Is a career coach or mentor a better fit for you? Career coaches and mentors can benefit career growth, and they differ slightly in how they do it. Mentors are ideal for enhancing a chosen career path, while career coaches can help guide you in any path you want to pursue, but charge a fee for their services. U.S. News & World Report (9/5)How to overcome impostor syndrome Keep an achievements folder on hand and refer to it often to remind yourself that you are qualified and capable for your new position, writes Anisa Purbasari Horton. Stop thinking like an impostor and try power dressing and taking risks until you feel comfortable in your job, she writes. Fast Company online (9/4)
Making the Connection
Icebreakers for networking events Great topics of conversation to break the ice at networking events include the news, weather, the venue or a little humor. By breaking the ice, the other person will likely be relieved you did so. The Muse (9/5)
Wages have fallen for jobs that used to pave a pathway to the middle class for people without a college degree, according to a Washington Post analysis. The report focuses on six industries and analyzes factors that have led to their decline, including digitization and increased foreign competition. The Washington Post (tiered subscription model) (9/4)
Your Next Challenge
Finding job training to get to the next level Training and job-specific education is critical in helping workers find living-wage careers, and the key is finding affordable means to accomplish this, writes Tina Rosenberg. Brush up on soft skills and other skills required for the targeted job by utilizing local community educational programs, colleges or government-run programs. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (9/4)Best question to ask at a job interview According to career coach Erica Keswin, the key question to ask in an interview is: "Can you describe your approach to professional development?" If the company has only an annual review policy and no formal or informal discussions on an ongoing basis about job performance, that can be a red flag, Keswin says. Business Insider (9/5)
It's uncertain why working on a computer all day long is so physically exhausting, although studies point to a couple of possibilities, writes Brian Resnick. One hypothesis is that the mental energy used has a draining effect on our bodies, while the other involves loss of motivation as the energy-draining culprit. Vox (9/5)
In 2005, one of the pairs of ruby red slippers that were used in "The Wizard of Oz" were stolen from the Judy Garland museum in Grand Rapids, Minn., and FBI announced Tuesday that the shoes have now been recovered during an undercover operation. An investigation is ongoing to determine who is responsible for the theft. CNN (9/4)
