Episode 69: How I Chose My Top 3 Career Non-Negotiables

Episode 69: How I Chose My Top 3 Career Non-Negotiables

The Paradox of Choice is why you need to exercise discipline and choose your Top 3 Career Non-Negotiables for your next career move. It’s a game changer.

A Career Lesson from Milk & Tinder

 

Think about the last time you visited the milk aisle.
Did you notice the never-ending & growing number of OPTIONS?
There’s soy, almond, oat, 2%, low-fat, non-fat, skim, organic, lactose-free, and so on.
The average consumer makes their choice, but is often left wondering, “Did I make the right decision? Is there a better milk out there for me?”
In the 1950’s, there was one type of milk available, and people didn’t second-guess their decision. In fact, they were pretty damn happy with their milk.
This same concept applies in modern dating, with apps like Tinder.
In Aziz Anzari’s book “Modern Romance” (great book if you haven’t checked it out), he talks about how a 1932 sociological study that took place in Philly found that 1 in 3 married couples were people who had grown up within a 5-block radius.
Dating was simpler back then. There was a de-facto constraint in your dating pool. People had fewer options, and made decisions more quickly and with more confidence.
In today’s dating world, you have the entire world’s dating pool at your fingers. And yet, people are saying they’re more unhappy than ever with their dating lives.
Shouldn’t we be happier in today’s modern world, since we have so many more options?
Unfortunately, our brains aren’t wired that way. Welcome to the Paradox of Choice.
This concept was coined by American psychologist Barry Schwartz, who published a book by the same title.
The Paradox of Choice refers to the idea that having an abundance of options actually requires more effort to make a decision and can leave us feeling unsatisfied with our choice.
He discovered that there is a fine line between having the freedom to choose what you want and being paralyzed in the face of too many options.
This same concept applies to the career exploration stage, as you decide what you will do next.
To help you reduce the sense of overwhelm and confusion, I introduce to you the Top 3 Career Non-Negotiables.
On this episode, I share what a career non-negotiable is (and isn’t), and how I chose mine when I transitioned into consulting from the education non-profit (they were geography, compensation and work-balance related).
If you want to feel less overwhelmed during your career change journey, this is the episode for you.

Listen To The Full Episode:

69. How I Chose My Top 3 Career Non-Negotiables

Do you know your Top 3 Career Non-Negotiables? If not, then you need to get clear on what they are, BEFORE you go on your career change process. Knowing your career non-negotiables helps you get clear on what is an absolute requirement for your next career move.

Loving this episode? Leave us a review if you’re listening on Apple podcasts and be sure to follow us on Instagram!

Episode 68: How I Broke Into Project Management with a Liberal Arts Degree, with Ariana Rodriguez

Episode 68: How I Broke Into Project Management with a Liberal Arts Degree, with Ariana Rodriguez

Are you a liberal arts major / grad who has a hard time articulating WHAT you bring to the table in your interviews? Tune into today’s episode for the special sauce.

It’s true: liberal arts grads have to work harder and get really good at talking about their strengths, skills, and value proposition.

 
Look, I get the “liberal arts struggle” when it comes to job searching, particularly when you’re early in your career. I went to a liberal arts college and graduated with a degree in Political Science and Italian Studies. When I was a college junior and senior, I wasn’t exactly sure how my major / studies would transfer into the workplace. What skills did I have? Were they even marketable? 
At first blush, it seems like you’re at a serious disadvantage when you graduate with a degree in History, versus someone else who might be graduating with a degree in Accounting and Marketing. 
But here’s the thing. That advantage? It doesn’t last for long. Because of this thing called “real life world experiences.”
Eventually, you WILL be given opportunities, jobs, internships, whatever. And you will have the opportunity to learn new skills and use them. What you THEN need to be able to do, is communicate WHAT those new skills and experiences ARE, their value, and how they apply to your target role.
Building up your career portfolio and communicating powerfully about your so-called “Soft Skills” and how they drive results, is really important. And that’s what we discuss on today’s episode.
On today’s episode, we have a special guest – Ariana Rodriguez – who graduated from NYU in 2010 with a liberal arts degree. At first she thought she wanted to make a difference in the world in education and nonprofit. Within a few years, and with student loans still unpaid, she realized she would need to pivot into a new career that would pay her better. But, how do you market yourself and make yourself competitive for jobs when you have a liberal arts degree and have only worked in the education sector?
Ariana tells us how she made this pivot, drawing upon her own skills, strengths and personal experiences. She knew that she needed to DEMONSTRATE to the interviewers how her skills of problem solving, attention to detail, and collaboration would be beneficial to the administrative assistant job that was posted. 
After she got the admin assistant job (which by the way, she was definitely overqualified for!), she rocked that job all the way through several promotions into the project manager career, which she enjoyed for many years. 
On this episode, we discuss:
  • Why she decided to pivot out of the education/nonprofit and social work space, and move into a project manager career in healthcare
  • How a personal health problem turned into a soap business that she talked about in her interviews 
  • How her philosophy college courses actually helped her fine-tune a skillset that she still uses today
  • Why she left her job to go full-time on her business in 2021 
Follow Ariana Rodriguez on LinkedIn. Ariana owns a business where she helps emerging agencies get to the next level of success by streamlining backend operations and systems.

Listen To The Full Episode:

68. How I Broke Into Project Management with a Liberal Arts Degree, with Ariana Rodriguez

Are you a liberal arts college grad who struggles to articulate your value proposition to employers? Did you graduate during a recession? Are you thinking about pivoiting into the project manager career path? Then you need to tune into today’s episode, with special guest, NYU grad, and Dominican-American Ariana Rodriguez.

Loving this episode? Leave us a review if you’re listening on Apple podcasts and be sure to follow us on Instagram!

Episode 67: Why Children of Immigrants Are Afraid To Ask For More, with Neyda Urias

Episode 67: Why Children of Immigrants Are Afraid To Ask For More, with Neyda Urias

If you have ever struggled with negotiating your salary OR worried that leaving your employer might make you seem “disloyal” – you are probably leaving thousands of dollars on the table.

You better check your [money mindset] before you wreck your [paycheck and wealth-building opportunities]!

 
Are you a first-gen Latina or child of immigrants?
If yes, chances are that you have a hard time negotiating your salary at work and advocating for more pay.
You’re probably also afraid of “job hopping” and looking “disloyal” to your organization if you leave “too early.”
We’ve all been there…let’s say it’s time for a job offer to finally roll in.
Maybe you’re pleased with it, or maybe not. The scarcity thoughts still show up, though. They sound like this:
  • Maybe I should just accept this, because I know this is what they offered my other friend who has this same job at this same company
  • Maybe I should just accept this, because it’s already X amount higher than my last job’s salary
  • Maybe I should just accept this, because if I negotiate, I’ll look like a money-hungry evil person
  • Maybe I should just accept this, because it’s not in their budget and the recession is coming
  • Maybe I should just accept this, because it’s already an amazing offer. Am I really that greedy?
Whatever your version of “Maybe I should just accept this” is….it’s really just fear talking.
And many of us, especially children of immigrants, have a hard time with asking for more.
Sometimes it’s because we fear failure so much. We fear being told no. We fear the conflict. We fear the rejection. What is it for you?
Here’s the thing: when you DON’T negotiate, when you DON’T ask for more, you close the door on yourself. And you never find out what could have been possible for you.
Why not let someone else do that? Why close the door on yourself?
If you want to dive deeper into this topic, you got to tune into today’s episode with guest Neyda Urias. We dive into why this happens and why it’s bonkers.
Neyda (an experienced talent acquisition leader and child of immigrants from El Salvador) shares her own “wake up call” experience when she realized she needed to step it up and start advocating for her own career.
If you struggle with advocating for yourself at work, you won’t want to miss this episode!!
On this episode, we discuss:
  • The “employer loyalty” idea that many immigrant / Boomer parents subscribe to…..and how it hurts us
  • Why you’re likely leaving money on the table if you’ve been at the same organization for 2+ years
  • Common red flags in the interview process from a recruiter viewpoint (ex: speaking too negatively or positively about your ex-employer)
Follow Neyda Urias on IG and LinkedIn. Neyda also has a podcast called Livin’ La Vida de Luxury.

Listen To The Full Episode:

67. Why Children of Immigrants are Afraid to Ask for More, with Neyda Urias

Are you a first-gen Latina or child of immigrants? If yes, chances are that you have a hard time negotiating your salary at work and advocating for more pay. You’re probably also afraid of “job hopping” and looking “disloyal” to your organization if you leave “too early.”

Loving this episode? Leave us a review if you’re listening on Apple podcasts and be sure to follow us on Instagram!

Episode 66: Small Talk & Etiquette Basics for Info Chats

Episode 66: Small Talk & Etiquette Basics for Info Chats

Info chats can intimidate even the most lively extroverts, and that’s totally normal. On this episode, I share how to tackle the small talk and bring the energy for your info chat!

When you release your expectations for how this conversation “should” go, the info chat becomes more natural.

 

Today’s the LAST episode from the “everything you need to know about info chats” series.
Seriously, I have put EVERYTHING that I know into these episodes 64-66 and you’ll want to come back to these whenever you get someone to agree to meet with you.
Last week, I talked about why you should NOT “wing” the call and do the right amount of research prior to the call so that you don’t sound like an idiot.
Today, I talk about the actual call itself – how to structure it, what to say (and not say), and how to wrap up the conversation WITHOUT EXPECTATION.
For the love of espresso martinis, do not end the call asking them for another favor.
I know that a lot of people teach that you should use the last few minutes to ask them to submit a referral for you, on your behalf. But I don’t teach that.
I teach that you use the call to be curious, present, and listen actively. Build upon what they’re saying (don’t just move onto the next question). Treat this person like an old friend, and assume they want to help you.
Coming to these calls without any hidden agenda or expectations will help you show up more naturally. It won’t make you seem so self-serving. You want to exhibit an attitude of gratitude, and that ain’t gonna come through if you’re piling on the asks.
On this episode, I teach you:
  • The 3 E’s required for a successful informational chat (Enthusiasm, Engaged, Efficient)
  • How I tackle small talk as someone who doesn’t follow sports and hates talking about superficial things
  • How to structure your 30 minute call (specific questions that I ask and DON’T ask)
  • How to wrap up the conversation the RIGHT way!
So, if you want to become a pro at running info chats?
This is the podcast for you.

Listen To The Full Episode:

66. Small Talk & Etiquette Basics for Info Chats

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Loving this episode? Leave us a review if you’re listening on Apple podcasts and be sure to follow us on Instagram!