How Do I Break Free From Others Expectations

“How Do I Break Free From Others’ Expectations” Help from our Community “How Do I Break Free From Others’ Expectations?” * Haywood always longed fora creative career, until life â€" and other people’s expectations â€" took over. Now, after years of hard work, he’s a corporate success who inspires pride in the people he loves. But the 9â€"5 isn’t him, and he longs to give it all up. How do you change course,when it means disappointing those closest to you? What's your career history and current job? I'm a compliance manager, working for a retail goods company. Before that, I worked in TV and film production. My intention was to be a film producer. But I reluctantly gave that up, after I realised I couldn't create a financially stable career from it. How do you feel about your work? I'm good at my job, and I enjoy the sense of accomplishment I feel at the end of every day. I moved naturally into compliance because I found that I was good at research, negotiation and problem solving. I'm detail-oriented with an analytical mind, which means I'm skilled at compliance work. Within a few years, I've achieved promotion to manager level. But the environment I work in is very chaotic and disorganised. It feels like there's no real structure, and there are a lot of internal politics that make me feel uncomfortable. I'm not suited to a corporate environment. There are far too many rules to follow when you work in an office, and it often feels like a lot of people are only out for themselves. I also have no interest in what the company does, which I find very demotivating. What would you like to be doing instead? My ultimate dream is to relocate to Amsterdam, and pursue a creative career. While I'm not sure exactly what form that would take yet, I have a strong interest and background in film and TV to draw upon. I'm still producing films during evenings and weekends, so my skills and experience are up-to-date. I spend almost every waking moment outside of work being creative, because it makes me feel happy and alive. I do a lot of painting, so a career in art and design could be an option too. I worked in Amsterdam some time ago, and I instantly fell in love with the people and culture. I felt at home immediately. Now I go back at least twice every year, and I've made some good friends there. What's the biggest obstacle in your way? I'm scared that if I give up my career and follow my dreams, the people I love will view me as a disappointment. I don't come from an affluent or professional background. There wasn't very much money around when I was growing up, and life was a struggle. I've worked incredibly hard to get where I am now, and the fact that I can refer to myself as a manager in a corporate organisation is something my family and friends are really proud of. They've got very high expectations of me as a result, and I don't want to feel as though I've let them all down. I'm also worried about the financial impact of leaving a well-paid career behind. While I haven't got a family to support, I know from experience that it's hard to find creative work that pays well enough to keep the bills paid. I daydream about leaving my job with no back-up plan. Just moving to Amsterdam, then getting a job in a bar and seeing what happens from there. The idea of doing that feels exhilarating, and I'm reasonably confident that I could make something work. I've got a unique combination of creative and business skills that I know could be really useful. But there are no guarantees. If things don't work out, I'll have let down the people closest to me, and I'll be living a life of constant financial worry. I've tried looking for creative jobs in Amsterdam, or even professional roles in creative organisations, but so far I haven't found anything that fits my skills and experience. I've also tried sounding people out for advice, but no-one I've spoken to has said that they would give everything up for a life of uncertainty in a new country. In fact, most of them think I'm crazy to consider it. But my dream won't go away, and I'm finding it hard to continue with my life and work as it is. How can I plan the ultimate leap â€" a new career in a new country â€" without letting the people I love, and me, down? Can you help Haywood? Have you been in a similar situation, or are you in the same boat right now? How do you think Haywood could move his shift forwards? Do you know anyone he could talk to? Share your thoughts in the comments below and click the thumbs-up button to show your support.

10 Interview Tips for Tech Companies - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

10 Interview Tips for Tech Companies - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Interviewing with a tech company such as Facebook, Hulu, Microsoft, Spotify, or Google is somewhat different from interviewing at companies in other industries, but the basics are the same. What is similar but with a little twist? Are you passionate about the company? Are you familiar with its products, and do you use them? Do you have ideas for improvement? Do you have a real passion for technology? For example, do you read stories by tech news sources? How do you use technology every day? By any chance, are you wearing an Apple watch? Are you creative? For example, do you enjoy brainstorming? When asked to solve a problem, are you thinking outside the box and even pushing back on assumptions? Companies are looking for intelligence. Whether it’s fair or unfair, they’re looking for your college GPA. Testing you may also be part of the interview process. Are you one who gets things done? Do you work on great things, and do you typically finish them? And how about outside of work or academia? Do you take initiative? The question here is asking whether you like to go above and beyond. Anything unusual? Are you writing blogs? Have you worked on something that people were surprised about? Traditional and nontraditional interview questions You should be prepared to discuss your résumé at the interview because at some point, that subject will come up. Be prepared to explain why you changed jobs. Your answers had better be convincing because otherwise, the interviewer will dig deeper and deeperâ€"especially if the interview is with the human resources representative. Practice your pitch For every past position, you should practice delivering a blurb that starts with explaining your function and role, but the highlight should be your accomplishments. The interviewer is less interested in what you did and more interested in your accomplishments. Don’t be too long on details. Let the interviewer probe.   And sound enthusiastic. Prepare for behavior-based questions This might be difficult for some, unless prepared for it. “Tell me about a time you had to defend an idea.” Most people should be able to reply to such a request, but it’s likely that the answer is not on the tip of the tongue. Come very prepared for the interview Learn as much about the company as you can. Every interviewer wants to make sure you’ll fit into the company culture by your proving that you’ve spent extensive time learning what the company makes or the services it provides, how the company makes the product or provides the services, and how the company makes money. That knowledge will help your cause. For example, Amazon is a reseller that makes a small profit. The company has one of the world’s best distribution systems, which is supported by an excellent infrastructure. Read the latest news about the company. Know important namesâ€"at least the names of the top leadership. And learn some details and particulars about them. Twitter is a great resource for surfacing current issues at the company. Find out about the company’s competitors by researching those as well. Read about current and former employees on Twitter and Facebook. Research company leadership on LinkedIn. And last, try to learn as much as possible about the company culture. Come prepared with intelligent questions The interview should be a professional dialogue and not turn into an interrogation. You as an applicant should attempt to interweave some intelligent questions into that dialogue. Your questions should be genuine: What are the biggest issues the team faces? How much of the day is spent on coding? The questions should also be insightful. Ask something about an issue you already know something about. Perhaps ask something technical. An interviewer who’s interested in technical aspects will probe further, which will lead to a great dialogue. At that point you can say, “I’ll be happy to elaborate on that.” Interviewing is a skill that improves with practice. It is not very difficult, and what I’ve learned from coaching professionals in ways of mastering it, it’s part practice and a lot of solid preparation. Remember Larry King and Charlie Rose’s interviews? Those were not impromptu interviews but well-prepared and well-rehearsed acts.