From Corporate Life to Social Impact

From Corporate Life to Social Impact Success Story > From: Job To: Portfolio career From Corporate Life to Social Impact “I became ashamed of my job, always trying to shorten or completely avoid the topic in conversation.” * From Corporate Life to Social Impact Vera Frajtova realised that job-hopping wasn't going to solve her long-term job dissatisfaction. So, she decided to think outside the box. Now she's found her way to a sector where she's feeling inspired daily, and (after making a few adjustments) learned how to live and work in a new way. Here's her story. What work were you doing previously? I used to work for one of the world's biggest oil corporations. To start with, I did this part-time, alongside my studies. Even though my study field, passions and interests were somewhere else, due to the economic crisis, its aftermath and 50% unemployment rate of the young workforce, I stayed at the company even after my graduation to be on the safe side. When the job market improved, I decided to change to the food and beverage industry, where I worked for another corporate giant. What are you doing now? I work with a social enterprise, Venture with Impact, which provides programmes for remote-working professionals and matches them with pro-bono opportunities abroad based on their interests, skills, and schedules. I'm responsible for Venture with Impact's Public Relations and Community Outreach, with free rein and full autonomy to roll out all my ideas. On top of my work for Venture with Impact, I also volunteer with a non-profit organisation, BEAM â€" an educational centre for Burmese migrants in Chiang Mai, Thailand â€" where I support the centre's communication activities and outreach. How did you feel in your work before you decided to make the change? Throughout my corporate career, I felt that my role had very little impact within the entire structure. This is understandable given the size of such businesses, but when I was asked the basic question 'What do you do?', I was never able to properly explain it to somebody from outside the company. I became ashamed of my job, always trying to shorten or completely avoid the topic in conversation. I also felt that none of the roles I had were right for me. Some of them were difficult and I felt anxious about not being able to achieve what I was expected to do. On the other hand, for some roles I was perhaps overqualified, finishing all tasks with ease in a short time. I spent days and months in boredom. To fight it, I came up with proposals for my superiors, asked for more tasks, to learn something new or to be internally moved, but the corporate environment and long approval procedures, strict budgets and talent development plans burned most of my ideas, despite them being appreciated by management. I became stuck. Simply job-hopping wouldn't solve the root cause of my dissatisfaction. I was desperately searching for a change and I realised I would have to look outside the corporate structure. Why did you change? I've always had a passion for communications. I'd gained a good theoretical background in the field during my studies, but unfortunately, wasn't able to turn it in an profession. My corporate roles had always broadly depended on communication skills and strategic approach, but I was never able to convince the management to find me a complex role combing all aspects of a professional profile in communications. Due to the fact that I was missing some pieces of a standard communications skill set and experience, I failed at many job interviews. I realised that I had only two options â€" to stay in a corporate set up, unhappy with work that I didn't really like, or to find an alternative. When was the moment you decided to make the change? Due to the company restructure at the last company I worked for, my role, work conditions and environment changed to the point that I wasn't able to bear it anymore. In every day, every interaction, every work task, I felt a deep personal disagreement. I knew that if I didn't finally take an action, it would burn me from inside. How did you choose your new career? Browsing the internet to investigate career changes which were neither job-hopping, nor unpaid internships (I was too old to be an intern and do entry-level work), nor running my own business (so far I'd had no aspirations to become an entrepreneur), I came across the concept of skills-based volunteering. As I researched the topic and found related and well-reviewed programmes, I quickly realised that this was something I wanted to do. Knowing that I wanted to develop my skills in external communications and PR, I applied for membership at MovingWorlds.org, an organisation matching professionals who want to broaden their skills by volunteering, with associations, projects and NGOs missing experts in various areas. After two or three months, based on my preferences and interests, I was matched with Venture with Impact. I went through a two-round interview process (similar to any standard job interview) and was selected by the startup CEO as a collaborator. I very soon figured out that I had found my place. Are you happy with the change? I am glad that after almost two years of hesitating, I am where I am. The speed of learning, interactions and level of everyday inspiration are overwhelming. I feel that I've finally jumped on the right wave to defeat the inner ghost of dissatisfaction. What do you miss and what don't you miss? There are not many things that I miss. Business-class flights, five-star hotels, and other corporate benefits have never held any special appeal for me. On the other hand, I'll always highly value having worked with many smart people and C-level managers who gave me a lot of insight, and taught me about power and leadership. How did you go about making the shift? The planning and decision to do it were more difficult than the shift itself. One Friday afternoon, I closed the door of the corporate office and became unemployed with an air ticket to Thailand, Venture with Impact's programme destination. There were no strong emotions. I felt some relief that a personal block had been removed and open to whatever would come next. I was ready to take the challenge. What didn't go well? What wrong turns did you take? I had to catch up very quickly with the rapid development of external communications and PR in the digital era. I had to absorb the theory, learn to use new tools and applications all by myself and quickly adapt to constantly developing requirements. Time was my big enemy in trying to achieve my own goals â€" I had to learn and deliver results within three months, the initial agreement that I'd made with Venture with Impact. I also had to adapt quickly to remote work. Flexible working times feel very different from the 9â€"5 rhythm. I had to create new working rituals and be disciplined in order to stay focused. For the first month, I ended up working many hours overtime and had some doubts about whether my decision had been a good one. That settled down. Today, I am very happy that I stayed the course. How did you handle your finances to make your shift possible? I had been saving all my corporate bonuses from the last two years in order to be ready for a change. Even before knowing how and when I would make my shift, I wanted to be financially ready for any situation, whether that would be a career break, moving abroad for a job, or something else. Once the decision was made, I also had to become much more modest in my spending and think carefully about what I really needed to buy. For the first few months, I had to cope with having no income, but little by little I managed to find several sources of income working for arts and culture-related short-term projects to cover at least some expenses during the first weeks of my shift. What was the most difficult thing about changing? It sounds like a cliché, but I think the most difficult thing was to leave the comfort zone of a regular and satisfactory salary (which in my case was never an astronomical sum, but an OK one to get by with). It was also difficult to give up the certainty of having a stable, though unsatisfying, job for a complete unknown. What help did you get? Even though I've encountered a lack of understanding from some friends and family members, most of them have supported me from the very beginning. My idea sounded a bit crazy to them, but I had a lot of sympathy, support and best wishes for my adventure. A big source of inspiration to move on with my plan was reading testimonials of people who'd participated in similar programmes. I was able to see where their decisions had taken them. I saw only personal and professional blooming, deep experience and ownership of one's life â€" hardly ever a story with bad ending. What resources would you recommend to others? I would recommend to anybody considering a career change to learn more about skill-based volunteering. It's still a little-known concept, yet very powerful. It can help an individual to develop personally and professionally, and employers gain team members with new insights and skills. There are many national and international programmes. Skill-based volunteering placements are accessible either provided by organisations like MovingWorlds or Venture with Impact, or self-arranged by making an agreement with a specific non-profit based on individual interests, occupation and time. What have you learnt in the process? I've learned to be flexible and adaptable to everyday changes. I've become an owner of my time, organising it to manage my work as well as my life and general interests. I've learned to work remotely and become used to it, as well as seeing its advantages, such as being able to travel. I've also learned to live with less and enjoy the simple things in life. What would you advise others to do in the same situation? I encourage everybody who is long-term dissatisfied with his or her job and starts falling into depression and negativity to take action. Constant complaining does even more harm, and staying in such a state damages personal well-being. It needs a bit of bravery and boldness, but sometimes the less realistic and common paths lead to the most desired outcomes. To find out more about Venture with Impact's programmes, visit: www.venturewithimpact.org. What lessons could you take from Vera's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

Does America Need Another Employer Review Site

Does America Need Another Employer Review Site When most HR teams think about employer reviews, one certain website springs to mind. However in Germany, there is another site that dominates the market. This site is now launching in America. Weve had a chat with Moritz Koethe of kununu to find out more. Everyone knows of Glassdoor, why do we need kununu? I dont know where that fact derives from, because all the knowledge that I have is that people start job searches using Google. Typically what people do is, whenever they look for a job or whenever they look to find insights on certain companies, they would always use Google, and then in certain countries of this world, people will end up using Glassdoor and then accessing their site. But there are tons of other sources to find insights on what its like to work at certain places. You can ask your friends, you can ask friends that might know somebody that works there. But even when you use Google, you will find our content, you will find Glassdoors content, and the content of other review platforms. If you then compare our service to a service like Glassdoor, one thing thats very unique about us is that we really try to help people understand what its like to work there. We get reviews and ask 18 questions on certain employers or any employers, whereas other review sites only ask 5 questions and try to describe workplaces along 5 dimensions. Plus you cant really access the content, you have to log in with your Facebook credentials From a user perspective, our USP is that we are really genuine about helping them, and that we really care, and thats what every user will find when looking at our service. kununu was acquired by XING in 2013, what prompted you to launch in the US now? XING is 100%-focused on the DACH region, so Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. When you look at kununu, and when you look at all the people out there that are trying to live a better work life, and trying to fight for a better workplace, and make better job decisions, we felt that theres nobody really solving that problem for job seekers, and thats anywhere in the world. Then we looked at what are the natural first steps to go abroad? And given that we cant leverage XING as a partner in the U.S., we teamed up with Monster Worldwide, the job board. We found that the U.S. entity has a joint venture with Monster, and are expanding here hand-in-hand with them. Do you have a system in place for verifying reviews? No, we dont have a system like this in place, what we do know is that people really care about being anonymous when leaving reviews. So, whilst employers are upset, and people that are looking for workplace insights really would love to know who left the reviews, we find that people really want to be anonymous when leaving true workplace insights. However, we have ideas on how we can work towards finding an even better balance between verifying some users, whilst leaving the opportunity for others to not be verified. We have a lot of companies that approach us and try to force us to take down certain perspectives that people left on certain employers. We dont put anything live thats personally offending. So, whenever somebody would write about a person and write something that is offending, that wouldnt go live. But we really feel that every opinion is valid, and we dont take anything down just because we are being approached to take something down because somebody feels thats not appropriate or accurate. What company has the highest score on kununu? I dont know it from the top, our use case is typically for companies or for job seekers to really research what its like at certain employers, and I wouldnt want to focus on a score thats top there. The use case is for job seekers to understand what its like to work there, and the overall score is not the most important part. Whats important is for every individual to understand what its like, and the pros and cons, and its not about whats top-and-flop. We try to deliver workplace insights that matter. So, Im not willing to answer that question because its not how I look at kununu. Its a war for talent out there, but if you see it that way, and if you only fight for high scores, then you dont understand the concept of transparency. Thats just the wrong way of looking at it.

How To Take a Successful Career Break

How To Take a Successful Career Break If you feel like you have reached a rough place in your professional life, you should remember that nearly everyone experiences a form of burnout at some point in their career.     Sometimes you feel anxious because you are in the wrong position. That’s not unusual. People change jobs an average of a dozen times, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.   Perhaps you feel you are in the wrong profession entirely. (There’s no shame in that!) It’s been shown that people change careers entirely an average of five times in their lives. Maybe you feel like your degree is holding you back and you’d like to do something new. (Don’t fret about that either.) According to the Washington Post, only 27% of people have a job that is associated with their bachelor’s degree.   With all that in mind, if you feel frustrated or burned out in your career, you might want to take a quick (or not-so-quick) break to reassess your needs and to recharge yourself.   How and why people take career breaks There are a number of reasons people take career breaks.   Break for a lifecycle event: Some people will take a break to raise small children at home or to take care of an elderly relative. The important thing to remember here is that this break is not unusual and that future employers will understand how this fits into a normal career path. While there are very few ways to get paid for this kind of break in the US, some companies will provide paid maternity leave, so check on the policies in place at your workplace. If that is not feasible, keep in mind that there are tax incentives to take advantage of if you are taking care of a child or dependent. Break for a passion project: Sometimes start-up ideas or the chance to work for a mission-based nonprofit for a couple of years, just come out of nowhere. Maybe you feel you have to grab the opportunity while you can.   Before taking a full break from your current career track however, you should assess if it is possible to work on your passion project as a side hustle until it gets off the ground. Then, if things work out, you can go full time. If you do that, however, you’ll still want to make sure you leverage your experience for aspects of the work that connect to a larger career path. Does your start-up give you sales experience that you’ll be able to use? Did your non-profit give you leadership experience? Keeping this in mind is key, just in case you want to rejoin a larger company later in life.   You want to travel and be your own boss: The switch into the freelance lifestyle is getting easier with so many people now working remotely. This gives you the chance to travel and work at the same time without jeopardizing your career path. Many people are even being given salaried positions without needing to check in at a central office. Of course, the free life of travel and working where you want isn’t for everyone. Those who can travel easily and not stress out about family obligations are much more likely to have the freedom to take this kind of break.   Educate yourself: Of course, one of the other major reasons to take a career break is to go back to school. It’s not always necessary to break for this, so ask your boss if they are willing to help you take on school and work simultaneously. If you are building skills that offer long term benefits to your company, your boss might even reduce your work hours, help you pay for the degree, or let you take leave, while securing your job upon your return.   Taking a career break doesn’t necessarily mean you suddenly have time to relax. If you can plan effectively and look to the future, however, a career break can be a refreshing way to refocus your life.   Need more info on the pros and cons of career breaks? Take a look at this infographic created by Bestow that will help you best position yourself for a much-needed break.

3 Ways Job Hopping Helps Your Career - Classy Career Girl

3 Ways Job Hopping Helps Your Career Job hopping has a pretty bad reputation.   Many people are fearful of working with different employers and holding different positions.   You might be thinking holding a bunch of different jobs could have a negative impact on landing your next gig.   I think most employers are looking for some sort of commitment from candidates being considered for full-time roles.   But this doesn’t mean that you should omit your experiences from your resume. The truth is, it can take some time to figure out where you want to work and what you want to do.   Sometimes temporary work and short-term employment relationships are necessary to figure out what makes you happy.   With a movement towards a workforce dominated by millennials, employers are going to have to become more comfortable with all this movement. In the meantime, millennials and job hoppers should think about the message theyre sending around job transitions.   Here are a few reasons job hopping can actually be good! 3 Ways Job Hopping Helps Your Career 1. Job Hopping Leads to More Diverse Experience You can learn a ton from staying with a single employer over the course of many years.   You can even take on different roles and learn different businesses.   Ultimately though, it’s the same company.   No matter where you go, it’s likely you’ll experience a similar culture, values, and processes. Working with different employers means your experience working in diverse environments is broader.   This is especially true when transitioning across sectors or industries.   On top of this, by moving through different jobs, you force yourself to build a new reputation and new relationships quickly.   You’ve got to become credible all over again.   These skills are totally transferable to any workplace. 2. Job Hopping Means You’ll Probably Earn More This diverse experience comes with financial value.   On top of this, most people would have an expectation of a salary increase with a transition to a new company.   If you’re in a long-term relationship with an employer, you’ve probably only got an annual salary increase to look forward to.   At best, these increases are often only incremental. Use the job offer as an opportunity to negotiate with your prospective employer.   I think many people forget this is an initial offer.   Were just so excited to get the job that we accept the initial terms!   Why not go back and ask for more? [RELATED: How to Transition to a New Job] 3. Job Hopping Seems Really ExcitingBecause It Is Switching jobs means constant learning.   Moving from company to company allows you to stay sharp by learning a new operation and working with new teams of people.   The change of environment is exciting and the constant learning curve leaves little time to be bored. Try to see the bright side of job hopping.   Be confident about your decisions and reflect on how they were best for you.   Think about how to address any tough questions you might have about your experiences in a job interview.   Ultimately, if you’re confident about your choices and can clearly articulate the benefits of your diverse experience, this is sure to impress the recruiter.

8 Fastest Growing Technology Careers in 2019 CareerMetis.com

8 Fastest Growing Technology Careers in 2019 Source â€" Pexels.comAs many organizations shifting to digital transformation, popular IT jobs will move by 2020 to incorporate positions focused on advanced technologies like AI 1) CybersecurityCybercrime is the biggest threat to every business in the world. Companies have recognized the importance of cybersecurity to secure their own and customers’ data.Hence, the skills and expertise of networks, databases, and encryption have become one of the most demanded skillsets for the tech industry today. There is a massive shortage of potential cybersecurity professionals who can fit for a niche â€" however, the considerable level of certifications required to specialize in this field.According to cybersecurity ventures report predictions, Cybercrime damages will cost the world around $6 trillion annually by 2021. Therefore, even if you do end up spending a few years to learn and develop your skills, you are guaranteed to get a job in this niche without trouble.Cybersecurity job roles r ange from security engineer to Chief Security Officer to ethical hacker and offer a promising career path. According to expert prediction, there will be a 3.5 million cybersecurity job openings by 2021 â€" the average salary of Cybersecurity professionals around $116,000.2) Data scienceAccording to Glassdoor report, Data scientist is the No.1 high-demanded job in the USA from past three consecutive years. And it is expected to continue its top position in 2019 as well.With the rise of big data, IoT and machine learning, data scientists have become a key factor for many organizations from banking and finance to health care to drug discovery. â€" the average salary of data scientist professionals around $95,000.evalFor every business, data is a crucial factor, and they need a skilled professional who can effectively organize and analyze this data. IoTs are producing a remarkable amount of data The new jobs will fall into categories of programming, development, testing, support and mai ntenance and more. Artificial Intelligence architect is one such position, and it is going be a competitor for data scientists for the high-demand professions. In case you didn’t know, the average salary of AI programmer $100,000 â€" $150,000 whereas AI engineer around $ 171,715.4) Machine LearningMachine learning As the popularity of blockchain rising, the demand for skilled professionals also increasing. Industries have rapidly invested in hiring for professional related to the blockchain. As per the Glassdoor report, the need for blockchain professionals has risen 300% since last year.Here are some blockchain-related jobs in demand: Blockchain developer, project manager, quality engineer, consultant, designer, engineer. The average salary of Blockchain professionals is between $150,000 â€" $175,000.7) Cloud ComputingCloud computing is one of the fastest-growing technology. The massive adoption of cloud technology solutions has sparked a hiring boom in the cloud computing field. Businesses are scrambling to gain advantages by the cloud-based solutions offered by service providers like AWS Therefore, professionals with proper skills and certifications for these cloud-based platforms are in for a promising career in the coming years â€" the median salary of cloud computing professionals around $146,350.8) Internet of ThingsThe Internet of Things (IoT) has been in charge of every single significant development in technology in the past few years.As per the 2017 industry reports, the need for IoT experts has risen by over 300% since 2014. This growth is probably going to continue in 2019, as an ever-increasing number of associations adoption IoT platforms over enterprises.By 2020, the number of IoT devices is expected to reach 30 billion from 8.4 billion. The job of an IoT expert requests various abilities over controls like cloud systems, methods, development, business integration, connectivity, and edge, among others. IoT pros are relied upon to stay updated with the emerging IoT trends and align the procedures of associations up to speed with these trends.The market of IoT is expected to grow up to $ 561.04 Billion by 2022, from $ 170.57 Billion in 2017. There are 11,000 jobs listed on LinkedIn alone. IoT is poised to be the next tech jobs boom.Gartner predicts that more than 1 million jobs will be needed to deliver business services and applications for IoT. The average salary of IoT professionals is around $59,849 â€" $123,163.I hope that any of these above trending technology jobs will set you well on your way to a successful new tech career in 2019 and beyond.