A late May batch of links
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A late May batch of links
Since the last batch of links went out, paying subscribers learned what fractional executives so and why, then got an essay about the importance of looking up for people they can bring along with them. This coming weekend, they’ll read about dealing with the anxiety of an aging body.
Relatedly, since the last batch of links went out, I turned 40. Below you can find a screenshot of what I posted on LinkedIn to mark the occasion.
Below, you’ll find a batch of links that cover the themes of this newsletter, which are career development, community building, and self care.
What’s the Point of Your 20s? Ask the Patron Saint of Striving Youth.
For much of history, people didn’t have a full decade between leaving their parents’ homes and starting their own families. They settled down early — moving into their own homes, finding jobs, having children. But a confluence of economic and social forces has meant that people now have a longer period between childhood and full-fledged adulthood.
Does remote work increase anxiety? For parents, work from home may hurt mental health. “Ultimately there are things employers need to be doing in order to make that balance more realistic for employees. And providing child support, backup care support and mental health supports are all things they need to do and have started to do coming out of the pandemic.’’
Taking Initiative at Work? Better Check With the Boss.
The 8 Biggest Predictors You'll Be Happy At Your Job. This list is all fine, nothing to edit. But it’s really all about that eighth one. The others don’t factor in as much as checking in with yourself and what you’d like to be spending your days doing.
The fallacy of new ideas, and why we want them anyway.
The “return to the office” won’t save the office. This is a very good summary of where things are now. I am optimistic about my current and future office time, which is a component of my days in the City. The couches are the same; my time spent using them less than before. But I explore the City on those days I’m in it - and that’s just great for me.
America’s Snacking Binge Shows No Sign of Slowing.
The Disappearing White-Collar Job. I expect that many of these people will start their own consultancies, if they haven’t already, and carry a couple of clients for a year at a time, and discover they like this work setup better than they had before, because they can live wherever in the world they want and work whatever hours. I know that this is an optimistic view of a dire situation, however the fact these jobs won’t return would lead to better fits for more workers than we (knew to) made available previously.
The top 3 cities for new grads: ‘I can afford the house I want and the life I want’.
What is the real value of a college degree? And how to make a career without one. A nuanced discussion that’s long overdue. It sounds like people are beginning to prioritize the right skills ahead of the right schools.
Post-graduation advice you’ll actually use.
Is a four-day workweek as good as it sounds? California employees share what it’s really like. “You had all this legacy baggage around how we work,” he said. “It didn’t feel like the world had caught up to the modern technology communications infrastructure around how people work.”
America’s Biggest Source of Jobs Is Cooling Off.
‘Give Away Your People’ — How Managers Can (and Should) Prep for High Performers to Leave. One of the greatest unexpected milestones in my career was giving notice to my manager and have her smile, stand up, and offer me a hug of congratulations, and say, “I’m so proud you went and found the job I couldn’t provide for you here.” It was six months after I was rejected a promotion I had asked for. I’d read the room correctly. She supported my departure. It was nice.