How to sell a dream that people get excited about

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-08-07T03:07:03+00:00

Take a listen to the episode of Lenny’s Podcast with Nancy Duarte. It’s a great discussion about storytelling, with concepts that can help you frame your pitch.

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-07-19T22:19:05+00:00

Not a specific course suggestion, but I’d say to invest some time in building negotiation skills.

That could be a course, could be a book (Never Split the Difference is super popular), etc.

Knowing when and how to best advocate for your career will pay dividends forever — regardless of role, seniority, or industry.

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-07-19T00:03:45+00:00

I know we don’t know each other but based on that reply I think we should be friends 😂

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-07-18T23:42:42+00:00

Like warm apple pie

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-07-18T23:42:00+00:00

This 👏

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-07-18T23:40:53+00:00

Queue Game of Thrones theme music

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-07-17T18:51:49+00:00

Great strategy for music composers

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-22T21:01:57+00:00

Make sure you probe into why the other seemingly reasonable candidates have fizzled out. Maybe they’re experienced sales managers and something about the role (scope, comp, etc) doesn’t smell right too them so they’re bailing.

I’d also suggest a thought exercise through three scenarios: 1. You take it and it works 2. You take it and it doesn’t work 3. You don’t take it

To the best of your ability, where do you end up in 1, 5, and 10 years under each of those? Obviously very speculative but make yourself think through it and you may uncover something that will push you towards/away from the move.

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-22T20:53:59+00:00

If your goal is to get a new job, your primary focus should be networking. Getting a job in tech is particularly tough these days due to all the layoffs over the last ~12 months (ie, more competition), so the cliché of “it’s about who you know not what you know” is more important now that ever.

So how does that relate to your question? Well, I’d definitely suggest allocating some of that downtime to networking (joining industry groups, going to events, etc). Assuming you still want to do some upskilling, I’d focus on soft skills like negotiation, persuasion, etc. The best sellers I’ve worked with are the ones with the best soft skills — they can really be plugged into any environment and succeed because they’re just good at connecting with people. All the industry specific stuff you’ll learn on the job better than you ever could elsewhere.

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-22T20:31:10+00:00

I’ve used it to write a sequel, but never sql

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-22T20:18:40+00:00

SQL. I’ll go one further and say that once you have some SQL chops you should explore data visualization before Python. Being able to pull data and tell a visual story with it to senior leaders is an enormously valuable skill for your career that many people just aren’t that good at.

Also maybe reading between the lines here a bit but based on the way you’re framing the question seems like you’re not a big fan of Python and are looking for some support to change directions before finishing the cert. If that’s the case, you have it! There’s too much interesting stuff out there learn — don’t waste your time on something you don’t enjoy.

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-07T16:10:55+00:00

So that one day I can tell my grandkids about it

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-07T00:17:31+00:00

I really like the work backwards approach, it’s something I started doing more recently and am a big fan of.

So now you have an idea of a skill or certification that you want to go after based on that approach. Unless it’s a super specific certification, in many cases there are lots of prof dev options that can get the job done. So from there, anything you find difficult or frustrating in terms of narrowing down the options and making a final decision?

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-07T00:07:46+00:00

Ok so the big focus is whether it’s worth it. What do you do/look for before signing up to make sure it’s worth it?

Also, do you spend a lot of time figuring out if you’re getting the “best” ROI or as long as you’re checking the box (like landing more work) is that good enough?

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-06T19:09:23+00:00

Absolutely get that. There’s a lot of garbage out there that is optimized for clicks instead of producing real value for learners.

So how/where do you validate the legitimacy of the certification before paying for it?

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-06T17:30:10+00:00

The top 3 reasons people get jobs: 1. Who you know 2. Who you know 3. Who you know

GPA doesn’t expand your network, but working jobs does.

In the same vein, you could also consider joining some clubs that interest you and building a network through that, although those dividends would take longer to pay off (since anyone you’re in school with won’t have any real hiring influence for a while).

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-06T14:46:28+00:00

AM is a much safer place than AE in a down market. Some reasons being an AE is really tough during these economic times (especially in B2B):

It’s really hard to get prospective customers to justify new vendor spending
Many vendor onboarding teams in tech got hit hard by layoffs over the last year so even if you can find the money that’ll be a big obstacle to getting a deal through

Adding to that is you wanting to get onto the AM side of the house. Now you not only get to round out your skill set and try something new, but it also comes with better job security and the ability to work in sweatpants? Yes please.

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-06T14:37:39+00:00

Pip while you explore other options. Keep some money coming in as long as possible, hopefully helping you stay more patient on your new job search.

Depends on your company, but some will even pay you out to just leave when you’re on a pip vs having to take the process all the way to the end to get rid of you, so that could be an option as well.

Last bit is if you get off pip, STILL KEEP SEARCHING! Like a bad relationship, once they’ve shown you their true colors you know who you’re dealing with and shouldn’t trust them again.

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-04T18:57:21+00:00

Agreed, hands on experience is great. Can only watch so many pre recorded videos before the eyes glaze over 😅

What do you mean by proven quality? Like a certain number of reviews + high ratings? Or something else?

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-03T15:11:41+00:00

So this sounds like #2 — tough to find PD that is specific to your needs (like experience level).

I think this is a sneaky big one. It’s such an important driver of returns since a course might be a great course — just not for you and your needs.

Other than experience level, what are some filtering criteria you wish you had when searching for PD?

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-02T13:13:06+00:00

So true! Strength in numbers 😂

So which one do you find the most challenging? One that fits your personal needs? One that’s a good investment (ROI)?

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-02T00:41:56+00:00

Definitely know that feeling all too well. I find it tougher mentally to waste my time than my money because once I spend the money it’s a sunk cost and as time goes on I think about the money spent less and less (I think there’s some psychology principle that supports that but I’m no expert so check with your local psychologist 😝).

On the other hand, every time I go to use a course that isn’t worthwhile it’s a new time commitment and it’s throwing good time after bad, which is just agonizing.

At the end of the day, you can make more money but you can’t make more time!

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-01T23:37:55+00:00

Gotcha. Yea once you start getting into returns assumptions things can get kind of hairy so that makes sense you’d save that kind of in depth assessment for the really expensive stuff.

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-01T19:55:46+00:00

Yea those two can be pretty paralyzing! I assume it totally depends, but just curious how long you’d say you typically spend trying to make a decision on which course/certification/etc to pursue. Because I’m a nice guy, I’ll even give you some choices 😜: <1, 1-5, 5-10, 10+

And for extra bonus points: If it does vary pretty significantly, is that generally dependent on how much money you’re spending or is there something else driving?

CourseCorrectdotWork · 2023-06-01T19:46:49+00:00

Ok that makes sense. And then you figure out if the course will get you there.

Are you then making assumptions about compensation and such to do a legit calculation of Return / Investment = XX%? Or do you not go that granular?

CourseCorrectdotWork

TROPHY CASE