Land your ideal job, even if it doesn't exist yet Meet with people at companies you admire and figure out a way to create a position within a company that aligns with your career ambitions, GE Ventures' Risa Stack says. "Try and think about what it is that you want to do, and then find the right environment to do it in," Stack adds. Entrepreneur online (8/17)Advance your career by making yourself heard There are ways to make yourself stand out at work, says Kaethe Schuster, national account manager at The Dow Chemical Company. "Never be a bystander, think ahead and always bring something original to the table. Providing industry insights, contacts, ideas and other relevant solutions will make you valuable," she says. Forbes (8/18)
Making the Connection
How to reach out to a contact you haven't spoken to in years Keep the tone of your email from appearing too desperate or demanding, and always give the recipient an out to avoid an uncomfortable situation for both of you, writes executive coach Rebecca Zucker. You may write in your email, "I'm sure you are very busy, so if this is not a good time for you (or if you don't feel like you know this person well enough to make an introduction), I completely understand," suggests Zucker. Harvard Business Review online (tiered subscription model) (8/17)End conversations with actionable steps End every written or spoken conversation with a call to action, leadership expert Judith Humphrey suggests. "Your 'closing' should open doors and move you onto the next step," she writes. Fast Company online (8/17)
The Landscape
Job boom predicted for legal cannabis market The legal marijuana industry is on pace to create more than 400,000 jobs, including budtenders and cannabis chefs, by 2021, according to BDS Analytics. Some jobs, such as head growers and master extractors, require advanced degrees in horticulture or biochemistry and command six-figure salaries. The Cincinnati Enquirer (tiered subscription model) (8/15)
Your Next Challenge
Highlight your successes, not just your team's Emphasize your specific role and contributions within a team at former positions rather than focusing on the team's successes as a whole, Amazon recruiter Celeste Joy Diaz recommends. Back your claims with numbers, such as revenue growth or monthly goals met, executive career coach Tina Nicolai says. Business Insider (8/17)Introverted? Preparation is key for job interviews Research everything you can about a company and, if working with a recruiter, ask about the typical interviewing process at the company. Practice telling stories of past successes, as well as answers to behavioral-type interview questions, Ray Bixler writes. U.S. News & World Report (8/17)
Balancing Yourself
Smart desk senses when you're stressed A technologically advanced desk design from the researchers at MIT Media Lab is able to sense stress by collecting over 30 biological markers from the person using it. The workspace adapts to signs of stress by switching to calming colors or visuals, such as a serene nature scene, on its integrated video screen. Quartz (8/17)
A 42-year-old Scottish woman had a cyst removed from her eyelid, and a contact lens she previously believed to be lost was found inside. As a teenager, 28 years ago, the woman was hit in the eye with a badminton shuttlecock, dislodging the contact. BBC (8/17)
