Tom Lockridge


Career development 6h
Yesterday during an important meeting with some clients, I accidentally broke a glass and ended up spilling champagne on a couple of people.
First, the director practically burned a hole through me with his stare and now our accounting department wants to deduct the cost of the glass from my salary. And honestly, it seems like they’re planning to fire me.
But seriously, can someone really lose... his job over such a small thing? It could happen to anyone, right?

 more

  • Joseph McGovern

    22m

    Can’t fire you for that. Must have cause. Accidental breaking of a glass in a meeting is not sufficient for cause. Cause must involve some sort of... malice or act of moral turpitude.  more

  • Uma Aggarwal

    2h

    It is unfortunate but these things happen. Your director was embarrassed and did not know the next step. You and/or your colleagues in the meeting... could have grabbed some dry towels, quickly pick up big pieces and mop up the liquid and spread dry towels and the meeting could have resumed. If you had another conference room that was empty, meeting could have moved there.
    But the director was embarrassed, the meeting was interrupted and sometimes the client may think of other objections and the sale may be lost.
    You owe your boss and the client an apology. As far as your job is concerned, I am assuming you are valuable enough to the organization that a firing may not even come to their minds.
    A reprimand may be and you should accept it graciously.
    Good luck and be careful with champagne. Stop drinking long before you start feeling tipsy.
     more

    1

Anonymous member


Career development 1d
Hi everyone,
I'm currently working on my thesis and I'm facing serious challenges with designing my questionnaires. Every time I try, I realize the structure or logic isn't accurate enough for the kind of analysis I need. I am currently on my 6th design and still feels worthless.
Earlier this year, I lost contact with the few people who used to guide me through these things. I know I should... reach out to my supervisor, but I’ve been genuinely afraid to do so. Since I was assigned to him, I’ve found it difficult to communicate he feels very unapproachable to me, and that’s made me hesitant.
Now my thesis is pending, and I’m stuck with no clear path forward.
 more
2   

  • SALESIO MIRITI

    50m

    Several indefatigable attempts proves your interest. You will eventually make it, albeit you need to be cognizant of the mutual benefit that stream... from the output of research, both to you and your supervisor. Confidently approach your supervisor, they also need your thesis to advance in their careers. more

  • Özgecan Büyüker

    6h

    I hate referring everything to ChatGPT, but I'll recommend you to do so for this issue.

    1
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Taofeeq Oyelade
Career development 5d
Why Your Resume Might Be Working Against You — Even When You’re Qualified

Hi everyone — I’ve read through many honest and powerful posts here: people who feel qualified, experienced, and ready — but still getting rejected or ghosted. I want to share a few common resume issues that aren’t about lack of skill or experience — but about how your strengths are being communicated, and that might be... what’s holding you back.

1. Your resume isn’t telling your story.
It’s not just about listing your tasks and roles. Recruiters — and even hiring systems — want to see impact. What changed because of you? What problem did you help solve? When your resume shows that, it suddenly feels more real, more valuable.

2. ATS systems are filtering out strong candidates.
Unfortunately, many companies use automated tracking systems before a human ever sees your application. This isn’t just a numbers game — it means real, capable people are being passed over simply because their resumes aren’t perfectly tailored for the system. It’s not a reflection of your potential — it’s a limitation of the process.

3. Your choice of words matters.
I’ve seen resumes full of “helped,” “assisted,” or “worked on” — and while those are honest words, they don’t show the scale of your contribution. Using verbs like “led,” “implemented,” “optimized,” or “designed” helps hiring teams understand the real weight of your work.

4. The way your resume is formatted makes a difference.
Even a powerful experience can be missed if the layout is confusing — too many tables, odd graphics, or clutter. A clean, simple, and readable structure works best. It helps both the ATS and real people see what you actually did.

If any of this resonates — if you feel like your resume is good but isn’t doing its job — I’d be very happy to review one sentence or bullet point from it (or your LinkedIn headline) and give you a honest tip. Just drop it below, and I’ll respond. more
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Career development

 2d

Desperate For A Job, I Applied At A Sandwich Shop. The Response I Got Was Soul-Crushing.


"This has been going on for years. I've rewritten my resume more times than I can count. Nothing works. Every rejection chips away at something I used to believe about myself. Something like worth."

I handed in a job application at a sandwich shop last week. There was a giant Now Hiring sign taped to the front window, so I walked in and, to my surprise, they handed me a paper application. I... filled it out, smiled, and returned it to them.

They never called me.

I tell myself it's probably because I'm too old. Maybe it's because I didn't apply online, or because the kid behind the counter didn't scan my info into the system. I don't know. I only know that I was ready to make sandwiches for minimum wage, and nobody even wanted that from me.

I have a master's degree in interdisciplinary arts and decades of experience, both personal and professional. I speak two languages. As if any of that matters.

I've been told all my life that I'm smart, and yet here I am, chronically underemployed, invisible in the job market, and applying anywhere I can -- hardware stores, pet supply chains, and garden centers. No one writes back. No one calls.

"Please upload your résumé," I'm told. I do and it disappears into the algorithmic abyss, and I never hear from a human being.

I don't need a career. I need a paycheck. But the system seems to think I'm either aiming too low or not playing the game right, or worse, that I don't exist at all.

This has been going on for years. I've rewritten my résumé more times than I can count, tried leaving off my degree, tried playing up my "people skills," tried the QR codes and portals and ghost-job listings that don't lead anywhere. Nothing works. Every rejection chips away at something I used to believe about myself. Something like worth.

At one point, I thought maybe I had undiagnosed ADHD. Or social anxiety. Or something that could explain the gap between what I know I can do and how the world seems to view me. But mostly, I return to one haunting possibility: Maybe I'm just clueless. Maybe I've been clueless for years, and everyone else knows it except me.

That is, hands down, my greatest fear -- not failure, not poverty, not even loneliness: the idea that I might be fundamentally out of sync with the world, and not even aware of it.

Because here's the truth that nobody likes to talk about: being educated, competent and willing to work is no guarantee that you'll find work. Especially not in a system where hiring has become automated, impersonal and biased in a hundred tiny, invisible ways. Especially not in a country where being overqualified is treated like a liability, where aging disqualifies you from entry-level jobs, and where the tech used to "streamline" applications often ends up gatekeeping the people who need the job the most. more
3   

  • Melissa Love

    4h

    I can completely understand and relate to your frustration. Question, have you plugged in your Resume into AI and asked them to update it so that you... will stand out from other applicants by using keywords that will pass through applicant tracking systems? These keywords suggested in your resume would help you bypass technical roadblocks and allow your resume to be actually seen by the employer. Another thing that has helped me get lots of interviews is copying job discriminations and having AI adjust my resume skillset and experience to highlight what the qualifications that they are looking for. I also use AI to help me prepare for interviews by asking what questions to prepare for and how to present my responses based on my own personal education, background and job history. Since I have been doing this, I have gotten 10 interviews and 2 job offers since the last week of September. Before it was crickets for almost 6 months. Trust me, It works! Use technology as your career guide!!! Keep me updated  more

  • Stefan Warter

    1
    1d

    Then do the same

    1

Nikki Langley


Career development 4d
I’m a junior cook who makes soups at the cafeteria. I really love cooking and graduated from culinary school with honors.
Whenever the soup or cream soup turns out great, the head cook always takes the credit and says he made it. But if something goes wrong, he blames me even when I wasn’t the one working on that dish.
It’s really frustrating. Do you think I should talk to the chef about it?

8   

  • Ogwang David

    7h

    Yes my dear, your knowledge should hand for you a credit not anyone else

  • Bill A

    2d

    That's because you are not there to be the head chief. You are there to learn. Once you have gained the knowledge, add you flavor and be the boss. In... the meantime appreciate what he teaches you. If he is a failed Chief, than find another to learn from. more

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Liyab Eugene
Career development 1d
Since I began my role as a Front Desk Officer, I’ve consistently strived to deliver exceptional service, earning the appreciation of my oprations manager and some supervisors, and they recommended me to the General Manager for recognition in all areas of my performance.

However, this recognition seems to have caused some tension with certain supervisors, like the house keeping supervisor and... the marketing supervisor who have expressed frustration towards me. Recently, the General Manager decided to replace underperforming supervisors, and with my boss's recommendation, I’ve been considered for a potential promotion to one of these leadership positions. While I am honored by this opportunity, I do have concerns that my advancement might be misinterpreted by some as a cause for the current changes in the team.

I want to make it clear that my focus has always been on contributing positively to the team, and I never intended for my growth to negatively impact anyone else’s position. I am simply eager to continue to learn, improve, and contribute to the success of the hotel.
Please let me know if i should go for the offer of taking the suppervisor possition? more
2   

  • Destinee Webb

    1
    10h

    Yes go for it others opinions do not control your advances

    1

  • Wolo Walter

    17h

    I absolutely agree with Batie Sherif, "are you going to please all of them?" That's a wonderful question to ask yourself

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Lora L.


Career development 2d
We recently had a work party and I accidentally saw something I wasn’t supposed to. Today, they announced that this woman is getting a promotion, she will become the head of a new department. They’ve gathered subordinates for her from different departments, and I’m one of them.
But I can’t work with her. I don’t even know how to look at her now. And constantly interacting with her is going to be... awful. I also don’t know how to explain why I don’t want to be in her department.
Could you please give me advice on what to do? Thank you.

 more
2   

  • Sheila Milburn

    10h

    If you saw something, you can bet others already know. Unless it was illegal, a safety violation or embezzlement, forget it. If it falls under one... of those categories, report, anonymously, to the proper authority. Otherwise, mind the job that pays you. Keep it to yourself. Don't spread it around the office. Do your work as required.  more

  • Stephen Mhlanga

    1d

    Id say make a note and say at a Christmas party I saw something that I wasn't supposed to see and since I have evidence I will share it if you take or... accept the position and send it to the person whose involved they'll not accept the position.  more

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Career development

 15h

[FREE] Reference Check Form Template and Checklist


A reference check form remains one of the most effective candidate validation tools in hiring. AI-powered recruitment can speed up sourcing and pre-employment screening but cannot replace human insight, which can ensure structured reference checks that capture crucial real-world feedback.

At the same time, 75% of hiring professionals see emotional intelligence as the most critical skill for... success, followed by adaptability and resilience. In addition to interviews, reference check forms can confirm if candidates display such traits and how. This article explains how to use such a form and provides a free, fully customizable reference check form template.

Contents

What is a reference check form?

Why use a reference check form template?

What to include in a telephone reference check form

Free reference check form template

How to customize your template for different roles

Using a reference check form: HR's checklist

A reference check form, also called an employment or employee reference check form, is a standardized worksheet recruiters or hiring managers use during the reference-checking stage. Whether digital or on paper, it usually includes candidate and referee details, structured questions, and space for notes, and keeps the process consistent and thorough.

A pre-employment reference check form becomes even more important when you consider that 72% of people lie on their résumés. It can help you spot dishonesty in candidates, as well as provide a framework for job-related questions that reveal a candidate's strengths, reliability, and fit for the role.

A telephone reference check form (or phone reference form) is a version designed for live reference calls. It standardizes the conversation by listing questions and providing space for detailed responses and observations. This helps every interviewer capture comparable data, maintain professionalism, and keep calls aligned with compliance requirements.

Here's why you should use a reference check form template:

A reference check form template ensures consistency and fairness by using the same structure and questions for every candidate. This helps eliminate arbitrary variations in what you ask and record, reducing the risk of bias and enabling easier candidate comparison. Subjecting all reference checks to the same standards helps ensure fair, defensible hiring decisions.

A good template prompts the interviewer to ask thoughtful, job-related questions, encouraging deeper conversations with referees. Instead of vague or anecdotal feedback, you can get specific examples of past performance, behavior, and teamwork. These structured insights make it easier to assess a candidate's likely success in the new role.

A pre-built form helps shorten preparation time for interviews. It serves as both a guide and a record-keeping tool, allowing you to take notes quickly during calls, then easily file them afterwards. This speeds up the process and ensures the documentation is complete and ready for compliance checks or internal HR audits.

Every recruiter or hiring manager using the same reference check form makes it easier to share results and align on hiring decisions. The uniform layout enables stakeholders to review findings quickly, discuss them efficiently, and make informed decisions based on clear and consistent data. This also means smoother collaboration and better quality of hire.

A well-designed template helps your organization maintain compliance with employment laws and data privacy standards. Its standardized consent sections, reference verification fields, and storage instructions enable you to easily tick all relevant legal and procedural boxes. It also lowers the risk of oversight or non-compliance.

You can always refine your reference check form template based on experience and feedback. Tracking which reference check questions yield the most useful responses allows you to make adjustments to improve the hiring process. This ongoing optimization turns the form into a living document that becomes more effective with every use.

A well-designed phone reference check form, complete with the right elements, makes the reference check process compliant, efficient, and valuable for informed decision-making. Here's what you need to include:

AIHR has created a free reference check form template to streamline your hiring process and ensure consistency. The template is fully customizable, so you can adapt it to your organization's needs -- whether you're conducting a phone reference check, using a digital employment reference check form, or integrating it into your ATS or HRIS.

A reference check form works best when it combines consistency and flexibility. Keep about 70% of the form the same across all roles to maintain fairness and comparability, and customize the rest (e.g., two or three role-specific questions), so feedback stays relevant to the job.

If your organization hires across multiple states or regions, include an internal note section where recruiters can capture local legal and disclosure limits. This helps keep the reference check process compliant with local privacy and employment rules.

Strengthen the form further with one or two optional role-specific blocks. In regulated industries like finance or healthcare, focus on confidentiality, accuracy, and policy adherence. For instance, if hiring for customer-facing roles, assess CSAT, NPS, and escalation management.

If hiring for technical and operations functions, look at delivery timelines, process reliability, and system ownership. The goal is to create a modular template that's easy to adapt while remaining consistent, compliant and role-relevant.

Using a reference check form template is a great start, but the real value comes from how you apply it. These best practices will help you make the most of every reference check conversation and turn it into a dependable decision-making tool.

Review the candidate's résumé, interview notes, and the completed reference check form template before making contact, so you can tailor questions to the role and verify key facts efficiently.

Build rapport with the referee early in the call. Explain the purpose of the reference check and assure them you'll use their feedback confidentially and professionally.

Stick to the core reference check questions outlined in the employment reference check form and avoid personal opinions or unrelated topics.

Encourage referees to provide specific examples or outcomes (e.g., sales figures, website traffic stats), rather than general impressions. This helps distinguish between vague praise and measurable performance.

Write notes as you go, focusing on key facts, examples, and measurable outcomes. Consistent note-taking enables you to compare data across multiple candidates.

To promote fairness and minimize bias, ask the same set of structured questions for every candidate being considered for the same role.

If potential issues arise, record them factually, along with any supporting evidence you have. To maintain fairness, avoid misinterpretation and exaggeration, and stick solely to the facts.

At the end of the reference call, thank the referee for their time and verify any unclear points. Once you've completed the check, upload or save the document in your HRIS.

Regularly update your reference check form template based on recruiter feedback and role changes. Your reference check questions must reflect any changes in role requirements.

Every hiring decision shapes your organization's future, and reference checks can help you make such decisions confidently. A well-structured reference check form combines consistency, good questioning and thoughtful customization for insights into how people think, collaborate and contribute in the workplace.

Review how your team approaches reference checks. Download AIHR's template, train your recruiters to listen for the details that reveal fit and potential, and integrate what you learn into your hiring playbook. The goal isn't just to verify the past but to better predict future performance and give your company a genuine competitive edge. more

Career development

 17h

Gen Z's Wild New Trend: Bringing Their Parents to Work


The survey, conducted in July 2025 on a sample of 831 young U.S. adults employed full-time and aged between 18 and 28, aimed to measure how involved parents are in their children's professional lives. The report shows that family support no longer stops at revising a résumé or sharing a piece of advice before an interview -- many young workers now delegate entire stages of the hiring process to... their parents, from emailing recruiters to handling initial conversations with HR.

In some cases, mom and dad physically show up to interviews, answer hiring managers' questions, introduce themselves, or even negotiate salary and benefits. According to the report, more than 77% of participants brought a parent to a job interview at least once, over 40% had them sit in during the meeting, while roughly one third had a parent ask questions or handle parts of the negotiation. A behavior that, just a few years ago, would have sounded like a classic boomer joke -- yet today represents a daily reality for many U.S. companies.

For a significant portion of Gen Z, parents remain active interlocutors even after being hired. 86% have their parents review their performance evaluations, 79% involve them in communications with their manager, and about half rely on them for delicate conversations such as requesting time off, discussing a raise, or handling internal conflicts. In some cases, parents even speak to the manager more often than their own children do. more

Vronwyn Su


Career development 3d
Yesterday I went to an interview for a junior economist position. They offered me to work for a month or two for free like an internship, and then, if a vacancy opens up, they might hire me.
Is this some kind of scam? The company seems respectable, but I don’t understand why they’re holding interviews if there isn’t an actual job available.
Would you agree to something like that?

11   

  • tuyisenge pascal

    18h

    I've faced the same issue 3 years ago , thereafter I've got a one year contract which ended up with permanent contract right now. Don't miss the... opportunity, if you have some way of living just try it with compassion if you believe it's a better company for you to work with. Wish you a success  more

  • Zahra'u Ibrahim Waya

    1d

    Actually if you really want to work with them do every thing in writing as an agreement. so that when you work for the free two months you will be... given the opportunity to work with them.  more

    1
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Career development

 20h

Sexism isn't ''old news,'' it's still alive in Cyprus, and the law says so


From workplace jabs to public remarks by officials, the everyday sexism we brush off carries real consequences and it's a criminal offense.

From workplace jabs to public remarks by officials, the everyday sexism we brush off carries real consequences, and it's a criminal offense.

In a society that likes to think it has moved past inequality, sexism keeps finding its way into everyday life. It... shows up at the office, in job interviews, in classrooms, and even in places where education and respect are supposed to set the tone. Too often, sexism gets written off as something "outdated," "cliché," or simply "not worth fussing over," as if bringing it up is the exaggeration, not the behavior itself.

Yet many women are still confronted with comments that question their competence or their right to hold a position. Phrases like "You're too sensitive for this job," "She'll get pregnant and leave us hanging," or "How did she land that role?" are alive and well. Sometimes they're said directly. Other times they're delivered with a smile or muttered behind closed doors.

These remarks aren't just rude. They reinforce stereotypes, fuel hostile environments, and undermine merit-based systems. And when such comments are made publicly by people in positions of power, the damage lands even harder.

In recent years, a series of high-profile incidents has dragged the issue of public sexism back into the spotlight, reminding everyone that knowing what sexism looks like is only half the story. The other half? Knowing that under Cyprus' legal framework, sexism isn't just inappropriate, it's a criminal offense.

"Police can investigate sexism even without a formal complaint"

Speaking on ANT1's "Mera Mesimeri," Gender Equality Commissioner Josie Christodoulou confirmed that the recent comment by OELMEK President Dimitris Taliadoros about the Education Minister "may fall under the law against sexism."

She also stressed something many people don't know: anyone can report sexist behavior to the police, and the police can launch an investigation even without a complaint, since the remark was made in public.

Christodoulou said her office has already received two complaints this year, and this latest incident is the third public case brought to her attention. She added that she is personally examining whether she will file a complaint.

So what exactly counts as sexism?

Before anything else, it's worth clarifying what modern European standards actually define as sexist behavior, standards we claim to share.

Sexism can range from "light" disparaging comments to serious forms of harassment. At its core is one toxic belief: that one gender, usually women, is less worthy or less capable.

Legal expert Simos Angelides explains that the law defines sexism as any public or private expression of behavior based on the notion that a person or group is inferior because of their gender. This includes conduct aimed at insulting someone's dignity, limiting their access to services, causing physical, psychological, or socioeconomic harm, or creating an intimidating, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment.

In other words: sexism isn't a buzzword. It's a legally recognized threat, and it's more present than we like to admit. more

Career development

 21h

Elevating Her Voice: A Field Guide for Raising Dream-Keeping Girls


Most articles tell parents to "boost confidence" and "encourage STEM." Good, yet not enough. Girls don't lose their confidence because they can't code or kick a ball; they lose it because the world trains them to shrink, bit by bit, until silence feels safer than selfhood. Our task isn't only to "empower" girls; it's to un-teach shrinking.

The Dream Gap, Reframed

Pexel images

The Dream Gap... isn't a girl's problem, it's a signal that her ecosystem is undervaluing her voice. In South Africa (and far beyond), girls watch a thousand tiny rules:

● Speak softly.

● Be nice.

● Don't make a fuss.

● Your dreams must fit the budget of other people's expectations.

So here's our home truth: the home is the first microphone. If her voice doesn't echo at home, the world will mute her with ease.

To do better, let's move beyond slogans and build systemsinside our families that make voice, agency, and audacious dreaming normal, starting at birth.

The 4C Framework: A Parent's Daily Operating System

Use these four anchors every day. They're simple, repeatable, and powerful.

1. Connection - "I am seen."

Rituals of eye contact, touch, and undivided attention wire safety into her nervous system. Safe bodies hold steady voices.

2. Curiosity - "My ideas matter."

Ask open questions. Wonder with her. Curiosity fertilises courage.

3. Choice - "I have a say."

Give real choices daily. Choice is the training ground for consent, boundaries, and leadership.

4. Courage - "I can take up space."

Normalize healthy risk, failing forward, and speaking first -- even when her voice trembles.

The Voice Ladder (0-13 years): Build It Before the Storm

Pexel images

We don't "find" our voice at 12 years ; we stack it from day zero. Use this staged, practical plan.

Ages 0-3: The Soil (Safety + Sensation)

Goal: Her body learns "I am safe, my signals are heard."

● Micro-habits

○ Name her feelings as you soothe: "You're frustrated; I'm here."

○ Narrate her world: "You reached for the red block, you're curious!"

○ Sing and read daily; rhythm regulates, language expands.

● Parent script

"When you speak, even with cries and coos, I listen. Your body is wise."

● South African context tip

In multigenerational homes, invite gogo and malume into the ritual: one minute of direct, soft eye contact daily. Many voices affirming one girl.

Ages 3-6: The Sprout (Words + Boundaries)

Goal: She learns "My voice moves things."

● Choice training (consent-in-action)

○ Two outfit options. Two snack options.

○ Teach "No, thank you" with warmth, and honour it. If her "no" changes your plan, say, "Thank you for telling me your boundary."

● Courage games

○ "Announcement Hour": she shares one idea to the family each evening.

○ "Why? Club": five why's about anything, trains depth and ownership.

● Parent script

"You don't have to be agreeable to be lovable."

Ages 6-9: The Stem (Identity + Vision)

Goal: She practices holding space publicly and sees many futures.

● Dream Bank

A jar or notebook where she "banks" dreams (drawings, words, ticket stubs). Review monthly: What grew? What shifted? What's next step?

● Role model mapping

Build a wall of local women - teachers, vendors, engineers, artists, farmers. Not just celebrities. Circle what each woman does and values. Link those values to your child's own.

● Speak-first reps

At church, school, or family gatherings, she opens with a greeting, a poem, or gratitude line. Repetition rewires fear.

● Parent script

"Your idea belongs in the room. If it shakes, we breathe and say it anyway."

Ages 9-13: The Canopy (Storm Years)

Goal: She enters the most confidence-fragile years with practice, language, and proof that her voice holds.

● Decode the world

Watch a music video or ad; ask: "What is it telling girls? What do we refuse?" Make critical thinking a family sport.

● Sisterhood bench

Build a small circle, cousins, neighbours, schoolmates, who meet monthly to share wins, fears, and try "speaking first." Rotate hosting. Create a WhatsApp group for voice notes celebrating micro-bravery.

● Failure résumé

Keep a fun list of things you both tried and didn't nail -- then note what each failure taught. Weaponise failure into wisdom.

● Parent script

"Popularity is not the same as power. Power is using your voice to protect your values -- even when it costs you applause."

Ten Practices Parents Can Start Today (Dream-Keeping Checklist)

Pexel images

Use these across ages, adapting the language to your child's stage.

1. Name the Moment (Connection):

When she shares something small, stop and face her. "I'm listening." Five seconds of undivided attention is a megaphone to a child's nervous system: my voice matters.

2. Two Real Choices (Choice):

Daily, offer two meaningful options she can actually influence (route you walk, chore order, which book to read). Choice is consent practice in kid-size pieces.

3. Bravery Reps (Courage):

Have her "speak first" once a day, place an order, greet the cashier, ask a teacher a question. Bravery is a muscle.

4. The Dream Bank (Vision):

Keep a jar or notebook for ideas, sketches, questions, and "wild" dreams. Review monthly. Convert one dream into a tiny next step (a library book, a YouTube tutorial, visiting someone who does that thing).

5. Role Model Mapping (Identity):

Create a wall or scrapbook of local women doing many kinds of work, nurse, engineer, electrician, small-business owner, lecturer, farmer, artist. Write what each one doesand values. Ask, "Which values feel like you?"

6. Boundary Language (Belonging):

Practice: "No, thank you." "I need a pause." "I'm not comfortable with that." Then honour it at home so she trusts it outside. If her no changes plans, say, "Thank you for telling me your boundary."

7. Decode the World (Critical Voice):

Watch an ad, music video, or TikTok and ask: "What is it telling girls? What's true? What's off?" Help her separate message from manipulation.

8. Failure Résumé (Resilience):

Keep a fun list of attempts that didn't land, for both of you. Add the lesson learned. Hang it where you can see it. Failure becomes evidence of courage, not proof of "not enough."

9. Sisterhood Bench (Community):

Form a tiny circle -- cousins, neighbours, school friends -- to meet monthly for "voice notes" (each girl shares a win, a worry, and a wish). Rotate hosting tea. The bench becomes a buffer against the dream gap.

10. Values-in-Action (Integrity):

Pick a family value (kindness, excellence, service, curiosity). Each week, choose one small act that demonstrates it (tutor a friend, write a thank-you note, fix a broken toy to donate). Dreams root in values, not vibes.

SA Reality, SA Remedies

● Resource gaps? Libraries, community halls, churches, and NGOs often host free clubs, debate, chess, coding, drama. If they don't, start a micro-club: three girls, one hour, one prompt.

● Multilingual homes? Elevate her voice in all her languages. Ask her to teach you a new word a day. Multilingual pride widens identity, not just vocabulary.

● Safety concerns? Practice voice online (voice notes to family groups, reading a paragraph on video to grandparents) and in safer public spaces (shop queues, school events).

● Economic pressure? Dream paths don't have to be costly. Curiosity walks, free museum days, YouTube tutorials, community mentors, and job-shadowing can be powerful.

What to Watch For (And Gently Rewire)

● Good-Girl Glue: If she's praised only for quietness/helpfulness, widen the praise: "I love how you shared your idea," "That was brave," "You asked a great question."

● Perfection Freeze: If she avoids trying to avoid failing, model public learning: "I'm trying isiZulu; I may stumble." Then try.

● External Validation Hunger: Replace "What did they say?" with "How did it feel to you?" Teach her to consult her inner compass first.

Pexel images

For the Crucial Years (9-13): Pre-Load the System

This is when the world gets louder and her inner voice is tested. Pre-load her with:

● Language for feelings, boundaries, advocacy.

● Receipts of bravery (photos, notes from teachers, her own reflections).

● Circles that reflect her back to herself (sisterhood bench, mentors, aunties).

● A story about herself that you repeat: "You are a thinker, a trier, a finisher. Your voice is a gift and a responsibility."

Parent script:

"When a room makes you small, don't shrink to fit, stand in your values and make the room adjust."

Beyond Confidence: Agency + Co-Creation

Confidence is a feeling. Agency is a skill. Teach her to:

● define a goal,

● choose a next step,

● ask for help,

● review and pivot.

Do this on mini-projects, selling muffins, building a bird feeder, entering a poetry contest. Agency turns dreams from posters into plans.

A Note to Fathers, Uncles, and Brothers

Girls calibrate safety and self-worth in part through healthy male presence.

● Listen without problem-solving first.

● Applaud curiosity as loudly as achievement.

● Protect her boundaries -- even when inconvenient to you.

Your consistency edits the world's story about her.

A Note to Mothers and Aunties

She is studying how you take up space. Let her see you ask for help, say no kindly, negotiate fairly, laugh loudly, rest unapologetically, and try new things at any age. You are her future in motion.

Closing: The Home Is the First Micro-Nation

Nations write constitutions; families do too, often by accident. Write yours on purpose:

● In this family, girls speak and are heard.

● Mistakes are data, not shame.

● Boundaries are respected the first time.

● Dreams are mapped into next steps.

● Voice is used to protect the vulnerable, even when it's unpopular.

The dream gap is not destiny. When a girl's everyday life proves, over and over, that she is safe, seen, and significant, her voice becomes a habit, not a performance. And habits hold when the world tests them.

Elevate her voice at home. The world will hear it next. more

Career development

 22h

Copywriting and Entry-Level Resume Writing


I'm looking for support on two fronts. First, I need fresh, persuasive copy that can be repurposed for ads, website sections, social posts, and broader branding touch-points. Tone must stay clear, impactful, and audience-focused so every sentence pulls its weight. Second, I want an ATS-friendly résumé template aimed at entry-level job seekers. Because I work with graduates from technology,... healthcare, marketing -- and occasionally other fields -- the structure should be adaptable while still spotlighting each client's strengths and achievements with measurable results where possible. Here's how I see the collaboration working: * You receive my brief, background notes, and any existing materials. * You draft the copy and résumé content, sharpening wording for clarity, accuracy, and engagement. * I review, leave comments, and you complete one round of refinements. * Final deliverables arrive in editable formats (Google Docs or Word) plus a clean PDF of the résumé. If you're comfortable moving between brand messaging and résumé strategy, let's get started -- I'm ready to provide details right away. more

Matthew Stampler


Career development 2mo
Hello everyone! I want some advice: our company got a new owner. The previous one was great, he brought everyone together and supported us. The new owner, however, can swear at people and treat employees rudely. Some people have already quit and I’m thinking about it too, but the pay is still the same and the work is interesting.
What do you think, could things get better or will I have to leave... after all?
Thanks.

 more
4   
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Emily Whittemore


Career development 3w
Hello! I’m a pharmacist at one of the pharmacy chains. When I took this job, I specifically chose a position that came with a company car, partly because I hoped to use it occasionally for personal purposes. My boss recently learned about this and has made it clear that the car cannot be used for anything outside of work, even if I cover the fuel costs myself. I’m struggling to understand why this... is such a problem. Without the ability to use the car personally, I’m finding that this job isn’t very appealing to me. I’d like advice on how to continue the conversation with my boss in a professional way.
Thanks more
7   

  • Venus Bartena

    2w

    Aknowledge the fact that you are working and being paid ,get your own car for your own personal purposes. For now you have to uphold professionalism

  • Venus Bartena

    2w

    Aknowledge the fact that you are working and being paid ,get your own car for your own personal purposes. For now you have to uphold professionalism

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Jaxon Hastings
Career development 3w
does anyone know what lets just be friends mean in a relationship
3   

  • Louis Nagali

    1
    2w

    Let’s be friends in a relationship simply means friendship; nothing more nothing less! No heart feelings, Just liking each other in very simple terms ... period! more

  • Neema Ngugi

    2
    2w

    That 'friend' is only helping with your character development.

Load more...

Anonymous member


Career development 1w
So I’ve got this situation at work, it’s bad enough I’m thinking of quitting. I forgot my lunch at home a couple of times, and my mom brought it over for me. Now everyone at the office keeps joking that I’m a total “mama’s boy”.
Yeah, I live with my mom, big deal. But now everyone’s teasing me about it, even my boss. Honestly, I’m about ready to look for a new job. What should I do?

5   

  • Paul Eshun

    1d

    When u report it will bring about hatred although you are acting professional.
    Nonetheless u just have to control your anger , don't retaliate. try... best to socialize well with them even though they mock u as time passes by the jokes will fade
     more

  • Tatiana R

    2d

    Don’t need to quit . Joke along with them. Let your mom to bring food for everyone. Maybe they stop joking.

    1
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Career development

 1d

The Gen AI Playbook for Organizations


Where to use it, where not to, and why strategy still wins.

Idea in Brief The Problem Executives are focused on the wrong questions about generative AI -- fixating on its imperfections and limitations instead of its strategic implications. The Solution Use a framework that maps tasks by the cost of errors and the type of knowledge required to determine where and when to deploy gen AI.

Firms must... move quickly, but even more important, they must aim for strategic differentiation. The Payoff By embracing gen AI where it's already useful and aligning strategy, data, and people accordingly, organizations can unlock near-term gains and build sustainable competitive advantage before rivals catch up. The questions about generative AI that we hear most often from business leaders include: When will gen AI match the intelligence of my best employees? Is it accurate enough to deliver business value? Is my CIO moving fast enough to lead our AI transformation? What are my rivals doing with gen AI? But those questions are misdirected. They focus on the intelligence of gen AI and its trajectory -- how good gen AI is and how fast it's improving -- rather than on its implications for business strategy. What leaders should be asking is this: How can my organization use gen AI effectively today, regardless of its limitations? And how can we use it to create a competitive advantage? This article -- which draws on our experience working with hundreds of managers, leading gen AI initiatives ourselves, and researching digital transformation and strategy -- proposes a framework for thinking about gen AI strategically and offers practical advice. We argue that a cautious "wait and see" approach -- motivated by gen AI's flaws, such as hallucinations -- is potentially dangerous. But we don't mean to imply that speed wins. Strategy does. Companies need to apply gen AI differently from their competitors and from others in their value chain. Here's the argument for moving forward now: Nontechie employees can use gen AI without support from experts. For decades AI usage was largely confined to the domain of engineers, computer programmers, and data scientists. But gen AI, led by OpenAI's ChatGPT, changed that by enabling interactions using natural language. Its breakthrough wasn't just an improvement in intelligence; it was also a dramatic increase in access. Today everyone in the organization can use gen AI tools, and they don't need deep technical expertise, the support of a data science team, or central IT's approval. What's more, gen AI is increasingly being embedded into the tools people already use -- email, videoconferencing, spreadsheets, CRM software, ERP systems -- lowering the barriers to adoption even further. This advancement in human-computer interaction resembles the transition from early command-line computing to the graphical user interface . In the 1980s, Windows radically transformed personal computing -- not by making computers significantly more powerful but by allowing people to access that power without knowing MS-DOS commands. In much the same way, gen AI makes sophisticated machine-learning models available to anyone who can converse with it via writing or eventually, speaking. Value-creation opportunities exist now. Waiting for a flawless, all-powerful, agentic AI is a mistake. Despite its flaws, gen AI can save time, reduce costs, and unlock new value. Holding off because the output isn't perfect misunderstands the opportunity. Gen AI can already deliver meaningful improvements and efficiencies in many areas of your business. The benchmark shouldn't be perfection; it should be relative efficiency compared with your current ways of working. Competitive advantage comes from using gen AI more strategically than others, not just faster. A lasting advantage from gen AI can only be achieved by applying it differently. Everyone has access to gen AI. If you and your competitors use similar tools for similar tasks, then most of the gains will ultimately flow to others in the value chain if new competition erodes margins. More perilously, your own customers and suppliers may disintermediate you by using it to take care of the tasks you previously performed for them. This means that competitive advantage will hinge on how distinctively you use gen AI: which tasks you delegate to it and reimagine, how you use human expertise to complement it, and what new possibilities you unlock. Where and When to Use Generative AI Gen AI's ubiquitous access and versatility create a new challenge: narrowing down the possibilities to find the best place to begin. Rather than asking whether gen AI performs as well as a human, start by breaking down jobs into their component tasks and ask: Which of these is gen AI well suited to handle today? Consider the following activities: hiring critical employees, diagnosing cancer, and providing psychotherapy to at-risk individuals. These are often cited as areas where gen AI tools are beginning to approach human levels of intelligence and sophistication. Yet the idea of replacing humans in these roles typically meets strong resistance -- and for good reason. The potential consequences of an error here are significant. Misdiagnosing cancer or mishandling a vulnerable patient can have life-altering effects. Choosing the wrong hire for a key leadership role can damage a company's culture for years. Now consider another set of tasks: summarizing student course evaluations, screening job applicants' résumés, and assigning hospital beds. What distinguishes these examples from the first set isn't necessarily the intelligence required but the cost of getting it wrong. A course evaluation summary that misses a nuance or a preliminary résumé screen that overlooks a marginal candidate creates only limited risk. Assigning hospital beds relies primarily on explicit, structured data , which AI systems can process reliably. This illustrates an important principle: The suitability of gen AI for a given task depends not just on the capabilities of gen AI but on two deeper factors. The first is the cost of errors: how serious the consequences would be if gen AI makes a mistake. If an error in a task would lead to serious harm, financial loss, or reputational damage, then firms must be far more cautious about employing gen AI to perform it without human oversight. The second factor is the type of knowledge the task demands. Tasks that rely on explicit data such as screening résumés and summarizing course evaluations are well suited for gen AI. Other tasks -- such as psychotherapy, hiring for soft skills, and nuanced leadership decisions -- require tacit knowledge: empathy, ethical reasoning, intuition, and contextual judgment built through human experience. These tasks are fundamentally harder for gen AI to perform because they involve not just retrieving information but also interpreting nuance, responding flexibly to context, and applying judgment in ambiguous situations. These two dimensions -- cost of errors and type of knowledge required -- form the foundation of our framework for identifying where and how to use gen AI effectively. See more HBR charts in Data & Visuals Applying the Framework Applying the framework starts by asking the right questions about gen AI. Rather than focus on the intelligence of gen AI , organizations should examine its usefulness, which depends heavily on the task at hand. They should ask: Where is the cost of errors acceptably low enough to use gen AI today? Even when human insight and creativity are required, are there components of these processes that gen AI could handle? To use the framework, start by breaking down jobs into their component activities and situating them on the framework, using as your guide the cost of making an error and the knowledge needed to complete the task. Placing the tasks in the appropriate quadrant makes it clear which ones gen AI can handle faster, cheaper, or better. Now let's walk through each of the four quadrants. The no regrets zone. The lower-left quadrant, where the cost of errors is low and explicit knowledge is required, contains the clearest and most immediate opportunity for organizations. This is where gen AI should be deployed today and where AI agents will thrive in the future. Tasks in this quadrant rely on clear, documented data, and errors are relatively harmless. You don't need perfect accuracy here. The real value lies in completing tasks faster, more cheaply, or at a greater scale than before. Consider a few examples. Gen AI can screen résumés and quickly flag candidates who should be considered for jobs based on well-defined criteria. It can approve low-dollar reimbursements -- a tedious but low-risk task. And it can quickly draft responses to common customer inquiries, such as questions about refund policies or shipping timelines. Using gen AI in place of humans for these tasks will save time, and the people who had been doing them can be redirected to higher-value interactions. In addition, there are valuable tasks in this quadrant that humans weren't doing previously because they were too tedious, time-consuming, or expensive. One example: staffing every meeting with a human stenographer. Gen AI can capture the conversation in a meeting and extract key themes, action items, and decisions within seconds. Rhuby Dear's work combines photography with graphic design. Often inspired by her travels to remote, otherworldly locations, her work captures the harmonious relationship between reality and the abstract. When considering whether to enlist gen AI for tasks in this quadrant, don't ask whether gen AI's output is as good as a human's and how gen AI can be used for the things you already do. In addition, real breakthroughs can come not just from replacing old work but from unlocking work that was never feasible before. Here are the key questions to ask: Are the cost savings and speed gains large enough from using gen AI that we can tolerate a slight impairment in the quality of output? How can we use gen AI for the things we don't do today or that are too costly to do? The creative catalyst zone. The upper-left quadrant, with a low cost of errors and a need for tacit knowledge, is where gen AI can serve as a creative catalyst, helping humans perform tasks that often benefit from originality. Crucially, the refinement of gen AI's output and the final judgment on what to adopt rest with humans. Mistakes can be tolerated because the quality of the results is subjective: There is no definitive "best" marketing slogan or "perfect" product design because people's views of what is best or perfect are personal. Because the cost of getting tasks in this quadrant slightly wrong is low, gen AI can meaningfully augment human creativity by speeding up experimentation, generating a greater volume of ideas, and enabling broader participation in the creative process. Gen AI allows everyone -- from entry-level staff to team members who may not have thought of themselves as creative to senior creatives -- to think and work more like innovators. The key to figuring out how to apply gen AI in this quadrant is to deconstruct the creative task and identify where gen AI can expand the capacity of humans to add value through their creativity. For example, marketers can use gen AI to produce 20 possible taglines instantly, giving creative teams a broader pool of options to refine. Designers can generate visual or functional variations rapidly and then manually select and perfect the most-promising concepts. Presentation creators can ask gen AI to outline key points, suggest narrative arcs, or generate visual mock-ups, freeing them to focus on tailoring the message to their audience. Even in training contexts, mock interviews or simulations can be generated quickly to enrich preparation exercises. Don't ask whether gen AI is as creative or original as a human -- a standard it was never designed to meet. Here are the key questions you should ask: Can gen AI save time for creatives? Can it make it easier for noncreatives to participate in creative tasks? The human-first zone. The upper-right quadrant is where the stakes are highest. In this domain gen AI may act as an enabler but not a decision-maker. Tasks here involve subjective judgment, situational nuance, and complex decision-making -- and mistakes carry serious consequences, whether financial, legal, reputational, or personal. Trust, ethics, and long-term strategy are often on the line. Errors can have lasting consequences: A poor executive hire can damage a company's culture; a strategic misstep can erode billions in value; a mishandled medical diagnosis can cost a life. Tasks like hiring critical employees, setting strategy, integrating complex enterprise systems, navigating crises, and managing sensitive HR interventions all fall squarely into this quadrant. They carry high risk and demand judgment, contextual understanding, ethical reasoning, and emotional intelligence -- qualities that are difficult to codify or reliably automate. In these domains, gen AI should be used with extreme caution. It cannot replace the human role at the center of these decisions. Its contribution should be carefully constrained and supportive, not central. Yet a smart deconstruction of tasks in this quadrant reveals opportunities for gen AI to provide valuable support -- it can expand a human's capacity to perform these tasks without undermining that person's control of the decision. For example, in hiring, gen AI can help refine job descriptions or suggest interview questions; in strategy, it can synthesize market data or surface emerging trends; in governance, it can model reputational risks; in crisis management, it can draft preliminary communications and monitor public reaction; in healthcare, it can help clinicians calculate risk scores to triage patients when deciding who requires immediate attention and who can wait to be treated; and in managing employees, it can propose elements of a performance-improvement plan. Leaders and knowledge workers all have some tasks that fall in this quadrant. When assessing tasks, don't waste your time wondering about when gen AI will be smart enough to do them autonomously. The critical question to pose is this: Which tasks can gen AI assist with today to make human judgment more effective? The quality control zone. The lower-right quadrant contains knowledge-heavy tasks that gen AI can technically perform well -- because they are grounded in explicit, structured information -- but for which even small mistakes could result in serious consequences. These are high-accountability domains such as law, finance, and software development, where information is clear and codified yet the standards for accuracy are extremely high. This quadrant is ideally suited for a human-in-the-loop model: Gen AI provides speed and scale while humans provide judgment, oversight, and final accountability. Take the drafting of legal agreements. Traditionally, preparing a contract involves several stages: understanding client needs, composing clauses, negotiating terms, revising language, and approving the final document. Today a lawyer can use gen AI tools such as Harvey to generate a strong draft contract in minutes, freeing her up to focus on negotiations and final review. Similarly, in software development, gen AI tools like GitHub Copilot can generate boilerplate code or suggest debugging fixes, accelerating development cycles -- although experienced developers must still conduct quality assurance and verify functionality. In financial due diligence, gen AI can scan large volumes of documents and detect anomalies or opportunities, but human analysts must interpret the findings in context. And in healthcare, gen AI can recommend patient bed assignments based on structured criteria while leaving the final decisions to clinical staff, who must weigh nuances missed by algorithms. With tasks that have high risk and need explicit knowledge, have gen AI handle the repeatable, data-heavy parts, and have humans perform the steps where nuance, interpretation, or final accountability really matter. To identify tasks that fall into this domain, ask these questions: Where is human expertise truly essential? Which parts of the workflow can be safely delegated to gen AI? It's often said that those who use AI will replace those who don't. But the reality is more complex: As the framework illustrates, some tasks are best done by AI alone, others through human-AI collaboration, and some still require purely human judgment. Rather than debating replacement versus complementarity, the key is understanding which tasks remain distinctly human. Anticipate the Impact on Your Industry The fact that your customers, suppliers, and competitors can access the same technology creates the paradox of access: Because everyone can use it, it becomes dramatically harder to capture value with it. If you and your competitors apply the technology to similar tasks and follow the same best practices, then everyone becomes more efficient but no one secures long-term profits from it. Competitive pressure ultimately causes the gains to go to customers and suppliers through lower prices or better terms. This is a pattern similar to the one from Internet 1.0: Early adopters enjoyed brief advantages, but as digital technologies spread, the benefits flowed to consumers, not firms. Think of the rise of airline e-ticketing in the 2000s. Carriers all competed using the same technology, and customers reaped the benefits of lower airfare. Since the 1990s, CAD and ERP software have streamlined manufacturing and supply chains, but now they are table stakes, not a source of advantage. These examples are reminders to be ready for the following developments: AI-first entrants are coming. In the not-too-distant future your fiercest competition may not be your familiar peers but a new breed of solo entrepreneurs and micro-teams. Imagine starting a marketing agency today from the ground up. Rather than hiring dozens of people to conduct market research, write copy, design graphics, and answer questions from clients, a small team of experts could eventually rely on AI for all these tasks. Such AI-first entrants could match your scope and speed while carrying a fraction of your headcount. The building blocks for this vision already exist in the form of software development agents and AI sales reps, with more tools on the horizon. Customers and suppliers can use gen AI against you. Their access to gen AI can upend your bargaining power. Law firms have been dealing with a similar issue since the 1990s. Work that once required scores of paralegals and a complete law library could suddenly be done by one lawyer with an internet-connected PC. A company can now hire an in-house attorney for routine work instead of sending every matter to a full-fledged law firm. The number of U.S. lawyers employed as in-house counsel tripled from 1997 to 2020; they currently outnumber those employed in the 500 largest law firms. The shift squeezed Big Law on two fronts. Their customers pushed back on the once-untouchable billable hour: Today nearly 90% of large firms offer flat-fee or other pricing that is more favorable to the customer. And lawyers who once had no choice but to suffer 100-hour weeks at a white-shoe law firm can move in-house or start solo practices, empowered by digital tools that replace big-firm infrastructure. Rhuby Dear Gen AI accelerates this pattern. With legal-research bots and contract-writing agents, corporate clients can pull even more legal work in-house. The same trend is occurring with other professional services, such as software development contracting, M&A consulting, and advertising. The most talented and entrepreneurial employees from those firms will have more and more options for where to work. Building an AI-Based Competitive Advantage As we've noted, moving quickly is important, but speed alone won't put you ahead of the impending competition. You need a strategy to differentiate how your organization creates value with gen AI. We recommend taking the following steps: Mandate broad access to technology. Everyone in your company has tasks in all four quadrants of the framework, and so everyone has the potential to do more by using gen AI. Every single person in your organization should evaluate which tasks can be handled -- better or even if just serviceably -- by gen AI. Also have each person consider tasks that previously were too costly or time-intensive to do but that gen AI could perform inexpensively and quickly -- for example, sending personalized holiday greetings to every business contact over the past year or summarizing every meeting attended. Experimentation and training should be encouraged broadly -- through top-down messaging that signals its importance and bottom-up forums where employees can share lessons learned. Doing these things will require building faster pathways for frontline teams to test and scale gen AI tools. Start by removing the bottlenecks that keep these powerful tools out of the hands of your people. If access stalls at the IT desk or hides behind compliance forms, you cede ground to rivals whose staff can experiment in real time. IT departments understandably struggle to keep up with the relentless proliferation of ever-improving models and specialized applications. Delegating full control of gen AI to the CTO, no matter how capable, can slow progress. In 2023 JPMorgan Chase temporarily blocked its staff from using ChatGPT while its security teams performed third-party reviews -- a sensible precaution but one that prevented 60,000 users from experimentation. Every organization faces this trade-off: Cybersecurity concerns are real, but if the loudest message employees hear is what not to try, innovation will only move as fast as your slowest approval queue. Many IT leaders want to take the maximum precautions to protect against all risks. But they should focus on guarding against the most-critical risks -- such as the leakage of regulated or highly sensitive data -- through targeted employee policies and vendor security reviews precisely defined to shield against those threats. Once you've done this, it's time to create a strategy. Differentiating what your organization does with gen AI will require two long-term efforts. Reimagine all assets as data. The capabilities of the initial generations of gen AI were limited to the public data they were built on. Increasingly, firms are equipping employees with rich proprietary data -- which can be accessed through gen AI search or used to train a model imbued with the knowledge of the firm. To follow suit, you must do the following: Ascertain where the data resides in your organization today and centralize it. All companies need to start centralizing data that has been scattered across or siloed in business units, functions, and geographies. Your infrastructure can anchor your competitive advantage. Before the era of gen AI, in the 2000s, the casino operator Harrah's Entertainment funneled every slot pull, hotel check-in, and dinner receipt into a single data warehouse. The insights it gleaned from its data trove allowed it to grow revenue faster than its competitors -- they could copy the spectacle and glitz of Harrah's casinos but not its data infrastructure or its culture of rapidly leveraging that data. Having the discipline to consolidate data is even more critical today, and not just for customer analytics. Generative AI allows a firm to extract insights from all its myriad messy and unstructured data -- including from partners and through acquisitions -- to drive decisions across the whole organization. It will take years to build the infrastructure to gather and make meaning of that data, so begin the effort now. Identify the data that you aren't yet collecting. Every activity of a business -- from customer interactions to operational processes to internal emails and meetings -- is a source of proprietary data to be tapped and leveraged. The data you don't collect today is a seed you never plant; start capturing the critical data streams now so that a tree might bear fruit when you need it. Redesign your organization. In the long term, it will not be enough to layer gen AI onto existing workflows. Organizations will need to redesign themselves around a gen AI-first vision of the business. To do that, you'll need to organize to get the most out of your data and your people. Let's look at data first. Even proprietary data eventually becomes commoditized. But it is hard for others to copy an organization that is tailored to continually exploit it. In the 1990s Capital One rewired the whole bank around its data by combining marketing, risk, and IT teams and having them perform thousands of microexperiments a year. Operations, customer service, and HR teams supported this learning engine. Its most famous experiment, a "balance transfer" teaser-rate offer, let customers move outstanding balances from rival issuers to Capital One's credit cards. The promotion drove explosive account growth. The firm closely tracked user behavior longitudinally, and over time the data warned that newer applicants were higher risk. That gave management the foresight to phase out the product. Meanwhile competitors, lacking this feedback loop, continued to copy the offer until their losses became catastrophic. Companies today will need to create a feedback loop between data and a continuous learning process to translate gen AI insights into action ahead of the marketplace. You also need to revisit how you get the most out of your people. Generative-AI tools free up chunks of time, but early research suggests that the windfall can evaporate into idle tinkering, low-value busywork, or outright downtime . To keep the savings from slipping away, treat time as you would any strategic resource: Manage it carefully. Managers should work with employees to estimate and track the hours AI shaves off their key tasks, set clear expectations for how those hours will be redeployed, and tie recognition or incentives to how effectively the saved time is used. These measures will have to evolve alongside the technology to ensure that AI-driven efficiency translates into real gains for the business and meaningful growth for employees. See more HBR charts in Data & Visuals Start thinking today about what an AI-first organization chart should look like, even if the changes won't come until later, because it takes a long time to implement an organizational redesign. AI will eliminate some existing roles, most likely those with a high proportion of work in the "no regrets" quadrant . In the other quadrants, gen AI will complement the work of people in the organization -- but not necessarily the same people who are doing those tasks today. You will need to rethink the entire org chart. For instance, some functional employees may become cross-functional. And instead of supervising someone who works with software, middle managers may work directly with software. Maybe a few people will focus only on the quadrant of "human-first" tasks. In summary, strategic differentiation will come from three sources: rapid and targeted deployment of gen AI across tasks, which is valuable in the near term if your competitors remain fixated on intelligence or paralyzed by concerns like hallucinations; proprietary data that enhances gen AI's performance or process fixes that prevent its value from being lost to organizational bottlenecks; and unique people, processes, and culture -- the "complementary assets" that make gen AI more valuable inside one organization than it is inside others. . . . Common misperceptions are keeping many organizations from capturing the full potential of gen AI. Some leaders believe gen AI isn't yet intelligent enough to be useful; they focus on its imperfections rather than recognizing its potential to lower costs even when quality isn't perfect. Others fear that its error rate makes it too risky to adopt; they miss the distinction that it's the cost of errors that matters most. Some insist that gen AI must be perfectly accurate before deployment; they don't appreciate that in many tasks, 100% accuracy isn't essential. Still others are frustrated that savings at the task level aren't yet visible in the P&L; they forget that saving time across tasks doesn't automatically translate into saved dollars without intentional management or that sustainable advantage won't come from merely adopting gen AI but from using it differently. The organizations that recognize these traps, rethink their assumptions, and move deliberately to turn gen AI from a general capability into a true source of competitive advantage will be the ones that succeed.

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Career development

 1d

Unlocking the Path to Professional Success: Student Senate Career Development Workshop


On Thursday, November 20th, the Goodwin Lobby will be transformed from a familiar campus crossroads into a launchpad for professional futures. From 12:30 to 1:20 PM, the Student Senate's Goodwin College of Business and Liberal Arts committee will host "Unlocking the Path to Professional Success: A Focus on Résumés, Internships, and Personal Statements," a workshop designed to help students... approach their career goals with confidence.

The event brings together some of the most essential elements of career building -- résumé writing, internship exploration, and crafting standout personal statements -- resources that so many students need but often struggle to access in an organized, approachable way. The timing and placement of the workshop invites students from all majors to drop by, gather tools, and leave with a clearer sense of direction.

"Starting out as an undergraduate student, I really didn't see the importance of resume building or finding internships until the end of my sophomore year," said Student Senate's Goodwin College of Business and Liberal Arts Co-Chair, Sebastian Delatorre. "It wasn't until I was pushed by my family and friends to apply to different internships and fellowships this past summer. I owe them a great deal because the experiences I learned at the internship and fellowship emphasized the importance of professional development. As a freshman, I was happy with my accolades in high school, but college has more to provide that many careers are looking to see,"

At the heart of the event is Matthew Johnson, Director of Career and Alumni Services, whose knowledge of résumé development and professional writing has guided countless students toward internships, graduate programs, and full-time careers. During the workshop, Mr. Johnson will provide hands-on guidance and practical strategies for students refining their professional materials.

While résumés may be the foundation of most applications, the workshop also delves into personal statement -- a piece of writing that demands both reflection and precision. Students often describe personal statements as the most intimidating part of any application, making this workshop an ideal moment to gain guidance in the art of "selling yourself" on paper.

Equally important is the discussion around internships, which many students view as the doorway to real-world experience. Representatives from the Student Senate will be available to share insights from their own internship journeys and highlight the many opportunities available both on and off campus.

"We are organizing this career workshop to help students feel more confident about their future careers as they move from high school to college. Juniors and seniors can also learn a lot, since many students are still unsure how their skills will help them in future," said Student Senate's Goodwin College of Business and Liberal Arts Co-Chair, Arthy Yuvaraj. "This workshop will help students build confidence as they look for internships, early job opportunities, or make connections on LinkedIn. These tools are great places to learn new things and find more opportunities."

What makes this workshop truly stand out is not only its professional value, but its collaborative spirit. Dr. Christopher Birks will also provide invaluable guidance to students regarding the best tips and tricks for interviewing.

"Many students have an idea of what they want post-college, but have no idea how to make it happen," said Chris Birks, associate professor of Communication Arts. "A career workshop should give participants both solid tools for their portfolios and some sense of direction."

"Unlocking the Path to Professional Success" is ultimately about more than résumés and statements -- it is about empowering students to recognize their potential and take ownership of their future. Whether a student is applying for internships, preparing for graduation, or simply learning how to talk about their achievements, this workshop promises to offer direction, encouragement, and a sense of forward momentum. more

Career development

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The Blogs: Résumé vs. Eulogy Virtues: What Really Counts in the End


Not long ago, I sat in a room remembering my friend Hortencia Manzano Mammen, who we lost far too soon after multiple health challenges. She was only 59.

We met in 2020 while her husband was volunteering for the presidential campaign. We would hold potluck meetings at her beautiful home, always decorated with a festive theme.

Hortencia had a sparkle -- an energy and warmth that drew people in.... She had a way of making everyone feel special, like they truly mattered.

Now she's gone, and I am left sitting, thinking.

What struck me most at her memorial wasn't what people said -- it was what they didn't say. Despite being a successful entrepreneur, few mentioned her work, titles, or business wins. Instead, they spoke about her kindness, her light, and how she made people feel seen, valued, and loved.

A wonderful mom, wife, sister, and friend -- but first and foremost, generous, creative, and gracious. That's what everyone remembered. She always said being a mom was the greatest joy in her life, and she lived it fully every day. Her kids carry so much of her with them now -- they are her legacy.

Her loss was felt deeply by everyone who knew her, and it made me pause to reflect on my own life and what truly matters. At an age where there's more past than future, I began thinking about David Brooks' The Road to Character and his idea of "résumé virtues" versus "eulogy virtues" -- the accomplishments we boast about versus the character we leave behind.

Résumé virtues are the things we brag about -- accomplishments, skills, and titles; eulogy virtues are who we are: our kindness, integrity, and the mark we leave on others.

I know I was a good mom. But lately, I've wondered: am I living in a way that reflects the kind of eulogy résumé I'd be proud of?

I had a good career in travel and tourism before my kids. Then I put it on hold to raise them -- something I've never regretted. When they reached their early teens, I started my own business.

I remember the conference calls, the juggling between work and family, the "vacations" that weren't restful at all. My kids complained. I'd pause, trying to focus on them -- but the next call always pulled me back.

Did I show up for them the way I wanted to? Will they remember my love, or that I was always distracted?

After selling my company, I realized something important: even when work is fulfilling, it does not truly build eulogy virtues. Professional roles are temporary. Once we leave a company or team, our formal role ends, and many colleagues move on with their own lives.

The problem is, the world doesn't teach us this. We're told to chase promotions and recognition. But the chase never ends; there's always another ladder, another goal.

Our inner lives, meanwhile, are quietly pushed aside. What we need to keep remembering over and over is that real success isn't about accolades, money, or prestige. It's about fulfillment. It's about growing, being kind, showing gratitude. It's about leaving something good behind. And no matter how old we are, it's never too late to change, to make a difference, to build a lasting legacy.

Amazing people don't just happen. They're shaped by what they go through, by their compassion, and by the choices they make every single day to live with intention and grace.

So I'll leave you with this question: which virtues are you building your life around -- the résumé, or the eulogy?

And to my friend Hortencia, rest in power. Your eulogy résumé is an inspiration to everyone you touched. more