Latest news with #careerSuccess
Yahoo
12-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Carl Junction's Kristy Jones named rootEd Missouri Advisor of the Year
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Carl Junction High School's Kristy Jones was recently named the rootEd Missouri Advisor of the Year for her support of rural Missouri students as they prepare for life after graduation. The announcement was made at the 2025 rootEd Missouri Conference Awards and Celebration Lunch held Aug. 5 in Columbia. Serving more than 45,000 students across the state since launching in 2018, rootEd Missouri is a statewide public-private partnership between national nonprofit rootEd Alliance, Missouri's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Ozarks Technical Community College, and participating school districts. The effort is designed to help rural students develop a path to achieve career success and economic stability. College and career advisers work with seniors in rural high schools to ensure they graduate on a path to a well-paying job, whether through college, career training, apprenticeships or military service. According to an announcement by the Carl Junction School District, Jones supports more than 200 seniors each year. Jones was recognized for her collaborative advising approach and outstanding outcomes at Carl Junction High School, including: • 99% of all students created a postsecondary plan and financial plan. • 95% of all students participated in a career exposure activity. • 98% of college students committed to a postsecondary institution. • 89% of career training students got accepted into a training program. • Every student who submitted a job application received a job offer. • 100% of military students completed their ASVAB, met with a military recruiter and officially enlisted. 'Students start to believe in what's possible when they know someone is in their corner,' Jones said in a statement. 'I'm honored to be part of rootEd and proud to support Missouri's rural students.' Solve the daily Crossword
Fast Company
27-06-2025
- General
- Fast Company
5 self-sabotaging career moves women often make—and how to avoid them
We often focus on the visible obstacles stopping women from getting ahead: pay inequality, missed promotions and opportunities, and those boardroom tables with not quite enough seats. Yet there is another, less-visible hindrance to women's career success: our internal habits, harder to name and even harder to shake. The opportunity passed over not because it was out of reach, but because our inner dialogue said it wasn't ours to take. The apology slipped into an email that didn't need one. The shrinking, the over-preparing, and the relentless self-editing. These aren't flaws. They are learned responses to a system that taught women to be capable but cautious, competent but not disruptive, and yes, to have a voice, but not one that was too loud. These unexamined habits are shaping the careers we never meant to build. 1. Confusing competence with visibility The sabotage: Many women believe if they work hard enough, someone will notice. Excellence in silence is rarely rewarded. Doing exceptional work and not drawing attention to it isn't noble. It's often just an efficient way of handing credit to someone else. The insight: Hard work that goes unseen and waiting politely for one's turn builds resentment. Being good at your job isn't the same as being known for it, and in competitive environments, what isn't seen often doesn't count. How to avoid it: Don't wait to be discovered. Learn to self-promote and name what you do, so no one else gets to define it for you. Regularly share wins—both yours and those of others—in team settings. 2. Waiting for certainty The sabotage: This is self-doubt amplified. When it comes to promotions, unless almost every box is ticked, women are reluctant to put themselves forward. One unchecked box and it's a hard stop . . . until next time. The insight: What if there is no next time? When rejecting an opportunity, what might the perception being sent to your boss be? Your boss isn't a mind reader, magically understanding your thoughts moving back and forth. Instead, they take it on surface value, assuming you're not so engaged or interested in being here. And hesitations compound over time: not just in missed opportunities, but in lost wealth, confidence, reputation, and influence. How to avoid it: Adopt a 'progress, not perfection' mindset. Practice tentative boldness and redefine your readiness, taking steps forward and refining as you go. 3. Being modest with achievements The sabotage: Women often downplay workplace achievements, opting for humility over self-advocacy. The reluctance to self-promote is confused with bragging and arrogance. But being comfortable in naming your achievement is necessary for self-worth. The insight: What begins as humility can morph into invisibility. Habitually softening your impact and deflecting praise reinforces a narrative where your work is assumed rather than acknowledged. It can train those around you to expect performance without credit. Visibility isn't vanity. It's professional accountability. How to avoid it: Replace vague self-effacement with concrete contribution. Say, 'Here's what I contributed to that outcome,' rather than, 'I just helped out a bit.' Plus, adopt an internal mantra: 'It's not arrogance if it's accurate.' 4. Seeking career advice from the wrong counsel The sabotage: Turning only to people who mirror your fears instead of challenging your growth. Often these are friends, family, or colleagues. Their intention might be for the best, but they have a bias to protect. The insight: What's the point? Friends and family often want to shield us from discomfort. But their advice can reflect their own fears, rather than your potential. And not every colleague has honorable intentions. Discussions like this can snowball, reinforcing not only why you shouldn't take up the opportunity, but any other advancements, ever. The validation might feel safer, but it doesn't help. It's damaging. How to avoid it: Seek advice from those who will challenge your thinking, not just nod along. Limit conversations that turn into bandwagoning. Seek to have actions as a result of purposeful career discussions, even if they are micro-moves. Take responsibility for your decisions: When coming to a decision, do you say, 'I have decided' or 'My partner and I think' more often? Clarity begins with ownership. 5. Being busy instead of strategic The sabotage: Investing in extra work tasks that don't pay dividends. This is saying yes to everything in the name of being helpful while it slowly erodes your capacity. The insight: Over-functioning is not the same as overachieving. The cost is invisibly paid in missed raises, burnout, and career stagnation. The perception of your busyness might be that you are not in control of your workload. How to avoid it: Be discerning and politely decline what dilutes your focus. Track value over volume and pick strategic tasks that upskill and serve your growth. Practice saying no not with guilt, but with respect for where you're headed.
UAE Moments
20-06-2025
- Business
- UAE Moments
Your Daily Career Tarot Card Reading for June 19th, 2025
19.6.25 The Moon: The Moon card can reveal that subconscious patterns are operating and can be a factor in sabotaging your career success. If you're just about to hit the big time or are on the verge of accomplishing a major goal, be on the alert. Your best advice is to nip these tendencies in the bud and know that you are more than ready to embrace the success you deserve.
Forbes
17-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
5 AI Career Truths Every Young Professional Should Know
Today's newest employees must take strategic steps to succeed in an AI-driven workplace. We all know that AI is changing everything and there's no turning back. Those of us in established careers are adapting and experimenting with AI in our everyday work. This isn't so bad, we think. We can roll with this. But what about young people just entering the workforce? What are the ground rules for their career success? Let's be real: we're all just making this up as we go along. That makes advising and mentoring the young professionals who are just launching their careers a challenge. The strategic steps young workers need to succeed in their careers are vastly different than the path older generations trod. In many ways, it seems the outlook for younger workers is much tougher. 'We are entering a phase where AI can perform tasks that were previously reserved for trained professionals,' says Chris Callison-Burch, Professor at University of Pennsylvania's School of Engineering and Applied Science. 'These systems are now able to automate tasks associated with entry-level jobs—and that's bad news for recent college grads, who should be entering into exactly those jobs as a start to their careers.' Diana Godwin, Director of Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certifications, agrees. 'For recent graduates and young professionals, today's landscape presents unprecedented volatility—rapid technological revolution paired with market unpredictability could easily lead to apprehension,' she says. The challenge for young people just entering the workforce is twofold: master the technical skills related to AI while navigating heightened uncertainty around career growth. 'The most successful young people won't be those who compete with AI but those who know when to use it and when to trust their own instincts,' says Godwin. To cultivate accurate instincts, young professionals must accept five foundational truths about AI in order to thrive in this fast-changing landscape. 'Young professionals—regardless of their chosen path—must develop foundational AI literacy,' says Godwin. 'As AI transforms nearly every role—from software development to marketing to human resources—understanding its capabilities and limitations becomes not just advantageous but essential to the modern workforce. 'This literacy represents a new form of professional fluency that many employers are already seeking.' One big piece of AI literacy is prompt engineering. 'Think of prompt engineering like learning to ask good questions,' says Godwin. 'The better you get at it, the more useful the answers become. It's less about technical perfection and more about developing an intuition for how to communicate with these systems.' Callison-Burch also strongly advises his students to learn to use these tools well. 'Think of yourself not just as a user, but as a manager of AI agents,' he says. 'You still need the technical grounding to evaluate output, spot errors, and apply domain knowledge — otherwise, you risk using these systems blindly.' But even as technological proficiency becomes more important, professional skills (also known as soft or human skills) have also grown in value. 'Soft skills still matter deeply,' says Callison-Burch. 'In fact, they're often what make someone an effective AI user—the ability to frame problems, prompt creatively, iterate, clearly specify the important aspects of a solution, and evaluate outputs critically.' 'While technical skills and AI literacy are in high demand, employers are still looking for talent who excel in problem-solving, communication, strategic thinking, and other human-centered skills,' stresses Godwin. 'As machines get smarter, our most human qualities become more valuable, not less.' Godwin argues that while technical fluency is necessary to stay competitive, those who pair that fluency with strong human-centered skills are well-rounded, standout candidates. 'This combination is what employers are looking for, and what future-proofs your career, regardless of the role or industry.' Godwin further argues that the core elements of success remain intrinsically human. 'No matter how advanced AI will become, human values are irreplaceable,' she says. 'More than anything, human-centered skills become a premium at a time when innovation is happening at lightning speed. Young workers need skills like relationship-building, collaboration, and openness to learning to work effectively with their managers, peers, and AI in a new world of work.' The reach of AI is already extending beyond the job itself into the process of landing the job. AI-led hiring is another element of AI's workplace impact that young professionals must manage. 'AI isn't just transforming jobs—it's also reshaping hiring itself,' Callison-Burch says, citing the recent experience of one of his students who was just interviewed by an AI system. 'That will become more common,' he says. 'Navigating AI-led hiring will be a skill in itself—one that younger applicants may be better prepared for than older ones. It's going to be a wild time for everyone.' It's all part of a bigger about-face by companies who, says Callison-Burch, have shifted from banning AI tools to asking candidates how they have used them effectively. 'Demonstrating thoughtful, responsible use of AI is now a competitive edge,' he says. Generation Z has shown remarkable interest in entrepreneurship, far beyond any generation before them. Now, it seems their entrepreneurial bent will be deepened by AI. 'If recent grads are struggling to find entry-level jobs, I think it's a perfect time to consider entrepreneurship,' says Callison-Burch. 'The same advancements to software developer tools that might make it hard for you to find an entry-level job at Microsoft might also give you the tools you need to launch your own company.' He shares the story of one of the University of Pennsylvania's recent alumni who founded Parambil, a startup leveraging AI to help law firms manage mass tort cases. 'That kind of high-leverage application wouldn't have been feasible even a few years ago,' says Callison-Burch. 'There's never been a better moment to build using AI.' 'Lifelong learning' has been a catchphrase in the world of work for many years, but now AI has lent it extra urgency. As AI evolves, so must we. Thankfully, there is a growing number of opportunities for younger and seasoned workers alike to level up their AI proficiency. Godwin urges students to take advantage of any introductory AI courses their schools offer. If none, there are other AI training options available. 'At AWS, we offer more than 135 free and low-cost AI and ML courses on our digital learning centers, AWS Skill Builder and AWS Educate, for people of varying backgrounds and experiences,' she says. 'If they want to validate their skills to employers, they should consider AI certifications, such as the AWS Certified AI Practitioner that's designed for people from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to showcase their understanding of AI and generative AI concepts, their ability to recognize opportunities that benefit from AI, and their knowledge on using AI tools responsibly.' On the higher education side, Callison-Burch shares how Penn Engineering is responding to meet this moment. 'We launched the first undergraduate major in AI in the Ivy League, and I direct our Master of Engineering in Artificial Intelligence Online program. Both have grown rapidly,' he says. 'But we also try to create pathways outside the classroom. This summer, I'm working with a team of 20 undergraduate and master's students who are building new tools with LLMs in an eight-week sprint—experimenting with vibe coding to rapidly prototype new interface designs, improve AI systems and build new technologies. They're asking: What can I build? What can I do faster or better with AI? 'That's the right instinct.' If we're honest, very few of us are fully at ease in this moment of vast technological advancement. But all of us, whether fresh out of school or in a well-established career, can manage our responses to the pressures of modern work. 'Succumbing to anxiety or analysis paralysis will not contribute to the success of your career,' says Godwin. 'A mentor once told me, 'You have to be the driver and advocate of your own career,' and it really stuck with me. External circumstances will continuously evolve beyond your control, but your capacity to anticipate, adapt, and acquire high-value skills remains entirely within your agency. 'You'll be able to navigate any digital or societal disruption as long as you stay curious and constantly seek in-demand technical and non-technical skills.'
Forbes
01-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
What To Do In Your First 30 Days Post-Layoff (That Most People Miss)
Start building immediately after receiving layoff news; don't wait for a job offer first You've just received news that your role is on the block for elimination. Within the next few hours or days at most, you're about to be thrust into the unrelenting world of unemployment. What do you do next over the coming hours, days, and weeks mean everything and can determine your career success, not just for the here and now, but for the long-term. They can make all the difference between you remaining unemployed and broke for months or even years, or actually being able to rebound and rebuild your life and career from the scraps you've been handed. If you've been searching for advice on the internet on what to do after you've been laid off, you've probably read about the importance of doing things like negotiating your severance package, filing for unemployment benefits, or refreshing your resume and LinkedIn profile. But there are some other things you need to do within your first month after being laid off, which are vital to your career success. Many professionals wait until it's too late to take these actions, and because they fail to take these steps right away, their unemployment situation worsens. To avoid falling into this trap, here are some things you can do immediately to protect your finances and career, now that you've been laid off: Neglecting to start building immediately has to be the number one most fatal mistake professionals make after being laid off, because it puts you in a position where you're more vulnerable to outside forces like industry changes, the volatile job market, etc. And you're now in a position where it's easier to say yes to opportunities that do not serve you because after all, you need to pay the bills. As a result, you're taken advantage of and ghosted by fake employers or by shark recruiters and hiring managers who can smell that you're desperate and offer you bogus or questionable job offers and compensation packages. So, instead of waiting for the perfect job opportunity to appear, be open and start monetizing what's already in your hands. Leverage your brain capital--the wealth of skills and expertise you've acquired from your job. There's nothing worse than the regret of being turned down for job opportunities and realizing that you could have been well on your way towards making money all along if only you started earlier. Never allow your skills to go dormant because you're waiting for an employer to see and value them. Dormant skills means dormant money. You're literally sitting on gold. So begin today and start building momentum, even if it's just a small service that you're offering directly to your LinkedIn network or Fiverr and Upwork. It could be part-time. It doesn't need to consume your 9-5 hours. But the most important thing is that you're building something. Even if it's small money, it helps when nothing else is coming in. And if you're faithful with it and can improve what you already have, then just $300-$500 a week from your existing skill set can prove to be a lifesaver and can multiply to $1,000, $2,000 or even $3,000 a month. It might even become your full-time business pursuit. Panic applying is when you apply for jobs in a hurry because you're anxious. You use every waking moment to hit the 'quick apply' or 'easy apply' button on Indeed or LinkedIn. And you send so many applications that you're unable to keep track of where your resume has been. This method is not only ineffective, but it's health destroying. It leads directly to burnout and increases your anxiety because you feel like you're chasing your tail. But more than this, panic-applying hurts your career success because you're not able to put thought and depth into each application. It's not possible to customize and tailor your resume and application answers when you're hitting send to 200 job applications a week. Instead of panic-applying, try this approach: Finally, you might have been in your job for so long that you're totally out of touch with the current job market, the evolution of your industry, or what skill sets are in demand right now. The worst thing you can do at this point is to carry on job-searching like it's five, 10, or 15 years ago. So much has changed in the global job market, especially within the past two years since AI has gained global traction. In light of these changes and the constantly evolving needs of employers demanding fresh, updated skill sets, it's essential that you rebrand yourself and reframe your value by upskilling for in-demand skills. Focus on relevant skills like problem-solving, analytical thinking and data analysis, communication skills, applied AI, and cross-functional leadership and remote working skills. Layoffs are the perfect opportunity to reset your career so you don't remain stagnant or too ... More comfortable to progress The first 30 days after being laid off are critical to your career. Your future is in your hands. For many people, it can feel like a disaster, like it's the end. But not so with you. You now understand that layoffs are simply a career reset, and that they are simply the page turning to a new chapter. Now that you have more time on your hands, this is your chance to start building something new, strategically align yourself with decision-makers who can pour into your career growth, and prepare yourself for the future of work by upskilling for what's in demand today and what will be needed over the next few years.
