Last week I was on holiday and it was a total bliss. I managed to read a book and a half, advance one more course in my PM specialization on Coursera, and prep some more material for my weekly Instagram career advice series #CareerTipsWithTCE. If you haven’t already, make sure you check it out on my Instagram, it’s pretty good advice if I may say so myself.
This week I am back at work and even though I know it’s going to be hectic, I am pretty excited about finishing up a few projects and also getting longer, sunnier days, spring weather and more outings – even though for now, all it’s been announced is grey weather and rain.
Also, don’t miss out my two latest post on ten suits to get you into the business of wearing suits – this year, my style goal is to get into the business of wearing suits – and my tips on how to handle constructive feedback.
How about you? Did you have a good week? What are you looking forward to this week?
The Weekly Reads
Upskilling. They’re here! The Google Career Certificates are now available through Coursera. I am definitely enrolling into the UX one, as soon as I advance a bit more with my current PM specialization; I feel like a UX one would be the perfect complement for my aspiring PM career. They also have certificates for IT Support, Data Analytics, Project Management and Android Development.
Interview prep. Interview prep, is a huge part in securing a new job, and practicing for it comes in handy, especially when the version we have in our heads does not translate into the real talk – because well, let’s admit it, we always win the arguments in our heads but not necessarily the real ones. Career Contessa suggests that you should do mock interviews to prepare yourself and practice as if it’s the real deal.
When preping for interviews, I do two things: 1) I actually also keep a document with stories/situations that highlight how I handled challenges, conflict management, achievements etc… so I have a structured story always on hand. 2) When it comes to the actual interview prep, I also practice key questions with my partner. Recording and reviewing is also a golden technique. I have not used it yet for interview prep, but definitely did it to up my skills for running online webinars/trainings (in my day job I often need to demo the product and also train pretty large audiences so it’s a must that I am able to nail it every time).
How to audit your untapped and unrealized potential. I like this exercise because it allows you to self-reflect a little; what are you good at, what do you enjoy, what goals do you want to accomplish or what fears you have when it comes to accomplishing those goals. If you have not self-reflected in a while, it might be a good exercise, regardless if you think you need it or not.
+ What I finished reading. Last week I finished reading The Gilded Ones by namina Forna, a fiction novel that has proved to be the perfect holiday read. Fast paced and engaging, a proper fantasy work about “war, violence, trauma and xenophobia from within a deeply patriarchal, oppressively religious society”. I love the main character – 16 year old Deka -and the sisterhood concept explored, as she trains and prepares for the war alongside her kind – the alaki – and against the enemy – the deathshrieks.
+ What’s on my shopping list. This year, I have one big goal for my personal style. I want to get into the business of wearing suits. This dusty orange blazer + pants from Arket and this yellow blazer + pants from COS. I eyed them on @styleidealist and love how she wore them.
Thank you for reading and I hope you are having a good start to the work week!
