7 Reasons why a Career in Technology is Great For Women

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women in technology
The IT industry is made up of many sectors, with data privacy and protection being one of these.

Experts indicate that the data protection industry has grown by more than 450% in 2017 alone and is expected to increase into 2020. With the potential for the number of jobs in the area to skyrocket, it is a good opportunity for women to look for jobs in cybersecurity. It remains a male-dominated sector, much like the other sectors of IT and unfortunately, statistics suggest that women aren’t selecting computer science majors.

Here are seven reasons why opportunity is now.

1. There’s a Tremendous Worker Shortage

As organizations of all sizes become increasingly aware of how important privacy and cybersecurity are, they are looking for qualified professionals to take on responsible positions. Unfortunately, they often find a lack of candidates, even when offering excellent pay and great benefits.

Estimates suggest that more than 200,000 cybersecurity jobs were never filled in 2015. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also says that job postings in this sector are up a staggering 74 percent in the past five years. If you’re looking for a career path with good employment opportunities, then cybersecurity is the place for you.

Despite massive growth in the sector the general consensus is that the security sector job market will explode in 2020+. One of the fastest growing areas of that will be MSS (managed security solutions). These are automated solutions that look for system vulnerabilities in small businesses or corporate entities. As the education gap closes some expert expect cyber to become a mandatory insured category for most companies.

2. Incredible Mentors Are Everywhere

The women who entered the cybersecurity field in the early days are undoubted pioneers and trailblazers. Many of them are incredibly successful and willing to help young professionals who are interested in a similar career path. In fact, the industry is known for its supportive professionals who especially want to see other women succeed. This means that you can easily get the guidance and advice you need as you develop a career.

3. You Don’t Have to be a “Geek”

Are you worried that a job in cybersecurity will require you to understand endless reams of technical jargon? Maybe you feel intimidated by all of the technology that you’ll encounter. The reality is that if you can operate a computer, then you are likely capable of learning the skills that you’ll need to work in cybersecurity.

Additionally, technical skills aren’t all that you need in the industry. Professionals considering these jobs need critical thinking skills and should be adept at written and verbal communication. Certain positions may require negotiation or making presentations. Depending upon the precise position, you may find that only a small amount of your time is occupied by the “technical” stuff.

4. Diverse Perspectives Are Good for Business

Many organizations are seeking to hire female IT workers because they have realized a fundamental truth. When a variety of viewpoints and perspectives are considered, better decisions tend to be made. Employers are relying on diverse workforces more than ever before to help give them a leg up on the competition.

A varied workforce is especially helpful in cybersecurity because the profiles of hackers and cybercriminals are similarly diverse. Organizations need workers who think and reason in different ways in order to keep them ahead of potential threats.

5. The Pay and Benefits Can Be Excellent

More and more women are becoming the primary breadwinners in their households. Other women are seeking careers with better pay in two-income households so that they can provide a better life for their family. Whatever the specific reasons, one of the arguments for women entering the cybersecurity field is that the pay generally is incredibly competitive. This is especially true considering the gap between open positions and qualified workers. If you decide to go into cybersecurity, you’ll probably get an attractive raise and an enviable package of benefits.

6. It’s a Chance to Genuinely Help People

Working in cybersecurity isn’t just about looking for vulnerabilities in computer systems or trying to find new ways to foil hackers. At their core, these jobs are really about protecting the private information of thousands or even millions of individuals. When a hack or breach does occur, then the cybersecurity professional goes into a different mode, that of tracking down the bad actor. It’s a bit like a being a detective, figuring out who did the crime and how. Cybersecurity professionals have a definite opportunity to protect people from harm and to right some of the wrongs in the world.

7. It’s a Challenging Field that Constantly Evolves

Do you want to go to work and do the same old thing day after day? Some women just don’t find that appealing. For them, the fast-paced excitement and diversity of cybersecurity may be the ideal challenge.

People who already work in this field frequently talk about how much they love their jobs. They don’t always know what they’ll be doing on a day-to-day basis because unexpected events are always popping up. This keeps them on their toes and keeps their minds sharp. Moreover, technology and security are always evolving, so keeping up with education is a must in this field. If you like to constantly challenge yourself with new information, then a career in cybersecurity may be the perfect decision for you.

Employers are looking for IT professionals right now. Maybe you don’t have the specific education or experience that they are looking for at the present moment, but your abilities to work hard and learn are in your favor. A few classes may be all that you need to start yourself in the right direction toward a career in cybersecurity. With your basic skill set in place, you’ll be positioned to take on a challenging job that pays well and offers great employment security.

Author Bio: Laura Harvsey

I am a senior staff information officer and has practical experience in building community-oriented data platforms. I focus on sharing technology content with those working in innovation networks

Theglasshammer does not endorse views of guest contributors.

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7 Tips to be A Fearless Saleswoman

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sales woman
I had always wanted a sports car.

A few years ago, I finally purchased one. Before I wrote the check for the down payment, my husband cautioned me that the car I wanted was available only with a manual transmission. I had never driven a manual, but I said, “No problem, I’ll learn.”

We picked up the car; the dealer handed me the keys. I turned to my husband and said, “I can’t drive this car, I don’t know how. It’s brand new, I don’t want to crash it.” I handed him the keys.

Only on the drive back home did it begin to dawn on me what I had done. I had purchased a car that I couldn’t drive. That fact made me feel more than a little restless. While I was still in the passenger seat, I vowed to master the art of driving the stick shift.

Over the next few weeks, with my patient husband’s help, I tried to get acquainted with a whole new way of driving. It wasn’t easy. I lacked confidence in myself. I had this belief that I would stall out while climbing a hill, that drivers behind me would honk to get me to move forward, and that I might even roll back into the car behind me. I played the whole thing out – and terrified myself. My fear of this scenario was so strong that I only drove my new car on short, flat road trips! Eventually, I decided that this state of affairs was ridiculous. With plenty of practice and repetition, my fear lessened, and I now enjoy the car’s great ride – even uphill. I could have kept talking myself out of getting the most from my car … but fortunately my desire to drive the car was stronger than my fear.

I liken this experience to following a career in sales. Sales is full of risk: the risk of rejection, the risk of running into a buyer who wants to diminish your stature, the risk of having to decide that it’s time to plant your heels, focus on the real issue, and request a yes or no decision – a process that isn’t easy at first. As women, we can easily talk ourselves out of a very lucrative and rewarding career. We can choose to sell ourselves short, but if we do, we will never achieve our full potential, or enjoy the sales role. Why not?

Because of the pressure we place on ourselves and the way we allow others to treat us.

Everyone experiences fear. A little fear is not a bad thing – it gets our adrenaline going and spurs us to take action. Too much fear, however, makes us opt for bad outcomes like never driving our sports car up a hill. Highly successful saleswomen may not be literally fearless – but they do put in place a number of important safeguards that help them to become less fearful. Here are seven best practices that can help you to do just that.

1. Frame your sales role as a stepping stone to what you want most in life.

One great way to do this is to create a vision board with images that remind you what you are moving toward, what is important to you in life, why you get up each morning to do what you do. Place this board where you see it each day as a reminder of your personal “why?”

2. Recognize you come to the job at an advantage over your male counterparts… and leverage your strengths.

Guess what? Women tend to be superior relationship builders, connectors, listeners, questioners, and nurturers. Don’t those sound like important attributes to use in a sales role?

3. Do the opposite of what a traditional sales person does.

Turn the table and become “outer focused” – as opposed to “inner focused.” In other words, focus the conversation on your prospect and his problems. Stop talking about your product features and benefits when you are in front of a prospect. Seek first to understand!

4. Understand and embrace that being uncomfortable is something everyone experiences.

Learn to put the experience in context. Ask yourself these questions:

  • What, specifically, makes me uncomfortable? Example: Calling on C-level decision makers.
  • What do I fear emotionally about this? That I am not good enough to call at the top levels of a target company.
  • What do I fear that I might do or say? That I won’t know what to say or that I will say something stupid.
  • What’s the worst that could happen? I get hung up on and told never to call back.
  • What’s the best that could happen? They have a need and we schedule an appointment.
  • Will taking the risk kill me? No.
  • What can I do to lessen my fears? Prepare and practice what I will say. Role play with my own CEO. Tell myself, “Some of these people will have a need – some won’t.”
5. Surround yourself with positive, supportive people who will cheer you on.

Support them in turn!

6. Control who you allow into your castle.

Your “castle” is who you are as a person – it’s your self-image. When you let someone get to you personally, you have let the drawbridge down. Realize it is your role, not you as a person, that they may not like! Keep the drawbridge up.

7. Have a healthy viewpoint about what selling really is.

Selling isn’t about convincing anyone of anything. It’s actually about helping someone discover for themselves whether they have a problem … and then helping them discover for themselves that you offer the best solution. That feels less scary already, doesn’t it? Great! Now you’re in gear!

About the Author

Lorraine Ferguson is author of The Unapologetic Saleswoman:  Breaking The Barriers, Beating The Odds. Ferguson is a dynamic trainer and coach who accelerates growth in companies by focusing on the right behaviors, attitudes and techniques that drive success. She has brought the Sandler Selling System to hundreds of selling professionals and businesses.  Companies and individuals have transformed their business development ability by working with Ferguson.

For more information, please visit  https://www.sandler.com/resources/sandler-books/unapologetic-saleswoman

Guest contributor’s views are their own and are not necessarily endorsed by theglasshammer.com

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Defy Conventional Leadership Wisdom to Achieve Breakthrough Performance

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Leadership is experiencing a metamorphosis today.

Its tried-and-true competencies are being tested (and sometimes even crushed) in our chaotic, always-on, hyper-connected, and competitive world. Conventional wisdom simply doesn’t have the same impact in the context of this new business environment.

Sara Canaday In writing a new book called, Leadership Unchained: Defy Conventional Wisdom for Breakthrough Performance, I highlight a bold segment of leaders who were willing to make completely unexpected business moves with extraordinary results. All of these modern leaders had one thing in common: They refuse to allow the conventional thinking and practices that were pivotal in their past success to become the chains that hold them down in the future.

Their strategic choices were oddly counter-intuitive, undeniably successful, and downright fascinating. Here are six behaviors that break the mold.

1. Shaking off the age-old bias for action and perfecting the use of the strategic pause.

Successful leaders in the modern era seem to have adopted a new habit. Instead of making action the default for every challenge, these leaders are pairing that alternative with an opposite response. It’s not about replacing action, which we know is a necessary leadership ingredient. We still need to reach our goals, meet deadlines, and produce results. This is different.

They think of it as developing a companion habit that celebrates being rather than doing. It involves a strategic pause. A mental time-out. Space for their brains to percolate. Whatever we call it, this new habit requires consistently taking some time away from the chaos of business to let ourselves think.

2. Escaping from the prison of their own perspectives and passionately seeking out cognitive diversity.

Modern leaders know that their own decision-making doesn’t come from a mentally neutral position, so they push themselves to uncover other angles. Not a polite, obligatory surveying of the crowd to reach consensus, but a mold-breaking, eyebrow-raising exploration to prove themselves WRONG.

These leaders aren’t just finding success through an openness to new ideas; they passionately seek them out. They value cognitive diversity and invite team members to challenge them with radical alternatives. They let go of the need to validate their own perspectives, and they focus all of their energy on finding the best solution to meet shared goals. No matter where those solutions might originate.

3. Ditching the need to let hard data drive every decision and welcoming the insights of soft intelligence.

Trailblazing leaders today have recognized the tendency to be held hostage by information overload. Even though it feels unnatural, they give themselves permission to break free from their dependence on data. Do they still value the facts? Definitely. They just work to gain a broader context about its meaning. They’re willing to be informed by data but not ruled by it.

Leaders who are open to the idea of Whole Data—a more comprehensive view of the facts— stretch beyond the usual quantitative boundaries to incorporate intangible elements. They better serve their teams and their customers by paying attention to stories and narratives, emotions and attitudes, worries and complaints, risks and vulnerabilities. They search for the qualitative information that paints a more vivid picture.

4. Dropping their dependence on the usual routine and letting go of outdated tasks and deliverables.

Today’s forward-thinking leaders have realized that everything consuming their time must earn the right to be on their to-do lists. To establish that competition, they have adopted a new approach that defies their normal logic.

Most leaders have a competitive streak that pushes them to take on more rather than do less, but they are seeing the wisdom in that concept. Narrowing their focus to expand their perspectives. Minimizing their actions to maximize performance. Doing less to achieve more. Through the ingenuity of letting go, they are finding abundant success.

5. Defeating the drag on their communication and creating positive experiences that expand their influence.

Modern leaders embrace the idea of disrupting their typical approach to communication. They start in reverse. Instead of trying to determine what information needs to go out, they concentrate on the end result. What impact do they want to make? What are the challenges and perspectives of their audience members? What experience would they like to create?

With that in mind, they peel away all the layers of complexity that have been clogging up their communication and get down to messages that are authentic and engaging. They present them in novel ways. They aren’t afraid to open a window into their motives and rationale. And they create a meaningful, compelling experience that communicates in a more powerful way.

6. Committing to metaphorically resigning their roles as experts and approaching tasks with the spirit of a beginner.

Modern leaders are accelerating their careers by breaking free from the expert trap. They no longer allow themselves to remain captives of their expertise. They are finding the courage to change the tired, old narrative with a new attitude, some genuine vulnerability, and the never-ending desire to learn.

Success for these leaders means deliberately putting themselves in positions to humbly learn and grow. Every single day. They have learned to value questions just as much as the answers. And, perhaps more importantly, they work hard to ask the right questions—many of which start with, “What if…?”

While these exciting new principles are remarkably effective, the most compelling thing about them is the way they are applied. It’s a selective process. Not a simple swap of out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new. There’s a firm acknowledgement that the old rules aren’t completely obsolete. The most successful leaders have a knack for knowing when to stick with the traditional approaches and when to break away. They’ve adopted a new brand of wisdom, and they know when to use it.

About the Author

Sara Canaday is a leadership expert, keynote speaker, LinkedIn Learning instructor and author. She works with leaders and high-potential professionals from organizations around the world to expand their capacity to innovate, influence, engage, and perform. Her new book, Leadership Unchained: Defy Conventional Wisdom for Breakthrough Performance, is now available on Amazon. For more information, please visit SaraCanaday.com.

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The Legacy Mindset – Why It Matters (Part 2)

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Image via Shutterstock

Last week, we featured part 1 of a guest contribution around having a legacy mindset for success. Enjoy part 2.

What can stop us from having a legacy mindset? What we forget in the 24-7 race that consumes our lives these days is a reminder of what is truly important in life. We want more than just to earn and consume. We want to matter in our lives. And in the lives of others. We want to make an impact on the world, not just make an income. And to do so, we need to change the definition of what it means to be successful.

Business people often think only of the bottom line but adopting a legacy-driven mindset puts you in a position to make that quantum leap forward, which will drive and sustain relentless development for future generations.

The Magic of the Arts to Shift Paradigms

A prime example of legacy-driven mindset resulted in one of the great paradigm shifting moments in business and culture. Business decry the lack of people who can write well and communicate in new ways. But in our short-term drive to believe that technology will solve all problems, people ballyhoo the arts as not really needed in our new digital world. Yet the magic of the arts is that they allow people to think and communicate differently—which if you’re a business, is exactly the edge you are looking for. Look at Steve Jobs who loved typography—and how form followed function in such a beautiful and timeless way—that he almost became a type designer. But instead his enduring love of beautiful and functional design manifested itself in the I-phone. He never lost sight of what drove his inspiration.

To Be Lucky or Be Prepared—That is the Question

What makes adopting a “legacy-driven” mindset so compelling is that you are always prepared. And in the capricious world of business and life, being so steadfastly prepared makes you constantly able to meet luck as if it’s an everyday occurrence. “Luck Is what happens when preparation meets opportunity” is the timeless quote of Roman philosopher, Seneca. You hear people say all the time talking about someone becoming an “overnight success” or reaping a windfall. Was Steve Jobs just lucky or was he always prepared?

A legacy-driven mindset is the basis for all profound changes in people’s lives. Though many of us will not change the world like Steve Jobs, we still deeply desire to touch those around us and to leave a lasting impression. Yes, we want to make an income but we desire to make an impact.

Leave Your Legacy Inside People

You want to change the world? Then leave your legacy inside of people. Inspire them with how you walk your talk. When leaders adopt a legacy-driven mindset, they leave something in people—and not just for people. Want to change the world? Inspire people to inspire themselves. That is truly living your legacy, which then is constantly renewed in others. Leaving people with things or information is not enough. Leave people with inspiration.

Why People “Undo” Their Legacy

I’m always amazed when a business or a person decides to “undo” their legacy for the short-sighted pursuit of an immediate gain versus the long-term success of a legacy-driven philosophy. It’s the candy-in-front-of-the-kid syndrome. “I want it now because I can have it now.” That’s how children think. Think of Wells Fargo or Volkswagen. Or Google or Facebook. What was Google’s mantra? Do no wrong—where did that go? But we excuse their behavior by saying, “They are big corporations with a bottom line and shareholders to satisfy.” But what really happened? They forgot who they were and why they were. A legacy-driven bottom line is much different than a ledger-driven bottom line. Which do you think will endure for a hundred years? Any enterprise that is led by people will possess the same characteristics that can be undone by people.

You Already Have the Answer—You’re Just too Busy to Hear It

How do you begin thinking in this “Legacy-Driven mindset?” Decide in your life what is important. You don’t have to do it overnight. But ponder it a bit. Make a list if you need to. When I ask people if they could do any three things in the world right now, what would they be? And they’re always surprised they have an answer. You’ve already prioritized things in your heart but your mind just doesn’t know it. Sometimes you have to cut through all the myriad noise and malarkey in your busy mind to find the truth that’s been there all along. Many times we’ve already made the priority in our hearts, but our minds just can’t—or won’t hear it.

The 4-Ps’s of Creating the “Legacy-Driven” Mindset

Another simple but effective way to help you think about the “Legacy-Driven” mindset is to use what I call the 4 P’s! These are: Passion, Pursuit, People, and Peace.

Passion is what makes you smile. What brightens your eyes when you think about doing it. This passion is the heart of living a “Legacy-Driven” life.

Pursuit is making this passion a reality.

People are real. Communicate with them. Be with them. Put away the electronic barriers that make real communication a false reality. Dance with people you really want to dance with. And don’t be afraid to dance both backwards and forwards. When people believe in your passion, they make the pursuit of it so much more worthwhile.

Peace is finding or creating peacefulness inside of you—one of the most difficult actions to attain in our brutally busy lives. It’s the being mindful of being human—and truly aware of being alive. Do this small step at the end of everyday—it’s a lovely way to put yourself to sleep. Ask yourself did you do a small act of kindness that day? Did you stare at the clouds for a moment? Do you put really listen to someone? Did you just stop and quit thinking for a moment? And if you did any or all these things—smile to yourself that you lived well that day. And if you didn’t, then go to sleep saying you’ll try again tomorrow.

A legacy doesn’t mean the end, but the beginning of a new phase in your life or the next chapter. In order to succeed, you should identify and evaluate your legacy at each stage in your life, whether it’s career oriented or personal. In your quest to make an impact upon yourself and others, you will discover how well this “Legacy-Driven” mindset creates a much deeper sense of a life well lived, while you’re actually living it.

Bio:

Carew Papritz is the 5-Time award-winning author of the inspirational book, The Legacy Letters, which was featured last month in INC.: 5 Gifts That Will Do Good Long After You Buy Them

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2019 Workplace Predictions

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diary, predictions

Guest Contribution by Fierce Inc.

An increasing number of fledgling workers are currently being thrust into the spotlight as baby boomers retire and millennials and Gen Z increasingly take over the majority of new jobs.

Many companies are at a loss with how to properly deal with this change and the publicity that comes with it. What makes matters worse, many suffer from a “culture of nice” and have complicated organizational structures, which only perpetuates business problems and proves detrimental to the bottom line. A survey Fierce conducted found that over 40% of leaders felt their organization suffered from “terminal niceness,” valuing politeness over the pursuit of the best ideas and perspectives.

Based on our conversations with current and potential clients — after thousands of hours of conversations and learning about their concerns, unique challenges and goals — we’ve developed the below five trends that we predict will be key to organizations of all sizes in 2019:

Increased accountability for corporate bad behavior. We’ve all seen the news: companies seem to be plagued with worsening scandals, dubious leadership practices and unethical decisions at a near constant rate. Moving forward organizations will internally face these issues head-on, as they happen. No longer will they be swept under the rug or ignored altogether. To get in front of some of these potentially negative stories and to ensure they know what happens within their companies, leaders will work to gain a deeper understanding and connection to the people who make up their organization. This means the popularity of employee training and engagement programs will rise and cover a wide range of topics such as diversity, unconscious bias, ethics, and inclusion.

Fewer organizations will suffer from a “culture of nice.” In these “overly nice” environments, no truly productive feedback is given. People are afraid to disagree or speak up, refuse to address problems and rarely challenge the status quo. A culture of “nice” lends itself to a host of challenges including lack of trust, higher turnover, and lower productivity—none of which are actually “nice.” As organizations continue to improve their conversations skills as it pertains to feedback, and as younger workers vocalize their desire for more frequent feedback, the number of organizations who suffer from this type of culture will decrease in the coming year.

Generation Z will no longer be ignored. An estimated 61 million Gen Zs will apply for jobs in the U.S. next year, many entering the workforce for the first time. However, organizations are only spending 4% of their resources on training those less than 25 years old, according to IBIS. Organizations will be forced to adjust to this new reality in 2019, and in order to be successful, will need to find innovative ways to invest more heavily in their training from the get-go. Fierce believes the New Year will be an area of growth in this regard, as organizations figure out the best way to engage with this new generation. A part of this will no doubt be providing the right resources to this tech-savvy generation to help them succeed both in the short and long term.

Companies will move away from hierarchy and towards more agile teams. Organizations are starting in earnest to understand that strategic alignment is key to their success, and the best way to achieve it is to ensure the company is flexible and responsive at every level. There will be a shift away from teams interacting only at the highest echelons within an organization and towards a more integrated and collaborative approach. With this shift will come an increased need for communication skills, as it will be imperative that managers are well-versed in both delegation and decision making. By empowering teams with greater opportunities for collaboration, 2019 will result in higher productivity and employee engagement.

Progress will be made on digital transformations. While most organizations have been slowly integrating digital components across many areas of their business, 2019 will be the year where real progress is made. Organizations will spend more time focused on truly understanding the needs of the end user—be it employees, clients or customers—and in turn, work with their IT departments to ensure these needs are being met. Innovation is no longer a luxury; without adopting and staying on top of digital trends, organizations will become obsolete.

When we look back a year from now, how successful company leaders are at addressing these themes will come down to a key component — the strength of their conversations. The skills leaders have in addressing issues, assessing concerns and finding solutions all come down to one simple thing: how well an individual can communicate and connect with those around them.

Guest contributions express views of their own and are in no way affiliated or endorsed by theglasshammer.com

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Experience Business and Personal Success in 2019 with a “Legacy-Driven” Mindset

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happy-woman-at-work-mental-health
Making an impact will be just as important as making an income is central to adopting a “Legacy-Driven mindset” and that becomes crucial to long-term success in both our business and personal lives.

In watching how people navigate the landscape of their business and personal lives, I believe that women have a better sense of how to adopt and implement this way of life because women always seem to be in charge of balancing the life and work dance—and like Ginger Rogers with Fred Astaire, they can also do it backwards.

Why a “Legacy-Driven Mindset” is Not a Strategy or Tactic

The “Legacy-Driven mindset” is deciding what is truly important in the entirety of your life—and then living it. Why is this crucial to long-term success in our working and personal lives? Thinking about long-term successes rather than short term fulfillment keeps you focused on your specified path during times of chaos and uncertainty. And because your actions are rooted in a much bigger picture of how you should live your life, you won’t be pulled willy-nilly by every capricious whim and wind that comes your way.

“Living Your Legacy”—In my writing and speaking to groups about my book, The Legacy Letters, I came to the realization one day that legacy was not the sum total of who and of what you left behind in your life but how you “walk your talk” or “live your legacy” in all your words and actions. This long-term outlook—this legacy-driven outlook—is what gives purpose to your priorities. Thoreau wrote: “Simplify, simplify, simplify.” I would rather it be: “Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize.”

The “Ginger Rogers” Syndrome—Why is it so important to prioritize in this life? Because we’ve come to believe that everything we do, all the time, is important. That if we could only answer the next e-mail, text the text message, race to the next meeting, buy the next new thing, go on the perfect vacation, dot every “i” perfectly and cross every “t” like precision, then we would win the race, become the perfect person, and get the gold star for doing the most things in a twenty-four period of time. And as so many professional women know the “Ginger Rogers” syndrome, they still can do it backwards. But this perfection is false prioritizing. It is just checking boxes. And when you reach the end of your life, are you happy that you checked so many boxes so well?

The Regret Test—When I speak to audiences about legacy-driven life, I ask them to take a simple test that I call “The Regret Test.” Imagine you’re ninety years old and now can look back on your life and find all the regrets you have. Imagine talking to yourself right now at the age your and say, “Why are you still at that “great” job making a ton of money and being totally miserable?” or “Why don’t you leave that idiot boyfriend and find someone who loves you, or really wants to have kids with you, or loves you being the CEO of your company?” or “Why don’t you go live in Colorado or France like you’ve always wanted?”

Then you continue the conversation: “I’m here to tell you as your ninety-year old self, you are going down a long path to unhappiness and ultimately will have more regrets than not. And I’m here to tell you that it really sucks to have more regrets at the end of your life when you could have easily decided not to have gone down the path of most regrets. You could have decided to live your life and not the life everyone else wanted you to live. Because, at the end of the day—or the end of your life—if you can’t say to yourself, I’ve done a good job of living well, then you really have blown it.”

Now that’s one powerful conversation to have with yourself.

Bio:

Carew Papritz is the 5-Time award-winning author of the inspirational book, The Legacy Letters, which was featured last month in INC.: 5 Gifts That Will Do Good Long After You Buy Them

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The 4AM Club: Three Ways to Make It Work For You

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4am, early morning, dawn , The 4am Club
You’ve heard it said: the early bird catches the worm — in the opinion of many highly successful people, the phrase is much more than a cliche.

The benefits of an extremely early morning routine have been touted by so many self-made celebrities that the “4AM Club” has become a part of the public vernacular. It’s the magic hour for many world changers like Oprah, Michelle Obama, and Tim Cook, and experience has taught me why. In my world, it’s a time of quiet, focus, determination, and accomplishment.

As an entrepreneur and a mother, high-paced days at my desk and endless days on the road are only outpaced by high-energy evenings and weekends with my family of five. By waking up at 4 AM, I’m able to routinely devote time to my own self-development and care, a necessary practice for success in all areas of my life.

If this is something you’ve wanted to try but haven’t yet managed to find success in, here are a few keys I’ve found to making this routine not only possible, but extremely enjoyable as well:

Check your DNA

Our tendency to be productive at certain times of the day is often hard-wired in us, an internal clock that’s determined by our DNA. This genetic predisposition is called our chronotype. If you identify as a “night owl”, then you can stop reading now. This method is not for you. In fact, research shows a correlation to weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease if you try to force an extra early wake-time when your DNA is telling you otherwise. But if you feel like you do your best work in the morning, or maybe you’re not sure, than the 4 AM club could be for you.

Check your Watch

The key to sustaining this routine has everything to do with a consistent sleep schedule. Knowing the exact number of sleep hours that support your peak performance is requisite to success. Not getting enough sleep effectively compromises all the systems that work together for success in day-to-day life. Without enough sleep, the motivation to exercise is zapped, food choices start moving in a downward spiral, and productivity at work takes a nosedive.

Check your Excuses

An early morning routine is a no-excuses kind of practice. Follow the 21/90 rule — on average, it takes 21 days to form a habit. If the system seems to be working for you, another 90 days is recommended to turn it into a permanent lifestyle change. That said, the first few days will inevitably be brutal. Resist the temptation to hit snooze on that alarm by using the Rule of 5. When the alarm goes off, count to five, pop up, and start moving out of bed, no matter how you feel about it in that moment.

Above all, know that every person is wired in their own way, and successful habits look different for everyone. Do not try to define yourself by what works for others — instead, let them inspire you to find your own routines that drive you toward your goals.

Author Bio

Judith Nowlin, Chief Growth Officer with Babyscripts. Judith created iBirth™, a mobile care companion for pregnancy, birth and postpartum, to help healthcare practitioners deliver better health outcomes for women and children in the United States and beyond. The original idea for the app was born out of her prior decade of service in maternity care. The technology platform she and her team built has since impacted nearly 1 million families on their journey toward optimal health and wellness during one of life’s most precious times. iBirth was acquired in June 2018 by Babyscripts, Inc., the leading virtual care platform for obstetrics. You can find her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-nowlin-3a9b82b/

Guest contributors views are their own.

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Taking an Early Career Setback into an Opportunity

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Career setback, opportunity
For many, a career setback does not come strictly by being fired or laid off although.

As a woman in business, there also are subtle ways you may experience bumps in the road. Maybe you were just passed up for a promotion or you are coming back from maternity leave to find the company’s culture has changed for the worse. No matter what kind of setback you’re experiencing, here are a few steps to turn your negative experience into an opportunity for career growth.

Make Financial Independence a Goal

When you experience a setback, start working toward financial independence. To be able to make a move to a new company, city, to work for yourself, or going back to school, you’ll need to have money saved. If it’s possible to stay in your current job for a little longer to add to your savings, do so and bide your time. Even though you may be ready to move on, hold on while collecting your regular paycheck.

But remember, don’t stay too long if you’re not mentally prepared for the work ahead of you. If you’re not operating at your best, those around you will notice. Leave a great impression on your colleagues when you finally depart, because you never know when your paths may cross again in the workplace.

If you’re ready to leave or have been fired, take steps immediately to stabilize your financial situation. Even if you can afford your current lifestyle, cut back on those little expenses that add up. Especially if you have less than 6 months’ expenses saved up, take every precaution to use those savings sparingly until you’re back on your feet.

Keep A Positive Attitude

Just because you’ve experienced one setback doesn’t mean you can’t accomplish your goals. Find some time for yourself to take do a little self-care to put your mind in a healthy place. Operating at your best is an important step to being able to tackle the next opportunity head on. You are your best ally, and it’s key to take good care of yourself.

Find Mentors

Having other driven and successful women on your side is an invaluable resource. Reach out to women in your field who have achieved your goals or that you want to emulate. You would be surprised how each person’s path to success varies greatly. Join a professionals group in your field, especially one for women. There are other women out there that understand the unique challenges you may face in the workplace and how to navigate those successfully.

Remember, you won’t want to ask your current peers or supervisors for recommendations if you’re trying to apply for other jobs quietly. If your employer learns you’re leaving before you have an offer in hand, you may be seen as less committed or lose valuable leverage for negotiating. Having mentors outside of your current company helps you have additional flexibility when asking for references, testimonials, and letters of recommendations.

Add To Your Resume

Find opportunities to collect your resume and portfolio assets while you still work for your current organization. You might lose access to some of these projects when you leave. Take an inventory of what you’ve accomplished and save anything you can legally use for your future. Depending on your current employee handbook and contract, be aware that there may be some proprietary information you cannot leverage for a resume. However, save everything else that you can because you never know what may be useful in a future job.

While volunteer experiences won’t directly benefit you financially, you can learn a lot from volunteering and add valuable interest points to your resume. Employers love seeing that a potential candidate is engaged in the community because they are better equipped to create a positive culture in the workplace. Find a volunteer opportunity that is directly applicable to your career, and you may find connections to other people who are in your field.

Get Organized

If you are working towards specific career goals, break it down into manageable pieces. When you set a lofty goal, it can seem too far away to accomplish in the short term and it may become overwhelming. By giving yourself a roadmap to success, it’s much easier to visualize the path you need to take and show each step with the final intention in mind.

In addition, write a list of what you like and don’t like about your career. How can things be better? What type of company do you want to work for? By answering these questions, you know what to ask your next interviewer to get to the heart of their organization.

When you ask the right questions in an interview, it quickly sheds insight on how the organization operates and where the potential problems may lay. Simply asking “What is your culture like?” doesn’t give you everything you need to know about a new company. Instead, ask questions like “do you feel like you have the resources you need for success?” If you’re looking for a job where you feel more supported, this question will open an honest conversation with the interviewer about those attributes.

Check out the infographic below for some more tips on how to deal with career setbacks from entrepreneurs, investors, and creative minds.

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4 Tips On Time Management for People Pursuing Online MBAs

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Female-student-studying
Obtaining an MBA can expand your earning potential and career opportunities exponentially.

Unfortunately, not all aspiring MBA recipients have the bandwidth to juggle jobs, family obligations and other everyday responsibilities with taking part in the MBA programs offered by traditional colleges and universities. Luckily for interested parties held back by schedule constraints, it’s now possible to earn an accredited MBA from the comfort of home – and on your time.

However, while online MBA programs are typically easier on one’s schedule, they still require a fair amount of commitment. Students interested in earning an online MBA in a timely and efficient manner can benefit from the following pointers.

Be Consistent

If you’re accustomed to learning in structured environments, taking part in an online degree program may require a bit of adjustment. Since these programs generally lack the rigid schedules of traditional schools, self-motivation is crucial to student success. While becoming a self-motivator may seem like a daunting prospect, it’s by no means impossible – provided you practice consistency. This means devoting a set amount of time to your academic pursuits each day and committing to this schedule. Whether it’s early in the morning or after you’ve come down from the day, make a point of meticulously adhering to your self-imposed study time. For many students, this will initially prove difficult, but after a few weeks, being a self-starter will start feeling natural. Just remember: proper planning is key.

Don’t Allow Coursework to Pile Up

Allowing coursework and important end-of-term projects to pile up is one of the worst things any student can do to themselves. Although it’s considerably less stressful than going the traditional route, earning an MBA online still requires students to keep up with coursework and follow a syllabus. Even if due dates aren’t as set in stone as they are at brick-and-mortar schools, you’re expected to complete coursework within a reasonable timeframe. As such, consistently putting it on the backburner and allowing it to accumulate will only hurt your MBA prospects. Additionally, it will throw your daily study schedule into disarray, thereby making effective time management an impossibility. To ensure this doesn’t come to pass, you’ll need to regard your syllabus as a sacred text and treat the due dates listed therein as sacrosanct.

Eliminate Digital Distractions

As much as people hate to admit it, many of us are slaves to our devices. The average American seldom goes more than five minutes without looking at their phone, with the time span between phone-checks getting progressively shorter each year. Furthermore, when we’re not looking at our phones, we’re often working at computers or relaxing with our favorite tablet. Unsurprisingly, this plethora of digital distractions can make concentrating on one’s studies incredibly difficult.
With this in mind, make an effort to eliminate as many distractions as you can during your designated study hours. This can mean shutting off your phone, placing strict limits on personal web browsing and turning off any nearby televisions. For dedicated techno-junkies, this can be a difficult adjustment to make, but the increased productivity will prove well worth your efforts.

Accept Help When It’s Offered

Many people have trouble accepting help from others. Since we live in a culture that celebrates self-reliance and regards workaholism as an enviable trait, it isn’t difficult to see why. However, the busier someone is, the more help they’re likely to need – and this is particularly true in the case of returning students. Going to back to school as an adult can be incredibly taxing, especially for students with families and full-time jobs. In many instances, accepting help is the only way for students to succeed, so if a friend or family member offers to assist with childcare, food preparation or financial matters, there is absolutely no shame in taking them up on their generosity. Not only will this approach save you time, it can also diminish your stress levels considerably.

There are many good reasons for adult learners to pursue MBAs. In addition to heightened earning power and broadened career paths, earning an MBA can dramatically improve one’s quality of life. Furthermore, with online degrees becoming an increasingly popular option for both new and returning students, accredited MBA programs have become more accessible than ever. To get the most out of these programs, students need to consistently apply themselves and practice proper time management.

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4 Questions to Ask Yourself Regarding Your Job

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Image via Shutterstock

For many women in senior management positions the workload becomes stable and the opportunities for new and original work start to show up less often.

Here are some questions that you may ask yourself to know if now is the time to ask for more from your job, and what direction you can choose with more awareness.

1. What will my life be like in 5 years if I keep this job?

Often women in senior positions have made it to the glass ceiling of their profession. Is that you? If you were promoted, what is the level of responsibility and what are the daily tasks of this new position? Is this something that you are willing to take on? Is the level of salary increase over the next 5 years in this position something that you are excited about receiving or is it lacklustre? According to 2018 data by SHRM, most executive positions only expected a 3% salary increase, and no one knows what the 2019 forecast. Is working in this job creating difficulties in any other area of your life? Personally? Physically? Relationships? Health? Mental Health? Note down what impressions that you have about keeping this job in all of these factors.

2. What will my life be like in 5 years if I don’t keep this job?

What if you could decide for yourself what your life will be like if you don’t keep this current job? What are the other opportunities for employment? What marketplace demand is there for your skills and what salaries are being offered to seasoned entrants? What is your value proposition as a candidate, how will you shine? Could you choose to take time off right now and develop your own consulting business and become profitable competition for your previous job?

3. What do I love about this job?

Challenge yourself to write 25 things that you actually love about the job that you are in. A long time ago I heard the 80/20 rule applied to work. If 80% of your job is taken up with things that you enjoy and feel masterful about and only 20% of your job is not, then you are in a sustainable career for you. If it is the opposite, it may be time to consider a change. What else is possible for you to love about this job that isn’t obvious at the moment? Sometimes we get bogged down and don’t actually ask for the job to be enjoyable.

4. Is now the time to change?

Jumping back to fantasizing about winning a lottery or having an astonishing inheritance come in so you can retire from working altogether, which of course would be wonderful, realistically is now the time to actually ask for more from your job? What are you aware of politically from the company structure? Could you be promoted? Could you ask for more responsibility and get a pay raise or more benefits that would add to your life? If quitting and opening your own firm or business is attractive, is now the time?

What if it’s possible to ignite a fire under your current job and develop it into something more profitable, something that you are excited to arrive at every morning? Asking and answering the above questions will start to point at possible changes that you can make to your job and your life, to increase the level of satisfaction and joy. Yes, it is possible to have both satisfaction and joy at work, and settling for anything less is not an option for me these days.

Guests contributors views are their own and are not affiliated with theglasshammer.com in any way

About the author

Deepa Ramaraj is a Computer Science Engineer turned Health and Wealth Educator. Deepa facilitates workshops for corporate companies to boost sales, to dissolve interpersonal or inter-departmental challenges and to transform the way business is done. These workshops are totally unconventional in approach. She also conducts workshops for individuals about how to receive more money, reduce stress, have better relationships, improve health and upskill as a parent.

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