Chan with a Plan

Chan with a Plan

By Max ChanEducationSelf-Improvement
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Chan with a Plan episodes

  • 3 career lessons I wish I knew in my early 20s

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    Max provides 3 career lessons he wish he knew in his early 20s based on the question he asked Amy Marden on this past week's episode about changing careers in your 30s to fulfill your life's purpose.

    TIMESTAMPS

    • [0:55] Why you should stop caring what people think
  • [1:58] Academics shouldn't be the only thing you focus on during university/college
  • [2:48] Be open to opportunities outside your field of focus 

    • RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS

    • Chan With A Plan
  • Max Chan on LinkedIn
    • 6 min
  • Changing careers in your 30s to fulfill your life‘s purpose

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Amy Marden, author of The Parts We Lost and Mirror Mine, and founder of Afghan Refugee Resettlement Assistance DMV. We go through Amy’s journey from pivoting from a successful career in law to becoming a creative writer, writing stories based on experiences from her own life as a military spouse. From knowing when it was time to quit working in law, to her journey in writing and publishing her first book we hope her journey can provide some inspiration for you to make the move in pivoting to work that fulfill your life’s purpose. 

    QUOTES

    • “I think the first thing would be before you make a leap do your research, it should be an educated leap into a new field, you shouldn’t just one day walk into your job and say I can’t take it anymore and quit and then go find something else, I think that’s not smart.” - Amy Marden [18:17]
  • “Be kind to yourself in that regard and know your value and have a little faith that all this work that you’ve put into it and all the leg work that you’ve put in ahead of time is going to pay off, regardless of the little voice in your head that saids maybe it’s not good enough.”  - Amy Marden [32:17]
  • “I think it’s a lie to say money can’t buy happiness cause in some respects it definitely can, but there is the internal need that I think we all have as humans to have passion, and I think it’s a rare thing if you can be passionate about the thing that you are also getting paid for, and I think that if you can say that about your life, you’ve really figured it out.”  - Amy Marden [41:45]

    • TIMESTAMPS

    • [0:49] Meet Amy 
  • [2:22] Amy’s journey on becoming a lawyer
  • [4:41] Advice for recent JD graduates on getting their first job as a lawyer
  • [6:31] Guidance on paying off law school debt quickly
  • [9:46] Moving to a new geographical area for work and how to properly adjust if you have children
  • [11:21] The trigger point in which Amy was done with law and decided to make a change and focus on pursuing a new career path in creative writing and how she got started in this new career path
  • [15:48] What family and friends thought of Amy quitting law to pursue creative writing
  • [18:10] Advice for professionals that want to pursue something completely different but are too scared to make the jump
  • [19:22] Career advice Amy wished she knew in her 20s 
  • [20:40] Delaying family to focus on building your career
  • [25:02] The process in writing and publishing Amy’s 1st book
  • [29:54] Marketing Amy’s 1st book and learning lessons along the way
  • [31:46] Amy’s lessons on writing and publishing her 1st book and next steps
  • [35:56] Discussing Amy’s Afghan refugee project
  • [39:32] The importance of volunteering and community outreach
  • [41:33] Why working prestigious jobs don’t actually make you happy and fulfilled compared to other creative pursuits
  • [43:17] A major career roadblock that Amy had faced and what she did to overcome it to move her career forward
  • [45:04] Contacting Amy
  • [54:42] Outro

    • RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS

    • Amy Marden 
  • Lutheran Social Services
  • USAID Disaster Response for Afghanistan Crisis
  • Chan With A Plan
  • Career Advice with Chan With A Plan Facebook Group
  • Max Chan on LinkedIn
    • 48 min
  • 3 tips on how to advance your career and be a star player

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    Max provides insights on 3 key points based on this past week's episode with Mike Montague on how to work effectively in a multigenerational team and how those same teachings can help you advance your career. 

    TIMESTAMPS

    • [0:48] Importance of adaptability 
  • [2:36] The value of taking risks in your career
  • [3:53] The danger of only ticking boxes at your job and why you need to be solution oriented to truly be a stand out employee at your current company

    • RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS

    • Chan With A Plan
  • Max Chan on LinkedIn
    • 7 min
  • How to work effectively with others in order to excel in your career

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Mike Montague, founder of Playful Humans, a community designed to help the burned-out and bored get re-energized and engaged with life. We discussed how to effectively work in a multigenerational team in order to excel in your career, from obstacles younger professionals face when trying to get promoted, presenting ideas and getting buy-in with an older executive team and how to successfully manage a multigenerational team. 

    QUOTES

    • “[When it comes to preferred method of communication in the workplace] typically Baby Boomers prefer a phone call and they’ll pick up the phone and call, Gen Xers prefer Email, Millennials then will prefer a text message and Gen Zers are already using Slack and other direct messengers outside of that.” - Mike Montague [4:49]
  • “If you’re looking for a modern leader, somebody who’s collaborative, inspiring, looking to pull people along into a mission, I think you should look harder at Millennials and Gen Zers to lead more collaborative teams.”  - Mike Montague [16:52]
  • “If you bring solutions, you’re saving them trouble, you’re taking away problems off of their plate and offering a solution then they can then choose from, any leader of any age is going to appreciate that.” - Mike Montague [33:54]

    • TIMESTAMPS

    • [0:59] Meet Mike 
  • [4:22] Current common intergenerational conflicts in the workplace
  • [8:29] Aligning multiple generations to adapt and use the provided technology that the company has provided
  • [11:45] Ageism in the interview process
  • [14:41] Obstacles that millennials face in order to get promoted
  • [17:07] Guidance for older workers adapting to a work environment driven by younger leadership 
  • [20:20] What skills to develop to maintain your marketability 
  • [23:12] Balancing automation and job generation
  • [25:08] Tips for Gen Z on improving their face to face communication skills
  • [30:48] Presenting ideas as a young professional to an older executive team without conflict
  • [35:26] Advice for Gen Z on adapting and transitioning from an educational learning environment in college to a corporate work environment 
  • [41:15] Not taking work / business rejection personal 
  • [43:40] Managing a multigenerational team 
  • [46:08] Advice for Gen Z entering the workforce and collaborating effectively with other generations
  • [50:13] A major career roadblock that Mike had faced and what he did to overcome it to move his career forward
  • [52:49] Contacting Mike
  • [54:42] Outro

    • RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS

    • Sandler Training
  • Playful Humans
  • Chan With A Plan
  • Chan With A Plan Facebook Community
  • Max Chan on LinkedIn
    • 55 min
  • 3 job search tips on how to successfully move to a new industry with no prior experience

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    Max provides insights on 3 key points based on this past week's episode with Sydney Magana on how to successfully pivot into tech with no prior industry experience.

    TIMESTAMPS

    • [0:28] The importance of writing your resume with your target audience in mind
  • [1:51] Knowing that there's more than one avenue to do things when it comes to having a successful job search 
  • [3:19] Focus so well on selling your value proposition that the specific experience the company may think they really want, becomes irrelevant 

    • RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS

    • Chan With A Plan
  • Max Chan on LinkedIn
    • 5 min
  • How to land your dream job in tech with no prior industry experience

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Sydney Magana, a professional that recently took the leap and made the successful career pivot from higher education into tech. We discussed the various job search strategies she utilized in order to make the successful pivot, from tailoring her resume and LinkedIn profile to utilizing networking to generate conversations that moved the needle, including one conversation that led her to being referred for an opportunity that matched her skill set, resulting in going through the interview process for that opportunity and getting the job. 

    QUOTES

    • “I focused on networking, starting with folks that were in my own network, my friends and my family asking them if they knew anyone who potentially worked in tech who would be open to having a coffee chat or informational interview and from those conversations, I think I just gathered really tangible action items and just kind of sat down and put in the time and effort and work into trying to figure out what a career pivot really means.” - Sydney Magana [15:16]
  • “[When it comes to informational interviews it’s about] understanding how they got there because everyone’s career trajectory is not linear, you always can learn something from someone else’s experience.”  - Sydney Magana [32:14]
  • “I did not find that they kind of looked down on me for not having tech experience, they were very optimistic. I definitely practiced how I was going to communicate my skill set and my experience and how it translates to that specific role I was interviewing for.” - Sydney Magana [41:45]

    • TIMESTAMPS

    • [1:12] Meet Sydney 
  • [5:25] Discussing Sydney’s start in her professional career in higher education
  • [8:56] Reaction to higher education shutting down due to the pandemic and how Sydney handled it
  • [10:52] How the idea of moving away from higher education came about
  • [11:34] Worries of layoffs due to the pandemic
  • [12:08] Deciding what industry Sydney wanted to pivot into 
  • [13:45] What challenges Sydney knew going into trying to pivot to a new industry
  • [15:47] Identifying transferable skills from higher education that would be valuable in the tech space and how Sydney was able to communicate this effectively on her resume
  • [23:02] Tailoring Sydney’s LinkedIn profile for tech 
  • [26:07] How to continue networking after you landed your job
  • [28:14] Sydney’s results in cold outreach on LinkedIn
  • [29:47] Sydney’s strategy on utilizing her warm network to get into tech
  • [31:05] Walking through how to conduct an informational interview with a professional
  • [34:08] Researching what role in tech to target that fit Sydney’s experience level and skill set
  • [37:07] How long it took for Sydney to successfully pivot into the tech field
  • [39:53] How an informational interview led to Sydney getting an interview for the Business Operations Program Manager position she currently has
  • [40:22] How to maintain business relationships with professionals you talked with after the first conversation is over
  • [41:23] Discussing whether the hiring team had any qualms of Sydney’s lack of experience in tech 
  • [43:15] Types of questions that were asked in the interview and time between final interview and job offer
  • [46:01] Sydney’s game plan when it came to onboarding effectively in her new role in tech 
  • [47:22] Similarities and differences between working at Microsoft and working in higher education
  • [50:26] Sydney’s future career plans
  • [51:31] A major career roadblock that Sydney had faced and what she did to overcome it to move her career forward
  • [53:43] Contacting Sydney
  • [54:42] Outro

    • RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS

    • Sydney Magana on LinkedIn
  • Chan With A Plan
  • Max Chan on LinkedIn
    • 57 min
  • 3 job search tips on how to get your 1st manager job

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    Max provides insights on 3 key points based on this past week's episode with Ilona Polinovsky on how to go from an individual contributor into a management role.

    TIMESTAMPS

    • [0:29] How to tailor your resume effectively to apply for managerial jobs when you've only been an individual contributor in your career
  • [1:55] The one thing you must know when it comes to evaluating your interview performance at a company that will save you headache and anxiety 
  • [2:46] The difference between applying and interviewing for a managerial role compared to an individual contributor role 

    • RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS

    • Chan With A Plan
  • Max Chan on LinkedIn
    • 5 min
  • How to get a management position with no prior experience

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Ilona Polinovsky, with multiple years in the healthcare industry. We discussed her career journey, including how she was able to successfully move up from being an individual contributor into a management role with direct reports and providing advice for professionals that also want to take that step in their career. 

    QUOTES

    • “Cover letters are crucial too [in the job application], at least I think so, it helps you drift away from the strictly structured resume layout and add a personality touch to the application.” - Ilona Polinovsky [23:26]
  • “[My preparation on becoming a manager is] highly recommend listening as much as you can, asking questions as much as you can, that’s what I’m doing right now, I’m reading from early morning to late night, getting to know the policies, all of the procedures, getting to know the team, getting to know the projects and building that foundation of knowledge.” - Ilona Polinovsky [27:17]
  • “The end goal of the individual contributor is to succeed in managing an initiative or a project, so all of the interview questions are focused on that, while the end goal of a manager is to help the team succeed in that task.” - Ilona Polinovsky [29:26]

    • TIMESTAMPS

    • [1:01] Meet Ilona 
  • [2:59] How Ilona started her career as a business analyst
  • [5:45] Deciding to go straight into doing her masters program instead of getting work experience first
  • [6:46] How Ilona found the company she wanted to work for after graduation
  • [8:18] Ilona realizing her rejection was based on her communication skills at the interview and not due to lack of relevant experience
  • [9:23] An overview of the complete interview process for Ilona’s 1st role at her target company
  • [11:39] Ilona’s time investment in job searching and interview preparation in order to land her 1st full time role after graduation 
  • [13:38] Discussing Ilona’s journey and her multiple individual contributor roles during her time at her company
  • [18:31] Deciding whether to pivot to another role internally or moving to another company altogether 
  • [19:59] Having the conversation with your manager of wanting to move to another position internally
  • [20:33] What Ilona enjoyed about being an analyst vs being a consultant
  • [21:25] The decision to go from individual contributor to manager
  • [22:30] Tailoring an individual contributor resume to a managerial focused resume
  • [23:45] If there were any doubts from the hiring team about Ilona’s experience to lead a team when she was never officially a manager before 
  • [25:16] Evaluating the offer from her current company and their competitor and how she decided to stick with her current company in her new managerial role
  • [26:00] Ilona’s preparation in order to become a successful team manager for the 1st time
  • [28:10] Ilona’s advice on building rapport with existing team members as their new manager
  • [29:14] Interview differences between an individual contributor interview and a managerial interview 
  • [30:23] Ilona’s experience with getting the Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification and whether it was worth it for her to get it
  • [32:04] Having the discussion with your manager on getting the company to fund your educational endeavors
  • [32:51] An overview on how to get your PMP Certification and how to prepare for the exam
  • [36:17] A major roadblock that Ilona had faced and what she did to overcome it to move her career forward
  • [37:45] Contacting Ilona
  • [39:37] Outro
    • 42 min
  • 3 career lessons for young professionals looking to accelerate their career growth

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    Max provides insights on 3 key points based on this past week's episode with Dominic Imwalle on how to thrive in your career as a young professional.

    TIMESTAMPS

    • [0:27] Why you should network and build a community and how to approach it from a tactical perspective
  • [2:56] Dealing with rejection 
  • [4:55] How to work with your manager to get that promotion or raise

    • RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS

    • Chan With A Plan
  • Max Chan on LinkedIn
    • 8 min
  • Advice for young professionals in order to thrive in their career

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Dominic Imwalle, Founder of DxConsulting. We discussed various strategies that young professionals can utilize and implement in order to excel in their career. From building confidence, growing your network and making a big impact at work without compromising your personal life and mental health in the process. 

    QUOTES

    • “Setting expectations is my favorite, clear and upfront and I just did it this week with a manager, hey this is a promotion year for me, I’m looking to do X Y and Z where else can I step up to the plate.” - Dominic Imwalle [18:16]
  • “[When it comes to deciding whether to move up internally] look at what your manager, senior manager, couple levels above do on a daily basis and ask yourself if you like what they’re doing.” - Dominic Imwalle [34:53]
  • “When you get to that spot, when you just get so confident and comfortable and operating in who you are and you trust that, other professionals need to watch out because you’re going to be putting some people on watch and it’s going to be really fun and exciting for you.” - Dominic Imwalle [44:11]

    • TIMESTAMPS

    • [0:39] Meet Dominic 
  • [5:45] Strategies to build your community as a young professional
  • [9:43] Building confidence when it comes to reaching out to professionals
  • [12:54] Landing informational interviews with professionals and how to conduct one well
  • [14:40] Dominic’s experience with professional rejection
  • [16:45] Finding career clarity
  • [18:12] Going for the tough asks that are necessary to grow your career
  • [19:36] Building confidence as an overall individual both professionally and personally
  • [23:25] Being successful in your first corporate job as a young professional
  • [25:08] How to continue to grow as a professional while you are working your job in order to stay marketable
  • [27:16] Advice for professionals getting impatient with their lack of career progress even though they haven’t been at their company for that long
  • [30:32] Work life balance and taking care of your mental health
  • [34:39] Deciding between trying to move up internally or looking for an opportunity externally
  • [36:16] How Dominic started his career coaching side business
  • [40:04] Potential conflicts with Dominic’s full time job and his side career coaching business
  • [42:45] A major roadblock that Dominic had faced and what he did to overcome it to move his career forward
  • [46:17] Contacting Dominic
  • [47:59] Outro

    • RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS

    • DxConsulting
  • Prescribed Motion: The Thriving Guide for Young Professionals
  • Dominic Imwalle on LinkedIn
  • Chan With A Plan
  • Max Chan on LinkedIn
    • 50 min

About Chan with a Plan

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Providing career advice in easy actionable steps, for frustrated professionals, helping you overcome career challenges so you can stop feeling confused and defeated and start feeling focused and…