Reworkit

My favorite part of my job is when I get to reconnect with old friends and classmates and this guest podcast I did recently for "The Finance Business & Purpose Podcast" was no exception. I got to reconnect with my former classmate Adina Appelbaum from International Empowerment? LLC. Like myself, Adina has found herself in the world of entrepreneurship, while also valuing social impact work. In our podcast episode we talk about how to find that clarity in your career and connect with your "why". And how doing so might even lead you to entrepreneurship! I think what most set this episode apart from other podcasts I've been on is how we touch on how to make money while leading and making decisions from your mission, values, and purpose. I often speak with entrepreneurs who got into business to help others, but struggle with that balance between charging for their services/making money and giving back/being accessible. Listen in on how I handle that delicate balance and to learn more about my own career journey and story. And most importantly, thank you Adina for reconnecting us! I'm so in awe of your work, intellect, and passion. #podcast #careercoach #socialimpact #entrepreneurship #careertransition

Imagine a workplace where employees eagerly anticipate the next leadership training—where "training day" is synonymous with opportunity, not obligation. This can be a reality when companies shift their approach to employee development and its one of the experiences at Starwood Hotels that people remember most fondly. In case you haven't been following , I'm on a mission to discover and distill down the secret to building a company culture that cultivates strong employee loyalty and I'm using Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. as my benchmark. --- Here is what we can learn from Starwood in order to create a culture where training is valued: ?? Clear ROI - The most impactful training programs aren’t forced as part of a "check-the-box" compliance. Rather, they are programs that offer true development opportunities where employees can see and understand the ROI. When this happens, employees will choose to engage with the material more deeply, seeing it as an investment in their own growth rather than just another task. ?? Align with Core Values - Training should reflect and reinforce your company’s core values. Programs that teach employees to challenge the status quo, innovate, and drive continuous improvement help embed these values into the company culture. Ask yourself, how are you training your employees to live the values you espouse are important? ? Follow-Through is Key - Don’t stop at training. Create roles and processes that allow employees to apply what they’ve learned in their daily work. This ensures that the training has a lasting impact and contributes to the company's success and again reinforces the ROI on the training to begin with. ? Respect Employees' Time - Consider the timing and relevance of training sessions. Schedule them when employees can fully engage without other pressures, and ensure the content is directly applicable to their roles. Also, create a culture where you encourage space to dedicate to training and managers don't undermine this investment. --- By implementing these practices, companies can transform training from a checkbox exercise into a powerful tool for growth and innovation. You can read more about the unique way Starwood approached training in the article I've linked in the comments below. Have you ever attended a corporate training that you really valued and still see the benefits of to this day? #corporatetraining #enjoyyourstay #starwoodproud #consultant #culture - - - - ???? I’m Jess Wass, CEO & Founder of Reworkit ?? I help overachievers find the best places to work and support organizations who want to become the best place to work. ?? Follow my series, "Enjoy Your Stay" where I investigate what was it that was so special about Starwood’s culture that created a cult of employee loyalty, even years after the company no longer exists?

In case you missed it, I'll be participating in the Out in Tech Leadership Institute in NYC from September 12-14 as a speaker talking about "Managing Up to Level Up"! This is a fantastic event for LGBTQ+ tech professionals — from managers to C-Suite execs, focusing on leadership and career development. But it gets even better because if you haven't already registered, as my guest, you can use the code "JoinMeOIT" to get 20% off the registration fee. Hope to see you there! https://lnkd.in/ej8Jh9aD #OutInTech #Leadership #Networking #CareerGrowth #careercoach

If you're currently interviewing at companies, here is a quick tip I shared with theSkimm ... Prepare questions to ask that aren't run-of-the-mill and are specific to your needs. Its easy to ask ChatGPT what questions to ask in an interview, but that won't impress your interviewer or even help you. Instead focus on working backwards. Start by identifying what is most important to you in a role and company to enable you to thrive. Then craft a question based on that criteria. Also, prioritize those questions as often there is only time at the end of the interview for you to ask 1-2 questions. Avoid questions that could be interpreted as lack of commitment or willingness to put in the work (e.g. what time do you start/end the work day?). Instead replace it with a more open ended question such as "Can you walk me through a typical day from last week?" And avoid questions that are easy for an interviewer to say what they think you want to hear like "Do you like working here?". It's better to flip that question to an open ended question like "What do you like most about your work?" or the inverse, "What is one thing you would change if you could?" And if you could use help preparing to enter the job search process and improving your interview skills, send me a DM as my company, Reworkit, offers job search coaching programs and resources. What is your favorite question to ask during an interview? #jobsearch #careercoach #interviewprep #interviewadvice

We have all heard that the best way to land a new job is through your network. But what does that actually entail? How do you tap into your network in a way that doesn’t feel like you are just using them for a favor? How do we even build our network in a way that feels authentic and not sleazy? What does it even mean to “nurture” your network?! That’s exactly what I plan to discuss and share with you as I host a webinar featuring two networking experts: Ashley Rudolph and Baily Hancock. As a Performance and Career Coach at Reworkit, Ashley works with clients all the time who feel reluctant or nervous about tapping into their network to help them advance their career goals and navigate the job search process more effectively. As a Connection Strategist & Professional Friend-Maker, Baily has mastered the art of building, maintaining and leveraging relationships in an authentic way. She teaches leaders and Board members how to amplify their impact by leveraging their network. If you want to learn from these experts and get all your networking questions answered, join us for this special webinar on Fri, June 28th at 1 PM ET/10 AM PT. Link to register is in the comments below! Put in the comments or DM me what questions you have about networking so we can answer them during the webinar! #jobsearch #networking #careeradvice #careeradvancement #careercoach

I’m thrilled to share I’m working on a new interview series, "Enjoy Your Stay", where we delve into the magic behind Starwood Hotel's former corporate culture. Everyone I talk to who used to work at Starwood has wonderful things to say about the company. This got me thinking…what created this “cult” of employee loyalty? So I decided to reach out to some former colleagues and start investigating what was it that differentiated Starwood's culture. And I want you to follow along as I share what I've learned so we can all work together to create best-in-class workplace cultures. This week, our spotlight is on exploring the role of career advancement in driving employee loyalty. Katherine Keenan was gracious enough to share her memories and insights about working at Starwood earlier in her career. There was a theme around career development that emerged. Here are a few highlights from our conversation: 1. ?? Equal Playing Field: Starwood valued performance over pedigree. No invisible hierarchies—valuing all types of experience. No mandatory advanced degrees or prior hospitality experience—equal footing for all. 2. ?? A Culture of Sponsorship: Senior leaders and managers didn’t just mentor their teams, they sponsored them Sponsorship occurs when leaders advocated for their team members, often without them asking 3. ?? Valuing Rockstars: This wasn’t an “up-or-out” culture where everyone needed to get promoted every 1-2 years There was value placed on expertise and embracing subject-matter experts Check the link below in the comments for access to the full article where I expand on each of these three areas. I’ll continue to share what I find over the next few weeks and months. ?? Want to share your experience working at Starwood with me? Send me a DM ???What made Starwood's culture stand out to you? Engage in the conversation via the comments section below. https://lnkd.in/e9NH2jC5 #letsreworkit #culture #employeeloyalty #starwoodproud #starwood

What's the number 1?? mistake I see people make in the interview process? Playing too passive a role and forgetting that interviews are a two-way street. I was excited to see I was quoted in this article in Fast Company about how to take control in an interview. Here are my quick tips to achieve this: 1. ?? Know what you are looking for! Beyond a certain title and compensation, do you know what it is you need to thrive in a role? Get certain on those aspects so that you can show up with more of an active role in the process. 2. ????♀? Ask strong questions! When you know what you want, you are better positioned to ask specific questions which will also separate you from the rest of the competition. Its a win-win. You get the answers you need to decide if you want to work there while also making yourself seemed confident and prepared. 3. ?????? Practice & prepare! Have a 2 min answer to the general question "tell me about yourself". Write it out. Practice saying it out loud until you are comfortable. Also, prepare your examples for various interview questions. Again practice answering out loud. There's a big difference between saying it in your head and saying it using your mouth. Read the rest of the article for my full quotes and other fantastic advice from other experts. What is your best tip for nailing the interview? #careercoach #interviewprep #jobsearch #interviewtips #letsreworkit

When was the last time you offered your “hand up” or “hand down” at work? Let me explain what I mean by that… I was facilitating a workshop on "Team Communication" with the amazing team at Foundry Brands when a participant shared a great idea I’ve never previously never heard. We were brainstorming ways to enhance their company culture and leverage their collective strengths as an organization. And one of the participants, Eric, talked about encouraging everyone to offer a “hand up “ or a “hand down”. I love a good analogy to play with and this one definitely delivered. ????♀? A “hand up” is a situation where you have asked for help with something. ???????? A “hand down” is when you offer help to someone else. The best places to work are those where employees are regularly engaging in both behaviors. The best employees are the ones who offer both on a regular basis. And its important to engage in both behaviors in a balanced way, not just one or the other. Too much engagement in "hands down" and you risk getting pulled down and devoured by everyone else’s needs. Imagine being eaten by a zombie ??♂? in “The Last of Us”. Too much engagement in "hands up" and you risk looking helpless as you become dependent on everyone else rather than taking initiative to try and learn on your own. Imagine floating away ?? like in the movie "Up". I really love this analogy and will definitely be working it into my coaching work with individuals and teams (don't worry, Eric gave me permission to take this idea and build on it). What are your thoughts on this idea? #careercoach #facilitator #letsreworkit #culturebuilding #strengths #workshops

I've had a "good" problem the last few years...too much business for me to handle :-). But I don't believe in scaling for the sake of scaling. I wanted to be intentional about why I might or might not want to scale and what would be best for me. Because we can't just copy someone else's life and think we'll be happy. We have to design it for ourselves. And after some careful consideration, I decided I was ready to grow the Reworkit team and invited Ashley Rudolph to join our Coaching team. Ashley is a former tech executive turned Performance Coach and Business Consultant. As a Performance Coach, she helps high-performers and people leaders successfully navigate challenging workplace dynamics and build the career of their dreams. More importantly, she has been open to joining me on the Reworkit team and experimenting with me as we enter this new phase. I am so lucky to have found her and have enjoyed collaborating with her at every turn. If you want to work with Ashley or I as you navigate your career journey, reach out to us (link below). #letsreworkit #careercoach #executivecoach ???? I’m Jess Wass, CEO & Founder of Reworkit ?? I help overachievers find the best places to work and support organizations who want to become the best place to work. ???????? Reach out if you could use Career/Executive Coaching or culture building workshops for your team - - - - If you like learning from me… ?? Ring the bell on the upper right corner of my profile page ? Follow me on LinkedIn