Category: Career Discovery

cool jobs to start fresh

9 Cool Jobs: To Start The Year Fresh

12/06/19

Randi Hill

Today’s edition of 9 cool jobs features cool jobs to start the year!  We know our clients and community are looking for unique jobs in a fun environment. That’s why we created 9 cool jobs, to help you find a company that prioritizes people and culture while providing exciting ways to make an impact! You’ll quickly notice that most of these jobs don’t follow a traditional career path. Which makes them the perfect job for someone looking to start fresh! If you know of a cool job that you think would be great for us to share with our community of driven career-transitioners, you can submit it here for us to consider for a future post! Now, for the list of 9 cool jobs to start the year! Title:  Operations Coordinator Company: Girls on the Run Chicago Location: Chicago, IL Why we like it: While we’re big fans of Girls On The Run in general, and we believe wholeheartedly in their mission. This job is responsible for managing their 5k series, vendors, and data management. If you have some event planning experience, great communication skills and a passion for instilling confidence in young girls, this job is the perfect way to start fresh in 2020. Read more and apply here. Title: People and Culture Coordinator Company: Aceable Location: Austin, TX Why we like it: The Aceable People & Culture team is a data-driven, results-oriented and compassionate team committed to creating an amazing Aceable employee experience. They align people priorities to strategic business objectives. While using their core values as a north star. This role gets the joy of bringing delight to the Aceable employees every day! In other words, if you have A+ organizational skills, above-average time management skills, and some tried and true project management experience, this role will be a great place to grow in 2020. Read more and apply here. Title: Channel Marketing Specialist Company: Skyword Location: Washington, D.C.  Why we like it: Skyword is an innovative marketing company on the forefront of all things creative genius! The role is perfect for someone looking to expand their Salesforce knowledge while overseeing marketing campaigns and lead generation efforts. If you’re excited about writing copy, managing and owning events, and working with other teams/departments to ensure marketing success, this is the role for you! (Plus, three weeks paid vacation and comprehensive insurance coverage are great bonuses!)  Read more and apply here. Title: Strategy + Business Operations Manager Company: Duolingo Location: Pittsburgh, PA Why we like it: Duolingo is looking for driven, curious, talented, and kind people to join their team. This role is exciting because it comes with lots of paid vacation, daily lunch, personal development budget, and a work travel stipend. So if you have experience in a strategy function or in strategy consulting, a strong knowledge of the education technology industry (consumer and/or institutional), and experience leading cross-functional projects in a high-growth startup environment, this is the perfect job for you to start fresh with in 2020!  Read more and apply here. Title: Shop Leader Company: Outdoor Voices Location: Los Angeles, CA Why we like it: Outdoor Voices is a company committed to creating tactical and fashionable outdoor wear to make recreation even easier. The shop leader position is for someone who likes creating strong teams, supporting a customers every need, and partnering with the locals to host workshops and events. In addition, this job comes with some great benefits and all the latest Outdoor Voices apparel. Read more and apply here. Title: Junior Photographer, Creative Company: Rent The Runway Location: Greater NYC Area Why we like it: This role is a fun one because you’ll have a variety of responsibilities and exposure, which includes studio set up, editing, photography, technical troubleshooting, and creating the file management standards. If you’re a great communicator with ~2 years of photography experience, this job comes with fun work events, a 401k, paid time off, great insurance, and a paid sabbatical after 5 years. To me, this sounds like a great place to plant new roots in 2020! Read more and apply here. Title: Fulfillment Specialist Company: Cents Of Style Location: Utah – at the Cents Of Style Headquarters! Why we like it: I like this job because you’re the person who gets to hand pack and ship out the joy that new clothes bring to people! This role is perfect for someone who likes to take ownership and be a part of something bigger than their individual role. Above all, they are looking for someone who can hustle and bring clarity to the little details that are required to achieve the task with efficiency and success!  Read more and apply here. Title: Multimedia Production Assistant Company: Pitchbook Location: Seattle, WA Why we like it: This job is perfect for a tech-savvy individual looking to get into multimedia production because it requires no experience. They are looking for someone who knows their way around the Adobe Creative Cloud. Along with online communication platforms such as Zoom. With almost every benefit and job perk you can think of this is the fresh start we’re all looking for!  Read more and apply here. Title: Travel Operations Coordinator  Company: Pack Up & Go Location: Pittsburgh, PA Why we like it: Pack Up & Go is a company that plans your 3-day getaway for you. You give them a budget and answer some questions. As soon as your Once your envelope shows up with your location you pack up and go! This role is responsible for travel envelopes, road trip directions, and hotel payment coordination. If you have stellar attention to detail this role would be a perfect fit. With steady office hours and flexible vacation, plan on taking a few trips yourself!  Read more and apply here. If you’re excited about one of these 9 cool jobs to help you start the year fresh, but you’ve been struggling to get the attention of employers, book a complimentary consultation with us here. Our career

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Founding Females: Sage sales and marketing

Founding Females: Sage Sales and Marketing

11/21/19

Randi Hill

In this edition of Founding Females: Sage Sales and Marketing I’m happy to introduce you to our Female Founder of the day, Brentney Hutchinson!  Brentney is the Founder of Sage Sales and Marketing. I am super excited to share her story with you today because I have had the privilege of knowing Brentney before she started her company, so it’s been a pleasure to watch her go out on her own and do her thing.  After embracing the term “smarketing” she knew this was the service she needed to provide.  ALV: Let’s start with a fun one, when did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?  BH: For as long as I can remember, but not in an “I used to make bows and sell them to my classmates” kind of way. I actually found myself questioning if entrepreneurship was the right path for me since I hadn’t started my first business at age 15 like so many others. With a perspective shift I realized that my first dream of becoming an orthodontist, and later a lawyer, was actually serviced based entrepreneurship. Only time will tell but I feel like I’m on the right path.  ***  Brentney believes that, entrepreneurs are problem solvers. She doesn’t wait for an idea to strike for a cool invention or trendy app! Her favorite part about being in the service industry is the constant human connection.   ALV: Tell us more about your service? How is it changing the world even if in a small way? BH: I think people have spent the last twenty years being laser focused on productivity, efficiency, and technology-and all of these things are crucial to building a strong business.  But over time we’ve lost too much of the human connection.  Working with sales and marketing leaders to improve experiences for both their employees and their customers is my way of contributing to finding a solution.  It’s an added bonus that I get to help sales leaders make more of an impact on their organization, to get noticed by their bosses, or to get that long overdue promotion.  ***  ALV: So, you’re really passionate about what you do, what inspired you to start a business? BH:  Throughout my sales career I noticed that I saw things differently than my peers.  I was never able to take off my marketing hat, which I think was a big contributing factor to consistently being a top performer.   Another key factor is my passion for leadership.  At my last company I wanted to help relieve their frustrations and see them succeed.  I shifted my focus to making a greater impact on the organization through sharing my skills and knowledge internally, and we saw results. I took a step back and saw that I could recreate this and help so many other businesses. What I  did not expect to find was decades of research proving how expensive sales and marketing disconnect actually is.  It’s a very expensive problem, and I have a solution.  ALV: Since smarketing is a new term, what’s a misconception people have about what you do? BH: Most people think of me as a marketing consultant. They anticipate that my pitch is to come into their office poking holes in the marketing strategy, audit their branding, or run social campaigns. ALV: With that in mind, if you could start your business all over again, what would you do differently?  BH: I would take some of the pressure off of myself to create the perfect brand, website, business plan etc. by focusing on connecting with my network to offer help from day 1.  Sure it helps to have a clear vision so that you know how to answer questions, but it matters a lot less when you are talking with people who have firsthand experience with your work.   Hindsight is 20/20! ALV: Hindsight really is 20/20 so, when you think about the advice you would give someone starting a business, what would it be? BH: You can never be too organized with planning your schedule.  Time block, make lists, color coordinate, do it all. And if you’re not the “type A” type, invest in someone to set up a schedule/calendar for you.  Working both in your business and on your business requires a lot of discipline. Also, allow down time for creativity, especially in the beginning.   Doing this has given me time to put so many creative ideas on paper which is not only good for business, it’s good for the soul.  Sure, it’s been scary as hell…I quit a very stable job, and rent is still due every month. But I’m thankful that I didn’t allow fear to keep me from taking risks, because pushing pause has been life changing.  *** Brentney mentioned that starting a service-based business is NO easy game, some days you feel like you can change the world by noon, and other days, you feel completely isolated. What gets her through is remembering that just like sales, it is a game.  ALV: What’s your favorite way to refuel on the days when it’s hard to keep going?  BH: As an extrovert, I thrive in the hustle and bustle. I live for social events in Chicago. But about once a month I go completely off-grid for a day or two to recharge. Turn off my phone, no social media. If I’m lucky, get out of the city and go sit on the front porch with my family in southern Illinois. If I’m in Chicago, I’ll spend the time practicing yoga and cooking an indulgent meal. ALV: When you aren’t unplugged, what is your favorite resource to help you “always be bettering!”? BH: Podcasts. If you struggle with vulnerability podcasts are great because you can just listen without expectation to respond. There’s no need to divulge insecurities.  Plus, podcasts are so efficient! I determine the content, time, and place. Oh, and The Productivity Planner! ALV: As we wrap up, can you tell us who inspires you to do

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informational interview

Informational Interviewing: The Hidden Secret of Effective Job Searching

Confidence

11/20/19

Shari Santoriello

Thinking about a career transition, but not sure if you’re interested in an industry? Want to try a new job, but don’t know much about it? How about going back to school; is this the right move for you? Learn how to prepare for and use the informational interview as a tool to reach your next career goal. The easiest way to get answers is to ask questions. And getting the answers to your career questions is the foundation of the informational  interview. Sounds simple, yes? But often we feel uncomfortable and unsure of how to reach out and ask those types of questions. We feel that no one will be willing to give of their time and share their insights with us. This is where the informational interview comes in. What is an informational interview? An informational interview is an opportunity to speak informally with a professional who can give you some insight into a new industry, field of study, type of job or even a different company from where you are now.  To be clear, an informational interview is not an opportunity to ask for a job.  It is more like a media interview in that you are the interviewer, not the interviewee. You choose the questions, because you are the one who wants to know the “stuff” (no matter what the stuff is). Let me repeat…you are not there to ask for a job. Why not? I’m sure by now you are now wondering, “If I’m not asking for a job, what’s the point”? or maybe now you’re saying, “Isn’t this information available to me online, especially on a specific company website?”  The point is while you can get some of this foundational type of information from a website, there are critical differences that the informational interview provides you: Ok, so how do I do this? “Being flooded with information doesn’t mean we have the right information or that we’re in touch with the right people.” Bill Gates Scoring the right informational interview requires time and effort. You need to determine what you want to know. Make a list outlining your priorities of what information you want to gather. Don’t worry about crafting questions just yet. Start researching. What companies/job titles/career path/field of studies match with your list of what you want to know? Check your current network, and your expanded network. Do you know anyone who can connect you to a person at the right company, with the right job title, working in the career, teaching in the field of study? Or do you know anyone who knows someone? Besides LinkedIn, widen your search. Think about your friends and their friends, your parents’ friends, your children’s friends’ parents, your alumni association, other social medias. Are you in school? How about a teacher? Any person that you know or know of can be a connection for you. If yes, reach out in a friendly, professional way and ask for an introduction to the right contact. It’s important to be clear and concise in your ask. If this is a contact of a contact be sure to introduce yourself, otherwise you can get right to why you are asking for an introduction, note that you will respect the person’s time,  ask how they would like to handle the introduction (give you contact information, or reach out on your behalf) and always state that you would appreciate any effort on your behalf. (Manners are still important!) When you make your initial outreach to the expert, make sure you set very explicit goals for why you would like to speak with them, including how much time you think you will need. (Keep in mind an informational interview should be no more than 15 to 30 minutes.) Setting clear goals helps you stay on track to get the information you need and lets the expert know you are serious, organized and will be respectful of their time. Informational interviews can take on several different forms. Your first choice should be some type of face-to-face interaction, in-person is best, but a video call is a close second. If that is not a possibility, then a voice phone call will also work. If you can’t secure any of those, you can certainly have an email exchange. This isn’t ideal but is still more positive than having no interview. I got the right person, now what? Now you need to be sure you are asking the right questions. Go back to the original list with your priorities on them, this is your roadmap to identifying the right questions. What do you want to know? Formulate questions that give the expert the opportunity to expand the answer and fill in the important details from their own experience and perspective. Questions that can be answered with a yes or no aren’t usually going to work to your benefit. (These are known as closed ended questions, because they close the conversation.) You want to stick with open-ended questions; questions that can be answered with a narrative. Some examples of informational interviewing questions are: These questions can be adjusted to a company, career path or new field of study. Start with a longer list of questions and whittle it down until you have three to five key questions that can give you the most information about what you want to know. You want to maximize your time with your expert while being respectful of their time. This also shows your organizational skills, preparedness and sincerity level. And while this is not a job interview, hey, you never know?  How do I do this successfully? Like any other type of interview, you’ll need to prepare. It is important for the interviewee to feel that you are genuine. The conversation should flow and feel like an informal interchange and not like an interrogation. Tips for informational interviewing success: Before the interview: During the interview: After the interview: While you are not paying for their time, goodwill can go a

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Transition Tales: There Must Be More Than This

Confidence

11/07/19

Randi Hill

Transition Tales is back with another edition! Today we’re chatting with a client from Chicago who recently made a special transition from a Legal Assistant to a Marketing Administrator. In this edition, we’re going to be sharing what it’s like to explore a transition tale because you believe there must be more than this. Let’s go! Her story begins in October 2018 right after she moved to Chicago and bought a condo! She came across the Legal Assistant job and knowing it was a “temp to hire” position figured it would be a good way to start making some money while continuing to look for something else. As the three-month mark approached, she hadn’t found another job. She enjoyed all the free time she had in her current position, so when she was offered the permanent position she said yes!  ALV: What made you decide to pursue a career transition?  TT: After being at my permanent position for a little, I kept applying to other jobs because I had SO much free time. After only hearing back from a few jobs, I began to grow very sad at work and even in my time away from work. I literally was reading book after book on my Kindle during my job as a legal assistant. I was not given anything to do! It made me feel like a loser and that I had no purpose. This is what brought me to ALV.  ALV: How did you figure out what you wanted to do in your next role? Was it immediately clear to you? TT: I met with Eden and it proved to be a challenging, fulfilling and life-changing experience. It made me move out of my comfort zone and really dig deeper into what I wanted in my professional and personal life. After working with Eden for a while, we came up with the idea to email the woman who hired me at my firm and ask her about moving to a different department because I truly did like the company, it offered great benefits, everyone was super nice and the hours were OK. — We encourage all of our clients to dig deep before making any changes because we know that it can be easy to just get out when the going gets hard. However, in the case of this client, it wasn’t the company she wasn’t enjoying; it was the work she was doing.  ALV: After making the decision to explore more opportunities at that company, what did you do next? TT: I worked with Eden to craft an email to the woman who hired me explaining that I was looking for new positions/opportunities in the company and let me tell you, I was so nervous to send the email asking to meet and discuss other departments! However, it ended up being the best career decision I’ve made in a very long time. I was able to move into the Marketing department, and I am so genuinely happy. — As a Marketing Administrator, TT now gets to fill her days with tasks that help her grow and develop professionally. Her day-to-day includes answering emails and phone calls, monitoring the budget, scheduling team meetings, processing expense reports, tracking vendor contracts, managing and tracking entertainment tickets, booking travel arrangements, tracking firm-brand giveaway items, coordinating the department calendar, and so much more!  ALV:  If you had to do it again, what would you do differently this time?  TT:  I think I would have just been more proactive. I wouldn’t have procrastinated for so long. Life is short. I kept telling myself that it’s ok, I don’t have a fulfilling job yet because I’m young and I have so much time to decide. This can be true but I’m not getting any younger! As I waited doing nothing waiting for something to fall into my lap, I could have been utilizing that time to learn something new, make new connections or take bigger steps to better myself.  ALV: Do you have any final advice for other people considering a career transition?  TT: Don’t be scared to take chances with your career. Stay proactive and make moves! It took me so long to reach out to the woman who hired me about other departments at the firm for two reasons. One: I was nervous she would say no. This is not a practical reason because it isn’t a big deal if she says no. It could only be a positive. No company wants a high employee turnover rate, and I can guarantee you if I brought it to her attention that I was unhappy in my current position, she would want to do anything she could to keep me at the company. It’s just another long and dreadful task to go out and find another employee and train them if I left. The second reason is that I was scared she would say yes and I would actually have to be responsible for very important things. I was scared to have such a large responsibility after having none for such a long time because I did not want to make mistakes. The truth is, I’ve made tons of mistakes since I have started this position but I have learned from every one of them and I have grown. I also would advise other people considering a career transition to stay organized and keep yourself accountable. Eden helped me hold myself accountable for the things that I was nervous to do because I don’t normally do them.  Stay proactive, take chances, and hold yourself accountable! 

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How to Make Your LinkedIn Work For You

Career Enrichment

11/06/19

John Roccia

LinkedIn is an incredibly powerful tool. So you’re likely wondering how to harness it. Well, this post is going to help you make your LinkedIn work for you. As many of us know, LinkedIn can easily be the most powerful resource available to you as a jobseeker, and even beyond the job hunt it’s a fantastic way to ensure your network is so robust that you never have to suffer through the endless mire of the “application grind” again. But how, exactly, do you make Your LinkedIn work for you? Most people aren’t getting the maximum benefit out of LinkedIn.  How do I know? Because more than 90% of the activity generated on LinkedIn is generated by around 5% of the user base.  That means that there’s a LOT of room for you to stand out and make this network work for you! If you’re in the professional world, you’ve probably heard plenty of advice along the lines of “use LinkedIn more.”  But that’s too vague to be actionable, even if true. One thing I believe in is actionable advice – so this article is going to describe step-by-step what you should do in order to radically increase the benefit you’re seeing from your LinkedIn account. In turn, I’m going to teach you how to make your LinkedIn work for you. We’re going to cover three sections together: The Basics (what your account needs to be in order to serve as a landing page for you), Your Feed (how exactly do you find the content that matters to you?), and Making It Happen (creating an ACTIVE network that will drive your career).  Ready? Let’s go! The Basics I see it all the time: LinkedIn profiles that are as basic as possible, have zero activity, and look exactly like your resume.  LinkedIn is so much more than that! If you’re using it as just a storage site for a copy of your resume, you’re underutilizing it.  The purpose of most of your job searching activity is to drive people to your LinkedIn “landing page” – so when they arrive here, you want them to be impressed!  If all they find is a copy of a resume they already have, that’s impressing exactly no one. LinkedIn is social media.  Treat it that way!  Create an actual profile that’s exciting.  Don’t worry about being stuffy – be human. Professional and polite, yes – but real. You absolutely need to have the following: For more information about how to create these pieces in a way that tells a cohesive story, check out our great series on Personal Branding.  Once you have your landing page ready to engage people, it’s time to find the people to engage with! Your Feed Okay, your landing page looks great!  Now what? Now it’s time to find all those other people who you want to interact with!  You want to create a news feed that reflects all the people you want to interact with, so that all that information is right at your fingertips.  There are two ways to do that, and you’re going to use both. We’ll call them the Direct and Indirect methods. The Direct Method! Job sites like Indeed are great search engines, but they’re usually terrible ways to get in contact with companies.  They’re a labyrinth of gate-keeping, keyword tracking software, and competition. If your only way to interact with a company was through those job boards, the search would be a bleak thing. Fortunately, it’s not!  Use those boards to search for roles you’re interested in (they’re great aggregators of data in that way), but when you find something you’re interested in, hold off on clicking that ‘Apply’ button just yet.  First, look up that company’s website – their actual website, not their Indeed page or their page on whatever board you’re on. If you scroll to the bottom of nearly any company website, you’ll see a button like this:  See that little round button that says “in” with all the other social media icons?  That will take you right to the company’s LinkedIn page – and most companies have one.  The first thing you should do is click “Follow” and that company’s posts will now show up in your feed.  Great first step, but we’re not finished. Somewhere in the upper right-hand corner, there will be a blue link that says “See all 345 employees on LinkedIn.”  (Obviously that number will vary.) Clicking on that will bring you to a search page with all employees of that company that have LinkedIn profiles already found!  If it’s a small company, you can “follow” everyone, but for a larger company, you should definitely follow senior leadership, people in talent/recruiting/HR, and people in the department you’d like to join.  Now THEIR activity shows up in your feed as well! To find people in this way, you can click on the “All Filters” button near the top of the page: this will give you options to search by title, among other things. (And don’t worry about feeling like you’re creeping – the whole point of LinkedIn is to network like this, and companies are thrilled to get the outreach and attention.  You’ll never get a negative response from this!) Every time you find a role you’re interested in, you should do this.  Your feed will gradually fill with people and companies you’d like to work with. This is exactly the activity you need to engage with in order to reach those people.  But before we talk about that engagement, let’s talk about the other way to fill your feed as well! The Indirect Method! At the top of your screen on the LinkedIn home page, there’s a search bar.  If you click on that text field without typing anything in, a drop-down will appear giving you several options. If you click on “Content” it will take you to the search screen but show you random stuff, since nothing is typed in the field yet.  Now type any

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9 cool jobs to help with your career transition

9 Cool Jobs: To Help You Make Your Career Transition

11/01/19

Randi Hill

Today’s edition of 9 cool jobs is featuring 9 Cool Jobs: To Help You Make Your Career Transition! We know our clients and community are looking for unique jobs in a fun environment. That’s why we created 9 cool jobs, to help you find a company that prioritizes people and culture while providing exciting ways to make an impact! You’ll quickly notice that most of these jobs don’t follow a traditional career path. Which makes them the perfect job for a career transitioner. If you know of a cool job that you think would be great for us to share with our community of driven career-transitioners, you can submit it here for us to consider for a future post! Now, for the list of 9 cool jobs to help you make your career transition! Title:  Marketing and Events Intern Company: Sondermind Location: Greater Denver Area Why we like it: SonderMind is redesigning behavioral health to become more accessible, approachable and utilized. To do this, they are building a national, integrated network of behavioral health providers and allowing them to thrive in private practice, while also creating a seamless, technology-enabled experience for consumers to find the best therapist to meet their needs. Sondermind is looking for someone who is at least a sophomore in college who shares a passion for mental health. Bonus points if you have event planning experience.  Read more and apply here. Title: Digital Marketing Specialist Company: Clearcover Location: Chicago, IL Why we like it: Clearcover is the smarter car insurance company. They use powerful technology to offer everyday drivers better coverage for less money. While they are looking for a handful of roles right now, the one that caught my attention is their digital marketing position. They are looking for someone who will bring a strong marketing campaign and operations background across paid advertising, email marketing, and customer lifecycle marketing. Their ideal candidate will be flexible and have excellent communication skills. On the fence about applying? Maybe I should mention there is unlimited vacationed, dental and vision, and they invest in your 401K for you!  Read more and apply here. Title: Senior Photographer  Company: Abercrombie & Fitch Location: Columbus, OH Why we like it: At Abercrombie & Fitch, we’re on a mission to inspire our customers to be confident, feel comfortable, and face their fierce, and our goal is to create relevant products and brand experiences that allow them to define the narrative of their own stories. A&F is looking for someone who is passionate about capturing timeless, candid portraiture and relevant fashion lifestyle imagery. In conclusion, if you’re great at embodying being a team player, positivity, and proactive on-set skills, this could be your dream job! Read more and apply here. Title: Product Manager – Ordering Integrations Company: GrubHub Location: Greater Boston Area Why we like it: Grubhub is dedicated to giving diners the most convenient way to order food from their favorite restaurants. While Grubhub is food-obsessed, they are also customer-obsessed. This role will work closely with cross-functional teams including engineering, product, finance, logistics, and operations to build and enhance solutions for our clients. In addition, this role offers unlimited PTO, a casual office, and great snacks – this cool job has the foodie in me very excited!  Read more and apply here. Title: Recruiting Coordinator Company: G2 Location: Chicago, IL Why we like it: G2.com is revolutionizing the way businesses discover, buy and manage software and services. More than three million users per month rely on G2 to help them find and buy the best software for their businesses. G2’s ideal candidate will be team and customer service oriented, with a keen eye for detail, and a can-do attitude. In this role, they will play a critical role in helping us bring in the best candidates possible, which is key to our growth and success as a company. The person who gets this job will have strong attention to detail and organization skills, excellent written and verbal communication skills. Along with being able to efficiently prioritize multiple tasks effectively. If this sounds like you, check out the whole job description below! Read more and apply here. Title: Senior Video Producer Company: RealSelf Location: Seattle, WA Why we like it: RealSelf’s mission is to help millions of people make smart, confident decisions about cosmetic treatments and procedures. Above all their ideal candidate is a creative and resourceful person who can conceive and execute compelling short-form digital video content for our website and digital platforms. Above all, this role is complete with professional development benefits, casual office attire, family medical leave, and the perfect combination of paid sick days and PTO.  Read more and apply here. Title: Learning and Development Manager Company: Glu Mobile Location: San Fransico, CA Why we like it: This a super unique job because you get to work with both the leaders at Glu and their Business Partners. The ideal candidate embodies and upholds a learning mindset and is open to some international travel on occasion. Glu is looking for someone who is a strong communicator and loves to think creatively. In conclusion, the only question left is, anyone else down to go to India? Read more and apply here. Title: Software Engineer Company:  Gridewise Location: Pittsburgh, PA Why we like it: Gridwise is one of the fastest-growing startups in Pittsburgh. They’ve developed a mobile platform that empowers over 60k rideshare drivers across 25 cities and counting. Along with improving the way people move about in cities. They are looking for a Software Engineer who enjoys having autonomy, seeing their work directly impact the lives of others, and is as ambitious as we are in capturing a multi-billion dollar opportunity in the mobility industry. In addition to all that you get, unlimited PTO (minimum 2 weeks required), company-sponsored professional development budget, and rideshare credits, this job is a win! Also – they are located right in the strip district so lunch will likely be tasty!  Read more and apply here. Title:

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How To Interview Questions

How To Interview: Questions, Answers, & More Questions

Achieving Goals

10/31/19

John Roccia

Welcome to the second installment of the How to Interview series!  In the first installment, I discussed the right (and wrong!) mentalities to carry with you into the interview process.  That’s good to read first because having the right mindset will help everything else make sense and make you feel more prepared and confident. In this installment, we’re going to dive into the meat of the interview process: the questions & answers (& questions, as you’ll see)! Interview Questions & Answers… An exhaustive list of every question you could possibly be asked would be impossible to create.  Every interviewer has their own spin and style, and they’ll ask different things. Since that’s true, how can you possibly prepare? Well, the first step is to recognize that even though there are a nearly infinite number of possible questions, there are a few universal ones that you’ll get in virtually every interview.  Questions such as: “Can you tell me a little about yourself? I’m not sure there’s any question more dreaded in an interview process!  As a hiring manager, I’ve asked this question thousands of times, and I dread the answers as much as you do, believe me.  99 out of 100 candidates answer this horribly. Regardless of industry, role, or career level, I get the same response: First, that deer-in-the-headlights look of panic.  Then, a seemingly random list of inconsequential trivia about the candidate, like what town they were born in, how many siblings they had, where they went to school, the fact that they love dogs, skiing, or travel, or that they played some sport fifteen years ago.  They may or may not mention jobs they’ve had, but if they do it’ll just be a repeat or summary of their resume, which I already have. They’ll ramble until they fade away with an unenthusiastic wrap-up, or maybe a sheepish answer of “does that tell you what you want to know?” Sound familiar?  Every hiring manager I’ve ever spoken with tells me the same thing – despite how universal it is, people come into an interview totally unprepared to answer this question in a meaningful way. Fortunately for you, there is a method that turns the most awkward question in the process into an awesome opportunity for you to sell yourself! I once asked a candidate for a sales manager position to tell me a little about himself, and instead of the standard answer I’d come to dread, he gave me the best response I’d ever heard. “I’ve always been defined by ambition.  From the earliest days of my career I took on the most challenging and rewarding projects I could in order to prove myself.  Right now that ambition and drive has made me the number one sales rep in my company, but there’s no path for leadership advancement there.  That’s why I’m here – I want to join a company as ambitious as I am so we can grow together.” I was absolutely blown away by his answer (and needless to say, he got the job)!  After the interview, I spent some time breaking down exactly why his answer was so good, and created a formula so that anyone can duplicate it, regardless of who they are. First, start with a theme.  His theme was “ambition,” and it clearly shone through his entire statement.  He stated it early and often so I could easily connect him with that positive quality in my mind.  It kept him laser-focused and eliminated irrelevant information. And it made him stand out in my memory. Second, define your theme in terms of a journey with three steps – past, present and future.  After stating his theme (“I’ve always been defined by ambition”), he then gave me three concise sentences: one about where his journey began, one about what he’s doing now and why it needs to change, and one about his future – with my company.  All three sentences served the central theme and created a cohesive story. It lead him from where he began all the way to the seat in front of me. It was compelling, and it made me want to see how the rest of the story turned out! Third and last, he shut up!  He knew he’d delivered something powerful, and he didn’t dilute it by saying “so… yeah, that’s it” or anything like that.  He put the ball in my court, and I had to respond. He was controlling the conversation right from the start of the interview, which is what knowing when to shut up allows you to do. Practice this method!  Pick a theme you’d like to define you.  It could be Creativity, Dedication, Compassion, or anything else you feel is a reflection of your best self.  Once you’re ready to declare your theme, create three (and only three!) sentences that reflect that. A sentence about your past that shows where your journey began and why your theme is reflected in that journey.  A sentence about where you are now and how your theme contributed to that, but also why it needs to change. And then a sentence connecting that theme to your future with this company. Write it down and practice it a few times.  It’s a great elevator pitch and opening remark; if you nail this one thing, you’ll set the tone for a great interview! “Why are you looking to leave your current job/why did you leave your last job?” This will come up – there’s no avoiding it.  If you’re not currently working, the interviewer wants to know why your last role ended.  If you are working, they want to know why you want to leave. First, I want to dispel a common myth. It’s not necessarily a good thing if you have a “valid excuse” for your last role ending.  Sure, sometimes your role ends because of forces outside your control. Maybe a company shutting its doors or your position being moved overseas.  Sometimes candidates seem relieved to be able

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What I Learned In One Year At A Startup

10/22/19

Randi Hill

I started at Ama La Vida last October. I remember being an over-eager young employee who moved too fast and made a lot of silly mistakes. However, like most things, once I got into the flow of start-up life I really found my groove and have since exponentially grown. Here is a quick rundown of what I learned in one year at a startup and how I got to where I am today.  October 2018  Being fast doesn’t mean anything if you’re wrong. You can reply to an email in 30 seconds, great! Did you spell their name right? Did you forget to capitalize something? What about your call to action? Is it vague?  People want to work with professionals. Misspelled words, typos, and bad grammar aren’t professional. I learned how to slow down and reply with intentionality and speed.  My takeaway: Doing quality work is more important than doing all the work. November 2018  Persistence is key. This month, I did a lot of cold calls and I left a lot of voicemails. I also received the best compliment I could have ever asked for. “Thanks for being so persistent.” When you’re in sales, the reality is, people are busy, and they really don’t want to talk to you. However, when you follow up and follow up again, and again, you may just earn enough of their respect to have a conversation.  My takeaway: If someone hasn’t told you to go away, keep asking.  December 2018  As the weather got gross, we started working from home a little more. This month, I learned how to work remotely. To communicate over text/emails/and video chat along with staying in communication about what I’ve done and what I’m working on. More importantly, I learned how to change my space up frequently enough to stay productive.  My takeaway: Your space is a reflection of your mind. Finding new ways to keep it neat and clean help you stay focused and in the zone when it matters.  January 2019  New routines help you create new habits and patterns. With the year fresh and a new office space secured, I learned how to create a “logging off” routine to create a cleaner work/life balance break. For me, no matter where I am this routine looks like shutting off my Slack notifications, closing my laptop, and cleaning up my workspace!  My takeaway: Since most startup employees work long hours it’s important to create a routine that helps you step away allows you to bring more back to the team when you return.  February 2019  You are your best advocate. Have you ever wondered why you work the hours you work? Or maybe you have wondered if there is any way to not work those hours? Well, Friday afternoons are not my favorite. I’m always daydreaming about the weekend and accomplishing nothing. By leveraging my powers of persuasion, I was able to negotiate to come into work an hour earlier every morning because I’m more productive in the morning and leaving at 12 on Fridays before my brain slump occurs. Everyone won, and I get an afternoon nap every Friday. 🙂  My takeaway: The people around you don’t know what you need to be successful unless you communicate it to them. Don’t be afraid to ask! The worst thing that happens is that they say no and nothing changes.  March 2019  You have the power to create your own job. I really LOVED doing marketing, so while I maintained a level of excellence when it came to my actual job, I also pursued side projects related to marketing tasks. Around the end of the month, I was able to transition into a more marketing-based role by simply doing a little bit of marketing work well.  My takeaway: A) Similar to what I took away in February, no one but you knows what you really love doing. If you never talk about it, they won’t ever know! B) Taking the time to go above and beyond may feel like more work in the present, but it also proves you can do the job you really want.  April 2019  April saw my second successful event planning endeavor leading to the event we all know and love, Weducation! I learned how to communicate, promote, and recap an event. My new event workflow came from thinking about what I would like to know before attending an event. I like to be informed on how to get there, how to get in the building, where to go once I’m in and what to expect while I’m there. I also thought about spaces I like to be in, for me – those are spaces with background music and good lighting. Lastly, I thought about how to communicate further announcements, events, and resources after they leave.  My takeaway: I learned how to think critically/logically around what makes people feel welcome, how to communicate and spread information to event attendees successfully. When event planning, you have to think 3 steps ahead of your attendees.  May 2019  This month taught me how to work remotely for a more extended time period while handling different time zones. I was in Pennsylvania for 12 days and managed to keep things going smoothly and make major headway on a few projects. Communication really is key!  My takeaway: When you are working 8 hours away from everyone else you have to be thoughtful about time zones and communication. It’s always better to over-communicate rather than under-communicate. It’s best to remove any possibility of confusion/ambiguity.   June 2019  I spoke on a panel about marketing! It was really strange being the “expert” in a room. This event was a super special event because it was run and facilitated by a dear friend. I can’t thank her enough for giving me the opportunity!  My takeaway: Growth is often strange and it’s awkward as you move from being the beginner to an “expert” or “thought-leader” in a sense.  July 2019  New hires are

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some ideas to help you make the most of your senior year

How to make the most of your senior year of college!

10/17/19

Ann Vu

If you’ve invested in your education by going to college, I bet you’re feeling some pressure by your senior year to have the career-defining results you hoped for.  As a senior, it’s likely that you are anxious to graduate and you’re questioning whether or not you’ve done everything you could to be ready for what comes next. Did you choose the right major? Is this the right career path? So many questions only you have the answers to! College is truly what you make of it. Sure you studied, but what you do with that knowledge? We all know experience is what carves your path and makes you different from everyone else. This is true especially during senior year when you start to feel the slide. You know what I’m talking about, the feeling when you are so close that you feel SO DONE.  Here are a few things you can focus your energy on to keep that momentum, make the most of your senior year and close out your days as a student, strong! I urge you to take matters into your own hands and stay motivated instead of hoping that motivation comes to you! Intern Have you ever gotten caught up in that chicken versus egg conundrum? You know the one where you need some experience to get a job, but you need a job to gain experience? Internships are the GAME CHANGER.  This experience counts! Internships offer the win-win of trying out a job for a few months or a year to see if it is a fit with you and they allow you to learn something along the way. Whether that be an understanding of the field, confirmation that you do or don’t want to pursue the career, or improved results in your work, and a better understanding of what professionalism is. Take advantage of leadership opportunities  If you have joined student groups that align with your interest throughout college, take opportunities to lead others in that group! More responsibilities and chances for you to problem solve, work on a team and manage only grow you in ways your older self will thank you for.  Network with people in your prospective field Admit it, sometimes our understanding of jobs comes from what we’ve seen on TV, or what your parents/family members do for work. Has anyone else become curious about surgeons because of Grey’s Anatomy? Me too. The best way to gauge what a day in the life is actually like is to talk to someone who does the work. I suggest, making it a habit to reach out to people in your sphere of influence or using LinkedIn. The pro here is that you can learn more about yourself and the work you’re pursuing. Build or update your LinkedIn profile If you haven’t used this platform a lot in your college career, my suggestion is to start now. LinkedIn is a way for you to show your experience and interest in your field. It allows you to create a network of people you strive to be like. As a daughter of a machinist and a homemaker, LinkedIn was where I created a network I wouldn’t have otherwise had. During your senior year it’s important to start shaking hands with people. As the saying goes, “it’s more about who you know than what you know. This day and age, you CAN reach out to know as many people as you can.  Utilize your school’s Career Services Every college campus has a career development office. If you’re feeling lost, and you might be, career concepts aren’t always a part of courses in all majors. There is no shame in leveraging the expertise of the career services team to coach and support you through this otherwise really stressful and foreign arena! Remember: You do not have to do it alone! Above all, give yourself permission to stumble Face it, you’ve been in school for about 17 years, you’re not going to be great at the job search and career part of your journey just yet. We all like to do things and do them well. Chances are that you’ve mastered a rhythm that allows you to approach school, assignments, and schedules with excellence.  It will take some time to find your career groove as well, and the sooner you embrace that, the less painful this change will be.  Hire a career or life coach You are new to this arena and feeling lost is more so the standard than the rule. It can be stressful and you don’t have to do it alone. All great athletes have coaches, and you’ll want one for career and life as well! Coaches are in your corner to support, challenge you while helping you focus on what it is that makes your life fulfilling and successful.  Lastly, just remember. This path is yours and success is relative. Imagine the life you want to live and let that guide your actions, not a commercial or an Instagram account. YEP. I SAID IT. While I’m sure we all hope that our senior year will be convenient or a straight shot, please know it rarely happens this way. It’s pretty messy and never free of curveballs. Take all of them in stride.  Remember, this is the youngest you’ll ever be, note the mistakes you make and let the things you go through lay the foundation on which your success story will stand. There really isn’t only one right way to navigate all of this. I’m giving you some steps to start with, but most of all, add your flair, and have as much fun as you can!

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really cool jobs to check out

9 Really Cool Jobs (We’re Loving This Fall!)

10/04/19

Gabby Vicas

Our clients and community are looking for unique jobs in a fun environment. These jobs should reside within organizations which prioritize people and culture and provide exciting ways to make an impact beyond the mundane 9-5. We are particularly interested in positions that don’t neatly fit into an obvious career path box (e.g., doctor, lawyer, accountant). If you know of a job that you think would be great for us to share with our community of driven career-transitioners, you can submit it here for us to consider for a future post! Title:  Digital Content Manager Company: TOMS Location: Los Angeles, CA Why we like it: To start out this awesome list, is a job with the company, TOMS. Perhaps you want to make a difference in the world through your job. Well, you’re in luck! TOMS helps bring shoes, eyewear, clean water, and safer births to people in need.  Through this position, you’ll be overseeing the planning, strategy, operations, performance & governance of all content for TOMS Digital Platforms. If you love analytics, Java Script, and Project Management check it out!  Read more and apply here. Title: Business Analyst Company:  McDonald’s Location: Chicago, IL Why we like it: The next job I came across was a Business Analyst position at McDonald’s. Our CEO recently visited their headquarters and it is beautiful. Not only that but they have amazing parental leave, health benefits, and casual dress! If you are ready to take your professional career to the next level take a peek at this position.   Read more and apply here. Title: HR & Culture Lead (Remote) Company: 1021 Creative Location: Los Angeles, CA Why we like it: In this new age of technology, remote work is becoming a normality. With that, comes unique ideas to help teams stay connected. As an HR & Culture Lead, You will play a big part in keeping up with employees, integrating company culture, hiring, and events. This role comes with benefits and a flexible schedule. Not to mention you can live anywhere in the US!   Read more and apply here. Title: Event Marketing Associate Company: Fuck Cancer Location: NYC, NY Why we like it: There are so many people affected by cancer each year. In fact, if you haven’t been affected personally, you probably know someone who has. Cancer sucks, and the company Fuck Cancer is all about helping people get through it. This is a great entry-level role where you will be working alongside the CRO to execute event partnerships and campaigns, keeping event social media pages up to date, etc. This role would start as part-time with the potential to be brought on full time!  Read more and apply here. Title: Public Relations Manager Company: New Belgium Brewing Location: Fort Collins, CO Why we like it: This next job is a great one if you have a passion for beer (beyond the passion for consuming it)! Through this role, you will be executing the company’s communications and PR strategy for New Belgium Brewing, as well as corresponding beer brands. A top candidate for this job will have strong attention to detail, excellent written and verbal communication skills, an ability to easily and authentically adopt a brand’s voice, and a keen understanding of the current media and influencer landscape. Take a peek at the job description below.  Read more and apply here. Title: Media Sales Specialist Company: Pearachute Location: Chicago, IL  Why we like it: Calling all sales peeps! This awesome start-up in Chicago is looking for a Media Sales Specialist. If finding new leads and negotiating contracts in the name of making parent’s lives more simplistic, look no further. You’ll want to be on top of your CRM game as well as multitasking and being eager to close deals. They also give you the option to work remotely for part of the week and the schedule is flexible!   Read more and apply here. Title: Learning and Development Manager Company: Glu Mobile Location: San Fransico, CA Why we like it: This a super unique job because you get to work with both the leaders at Glu and their Business Partners. The ideal candidate embodies and upholds a learning mindset and is open to some international travel on occasion. Glu is looking for someone who is a strong communicator and loves to think creatively. I guess the only question left is, anyone else down to go to India? Read more and apply here. Title: Inside Sales Representative Company:  Bucket Listers Location: Chicago, IL Why we like it: Here is another job for all the salespeople out there. Bucket Listers is all about featuring companies in the heart of Chicago in order to help people know about the ‘must-dos’ when visiting. This role is entry-level and a great way to start building your resume. Your primary focus will be creating new partnerships with different companies and creating brand awareness. If you love talking on the phone and being in a fast-paced environment this is the job for you! Read more and apply here. Title: Customer Success Manager Company: Modernize Location: Austin, TX Why we like it: Modernize makes sure that contractors are connected with individuals who are looking to upgrade their homes. This cool company is looking for an individual to keep up with the profiles of the clients who spend thousands of dollars each year as well as continuing to expand their profile as you walk them through best practices. There is an awesome company culture with open-door policies and group brainstorming sessions, and did I mention catered meals three times a week?? Read more and apply here. If you’re excited about one of these roles, but you’ve been struggling to get the attention of employers, book a free consultation with us here. Our career coaches are standing by ready to help you land a very cool new job!

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What Makes Coaching Different From Therapy and Mentorship

Career Enrichment

09/11/19

Gabby Vicas

Everyone has moments in their life where they need to lean on someone for guidance. Whether you are going through a career change, working on your mental health, or figuring out what you want to do in your life, there are several options to consider when seeking guidance. Coaching, Therapy, and Mentorship are three big areas that people turn to when they are seeking direction. Here at Ama La Vida, we love helping people through coaching. We have clients come to us from all different backgrounds and different goals. In my role here at Ama La Vida, I am answering questions of potential and current clients. A common question that I often hear is how is coaching different than therapy or mentorship? Understandably, these get mixed up frequently, so let’s take a look at the differences between Life Coaching vs. Therapy vs. Mentorship.  Coaching vs. Therapy Although similar, there are a few major differences between the two.  Time Orientation – Past vs Future Therapy tends to focus on the past while coaching has more of a future orientation. Typically, if you are trying to understand and heal from a traumatic event in your past, therapy is a great way to cope with this. Coaching does not usually dive deep into your past and is more of a reflection on your current self.  Medical Diagnoses Sometimes therapy leads to a diagnosis of some sort which is something only a clinician is qualified for and can help you through. However, if you are looking to develop a plan to meet goals or new habits, coaching would be a great place to start. Keep in mind that coaching is not regulated, and in order to get the best experience you should consider your options and do thorough research. Almost anyone can call themselves a coach, but you have to make sure that they live up to the standards you are looking for. For example, our coaches are certified through a program that is accredited by the international coach federation. This ensures that they are meeting the highest standards and ensure the outcomes that our clients expect and more.  Amount of Time to See Results Therapy can take years to see results while coaching takes less time because it is action-step oriented. Although results might come faster in coaching, it is still a long-term relationship between the coach and coachee as with therapy. It is an ongoing process of creating goals, reaching them, and creating more while having someone there to keep you accountable and talk to when you feel stuck.  Once you have done your research and it is time to make a decision, take a step back and decide if you need therapy or coaching. Sometimes you might need both. Many of our clients have combined the two and it has proven to be very effective. Questions to ask: Coaching vs. Mentorship Another question we often get asked is what is the difference between coaching and a mentor (or mentorship)?  Defining Goals  Both mentorship and coaching help you reach your future goals, and both focus on self-improvement. However, a major differentiation between the two is that coaching takes it one step further and helps you define your goals while mentorship comes into play when you have decided what your goals are. If you aren’t sure what direction you want to go in, coaching may be a great place to begin.  Structure Mentorship is also less structured than coaching and depending on your learning style that may or may not be a good thing. Most times, a mentor is someone who is your superior, meaning they have been in your shoes before and are willing to show you the ropes. While your coach might share a similar story to what you are going through, that is not always the case. Self-guided When you work with a mentor, they are there to give you advice and possibly give you straightforward suggestions. Coaching is not the same in regard to this because it is focused more on guiding you to make your own decisions and conclusions. Put simply, your coach is there to guide you and help you decide what your future goals are, then implement a plan to get there. Your mentor is there to help you reach a specific goal you have already decided you want to reach.  Questions to ask: You now know the differences between Life Coaching vs. Therapy vs. Mentorship. They are all useful tools; it is just a matter of where you are in your life and what are the circumstances you are needing guidance on. You might need more than one at the same time, or you might need to focus on just one for your current situation. Be truthful with yourself when deciding which you might need, but when you decide, follow through. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later.  Looking into coaching but don’t know what kind of coaching you need? Set up a consultation with an Ama La Vida team member here!

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How To Make Good Decisions

Achieving Goals

09/09/19

John Roccia

Have you ever heard of the “coin flip” trick for making decisions?  It might not be what you’re thinking! Here’s how it works: If you’re faced with a decision between two options, assign heads to one and tails to the other, then flip a coin.  Catch it and cover it so you can’t see the outcome yet. That’s the trick.  When you’ve flipped but haven’t looked yet – which side are you hoping for? When it comes right down to the wire, there will be one option you want to happen more than the other; deep in your heart, you’ll be rooting for either heads or tails in that split second before you see.  You can drop the coin without ever looking – you’ve got your answer! Not every decision can be handled this way, of course.  For starters, some decisions are between more than two options!  But the core concept – that we often over-complicate decisions that in reality are simple – remains true. I’m going to talk about how to de-complicate ANY decision, not just the choice between two dinner options! Removing the Obstacles Most of the time, difficulty in making a decision isn’t a matter of not having the information or intelligence to do so.  You’ve got that! It’s usually a matter of an additional, negative aspect impeding the process. If you need more information you can get it, but what do we do when we have all the right info, and it’s just time to pull the trigger?   Over the years I’ve identified three major obstacles that people tend to face when making really tough decisions about their lives, careers, families, or other important topics.  I’m going to talk about each one, and the techniques I’ve used (and helped others to use!) to overcome them. Obstacle Number One:  You’re Way, Way Too Close To The Problem Emotional investment and bias is a major obstacle to decision-making.  When you’re feeling overwhelming negative emotions of any kind, you’re not going to be doing your best work.  Don’t worry – my advice to isn’t going to be something silly like “don’t be sad.” That’s not helpful nor actionable advice!  Instead, I’m going to help separate the parts of your mind that are feeling those stressors from the part of your mind that has to make this decision. First, write down a list of 3-5 generic things about you.  Anything will do! For instance, I might write: “Lives in New Jersey.  Has three kids. Late 30’s. Incredibly handsome. Very funny.” Then, write down another 3-5 things that are relevant to the tough decision.  So, if the decision I was facing was whether to keep my house in the suburbs or move to the city, I might write:  “Likes having a yard. Has a daughter that loves playing outside. Hates having a long commute. Has no pets. Has a wife that wants a cat.”  (If you’ve tried to make a Pros & Cons list for your decision already, that can be a good source for these.) Next, draw a stick figure.  Yes, I’m serious. Just draw a little stick-figure person.  Pick a random first name that isn’t your name, and write “This is [name],” next to that stick figure.  So I would write: “This is Jim.” Then write out all the traits from both your lists, but say “Jim is…” for each.  “Jim is in his late 30’s and lives in NJ with his three kids. Jim’s incredibly handsome and very funny.  Jim loves having a yard but hates commuting to work. Jim’s daughter loves the outdoors. Jim has no pets, but his wife really wants a cat.”  Then write the decision Jim is facing: “Jim is trying to decide whether he should stay in the suburbs, or move to the city where he works. Jim wants your advice.  What should Jim do?” This method takes the same information but presents it to you in a way that removes a lot of the emotional component.  It helps you visualize the problem from the outside, instead of being stuck in the middle. Chances are very good that when presented this way, the answer will seem far more obvious than when you were trying to make the decision for “you.” Obstacle Number Two:  Every Priority Is The Highest Priority We all have things that are important to us.  When we’re making a big decision, we’re trying to pursue those things.  But it’s a simple truth that we can’t have everything – decisions are about change, and change involves compromise. Our brains aren’t wired to take multiple competing concepts and evaluate them against one another fairly and honestly.  Humans just aren’t good at that. If I ask you if good gas mileage is important to you in a car, you might be easily able to say “yes,” because the decision is whether you do or don’t like good gas mileage.  That’s easy. If I ask you if safety is important to you in a car, you can easily say “yes” again for the same reason. But if ask which is more important, suddenly you’re stuck.  That’s natural, but we have to overcome it in order to make a decision. This next exercise is very challenging, but the rewards are tremendous. Write down a list of everything that’s important to you in the realm of the decision you’re making.  So if you’re looking at cars, you can write down “Price, mileage, safety, room,” and anything else you care about.  Don’t use a single sheet of paper – put everything on a separate piece, or on index cards, or post-it notes, or anything that lets them freely move.  Then here’s the challenging part: You’re going to QUANTIFY and PRIORITIZE. Quantify:  You can’t just say “Price.”  That won’t get you anywhere. You have to put a number on it: The maximum price you’re willing to pay.  For gas mileage, you have to put down a number that’s your goal. For safety, put down the rating you’re

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