I recently read a Quartz article entitled “Until I was a man, I had no idea how good men had it at work,” written by Thomas Page McBee. This piece reinforces other anecdotes (here, here, here, and here) from trans men and women on how they are treated differently — and how their skills and behaviors are interpreted…
Editor’s note: In an earlier post, I asserted that an internal customer is not really a customer. One of my readers, Emeka Nwonu, took issue with my statement, so I invited him to add his perspective for the blog. The article he submitted in response appears in its entirety below. On a personal note, I…
Do You Aspire to Be a Leader? If you aspire to be a leader, you’re not alone. So many corporate employees aspire to leadership roles in their organizations. They seek out high-profile projects, promotions, and executive sponsors. To really stand out in a company, though, you need to stand for something other than your own…
Many people I know tell me they hang up on recruiters. Excuse me?!? Recruiters are fantastic people to have in your CHAMP network! You’re likely to be looking for a job someday, or know someone who will be. You may or may not be looking for a new position. The recruiter won’t know until he…
The first time you attend a networking event, such as a conference or Meetup, you may be as nervous and uncomfortable as I used to be. Most people’s biggest concern is how to break the ice. Take a deep breath, relax, and know that it does get easier with practice. Pretty soon you’ll find yourself…
The old question for success was “What do you know?” In the information age, though, we all have access to Google. Knowledge has become a commodity and is taken for granted. What you should be asking yourself instead is “What can you do, and who do you know?” (Yes, I know it should be whom, but…
Once you understand how important networking is to your career, you’ll want to get started right away. Don’t limit your CHAMP network to your own company, or even your own industry! Get out of your own backyard as often as possible by attending formal and informal networking events. Within each industry, there are countless opportunities…
Perhaps you’ve already built a deep CHAMP Network through participation in Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), attending conferences, and building your personal brand on social media. You’ve started to build genuine relationships with a diverse collection of talented people. Now the real fun begins: making introductions. Everyday people make connections, but Superhero Networkers use introductions to create…
Age discrimination is gaining more attention in the media, as Baby Boomers’ influence in the workplace is dwindling. Millennials now comprise the largest segment of the workforce. Ask anyone over 50: it’s tough to compete with tech-savvy, confident 20-somethings who know how negotiate wages, benefits, and company culture. During several recent conversations within and around…
When you make a decision about your own career, you want to consider the most important factors and make the best choice. If you are a hiring manager, you must also make decisions about other people’s careers. Taking on this level of responsibility requires you to understand and guard against your own biases. After all,…