Career
General Tips
- “Let me take care of that” are the golden words to tell someone. Disregarding the size of it. You will get noticed for taking care of things, that attitude, and getting things done.
- Communication and networking are the true difficult skills that create impact.
- Your network determines your influence and (potential) impact. Network! Within your organization there should is no reason to not reach out to other employees for a coffee chat/meet-n-greet.
Brag Document / Work Log
Keep document that you continuously amend (like a diary) where you track your smaller and greater achievements and successes at work. This allows you to:
- Reflect on your achievements and how you spend your time at work.
- What work do you feel most proud of?
- What do I wish to do more/less off?
- Which projects hade the effect I wanted ? Or not ?
- What can I do better next time?
- What did I struggle with?
- How can I grow?
- What is the impact of my work?
- How am I doing regarding any goals I set for myself?
- Have a documented track record of you achievements
- Share with your leadership your achievements at any given time (especially during performance reviews and salary renegotiations), remember, your leadership is usually not fully aware of all the work you do and results deliver.
- When the time comes for a performance review, your memory might draw blank and you have little memory of the work you did.
- Your manager also manages other people, they will not remember all of your work.
- Good data gives your manager the tools to justify to others your promotion or salary increase.
- When you get a new manager a few months before the big performance review, they won’t have any knowledge about your recent work.
- Reflect on what skills you have or gained (see Discover your skills on a more details)
- Share during a job interview or job applications about relevant achievements that are relevant for the job.
- Look back and be proud of what you have achieved.
Try to update the document once every week or two, but eventually find a frequency that works for you, but allows you to not forget any relevant topics.
Important
- Consider documenting also the little things you do, now you can reflect on how you spend time at work.
- Code Reviews, making a process easier, create more automation.
- Consider documenting the direct impact for each of the things you write down, now you can reflect on the impact of your work.
- Maybe you spend a lot of time spend on low impact work. Not ideal!
- Consider documenting anything quantifiable through metrics, insights, KPIs, now you can quantify the impact of your work.
- Consider documenting and side effects, n-tier impact of your work. Maybe your work has resulted in shorter sales cycles for the company, as a result of your automation project which allows for faster building of PoC’s.
- Think about business areas and processes that gained advantage.
- Did it save any money? Did it generate any money?
- It’s really great for yourself and when talking to others, to know how have an impact on more than your direct surrounding.
- Consider documenting what you have learned of which skills you gained or honed during certain work.
Links
Saying No
Before saying no, ask more questions
- What are you asking?
- Whom else have you asked?
- When you say this is urgent, what do you mean?”
- If I couldn’t do all of this, but just a part, what part would you have me do?
- What do you want me to take of my plate to so I can do this?
This might result in having a better scope, no overcommiting or people not comming back to you cause you ask too many (good) questions. Or they force you to do it and shut up, but less likely.
You can also make the thing you say no a 3th party object. “I’m afraid I have to say no to this” instead of “ I’m afraid I have to say no to you”.
Template
- For each Achievement/Activity Event
> Some time indication (when, how long, ...)
> What was my role or involvement?
> What skills did I use, gain, or honed?
> What was the direct impact and/or business value?
> What was the n-tier impact and/or business value?
> Did it had desired impact?
> What could I do next time better?
Discover your traits & personality
Discover your skills
- Make a list of projects, feedback from (former) co-workers, efforts, initiatives or roles you were a part of.
- Write for each list item what you did, how it went, what impact it had, what side effects and positives. Consider adding any “lessons learned”.
- Don’t forget about your Brag Document which would be your natural place to go.
- Now ask yourself for each list item “What skills did I apply to make this happen?”.
- Now you have a “skill inventory” and examples of where you applied all of these skills.
- Now go through each skill in your skill inventory and write down, following the STAR method, an example of how you applied this skill. Note that you now can take the examples of previous steps, and you just need to rephrase them into the STAR template.
- Now you got a skill inventory and STAR based “stories” that can illustrate these skills.
- TIP: You can always contact (former) co-workers to answer a small survey about you that can help identify your skills.
The Job Journey
When Applying
- When you write a cover letter, consider which skills are key to sell in that cover letter, use your skill inventory’s stories to pick the right stories.
- When you are invited for an interview, read over your skill inventory, so you can easily use these prepared stories/examples to answer questions and proof competence.
The Job Search Process
- Understand what type of jobs/roles you want and don’t want (see Traits).
- Search for jobs that describe what you want by paying attention to the “responsibilities” section and the general description.
- Make a short list of jobs that you want to apply to.
The Job Application Process
- Using your traits & personality
- Once you have a job you want to apply for…
- Read through the job ad and highlight any references to skills.
- Pay especially attention to the “qualifications” and “responsibilities” section.
- Now you have mapped out all the “desired” skills.
- Tailor your CV to match all these “desired” skills with the skill you have. Making sure they mention it and the same writing.
- Write the cover letter where you talk a bit about yourself, what makes you unique, your personality (Traits) without, and then pick 1 to 3 stories of your skill inventory to show the top skills you think that are key for this position. Illustrating why you are a good match.
- Submit
- Before you have an interview, read through your skill inventory to freshen up these “stories” for each skill.
- Now you are prepared to respond to any questions about your skills with a well prepared example to illustrate your competence.
Job Search Tips
Cover Letter Template
Dear [Employer's Name | Hiring Manager],
Opening Paragraph:
Introduce yourself and state the position you are applying for. Mention how you found out about the job opening. Provide a brief overview of why you are interested in this position and the company.
Body Paragraph(s):
Discuss your qualifications and experience in detail. Highlight key achievements and skills that are relevant to the job. Use specific examples to demonstrate how your background and expertise make you a good fit for the position. This section can be one or two paragraphs depending on how much information you need to convey.
Insert one "about me" paragraph that talks more about you, your personality and traits, who is this person? DO I see myself working with him/her ?
Closing Paragraph:
Reiterate your interest in the position and the company. Summarize why you would be a good fit and express your enthusiasm for the opportunity to discuss your application further. Mention that you have attached your resume and any other required documents.
Kind Regards
[Your Name]
The Job Interview
- What are your Salary expectations?
- Remember the total package is what matters, so you can never give an educated guess until you understand the full package:
- The role
- Position
- Growth opportunities
- Culture
- Benefits
- Tools
- remember, Try to frame it as you are in it together, towards a mutual goal. Say WE, avoid YOU and I.
- You are eager to learn about them all through the process.
- “The time to discuss salary is after they’ve fallen in love with you” - John Lees
- keep it vague but positive, and if possible, put ball in their court.
- Source 1
- Trick question, your answer depends on the stage of the interview process you are.
- Last Round: They might be actually interested in accommodating your expectation.
- Early Round: They don’t try to accommodate, but eliminate you if your expectations are wide off.
- No way of knowing the actual Salary range
- Avoid giving a single number
- Example:
- Part 1: At this point I need more details about the role before I can give an accurate answer on that.
- They might counter with “what details do you need?”. You can respond EITHER
- A: Need to know about the work hours, flexibility, location, expectations, scope of responsibility, benefits, remote work, bonus structure and such.
- B: “Maybe just more of a feel for the culture”
- Part 2: If they push: I understand this is an approved position, so the salary range must be approved, can I ask what it is for this position?
- Whatever they say, you can say “That would work for me”, unless they still ask for a number…
- Part 3: If no range but still push for number: give a wide range. Really low to really high.
- I will need between 40 000 to 100 000 per year, based on the details.
- Key take away: NEVER GIVE A NUMBER, wide range.
- Now they can’t eliminate you due to salary expectations and you are able to push for the upper range when they start talking about it at a later more serious round.
- Source 2
- Strategy One: Redirect the conversation (2 ways)
- Ask about their budget: “I actually don’t understand the full scope of the role at this point to accurately price myself, but I would love to know the budgeted salary range.”
- If they answer, you can respond: “That’s helpful to know, If you were to offer me the job, is there room to negotiate?”
- Move past the question and go back to your qualifications:
- “I’m stull trying to fully understand the role and what’s involved. I’d love to continue talking about my qualifications and why I think I’m a fit for this position.”
- “That’s not I’m comfortable answering, but I’m happy to talk about my qualifications for this role”
- Strategy 2: Offer a salary range
- When your deflecting didn’t work or you have enough information.
- Try to do research for salaries for similar roles. LinkedIn, Glassdoor, recruiters, Salary.com, if possible.
- Or ask people in your network if possible.
- Don’t focus on a single number.
- State your range and provide a rationale (research, skills, etc.)
- Acknowledge that salary is just one factor in your decision.
- Signal flexibility, this is a conversation, not a demand about to the total compensation.
- Show enthusiasm.
- 3 examples:
I'm looking for a competitive salary that reflects my qualifications and experience. Based on my research and the requirements of the role as I understand them, I would expect a salary in the range of <insert>. Of course, I'm open to discussing the details of the entire compensation package, since salary is just one factor. I'm particularly excited to learn more about the opportunities for growth and advancement here.Given my experience and expertise, I'm looking to make between x and y in my next role. I've done some research on similar roles and talked to people in comparable organizations, all of which helped me confirm that range. I know I'd be a valuable asset to your team and am open to learning more about the budget for the role and the other benefits that you offer employees.I've been doing some research on similar roles and my understanding is that, for someone at my level, with my background and experience, I can expect to make a salary in the range of x to y. Of course compensation is not the only thing that is important to me. So I'm eager to hear more about your benefits package, including paid time off and other perks. What's most important to me is finding a place where I can thrive. I can be flexible around the exact numbers for a job that's a great fit.
- Tweak it to your liking.
- Source 3
- Examples:
- “Thank you so much for asking. I definitely want to make sure we’re aligned before moving forward. Do you have the salary band for this position?” -> Trying to align along mutual goal.
- “I’m flexible on salary, depending on other elements of the compensation package. Do you have the salary band for this position?”
- “While I am flexible on salary, I am currently interviewing for positions that are in range x to y.” -IF you really know what you want. Reminds also, there is competition. Not if you are desperate or insecure. Good if you have many options and know what you want.
- Asking questions…
The Negotiation
- Example flow when getting an offer:
- Express gratitude: “Thank you for your offer. I am so excited to join the team”
- Counter: “After learning more about the position, a salary of x feels more appropriate to me.”
- Unique Offering: “With my extensive background in x, I bring much more to the table than …. . “
- Enroll them to help: “Are you able to help me get closer to that number?”
- Close with urgency: “If so, I’m happy to sign right now”.
At Work - Tips From ChatGPT
- Master Systems Thinking
In a world of complexity and interconnected issues, systems thinking is a key skill.
How to Apply It:
• Map Interdependencies:
• Break down challenges into their components and visualize how they interact (e.g., through flowcharts or causal loops).
• Identify upstream causes and downstream effects before making decisions.
• Anticipate Trade-Offs:
• Recognize that every decision has ripple effects. Before acting, assess the potential unintended consequences on stakeholders, timelines, and resources.
• Prioritize Long-Term Thinking:
• Balance short-term wins with long-term strategic goals. Understand that sustainable solutions may take more time but yield greater overall value.
- Communicate with Clarity and Empathy
Complex issues require clear and persuasive communication to align teams and stakeholders.
How to Apply It:
• Simplify Without Oversimplifying:
• Use analogies, examples, or visuals to explain complex ideas in relatable terms while preserving nuance.
• Avoid “binary” thinking (e.g., “good vs. bad”). Instead, frame discussions around options, trade-offs, and priorities.
• Adapt to Your Audience:
• Tailor your messaging to align with stakeholders’ values, priorities, and levels of understanding.
• For example, an executive may need a high-level summary, while your team might require detailed explanations.
• Emphasize Shared Goals:
• Highlight common objectives to reduce resistance or polarization. Frame challenges as opportunities to collaborate rather than compete.
- Develop Strategic Empathy
Understanding diverse perspectives and values is critical for navigating disagreements and fostering collaboration.
How to Apply It:
• Seek First to Understand:
• Listen actively to others’ concerns, motivations, and values, especially if they seem to oppose your ideas.
• Ask questions like: “What outcomes are most important to you?” or “What challenges do you foresee?”
• Acknowledge Emotional Dynamics:
• Recognize when emotions like fear, frustration, or defensiveness are driving resistance. Address them empathetically rather than dismissing them.
• Build Bridges Across Divides:
• Act as a mediator when conflicts arise, helping others see the bigger picture and align on shared interests.
- Balance Simplification and Complexity
Avoid falling into the trap of oversimplifying complex issues, while making them actionable.
How to Apply It:
• Break Problems Into Layers:
• Separate the high-level overview (e.g., strategy) from the detailed layers (e.g., tactics, execution). Present each layer based on the audience’s needs.
• Example: “Here’s the big picture, but let’s zoom into how it affects our team.”
• Tackle Problems Iteratively:
• Approach large challenges in manageable steps, solving the most pressing or impactful issues first while keeping the broader system in mind.
• Use Scenarios for Decision-Making:
• When proposing solutions, present multiple scenarios with pros, cons, and trade-offs to demonstrate your understanding of complexity.
- Build Resilience in Decision-Making
Handling complexity requires mental resilience and adaptability.
How to Apply It:
• Be Comfortable With Ambiguity:
• Accept that some decisions will have uncertainty and unknown consequences. Make informed choices and adjust as you learn more.
• Learn From Feedback Loops:
• Treat outcomes as data points. When things don’t go as planned, analyze why and adapt your strategy.
• Share these learnings openly to build trust and improve team problem-solving.
• Stay Focused on Your Sphere of Influence:
• Don’t let complexity paralyze you. Focus on the aspects of a problem you can control or influence and collaborate with others on the rest.
- Build Alignment in a Polarized Environment
Disagreements and competing interests are inevitable. Use strategies to align diverse viewpoints.
How to Apply It:
• Frame Problems Around Stakeholder Benefits:
• Show how solving a complex problem benefits each stakeholder group. For example, align solutions to their goals (e.g., efficiency, growth, or impact).
• Bridge Personal and Organizational Goals:
• Help team members see how their work connects to the broader mission and outcomes of the organization.
• Facilitate Constructive Dialogue:
• When debates arise, guide discussions toward constructive questions:
• “What trade-offs are we willing to accept?”
• “How can we test our assumptions?”
- Lead With Vision and Flexibility
In interconnected systems, success often depends on balancing a clear vision with adaptability.
How to Apply It:
• Articulate a Clear Vision:
• Paint a compelling picture of what success looks like and why it matters. Use this vision to anchor decisions and maintain focus amid complexity.
• Stay Open to Iteration:
• Be ready to pivot when new information arises or when initial