Skip to main content

Summer Conversations: What We've Learned at Work

I recently had the opportunity to be interviewed by a rising college sophomore about my career path.  If you know me, you'll know that my path had many twists and turns (kind of like the books I like to read but infinitely more positive!).  She was bright and articulate, and it was a fun experience for me, so I decided to extend the experience to William during one of our evening walks! 



I re-asked several of the questions to William because I thought it was a great topic.  It was fun to see where our answers overlapped, especially in the area that we are both lifelong learners and both mentioned being open to new opportunities.  

The Questions

Question: What is something that you think is necessary to be successful in your field? 

Rachel: "Besides having the basic skill set to do the work, I think it's important to have a good attitude and to be willing to take on new projects and learn something new.  There are many skills that can be taught to someone who is enthusiastic and willing to learn."

William: "I think it's important to listen to your customers and listen to not only what they want but why they want it.  And it's important to offer something that is unique to the market." 

Question: "What's something you've learned about being successful in your position that you wish you could tell your younger self?"

Rachel: "That it's okay to ask questions.  You can be independent and self-reliant and still need to ask someone else for help.  It's not going to make you look bad if you ask for help.  Also, it's important to stay open to new opportunities; you never know where your career might take you.  Even if a certain path doesn't currently exist, one can still appear!" 

William: "Let people know if you are ready to take on more responsibilities.  If those don't present themselves or appear, there's nothing wrong with moving on." 

Question: "What do you like best about your current job?"

Rachel: "I'm never bored and always learning something new.  I've worked here for 5 years and there are still many things that I can learn." 

William: "I love that there are always things that I am learning.  There's no doubt about it, I am always learning something new every day."  

Join the Conversation

What are your answers to these questions? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fall Fashion: I Found Aurora's Dress on Amazon

I posted earlier this fall about our idea to be Aurora Teagarden and Nick Miller for Halloween.  We've watched a lot of the AT movies to decide on our outfits, and we finally decided to be Aurora and Nick from Heist and Seek .  It's one of the movies where they are dressed up (the other one is Reunited and It Feels So Deadly .) In going down the AT rabbit hole, I found the designer of her dresses in both of these movies, a company called Dress the Population.  And, I also found the exact dress on Amazon , but I decided that $200 was too much for a Halloween costume.  But if you want to replicate her costume exactly, you can!   For $40, I found a sleeveless sequined blue dress with a v-neck.  You'll see it in our Halloween post.  I may look for a strawberry blonde wig or I might just do a temporary pink-ish hair color.  I'll wear my hair pulled back on one side and a dangly earring like she's wearing above, plus a super pink lip color.   Fun fact: Nick's dress sh
Post a Comment
Read more

Fall Thoughts: "98% of All Diets Fail"

There are lots of numbers associated with the idea of trying to change your body size or composition.  The obvious numbers like the number of the scale, your waist measurement, the size of your pants or your body fat percentage. There are the numbers associated with a best guess for how much of what food you should eat, i.e. 800 grams of fruits and vegetables or 13 ounces of protein (at least for a woman of my size.) And there are numbers connected to how you move your body: how many hours you should strive for per day, how many steps you should take, how many reps you should "leave in the tank" during a weight lifting session.   There are also other numbers, including "the facts."  For example: 80% of Americans aren't eating the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.  70% of Americans are overweight or obese.   And, my new favorite fact: "98% of all keto diets fail," which was what Dr. Robert Cywes, the Carb Addiction Doctor, who advocates for a
Post a Comment
Read more

Fall Thoughts: A Simple Way of Eating

After sharing a few examples of extreme ways of eating, I've been thinking about some of the more simplified ways of eating that I've tried in the past. I think somewhere between the "simplicity" of the No S Diet and the "sensibility" of the 800 Gram Challenge, you probably have a lifestyle that would work for many people.   The No S Diet: "As simple as possible but not  simpler" What is it: The No S Diet is a "simple program of moderation."  It can be summed up in 14 words: No Sweets, No Seconds, No Snacks, except (sometimes) on days that start with S.   What's the science: There's really not any science; this is more of a habit-based way to moderate your eating.  Who created it?  Librarian by trade and computer programmer by accident, Reinhard Engels.   Why did I stop doing it:  I'm not sure.  I love the simplicity as I re-read about it! I'm sure I was lured away by the promise of low-carb/keto diets and then just foun
Post a Comment
Read more