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“Stop comparing yourself to others. No single path to success looks the same. I feel that we fall into this pattern of expecting college graduates to have life figured out the minute that they are out of school. But that is never really the case.”
Kelsey Murless (’21), Climate and Energy Fellow at Third Way in Washington, DC
Each month we feature new expert advice posts on a variety of career development topics. For the month of 🌷May, we’re focusing on resources and advice to help @wfualumni own their current job roles and be intentional about career planning for the future! 📆🎩
Pop over to the 🔗 in our bio (or stories) to start reading any of our new posts, including:
🔸Tips for being successful as you start a new job
🔸Taking personal inventory of your skill set
🔸How to find a career mentor
🔸Creating a personal skill development plan around DEIB and advocacy
PLUS, we have hundreds of advice posts in our archives. Simply search by a key word or select a category that interests you. 🔎
Do you know about our Alumni Career Advisers? 🎩
These are @wfualumni who have volunteered to connect with and provide career advice to their fellow alums. Whether you’re contemplating a job change or actively seeking a new role, these are friendly faces to connect with!
Speaking of friendly faces, check out our alumni Career Advisers who work in Government or Policy related jobs. Visit the highlights in our profile and click on “Govt/Policy” to view each adviser and link directly to their page.
Also, visit the link in our bio to see all of our Alumni Career Advisers and filter by industry, location, or experience/expertise!
If you’ve thought about making a career change – whether that be to a new company, industry, or job role – it’s hard to know where to even begin. 🗺️📍
Thankfully, we know a lot of @wfualumni who have made career pivots and are willing to offer up advice on how to do it effectively! Turn your sound on 🔊and learn from WFU alumna Kristin Winkle Beck (‘97) @pivotpointprofessionals about the 4️⃣ key questions you should be asking yourself.
Then, go check out Kristin’s full webinar on Navigating a Career Pivot at the link in our bio!
Life is busy, our to-do lists are long, calendars are full, and quite simply we’re just tired. 🥱
We all need moments of rest in the midst of our busy lives. But what does it mean to truly rest? What if we used resting as a radical tool to reclaim our health, energy and dreams?
“Our dream space has been stolen and we want it back…”
Join us on May 7th from 12-1:30pm EST on Zoom for our next Alumni Book Discussion Group as we talk about the meaning and importance of rest in our lives. We will discuss the podcast interview “Why Rest is an Act of Resistance,” featuring Tricia Hershey, founder of the Nap Ministry and author of “Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto.” 🛌
Register at the link in our bio or stories, and consider this post a sign that you should take a nap today. 🙂
Have you tried out Meta AI’s new Llama 3 tool? You can access it right here in Instagram (go to the Search feature)! We tried it out, and guess what? It can be super helpful to you in a job search and in managing your career. 💡
In this video, we asked for help with interview prep for a social media coordinator role at a nonprofit. It provided some helpful interview questions and suggestions!
Check out our stories for another video example of using Meta AI to generate questions to ask your manager to gather feedback at work.
We’re all still learning about AI (the good, the bad, and the helpful!) and figuring out how to leverage it for personal and career development. 📲
Even if you’re not in a supervisory role at work, you’re still managing relationships around you with your boss, colleagues, and/or clients. When it comes to managing ⬆️ with a supervisor, how do you do this well?
Check out this past Wednesday Webinar facilitated by our colleague, friend, and fellow @wfualumni John Champlin (‘06, MBA ‘15) for practical tips and strategies on how to build a positive relationship with your superior.
Watch the recording at the link in our bio or stories!
![Can’t believe we’re down to our last Coffee Chat with Alumni for the spring! ☕️ Deadline to sign-up and be included in our May pairings for alumni conversations is Friday, May 3rd. 📆
Whether this is your first time participating or you’ve signed up for every coffee chat this past spring, this is an awesome (and easy) way to expand your network. 👥👥👥👥👥👥
*This is an alumni-only event (students - connect with @wfuopcd for student networking opps!)*
[Side note: This is NOT a live, time-specific event! And yes, you have to register for each month in which you want to participate!]
If you’re new around here, this is how it works:
1️⃣ You register.
2️⃣ We pair you up with another 🎩 Wake alum and introduce the two of you via email.
3️⃣ The two of you find a mutually convenient time for a conversation (phone, Zoom, in-person, whatever makes sense for y’all!)
💥And just like that, you’ve grown your network, one conversation at a time!💥
It’s super simple. Sign-up at the 🔗 in our Stories or visit go.wfu.edu/next.](https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/files/sb-instagram-feed-images/439312991_18221800477287463_2156129070512153557_nfull.jpg)
Can’t believe we’re down to our last Coffee Chat with Alumni for the spring! ☕️ Deadline to sign-up and be included in our May pairings for alumni conversations is Friday, May 3rd. 📆
Whether this is your first time participating or you’ve signed up for every coffee chat this past spring, this is an awesome (and easy) way to expand your network. 👥👥👥👥👥👥
*This is an alumni-only event (students – connect with @wfuopcd for student networking opps!)*
[Side note: This is NOT a live, time-specific event! And yes, you have to register for each month in which you want to participate!]
If you’re new around here, this is how it works:
1️⃣ You register.
2️⃣ We pair you up with another 🎩 Wake alum and introduce the two of you via email.
3️⃣ The two of you find a mutually convenient time for a conversation (phone, Zoom, in-person, whatever makes sense for y’all!)
💥And just like that, you’ve grown your network, one conversation at a time!💥
It’s super simple. Sign-up at the 🔗 in our Stories or visit go.wfu.edu/next.
If you currently work with or manage Gen Z employees, one of the best ways you can keep them engaged is through regular feedback.
Rather than waiting weeks or months to tell them that they need improvement or to do something different, Gen Z wants to know immediately! Specifically, they value feedback that’s timely, collaborative, empathetic, and balanced.
Read more in this latest piece from the Washington Post at the link in our bio or stories!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/04/10/gen-z-feedback-work/
How well do you handle ambiguity at work? 🤔🤷🏻♂️🙅🏽♀️😬
Ambiguity at work might include solving problems that don’t have a simple solution, working on complex tasks that are completely new to you, figuring out expectations or processes, and being an in-the-moment creative thinker.
A recent study found that while many Gen Z grads and young professionals believe that having the skills to manage ambiguity is important, many of them aren’t receiving the training or support to actually develop these skills at work.
How can managers support Gen Z employees in developing this critical skill? Through ongoing coaching and feedback. 🔄
How can companies support the development of this skill? By training and coaching managers on how to support their employees more effectively, and providing mentorship and supportive developmental relationships for young/new employees. 🤝
Gen Z, how can you improve your skill set around managing ambiguity? ⬇️
▪️Ask for the information that you need while also taking the initiative to solve problems and come up with solutions
▪️Challenge yourself by taking on tasks or projects outside of your comfort zone
▪️Seek out the feedback that you need at work (from managers, colleagues, mentors)
▪️Build relationships with mentors, advisers, and colleagues who can provide advice, support, and help you navigate ambiguity at work
Read more on this topic in an article written by Michelle King for Fortune at the link in our bio or stories!