Even before the pandemic, workers in all fields struggled with the process of asking for extended leave from their jobs. A step-by-step plan can make the process easier, whether time is needed for caregiving, illness or a mental reboot, says Carnegie Mellon University professor Denise Rousseau.
Sasha the Mensch's Sasha Martens offers reasons why creative talent should think twice before considering a job move. "The old rule-of-thumb still rings true and most of the companies I work with still value job seekers who have extended stints in previous roles," Martens writes.
A performance review done remotely follows the same structure as an in-person review in that the process should be a conversation with your manager about your goals and less about the previous year's work. To avoid being blindsided, have regular talks with your manager and ask for a copy of the review ahead of time, writes Susan Peppercorn, an executive transition coach.
In times of workplace upheaval, it is important to empower employees to be able to quickly shift goals, workflow and focus. "Don't hold employees to specific processes if those processes don't work for their specific work situation," writes Joseph Freed.
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Job openings have hit a five-month high, per the Labor Department, and Indeed reports job postings on its site have recovered to pre-pandemic numbers, but many employers are finding it difficult to fill non-remote-working roles. "There's this huge gap between the kinds of conditions under which people are prepared to work and the kinds of conditions that they actually find in the jobs that are available," says ZipRecruiter labor economist Julia Pollak.
Microsoft, Walmart and IBM are among the many corporations creating employee esports teams as part of their professional development. A focus on team-based games that depend on strategic coordination means players "better be communicating really well with those colleagues, or you'll be left in the dust," Brad Tenenholtz, co-founder of the Corporate Esports Association, says.
Saadi Saihood, a businessman who got his start with a laundromat, has invested $200 million in American University in Baghdad, which debuted this week in refurbished Saddam Hussein-era palaces surrounded by a moat ... er, lake. Liberal arts isn't common in Iraq, which explains why only 300 students showed up for the debut this week rather than the hoped-for 10,000 to 30,000, but AUIB President Michael Mulnix still has high hopes for the only US-style university in federal Iraq.
