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      Are You a Strategist or an Operator?

      Brett & Kate McKay · tests.marevalo.net / The Art of Manliness · Tuesday, 17 January, 2023 - 16:51 · 7 minutes

    In the years after World War I, longtime Army colleagues and friends George S. Patton and Dwight D. Eisenhower contemplated what would happen if another global conflict broke out. As Patton envisioned it : “In the next war, I’ll be the Stonewall Jackson, and you can be the Robert E. Lee. Ike, you do the big planning, and you let me go in and shoot up the enemy.”

    And that’s pretty much how things worked out in World War II.

    Eisenhower led from Allied headquarters as Europe’s Supreme Commander, while Patton served on the ground as commander of the Third and Seventh armies.

    Ike, who lacked battlefield experience, was nonetheless brilliant as a theater commander. Having spent his career as a highly effective staff officer, he had a genius for planning, marshaling material, organizing logistics, and practicing diplomacy. Charming, modest, flexible, and steady, he excelled at getting the disparate and sometimes rivalrous Allied leaders to work together, interfacing with politicians and the press, and keeping all the pieces of a monumental war effort sorted and spinning.

    Patton, on the other hand, had little patience for politicking and wasn’t lauded for his ability to formulate high-level plans. But, he possessed all the traits necessary for superior battlefield command. Bold and aggressive, he executed missions with mastery and confidence and advanced with relentless drive .

    While each man’s position and responsibilities were different, each excelled in his particular role.

    Ike was the consummate strategist.

    Patton was born to be an operator.

    Strategists Versus Operators

    Andrew Wilson, a professor at the Naval War College, describes the difference between Eisenhower and Patton as the difference between having a bent toward strategy versus having a bent toward operations.

    Wilson defines strategy as “the means by which you translate political purpose” — what the political leadership hopes to achieve with a war — “into military action, and how it is that you anticipate military action to deliver your political purpose. . . . So strategy is the bridge between policy and military actions.”

    Operations, he says, are those military actions — “essentially the big muscle movements, the battles.”

    Those who excel in that second kind of work — operators — do best on the ground and in the field. They excel at, and derive satisfaction from, practicing and carrying out a certain skill, craft, or art.

    Those who excel at the first kind of work — strategists — do best in high-level positions. They excel at, and derive satisfaction from, overseeing, organizing, and supervising those who practice and carry out skills, crafts, and arts.

    Another way to describe the strategists versus operators dichotomy is as managers versus tacticians.

    It’s a distinction in men’s proclivities that extends beyond the military context, and it’s crucial to know which category you fall into.

    Are You a Strategist or an Operator?

    While there are a few men who are adept at both strategy and operations, most primarily lean toward one over the other.

    Problems arise when men don’t have the self-awareness and foresight to understand their personal strengths and propensities, and end up in a role for which they are ill-suited.

    Strategists Becoming Operators

    Sometimes a man is doing well as a manager type, but may desire a job in the field, perhaps because such work seems “sexier.” For example, he may have done well for years as a supervisor within a company, but thinks about striking out on his own and becoming an entrepreneur, even though the skill set necessary for success in the former pursuit isn’t likely to translate to success in the latter.

    Eisenhower thought about making this kind of shift.

    In the lead-up to WWII, Ike thought he’d like to work alongside Patton and become the commander of an armored regiment. He had never seen combat; because he was so good at training others, he had been kept stateside during WWI and tasked with preparing troops to deploy. Having missed out on the consummate experience of a military career during the First World War, he was determined to get into the field during the Second.

    So when in 1941, a general in the War Plans Division asked Eisenhower to consider joining its staff in Washington, Ike demurred. He really liked the prospect of that position, and knew he’d do well there, but felt that a field command was something he was supposed to prefer. He felt conflicted, and worried he’d “pass[ed] up something I wanted to do, in favor of something I thought I ought to do.”

    Eisenhower needn’t have worried. While he continued to position himself for field command, his administrative abilities were too valuable to be dispensed with, and he was eventually appointed chief of staff to the commander of the Third Army, then Chief of the War Plans Division, and eventually Supreme Allied Commander. Ike’s sense of personal satisfaction, and the fate of world history, benefitted from his sticking to these strategic positions.

    Operators Becoming Strategists

    What happens more often than managerial men trying to shift into tactical roles is tacticians being promoted into administrative positions. Those who excel in operational roles are frequently moved up the ranks. The problem is, the skills required to succeed as tactical operators don’t typically translate into success as strategic supervisors. This is the essence of the “Peter principle.” And not only may a tactician placed in a managerial or executive job struggle to be competent in that position, he is also unlikely to enjoy it.

    Entrepreneurs who successfully launch start-ups often don’t transition well to becoming the CEOs who run them. Fitness coaches who excel at training clients frequently flounder at owning their own gyms. Pastors who have the skill set to plant churches don’t always have the skill set to oversee the large, established congregations they grow into. Doctors who like practicing hands-on medicine won’t be satisfied spending their days supervising teams of nurses. Academics who enjoy teaching end up less happy as deans than they were as professors.

    Writers and artists, who initially function as fully autonomous operators, sometimes try hiring assistants and social media gurus to expand the empire around their “brand,” but find they’d rather keep their “business” smaller than to give over any of the time they could be creating to managing other people.

    Sometimes an operator has to transition to being a strategist because the fieldwork they do is physical in nature and takes a toll on the body. As a man who works in the trades gets older, for example, he may find it desirable and/or necessary to move from working on projects himself to supervising the work of others.

    But oftentimes, an operator ends up in a managerial position because he feels he’s supposed to take it and defaults to following the standard professional trajectory. The next rung up the ladder may take someone out of the field, but the position comes with more money, power, and/or status. A man thinks he ought to keep moving up in the world, even if that “advancement” puts him into a position he’s less suited for and finds less fulfilling.

    Do You Want to Be in the War Room or in the Trenches?

    It’s important to know who you are: a strategist or an operator.

    If you’re a manager type, lean into that, even if that job may not seem as sexy as others. Administrators are absolutely crucial in keeping the world spinning round, and even help win world wars.

    If you’re the tactician type, do some real reflection before you accept that “promotion.” Is the benefit in money and status worth the tradeoff in fulfillment that comes from doing a job you’re brilliant at and love? It’s okay to recognize that you like carrying out orders more than formulating them. And it’s okay to value the chance to practice the things you’re really skilled at more than a bigger office.

    When Eisenhower was serving as Allied Supreme Commander in North Africa during WWII, his forces experienced some initial setbacks on the battlefield, and the Army’s Chief of Staff, George Marshall, suggested that Ike bring Patton in to serve as his deputy and oversee the fighting. But Patton balked at the idea of taking a more administrative job. He understood that he could do more good on the ground than at HQ, and that an operator belongs in the field — not behind a desk.

    The post Are You a Strategist or an Operator? appeared first on The Art of Manliness .

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      How to Take Time Off Without Screwing Over Your Coworkers

      pubsub.dcentralisedmedia.com / LifehackerAustralia · Thursday, 18 February, 2021 - 19:00 · 3 minutes

    On Wednesday night, with a winter storm of historic magnitude battering Texas and leaving millions of residents without electricity or potable water, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz decamped for the sunny climes of Cancun, Mexico with his family.

    What could have been merely an insidious Twitter rumour was soon confirmed — via photos of the senator holding a boarding pass and wearing familiar sneakers and his signature mask, emblazoned with his favourite second amendment rallying cry, “Come and take it,” and by major news outlets, including Fox News . Twitter was soon riddled with contempt for Cruz (even more than usual, anyway) for appearing to abandon his constituents and colleagues in an hour of crisis.

    The outpouring seems to have been enough to wrest Cruz from the warm embrace of an oceanfront vacation, as reports indicate he was Texas-bound by Thursday morning. But it’s anyone’s guess whether Cruz — who’s as fond of tweeting as he apparently is a sun-dappled sojourn during a Congressional recess — learned any lessons from the episode, even as he left other Texans to do his job for him .

    Though a high-profile example, Cruz’s missteps can prove instructional for the general, working populace in how to use your vacation time without leaving your colleagues in the lurch.

    Don’t take leisure time off during a busy season

    Chances are you aren’t a public official beholden to the needs of a broad base of constituents, but as a general rule, it’s best not to schedule your time off during a period when your colleagues will be under a more intense workload than usual.

    Most industries have times of year that are busier than others, and you’ll do your reputation a service by resisting the urge to abscond when your abilities are needed most. In the case of Cruz, it’s likely that his family vacation wasn’t planned on a whim. But with millions of the state’s residents deprived of the electricity necessary to weather unusually frigid temperatures, he might have realised his efforts were needed closer to home.

    Understand what times of year require an all-hands-on-deck approach, and plan your getaways accordingly. If a personal or family crisis arises even during a hectic schedule, then all of this goes out the window, obviously — your personal and family needs will always prevail over those of your employer.

    Tell your colleagues when you’re leaving

    If you’re afraid that your well-earned vacation will leave your co-workers buried under a deluge of your responsibilities, leave them a detailed note outlining what exactly it is you do that shouldn’t be ignored in your absence. If your duties have to be picked up by someone else, delineate those tasks in a memo to your colleagues.

    They’ll appreciate your candor and that you’ve left them a clear outline demonstrating how you do your job, so they don’t have to scramble to figure it out themselves. If you fail to provide this, don’t be surprised if your colleagues take to lambasting you in private.

    To Find Out if Your Potential Boss Will Be Any Good, Ask This Question

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    Thank your coworkers for picking up the slack

    You don’t need to grovel — everyone deserves a holiday, and to use their time off how they want to. But show your colleagues that you appreciate the courtesy if they had to add to their plates in your absence. You can do this with another written note, or by offering a different token of appreciation, such as a small gift or tasty snack (when your office is safely open again). Obviously you shouldn’t feel the need to lavish them with praise, but letting them know you appreciate how they’ve stepped up while you dipped your toes in a white sandy beach will surely be endearing.

    The post How to Take Time Off Without Screwing Over Your Coworkers appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

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      Your Career Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

      pubsub.dcentralisedmedia.com / LifehackerAustralia · Sunday, 14 February, 2021 - 21:25 · 3 minutes

    In the hyper-competitive ‘jobs’ culture, young workers often expect their careers to reach meteoric heights on a quick timeline. Younger generations don’t stay at their jobs for quite as long as their parents did, whether it’s due to economic factors or the view that most jobs are mere stepping stones toward more lucrative salaries and better job titles.

    Feeding into the perpetual rat race can lead to burnout, or worse — total disillusionment. While it might be easy to fall victim to this mindset, it’s better to view careers as the decades-long endeavour that it is, rather than a moonshot bid for rapid success.

    If you like your job enough, stay for a while

    If you’re in a constant rush to scale the ranks, you could risk losing out on opportunities already at your fingertips. Knuckling down and focusing on your current job will allow your skills to blossom, while constantly chasing new pastures in search of professional clout can put you on a merry-go-round where your skills may languish more than they grow.

    Most people stay at their jobs for an average of four years, according to the most recent numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labour and Statistics . That’s a pretty long time for most Millennials — and more than enough time to really master a trade before you feel the need to move on. If you feel you’re being nurtured and treated fairly by your employer, don’t rush for the door — it’s better to wait until the right opportunity, rather than will any quick opportunity into existence.

    Don’t Quit Your Job Without a Plan

    You might hate your job so much that you nurse fantasies about how you’ll quit — perhaps spontaneously, standing on your desk, with a righteous speech to your manager followed by a 1980s-movie slow clap from your colleagues. As cathartic as that may seem, you shouldn’t quit without a plan,...

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    Tune out the hype

    Not everyone suffers from this, but there’s a noticeable current of careerism in today’s corporate world. LinkedIn is full of would-be influencers and aspiring business magnates who trumpet their accolades and pontificate about the culture of work. This is toxic, but especially so for anyone yearning for professional advancement. Subscribing to this sentiment can make you a status-chaser, and someone who isn’t so much into the work itself as much as potential titles, salary, and acclaim.

    Do your best to hit the unsubscribe button. Perusing your peers’ latest career updates and musings on LinkedIn can do a lot to make your career feel woefully inadequate. Focus more on yourself and developing your own skills. That’ll help make work — in addition to life — way more enjoyable.

    How to Make Your Work-From-Home Status Permanent

    With COVID infection rates declining modestly across the world, the prospect of returning to our offices is inching closer to reality. After 11 months of living through a pandemic, you might feel uneasy about settling in to a confined space next to dozens of colleagues, and you’re not alone: a...

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    Visualise your career path over the long haul

    At the expense of sounding like a corporate consultant or corny stock broker, you should try imagining your career track like a graph that shows short-term versus long-term investment gains — it looks volatile in the short-term, but when you zoom out you can see the upward trend. When it comes to taking big risks versus staying the course, your career will likely wind up in the same place, or better, if you play it long.

    It can often seem like critical time is passing by, especially as your peers make headway and progress in their careers while you seemingly aren’t, but understanding that no success story happens overnight can help keep you grounded. To put it in perspective again: You won’t be eligible to collect retirement benefits until you’re 65. One’s career spans decades from start to finish, so it’s best to take a deep breath and understand that you can and will get what you want, just maybe not immediately.

    The post Your Career Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

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      5 Laptop Stands for Every WFH Setup

      pubsub.dcentralisedmedia.com / LifehackerAustralia · Wednesday, 10 February, 2021 - 06:30 · 3 minutes

    Working from home has forced us to get pretty inventive when it comes to desk space. If you keep finding yourself putting your laptop precariously on a pile of books, you can do much better with a top-quality laptop stand. Here’s what to look for when choosing the best one for your WFH space.

    Sure, it’s inherent in the name “laptop” that you can place your personal computer on your lap when working from home. Let’s be honest, chances are you’ve done it more than once. But it’s a quick recipe to a sore neck from craning downwards for hours, or uncomfortably hot or pressured legs depending on the make and model of your computer.

    It’s far more efficient for both your health and your laptop to sit on a stand, because you can then adjust it to work to your proper eye level, give it sufficient ventilation and make it easier to use external peripherals like a really nice ergonomic keyboard or mouse.

    Now, if you’re particularly keen you can always opt for a DIY stand, but you are limited by your skills and your available materials there. If you’d rather select a stand that’s professionally built, here’s a range of options to consider:

    Nexstand Travel Laptop Stand $20.38
    A laptop stand can help you work from home but it doesn’t have to be limited to just your own domicile. Nexstand’s laptop stand is designed to fold down for easy travel storage, so you can use it when you’re working on the go as long as you’ve got a flat surface. Its 226g carrying weight won’t unduly add to your luggage capacity either.

    ViPowermate Aluminum Adjustable Stand $21.99
    ViPowermate’s Aluminium stand, like many others, pitches itself at the MacBook crowd, but with so many other silver ultrabooks it’s not as though you can’t use it universally. It states it’s good for up to 20kg, which is one seriously heavy laptop – and more relevantly, an indication that it should be a nicely durable bit of kit.

    Soundance LS1 Silver Aluminum Laptop Stand $47.01
    Soundance’s LS1 isn’t a complex laptop stand, but it could be a good option if you want a stand that doesn’t – pun not intended – stand out, because it’s a simple aluminium ledge with a loop for the stand part that raises any laptop sitting on it by six inches at default. Yes, you don’t get adjustable angles – but that also means you’ll never have to deal with the adjustable part breaking and watching your laptop sink down either.

    AstiVita 100% Bamboo Laptop/Computer Foldable Desk and Stand $56.99
    Most laptop stands are solid metal – typically aluminium frames – but if that doesn’t suit your style or environmental outlook, consider AstiVita’s Bamboo stand. It’s designed to work at regular or standing desks, and intelligently incorporates a hidden drawer underneath the stand that you could use for storing connection cables or other small items.

    Razer Laptop Stand Chroma $141.50
    If you want a laptop stand that’s not only built for elevation but also intimidation factor, consider Razer’s Laptop Stand Chroma. If you’re at all familiar with Razer’s gaming gear, you’ll be able to predict that it’s got Razer’s RGB Chroma lighting built in, but also three extra USB ports, making it a good fit for any additional peripherals – not just gaming gear – you might need to work from home.

    Editor’s note: Descriptions and features are as taken from manufacturer/seller claims on Amazon.

    The post 5 Laptop Stands for Every WFH Setup appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

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      How To Tell if You’re Becoming a Workaholic

      pubsub.dcentralisedmedia.com / LifehackerAustralia · Tuesday, 9 February, 2021 - 05:38 · 4 minutes

    As a culture, we’ve come to value growth and productivity , making paid work not only a necessity but a central concern in peoples’ lives. Yet this attitude towards work is harming us more than it’s helping, with research showing that workaholism (also known as work addiction) is a growing problem in the industrialised world . And according to the findings of a recent study, work addiction is linked with poorer mental health .

    Work addiction is a clinical condition characterised by an obsessive and compulsive interest in work. People usually work more than they’re required to, either by the workplace or because of financial need. Other characteristics include being concerned about their performance at work, rigid thinking and perfectionism, which is often projected onto others .

    People with work addiction are driven to work excessively, despite the detrimental impacts this has on their personal health and wellbeing, and relationships. People at risk of developing work addiction often have low self-esteem, experience doubt about their performance at work, or have obsessive-compulsive personality traits .

    Numerous studies have shown the negative impact of work addiction on mental health. But a recent study on workers in France investigated why work addiction happens to better understand the impact it has on mental and physical health.

    The researchers looked at a total of 187 workers from a range of different occupations and demographics, who were asked to answer four different questionnaires. They found that high work demands and people who worked in high-pressure roles – for example, managers with greater responsibilities – were the most significant factors contributing to the risk of work addiction.

    Where this was accompanied by working longer hours than required and having an obsessive approach to work, there was an even greater risk of developing work addiction. Women were also shown to be more predisposed to developing work addiction than men. Although it’s not entirely clear why women were more likely to develop work addiction, other research has had similar findings.

    Workers with depression were twice as likely to develop work addiction compared to those without a mental health issue. Poor quality of sleep, high levels of stress and low levels of overall wellbeing were also identified as high-risk factors.

    Although this study’s sample size was small, previous research has also shown that work addiction is associated with depression, stress, sleep disorders and lower mental health . Burnout and exhaustion were also reported.

    Mental health

    Work addiction is more common in industrialised countries where work performance is a measure of success. This suggests that neoliberal ideas about work are influential in increasing the risk of work addiction. These ideas place pressure on intensifying workloads and performance at work in order to promote economic growth. They also focus on increasing a person’s responsibilities at work.

    Given the harms of work addiction, radical changes in both workplaces and society will be necessary. As I have argued before, this would require society to stop viewing work as a pivotal tool of performance and growth, and instead place greater value and importance on the health and wellbeing of the worker, both individually and collectively.

    Support and change can actually happen in the workplace itself, which is why it’s important for employers to recognise and address work demands in a positive way. For example, one study has found that increasing job security and opportunities for development lowered the risk of work addiction.

    Other studies have suggested that work-life balance interventions could reduce the risk or work addiction. For example, if workplaces actively reduce working hours in order to give employees a chance to spend more time with their family, it can actually result in better work performance. And, fewer working hours may also reduce family conflict for workers, as employees are able to engage in family time more meaningfully.

    Promoting work-life balance has also been shown to increase both physical and psychological health , and personal resilience for workers. Balancing time and energy used on work and personal life helps people feel better – subsequently both improving mental and physical health.

    All this suggests that workplaces should develop work-life balance initiatives, provide opportunities for career development and increase job security to prevent work addiction from happening. These changes may also lower stress and absenteeism while improving performance.

    But not all workplaces have these kind of strategies in place – and they can be hard to implement because of our culture’s focus on performance and economic growth. If you’re concerned you have or are developing work addiction, address the problem now if possible.

    Seek support at work by talking to managers and peers if you can, ask for performance feedback, or even see if there is a way you can work to reduce some of your working hours. Speaking to mental health and wellbeing services can also help. If you don’t have support in your workplace, try talking with friends and family, and ask for their help in refocusing your time – such as having them remind you to take breaks from work.

    Of course, better work-life balance will help, but this can be a very hard thing to do as it requires adjusting daily patterns and changing how you think and feel. But if you’re able to balance work with other activities – such as seeing family and friends, exercising, or enjoying hobbies – your mental health and wellbeing will improve. The Conversation

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

    The post How To Tell if You’re Becoming a Workaholic appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

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      How to Use a Cover Letter Template Without Making It Obvious

      pubsub.dcentralisedmedia.com / LifehackerAustralia · Monday, 8 February, 2021 - 21:15 · 4 minutes

    For people who aren’t used to patting themselves on the back, crafting a cover letter can feel like a daunting exercise, especially if you’re applying for a bunch of jobs in a short timeframe. But it’s worth the effort — what starts out as a blank word document will become an essential tool with which you’ll market your best talents and get strangers excited to put you on payroll.

    If crafting a fresh cover letter for every application is daunting, you should consider using a template for your cover letters, but if you do, you’ll have be subtle about it. Using an obvious fill-in-the-blank template won’t earn you any points with hiring managers — you still want your personal flavour to shine through.

    Should I Send My Resume as a PDF or Word Document?

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    Cover the basics

    There is a simple formula to cover letter writing, which is to say that every letter doesn’t need to be completely original. Luckily, you can tailor your cover letter to follow a general flow, with paragraphs that discuss different aspects of your qualifications.

    Here’s what Resume Genius suggests:

    • Introductory paragraph: This is the section that gets you noticed. It’s what separates letters that get read in full from those that get thrown in a slush pile. Use this section to describe your experience in glowing terms, and note why it makes you a good fit for the job you’re applying to. (I always consider it a good practice to name the job you’re applying to, i.e. ‘I think my experience makes me an excellent candidate for the position of [insert job title].’”)
    • Body paragraphs: Describe how your experience would be put to use in your role with the company. Feel free to elaborate on the information you have listed on your resume, detailing how it could be parlayed into workplace success.
    • Call to action: In the last section — which should also include a thank you — tell the hiring manager about your excitement (taking the opportunity to circle back to your expertise one last time), and note that you’re looking forward to speaking to them.

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    Tinker with the same rough outline for different jobs

    While the general feel of a cover letter should be the same across the board — the focus is always going to be getting someone to notice you by singing your own praises — the content of your letter should vary based upon the job you’re trying to get.

    So consider drafting a cover letter like a jigsaw puzzle, and then cutting/adding what you need to make it more appropriate for various gigs, making sure to address your ability to handle as many of the listed job responsibilities as possible by sharing examples from your career history . If you’re applying to a job in social media marketing one week and then a job in PR the next, you’re obviously going to give different skills more weight in your cover letter, depending upon the listing. But a lot of the general content about your experience, your career ambitions and what you bring to the table as a generous and hardworking colleague will remain the same.

    You can think of your cover letter as your professional story. In this way, the letter is like a novel that proceeds toward a predetermined endpoint from a basic premise — only some of the chapters change depending upon the job you’re applying to.

    Bring Three Key Stories With You To Your Next Job Interview

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    Realise what works across the board

    If you’re able to come up with great copy that you think will make an HR manager weak in the knees, use it in all of your cover letters. Don’t submit the exact same letter across the board. But if you’ve come up with an effective way of phrasing various things — like your professional accolades, or compliments your managers have given you — then don’t be shy about shoehorning those things into all of your letters. Save a draft of every cover letter you send out so you can mine earlier versions for information relevant to other potential gigs.

    A simple rule exists to justify cutting down on the time it takes to draft bespoke cover letters for each position: If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. This is especially true of the general information about you as a worker and colleague, which will ring true no matter the job you’re gunning for.

    The post How to Use a Cover Letter Template Without Making It Obvious appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

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      8 of the Best Career Development Podcasts

      pubsub.dcentralisedmedia.com / LifehackerAustralia · Sunday, 7 February, 2021 - 21:11 · 3 minutes

    So you are seeking career advice, but so far no book, article, or professional relationship has guided you to the promised land. If you’re grinding out long workdays in tandem with a search for professional guidance, you might not have enough time to juggle both demands simultaneously. So why not plug in your headphones and allow someone to deliver sage professional wisdom directly into your ears, even as you navigate your workday?

    Seeking out a podcast might be an easier way to find the answers you seek anyway — and luckily, there are more than enough career development podcasts out there to answer most of your burning questions.

    Accidental Creative

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    Aren’t we all looking for a creative spark? The A ccidental Creative , hosted by Todd Henry (author of a book of the same name) probes for the lesser known insights into how people build their on-the-job creative sparks into a fire that will light their career paths. What does it take to jolt yourself out of a creative lull? Listen and find out .

    Side Hustle School

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    I don’t recommend having a side hustle purely for the sake of having a side hustle. There’s no reason to work beyond the normal demands of your actual job; if you have to, that’s often an unfortunate symptom of the modern economy’s undervaluing of workers. But if want to do what you love and take your side hustle from an auxiliary passion to your primary means of bacon-winning, give this podcast a try. You’ll find it offers some pretty actionable advice, given that every episode features a chat between host Chris Guillebeau and an entrepreneur who has made their side hustle their primary vocation.

    Dear Harvard Business Review

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    Wish you were a fly on the wall at The Harvard Business Review? The closest thing you’ll get to that level of professional voyeurism is via the magazine’s podcast, Dear Harvard Business Review . You’ll wade deep into issues that effect not only the corporate sector as a whole, but the worker-bees who comprise its rank and file. Moreover, you’ll find it super actionable, as longtime HBR editors Alison Beard and Dan McGinn co-host and share their hard-won insights in every episode.

    The Twenty Minute VC

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    Some people — certainly not everyone — dream of wooing a room full of venture capitalists to make a lucrative investment in their business. Since most startups today rely on the well-heeled investor set to finance their dreams, the podcast The Twenty Minute VC , hosted by Harry Stebbings, walks listeners through the VC trenches, discussing what characteristics you need to become one of those compelling leaders who walks away with big checks.

    Pivot

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    To use some annoyingly overwrought corporate-speak, if you’re yearning for a career change, you need to pivot . This podcast focuses on how to do exactly that, as host Jenny Blake discusses how to gather the inner strength, focus, and determination required to turn the daunting notion of a career transition into a reality.

    Career Cloud Radio

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    If you want straight tips and advice from the pros, queue up Career Cloud Radio . This one is for prospective job-getters, so only tune in if you’re on the hunt for a new gig. You’ll hear all the latest nitty-gritty from seasoned recruiters, career coaches, and HR experts on how to land the job you want.

    Squiggly Careers

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    Hosts Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper, founders of the the career development company Amazing If, walk listeners through the ins and outs of maintaining focus and meeting career goals. It sounds like generic advice, but it definitely isn’t: The hosts interview tons of entrepreneurs to get their unique takes on what tools are helpful for carving out success, and which ones you can leave behind.

    The School of Greatness

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    Sometimes you just need a pep talk, the career version of walking into a room with John Wooden or Vince Lombardi. The School of Greatness , hosted by former pro football player Lewis Holmes, will acquaint you with what it means to have a winning mentality (if you’re up for that kind of thing). The show touts high profile guests such as “Alanis Morissette, Scooter Braun, Julianne Hough, Jack Canfield, [and] Arianna Huffington,” per its website, all of whom share their thoughts on what it means to achieve in work and beyond.

    The post 8 of the Best Career Development Podcasts appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .