8 Tips For A Peaceful Return To Work After Maternity Leave

8 Tips For A Peaceful Return To Work After Maternity Leave The night before returning to work after maternity leave, I did what many new mothers doI cried.Then I cried again the next morning as my husband pushed the stroller out the front door to drop our son off at daycare. An hour later, only slightly mora composed, I walked into my office building with a large pumping bag slung over my shoulder.Although my desk looked the same as the day I left it months earlier, so much had changed since then. I was returning to an old position with a new body, new outlook, and a new routine that revolved around feeding my son in three-hour intervals.The previous four months had already been marked by a series of transitions like healing from birth, learning to breastfeed, and accomplishing daily tasks with one hand while holding a baby in my arm.Returning to work was simply another transition to navigate, signifying the end of the fourth trimester and the beginning of a new routine for the entir e family.Although Id known the moment was coming for months, it didnt make the process easier emotionally. The first week was a predictable mix of tears, frustration, and sadness while I eased back into projects, developed a new pumping schedule, and missed my son wholeheartedly while trying to stay focused during meetings. But I planned ahead, and was committed to incorporating self-care practices into my day.If youre on the brink of your own return to work, make an effort to address both your external environment and internal spirit, and youll discover myriad ways to encourage a more peaceful transition.1. Refresh your desk.You sit here for long stretches of time, so make your desk inviting. A soft lamp can temper overhead fluorescent lighting, potted succulents provide a bit of beauty, and a framed photo of your baby will help the space feel cozy.2. Utilize aromatherapy.Soothing aromatherapy scents like jasmine, lavender, and vanilla encourage peace and relaxation, even during a busy workday. Add a few drops to your hand, rub your palms together, and take a few deep breaths anytime you need a quiet moment.3. Eat healthy snacks.Hunger pains can be stronger when youre nursing, so keep yourself well-fed at the office. Bring healthy snacks like yogurt and hummus to keep in the refrigerator, and dried nuts and fruit for your desk drawer.4. Recharge while you pump.Pumping in an office is never ideal, but a fresh mindset can make the experience something you look forward to. Bring your laptop to catch up on personal email, read a magazine, or even spend time looking at photos or videos of your baby.5. Stretch each time you visit the bathroom.Dont bring your yoga mat into the ladies room, but do go into the handicap stall and take a gentle twist, reach your arms over your head, or hang forward like a rag doll to stretch your neck. It will give tired shoulder muscles a break.6. Spend quality time with colleagues.Going to coffee or lunch with some of your close colle agues is an easy way to reconnect after a long absence and embrace your social side. Scheduling a few outings in advance also breaks up the workday and gives you something positive to anticipate on your calendar.7. Feel good in your clothes.Its time to leave your maternity sweats at home. Treat yourself to a few new pieces that will make you feel excited to get dressed in the morning. The confidence boost will go a long way to enhance your day8. Be kind to yourself.Be gentle with yourself as you return to the rhythms of your former life. Utilize grocery delivery services to keep after-work errands to a minimum, or speak with your anfhrer about easing back in with smaller assignments. Always remember that youre doing the best you can for yourself, your baby, and your workplace, and by keeping your mental health a priority, youll be better equipped to maneuver the inevitable challenges that may arise over the next few months.Check out our maternity leave checklist for more help.This p iece was written by Nicole Gulotta, a writer for Motherly. Her original article on Mother.ly can be found here.Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women.Join us by reviewing your employer

Why Absolutely Everybody Is Talking About Groupon Resume Writing

Why Absolutely Everybody Is Talking About Groupon Resume Writing The Groupon Resume Writing Game If you arent ready to downsize your living quarters, then take a look at your other expenses. Theres always the prospect of a Groupon, so sign up to receive your offers so that you can snatch one up if it will become available. If you dont have the best prices on your website, revenues wont flow in. The Tried and True Method for Groupon Resume Writing in Step by Step Detail Theres a possibility that the item can catch quickly on the signups or begin rolling in. Normal use of superior couponing strategy will offer a steady stream of new clients and higher quality schlussverkauf leads. A minimal marketable product is that which addresses the requirements of the consumers and youre all set to sell. Initially, you must make sure what your target customer is exactly on the lookout for. Keep looking until you find one which brings the outcomes you were aiming for. Youve got to ment ion your abilities and expertise on such basis of that youll be selected by the employers. Besides merely focusing on long-term profitability, companies need to have a wholesome concern for the surroundings and take note of the prevalent dilemma of climate change. To summarize, there are numerous methods by which companies can go green. In case you havent built a fantastic referral base by then, it might be time for you to call in the experts. If you are searching for work in finance or would like to submit an application for job which directly verstndigung im strafverfahrens with money. Youve got to compose several academic papers over the duration of a year. Gossip, Deception and Groupon Resume Writing Vast majority of the Microbiology jobs USA are available in hospitals. Microbiology jobs in USA make the important part of all jobs around the world. Why Almost Everything Youve Learned About Groupon Resume Writing Is Wrong Resume Writer Groupon Resume writing isnt a bit of cake. If youre thinking that you require a person to compose my essay at the moment, you can just rely on our honest reviews. Its extremely important to read carefully essay services reviews, because you wish to prevent low excellent services. The Dirty Facts on Groupon Resume Writing Strong Customer Retention and Account Penetration Getting a huge customer is fantastic and you show how you could drive increased year-over year sales by expanding the providers presence into other regions of the account. Besides Groupon, there are also several other competitors like Living Social and Gilt City. Your customer is just interested in what you can do for her or him. He will only buy the benefits-of-use of your product or service. The Chronicles of Groupon Resume Writing Consequently, food businesses that aim to tap on a bigger market can decide to do organic catering, helping it to increase sales revenue together with reduce carbon footprint. If you dont possess the best pri ces, you wont be the top selection for your consumers. The mass majority of organizations acquired by Groupon have had venture backing at the saatkorn point or another. Even better if youre able to add what the normal retention rate is for others in the business. The Secret to Groupon Resume Writing The review is going to teach you all you want to understand and then you are able to place your purchase confidently. The ideal place to grab a great product deal is online. If you wish to locate a deal, a frequent place to go is Groupon. Theres one deal every day and each deal lasts just one day. What You Should Do About Groupon Resume Writing Beginning in the Next Six Minutes Our reviews contain information like the score of the clients, our rating, starting prices, Discounts, and grade of the papers. In case you have tips or links to help, please dont hesitate to place them in the comments section.

Buffer Remote Team Meetups

Buffer Remote Team Meetups Below is an article originally written by Stephanie Lee at PowerToFly Partner Buffer, and published on January 7, 2019. Go to Buffers page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn mora.Experimentation and iteration lie at the heart of a lot of things we do at Buffer. If youve been following the Open Blog for some time, or even if youve just popped by (hey there), you might notice that we reflect on remote work a lot.Our remote setup enables ur distributed kollektiv to work wherever theyre happiest and that freedom is a much-valued perk that Buffer kollektivmates enjoy. Our employees feel trusted to be in control of their job, and for us, we enjoy less overhead and the benefit of hiring without the confines of geography.Were always looking for new ways to improve the remote work experience for our distributed kollektiv and remote gruppe meetups, which we call On-Sites, are proving to be invaluable supplements to our remote setup. It probably sound s a tad ironic at this point to rely on On-Sites when we believe so strongly in remote work but hear me out.Why host remote team meetups if youre fully remote?While we wouldnt trade the value of being a distributed team, its hard to deny the value of face time for team morale and serendipitous connections. Nine annual retreats (and the thousands of hugs exchanged) have shown us exactly how precious our time spent together is, and prompted the idea for smaller remote team meetups.While the People team continually experiments with ways to cultivate that sense of serendipity across timezones, theres no replacing the warmth of a real hug or the joy you get from watching a smile spread across someones face and light up their eyes without the filter of a camera lens. Real human interaction with those that we spend our days collaborating and creating with is key to our remote team meetups.As the team grows in size, annual retreats are increasingly focused on team culture and company-leve l strategy in fact, one of our key retreat objectives is to maximize team bonding opportunities throughout retreat week. This leaves little time for heads-down collaboration within the team.Furthermore, although our remote team is fully-equipped to work together across time and space throughout the year on both day-to-day tasks and high-level strategic planning, the sense of isolation that comes from waiting a whole year to meet your team face-to-face can make things more challenging than they have to be.Its not that we cant have behauptung high-level, strategic discussions remotely. Rather, its the invigorating effect that the dedicated team meetups have that excites us and inspires us to carve out a space for the saatkorn collaboration in our day-to-day.To gain that interpersonal connection that drives our every day work, On-Sites are our solution. Our customer advocacy team at an on-site in Miami (2018).What are On-Sites?We introduced these in-perso n, work-focused team meetups in 2017 to supplement the annual retreat and havent looked back. With the annual retreat happening in Q2 and On-Sites mostly planned for Q3 or Q4, weve found that theres enough face time to maintain that sense of connection between coworkers over the year.On-sites carve out the space to be intentional about high-level matters each team/area wants to tackle. Its often easy to get carried away with the day-to-day theres always one more email to reply to, one more expense report to clear, one more pull request to review On-Sites give us that blocked off time to be fully present to each other. They give us the opportunity to work on foundational things that align us as a team and things that help make the day-to-day a anflug smoother and more cogent.How we design On-SitesIn my previous professional life as a teacher, I often designed lessons with the end in mind. What is the outcome Id like to achieve here? This approach informs much of how we design On-Sit es at Buffer. We begin with the intended outcomes of the remote team meetups and figure out the rest from there.Outcomes such as whos attending and what the purpose of the On-Site is help crystallize further details such as where the On-Site is held and how long it will be. While we did not prescribe a fixed number of days for the On-Sites this year, many teams decided on 3 full work days bookended by 2 travel days. High-level vision and strategy discussions can be energizing and draining all at once and it feels like 3 days was just right for most teams to power through all the topics while managing their energies and getting some team bonding time in. This duration also preserves weekends for family time before and after this week-long business tripOnce we had the broad details locked down, the rest of the details fell into place. We reviewed our learnings from mini-retreats in 2017 and introduced a few new guidelines to make planning a little smoother all aroundFor meal expenses, we defaulted to putting large charges on company credit cards and working out a per diem for each On-Site. The amount varied depending on which city the team was headed to as well as further details like whether breakfast was included in our lodging arrangements.Given the intensity of a 3-day hackweek of sorts, we also strongly encouraged teams to search for lodging options that afforded everyone their own personal space at the end of the day. Although recommending a private bedroom and bathroom for each person limited options a fair bit, this guideline has generally been well-received Breathing room at the end of a wild workday is always welcome.All remote team meetups had a main planner who collaborated with a People team member (thats me) to make the event happen. The On-Site owner and I either co-planned the meetup or they planned the entire event on their own while I remained available to consult about key decisions along the way.We kept these remote team meetup discussions se parate from the day-to-day by creating temporary Slack channels for each event. This made koranvers that On-Site specific decisions were attended to in their own space without disrupting the day-to-day discussion in teams (and vice versa).As with annual retreats, we made in-person attendance optional this year. Teammates may find travel challenging for a variety of reasons and some of these challenges could be overcome by taking the On-Site directly to those teammates (e.g. the Mobile team headed to Missouri to be closer to Jordan who had just come back from family leave, and the People/Finance team met in Portland where Nicole lives). When that was not an option, we experimented with variations of virtual and in-person meetings.Heres what our On-Sites looked like in 2018This year we tried every possible permutation of team meetups100% in-person (e.g. Data, People/Finance, Mobile, Analyze, Publish)Partially virtual, partially in-person (e.g. Advocacy, Marketing, Product, Core)100% v irtual (e.g. Executives)Each of these had its merits and challenges, and were learning as we go along. Here are some quick reflections on how each of these types of remote team meetups went100% in-personAlthough these were tricky with some teammates flying a full day to be present at the On-Sites, meetups with full in-person attendance had arguably the smoothest experience once everyone had arrived and settled in. Groups either worked from a coworking space near the hotel, or in the case of the People/Finance team, worked out of the living room of a serviced apartment. Having everyone located in the same physical space made it easy to adapt the agenda as the days shaped up. Starting and ending the work day together also helped everyone feel fully involved in major decisions that were made or touched on.On the other hand, expecting teammates to take a full week out of their lives to travel to (sometimes) faraway destinations for a 3-day meeting can be a tall order. It was especially challenging for folks who had to skip several timezones in order to do that long-distance travel can be physically demanding and some teammates only fully acclimatized to the timezone changes towards the end of the week.This also may not be the most inclusive option for teammates who face more challenges around business travel or travel in general. This is something we are continually reflecting on.100% virtualFully virtual On-Sites, like the Executives hyper-focused 2-day series of Zoom calls, also went rather well with everyone located in the same virtual space. Much like the first option, having a clear start and end to the work discussions was helpful, and having everyone located in the same space, albeit virtual, made it easier to adjust to updates to the agenda.A key learning we had from the very first People/Finance On-Site back in 2017 was the importance of determining what a workday might look like for virtual meetups like this. When you have people calling in from differe nt timezones, the reasonable overlap can be quite small, and the agenda needs to be adjusted accordingly. For instance, as an APAC team member, it was quite difficult for me to attend the first 2017 People/Finance On-Site virtually as we have a 13- to 15-hour timezone difference across our team. The solution then was to fly me to a closer timezone to make the remote team meetup possible and it worked really wellOne thing that we could do a better job in for fully virtual meetups, though, is being mindful of the need for breaks. When everyone is located in the same physical space, its easy to spot signs of fatigue on a teammates face and its also relatively straightforward to slip out of a meeting for a quick break. When you have a webcam focused on your face all-day, though, it can feel a little more difficult to slip out for a quick breather.Partially virtual, mostly in-personWe worked with the partial model in a bid to accommodate each teammates needs around time away from home an d its really the only possible model for teams with folks who are quite unable to travel. Just as companies with a partially remote workforce face challenges that fully remote teams escape, we found that this model had greater demands than the first two and called for a more deliberate and mindful approach.For starters, being mindful of designating work hours that take multiple timezones into consideration is especially key to be considerate for teammates calling in from different regions. Teams that went with this model also had to navigate the tricky experience of spontaneous after-hour conversations that happen when the team is kicking back and relaxing. These tend to happen serendipitously and can be super fun However, virtual teammates miss out on this vital benefit of the meetup. Ensuring that the virtual attendees feel involved in the whole On-Site experience is important.Looking back, it felt like we were most-equipped to collaborate at maximum efficiency when the On-Site wa s fully virtual over video calls or when everyone was physically present in the same space for that week. Managing a partial in-person team experience, on the other hand, is something thats still quite new to us and we see much room for improvement there. It would be fantastic to learn from other companies who have grappled with meetups of this nature too. Buffer teammates working together in person (one of the few times each year were together IRL)In true Buffer fashion, its time to iterateLooking ahead to 2019, here are some nascent reflections the People team has about the future of On-Sites1. How we can be more strategic with On-Site planning?This year, most of the planning was undertaken by teammates or area leads who had to make things happen in addition to their day-to-day responsibilities. Thats a lot of heavy lifting We also found that working independently to plan these On-Sites led to some missed opportunities to streamline travel for some f olks. (Our CTO, Dan, attended a grand total of three On-Sites this year Thanks for your dedication, Dan)Next year, we intend to shift most of the logistics and planning responsibilities to the People team so each area lead can focus on setting the agenda and high-level objectives together for their teams meetup. With a birds-eye view of all the On-Sites that need to happen in 2019, the People team is toying with different ideas such asHaving an On-Site month/season where all the remote team meetups happen around the same time and the day-to-day isnt disruptedConversely, spacing out the On-Sites to alleviate the travel demands on those teammates that need to travel to two or more remote team meetups seems like a viable option as well.2. What are our expectations around travel to remote team meetups?This reflection mostly centers around questions of whether attendance is truly optional for all folks on the team. Is it, say, really an option for a teammate in a faraway timezone to atte nd one virtually? And does the immense value of having team leads present in person make virtual attendance a non-option for them? How optional are we willing to make On-Sites next year? Were still ruminating on these questions and its hard to say for sure what well decide3. How can we be more mindful of the experience for teammates who cannot physically be present at On-Sites?Regardless of where we land on the previous question, it remains a reality in our diverse team that some teammates will not be able to attend On-Sites. I see it as one of our key responsibilities on the People team to never stop thinking of ways we can increase the quality of the experience for virtual attendees of On-Sites. Whether its introducing guidelines around asynchronous communication during that week, or providing equipment to encourage a more consistent or robust experience for virtual participants. Theres plenty more we can doWith so much to chew on, were incredibly excited to start crafting the On- Site experience for the Buffer team next year. As always, candid feedback from the team on what went well and what needs improvement has been immensely valuable and were grateful to folks for taking the time to share their thoughts.

The Use of Napalm as a Weapon in Combat

The Use of Napalm as a Weapon in CombatThe Use of Napalm as a Weapon in CombatA flammable liquid used in warfare, napalm has been used by the United States military since World War II. The U.S. welches the first country to use napalm in warfare and is one of the few to still use it against enemy targets. Napalm gets its name from two of the main chemicals in its composition naphthenic acid and palmitic acid. It sticks to skin and results in catastrophic burns for its victims, especially when it catches fire. The use of napalm against civilian targets was outlawed by the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in 1980, but the U.S. continues to use it as a weapon against military targets History and Background Harvard University chemist Louis Fieser developed napalm in 1942. It was first used by the U.S. against Japan during World War II to burn buildings and as an anti-personnel weapon (meaning it was used on people). The U.S. continued to use napalm during the Korean and Vietnam wars, to devastating effect. The famous Vietnam War photo Napalm Girl shows a group of screaming children running away from a napalm attack where many of them suffered serious burns.Although made differently than in the past, napalm is still used by the U.S. military in combat operations. New Composition Introduced Modern napalm is known as Napalm B. It is distinctly different than the napalm used inVietnam and World War II. Napalm B is made of different chemicals than the napalm of the past. However, despite its different characteristics, Napalm B is often referred to by military personnel simply as napalm. Napalm B is usually comprised of plastic polystyrene and hydrocarbon benzene. These compounds combine to form jellied gasoline, which is extremely flammable and hot when ignited. Napalm B is much easier to control and manage when ignited than previous forms of napalm, which was so flammable that it often caught on fire when soldiers smoked cigarettes near it. Napalm B is sometimes called Super Napalm as it burns much longer than older versions of the agent. It can burn for as long as 10 minutes, whereas older versions of napalm often burned for less than 30 seconds. Napalm as an Incendiary Weapon Napalm B is known as an incendiary weapon as it can cause fire, explosions, and severe burns. It can also lead to asphyxiation in people who are close to the detonation point, as well as winds that have reached 70 miles per hour. Napalm is unique in that it often sticks to the skin of people and is hard to remove even when it is burning. Napalm B is typically used to destroy enemy positions such as bunkers, foxholes, trenches, and shelters. One discharge of Napalm B from a low-level military plane can destroy an area of 2,500 square yards. And despite the prohibition of its use against civilians, international law does not prevent the use of napalm against military targets.

When You Can Take a Vacation at a New Job - The Muse

When You Can Take a Vacation at a New Job - The MuseWhen You Can Take a Vacation at a New Job We all have crazy thoughts when starting a new job Do I have to tell my boss when I go to the bathroom? Will people think my leftovers are too weird of a lunch? Should I wave when people walk by my desk? No, better to just smile. Never mind, smilings creepy, just stare at your computer and dont make eye contact.But some of those questions about new job etiquette are actually valid- things like how to act around the office, what to wear, and when its respectable to take breaks. After all, they can mean the difference between having an awesome reputation and a horrible one.One of the biggest questions I had when I first started was when I could take a vacation. Sure, The Muse has an unlimited vacation policy, and my boss never mentioned I needed to wait six months- but I also know that its common courtesy when it comes to being the newbie. To get a few mora guidelines, I reached out to HR expe rt and Muse career coach Arik Orbach.His response?The general rule of thumb is likely to wait around three to six months. However, it strongly depends on the organization and their culture.He went on to explain that many companies clearly dictate what their vacation policy is. Some have you accrue more and more time-off the longer youre there. Others may have a probationary period for when youre being trained and must be in the office.But the reason he suggests that three-to-six-month timeframe is because at the end of the day, it just doesnt look good to ship off before then. Not to mention, youre more likely to miss key onboarding information.That said, a lot of this depends on your performance from the get-go. If youre not picking things up quickly or still being heavily monitored by your boss, its probably not the best time to ask. But, as Orbach states, An employee who can hit on all tasks and deadlines and is demonstrating great progress is more apt to being granted time off b ecause they trust you to get the job done no matter what, and they want to keep you happy.Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. For example, if youre getting married three weeks into your new role, your boss is probably not going to decline your request. However, Orbach suggests, its better to get these kinds of things squared away before you accept the job offer This could also apply to any planned vacations where trips have been prepaid already. Of course, you dont always have the luxury of knowing ahead of time if something serious comes up that you need to take time off for. If you have a parent become suddenly ill, for example, your manager would likely be understanding, versus lets say, an impromptu vacation to the Caribbean.So youve read all this and think youre qualified for some RR- how do you make the ask?First, says Orbach, you have to think about the impact your absence will have. Youre not going to make friends with your colleagues if they have to pick up your slack after barely knowing you. So, its best to build a good rapport with your team first before putting in the request.Then, figure out if you can meet all your deadlines before your vacation. If you come to your boss prepared with a timeline for how youll get everything done, theyre more likely to say yes.Finally, consider what youll miss while youre gone. Is this a busy time for your organization? Are there any big meetings happening? If your vacation comes at a tough time for business (and thus leaves your boss and team with a lot of work to do without you), it may be worth putting it off until the slower season. The last thing Ill say is that every new employee needs to put in their time. I fully believe in self-care and taking time off for yourself- so if youre starting to burn out, by all means take a personal day if you can. But itll make you look so much better and gain you so much more respect if you show up every day and kick some butt for a few months straight. I di dnt end up taking a long vacation until I was a year into my role. While I probably couldve left sooner, the trip was that much more rewarding because Id truly earned it (and bonus, because Id built my boss trust, she insisted I completely unplug.)So, long story short, use all your vacation days- its good for your career in the long run- just maybe wait a few months before you start. Trust us, itll be worth it.

4 Things You Need to Go from Marketing Director to Marketing Executive

4 Things You Need to Go from Marketing Director to Marketing Executive4 Things You Need to Go from Marketing Director to Marketing ExecutiveIf youre a Director of Marketing (or in a similar mid-level absatzwirtschaft role) the chances are that youre looking for a way to take the next step in your career and move up to a absatzwirtschaft leadership positionsuch as Vice President of Marketing or Chief Marketing Officer.While hard work and experience will go a long way toward helping you advance in your career, and are necessary ingredients, youll likely have to build upon your current skill set and expand your professional network before youll be considered a absatzwirtschaft executive position.I recently spoke with two of my venture capitalist connections that are well-versed in building marketing teams, and are often asked to help hire the right marketing executive to lead their portfolio companies. Id like to highlight four key traits that any marketing executive needs. While this i snt an exhaustive list of what you need, these are amongst the most important attributes.1. Hone Your Quantitative SkillsToday, every marketing executive needs to be comfortable dealing with marketing metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs). In a conversation with Greg Goldfarb, Managing Director at Summit Partners, Goldfarb told me that he always scans a resume to look at the ratio of numbers to text to get an initial sense of how comfortable a candidate is reporting on marketing metrics. A few metrics he looks for are things like the campaign conversion rates, conversion to lead rate, growth in number of marketing qualified leads, etc. Since, as Amanda Augustine pointed out in her recent post, the average recruiter only spends six seconds reviewing your resume, its important to convey this right up front.Phil Dur, Managing Director at Investor Growth Capital says he wants to see executive-level marketing candidates be able to say, I grew marketing-qualified leads from 2,000 per year to 7,000 per year and reduced the cost per lead from $60 to $35. So in order to be considered for the position, you need to be in tune with these KPIs and have the acumen to report them in a meaningful way.2. Expand Industry ConnectionsOf course, anotlageher critical attribute of a quality marketing executive is that theyre well-connected in their industry. This goes beyond simply being well-connected with individuals in your industry. To be truly valuable as a marketing executive, you need analyst and press connections as well. This means that while youre still at the Director of Marketing level you should be actively seeking to make connections with industry influencers and analyst firms.In my industry, enterprise software, this would mean developing relationships with analysts at firms like Gartner and Forrester and tech publications such as TechCrunch. Look at your industry and decide which are the most important analyst and press publications to seek out. As youre expa nding your network, however, its important to be intentional about who youre connecting with. You should act in your self-interest when networking and ask yourself how building a relationship with that person will further your marketing career. If you cant quickly come up with an answer to that, they might not be the best connection.3. Learn Modern Marketing TechnologiesIn addition to expanding your network, its important to grow your familiarity with the technologies that run modern marketing campaigns and departments. At the director level, youre likely well-acquainted with customer relationship management (CRM) software and some marketing analytics programs such as Google Analytics, Google AdWords as well as email marketing programs.At the executive level, its important to understand these technologies and then some. At the moment, one particularly important technology to familiarize yourself with is marketing automation. Why? As Phil Dur says, experience with marketing automatio n systems signals that a marketer is used to tying marketing investment to a discrete return, which is important for any marketing executive. If youre not familiar with marketing automation, a great place to take courses and become certified in the needed skills is the Marketing Automation Institutewhich holds marketing events and offers tutorials.4. Obtain C-Suite ReferenceTo round out your skills and expanded network, its important to have C-level approval of your work. As a marketing executive, youll like report directly to the CEO so its necessary to have CEOs from your prior companies vouch for your work and your ability to deliver results. Goldfarb says that he wants to hear from CEOs and VPs of Marketing that the candidate has a track record of driving top-line growth or adding business value. unterstellung references are important because these individuals are the best able to judge the candidates contribute to incremental revenue and overall health of the business.Have you made the jump from mid-level marketing employee to marketing executive? Share your tips for success in the comments section below.

The 10 Commandments for Working Motherhood

The 10 Commandments for Working MotherhoodThe 10 Commandments for Working MotherhoodMotherhood is hard enough before you throw in work. Once youre juggling a job, parenting, daycare,self-care and adult relationships, you start praying for guidance about how to handle working motherhood. Until Moses returns with a couple of stone tablets addressing motherhood, heres my take on the 10 commandments for working motherhood. Thou shalt trust thy gut You know your family best and you also know your employer. Trust your instincts when you feel your kids are acting out because they need your attention. Give them the extra time and nurturing, even if it means you miss a few minutes of work. Motherhood is your fruchtwein important job, and not one to be taken lightly. Similarly, you know in your gut when youre not fulfilling your work responsibilities. Be sure to do your best on the most important projects. If you do need to take time with a sick child or leave early for a school event, tel l your supervisor and colleagues when youll make up the work. When you know your personal and professional values and priorities it makes believing in your instincts easier. Thou shalt not worship money or career success Motherhood fulfills many parts of our souls. But having a job that youre really good at can give you quite a rush too. Its important to keep that feeling in perspective, and only pursue the career that you truly want. Dont thoughtlessly put in for the big promotion or raise. Think through what it would mean for your work-life balance and your children. Would the new duties stretch your skills in a direction you want to go? Or would it merely be a step up the career ladder without any additional satisfaction or challenge? Make sure you are the one defining what success means to you. Its okay if thats simply enjoyable work with flexible hours and no fancy title. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors schedule If your friend or neighbor has flexible hours or a fami ly-friendly schedule, its easy to get bitter and jealous. Remember that most flexible work arrangements have a trade off, whether its telecommuting or setting up a job share. Rather than assuming your neighbor is lucky, ask her questions about how she established the arrangement and what she likes or dislikes about it. If it totenstill looks good, propose a similar schedule to your supervisor Thou shalt take rests Motherhood teaches us when to say yes or no to our children and set limits. Make sure you use these skills in the office too. Set clear boundaries around work and limit your face time. Better yet, refuse to be pressured into serving face time and leave when your days work is completed both physically and mentally. Thou shalt not feel guilty Once you take ownership of your choice to work, refuse tofeel guiltyabout working. There are plenty of people who want to undermine you as a working mom please ignore those comments thattrigger working moms guilt. Guilt is an e motion that you feel when youve done something wrong. Theres nothing wrong with contributing to the financial support, the stability of your family, and the college fund. This page continues the 10 commandments for combining motherhood and work. Dont miss the first 5 commandments for successful working motherhood Thou shalt not judge others Human beings are often looking over at the next person judging their actions and results. Resist this impulse, please. Or if you must judge, keep it to yourself. Life is long, and you never know when youll be forced to eat your words. Whenever you start to say, I could never ... bite your tongue. Many a diehard working mom has surprised herself by quitting her job once the kids hit grade school or the backfisch years. Thou shalt enjoy family time When you do have time with your family, enjoy it You can have fun doingdaily chores with your childrenif you have a playful attitude. Or it can be as simple as a quick game of cards after dinner and before homework. Dont simply rush your children from waking to breakfast to school and home again to dinner, bath and bed. Cherish the time together, even in everyday activities. Thou shalt nurture adult relationships If mama aint happy, aint nobody happy. So make sure to spend time on your marriage, close family members and friends. Those adult relationships will sustain you when youre stressed or in crisis. Dont forget the most important relationship with yourself. Take time each week (or each day) on activities that nourish your soul. Thou shalt enjoy thy work We all work for different reasons. Whether its for the money, helping others or job satisfaction, identify the reasons that you work and own that choice. Then, take pleasure in the parts of your job that you enjoy, to reinforce the positive aspect of being a working mom. Even if its simply the paycheck hitting your bank account each week Thou shalt prioritize ruthlessly When you became a new working mom, s uddenly you have little time for the lingering water-cooler chats with co-workers. Each morning, write down the top three things you must accomplish that day. Tackle them first, because you never know when a call to pick up a sick child might quash the rest of the days work. Edited by Elizabeth McGrory.