November is recognized as National Career Development Month by the National Career Development Association (NCDA). In recognition of the observance, John Hack, Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder, delves into his career journey story and shares career guidance. 1. What has your career path been?  I’ve pivoted a few times. When I first went to MIT, I wanted to be an economics professor. However, after becoming disillusioned with the field, I took some time off from school. [...]

With the rapid growth in AI and automation in the workplace, the threat of replacing some jobs has become real. The McKinsey Global Institute has estimated that as many as 375 million workers—or 14 percent of the global workforce—would have to switch occupations or acquire new skills by 2030 because of automation and artificial intelligence. Following the pandemic’s transformative impact on where and how we work, the uncertain future is at the forefront of many leaders’ [...]

Experiential learning is arguably the most effective learning style. When given the opportunity to learn in a practical, hands-on environment, individuals become self-directed learners. In fact, according to the 70-20-10 Model, a reference formula used to describe the ideal mix of learning sources, 70% of what individuals know comes from experience. Although the concept of learning by doing isn’t unconventional, the application of experiential learning in a virtual setting has increased in popularity and use [...]

Whether it’s to an employee or to a colleague, providing actionable feedback, accompanied by clear guidance, is critical to performance improvement. How can someone master a new skill, for example, if they don’t know what they’re doing well and where there is room for improvement? Unfortunately, delivering feedback without having had the proper training is fraught with danger. Give feedback poorly during a performance review and your employee may feel alienated and decide to leave [...]

Interpersonal skills are foundational to career advancement. Unfortunately, improving one’s interpersonal skills is challenging, as it requires not only ample opportunities to practice the skills in a safe environment, but also a trained coach who can watch the practice sessions and provide constructive, insightful, and actionable feedback. For most professionals, hiring a personal coach to provide in-person training is cost prohibitive. Although companies can reduce the high cost of in-person coaching by offering virtual sessions, [...]