How to Navigate Your Next Professional Move

How to Navigate Your Next Professional MoveHow to Navigate Your Next Professional MoveHave you reached an inflection point in your career? Not sure how to get to the next step or even what the next step will be? Consider the advice of a 20-year staffing veteran.You can reach career crossroads for a variety of reasons. They can be a result of organizational change (your company reorganized or welches acquired), professional change (you gained valuable new skills or earned a promotion), or personal situation (you relocated or have to attend to family needs), just to name a few.I recently spoke at the HOW Design Live Conference on this topic as its close to my heart. I have encountered several significant career crossroads that changed my professional path. Perhaps you can relate.Finding my passion Early in my career, I was very unsure of what I wanted to do. I had varied academic and professional experiences, none of which seemed to drive tremendous passion for my work. It was at this time that I fell into recruiting with Robert Half, TCGs parent company. When I learned that the organization was looking for an experienced sales professional with my background, I was in. It seemed like a risk but also a perfect opportunity to apply my knowledge and skills to a role with greater customer interaction. Little did I know that it would be the start of a 20-plus year career with the firm.LEARN HOW ROBERT HALF CAN HELP YOUAccepting a promotion After demonstrating success in a variety of positions at Robert Half, I was presented with an offer to lead and expand one of the companys newer business lines. While this was no doubt a great opportunity, it required relocation and significant travel. I was recently married and pregnant with my first child as well. I ended up accepting the job, and while my family and I made personal sacrifices, we also gained new experiences along the way.Adjusting to changes in personal circumstances Over the course of the next decade, I made t hree significant career decisions based on changing dynamics at home. As we were growing our young family, extensive travel became difficult. So I wrote my own job description and pitched the idea of heading up the companys new Technology and Digital Strategy division, a role that required less time on the road. Then, as my children matured, I pursued internal opportunities that allowed me to grow professionally and attend to my familys changing needs.Recognizing an opportunitySeveral years ago, The Creative Group was uniquely positioned to serve our customers in a time of profound change in the creative industry. I raised my hand to lead the division with a passion and excitement to grasp the opportunities ahead.If youre at a career crossroads, I recommend you first think about what is driving the motivation to make a change then take stock of your skills and seek opportunities that match your experiences and interests. Do you possess expertise in the areas employers are hiring for ? Research the positions that are in demand and define how you can meet the needs of the business a process that is crucial for staying relevant and finding long-term professional success.To help, heres an overview of the hiring environment for creative professionals, which I shared in my session, as well as some exercises to help you map out your next career move.Career Crossroads Navigating Your Next Professional Move from Robert Half

Interview Question What Is Your Biggest Weakness

Interview Question What Is Your Biggest WeaknessInterview Question What Is Your Biggest WeaknessYoure having a successfulinterview. Your answers are all on-point and you feel like youre hitting it out of the park. And then, out of left field, you get asked a dreaded interview question. What is your biggest weakness? asks your interviewer. How do you answer it? Should you even answer it? Yes, you should. Heres how.Be prepared.Unfortunately, most candidates are taken aback by this loaded interview question. After all, the whole point of an interview is to show off your strengths, not your weaknesses. So dont assume youre being asked the question because youve done or said something wrong during the interview. Since this is a standard question, its best to be prepared that your interviewer may ask it.Be honest. When giving your answer, its best to be honest. If you lie about a weakness, youre going to come across as false in the interview. It might then make your interviewer wonder abou t your overall honesty. So stick to the truth when answering the question.Be positive. Now, what should you actually be honest about? Should you mention that in previous positions youve used the company copier to print out flyers for your daughters cheerleading team? No. Instead, pick a trait that you would use on your resume as a selling point, such as the fact that youre a good public speaker. You can say that your weakness used to be that you would get nervous before giving presentations, but with practice, you have become a better public speaker. The difference is that youre taking something that was a negative and turned it into a positive. That way, youre not leaving your interviewer with a negative perception about you. He will admire your ability to assess your own weaknesses and do something about them.Be short. As you answer the interview question, try to be as concise as possible. Its a good idea to rehearse your answer a few times before your interview, so youll get used to saying the story. Dont offer extra details, as it might cause you to talk too much- which could be considered another weakness.As unfair as it might seem, an interviewer asking you what your weakness is can be a golden opportunity for you to showcase your skills. Use it to your advantage to show off your strengths, not your weaknesses.Readers, have you ever been asked what your weaknesses are during an interview? How did you handle the situation?

I lived like Gwyneth Paltrow for a week and it broke some bad habits

I lived like Gwyneth Paltrow for a week and it broke some bad habitsI lived like Gwyneth Paltrow for a week and it broke some bad habitsI tried to live like Gwyneth Paltrow for a week, and it didnt quite work out the way Id planned.Paltrow famously leads an intense life. In terms of exercise, she used to do an hour of cardio and an hour of weights six days of the week. Her lifestyle brand Goop also hawks all sorts ofhardcore detoxes and cleanses.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreBut all that doesnt really reflect Paltrows current reality. She recently toldNet-a-Porterthat she doesnt have the time or energy to tackle that grueling schedule anymore Im getting old, my back hurts Its depressing. Some days, the gym gives me this rush of energy and I feel amazing, but then my bodys like f- you.She also doesnt stick to any Goop cleanses for a long amount of time. She told Net-a-Porter s he passes on breakfast and eats a low-carb lunch so my energy levels dont peak and valley through the day. Then, for dinner, she typically decides to loosen the reins.I decided to follow zu sich diet as best I could, as well as take up her previous exercise routine. Here are the rules I welches determined to follow for a weekSkip breakfast.Have a low-carb lunch.Put in an hour of cardio exercise.Go for an hour of weights-based exercise.Eat a dinner along the lines of her typical evening meal A glass of wine, maybe a baguette dripping in cheese, some fries.I didnt prepare at all for this. I just jumped into it, sparking concerns among the people I know. Youre going to die, several coworkers told me when I described my plan. Family members predicted I would seriously injure myself and expressed concerns about my shambling running style.All of this just bolstered my determination to rise to the occasion.The experiment itself left me somewhat surprised. On the one hand, some of Paltrows dietary habits were easier to tackle than I thought. On the other, I ended up pulling my shoulder.Heres a look at what happened when I tried to live like Gwyneth Paltrow for a weekBefore this Gwyneth Paltrow challenge, bagels were my go-to morning meal. Id often grab one - poppy seed with cream cheese or anken - before heading into the office.But, like some other celebrities, Paltrow skips breakfast altogether. So I had to kick the habit. Instead of stopping by the bagel shop, Id just hop on the train and head to work.Truth be told, this welchesnt particularly challenging for me. Back in college, I rarely ate breakfast. It may or may bedrngnis be the most important meal of the day, but Ive never had a problem skipping it.I managed to follow this aspect of Paltrows schedule for the entire week, and I think the week-long bagel cleanse worked. I havent had a bagel since. Health-wise, theyre far better as an occasional treat than a breakfast staple.I didnt have too much trouble with l unch either. Normally, Id grab a sandwich or a slice of mafiatorte from some place near the office. For the experiment, I needed to spring for low-carb choices instead.I tried to get fancy and even looked up some of Paltrows salad recipes. There were some tempting vorkaufsrechts in her cookbooks. I figured Id try to make a few, to tide me over for the week.Heck, I even bought a jar of cornichons - which are adorable, tiny pickles, btw.But, to be honest, I ran out of time before I could snag all the ingredients necessary to throw together some of Paltrows recipes (what the heck is silken tofu, anyway, and where am I supposed to find it?).So I ended up improvising. My non-fancy salad welches pretty good, though. Id pack it up in Tupperware and eat it at my desk every day around noon with a ginger ale.I enjoyed the salads, but I welches bummed to have to decline a ton of delicious and tempting offerings throughout the week. My coworkers seemed to show up to work with chocolates, cooki es, and other sweet treats every other day during my challenge.By the end of the week, I welches getting a bit bored with salad, although I tried to spice things up by switching up the dressings.In fairness, I probably couldve gotten more experimental with my lunches - low carb can include a whole range of meals, of course.But I only have so much brain power to devote to planning out and cobbling together what Im going to eat ahead of time.Still, I didnt have much of a problem sticking to low-carb lunches for the entire experiment.Once I got home from work, Id hide in the basement, where no one could see me flailing around with a medicine ball and hand weights, looking like a reject from the worlds worst workout video.I was unsurprised to find out that weights arent my strong suit. I didnt really know what I was doing, so I just switched in between different moves for the hour. It was boring and hard. And Im sure my technique left much to be desired.Around Wednesday, my left should er began to really hurt. An hour of weights is probably too much if youre clueless about exercise - especially if youre making a leap from couch potato to workout fanatic, like I was. After Wednesday, I had to cut down on the weights a bit.Overall, Id say I truly disliked this aspect of the experiment. Id rather do cardio for an hour than do weights for an hour. At least you can read while walking on the treadmill. The weight exercises just felt repetitive and tedious after about 30 minutes.Before I started my experiment, I envisioned myself sprinting around outside, running through twilit parks and drinking in the fresh winter air.Reality quickly shattered that cardio fantasy. Im usually home after sundown. Running outside in the cold darkness didnt sound like a good idea. Itd be really embarrassing to get hit by a car while doing an exercise experiment for work.So, while I did go on a few night runs, I mostly opted for working out on the treadmill.I quickly found that I dont have the stamina, pacing abilities, or patience to full-on run for a whole hour. Id switch between power walking, jogging, and running.As I walked, Id balance a book on the treadmill in front of me to stave off the boredom. I simply dont have the attention span for long workouts.The running was fine, but I feel like I couldve gotten more out of an intensive 30-minute jog than an hour spent switching between paces.Naturally, dinner was my favorite part of this whole experiment. Bread? Cheese? Wine? Whats not to love?There was another dinner option I didnt go for. Homemade fries are a favorite of Paltrows - she mentioned eating those for dinner in her Net-a-Porter interview.I swear, I was going to try to figure out how to make them, but it just didnt happen.Working out for two hours a day has a way of draining your interest in putting in any extra effort in other areas of your life.Plus, I had no complaints about the cheesy baguettes. They tasted a bit like a grilled cheese if you forgot to toast the bread. That description doesnt sound fantastic, but they were delicious.Typically, Id throw some gouda in a frying pan, melt it down, and drip it onto a baguette.One time, the chunk of cheese was too big and melted weird. I ended up getting a slightly burnt, crispy cheese sandwich and a kitchen full of smoke. Mostly, though, these dinners were easy to whip up.By the time the evening rolled around, I was usually quite hungry. It was kind of nice to have something decadent to look forward to at the end of the day. But Im sure Id get sick of this meal if I had to eat it for more than a week.Im also not a dietitian, but Im fairly certain salads and cheesy baguettes dont contain all the essential nutrients we need to stay healthy.Paltrow likely eats more well-balanced dinners than this - homemade fries and baguettes dripping with cheese were likely just her go-to examples, not her only two meal options - but I wanted to follow exactly what she said in her Net-a-Porter int erview.I did pretty well with my experiment, until Thursday. That was the night of our office party. My zeiteinteilung for this health and exercise-based experiment couldnt have been better.Back when she was working out for two hours a day, Paltrow said she only kept up the routine for six days a week. I knew I was going to throw my rules out the window at the office party, so I justified that by counting Thursday as my cheat day.I skipped my workouts. I stopped asking myself, What would Gwyneth do? I tried to mitigate things by choosing not to eat breakfast or lunch in anticipation of the party - which is definitely what youre not supposed to do at an office party.The results were pretty predictable. I ended up eating a lot of chocolate, drinking wine, and eating a whole plateful of cheese cubes at the party. It was great - but Ill admit I definitely overstepped on my cheat day.Despite my major office-party hiccup, I was mostly able to follow through on the routine for the entire week.The diet was pretty easy to handle. The exercise was difficult to keep up with. Overall, though, I was surprised to find there were some things I really appreciated about this experiment.Two hours of exercise a day is a lot. Its pretty unsustainable for someone with a nine-to-five and other life responsibilities.Regardless of whether youre in shape, thats a lot of time to carve out of your schedule.Plus, theres the issue of safety. If youre like me - enthusiastic but clueless - you could end up hurting yourself. In my case, my sore shoulder isnt a big deal and it feels fine now. But its still best to be careful.But the experiment certainly broke me out of some unhealthy tendencies, like my automatic trips to the bagel shop or tendency to chow down on sandwiches and pizza at lunch.The food portion of the experiment actually worked for me.I wouldnt say its something I could continue doing indefinitely, but it was pretty helpful if you treat it as a pseudo cleanse.All in all, I wouldnt say that Id recommend this diet or exercise routine to anyone.And I probably wont be asking myself, What would Gwyneth do? going forward.But I certainly appreciate that this process has helped me kick a bad habit or two.This article was originally published on Business Insider.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from nesthkchen Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong peopleI lived like Gwyneth Paltrow for a week and it broke some bad habitsI tried to live like Gwyneth Paltrow for a week, and it didnt quite work out the way Id planned.Paltrow famously leads an intense life. In terms of exercise, she used to do an hour of cardio and an hour of weights six days of the week. Her lifestyle brand Goop also hawks all sorts ofhardcore de toxes and cleanses.But all that doesnt really reflect Paltrows current reality. She recently toldNet-a-Porterthat she doesnt have the time or energy to tackle that grueling schedule anymore Im getting old, my back hurts Its depressing. Some days, the gym gives me this rush of energy and I feel amazing, but then my bodys like f- you.She also doesnt stick to any Goop cleanses for a long amount of time. She told Net-a-Porter she passes on breakfast and eats a low-carb lunch so my energy levels dont peak and valley through the day. Then, for dinner, she typically decides to loosen the reins.I decided to follow her diet as best I could, as well as take up her previous exercise routine. Here are the rules I was determined to follow for a weekSkip breakfast.Have a low-carb lunch.Put in an hour of cardio exercise.Go for an hour of weights-based exercise.Eat a dinner along the lines of her typical evening meal A glass of wine, maybe a baguette dripping in cheese, some fries.I didnt prepare at all for this. I just jumped into it, sparking concerns among the people I know. Youre going to die, several coworkers told me when I described my plan. Family members predicted I would seriously injure myself and expressed concerns about my shambling running style.All of this just bolstered my determination to rise to the occasion.The experiment itself left me somewhat surprised. On the one hand, some of Paltrows dietary habits were easier to tackle than I thought. On the other, I ended up pulling my shoulder.Heres a look at what happened when I tried to live like Gwyneth Paltrow for a weekBefore this Gwyneth Paltrow challenge, bagels were my go-to morning meal. Id often grab one - poppy seed with cream cheese or butter - before heading into the office.But, like some other celebrities, Paltrow skips breakfast altogether. So I had to kick the habit. Instead of stopping by the bagel shop, Id just hop on the train and head to work.Truth be told, this wasnt particularly challenging for me. Back in college, I rarely ate breakfast. It may or may not be the most important meal of the day, but Ive never had a problem skipping it.I managed to follow this aspect of Paltrows schedule for the entire week, and I think the week-long bagel cleanse worked. I havent had a bagel since. Health-wise, theyre far better as an occasional treat than a breakfast staple.I didnt have too much trouble with lunch either. Normally, Id grab a sandwich or a slice of pizza from some place near the office. For the experiment, I needed to spring for low-carb choices instead.I tried to get fancy and even looked up some of Paltrows salad recipes. There were some tempting options in her cookbooks. I figured Id try to make a few, to tide me over for the week.Heck, I even bought a jar of cornichons - which are adorable, tiny pickles, btw.But, to be honest, I ran out of time before I could snag all the ingredients necessary to throw together some of Paltrows recipes (what the heck is silken tof u, anyway, and where am I supposed to find it?).So I ended up improvising. My non-fancy salad was pretty good, though. Id pack it up in Tupperware and eat it at my desk every day around noon with a ginger ale.I enjoyed the salads, but I was bummed to have to decline a ton of delicious and tempting offerings throughout the week. My coworkers seemed to show up to work with chocolates, cookies, and other sweet treats every other day during my challenge.By the end of the week, I was getting a bit bored with salad, although I tried to spice things up by switching up the dressings.In fairness, I probably couldve gotten more experimental with my lunches - low carb can include a whole range of meals, of course.But I only have so much brain power to devote to planning out and cobbling together what Im going to eat ahead of time.Still, I didnt have much of a problem sticking to low-carb lunches for the entire experiment.Once I got home from work, Id hide in the basement, where no one could s ee me flailing around with a medicine ball and hand weights, looking like a reject from the worlds worst workout video.I was unsurprised to find out that weights arent my strong suit. I didnt really know what I was doing, so I just switched in between different moves for the hour. It was boring and hard. And Im sure my technique left much to be desired.Around Wednesday, my left shoulder began to really hurt. An hour of weights is probably too much if youre clueless about exercise - especially if youre making a leap from couch potato to workout fanatic, like I was. After Wednesday, I had to cut down on the weights a bit.Overall, Id say I truly disliked this aspect of the experiment. Id rather do cardio for an hour than do weights for an hour. At least you can read while walking on the treadmill. The weight exercises just felt repetitive and tedious after about 30 minutes.Before I started my experiment, I envisioned myself sprinting around outside, running through twilit parks and dr inking in the fresh winter air.Reality quickly shattered that cardio fantasy. Im usually home after sundown. Running outside in the cold darkness didnt sound like a good idea. Itd be really embarrassing to get hit by a car while doing an exercise experiment for work.So, while I did go on a few night runs, I mostly opted for working out on the treadmill.I quickly found that I dont have the stamina, pacing abilities, or patience to full-on run for a whole hour. Id switch between power walking, jogging, and running.As I walked, Id balance a book on the treadmill in front of me to stave off the boredom. I simply dont have the attention span for long workouts.The running was fine, but I feel like I couldve gotten more out of an intensive 30-minute jog than an hour spent switching between paces.Naturally, dinner was my favorite part of this whole experiment. Bread? Cheese? Wine? Whats not to love?There was another dinner option I didnt go for. Homemade fries are a favorite of Paltrows - she mentioned eating those for dinner in her Net-a-Porter interview.I swear, I was going to try to figure out how to make them, but it just didnt happen.Working out for two hours a day has a way of draining your interest in putting in any extra effort in other areas of your life.Plus, I had no complaints about the cheesy baguettes. They tasted a bit like a grilled cheese if you forgot to toast the bread. That description doesnt sound fantastic, but they were delicious.Typically, Id throw some gouda in a frying pan, melt it down, and drip it onto a baguette.One time, the chunk of cheese was too big and melted weird. I ended up getting a slightly burnt, crispy cheese sandwich and a kitchen full of smoke. Mostly, though, these dinners were easy to whip up.By the time the evening rolled around, I was usually quite hungry. It was kind of nice to have something decadent to look forward to at the end of the day. But Im sure Id get sick of this meal if I had to eat it for more than a week.I m also not a dietitian, but Im fairly certain salads and cheesy baguettes dont contain all the essential nutrients we need to stay healthy.Paltrow likely eats more well-balanced dinners than this - homemade fries and baguettes dripping with cheese were likely just her go-to examples, not her only two meal options - but I wanted to follow exactly what she said in her Net-a-Porter interview.I did pretty well with my experiment, until Thursday. That was the night of our office party. My timing for this health and exercise-based experiment couldnt have been better.Back when she was working out for two hours a day, Paltrow said she only kept up the routine for six days a week. I knew I was going to throw my rules out the window at the office party, so I justified that by counting Thursday as my cheat day.I skipped my workouts. I stopped asking myself, What would Gwyneth do? I tried to mitigate things by choosing not to eat breakfast or lunch in anticipation of the party - which is def initely what youre not supposed to do at an office party.The results were pretty predictable. I ended up eating a lot of chocolate, drinking wine, and eating a whole plateful of cheese cubes at the party. It was great - but Ill admit I definitely overstepped on my cheat day.Despite my major office-party hiccup, I was mostly able to follow through on the routine for the entire week.The diet was pretty easy to handle. The exercise was difficult to keep up with. Overall, though, I was surprised to find there were some things I really appreciated about this experiment.Two hours of exercise a day is a lot. Its pretty unsustainable for someone with a nine-to-five and other life responsibilities.Regardless of whether youre in shape, thats a lot of time to carve out of your schedule.Plus, theres the issue of safety. If youre like me - enthusiastic but clueless - you could end up hurting yourself. In my case, my sore shoulder isnt a big deal and it feels fine now. But its still best to be careful.But the experiment certainly broke me out of some unhealthy tendencies, like my automatic trips to the bagel shop or tendency to chow down on sandwiches and pizza at lunch.The food portion of the experiment actually worked for me.I wouldnt say its something I could continue doing indefinitely, but it was pretty helpful if you treat it as a pseudo cleanse.All in all, I wouldnt say that Id recommend this diet or exercise routine to anyone.And I probably wont be asking myself, What would Gwyneth do? going forward.But I certainly appreciate that this process has helped me kick a bad habit or two.This article was originally published on Business Insider.