On What to Ask During Your Job Search

As you navigate your job search, you might be focusing on the position you’re applying for rather than the culture of the company as a whole. It turns out that the culture of a workplace greatly shapes our happiness and success in our career. In this piece, Adam Grant offers advice for job seekers on how to evaluate a company’s culture. 1. Is the person in charge human and approachable? See if you can get a sense of how the company’s CEO/higher executive  treats his or her employees. That will say a lot about the company’s culture. 2. Can the little person rise to the top? How is upward mobility structured within the company? Are employees’ work fairly compensated? Are they given adequate room to grow within the company? 3. How does the boss react to mistakes? See if you can get stories of how the company has treated employees who have made mistakes in the past. Are they fired right away or are they allowed to make mistakes and learn from them? Do your research and try to understand a company’s culture before you commit. NYTimes.

On Designing a Curiosity-Driven Career

As an engineer in Silicon Valley and a co-founder of a company supporting women in tech, you’d be surprised to know that Zainab Ghadiyali had never heard of Silicon Valley until she was 25. Zainab shares how her curiosity and desire to learn has gotten her where she is today. 1. Read about people who inspire you. Read their memoirs and autobiographies. What steps did they take to get to where they are today? What can you do to advance your knowledge and network? 2. Embrace a creative, not a reactive mindset. When faced with uncertainty, treat it as a source of possibility and creativity rather than a source of fear. To shift from a reactive to a creative mindset, begin by setting an intention. That will allow you to divert your energy from fear of the unknown to motivation in achieving your end goal. 3. Let go of the notion of a “career ladder.” The most successful and impactful people usually did not have a single, smooth career path. “Careers aren’t just about rocketing upward. Expanding horizontally gives you a stronger foundation to pursue vertical growth.” First Round Review.

On Taking a Small Step Towards Each Other

In this incredibly divided and volatile time, it’s easy to become frustrated with those who do not share our political views. But denouncing others for their point of view only divides us further as a society. In this episode, two strangers from vastly different backgrounds and beliefs come together for a conversation, with each learning something from the other. Do you have a family member or friend on Facebook whose views you find unreasonable? Instead of blocking them, you can try reaching out to them and sharing a conversation with them. You will likely realize that there are logical reasons behind their views and that you might have more in common than you had thought. In our multifaceted society, we need to work on creating a culture of empathy and compassion. Take the first step today. NPR Podcast.