27
Jan 2013
From here on out – a new beginning [personal update]
I have some news: As of last week, I am officially an entrepreneur! I had planned to leave Decide this year, even before I had interviewed I planned to start my company in 2013 (and for those who with conerns, don’t worry, I told everyone involved up front about my plans). And while I had not [...]
22
Jan 2013
Shred Your Resume: How To Get a Job at a Startup
Lots of people want to work at startups these days. And for good reason. When I left my former positions at big companies like Microsoft and Amazon, I caught the startup bug and got hooked on the challenge and opportunity they provided. But the thing that we all love about startups – that they’re different [...]
12
Jan 2013
Staring is Creepy – Time to Develop Networking Skills (some are obvious, but surprisingly difficult)
Networking: Mastering the Art of Small Talk Do you want to know what I consider a form of torture? Walking into an event knowing I am going to spend the next few hours making polite conversation with lots of strangers, all while trying to seem like I am having a good time. This remains one [...]
05
Jan 2013
New Year, New Goals – Career Resolution Ideas
What are your predictions for the year? I don’t know about you, but my year is already starting out in a wild and crazy way (more news on that soon)…. I love New Year’s because it’s such a perfect opportunity to reflect on the year that has passed; I can look back on how far [...]
30
Dec 2012
Becoming a Manager
Becoming a Manager As I’ve said before on this blog: when I started my career, it was never my intention to become a manager. I always wanted to be a software engineer (and one day an architect or principal engineer), and I worked really hard to deepened my technical knowledge as I possibly could. I [...]
22
Dec 2012
Peer relationships: How to stop being competitive with your peers and be a better leader
Every year I become a better manager. As time goes I get better and better (just like a great bottle of wine). As I reflect on my growth, one of the more shocking lessons was learning to how it important it was to build relationships with my peers. In big companies, your performance is often calibrated [...]
16
Dec 2012
Standing out: How to become unforgettable
The last post on networking seemed to be a hit, and this is another great one to go with it. The values of personal relationships are obvious, but sometimes when making those connections can be hard. Or we make them and then fail to cultivate them. One way to help you build lasting bonds, is [...]
06
Dec 2012
Improving Your To Do Lists
Who doesn’t want to be more productive? I have the tendency to forget things if I don’t write them down, so it is super important to me that I have a system to manage all the balls in the air. This need has become more pronounced as I become responsible for more things, both at [...]
29
Nov 2012
A Networking Roadmap for Engineers and Other Introverts
I am shy and introverted and the thought of going out with the intention of meeting other people, starting conversations with strangers, and making small talk is one of the activities I dread most. I can’t deal with silence (which makes me seem chatty and it is really just the fact I am trying [...]
21
Nov 2012
7 Ways to Be Even More Happy this Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is this week, and so I desperately wanted to come up with a Thanksgiving themed post. I considered doing the cliché “things I am thankful for” post, and I even tried mind mapping Thanksgiving ideas. However, nothing really came to me. Then I pondered the question, what do I really like about Thanksgiving? Eating [...]