Work and Your Health

You’re viewing an archived post. This post was originally published by The Change Laboratory, which is now part of No Vacation Required — our platform for Everyday Fulfillment. While this content is archived, it’s still full of solid advice and timeless insights.

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I worked 6 months as a Software Development Engineer Intern at XXX, and then I got converted to a full time employee and worked as Software Development Engineer for a year.

But during the year I got stressed and my health declined too. Mainly because I wasn't able to live up to the expectation of my manager and team members. I was constantly stressed. I don't know how or what happened. I started being aloof from people and that loneliness further added to my problems and I fell into depression. I took 2 months of leave. When I returned I was being monitored quite strictly because of my performance before, and this I couldn't handle well. I got severely frustrated and quit my job. A really really good job, with a really good pay scale and great opportunities for growth.

I need advice about how to take next steps as I am very down in confidence and all I feel that I may not get that good level of job again.

Last week, I received a lot of e-mails about my post on Workism – elevating the role that work plays in your life to unhealthy levels. Sadly, though, that is not unusual. Thanks to the increasingly competitive employment landscape, e-mails like the (lightly edited) one above regularly flow into my inbox.

Have you had something similar happen in your career? Here are three suggestions:

1) Regularly scout “the best” companies. Always have an idea of places you’d like to work. Believe me, the span is wide when it comes to healthy vs. unhealthy workplaces. As a matter of fact, I’ve started to limit my Business Consulting practice to only organizations that have decent work environments (and are actively working to make them better). There are a lot of toxic work environments out there. Steer clear.

2) Evaluate your relationship with work. Are you searching for too much meaning in work, causing you to fall prey to some of the symptoms of Workism? Check out the list and honestly evaluate your relationship with each factor.

3) Start with you. You can give to others (friends, family, employers) no better than you give to yourself. That’s why I always say that life’s greatest challenge – and greatest reward – is figuring out yourself. Nothing can take away your confidence if you have a strong sense of who you are. With deep self-knowledge, setbacks become road bumps rather than complete life-derailing events.

Currently, I’m putting the finishing touches on my ultimate manifesto for living with purpose and vision (it’s all about figuring out you). Watch for it in the months ahead. For now, feel free to sign up for newsletter updates by clicking on the green box in the lower right corner.

Update: Our podcast on how to avoid the trap of workism is now live. Additionally, our book – Stop Hating Mondays – is also available for individuals looking to build more fulfilling, on purpose lives.

Don't Use That Photo on LinkedIn

You’re viewing an archived post. This post was originally published by The Change Laboratory, which is now part of No Vacation Required — our platform for Everyday Fulfillment. While this content is archived, it’s still full of solid advice and timeless insights.

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With average attention spans diminishing to nearly no time at all, first impressions are more important than ever. Because of that, things like your LinkedIn photo choice matter. It’s likely the very first thing employers will see when looking st your social resume.

With that in mind – and because people often make terrible photo choices – I am resurfacing my go-to guidance for selecting a LinkedIn picture.

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I hate talking about LinkedIn photos – as an HR professional it is upsetting to me that one's picture is increasingly being taken into account during the hiring process. My distaste (and the law) aside, it is a reality that your profile photo will play some role in the hiring process. With that in mind, I think it is time to resurface some tips for selecting an effective LinkedIn profile photo.

Here are some things to consider when selecting your LinkedIn (or other) profile picture:

Don’t crop a group photo – You may think that the photo of you with your arm around your buddies at a football game is the best picture of you. Your team won, you look genuinely happy, and the lighting is really good. That may all be true, but when that picture is cropped to be you and the shoulder of a friend, it’s going to look silly on your LinkedIn profile.

Go as high quality as possible – Pixelated, low-quality photos make terrible profile pictures. You may be striking just the perfect balance of professional and approachable, but if the quality is bad, it doesn’t matter. Always upload the highest quality picture possible.

Avoid the flash shadow – You’ve seen this picture. Someone standing in front of a cubical wall looking like a deer in the headlights with a horrible shadow behind their head. This kind of photo could make a nobel laureate look like an amateur. Good lighting matters – a lot.

Don't use a wedding photo – Ever.

In a perfect world, your LinkedIn profile picture would have zero relevance. But the fact is that readers will make immediate judgments based solely on your photo, so take it seriously. Plus, you've likely got a camera in your pocket that delivers the kind of quality photos once available only to professionals (portrait mode on iPhone is a perfect example), so if you don't have a great picture to choose from, grab a friend, fix your hair, and go find some nice natural light.

The Transformational Power of Nature

You’re viewing an archived post. This post was originally published by The Change Laboratory, which is now part of No Vacation Required — our platform for Everyday Fulfillment. While this content is archived, it’s still full of solid advice and timeless insights.

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People often ask about the nature-centric path photos that are featured prominently here on the Tandem Powered website.

One of Tandem Powered’s Guiding Principle’s is: Egoless. Egoless is about the fact that worthwhile self-development is entirely an inside job that should be free of external quick fixes and outside validation.

What helps support egoless-ness? Getting out of your own head and out of your own perspective.

Immersion in nature is a great way to get in the right state of mind for transformation. The paths you see all over the website represent the transformational power of nature and, of course, the inspiration to “get on your own path” to fulfillment.

People are increasingly distracted and stretched. And, with all the advances in tech, they’re bombarded with news and information and ads and social media posts that make many feel exhausted and insufficient.

Most change agents (and a large chunk of the self-help industry, in general) exploit fulfillment seekers by perpetuating a fear-based, high-profit message: You're not good enough. This is a doomsday message that keeps you looking outside of yourself for satisfaction and validation.

Here on the website, I strive to send the right message the minute visitors arrive. No ads. No doomsday messages. Just helpful, inspirational content along with photography that mirrors that message.

Tandem Powered always donates a portion of earnings to worthwhile charities. In honor of Earth Day and the undeniable positive force of nature, Tandem Powered supports Earth Justice. From their website:

As the nation’s largest nonprofit environmental law organization, we leverage our expertise and commitment to fight for justice and advance the promise of a healthy world for all. We represent every one of our clients free of charge.

Thanks for your interest in Tandem Powered and the path to fulfillment.

Best Interview Advice

You’re viewing an archived post. This post was originally published by The Change Laboratory, which is now part of No Vacation Required — our platform for Everyday Fulfillment. While this content is archived, it’s still full of solid advice and timeless insights.

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Go to your refrigerator and pour yourself a glass of champagne.

Raise a glass with me.

Why?

The job market currently favors candidates. Unemployment is low, so employers are having to work extra hard to compel the best candidates to work for them.

What does this mean? Well, getting interviews will, in most cases, be easier.

Just don’t mess up the interview.

I always cringe when I ask someone how an interview went and they reply with some version of “I think they liked me.”

Although you definitely want to come across as likable, likability should not be your first priority.

In my work on the other side of the table (HR / Business consulting), I often consult with companies on senior level hires. While hiring panels are never upset about a candidate’s likability, the hiring panel is most interested in how well you meet the requirements for the job.

In most cases, your interviews will be Behavioral in nature. Wow your interviewers with robust examples of how you nailed the skill in question. If they aren’t asking about areas where you align well with the job, tell them (ideally at the end of the interview when they ask if there is anything else you’d like them to know).

Don’t let good chemistry with interviewers fool you. When it comes down to it, a quality organization will first stack candidates up in terms of how they each meet the qualifications for the job. Your success hinges on your ability to outline how qualified you are. If your killer personality comes through while you do that, even better.

Oh, and keep your responses succinct. As I said in this post on how to handle video interviews, no one likes a candidate who blabs on and on and on.

Let’s review:

1. Ensure they know how well you align with the job requirements.

2. Be likable.

3. Keep your responses swift, upbeat, and to the point.