4 Leadership Lessons From an Oil and Gas Executive - Your Career Intel

4 Leadership Lessons From an Oil and Gas Executive - Your Career IntelAt a coffee shop in 2015, shortly after graduating from college, I sat down to breakfast with an executive whose values, integrity and wisdom changed my thoughts on what leadership means.Nervous but excited, I asked him What does it take to become an executive? It was a conversation Ill never forget and Im now lucky to call him my friend.We live in a competitive job landscape and there are many hurdles between college graduation and a role as an executive. With the downturn in the oil and gas industry, it takes resilience, intelligence and adaptability to rise to the top. His example and advice truly inspire me and I hope that his advice inspires you as well.Here are four of the biggest lessons Ive learned from him.Be Generous.While it may sound counterintuitive, this executive taught me that leadership is about service. The best and most successful leaders empower others to grow and rise with them. Be generous wit h your time and knowledge. By having a service-oriented attitude, you demonstrate your ability to lead, teach, provide and, ultimately, draw out the best in others.Create Your Own Luck.One of the tough truths about rising into leadership is that there is a certain element of luck being in the right place at the right time with the right skill set. You are still your own best agent of change. As the saying goes, luck happens when preparation meets opportunity. Oil and gas is a relationship-driven business. Invest the time and effort in relationship development. Attend conferences, acquire a mentor, meet as many people as you can, and maintain ansicht relationships. In the executives words, I didnt get to where I am without help from others.While some of these relationships may not seem valuable at the time you initiate them, you never know where people will be in three, five or even ten years. With a little luck and perfect timing, investing in relationships now will provide you with advancement opportunities in the future.Be Flexible.The oil and gas industry is always changing with technology advancing and companies making strategic acquisitions are you prepared to capitalize on new opportunities as they arise? Grow by getting comfortable being uncomfortable. Stepping out of your comfort zone is never easy and it may require learning a new skill, confronting new challenges, residing in a different country, meeting new people, or even acquiring a new opportunity with a new company. The mora diverse your skill set is, the most likely you are to be effective in a wide variety of situations, a key leadership trait.Differentiate Yourself.Knowledge is power in our business. The more knowledge you have, the more valuable you become. Gain certifications, Learn different technologies. Study what competitors are doing because executives know that intelligence can be the difference between success and failure. Finally, learn to speak another language. With the oil and ga s industry seeing greater diversity than ever before, its to your benefit understand a different language whether it be Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese or Arabic. Achieving basic business proficiency in these languages will open up new opportunities and could even lead to work overseas, a horizon expanding experience that bolsters your leadership credentials.We Millennials can learn from individuals like this who inspire change in others and carve a path for future leaders like us to follow. Take notice, be patient and be humble. One day you just may be an inspiration for someone like yourself.Your move, future leaders

How to Delay Your Start Date So You Can Take a Breather

How to Delay Your Start Date So You Can Take a Breather Americans are good at a lot of things, but taking vacations is definitely bedrngnis one of them. Culturally, weve been programmed to go-go-go, equating productivity with success and thinking of downtime as welchested time. According to Expedias annual Vacation Deprivation Report, U.S. vacation time is at a five-year low. American workers received 14 vacation days on average and used 10, meaning 653.9 million days were left on the table in 2018. 63 percent of Americans go six months or longer without a vacation, and 28 percent have gone a full year without taking a vacation. And 25 percent admit to checking work email/voicemail at least once a day while on vacation.But in reality, vacation is so much mora than wasted time. Countless studies have proven that taking time off is incredibly beneficial for employees of all ages and levels, as it allows us to decompress and disconnect from daily work stressors and come back relaxed and rejuvenated. After taking a vacation just two days in length, people reported liking themselves more, feeling more confidence in their ability to solve problems and feeling more hopeful and outgoing. 91 percent of Americans feel taking a vacation lets them hit the reset button on stress and anxiety. And 82 percent come back from vacation with more patience for their coworkers and clients.Its clear that taking time off is hugely beneficial, but depending on your workplace, you may not get a ton of paid vacation time each year. And thats why the holy grail of PTO occurs when youre in the process of switching to a new job.Think about it so many professions require employees to be connected constantly (which is a different story for another day), so at what other point in your career will you truly have no work responsibilities no office to commute to, no email to check, no babo to report to calling your name?The thought of asking your new anfhrer to delay your start date may be inti midating, but its important for your overall health and wellbeing. Plus, some companies have a PTO probation period, meaning that it could be months before you can ask for even a day or two off.So, how can you negotiate a delayed start date without appearing like a slacker?1. Suggest a start date that allows you buffer time.The simplest way to give yourself time off between jobs is to suggest a first day thats a few weeks out from when you wrap up the job youre leaving. Youre not required to tell your new employer when your last day of your old gig is, so simply saying, I was thinking about X date for my first day. Would that work for you? can be all you need to give yourself the vacation (or staycation) you deserve. If your new boss pushes back, think about what this says about him or her from a bigger-picture standpoint. While some professions do have true urgency to get new employees in by a certain time, most have some wiggle room. And if your new manager isnt budging on a start date without a legitimate reason, wegs are this wont be the last tricky conversation you have about taking time off. It might cause you to rethink your decision to make a move.2. Cite your desire to start your new job energized and refreshed.Employers want their employees to be engaged, and chances are that engagement levels will never be higher than the first few days and weeks of a new job. What employers dont want, on the other hand, are employees who are burnt out from day one. If your new boss suggests a start date thats sooner than you want, try saying, Im eager to hit the ground running, and I know Ill be able to perform to the best of my ability if I take a little time off before I start. Could my first day be X date instead? Engagement levels aside, employers want to start work relationships off on the right foot, so a respectful request can go a long way.Thinking this is easier said than done? Consider this success story from LisaBarone, chief marketing officer at Overit, a creative agency in New YorkIn 2012, I quit the agency that I had co-founded 3.5 years earlier, left the team I had helped staff, and did so without another job lined up. At the time, I didnt know what I wanted to do or even if I would stay in my chosen marketing career. I just knew I needed a break I was burnt out, unhappy, and unhealthy.Quicker than I imagined, a new opportunity presented itself. It was the team, the opportunity, and chance I needed to reboot my marketing career and to take things in a new direction. I met with my new boss and the team and had long, in-depth conversations about the position and what it could it mean for everyone. It all sounded great. My boss made me an offer, and I acceptedbut with one big condition. I wanted to take six months off.I was direct about the ask. I told him outright that I believed in what he was doing and that I thought this could be a good fit for both of usbut that I needed to get healthy first. I left my last agency because I felt like I had lost myself. I needed the time to decompress from that experience and to put myself on a better track. Thats the only way Id be the best employee for him.I remember him chuckling a bit initially but, to his credit, he was accommodating and told me to take the time I needed. Hes someone that values work/life balance and the need to put people first. I arrived at the office six months later and, six years later, Im still here.Asking your new boss for a breather before you start a job doesnt have to be scary or complicatedit simply requires the confidence that you deserve time off. And trust us, you do.More on taking a breatherpassionate about helping people find the motivation to create lasting, positive change in their lives, whether personal or professional. Learn more at kaitlinbitting.com.

How to Recruit the Best Talent (and Ignore the Title)

How to Recruit the Best Talent (and Ignore the Title)When youre ready to expand your team, its important to zero in on exactly what youre looking for in your new member. However, when recruiting its common for hiring managers to get caught up in titles. What specific role will this person fill? Are they a Manager? A Specialist? A Coordinator? While you should certainly hammer out these details, getting too caught up in the specifics of the title and ignoring the bigger questions that surround the lage makes life challenging for both the hiring manager and the new employee. Heres why title doesnt always matter during the recruitment process Titles Can Be VagueWhen titles are ambiguous, they leave potential new hires confused about what exactly they would be doing should they receive a job offer. Additionally, co-workers who will have to interact with this individual regularly may also feel uncertain about what role this person fills within the business.They Can Also Be ArbitraryIn man y cases, a new employee receives a specific title just because the person who held this role before them left and now the position needs to be filled. The title may not accurately reflect the new team members particular abilities or experience.Instead of getting caught up in the details of a title, focus more on telling potential new employees what they can expect should they get the job. What are the short and long term goals that are associated with the position? What kinds of skills and strengths should the person in this role have? Ultimately, what type of personality has found success in this position in the past? Adding these details to a job description ensures that youre recruiting qualified talent.Recruiting The Best Talent ProperlyOnce youve done your part to inform interested applicants about the responsibilities that come along with the job, its now up to you to make sure that youre recruiting for the position properly. Just like you dont want to get too hung up on title s when you have an open spot to fill, dont get so focused on resumes that you forget to analyze the people behind the documents. You might find that a candidate has the drive, experience, and connections necessary to excel with your company, but that they lack the educational pedigree you were hoping to see. You cant teach ambition or willingness to learn, so factor these elements in as you conduct your search.Watch The Recruiting Reel Episode 6 What to Hire for Other than SkillAdditionally, youll want to consider how a new hire will fit in with the rest of your team. When you bring a new employee in and they end up clashing with veteran members of your staff, everyone loses. Take into account a potential new hires personality too in order to ensure that your company continues to be a peaceful place to do business.In order to recruit the best talent, what are some other things hiring managers should be looking for in a new hire?

This is why you cant remember what day it is on shorter work weeks

This is why you cant remember what day it is on shorter work weeksThis is why you cant remember what day it is on shorter work weeksWhat day is it today?After a federal holiday has blessed us with a long weekend, Ive found myself asking this simple question more times that Id like to admit. Turns out, my memory lapses are normal because science has shown that even if you give us extra days off, were still animals wedded to routine - and ur brains will instinctually think its Friday when its actually Thursday.We use ur two-day weekends to set our internal clocksNew York Magazines Science of Us section looked at this problem recently. A famous 1974 study showed how we set our internal clocks to our weekends. The researchers in this study wanted to test the hypothesis of whether theease of answering a question about a point in time is a function of its distance from the operative landmark.So they started asking passers-by on a college campus what day of the week it was. The researchers found that we use the typical weekend days, Saturday and Sunday, as our anchoring points in time.Their hypothesis on operative landmarks proved true. The further people were from the weekend, the longer it took them to answer the simple question of what day is it? and the harder time they had of getting the question right. In other words, our proximity to the weekend is our North Star to guiding how we set time.It makes sense then that when our routine weekend days flip, or get extended on holiday weekends, our internal clocks are thrown off even more.Other factors that can unmoor you in timeThere are other factors that can change our perception of time, and make it harder to remember what day it is.Stressful work days, drinking alcohol, and enduring illnesses have all been linked to affecting our brains ability to recall basic information like what day it is.But the point is, its not just you. There are external factors at play here. So next time people at work look at you funny f or not knowing what day it is after a short week, you can tell them that, no really, time got away from you.

How to Make Travel Part of Your Career (No Matter What You Do)

How to Make Travel Part of Your Career (No Matter What You Do)How to Make Travel Part of Your Career (No Matter What You Do)Youve probably heard at least one of your colleagues talk about ditching it all to travel the world. I know when I ask people what their dream career or lifestyle is, many will say it involves travel of some kind.And while I love dishing out advice about how travel and culture can become partee of your life, I wanted to share some fresh perspectives of other travelers who love it just as much as I do. This week, six very unique women share how they made globetrotting part of their career, why they decided to make the leap into a life of travel, and their best advice for how you can do it, too.Jeannie MarkFounder, Nomadic ChicknomadicchickHow I Made Travel Part of My CareerI started as a junior project manager at an engineering firm, but felt passionless about my work. What always shone through for me was travel, though, so I began taking short solo trips and dis covered a world I never knew existed- one where I could think outside the box and truly become me.Because of those experiences, I began Nomadic Chick as a source to help women live an adventurous, creative life- which can be centered on travel or not. (Thats the beauty of life- its full of choices)My Advice to Professionals Aspiring to TravelDreaming is wonderful, but the first step is being honest with yourself about what it means to actually leave the cubicle. Often, people do it without understanding why- but deep unhappiness is a huge tanzfest of yarn to unravel. Once youve gotten real about why, the next step is to figure out the how. Start a budget to move money toward your dreams. Network with like-minded people who can offer support and ideas, whether in-person or online, and finally, find an emotional support system- people who will never tell you your dreams are crazy, because they arent.Beth SantosFounder, Go Girl Travel NetworkmaximumbethHow I Made Travel Part of My Care erGo Girl Travel Network had an interesting start. The idea came about in 2009, when I was living on the small two-island nation of Sao Tome and Principe, off the west coast of Africa. I started writing about being a woman in the world and living locally, and the website grew.In 2011, I moved to Chicago, where I worked at Rotary International as a grant officer, providing funding and assisting with the development of service projects in the Caribbean and Latin America. It was fun to balance the international dem gemeinwohl verpflichtet world with my pursuits at Go Girl, but eventually I had to make a tough decision, because my hobby was really becoming a job. I was working eight hours a day, then coming home and working another five or six hours into the night. It was the right time, and Im so glad I did it.My Advice to Professionals Aspiring to TravelIf youre looking to make travel a part of your career, you dont have to leave your job and start a new business sometimes you can fin d travel right under your nose. (When I worked at Rotary, for example, I was always traveling and loved it.) That being said, if you have a passion that youre not fulfilling because your job is holding you back, my advice is to start crafting your exit strategy. Sit yourself down and make a savings plan so that when you leave your job, youll have a little cash to fall back on. Im always one to encourage people to go for their dreams, but make sure you also do it responsibly. Take small steps in the right direction before you take a blind leap, and youll be better off for it.Gillian DuffyFounder, One Giant StepOneGiantStepHow I Made Travel Part of My CareerI have always wanted to live a life less ordinary. Theres a saying that you will make the change when the pain of staying where you are is greater than the pain of changing. Thats what happened- the fear of staying and continuing on became much greater than the fear of stepping out to see if I could do it.Now, my partner Jason and I run a travel blog and an affiliate-based travel book site. Weve also released a book How to Find the Perfect Vacation Rental and plan on two more this year, and we do some freelance writing, too. We currently do a mishmash of things to keep a sustainable income and hope it will evolve in the coming years into a more definable model.My Advice to Professionals Aspiring to TravelOne way to overcome fear is to face it head on. Describe exactly what you are fearful of and determine what you would do if the worst case scenario actually happened. Often, its not that bad and there is a way to manage it. The safety net of experience, knowledge, and education stays with you- honestly, the worst case scenario is probably that youd have to come home and go back to your old job. Not that bad, right?Then its just guts, gumption, and hard work to keep it going. The biggest lesson we learned is to trust ourselves. We may have left our careers behind, but we didnt leave our education, experience, skills, knowledge, talent, and success behind. We lean on it and add to it every day as we move forward on our projects. Stephanie DenzerProgram Manager, Spark VenturesSparkVentures SADenzerHow I Made Travel Part of My CareerLearning Spanish in middle and high school at immersive summer camps helped pique my interest in cross-cultural experiences. Later, when I lived in Argentina during college, I worked with a social sector organization and realized I could combine my strong interest in developing innovative solutions to poverty with my willingness to have an open mind to new cultural contexts. From there, I knew international development was the right career path for me.I found the perfect balance for me at Spark Ventures. We partner with grassroots organizations in the developing world who are providing nutrition, education, and healthcare to kids. We help these local organizations become financially sustainable by jointly launching for-profit businesses.My Advice to Professiona ls Aspiring to TravelTake advantage of your vacation time to step out of your comfort zone. At Spark Ventures, we offer Partnership Trips- volunteer travel opportunities that meld giving back with the opportunity to build lasting relationships with the communities we work in. Take a trip that gives you a taste of the kind of travel you might hope to make a part of your career. It will either confirm or refocus your desire to make it a bigger part of your life.Brooke RobertsFounder, Yoga Travel TreeYogaTravelTree thenewdorothyHow I Made Travel Part of My CareerI was actually pretty lucky to realize early on that travel and international experiences would be important factors for any career I chose. Since I studied abroad so many times during my undergraduate studies, it was a natural evolution that I decided to make international education administration my lifes work. My international experiences played a profound role in my academic and personal lives- it was only natural that I w anted to continue those experiences (and help even more people have them) part of my professional life as well. In the last year, I switched to an entirely different industry, but it was important to me to maintain that connection to international travel and experiences. Now I run my own company where we help yogis find meaningful yoga experiences all over the world.My Advice to Professionals Aspiring to TravelMy path was a little different, since I didnt leave a career to go travel the world international travel has always been a huge part of every job Ive had. However, leaving a job to start the entrepreneurial journey was definitely a big leap of faith.My advice is to sit down and make a plan. Im a numbers person, so its really helpful for me to understand how much savings I have, how much its going to cost me to live month-to-month after Ive left my job, and how I can use the skills and resources I have to earn a steady income while my company is growing.I also suggest looking a t paid opportunities abroad such as teaching. This is a great way to get to know another culture, provide a launch pad for mini trips in the region, and give you time to build up your new business while youre still earning some income.Samantha KelleyCo-founder, Atlantic ImpactAtlantic_impactHow I Made Travel Part of My CareerI was at a point in my life when I was searching for a job opportunity, when I was presented with the idea of starting an organization that makes international travel a reality for underprivileged youth. Id always had a passion for experiencing new places and cultures, and I loved the idea of allowing young people who dont have that opportunity to be able to do so.It has been a roller coaster ride for sure there have been incredibly high highs and incredibly low lows. But what got us through was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel the vision for what Atlantic Impact could be, how significant travel experiences could be for youth, and how we fit into it all .My Advice to Professionals Aspiring to TravelIgnore the naysayers. If you want to do something different from the societal norm, there will likely be people around you who dont understand and try to discourage you. Try to find a community of people who do understand and will be supportive. Thats what will get you through the tough times, when youll question whether youre taking the right path. Remember the big picture and why you decided to take this path in your life and career.

How to Create a Book Marketing and Publicity Campaign

How to Create a Book Marketing and Publicity CampaignHow to Create a Book Marketing and Publicity CampaignCreating a book marketing and publicity plan is necessary for all authors, whether your publisher is a traditional house or youre trying to self-publish. Authors who set up some personal market tactics to execute, whether standalone efforts or those in tandem with their publisher, sell mora copies. A strategic publicity and marketing campaign helps spread the word about your finished book. When youre the publisher, its obviously critical to devise your own detailed plan for your books publicity and marketing. But even when a traditional publisher is releasing your book, paying attention to publicity and marketing is critical. The book marketing department and the publicity department sometimes have dozens of other books to be concerned with, so your efforts as an author to create opportunities are important to the books success. Pre-Publication Platform The books launch is re ally important to give it sales momentum. To set up a proper launch, a year or mora before the books publication, lay the groundwork for the books publication. For example, you should Establish an online presence.At minimum, produce a website and create an author Facebook page for your book. EstablishTwitter and Instagram accounts to help get yourself out there.Set yourself up on other social media sites that apply to your book, such as Goodreads.com, Pinterest if your book is visual, etc.Try to guest blog or be interviewed on websites and podcasts that align with your books target audience. Network Publishers ask authors to utilize all their contacts with a tool called the author questionnaire, which helps gather all the resources an author brings to the marketing and publicity campaign. It could be as grand as having a media platform like a radio show, or as modest as finding a college alumni magazine willing to make an announcement about your books publication. The questionna ire will help you put on your thinking cap about your friends and family who might be useful the friend of a friend who writes for the local newspaper, or your cousin who owns a caf and might be willing to host a book launch darbietung. Publicity Planning Especially if youre doing your own marketing and publicity, find a solid newsworthy reason for the press to pay attention to you believe it or not, the fact that you published a book doesnt qualify as news to most media. Note that if book publicists work on your book, they will most likely take care of most of this but it doesnt hurt to be informed as to the process. Use an existing event as a media hook for your book.Craft a great press release for your book using your strategy.Create a list of media contacts and bloggers who might be interested.Attend major book conferences and be on panels. Promotional Materials Online promotion is most important. Book trailers can be inexpensive to produce, practically free to distr ibute, and best of all, are easy to share. People who find your book trailer, or the book it describes, appealing, may spread the word with their own networks. You never know who you might run into, so have information about your book handy a business card with your website address and social media handles, a postcard to send to friends and media outlets these can help your book get noticed. Execute Your Plan Self-published authors need to reach out to media and event venues to set up readings, book signings, or talks. You might also hire a freelance book PR pro to help you. Either way, its good to start with at least some idea of the publicity avenues available to you as an author emaille your press release to your media list follow up within a weekOrganize a book launch eventReach out to book festival organizersAlert your social media network, as well as your offline networkSet up readings and signings with local and regional bookstores Making a solid pre-publication marketi ng and publicity plan and following it through might not be as glamorous as writing a book, but they are important steps toward sharing your book with the world.

2017 Salary Guides for Hiring Managers

2017 Salary Guides for Hiring Managers2017 Salary Guides for Hiring ManagersHiring managers dont need anyone to tell them the job market is tough right now for employers. But they could benefit from salary guides that help them keep their job offers competitive.With unemployment rates for many specialized positions even lower than the national rate (which is itself the lowest its been since 2008), companies need to make sure their salary ranges are in line with, or ideally a bit higher than, what other firms are offering in the same area. And thats where Robert Halfs 2017 Salary Guides come in.Get the Salary GuidesThe Robert Half Salary Guides include salary ranges for hundreds of professional-level positions in a variety of fields, along with industry-specific hiring trends. (To localize salaries in your market, use the handy Robert Half Salary Calculator.)On average, starting salaries will rise by 3.6 percent in 2017. But the positions seeing the biggest increases might surprise yo uAccounting and FinanceStarting salaries for accounting and finance professionals are expected to rise by an average of 3.7 percent in 2017. The following positions are leading the pack in terms of salary range increases4.3 percent Financial analysts with 1 to 3 years experience4.3 percent Business systems analyst managers4.2 percent Internal auditors with 1 to 3 years experienceAdministrativeProfessionals in the administrative field will see salaries rise in 2017 by an average of 3.5 percent, and certain specialties - especially in the healthcare arena - will command even bigger increases4.0 percent Administrative assistants4.0 percent Medical customer service representatives4.0 percent Certified professional codersCreative and MarketingSalary guide research forecasts a bright 2017 for creative professionals, with an average salary increase of 3.6 percent for 2017. The average increases for people working in interactive design are even higher7.2 percent Front-end web developers wi th 1 to 3 years experience6.8 percent Mobile designers6.1 percent User experience designers with 3 to 5 years experienceLegalSalaries for lawyers and paralegals are anticipated to rise by 3.6 percent in 2017, but salary ranges for these legal specialties are skyrocketing8.9 percent Litigation erleichterung/eDiscovery directors with more than 10 years experience6.9 percent Lawyers with 4 to 9 years of experience6.9 percent Compliance managers with 7 to 9 years experienceTechnologyOn the whole, salaries for IT and tech professionals will rise by an average of 3.8 percent in 2017, but people in the following positions are likely to see increases that are considerably higher6.4 percent Data scientists5.8 percent Big data engineers5.7 percent Network security engineersHiring in-demand professionals doesnt have to be a headache. Get our Salary Guides and reach out to your local Robert Half office for assistance today