Life
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7 Secrets to a Great Conversation…
Interesting article sharing some points to produce a great conversation, not the easy convos, but the more difficult ones that, “must work to resolve differences, explore hard issues, and be aimed toward a positive outcome”. This article offers some tips on preventing conversations from turning into mine-filled battlefields or devolving into accusatory critique, negating the whole intention and purpose of conversation in the first place. The conversations that matter, the ones we want to center on, are a substantive and intentional form of engagement. They typically have three things in common. First, there is difference. For many of our hardest conversations to make change, there needs to be difference in…
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How to Get Into Cybersecurity with No Experience [Video]
I came across a great YouTube video titled, “How to Get Into Cybersecurity with No Experience” by Gerald “Gerry” Auger (Twitter, LinkedIn) of Simply Cyber. With Cybersecurity being in the headlines more and more, especially as companies and individuals grapple with the new Covid-economy, the demand for well-trained information security professionals continues to grow, exponentially. It is consistently listed in career/job outlook forecasts as one of the top sectors to watch in the coming years. So it comes as no surprise that the interest in this sector is growing and many are looking for ways to break into the field. Cybersecurity is especially interesting in that there seems to be…
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5 Strategies for Reinventing Your Career in Uncertain Times…
This article from The Harvard Business Review is a great, quick read for these trepidatious times. It falls right in-line with the current trend of workers “digital-upskilling” and pivoting industries to take advantage of the on-going economic transformation. “Human beings are wired to avoid uncertainty — but no matter how hard you try, there’s no escaping it. Instead, it’s best to view uncertainty as an opportunity for growth, whether that means exploring new skills, a new job, or an entirely new career.” via Harvard Business Review Five Strategies for Reinventing Your Career in Uncertain Times:1. Explore a range of options — including the unthinkable.2. Imagine your best possible future.3. Build…
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You’re Not Going to Believe What I’m About to Tell You…
This comic pretty much sums up living in America in 2020… (ps…#Listen #Gather #Analyze #ThinkForYourself) “YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE WHAT I’M ABOUT TO TELL YOU…” via The Oatmeal
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Covid-19 “Dramatically accelerated” e-Commerce Up to 5+ Years: Kohl’s CEO…
It has been very interesting to see the dramatic effect that the Coronavirus and the ensuing March lockdown has had on the economic sector. This was initially observed when the lockdown first happened and funnel-forced us as a society to use e-commerce in droves. I have been thinking about this phenomenon where the natural progression that would have organically occurred over the next 5-10 years, has now been forcefully squeezed into the past 7-8 months. The natural progression predicted that the change would have happened as the younger generations (Millennials, Gen Z), who grew up with and naturally embrace digital technology as a part of their everyday lives, continue to…
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6 skills employees will need in the post-pandemic workplace…
The pandemic has dramatically altered how we work and these skills will help workers stand out and flourish in the post-pandemic workplace environment. This article from Fast Company recommends the following 6 skills for helping employees flourish in the future: Self-Direction Digital Capabilities Empathy Communication Management Adaptability Motivational Skills It will be soft skills like these that will distinguish workers from the pact and allow them to better navigate the emerging economic environment. You can also say that these are good general skills of an effective leader. Source: 6 Skills Employees Will Need In the Post-Pandemic Workplace [Fast Company]
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The Covid-19 Crisis Highlights the Need for “Digital Upskilling”…
The current pandemic has highlighted the need for digital tech skills as remote working from home and virtual learning continue to move to the forefront and become more mainstream. Every job is becoming a tech job in some way, in that moving forward, we will all need to know tech skills at some level. With the rapid change in tech advances the need to stay ahead of the curve and keep learning new skills becomes even more critical. It goes without saying that tech specific jobs obviously require a deep intimate knowledge of the machinery, but as concerns grow over cyber security, even the knowledge of basic security awareness by…
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It’s a Generational Thing…
I have long been fascinated by generations and how they are defined. Ever since I was young. What exactly is a ‘generation’?,Who declares them?, and how are they defined?, I constantly wondered. What made one generation different from another? Turns out, we do. Sorta. Us, along with natural and societal events. Wikipedia describes a generation as, “all of the people born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively.” Ok. I’ll go with that. Wikipedia goes on to say: Generation is also often used synonymously with cohort in social science; under this formulation it means “people within a delineated population who experience the same significant events within a given period of time”.[1] Generations in this sense of birth cohort, also…
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My List of Candidates for “2020 Word of the Year”…
2020 started out with the the hope, optimism excitement of a newfound decade of reimagined “Roaring ’20’s” ahead of us, as champagne glasses clinked ringing in the new year last January 1st. Then things changed. We’ve adjusted our lives in previously unexpected ways and we learned a bevy of new vocabulary. Every year has it’s top entries for “Word of the Year” but 2020 brought us a rapid array of terms that quickly sprouted up and found roots in the news and media of all types. My tops candidates for “2020 Word of the Year” are: Coronavirus/Covid-19/Pandemic–Obviously. New Normal Pivot Digital Upskilling Election/Vote
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Learning To Program Is Hard…
Learning to program is hard. Learning to program on your own is REALLY hard. In my journey, I’ve come across many different courses, books, videos and other seemingly endless ways of learning. Some more confusing than others. But by way of self-studying, while frustrating, I’ve also gained the confidence of accomplishment from learning on my own and knowing how to get the information I need. There are time’s I want to quit. Many times. Sometimes, just having the right learning materials and methods of instruction can make ALL the difference. I firmly believe this. Similar to what separates a good trainer from and bad trainer, or a good teacher from…
