Why do many people underestimate the value of 'people skills' vs. technical skills? Why do we shy away from the difficult conversations that could actually benefit our careers? In today's episode I talk with former engineer and author Farnoosh Brock about the practical importance of people skills, why technical/engineering professionals might not prioritize them as much (especially new graduates), and a wide range of real examples and tips that you can use in your job today.
 
About Farnoosh: Farnoosh Brock went from electrical engineer and rising leader at a Fortune 100 company to a speaker, author, and trainer in 2011 when she started her coaching & consulting company.  Today she helps aspiring professionals and future leaders choose their mindset and transform their world one powerful conversation at a time. In addition to her book, The Serving Mindset: Stop Selling and Grow Your Business, she is the creator of several leadership & advancement courses. Learn more at www.farnooshbrock.com

Highlights:

[4:30] What held back Farnoosh in her career, communication skills and her story
[9:00] The beef with "soft skills" and why Farnoosh prefers people skills
[10:15] Why people don't think people skills are important; the tendency for STEM/technical professionals to devalue people skills
[13:00] Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and extreme genius exceptions vs. the rest of us

[16:00] Engineers who don't understand marketers
[21:00] Practical tips: using different voices and the power of your voice
[26:15] Connecting the dots at work, transitioning from academic environment to corporate, and connecting larger circles within orgs
[33:00] Role playing, setting context, how to tell a story and getting feedback on it

[37:00] Self-record your own video and get feedback on it : https://app.yoodli.ai/
[40:00] How to slow down a manager who is in a rush in a respectful, firm way without being bossy
[45:00] How to say no and why Farnoosh loves saying no!
[47:00] Why most people don't see themselves as leaders

Questions comments or feedback?

Drop me an email at misha@carrus.io!

In today's conversation we talk about what it means to be a new manager, expectations, and advice to set yourself up for success. Jiovanni manages a small at Amazon and shares his insights in the last few months, what has gone well and what he would have done differently. 

Jiovanni is an Amazon Engineering Manager, Coding Bootcamp Instructor, and Coach. Book a call with Jiovanni here —> https://app.carrus.io/s/jiovanni-rosario

Note: Opinions of Jiovanni are solely his own and are not in any way representative of the views and opinions of Amazon.

Show notes and highlights

[4:00] Jiovanni's career path
[11:10] Why Jiovanni chose to be a manager  - Book recommendation: Making of a Manager by Julie Zhou
[16:00] The advantages/disadvantages of the IC path vs. Management path. Book recommendation: Managing Humans by Michael Lopp
[18:30] The #1 question to ask yourself before becoming a manager

[20:00] The first day being a manager - how does it feel?
[22:30] How to address the elephant in the room
[26:00] Psychological safety / Management styles that don't work anymore
[28:00] Micromanagement and letting people make their own mistakes

[29:00] Alternatives to micromanagement / how to make sure everyone is heard
[31:00] The art of casual conversations and relationship building
[33:07] Spending time talking to peers and understanding processes and your own responsibilities
[39:00] How your relationships change with teammates

Quotes, comments or feedback?

Drop me an email at misha@carrus.io

Why does burnout happen? How do you know when you're just a little bit tired vs. when it's really time to take a break? What actions can you take to test whether your job is the right one before calling it quits? Former tech recruiter Kerri McKinney shares her own story of burnout, the warning signs and lessons learned from taking on too much. Chat with Kerri here —> https://app.carrus.io/s/kerri-mckinney-1

About Kerri:

Kerri has had the opportunity to work for incredible organizations career including PayPal, Indeed.com and Amazon, as well as some amazing start-ups. She's recruited for many different types of roles from tech to sales and marketing.

You can visit her site at www.kerrimckinney.com and reach out to her directly at me@kerrimckinney.com

Show notes and highlights:

[3:30] Kerri's career story, chasing titles and dealing with workaholism
[7:45] Why a mission-driven role didn't solve the burnout problem
[10:15] The danger of measuring your value / self-worth by what your job is

[13:20] Warning signs : frustrations, temper, disengagement, more days where you just can't work
[17:12] The #1 way to know if you're getting to the point of burnout (paying attention to your energy)
[21:45] Red flags: is it easy or is it sucking your energy?

[23:30] Judging whether it's the little things or the big things
[25:15] How to set boundaries at work
[31:30] Differences in roles and respecting other people's schedules

[36:40] Why you shouldn't check your phone in the morning
[42:00] Questions to ask yourself if you don't feel good after a meeting. The power of the Pause.
[52:00] The power of full engagement book https://www.amazon.com/Power-Full-Engagement-Managing-Performance/dp/0743226755 and the Presence Process https://www.amazon.com/Presence-Process-Journey-Present-Awareness/dp/1897238460

Questions, comments and feedback?

Email me at misha@carrus.io 

Why do layoffs happen? What are the warning signs internally that could indicate impending layoffs? How do you prepare yourself and your career? In today's conversation with tech recruiter Magda Cheang, we go over the recent layoff trends and much more.

Magda Cheang worked at Zoom, Facebook (Meta), InVision and has helped hire thousands of people in Sales, Channel, Marketing, Customer Success, Account Management, Product Marketing and Leadership positions across the U.S, EMEA, APAC, MENA and EMERGING markets.

Book a coaching call with Magda here. —> https://app.carrus.io/s/magda-cheang-1

Show notes and Highlights

[5:05] Why the layoffs happened during COVID and why they happened after the pandemic / the differences between these layoffs
[7:55] The internal mindset of companies during layoffs, what's in control and outside of the control of companies, and the limitations of companies on predicting growth
[13:00] Why there isn't a more compassionate approach to layoffs?

[16:30] Examples of how some companies can create work internally to save jobs
[18:45] Signs of impending layoffs!
[31:30] The difference between getting fired and being laid off and what should you do if you're laid off?

[40:00] What you should say in an interview if you were laid off in your previous role
[43:00] A skillful way to share your layoff experience on LinkedIn, and how to leverage LinkedIn to showcase your skills
[48:40] Why you shouldn't jump right into the next job if you got laid off

Questions, comments or feedback?

Email me at misha@carrus.io

Today's conversation is with Preston VanderWeyst, who is a former software engineer at Microsoft, and has engineering & hiring experience at both small and large tech companies. We talk specifically about the the hiring manager interview and the misconceptions people have about that initial meeting. He clarifies what many people think the hiring manager is looking for versus what they're really looking for. We cover good questions and bad questions to ask, and what to expect, along with a bunch of other tips and advice!

Book a coaching call with Preston here —> https://app.carrus.io/s/preston-vanderweyst-1

Show notes:

[4:40] How to deal with difficult questions from hiring managers
[7:09] What kind of conversation to expect with the hiring manager
[10:15] Conclusive vs. inconclusive interviews

[11:43] Advice on how not to blow it in the HM interview / what to watch out for/ being critical
[16:10] Preparation for the HM interview Checklist
[17:47] Is it appropriate to mention a HM's background during the interview? (a note of caution on making assumptions)

[22:00] Examples of good questions to ask
[26:19] Preston's least favorite questions
[33:00] Follow up questions

[36:00] Getting feedback, hints to watch out for

Questions, comments or feedback?

Email me at misha@carrus.io

Why do we get defensive at work? Why do we shy away from difficult questions in interviews? And how do we develop the self-awareness so this doesn't hold us back? In my conversation with Stefania Montagna, we dive deep into the meaning of EQ, why it's important, and why to develop it.

Book a coaching call with Stefania here to work more on improving your emotional intelligence and self-awareness before your next interview-> https://app.carrus.io/s/stefania-montagna

Get $50 off any coaching session with this special link: https://carrus.io?via=free50

Resources from the podcast:

• Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence Book
• The Coddling of the American Mind, Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff
• Write like a motherfucker, by Cheryl Strayed on The Rumpus

The quote by Rumi:

Beyond right and wrong there's a field, I'll meet you there.

Show notes:

[11:26] Stefania's experiences developing emotional intelligence
[13:45] Getting deep into emotional intelligence and what it means
[18:33] How to know if you are being reactive and measuring your self-awareness (and what does it mean when you are triggered often?)

[23:35] The role social media plays in reducing self-awareness
[25:30] Self-awareness during your interview, the desire to be right, and why you don't need the right answer
[28:00] Why it's triggering to be in an interview: The connection between work and belonging historically (supporting yourself economically)

[38:20] How interviewing is like dating + tips for feeling out the right role instead of overthinking it
[40:00] Interview coming up? Stefania's Framework to Identify Before-After Moments and tactics you can use today and building out your story and Elevator Pitch
[49:30] The "tell me about yourself" question and why you're doing it wrong

[52:00] How companies assess Emotional Intelligence in an interview / why people avoid conflict/ how to overcome this obstacle 
[1:02:50] Where we were 30-40 years ago, and the importance of honesty and vulnerability in the interview
[1:10:00] Making the same mistakes, re-learning painful lessons 

[1:12:30] The importance of humility
[1:17:00] Stefania's coaching focus and her tips on when you should get a coach

Questions, comments or feedback?

Email me at misha@carrus.io!

In this 2-part podcast series, I interview former Amazon bar raiser and executive recruiter Eric Hudson on Amazon's 16 Leadership Principles. He unpacks the real meaning behind each one, and shares expert tips on how you can best prepare for the Amazon interview.

If you're trying to understand what these principles really mean, the stories behind them, and how to prepare for the Amazon interview, there is a TON of value in this podcast.

You can check out Part 1 of this series here: https://share.transistor.fm/s/358d04ff

Book a call with Eric here and get help nailing your interview and negotiating your offer—> https://app.carrus.io/s/eric-h-1

Show notes and highlights:

[2:50] Bias for action
[8:15] Frugality
[13:40] Earn Trust
[18:40] Dive Deep
[28:45] Have Backbone, Disagree and Commit
[36:52] Deliver Results
[40:00] Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility
[42:40] Strive to Be Earth’s Best Employer

[46:30] Why people should have examples focused on multiple LPs / using the same answer more than once

Questions, comments or feedback?

Drop me an email at misha@carrus.io 

In today's conversation I interview former tech executive and founder of Kadima Careers, Alan Stein. We discuss all the ways in which the hiring process is biased, along with strategies any underrepresented individual can use to overcome these obstacles. Alan spent several years at tech companies like Google, Facebook, Amex and Salesforce, and witnessed first hand the efforts companies made to promote diversity and inclusion, which often fell short. Using this experience, Alan decided to take matters into his own hands and start Kadima Careers, a business that equips underrepresented talent with the tools and confidence to accelerate their career and increase compensation.

You can connect with Alan on LinkedIn here, and get coaching and career support at Kadima Careers here. https://kadimacareers.com/

Show notes and highlights

[4:20]  Alan's story and why a pasty white dude is passionate about diversity
[7:00] What Alan tried to do to decrease hiring bias at tech companies like Google
[8:57] The main inputs for talent acquisition/hiring and all the ways they are biased

[15:00] What is a "good" outcome for diversity in a company? How Alan thinks about this issue
[19:00] Having a difficult to pronounce name and bias in screening resumes
[21:30] Where the funnel is broken, the sourcing of candidates and why incentives for recruiters and hiring managers are often skewed

[24:30] What is the "Rooney Rule" or Diverse Slate Approach, and why are the advantages/disadvantages?
[29:30] The recruiter stage vs. other stages and where the worst bias is
[34:00] Why Alan decided to start his own business to solve this problem vs. do this internally

[42:00] Reasons to aim for big tech companies instead of smaller or mid size firms
[43:20] The Growth Framework Alan teaches to find a job
[46:00] The importance of 'tenacity' and how to handle getting rejected from interviews - 295 rejections later

Comments, questions or feedback?

Email me at misha@carrus.io!