Meet Austin Belcak.

While his 9-5 life entails being the Director of Partner Development at Microsoft, he is also the founder of Cultivated Culture — a program that helps people across all interests and skill levels land jobs they love, without the frustrating application process.

Though it worked out in the end, his path wasn’t always clear.

Austin graduated from university and took a job from his roommate’s father. What initially seemed to be a great opportunity led to a large sum of debt, feelings of sadness, and a loss of passion.

Austin decided to make a change. He left his job and began applying to hundreds of postings online. The result — no replies.

This forced him to take a new approach to networking. While it wasn’t easy at first, taking the leap and putting himself in a vulnerable position led him to jobs at some of his dream companies. Now, years later, he shares this strategy along with numerous others through Cultivated Culture, so that anyone can get results across all levels, passions, and interests.

In this episode, we cover topics including

• What interview styles and networking approaches resonate with those who are hiring today
• The importance of exploration in finding a dream job
• Combating social anxiety through fear setting
• The importance of being able to clarify and illustrate your value
• Reshaping failure and learning from experience

It’s time we start reshaping the meaning of failure. We’re often taught that failing a test, for example, is the worst possible outcome.

While it may not seem ideal at the moment, failure forces us to learn new skills and lessons that will only benefit us as we move through life. In this episode, Austin teaches us that failure is the key to success.

How are you reshaping failure as an opportunity to learn and develop new skills and competencies in YOUR classroom?

Continue the conversation and let us know on Twitter using the hashtag #CompetenciesPodcast

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Find them in this episode's blog post. 

• Learn how Cultivated Culture can help you land dream job offers
• Check out Austin’s Free Resume Builder for job seekers
• Try Austin’s Free Resume Scanner to compare your resume to your target role
• Listen to The Dream Job System Podcast
• Learn from countless helpful articles through the Cultivated Culture Blog
• Follow Cultivated Culture on Instagram
• Connect with Austin on Linkedin
• Read The 4-hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris
• Read Cashvertising by Drew Eric Whitman
• Read Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
• Read Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins

Calling all content creators, this one’s for you!

Meet Rob Comeau. With a strong passion for film, Rob knew he wanted to figure out a way to turn his passion into a business. Now at the age of 29 with hopes of becoming a big director, Rob is living in Toronto running a video production company and creating movies on the side to build his portfolio.

In the year 2021, with the right mindset, you can too!

There is always a way to turn your hobby and passion into a career. Everyone has a story to tell, and with the technology available online today it’s easier than ever to share a message and make an impact.

In this episode, we chat about topics including

• Defining success in art
• Using social media to market your abilities
• The importance of kindness and collaboration in artistic fields
• How creative problem solving can lead you to success
• How experiences are the best lessons

So artists, what are you waiting for? If art is your passion and you’ve been wanting to make a career out of it, no better time than now to start sharing your work and setting yourself up for entrepreneurial success!

Have a project you, your colleagues, or your students are eager to share? We’d love to see it.

Share it with us on Twitter and tell us how art plays a role in YOUR classroom using the hashtag #CompetenciesPodcast.

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Use the prompts below to have your students reflect on what they heard in the episode and consider how Rob’s advice can be applied to them.

1. Rob speaks about how he is not only an artist but an entrepreneur. Why do you think artists consider entrepreneurship as a component of their career? How does this impact the success of an artists’ career?
   
   
2. Rob attributes his ability to pivot in the pandemic to his mindset and positive attitude. How does his mindset set him up for success? Why do you feel having a growth mindset is a beneficial trait?
   
   
3. In the podcast, Rob shares a failure he experienced and how it helped him to be motivated to continue making his film. Share a failure that you have experienced and what motivated you to overcome it.
   
   
4. Reflect on how asking for feedback can help you to succeed in a project or in a career. Why is it important to keep an open mind when receiving feedback from others?
   
   
5. How do you develop problem-solving skills on a regular basis? How can you demonstrate this competency in your digital portfolio? How are creativity and problem solving interconnected?

• Unmasking — a film by Rob Comeau
• Find more of Rob’s work on https://www.robcomeaufilm.com
• Check out Rob on Instagram
• Continue the conversation with Rob on Facebook
• The Complete Guide to Filmmaking taught by Rob Comeau
• See more from Rob on YouTube
• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
• Watch Rob’s film pick, Whiplash

21st Century skills. The 6 Cs. Core competencies.

Call 'em what you want.

These are now the skills that society demands from our students. 

But what do they actually look like in the real world?

And how can I empower my students to develop these skills? 

We are starting this season with a powerhouse.

At this stage of your life, you may have a direction and that’s incredible, but one day you could find yourself in an industry that you don’t even know exists yet.

Meet Dr. Rumeet Billan — learning architect, entrepreneur, author, educator, and humanitarian.

Back in high school, Rumeet didn’t know she could or would become an entrepreneur. What we learn from her is that not every career is going to be an A to B straight line. Through self-confidence, and being open to new experiences, you can follow your purpose and move mountains.

In this episode, we chat about topics including but not limited to

• Being open to different directions
• How to find a meaningful mentor
• The importance of following purpose over passion
• The value of time and self-confidence

How are you motivating students in YOUR classroom to be open to new experiences and to follow their purpose as they progress into their professional lives?

Let us know on Twitter by using the hashtag #CompetenciesPodcast

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Use the prompts below to have your students reflect on what they heard in the episode and consider how Rumeet’s advice can be applied to them.

1. Rumeet believes that while having a direction of what you want to do after high school is great, being open to different experiences is important. Why do you think being open to these different experiences is so important? How can you develop this mindset while still planning and preparing for life after high school?
   
   
2. Why do you think it’s important to start making diverse connections while still in high school? Make a list of people whose stories and experiences interest you. How can you start building connections with these people right now?
   
   
3. In the podcast, Rumeet shares a failure she experienced and how it helped her to reevaluate what she needed to do to reach her potential. What’s a failure you’ve experienced? How did you feel? Looking back at this failure, what did it teach you? Why do you think it’s important to experience failure?
   
   
4. Consider what Rumeet says about giving back. Why is giving back so important? What does it teach you?
   
   
5. Why is self-confidence an important competency to develop? How does it impact different areas of your life?

• Learn more about Rumeet and her work at www.rumeetbillan.com
• Follow Rumeet on Twitter
• Connect with Rumeet on Linkedin
• Rumeet’s book — Who Do I Want to Become
• Book Recommendation: The Power of Habit
• Book Recommendation: Focus

Making a difference in the world is a full-time job.

Meet Lauren Ott — Chief Kits Officer of social enterprise ‘Kits for a Cause’.

Oftentimes, especially in high school, we’re faced with a burning question. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Until grade 12, Lauren was convinced that being a famous actress was her main objective. She was passionate about giving back and knew she was always good at making an impact. But, it wasn’t until her final year of high school that she realized her passion for social justice, beginning the journey that’s led her to where she is today.

What she learned in one semester was the importance of placing focus on what you’re good at, and how you can share those skills with others. By finding proper ways to advocate for your skill sets, you’re able to take the skills you learn, build and create, and find opportunities that suit those skills.

She’s funny, she’s kind, and we’re confident that her story will resonate with students across the board.

In this episode, we chat about topics including but not limited to:

• What exactly is a Social Enterprise, and how is it different from a Non-Profit?
• Building a career through and under what you’re good at
• The importance of advocating and documenting your skills
• How grit and perseverance can take you anywhere

How are you supporting the documentation of skills and knowledge in YOUR classroom?

Let us know on Twitter by using the hashtag #CompetenciesPodcast

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Use the prompts below to have your students reflect on what they heard in the episode and consider how Lauren’s advice can be applied to them.

1. Lauren talks about how an elective course she took in grade 12 and the impact it had on her. Why do you think it’s important to try out different courses and extracurricular activities while in high school?
   
   
2. Consider a passion you have. What about this passion drives you and how could you turn this into a career? Consider a specific area related to your passion or the steps you could take.
   
   
3. In the podcast, Lauren shares that it’s important to consider what you are good at and how you are different from others. List what you are good at. How do you share these things with others? How can understanding what you are good at guide you when considering future pathway possibilities?
   
   
4. Why can grit and perseverance be more important factors than experience when it comes to landing a job? Share an example of a time when you displayed these characteristics. What did you learn from this experience?
   
   
5. Consider a business or organization whose values align with your own. If you could reach out to someone who works there, what would you ask them? What steps could you take to connect with this business now and start building your network?

• Find out more about how Lauren makes an impact at Kits for a Cause
• Kit Packing for Schools and Students
• Video: How Kits for A Cause Works
• Follow Kits for a Cause on Facebook
• Follow Kits for a Cause on Twitter
• Follow Kits for a Cause on Instagram

This week’s episode is one that you do not want to miss.

Meet Navid Nathoo — Co-Founder of TKS (The Knowledge Society), or what he likes to call — a human accelerator, a program specialized in teaching students how to solve the world’s important problems, in the right ways.

TKS offers 2 programs for students, each focusing on foundational mindsets that someone needs to not only live a successful life but a happy fulfilling life. They double down on real-world skills that people can learn to make an actual contribution to the world’s problems.

So many of us suffer from two things: perfectionism and insecurity. These mindsets only hold us back. What we learn from Navid is vital — done is better than perfect. By being done you get feedback and with feedback, you grow.

We learn that by prioritizing curiosity and excitement over what others think about you, we can reshape our mindset from reasons not to, to reasons to.

In this episode, we chat about topics including

• How character and network are more important than knowledge and skills
• The value of feedback
• How to make the choice between being anxious and excited
• The importance of being present and focusing on what you can control
• How problem-solving is the #1 most important skill today

What are you doing in your classroom to empower YOUR students to understand the role that character and network play in their future success?

Let us know on Twitter using the hashtag #CompetenciesPodcast

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Use the prompts below to have your students reflect on what they heard in the episode and consider how Navid’s advice can be applied to them.

1. Navid believes that everything we do is about people, regardless of the industry we find ourselves in later on. Do you agree with this? Why or why not? What can you do now to help develop your people skills (communication, collaboration, etc.)?
   
   
2. Why is mindset important when it comes to success? Think about a time when you had to reframe a situation and persevere. What did you do to change your mindset and what did this experience teach you?
   
   
3. Navid mentions that TKS works to help students develop real-world skills needed in today’s rapidly changing society. What skills do you think are important when entering the workforce today? Why?
   
   
4. Consider what Navid says about looking at character and network when hiring. Why are these two things so important? How could you highlight these when applying for a job?
   
   
5. Think of a time when you have felt insecure. What caused this feeling and were you able to overcome it? What are some strategies you could use to change your mindset when confronted with insecurities in the future?

• Learn more about TKS and all they have to offer at https://tks.world
• Program Overview
• TKS Innovate Program (age 13–18) Virtual
• TKS Innovate Program (age 13–18) In Person
• TKS Foundations Program (age 11–13) Virtual — Interest form
• TKS Foundations Program (age 11–13) In Person
• Some TKS projects
• Have Questions about TKS? Schedule a meeting with a student
• Follow Navid on Twitter
• Podcast: The knowledge project — Navil Ravikant | The Angel Philosopher