As I said in the previous post, things have changed. Unlike our parents who got babies in their early 20s then pursued their careers, we are getting children at a later age, and at the same time we are getting into senior management positions much younger than our mothers. The average 30-35 year old lady in middle management probably has very young children or hasn’t had…
Read MoreMotherhood and career is a controversial “holy ground” topic we like to avoid, because opinions are strong and often emotional. However, after discussing the issue on Twitter with a few people, I thought to share my views on this, and the advice I would give as a mentor in matters career and motherhood. As is always the case with controversial topics, a couple of disclaimers:…
Read MoreI am no expert at passing interviews, I haven’t done too many interviews over my career, but I have never “failed” a job interview. I have also conducted hundreds of interviews, made tens of hiring mistakes, and hired a couple of right employees, and looking back I can share a few things that helped me pass my job interviews and have led to some people…
Read MoreTypically, when you get your first job, you are at an inferior position, and will tend to take whatever terms handed to you. However, there are certain clauses you should be very clear about before signing on that dotted line, and if you don’t understand should seek legal counsel. In addition to your employment contract, you should carefully read the company’s Employee Handbook, as it’s…
Read MoreAs I mentioned in this post (Why I chose To Work In A Start Up Over A Corporation), not everyone thrives in a start up, there are certain inherent qualities that make you a great start up employee. I expound on a few of them on this post. 1. Does lack of structure excite you? Most start ups lack structures and in most cases will depend…
Read More2012 continues to be a tough year for business. With the global economy worsening by the day, and a shrinking customer base, most businesses are struggling to stay afloat. Inevitably, when this happens, businesses must cut costs, and people are usually the first to go. During good times, corporations make the mistake of hiring too many employees, and as we all know, trees don’t grow…
Read MoreMost young people face the decision of either joining start up/small company or a big corporation when job searching, and rarely have experiential information on the advantages / disadvantages of each. On this post and series, I share my experience working for a start up, the advantages and disadvantages, and what I belief is the right skill set one needs to thrive in a start…
Read MoreThis post by Roomthinker and several Twitter conversations with Peter Nduati and Fred got me thinking about our system, and the kind of workers it releases into industry. I want to use a personal story to demonstrate why I think the 8-4-4 system is to blame for the fact that 90% of the people I encounter, go to work because they have to. They hate…
Read MoreLooking through the blogosphere and Twitter world, one thing that stands out is the fact that most bloggers and twitterers are at that age where they’re searching for their life purpose, which I believe is a lifelong process. Once you have an idea of who you want to be ‘when you grow up’, then the greatest question becomes, how do you move from where you…
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