I’m filled with gratitude, because my network is generous, open, responsive – and cool AF.

I’m a connector to my core so I get an adrenaline hit when I curate pairs of humans I know will appreciate each other and learn from even a simple half hour conversation.

And my network shows up!

Whether it’s former clients talking to new clients about how the process worked for them.

Or former colleagues at my clients’ target companies – talking about culture, leadership and the day to day of a role.

The number of connections I’m able to make a week is one of my favorite parts of the job.

So thank you for your time.

Thank you for paying it forward if you’ve been helped in your career transition.

Thank you for normalizing that it’s ok and even exciting to want something new.

I appreciate you and all that you are offering to my clients who have no idea how they will find the right connection to what’s next in their career.

I often find that right connection with you and in you.

And if you’re still looking to meet some new people in the Brooklyn area this month – I’m having what will most likely be my last Career Walk and Talk of 2024 and this time we’re doing a lunch edition.

We’ll be meeting…

Wednesday, November 20th at 12pm ET at Prospect Park, 3rd street entrance
(We’re keeping it to 60 minutes this time.)

Many of us have been waiting for, talking about, losing our freaking minds over this day for more than a year now. 

And, it’s here. 

I know you’re not thinking about your career today. It’s ok. 

It will be there for you tomorrow. Today is not the day for you to be brainstorming about your next move or the upcoming networking conversations you’re going to have. 

Instead, here’s what you can do:

Vote

If you’ve already voted early, go you! If you haven’t voted yet, make a plan, bring your kids with you, wait in line with a buddy. Just. Vote! Here’s the link to find your polling place if you’re unclear: https://vote.nyc/page/find-your-poll-site

Take Action

I find I’m more optimistic and less stressed when I’m taking action, rather than listening to the thousandth podcast episode about today’s poll. This election may come down to HUNDREDS of votes in swing states. Phone bank or knock doors. Reach out to 3 people you know in swing states to see if they voted. Offer to help elderly neighbors to get to the polls. Doing something will help you make it through this day.

Take Care

Find your people. Hold them tight. Be in community, if you can. Breathe. Focus on what you can control. Listen to a free election-related meditation from Headspace, go for a walk or run, do some yoga or perhaps now might be the moment to try out kickboxing. Moving your body will help you release stress and find moments of joy in a tough day. 

But most of all – show yourself compassion and grace for what happens and doesn’t happen today. You are human. This is hard. There’s so much at stake right now – and I’m right there with you. 

I often talk to folks in my network who are six months (or less) into their roles and are already planning their exits. 

They mention the asshole boss or the toxic culture – or both. Typically they’re a match made in corporate hell. 

It always makes me curious. Were the red flags visible in the interview process? Or did this assholery come as a shocking surprise? 

When I pose the question with all of my coachy compassion, I usually get a, “Well, now that I think about it, they were. But I didn’t put it all together.”

So here are a few ideas to help you – put it all together – and actively recognize the red flags:

1. Tone and language:
Interviews are a time for the organization to be on their best behavior and sell you on the company and the role – while they’re getting to know you. If your interviewer is rude or worst case mean in an interview – we tend to write it off or double down on trying to win them over. Don’t do either. They are showing you who they are. If this is supposed to be their best, imagine the prickliness of their worst. 

2. Listening skills:

Do your interviewers seem to be truly taking in what you’re saying or are they monologuing and interrupting you? Do they respect you when you try to jump in with your questions? Do they leave any time for your questions? This is especially important when it comes to the hiring manager. Is this how you want your one on one meetings to go? Do you expect they will ever try to understand you and what kind of support you need? 

3. The feeling in your body:

As I say often, our bodies hold a lot of wisdom we tend to ignore. If you have a racing heart, chest constriction, stomach pangs or if you generally feel like you need to immediately outrun a cheetah – pay attention! Sure, in any interview you will feel nerves, butterflies and adrenaline. This is different. What I hear from people who retroactively realize the signs were there, is that their bodies were projecting the red flags on their interviewers foreheads, but they chose to explain it away. 

I know this all takes practice – and it may seem there are way too many things to focus on in an interview already. How do I add this to the list?  This isn’t meant to overwhelm you. It’s more about trusting your intuition and building awareness that you deserve better than these red flag behaviors. These are people you’re going to be spending more time with than many members of your own family. If possible – it would be great to be able to communicate with them or dare I say – even like them. 

I’d love to hear from you about some of the red flags you’ve noticed in your interview processes. If we know what we’re looking for, we can work together to say no thank you. 

If you’re wondering if there’s a perfect season for networking, the answer is yes and you’re currently in it.

So consider this the kick, the fire, the pumpkin to motivate you to get it rolling.

The six-ish weeks of October into mid-November falls after the busy-ness of summer and back to school and before the drama/trauma of the holiday season. Plus, the weather is close to ideal in many parts of the country right now – so meeting outdoors for a coffee – or one of my Career Walk and Talks feels like a treat.

For those of you who writhe at the thought of networking, I see you. I have all of you in mind as I’m writing.

And for the rest of you who actually enjoy it, but don’t know how to get it started, I’m happy to offer up some ideas beyond – set up a zoom with a former colleague. I know you’ve already had that zoom and you’re way zoomed out to do it for fun. I’m with you!

Here are 3 ways to get your networking in during this season:

Explore Eventbrite:

You may have noticed I’ve been adding my events lately to Eventbrite and I’m loving how it’s going! I’m meeting interesting, cool people who I wouldn’t have been able to reach otherwise. For my first Career Walk and Talk, we had a health tech professional considering moving to Brooklyn so she came for a walk and loaded her days with Eventbrite events to network and meet people. With some strategic search terms, you can find many events per week that would meet your needs. I’m impressed with how it’s grown and how useful it can be.

Volunteer:

We have a pretty important election coming up and many of my clients are currently in job searches are also: volunteering for local and national campaigns, attending and hosting postcarding parties, going out with groups to canvas for candidates – and in all of these efforts you’re both – doing something that’s important to you AND meeting people who may have similar interests and values. Of course your volunteering doesn’t need to be political – your helping of organizations allows you to give back to meaningful causes while at the same time – meeting people you wouldn’t have come across in your day to day or on LinkedIn. Remember to have a casual version of your pitch ready to go. You never know who you’ll be volunteering with!

Gather people plus ones:

If you’re a gathering type (you know who you are and we appreciate you!), ask a group of friends or colleagues to join you for a potluck, at a bar – wherever – and ask each of them to bring an interesting plus one friend (not date). This way, you get to expand your group beyond your typical crew and you know these people have been vetted by your people. Oftentimes the first step in networking is to expand beyond your go-to folks. As strange as it sounds, your inner circle people are not always the most helpful in your career and job search. It’s typically your looser connections that add most of the value – whether it’s because they are naturally connector types or they want to pay it forward after having been helped in a search.

I’m curious to hear how your fall connecting goes. If you have additional winner ideas – send them my way so I can share more broadly.

As a former marketer and now as a business owner – one of the mantras that guides me and my career is – the more yourself you are, the more you will attract the right people and repel the wrong people.

It’s not a new idea.

I think I first learned it back in my Marketing 101 class. Yet, it’s a lesson I continue to revisit every time I feel the gut punch of disappointment that later reveals itself to be another level of people pleasing healing unlocked.

Sometimes when I write a vulnerable piece about my imperfections or double down on what are clearly my politics – a handful of people unsubscribe.

And I get a chest pang.

Then – the reminder comes in the form of the beautiful people who take the time to write to me and share how much this story meant to them, or that they needed to hear this today – or even that they appreciate how I’m brave enough to say what I believe out loud.

They’re the right people…for me.

I’m reminded of an interview with actress and all around trailblazer, Tracee Ellis Ross, who was consoled by her friends after a people-pleasing episode, “You’re not everyone’s cup of tea.”

I say this to myself when some collaborations and partnerships flourish and some…just don’t.

I say it to my clients when they get a piece of feedback after an interview about coming off too strong or not strong enough.

And I’m saying it to you now to remind you that you don’t need to click with every colleague, match with every role or connect with every parent at your kids’ school.

If you’re being yourself, you will attract the right people and opportunities for you. And that’s more than enough.

Of course, this is easier said than done in a culture where much of this pleasing and desire to be liked – even loved – lives within our bodies.

Yet, just like another one of my favorite simple counter cultural hobbies – saying no – it’s a little addictive.

So – when the rejection comes, because it will come, you can pat yourself on the back and say, “Oh yeah. I’m not everyone’s cup of tea.” And that’s where you will leave it.

I work with many women who are pregnant and on maternity leave – and often when they think about returning to their roles after leave, they feel...

Overwhelm
Grief
Guilt
Dread

And wonder…how will this even be possible?

“I know how I worked before, the level of intensity, the hours, the facetime, the focus. How will I be able to do it the same way?”

The answer is: You won’t. It will be different. You’ve changed.

Your priorities have shifted AND you can still do good work – on your terms.

You can both acknowledge all of these valid feelings AND be intentional about how you return.

I’m excited to share that I will be helping a group of new moms do just that in a supportive virtual session I’ve created with my friend, colleague and Executive Coach, Alex Huworth.

Here are the details if this sounds like you or someone you know and love:

Returning to Work as a New Mom: From Anxiety to Confidence
A virtual event for birth parents navigating their leave and transition back to professional life.

This is for you if you’re:

• Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of balancing work and family?

• Worried about reconnecting with your career after time away?

• Unsure how to advocate for your needs as a working parent?

Want to feel confident and prepared to return to work?

In this session you'll gain:

• Practical strategies for work-life integration

• A supportive community of peers facing similar challenges

• Insights on communicating effectively with your employer

• Tools to manage anxiety and boost confidence

Date: Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Time: 12pm ET
Length: 60 minutes
Cost: $47
Tickets can be purchased at rachelbgarrett.com/new-parent.

Please share with anyone in your life who needs this kind of support. Someone you want to remind, “You don’t need to be alone in this.”


In celebration of the moms!

It’s hard to believe it’s been 3 months since our last Open Office Hours. I’m thrilled to be kicking off day one of October by announcing our next gathering to discuss all of your burning career change questions is less than a week away.

If you haven’t joined before – we talk about all things career transition and job search-related. From the very tactical of – what should I write in my thank you note (and yes you should write one!) to – am I obligated to take the role if I’ve interviewed with five people, but the red flags are appearing in my nightmares?

And for those of you who have decided to take on consulting or project work while you’re looking – that’s a common topic in our community. How do you decide on a rate? How do you find new work? How do you describe what you do?

No questions are off the table.

What I love about these calls is that everyone shows up up with compassion, support and words of inspiration that can make you feel like you’re not alone in this time of transition.

So – join us on October 7th at 12 PM ET.

You can register at rachelbgarrett.com/office-hours.​

And send this link to your friends who may be interested in getting some support on a Monday afternoon.

Looking forward to seeing you and your people there!

Sometimes the thing holding you back in your job search just isn’t on your radar. And you keep on keeping on with minimal results.

If you’re an excellent candidate – which I know you are – you’ll find you will get the momentum you’re looking for if you avoid these three common mistakes.

1. Resume longer than 2 pages:

Just no. I love someone who knows how to self-promote, but if you can’t be concise about it, the recruiters and hiring managers are already thinking – you’re not going to be clear and concise in emails, conversations and the multitude of documents you will produce on the job. Rule of thumb is: For under 10 years of experience, the resume should be one page and over it should be two. There are rare exceptions where I’ve allowed a third page for published works, a deal sheet or film/tv credits. But I would try to avoid it if you can.

2. Submitting applications between 12 AM and 6 AM:

I know you want to finish the application you’ve been working on all night. But I can tell you for sure – you’re going to make mistakes you will regret. You’re going to make typos you read the next day that can take you out of the running. Save your application. Re-read it after a good night's sleep in the morning with fresh eyes. Also – assume the application will take longer than you think it will, so try to start earlier in the evening, if possible, so you can finish earlier.

3. Assuming you need to meet every qualification to apply:

Job descriptions are wish lists. You do not need to be an exact match with every bullet point to be a good fit for the role. Many (women especially) take themselves out of the running for roles that would be excellent next steps for them. Please don’t do that! Especially if you have a contact at the organization! In your materials and your interview, you should talk about the skills you do have and where you can hit the ground running AND talk through the areas you’re looking to grow to explain that’s why you’re looking at roles like this. Reminder: if you have every single qualification for a role, you’re going to be bored in the first few months. Not ideal.

Feel free to share any of the mistakes you’ve learned to avoid along the way – and I’m sending you good job search momentum and mojo this fall!

Reminder, if you’re local to Brooklyn – join us for our next Career Walk and Talk on Thursday, September 26th at 5pm ET - register at rachelbgarrett.com/walk.