inspired you to pivot? Coffee chats, being confident, and working on side projects during weekends 09:22 - How to find side projects 11:03 - Working with a nonprofit: A place that usually needs extra hands on deck no matter what your experience level is 13:09 - What was the most challenging part of making the switch? 15:15 - Picking up new skills before becoming a product marketer 16:03 - Taking on PMM side projects, landing interviews, and hiring a life coach 18:21 - Having a breakdown 19:20 - Applying for a new job 0:40 - Getting interviews: Leverage your network and position your resume correctly 23:27 - Preparing for interviews: Understand the language of your new position, tell your story right and take on more experience 27:41 - Negotiating your salary when you are starting: Find the right mentor and leverage your knowledge 30:35 - Landing the job and learning about yourself 34:50 - Preparing for the new position 36:55 - How has the new position been so far? 39:07 - What’s next 41:03 - What advice would you give your past self? 42:06 - Where to find out more If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. We’d love to hear from you! If you’re looking to pivot into your next big role, make sure to subscribe to our member community. You can find us at www.careerhackeracademy.com/community [http://www.careerhackeracademy.com/community].

#9: LinkedIn Premium, Is It Worth It?

Welcome to the Career Hacker Mini-Series. These are really short episodes that get straight to the point in real-world challenges among career hackers in less than 10 minutes. In this episode, we're taking a bite out of the reasons Why LinkedIn Premium is Worth It. You cannot afford to miss out on LinkedIn Premium, regardless of if you're job searching or not. Premium gives you access to valuable information, data, and expands your reach, all things that we will talk about in this episode. This is for anyone at any level looking to pivot into a new industry, break into a leadership role, or simply level up in their career. Looking for tips on how to improve your LinkedIn profile? Get the Linkedin Cheatsheet Mini-Guide below. Timestamps * 00:46 - Is it worth it to have Linkedin Premium? * 01:02 - Deeper analytics * 01:52 - Wider Network * 02:05 - Who viewed your profile? * 02:31 - In-mail * 02:41 - Access to LinkedIn Learning * 03:12 - Conclusion If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. We’d love to hear from you! If you’re looking to pivot into your next big role, make sure to subscribe to our member community. You can find us at www.careerhackeracademy.com/community [http://www.careerhackeracademy.com/community]. Here is the link to the mini-guide: www.careerhackeracademy.com/10-steps-linkedin-profile-miniguide [https://www.careerhackeracademy.com/10-steps-linkedin-profile-miniguide]

#8: From Musician Touring the World to Sr. Director at Salesforce with Latrice Barnett

Welcome to the sixth episode of the Career Hackers Secrets Podcast. Today we welcome Latrice Barnett. Latrice was once a band musician touring the world, and now she is a Senior Director at Salesforce in Silicon Valley. We'll get into the details of how she decided to completely change her life after 9/11 when she quit her very lucrative job to become a full-time musician. Latrice learned a lot about becoming an artist, becoming comfortable on stage, and connecting with an audience. Then, utilizing these skills, she pivoted into a project management role in a creative agency and later into tech. As always, we dig deep into the challenges and behind-the-scenes struggles. Latrice successfully transitioned from being a night owl to being back in a corporate setting, all while dealing with impostor syndrome and being a black woman in tech. If you are looking to see how your current skills can help you pivot into a new opportunity in a top tech company from an incredibly different type of job or lifestyle, this episode is for you. Timestamps 00:00 - Introducing Latrice Barnett 04:34 - Latrice’s background: Moving abroad, joining a band, and studying literature 07:10 - Coming back to the States, doing tech and quitting to being an artist full-time 11:02 - Pivoting into tech and project management: From landing an opportunity as a project manager and producer to joining Salesforce 14:13 - The most challenging part of transitioning from being a musician on the road to being in an office 15:16 - How did you approach landing interviews to break into different jobs? Understanding who your audience is and what do they want 17:12 - What skills did you feel you didn't have? Book smarts vs. experience, and having the freedom to fail 19:15 - Being open during the interviews process: The similarities between the music business and small businesses 21:04 - The experience at Salesforce so far: Carving out a place for yourself at a larger company 23:33 - What do you wish you would have known before getting into tech? The challenge of being a black woman in tech / The brainpower of many is more valuable than the brainpower of one 25:34 - Advice for coping with impostor syndrome: Listen to your gut and look for people who can help you 28:02 - Don't be afraid to reach out and connect with other people 29:44 - Where to find out more about Latrice If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. We’d love to hear from you! If you’re looking to pivot into your next big role, make sure to subscribe to our member community. You can find us at www.careerhackeracademy.com/community [http://www.careerhackeracademy.com/community].