Say It Skillfully® – Navigating the Job Search, Interviews & More
June 28, 2022
Hosted by Molly Tschang
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Episode Description
Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 137, Molly talks with early-in-career professionals about their job searches! Molly’s first caller, a recent college graduate, is having a tough time getting her foot in the door in children's educational media. Aviva shares how she expected to face rejection, but sees “success in failure”. She realizes finding people to connect with at the companies she’s applying to is basically a full-time job itself. They discuss how taking a position that isn’t necessarily your “dream job” can be vital for learning skills, showing your value and getting to know yourself. Next, Michael returns to the show after calling in to share his inspiring recent few years in China and Taiwan, where he developed his ability to teach English to 5-year olds! Now back in the states, Michael is exploring different avenues for the next chapter. He shares his strengths that he discovered while overseas, as a leader and in solving problems with people who think very differently than he. Molly helps Michael with potential interview questions, including an example of how he would explain his strengths to make sure that it lands in the best way possible, and the importance of knowing how your strengths connect with the tasks and needs of the job at hand (14:10). Then Alex calls in to share her post-college career journey, working for a tech consulting company for 9 years where she mastered their proprietary software, as well as the struggles of switching to a job in which that software mastery didn’t quite translate. Along the way, she was diagnosed with ADHD! Alex explains how, due to her ADHD, she worked extremely well under pressure and dealing with big problems, but struggled to stay productive when things were calm. She goes into depth about her job transitioning process, and opens up about how tough it was working 10-11 hour days then taking online courses after work to beef up her resume and build up her skills. Alex then talks about what she learned about herself during this very worthwhile process. (31:55) Molly’s last caller, recent college grad Emma, is working two jobs while searching for a full time role. She calls in a day before an interview to discuss the best ways to present herself as a confident candidate. Emma and Molly role play some interview questions, including articulating her strengths, with examples of situations in which these strengths have come up at work. Molly then helps Emma with the best way to phrase her answer to the dreaded “What is your biggest weakness?” question (42:50). Don’t miss these conversations and learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself. Molly’s thought for the week: ”When everything seems to be going against you, remember—the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” —Henry Ford.
Say It Skillfully®
Tuesday at 8 AM Pacific Time/11 AM Eastern Time on VoiceAmerica Business Channel
Molly Tschang's Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you benefit from Molly's guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. She helps everyone from CEOs to interns to recognize that we are all both part of the problem as well as the solution, and that the path to solving any problem is to say what needs to be said.
Molly is a rare breed: tough enough to advise CEOs and company boards, but empathetic enough to understand the human costs of not allowing talent to shine. She has helped dozens of management teams navigate the human after-effects of mergers and acquisitions, and her show brings her expert guidance to a wider audience.
Say It Skillfully® every Tuesday at 8 AM Pacific Time/11 AM Eastern Time on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel.
Molly Tschang
Molly Tschang helps her clients' organizations gain the skills to Win As One, which most other companies never even try to do. She starts at the top, guiding management to commit to each other’s success and lead as one cohesive unit.
Molly is Founder and CEO of Abella Consulting, a New York-based leadership development and business advisory consultancy that helps senior leaders cultivate the collaborative capacity to elevate individual, team and organizational performance resulting in accelerated sustained, profitable growth. She created and hosts the “Say It Skillfully®” video series on LinkedIn, making it easier for all members of an organization to say what needs to be said in a constructive and productive manner.
Prior to launching Abella, Molly held executive leadership positions at Cisco Systems and U.S. Filter, where she led the integration of over 80 acquisitions. She holds a BS in chemical engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from UCLA. In 2017, Molly was selected from among 12,000 applicants to be a protégé of Marshall Goldsmith through his 100 Coaches initiative. In her downtime, she enjoys tennis, yoga and cooking with family and friends.
