Like millions of working Americans, I kissed my cubicle goodbye in 2020 and haven’t looked back since.
It became all too easy to stay inside my bubble at home, especially as an textbook introvert who found socializing both physically and mentally draining even on a good, pre-pandemic day.
Still, I worry about working women and moms like myself who have begun to feel so isolated in our home and work lives that it’s now interfering with our career prospects.
Here are some solid practices to adopt to keep your professional network fresh and to ensure you’re taking enough time to devote to your career, even in isolation:
Through my work as a career coach, I often speak with women who are comfortable with their inner circle at the office but haven’t cultivated any professional relationships outside of work. If you’re feeling stuck in your current job, working on those external professional relationships could be the key to finding your next great opportunity.
Start small in a way that feels authentic to you. Invite one or two former colleagues out to lunch and catch up on their latest career moves. Let your friends be a matchmaker for you, too. One of my favorite pandemic-era friendships was formed when a friend set me up on a “blind date” with a woman he thought I’d gel with.
Just because you work in a certain industry doesn’t mean you have to network there exclusively. Think about the hobbies or interests you have and find a way to form connections that way. One of my career coaching mentees moved from Florida to Washington, D.C., last year and made new friends through a local Facebook group dedicated to podcasters.
When a friend of mine found himself in a professional rut earlier last year, he enrolled in a six-week online course aimed at helping professionals align their work with their personal values and beliefs. As hippie-dippie as it sounds, it was $500 well spent, he said, and helped him develop a brand new business model for his nonprofit.
There’s a bevy of wonderful online courses and communities available today from individual creators to massive online course hubs like Udemy and LinkedIn Learning. Your employer might even reimburse you for the expense if you classify it as professional development. In fact, consider asking your manager for an annual budget for ongoing education like this.
Even if it’s just once a week, take the time to peek at your LinkedIn inbox and make sure you’re not missing any interesting job opportunities. I’ll never forget coming back from maternity leave only to find several juicy job inquiries languishing in my LinkedIn messages.
One of my favorite tips for professionals is to master the art of passively job searching — making sure your LinkedIn profile is polished and updated and that your “open to work” signal is turned on, so that it’s easier for recruiters to spot you.
If you’re a working mom reading this wondering when you are supposed to find time to devote to networking and investing in your professional development, I hope you keep this in mind:
One of the greatest epiphanies I had early in the pandemic was that my son didn’t need *me* to personally fulfill every single one of his needs. Of course, he needs to be fed, cuddled, diaper-changed, bathed and played with. But I ran myself into the ground when I tried to do every single thing for him throughout the day as well as work. When I started to ask for help and lean on others, I suddenly found the time I needed to invest in my own personal needs. Now, when I spend quality time with my kid, I am giving him the best version of myself, fully recharged and energized.
Mandi Woodruff is an inclusive wealth-building and career expert, cohost of the Brown Ambition Podcast and founder of the MandiMoney Makers community.
(Bloomberg) — U.S. stocks slipped from an all-time high after worries over rising interest rates sparked a selloff in tech shares. Treasuries fell and the yen dropped to the lowest since 2017.Most Read from BloombergU.S. Logs Record 1 Million Virus Cases With Data DelayOmicron Cases Are Hitting Highs, But New Data Put End in SightPolice Pinpoint Starting Point of Historic Colorado WildfireIvanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr. Subpoenaed in Asset ProbeHow Safe Is Flying With the Omicron Variant Surging
News from Nio's home market and archrival are putting some investors in the electric vehicle stock on edge.
The 24-year-old actress is not making excuses this year.
LONDON, Jan. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Freeline Therapeutics Holdings plc (Nasdaq: FRLN) (the "Company" or "Freeline"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing transformative AAV-mediated gene therapies for patients suffering from inherited systemic debilitating diseases, today announced that Chief Executive Officer Michael Parini is scheduled to deliver a corporate presentation at both of the following virtual conferences: H.C. Wainwright BioConnect Conference, where an on-demand w
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., January 04, 2022–Scholar Rock (NASDAQ: SRRK), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of serious diseases in which protein growth factors play a fundamental role, today announced that management will present at the 40th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at 7:30 a.m. ET.
BOULDER, Colo., January 04, 2022–Biodesix, Inc. (Nasdaq: BDSX), a leading data-driven diagnostic solutions company with a focus in lung disease, announced the sale of 3,756,994 common shares on December 30, 2021 in an at-the-market offering that raised approximately $16.3 million in gross proceeds to fund repayment of its existing term loan.
LONG BEACH, Calif., January 04, 2022–The Beauty Health Company ("BeautyHealth" or the "Company"; NASDAQ:SKIN), a global category-creator in beauty health leading the charge with its flagship brand HydraFacialTM, today announced Liyuan Woo, Chief Financial Officer, will participate virtually in a fireside chat at the 2022 ICR Conference on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at 9:30 am Eastern Time.
LIVERMORE, Calif., January 04, 2022–McGrath RentCorp today announced it has acquired the assets of Titan Storage Containers, LLC, a regional provider of portable storage solutions in the Texas market. The transaction was funded with borrowings from McGrath RentCorp’s revolving credit facility. The acquisition adds approximately 1,100 assets to its existing Mobile Modular division fleet located in the Texas region.
"Bring on old man winter!"
Corrections and clarifications. Afghanistan population | Joan Didion
NEW YORK, January 04, 2022–Hess Schedules Earnings Release Conference Call
REDLANDS, Calif., January 04, 2022–Esri Press releases new book
CHARLOTTE, N.C., January 04, 2022–Segra announced today that Kevin T. Hart has been named Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Acquired by Cox Communications in 2021, Segra is a leading super-regional, fiber-based provider serving commercial enterprise and carrier customers, and one of the largest fiber infrastructure providers in the U.S. Hart succeeds outgoing Segra CEO Timothy Biltz and will assume responsibilities immediately.
LOS ANGELES, January 04, 2022–David Schecter is promoted to Partner by litigation firm Miller Barondess, LLP
Cleanliness starts with the air you breathe. Keep the air in your home germ, pollen and odor-free with these top air purifiers.
Qualcomm Inc on Tuesday said it is working with Microsoft Corp on custom chips that would control lightweight augmented reality glasses for use by both consumers and businesses for metaverse apps. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Qualcomm Chief Executive Cristiano Amon said during a press conference that the two companies will work together to mate the custom chips with the software that developers need to create virtual worlds in which people can work and play.
Jumanji: The Next Level's sequel is still in the works, with producer Hiram Garcia confirming they're about to deliver a pitch to Sony Pictures.
The special birthday surprise was shared with Today's viewers on Tuesday, eight days after Guthrie's 50th birthday
“Folks, I know we’re all tired and frustrated about the pandemic,” President Biden said on Tuesday ahead of his meeting with his pandemic response team. It was not the message with which he’d hoped to open the new year, but with the nation recording more than a million coronavirus cases on Monday, there was little to do but acknowledge reality, which is that the virus Biden had promised to vanquish remains very much unvanquished.
More federal testing sites are coming, the president promised as the U.S. smashed daily case count records.
