Navigating The Career Jungle

  Do you know your market value? Have you even heard of market value before? Your market value is what someone with similar skills and expertise would be paid for a job in a specific city. It’s really important to remember that the geographic area that you live in a huge factor in determining your market value.   Now, the mistake that most millennials make is that they allow the company to tell them what they’re worth. It’s really easy to find out your market value. Now, as I’ve been saying throughout this series online tools are a great resource for you to get a round about figure of what type of salary you should expect. But, it’s often just an average an sometimes not that reliable so you really need to talk with your professional associates. Talking about salary or total compensation isn’t something that most people are comfortable with so instead of saying, “ Hey, how much do you make?” You should be honest and s

This episode is in direct response to my Twitter TL & those who've written in and asked for help planning the work week. I don't like to hear people who say the dread Mondays. In fact, if you're one of those people I want you to subscribe to Eric Thomas' newsletter. He's known as the hip hop preacher. Eric has a motivational newsletter entitled TGIM ( thank God it's Monday) I love the message because it always gives me a boost of energy to accomplish even my most challenging task for the week.    Ok, let's jump into the meat & potatoes of this episode. How to set yourself up for a successful work. This will take some time, but it's worth it.     Consider what you have left over from last week. Write all those things down. All of them from calling the Vet to getting the car cleaned to finishing a project.  Think about what you need to accomplish this week. Write all those things down from paying bills to attending meetings. I know you're probably thinking Jacqueline this is mi

You have to invest time to research so that you set yourself up for success in negotiations.      It’s not just finding out the salary. You have to dig deep and find out about the culture, the people you’ll be negotiating with, and even with customers are saying. Why? It helps you to look at the full picture to determine how you can add value to the organization and solve problems. When you research various aspects of the organization you can negotiate for a variety of items that set you up to be successful in your position.      At the end of each episode, we'll have a career Q&A send your questions into jvtwillie@jacquelinetwillie or tweet me!   If you're enjoying this podcast please leave a review. ~ Jacqueline

When it comes to negotiation a lot millennial women have a hard time overcoming fear. Let's put things into perspective starting with the basics.  definition of fear: verb   be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening.  There's a phrase that I've heard since I was a young child and you've probably heard it to0. It says that FEAR is just false evidence appearing to be real. I believe there's a lot of truth in that in the context of negotiation. This episode provides you with a checklist to begin to overcome your fear of negotiations. Download the free PDF checklist here.  At the end of each episode, we'll have a career Q&A so send your questions into jvtwillie@jacquelinetwillie or tweet me! Today's question is from Linda. "Should I negotiate my relocation package? " Answer: YES! I'll plan an entire episode to address this topic, but I also want to you check out these articles. Pick the info that most relevant to you and

The Confidence Mistake The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear and get a record of successful experiences behind you. ~ William Jennings Bryan Let's start with the basics; What are you confident about? Why?   When you lack confidence what drives that?   Think of a time when you lacked confidence, but later you could tackle that same issue with no problem. There was a process in that in which you gained confidence.    8 Characteristics of a confident millennial  They understand their worth and market value They aren’t arrogant or cocky They have pride but don’t brag out of insecurity They Ask for help and connect with a mentor  They Listen but don't jump to fill awkward silence gaps Invest in learning - conferences, workshops, professional associations, webinars, podcasts, books, articles, newsletters, certifications  Walk The Talk- they don't prepare but back away from asking They Surround themselves with people who lift them higher

The 5 mistakes that I've recognized when coaching millennials to negotiate can be avoided! This is the first episode of a 6 part series helping you avoid the common negotiation mistakes. If you invest the time to prepare you'll become a better negotiator increasing your lifetime earning potential by earning what you're worth today.   Here are the 5 mistakes to avoid: Lack of confidence FEAR Not researching Not understanding your market value Not asking Resources to help you avoid the big negotiation mistakes Levo.com/ask4more for millennial women Glassdoor.com for salary data across the US Opm.gov for federal employees including student employees   Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do. ~ Bruce Lee   Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn. If you like Navigating the Career Jungle leave a review. 

Connecting with a good mentor can be very beneficial to your career growth. There's no doubt in most people's mind that they should have a mentor. Now, how you find a good mentor is tricky.  I believe you need to consider this factors right out the gate when considering who can mentor you.  Do you know what you want to achieve? A mentor can't figure that out for you. They can, however, help guide you through the career jungle to get to where you want to be.  Age isn't a factor. A mentor can be younger, older, or even the same age as you.  Do your values align? You can't be mentored by someone is you don't share common values.  I cover a few other concepts in episode 16 of the #NTCJ podcast, if you have any questions or if you want me to do more episodes on this topic let me know.  There is no pdf guide with this episode but, I am offering a FREE 20-minute career strategy session to anyone who emails me and mentions EPISODE 16 by August 31, 2015. Why am I doing this? This is my

You're not alone with procrastination and getting things done. I have a few tips I want you to try.    1. Start each day with a realistic plan. Each evening take 15 minutes to plan your the next day (even on the weekends). This 15 minutes should be in a place where you have limited to NO distractions. The goal is to be able to think clearly. This will be hard when you start because it isn't a part of your normal routine but if you stick with it, you will see results.    2.Monitor your actions. Pay attention to what you do from the time you get up until the time you end your day. Are you actions matching what you say is important to you? Be honest with yourself. You'll only be able to break through the barriers when you aware of your actions and become intentional about everything that you do.    3. Find an accountability partner. Connect with someone you trust to encourage and push you to stick with your plans. It's important to find a person wh

 The BCWN Conference is a 1- day conference. It was an empowering, dynamic space for women from all levels of their career from college grads to entrepreneurs are ready to experience career empowerment and take their career or business to the next level. Learn strategies, tips & tools, share experiences, learn how to expand or start a business or empower your professional career. Engage in Real Career Talks and Conversations with Speakers, Experts and Professionals to ignite your PASSION, discover your POWER and fuel it with PURSUIT to succeed in your career or business. #BCWNConf3P I participated in the conference a speaker and even I left feeling empowered. This bonus episode is a short recap of my thoughts on the conference.    Check out BCWN Network Subscribe to the podcast

After you've assessed your values and your daily actions it's time to create a plan that will allow you to thrive in all areas of your life. The biggest part of that is finding the resources available to you by your employer.   Examples of Resources that you should take advantage of:  -Telework days -Flex schedule options 3 day weekends -Maternity and Paternity leave  -Rideshare (vanpool or carpool) -Daycare on-site -Employee resource or affinity groups -Employer-sponsored sports leagues  -Fitness -Training and development funds  -Tuition reimbursement   Burnout Prevention Tools 1. Create a routine 2. Incorporate healthy habits into your daily routine  3. Set boundaries 4. Unplug  5.Reconnect  6. Learn how to manage stress   Creating a plan that works for you requires buy-in from your family/friends and employer. So discuss your plan with them and have a backup plan if what you want to do isn't realistic for all parties at this time. Spend time thinking

 "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined."  ~ Henry David  Thoreau   Let's get real for a minute. I get so many messages about work/life balance. The messages say something like I'm at work so much I just pass out when I get home or I have no time for friends because I'm working all the time. This is usually followed by BUT I want to grow in my career so what do I do?   Let's start with your values and your priorities. Head over to jacquelinetwilie.com and download the free PDF that was created for this episode.   You can't blame the company you work for or even your supervisor if you're schedule is out of wack. You've got to begin with self-reflection are you actions matching your values? This episode starts with outlining your values as the foundation for creating a successful work and life integration plan.     

" If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader." ~ John Quincy Adams   I believe that you should have developed some leadership skills before you get an official leadership position. Here's how you do that.  Study the leaders who are around you. Notice what makes them effective or not effective.  Read books, watch youtube videos, and talk to leaders you admire.  Invest in your career by attending leadership development courses and conferences.  Manage you reputation as a leader by being known as a problem solver.  Communicate effectively both written and oral communication matter.  Go the extra mile from time to time.  Care about the quality of your work, your customers, and your partners.  Be proactive.  Get stuff done Be a student of leadership.  For more on leading before you get a title check out chapter 7 of my book, Navigating The Career Jungle: A Guide for Young Professionals. 

The confidence boost you need to negotiate is already in you. You just have to pull it out. That's what this episode is all about.  Negotiations can be scary, don't let the fear of the unknown prevent you for negotiating for what you're worth. I'm compiled a list of 10 quotes, that have given me a boost of confidence to negotiate. Share any mantra or quotes that you've used to help you move past fear in these types of situations. Don't worry about writing the 10 quotes as you listen. I have them written for you here. What's your biggest fear when it comes to negotiating? Let me know and I'll help you tackle it in an upcoming episode.    You can also send questions via twitter @JVTwillie

  I’ll be joining the team at www.JacquelineTwillie.com  full time this August! My goal is to inspire millennial women grow in their careers. In 2015, women earn78 cents on a dollar compared to a man's salary. I’ve come to realize my purpose and it’s to help millennial women negotiate in their careers to get rid of that ridiculous wage gap. I’m fired up and ready to tackle this huge problem.   I'll be speaking in cities across the world. This month I'll be in Cincinnati, Ohio at the Black Career Women's Network Conference, followed by a Navigating The Career Jungle Workshop in Atlanta, GA, and I'll planning something for the young professionals in Slidell, LA.   Follow me on twitter for upcoming career workshops 

There are no silly career questions... Seriously, there are no silly career questions. If you have a question or a topic you'd like me to address send me a message or leave the comment on the review section of this podcast. In this episode, I'm answering your career questions. The topics that we cover in this episode are: Resumes & cover letters Business lunch  Politics in the office  Clean vs messy desk Business casual Attire    Thanks for sending your questions and keep them coming and don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

 "Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference" ~ Winston Churchill    I want to share three things I've learned about bouncing back from a bad day at work.    1. Attitude is everything. The one thing you can control in any situation is your attitude. Don't ever forget that.  - Instead of replaying that situation over and over in your head think about what you've learned and how you can handle the situation differently next time. Then take the time to create a best practice guide for yourself. This can be simple steps that you incorporate in your daily routine that will help you step up your game. Don't wallow in your disappointment have a moment but you've got to get over it and for goodness sake don't keep talking about that moment. The sooner you move on, the sooner your peers in the office will move on.    2. Dress your best and play your "at-bat" song. When you look good, you feel good so the day after you've had a bad day. M

Let's start with some basic definitions.   A mentor is a trusted counselor or guide (per The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary).   A career coach is a career counselor: somebody who offers another person professional guidance and advice on career change or improvement (per Bing online dictionary).   A sponsor is someone who will introduce you to the right people and make the case for you by having top-level conversations on your behalf (per Fortune Online).   6 essential elements to creating a successful relationship   Respect their time Have your goals written down Be ready to work They are not responsible for your job search Be open to constructive criticism  Be flexible and stay focused  Establishing guidelines with coaches and mentors   It’s important to enter the coaching/mentoring relationship with clear guidelines and expectations. This is a two-way street. So, before you decide to enter into

I love networking and am a huge fan of networking online. However, receiving a generic message on LinkedIn to connect can deter me from connecting. Here are a few templates that I’ve created to help me connect with other professionals on LinkedIn. I’m sharing these in hopes that we can eliminate the generic invitation and become to truly connect and “link” with our professional colleagues.  Tips to Remember: •The most successful networking relationships are built to be mutually beneficial relationships. •You’re limited to the number of characters in an LinkedIn invitation. Don’t waste your characters.  •You don’t have to mention the word “invitation” in your message because, it will appear in the invitation section of LinkedIn. •Be authentic and honest, people can tell when you’re not. Download your FREE PDF Guide and Start Linking Today! If you want a free career consultation with me just leave a review in th

Preparing for an interview is the number one step that well-qualified candidates underestimate when they go into an interview. Yes, searching for a job is a full-time job in itself. With that being said, there are no shortcuts. You've got to put in the time to learn about the organization and to make sure that you're representing the highest and grandest version of yourself.    Here's the link to the free Interview Prep PDF download for this episode of the podcast. If you're enjoying the content leave a review in the iTunes podcast store.    Have a question you want me to answer? Send me a tweet @JVTwillie

Attending conferences and workshops is one of the ways that I suggest you invest in yourself, I talk about it in my book; Navigating the Career Jungle: A Guide for Young Professionals. The benefits of attending a conference or workshop are numerous not only do you have the opportunity to meet other professionals in your industry, it’s a huge knowledge boost as you learn tips and tools that enhance your professional skill set and allow you to become a more valuable employee to your employer. So how do you pitch your conference attendance to your supervisor? There are many ways you can do this but regardless of the approach you take your pitch should include the answer to following questions. 1.What’s in it for the company? How will your attendance at this conference or workshop enhance your day to day responsibilities? How will it tie into the organization's’ mission and current growth strategy? 2.Who’s hosting, who’s attending, who’s teaching? If your company is going