Author: arianathacker

As a chemical engineer in the age of tech, I’ve been finding it hard to stay relevant.

Well, here are five ways you can stay in demand –

1. Join social and professional groups.

There’s something for everybody.

2. Stay on top of the job market.

It’s a numbers and networks game.
Keep applying, trying, and leveraging your professional connections.

3. Invest in yourself through training and education.

I have been actively taking courses online and learning from hands-on experience to acquire skills in AutoCAD, financial modeling and valuation, marketing, branding, product development, and next up on my list, Python, accounting, and angel investing. For free!

Keep growing! With so many free resources online, you can learn new skills affordably and from anywhere with wifi.

4. Practice compassion and patience.

Sometimes, no matter how proactive or hard-working you are, you can still find yourself without a career or in financial difficulty.

5. Cultivate interests outside of work.

Yoga, regular exercise, and meditation are huge for me, actually, necessary.

Credit: Miss Kumar

I’ve “hacked” job hunting over the past several months.

Here’s an 80/20 solution that has landed me multiple interviews. And no, you don’t need a large network.

1. Focus. Find and dissect relevant job descriptions. Tailor your resume to maximize the keywords used.

2. Optimize your LinkedIn SEO and “turn on” your career interests for recruiters. More traffic/visbility = more opportunity.

3. Ditch ZipRecruiter/Indeed. Applications get viewed, but interviews are sparse. Use these tools passively (upload your resume and mobile apply to jobs in your free time).

Instead, use these sites as your job pipeline and apply directly to the company’s site.

4. Send connection requests with personalized messages to both 3rd party and company recruiters. Schedule calls! Have your pitch and plan ready. This can be hit or miss, but recruiters are generally responsive, and better than applying to a black hole.

5. Get involved in professional groups that host company tours. Tours have been THE most effective in landing interviews. 100% yield!

6. Attend conferences, info sessions, career fairs. Get face time!

7. Schedule informational interviews with people in your desired industry. Find and develop these relationships. Ask for a tour, or better, a referral.

There are loads of unwritten social rules. I know, because I’ve broken plenty. 😉

Here are social hacks that you can only learn outside the classroom:

1. Take it easy! When interacting with strangers, be instantly comfortable. Trick your brain into thinking you’ve known this person your whole life.

2. Listen a lot more than you talk. Don’t think about the next thing you’re going to say while the other person is talking. If you’re actively listening, the next direction in conversation should come naturally.

3. Ask open-ended questions, and be interested! Being interested >>> being interesting.

4. Pay attention to nonverbal cues and mimic body language.

5. Speak and greet others with excitement! Play with pauses, cadence, tone, and use visually engaging vocabulary. Illustrate what you’re saying with a story.

6. Be vulnerable. Admit when you need help!

7. Rephrase what people said to you – this validates your understanding, and the other person feels heard.

8. Repeat the other person’s name in conversation to remember it and to make the other person feel important.

9. Use powerful body language. Smiling and eye contact are key. Exude confidence! Say it with conviction!

10. Avoid “weak” language – “I think” “Just wondering” etc.

11. Be open-minded! Drop the judgment.

I conducted a social experiment at a two-day career fair.
Why? I like to test behavioral responses and new ideas. It’s something like a hobby.

On the first day of the career fair, I wore a bright red suit.

The suit was fabulous, fiery, loud, and proud (but still professional).
It gave me some serious career fair swag ;).

On the second day, I wore an ultra-conservative business casual ensemble.

It was a not-so-special outfit that’d pass most office dress codes.

On the first day, I landed no additional interviews.

So, was it me or the suit? I had to find out.

That was quickly answered by day two.

There was a huge shift in how I was treated by recruiters and peers.

I had the same resume and pitch, just different clothing.

Day two’s plain outfit landed me multiple interviews.
Also, lots and lots of business cards from professionals at the event.

Phew! I felt relieved but conflicted.

It turns out the red suit was a major turn off for several of the engineering, consulting, and finance companies I spoke to, even though I had the skills and experience they required.

Are skilled candidates immediately dismissed because, on the surface, they don’t appear to fit the company’s culture?

Diversity > monoculture.

I’ll be keeping my red suit.

Last week, a friend showed me something interesting.

He introduced me to Bear, his pet. Bear is a 100 lb. chocolate lab who shifted my perspective.

He directed Bear into the bathroom and then blocked off the doorway with a small, wooden frame.

Bear could have easily knocked down this frame – it was flimsy, light, and leaning against the wall, unfixed. A light tap would have done it.

He didn’t move. He thought he was trapped. He stayed in the bathroom as long as the fence was up.

I could tell Bear was feeling anxious by this experience. He genuinely felt he could not help himself in this situation, even though the barrier in place was completely artificial.

Why?

This massive, brown dog shouldn’t have been intimidated by this fake fence.

I almost teared up.

Perhaps as a puppy, this fence would have posed a challenge.
But Bear is grown. Actually, GIGANTIC.

Are there fake barriers to moving you forward?

Let’s test and destroy those self-imposed limitations.

I’m always surprised to find what barriers have historically kept me back, some much more ridiculous than Bear and the fence.

Identifying these limits can be hard since they’re so ingrained and unchallenged. Fixing them can be as easy as testing boundaries.

Find new thought patterns that serve you.

“Why don’t you lift lighter weights? I won’t be mad.”

This was directed to a female, student-athlete and friend during training.

Her chosen weight set was appropriate for her strength level. She felt demoralized by the suggestion from her coach.

Her initial reaction was: would this have been said to a male athlete?

This is just one example of performance bias.

Perhaps the person wasn’t aware of his implicit bias toward female athletes. He also wasn’t aware of the impact that statement had on her performance that day.

What can we do?

The first step is becoming aware of your own biases.

Question your first impression.
Call out bias when it happens, and empower others to do so too.

Don’t just simply be “not part of the problem.”

Be an active part in the solution.

I get it, this kind of stuff is uncomfortable to hear and discuss.

Sometimes, it’s really subtle.

But, it’s important to identify and fix.

Bias leads to disengagement and underperformance.

Set positive expectations.
Get positive results.

Dreaming small is the new dreaming big.

Aiming for the $100M business or six-pack abs (or whatever your goals are) can backfire.

Instead, try this:

1. Create goal step ladders.
This chunks your goal down into tiny steps.

Process > end game.

Ex 1: I wanted to get in shape. Creating a step ladder took me from never working out to eating clean and going to the gym 1-2 hours per day. In the process, I’ve had fantastic fitness transformations and became a much better runner and yogi.

The focus was on advancing each week, not losing X pounds.

2. Join a community with a strong social pull in line with your goal.

Ex 2: Yoga and spin classes.

3. Establish accountability. Let’s say you procrastinate. Be the leader of a club that is all about not procrastinating.

Ex 3: During my first job out of college, I started the Young Investors Club with some smart peers because I really had no clue how to manage my money.

This lights a fire under your tush when 7 people are counting on you. 😉

4. Treat yourself.

Ex 4: Slowly build your biz clothes wardrobe when you land interviews and make it to the next round.

5. Neuro-hacks.

Ex 5: Use a password like L@nd1nterv!ews (not mine).

6. Make it easy.

Ex 6: Join a gym within walking distance.

Post Inspo: Stick With It by Sean Young, PhD

Time > Money.

Time is a resource you’re not getting back. Here are some ways to get more people to respect your time ;).

1. Only accept meetings with a clear purpose or agenda. Ask for the agenda beforehand and cut unnecessary topics of discussion.
2. Charge for your time. Include commute and wait if they’re late.
3. If someone is late to a meeting, start and close the door.
4. Limit call durations to 15 minutes.
5. Answer texts, emails in batch once a day. Avoid being constantly plugged in and available to chat 24/7.
6. Target high priority tasks and messages same day.
7. Let low priority emails slide. Let go of the perfect inbox.
8. Walk fast.
9. Hold standing meetings.
10. State your preferred method of communication.
11. Invite only who you need to at meetings.
12. Hold a no cell phone policy. Enforce that you and attendees are 100% present.
13. Of course, respect other people’s time.
14. Make it a priority to place boundaries on how your time is spent.
15. Ask for your needs. Don’t waste time reinventing the wheel.
16. Only do value added work. Don’t be busy for the sake of being busy.
17. Prepare and plan. “Don’t think just do” is a time trap.
18. Say no!
19. Start phone calls with “how can I help?”
20. Send and encourage shorter emails.

I’ve worked for, started, and failed at 15 companies. I’m 26.

Did your eyebrows just raise? Here’s what I’ve learned.

If you subscribe to Nassim’s philosophies in #Antifragile, this randomness rocks.

Some systems thrive on shock and uncertainty.

To the rest, this reads riskyyyy!

The takeaways:

1. Being a good problem solver doesn’t confine you to a single industry. Try the unfamiliar.
2. Tackle a small problem ASAP to establish credibility.
3. Ask dumb questions. Dumb questions are better than missed deadlines.
4. If you’ve pivoted a lot, big companies won’t understand “your fit”. Finding work requires creativity. But, start-ups will love you. Be strategic with pivots.
5. Politics are inevitable. Never compromise your integrity when dealing with office politics. Handle with care.
6. Set high expectations for others. Pygmalion effect.
7. The more you get rejected, the less it bothers you.
8. Mistakes make you learn fast.
9. The more you win, the more nay-sayers you’ll get. Stay focused, positive, and awesome ;).
10. Ditch the 5-year plan. Be adaptable.

Industries: SEO, film, HVAC, tissue engineering, refining, oil & gas, compressed air energy storage, thermal energy storage, railroads, social entrepreneurship, home goods, consumer electronics, cosmetics, restaurant, alcohol

I have waaaaay too much on my plate!

Here’s how I’ve been fitting it ALL in…

1. Have a set wake-up time (6 AM).
2. Sleep for 7+ hours a night.
3. Have a schedule with constraints. Eg, working out the second you wake up and learning Spanish before bed.
4. Use Asana and Google Calendar to manage tasks and time.
5. Batch similar tasks. Even texting.
6. Check email only twice per day. Answer priority emails and use filters.
7. Fit in a 30 min slot for the quick things, like paying bills.
8. Do the hardest tasks earlier in the day when you’re most energized.
9. Go on social probation – limit social media use and only attend events that are an “F YES”!
10. Regularly restore your creativity and drive via meditation, naps, walks, yoga, and hobbies.
11. Use the Pomodoro technique and work in bursts. I do 50 min of FOCUSED work and 10 min of PURE rest. Hide your phone during bursts.
12. Avoid commuting as much as possible, especially in LA. Work remotely when possible.
13. While at the gym, getting ready, or commuting, listen to podcasts/audiobooks (maybe in Espanol?).
14. Eat energy-dense foods.

Currently, I’m managing interviews, multiple clients, an online degree, GMAT prep, new ventures, learning Spanish, and bodybuilding.

I don’t always get it all done, but I get close ;).

Ommmmmm 🧘.

“Anything that annoys you
is for teaching you patience.

Anyone who abandons you
is for teaching you how to stand up
on your own two feet.

Anything that angers you
is for teaching you
forgiveness and compassion.

Anything that has power over you
is for teaching you how to take your power back.

Anything you hate
is for teaching you unconditional love.

Anything you fear
is for teaching you courage to
overcome your fear.

Anything you can’t control
is for teaching you how to let go and trust the Universe.”

― Jackson Kiddard

Sometimes you just need to switch up your routine.

This week, I decided to ditch my go-to podcasts and audio books while commuting.

Instead, I am listening to positive affirmation videos from YouTube.

You can laugh, because I got pretty embarrassingly into it.

I would echo aloud the video’s affirmations, and add my own, with SERIOUS conviction.

Yes, I know my windows are transparent, and other drivers can see me.

But whatever, I’ve been feeling pretty:
Unstoppable
Magnetic
Strong
Confident
Happy
Limitless

Here are 10 things I bet you didn’t know about Elon Musk.

That is unless you’re totally obsessed, like me.

🚀🚀🚀

1. His annual salary at Tesla is $1.

2. He didn’t become a U.S. Citizen until 31.

3. He left Stanford after just 2 days.

4. He uses “first principles” thinking to solve very difficult problems.

5. He reduced the cost of reaching the International Space Station by 90%.

6. At age 12 he created a video game (Blastar) and sold it for $500.

7. He has one set of twins and one set of triplets (all sons).

8. He launched a secretive school called Ad Astra. There aren’t any grades and the school is invite only.

9. In college, he survived off of just $1 per day in food.

10. He thinks it is very probable that we are living in a simulation.

Is your company listed in one of the top 30 places for women to work?

Let’s find out…

1. The Boston Consulting Group

2. Dell

3. Accenture

4. PepsiCo

5. General Electric

6. Salesforce

7. Deloitte

8. PwC

9. Vanguard Group

10. Apple

11. American Express Company

12. Kaiser Permanente

13. Thomson Reuters

14. Time Inc.

15. Cisco Systems

16. Microsoft

17. Google

18. Bloomberg

19. McKinsey & Company

20. KPMG

21. EY

22. Wells Fargo

23. Goldman Sachs

24. JPMorgan Chase & Co

25. Target Corporation

26. The Home Depot

27. IBM

28. Dow Jones

29. Liberty Mutual Group

30. Intel Corporation

First impressions are important, especially in a new job.

10 things you should do within your first two weeks:

1. Establish credibility early. Try solving a small problem within the first week. It’s doable.

2. Keep track of tasks in a spreadsheet. Columns should read: task, priority, deadline, description, status, team. Send your boss your spreadsheet every two weeks, and adjust course as needed.

3. Archive completed tasks in a separate tab, and add a “results” column. Use these accomplishments in your performance evaluation.

4. Set expectations early. Know in detail what your role entails and ask LOADS of clarifying questions.

5. Hold informational interviews with everyone on your team – with a clear goal! Understand what they do, their role in relation to yours, previous roles, and skills. Take lots of notes and ask lots of questions.

6. Learn from experts. Find mentors early (perhaps outside the team).

7. Remember names.

8. Read through legacy files, operations manuals, drawings, plant descriptions, etc. – anything available to get an understanding of your process.

9. Figure out what resources you have available (like databases, people, training). Keep a running log of these resources.

10. Be confident and speak up in meetings!

Good luck ;).

Procrustes stretched & amputated the limbs of travelers to make them fit his bed. The Bed of Procrustes (by Taleb) also happens to be a great book.

Here are some (dark) truths:

1. Procrastination is the soul rebelling against entrapment.

2. Your brain is most intelligent when you don’t instruct it on what to do.

3. If your anger decreases with time, you did injustice; if it increases, you suffered injustice.

4. It is harder to say no when you really mean it than when you don’t.

5. Your reputation is harmed the most by what you say to defend it.

6. A genius is someone with flaws harder to imitate than his qualities.

7. You remember emails you sent that were not answered better than emails that you did not answer.

8. The fastest way to become rich is to socialize with the poor; the fastest way to become poor is to socialize with the rich.

9. My only measure of success is how much time you have to kill.

10. They agree that chess training only improves chess skills but disagree that classroom training (almost) only improves classroom skills.

11. They think that intelligence is about noticing things that are relevant (detecting patterns); in a complex world, intelligence consists in ignoring things that are irrelevant (avoiding false patterns).

How do you know when you’re spread too thin?

The indicators:

1. You’ve put your health on the backburner.
Read: you’re getting minimal sleep, missing meals, not exercising, gaining weight, and feeling isolated from friends and family.

2. You have more tasks than you’re able to keep track of and execute efficiently on.

3. It’s dizzying going through your day.

4. There is very little overlap in your tasks, and most of the projects require a learning curve.

5. You consistently miss deadlines and output below expectations.

6. You’re not sure on the status, priority, or next steps on most of the projects.

7. Others have expressed you should take it easy, or have been providing more “constructive criticism” than usual.

8. You’re feeling overly anxious or stressed.

Clearly, this isn’t sustainable long-term, and even counter-productive.

The solution?

Adjust deadlines and expectations.
Focus. Cut back on projects/tasks that are not meaningful and high-value-added.
Outsource when you can.
Re-prioritize and get organized.
Define tasks as either important/not important and urgent/not urgent.
Set and enforce clear boundaries.
Think: what matters most to you?

Less is more.

It’s time to go a mile in one direction vs. centimeters concentrically.

Do you have tasks that have been lingering for days? Weeks? Hm, months?

Let’s finally cross it off with this easy productivity hack.

The hack: chunk down your task into a smaller task first.

For example…

Let’s say you blocked off an hour per day to study for the GMAT.
(By the way – I have a GMAT Mega Resources Folder you should check out).

But, by the end of the day, you’re wiped!
You end up not touching your prep books for the entire week.

Instead, try committing to just 10 minutes per day.

Treat the extra study time as a bonus.
The hardest part is getting started – right?

Scaling down tasks to more manageable, bite-sized goals will keep you on track.

Start small.
Watch it snowball.

Or, let’s say you have a cool product idea! Kudos!

Your first listed step is to “create a prototype,” which has been on your Asana for 4 weeks now. Oops 🙃.

That task is TOO BIG!

Instead, try sketching your idea, and listing the bill of materials, specifications, and functions.

Still too big?

What about searching Amazon for similar products, or creating a Pinterest board for design inspo?

Less is more!

✔️DONE, CHECK, FINITO.

How can you chunk down your project/task/dream to get started?

Calling all Excel nerds.

Here are some fun shortcuts.

Ctrl+` (display all formulas)
Ctrl+” (copy value, cell above)
Ctrl+’ (copy formula, cell above)
Ctrl+G (go to)
Ctrl+9 (hide rows)
Ctrl+0 (hide columns)
Ctrl+D (fill down)
Ctrl+R (fill right)
Ctrl+Shift+& (outline cells with border)
Ctrl+Shift+_ (remove border)
Ctrl+K (insert hyperlink)
Alt+= (autosum)
Ctrl+[ (select cells referencing formula)
Tab (move cell by cell)
Ctrl+Shift+$ (currency format)
Ctrl+Shift+% (percentage format)
Ctrl++ (insert)
Ctrl+- (remove)
Ctrl+Spacebar (select column)
Shift+spacebar (select row)
Ctrl+A (select all)
Ctrl+Shift+right/left/down/up (select filled cells)
Ctrl+Alt+V (paste special dialogue)
Alt+E+L (delete current sheet)
Alt+O+H+R (rename current sheet)
Alt+E+M (move or copy current sheet)
Ctrl+Page Up (switch over to the next sheet to the right)
Ctrl+Page Down (switch over to the previous sheet to the left)
Ctrl+Shift+L (enabling filter)
Ctrl+Shift++ (adding a column)
Alt H+O+I (auto resize column)
Alt H+N+V (enabling pivot table)
Ctrl+; = (insert current date)
Ctrl+Shift+; (insert current time)
Ctrl+H (find and replace)
ALT+N+V+T (create pivot table)
F2 (edit cell content)