Tips for Starting a New Job

💎 How To Track Your Impact (+ free Notion templates). How to document your small and big wins, visualize your work and the incredible impact you've made ↓ We often assume that good work speaks for itself. If we just work hard enough, our work will get noticed and we will be elevated across our career ladder. Yet more often than not, your achievements will get lost somewhere between reorg efforts, new priorities, abandoned initiatives and urgent deadlines. Managers change all the time. You might have a strong relationship with your manager already, but never get a chance to move up the ladder because they have already moved to another team. A new manager, despite all your efforts, often won’t be able to promote you as an internal policy might block any new promotions in their first 6 or 12 months. So you’ll have to start over again. A good way to push back is to have a “brag document” — a running document that lists your small and big achievements, feedback from your managers and colleagues, screenshots of your appraisals and recommendations, along with lessons you’ve learned. It also builds confidence in your abilities and helps you better see your career trajectory. Useful things to include: 🧠 New skills you’ve learned 🏅 New certificates you’ve acquired ⏱️ Impactful projects you’ve leaunched 🧪 Experiments or A/B tests you’ve initiated 🧭 Product metrics you’ve moved 👋 Onboarding sessions you helped with 🚀 Changes you’ve initiated 🗣️ Workshops you’ve conducted 🧑🏫 Mentoring sessions you’ve coached 🌟 Endorsements you’ve received 🤝 Collaboration wins across departments 🧹 How you’ve dealt with design debt 📦 Successful scoping and getting buy-in 🛠️ Tools or systems you’ve introduced 🔧 Bugs or issues you proactively resolved 📣 Coordinating communication in teams 🔮 Lessons you’ve learned 🧯 Conflicts you’ve resolved There are plenty of things that can go in such a document. Typically it’s a simple Notion page or a Google Doc that you set up once and keep updating regularly. One useful habit that can help there is to always update the document after a retrospective session with your team and around a month later. The reason for that is that you’ll need to accumulate and add concrete evidence and results of the impact of your work. Typically business metrics are lagging metrics, so it will take a while until you get some results. One word of caution: it doesn’t work well if you update in huge and bulky batches as memories become a bit blurry and details get lost. Also, don’t think just about the design work — work also happens outside of the design work as we saw in the list above. Also, as Stephen Kernan noted once, whenever possible, try linking your accomplishments to the career ladder one level above your current role. If you can prove that you’ve been performing at the next level for past 3-6 months, you will make the case for your promotion strong and more obvious. (Useful templates in the comments below ↓)

How many times have you come back from a conference or event and thought, “I should’ve done more to maximize that experience”? Not just attending the sessions or showing up at the dinners, but turning it into something meaningful for your visibility, your relationships and your business development efforts. Me too 🙋🏼♀️ It’s easy to get caught up in the travel, the meetings, the panels and then move on to the next thing without following up. But the days after the event are when you can actually turn conversations into relationships and visibility into opportunity. Here are some ways to make the most of it: ✔️ Add new contacts to your LinkedIn network with a brief personal message ✔️ Follow up with a quick note or article relevant to what you discussed ✔️ Set up a coffee or Zoom with someone you want to get to know better ✔️ Thank the organizers and tag them in a post that shares why the event was valuable ✔️ Share a thoughtful takeaway from a session or speaker and connect it back to your work ✔️ Turn a question you were asked at the event into a LinkedIn post ✔️ Make a short list of people you want to stay in touch with and schedule reminders to check in ✔️ Look at the attendee list and identify one or two people you didn’t meet but want to and reach out to them saying that ✔️ Update your contacts or tracking sheet so you don’t lose momentum ✔️ Review your notes and pull out insights or trends that could spark future content or outreach You already invested time and energy to be there, and a few intentional steps afterward can help that investment pay off. Which of these tips are you going to do first? #LegalMarketing #ClientDevelopment #LinkedInTips #BusinessDevelopment

A few years ago, I stumbled upon the concept of "Building a Second Brain" by Tiago Forte, and it transformed how I manage my personal knowledge. As someone deeply immersed in FP&A and financial modeling, organizing information and insights has always been crucial. However, it wasn't until I adopted this methodology that I truly realized its potential. Tiago Forte’s approach to personal knowledge management (PKM) is about capturing, organizing, and retrieving information efficiently. It’s like having a second brain that holds everything you learn and experience, ready to be accessed whenever needed. For me, this was a game-changer. I chose Notion as my tool for building my second brain. Its flexibility and integration capabilities made it the perfect choice. I can create databases, notes, and projects all in one place, seamlessly linking everything together. This system allows me to manage my professional and personal knowledge in a structured yet intuitive manner. Implementing this methodology has had a profound impact on my life. Here are a few ways it has helped me: ➡️Increased Productivity: With all my information organized, I spend less time searching for what I need and more time actually doing the work. ➡️Better Decision Making: Having a well-structured repository of knowledge means I can make informed decisions quickly. ➡️Continuous Learning: My second brain is a living system that grows with me. Every new piece of information gets captured and connected to existing knowledge, enhancing my learning process. If there’s one piece of advice I can give, it’s to start managing your knowledge as early as possible in your career. Whether you’re a finance professional, a student, or in any other field, having a personal knowledge management system will be invaluable. It’s not just about storing information; it’s about creating a system that supports your growth and productivity. Getting Started 1️⃣ Choose Your Tool: Find a tool that works for you. Notion is my personal favorite, but there are many others like Evernote, Roam Research, or even simple digital notebooks. 2️⃣ Capture Everything: Start by capturing all your thoughts, ideas, notes, and insights. Don’t worry about organizing them perfectly at first. 3️⃣ Organize Regularly: Make it a habit to review and organize your captured information. Create categories, tags, and links to connect related pieces of knowledge. 4️⃣ Review and Reflect: Regularly review your knowledge base. Reflect on what you’ve learned and how it applies to your current projects and goals. Building a second brain has been one of the most rewarding practices I've adopted. It’s not just a system for managing information; it’s a way to enhance your personal and professional life. I'm always open to talk about this, so if you want to know more about how I do it, let me know.

🗒️ Workplace magic starts with empathy. Have you ever noticed how just one small act can completely change someone’s day at work? You don’t need to be the Employee of the Month or have a fancy title to make an impact. In fact, the little things are often the most powerful. Imagine 🤔 this: A teammate is swamped with deadlines, barely holding it together. You walk over and say, “Want me to take that client call so you can catch up?” or “Need help proofreading your report?” In that moment, you become their workplace hero without doing anything big, just by caring. Think of something you are really good at, maybe making clear meeting notes, organizing projects, or solving tech problems quickly. What feels easy to you could be life-changing for someone else. Don’t keep your skills to yourself. Share what you know. Lift others up. Sometimes, the most meaningful thing you can do is simply listen. When someone’s having a rough day and you ask, “How are you really doing?” and actually stay to hear the answer that's huge. That’s not a small gesture. That’s everything. So many people do great work, but they rarely hear appreciation. A simple “You handled that really well” or “That idea in the meeting was brilliant” can turn someone’s whole week around. It takes seconds but means so much. Suppose there’s some tension in the team. Instead of feeding the drama, you say, “Let’s start fresh.” That simple sentence can shift the entire mood. Forgiveness doesn’t make you weak; it’s a power move that helps everyone move forward. These so-called “small” actions? They’re not small at all. They are the secret to transforming a stressful, negative workplace into a kind, encouraging one. A place people actually want to show up to. And if more of us start doing this just showing a bit more kindness and empathy, we can change the world. One workplace at a time. The ripple effect is real. Start your wave. #kindness #empathy #community #workplace #culture

No one taught me how to navigate my first week at work. As a first-gen professional, I was told: → Get the job. → Work hard. → Prove yourself. But no one explained how to build confidence from day one. No one told me how to set myself up for success. No one mentioned the power of relationships. So, I figured it out on my own. I asked questions. I observed. I made mistakes. And along the way, I realized: Your first week isn’t just about doing the work. It’s about learning how to own your space. Here’s what I wish I knew earlier: ✅ Meet with your manager. Get clear on expectations—don’t assume. ✅ Understand the big picture. Learn the company’s goals and how your role fits in. ✅ Build relationships. Introduce yourself. Connections matter more than you think. ✅ Get comfortable with tools & systems. The faster you learn, the smoother things go. ✅ Ask for feedback early. Small tweaks now = big wins later. ✅ Set personal goals. Track your progress and celebrate the small wins. Most first-gen professionals aren’t struggling because they lack talent. They lack guidance. So, if no one taught you how to navigate your first week, let this be your roadmap. You got this. 💬 What’s one thing you wish you knew when you started your first job? ⬇️ #EvolveWithHarleny

Career advice I’d give my younger self: Keep a record of your wins Document your accomplishments as you go - not just what you did, but the real impact. (Keep this in a personal repository, not at work.) Most of us move from project to project, thinking we’ll remember the details when we need them. Then, when it’s time for a job search or a performance review, we struggle to articulate our impact. Instead, whenever you start a new project, ask yourself: “How will my future self talk about this?” Think in terms of a story - a problem worth solving, a difficult and challenging solution, and a meaningful transformation. You don’t have to wait until the project is finished to start writing it. Step 1: The problem What problem are you solving? A (business) problem worth solving has the problem itself, which lead to symptoms that, if they aren't addressed, can lead to disaster. For example, you might be replacing a legacy workflow. The old workflow is slow and includes manual steps. This results in errors and customer dissatisfaction, which leads to financial risk (due to errors) and churn, resulting in stagnant revenue and declining market share. You'll get more insight over time, but just start at the start. Write down what you know. Step 2: Document the outcomes you (or your leadership) are expecting or hoping for You may not know the final impact yet, but you have a hypothesis. What will change if your project succeeds? More revenue? Higher efficiency? Customer satisfaction improvements? Write that down. The transformation is often the opposite of the problem: if revenue is stagnant, the goal is growth. If churn is rising, the goal is retention. Define the ideal outcome early. Step 3: Capture the key components of the solution As technologists, we naturally document what we built. That’s fine, but remember—hiring managers and execs care less about features and more about impact. And how you collaborated and persuaded stakeholders to create and keep alignment. Step 4: Update your story as you go As your project progresses, go back and update: ✔ What you learned about the real problem ✔ Changes in your approach ✔ The actual results once customers started using your solution Often, the results blossom in unexpected ways - leading to social proof like customer stories, awards, or internal recognition. Capture those. These stories become the basis of a resume that gets interviews and they're great for performance reviews.

Hate how boring and time-consuming documentation feels? Yeah, same. But here’s the thing: the more you avoid it, the more you hurt your future self and miss opportunities to showcase your skills properly. So if you want to make documentation less painful (and actually useful), here are 6 tips I use with my clients to make it faster, clearer, and more impactful: 1. Start with an overview What’s the purpose of your project? What problem did it solve? Just 3–4 lines to set the stage. Make it easy for anyone to understand why it matters. 2. Walk through your process Break down the steps: How did you collect the data? How did you clean, analyze, or model it? What tools or methods did you use? This shows how you think and how you solve real-world problems. 3. Add visuals A clean chart > a wall of text. Use graphs, screenshots, and diagrams to bring your work to life. (And bonus: you’ll understand it faster when you come back later.) 4. Show your problem-solving What roadblocks did you hit? How did you fix them? Don’t hide your struggles, highlight them. This is where your value really shines. 5. Summarize your results What did you find? Why does it matter? What’s next? Answer these three questions clearly and your audience will instantly get the impact of your work. 6.  Use a structure that makes sense Try this flow: Introduction → Objectives → Methods → Results → Conclusion → Future Work Simple. Clean. Effective. P.S: After every milestone, take 5 minutes to update your notes, screenshots, or results. Turn it into a habit. ➕ Follow Jaret André for more data job search, and portfolio tips 🔔 Hit the bell icon to get strategies that actually move the needle.

The Stories We Tell Ourselves at Work "I'll remember that." "We already captured that somewhere." "We don't need to write it down — we all know how it works." These are the lies we tell ourselves at work. And they're expensive ones. Every time knowledge goes uncaptured, we lose time. We repeat work. We make the same mistakes. And most importantly, we lose the why behind what we do. Here's what happens when we don't document: • Important context gets lost in email threads • New team members struggle to get up to speed • Simple processes become complex mysteries • Critical decisions lack proper trail • Teams waste hours searching for information The real cost isn't just time – it's innovation and growth. When we rely on memory instead of documentation: • We can't build on past learnings • We miss patterns and insights • We struggle to scale our success • We lose valuable institutional knowledge The solution isn't complex. It starts with acknowledging these small daily choices matter. Start by: 1. Writing down key decisions 2. Documenting processes as you go 3. Making knowledge sharing a habit 4. Creating easy-to-access central resources 5. Celebrating those who document well At Lorefully, we're not just capturing information — we're building a system that helps you confront these everyday fictions and replace them with clarity. Where in your team are these "small" knowledge gaps creating big blind spots? --- 📌 Follow me, Amrit Chandan, for more insights. 👍🏽 I am building my new venture, Lorefully, openly to help other founders in the process! 😎 I also coach and speak on the Entrepreneurial Journey.

Conference fatigue is real! Attending conferences can be rewarding and energizing, but the packed schedules, travel, information overload, and constant networking can quickly lead to fatigue or even burnout. Here’s a few ways to stay refreshed, focused, and make the most of your conference experience: ➡️ PLAN AND PRIORITIZE YOUR SCHEDULE: -- Review the agenda in advance. Highlight the sessions, speakers, and events that align with your goals. Focus on quality over quantity and don’t feel pressured to attend everything. -- If you’re traveling across time zones, use jet lag apps like Timeshifter or StopJetLag to help your body adjust. These apps provide personalized plans to optimize sleep, light exposure, and meals, which can significantly reduce. -- Schedule intentional downtime. Block out periods for solo walks, quiet meals, or short breaks in your room to recharge. Over-scheduling is a major contributor to event fatigue. -- Build in transition time between sessions. Even five to ten minutes can help you reset and prepare for the next event. ➡️ PREPARE FOR NETWORKING AND MEETINGS: -- Carry old-school business cards and a pen. -- Have your LinkedIn QR code or a digital business card ready for quick sharing. Digital cards (using apps like HiHello, Inc. or Popl) are increasingly popular. -- Download the conference app if one is available. They often include networking features, schedules, and ways to connect with other attendees efficiently. ➡️ DURING THE CONFERENCE: -- Limit distractions and avoid multitasking during sessions, meetings, or conversations. -- Be intentional and selective with your #networking: Focus on meaningful connections rather than collecting as many business cards as possible. -- Take notes during or immediately after key conversations and sessions. This helps you remember details and makes follow-up easier. -- Listen actively and ask thoughtful questions-engaged participation is more valuable than passive attendance. -- Designate some “no-conference” time: Block out periods where you don’t attend any sessions or meetings to decompress. -- Skip non-essential social events (like early breakfasts or late-night mixers) if you need rest. Prioritize your well-being over FOMO. -- Pay attention to your body and mind. If you feel overwhelmed or exhausted, take a break, even a short one can help you reset. ➡️ SCHEDULE TIME FOR FOLLOW-UP: -- Review your notes and contacts as soon as possible after the event to combat the “forgetting curve”. -- Set calendar reminders to follow up with new connections-ideally within a month, and then periodically (such as quarterly) to maintain relationships. -- Send personalized LinkedIn connection requests to everyone you met, referencing your conversation to reinforce the connection. -- Use #technology to your advantage: AI-powered apps can help summarize sessions, organize notes, and remind you of action items. What’s your best tip to avoid conference fatigue❓

Just because you’re posting every day doesn’t mean you’ll get opportunities. Many people are consistent, but invisible. They’re active, but not attractive. They post daily, but their inbox is still dry like Sahara desert. Their page has traction, but their career is static. Their captions are fire, but their positioning is cold. Posting is not positioning. Virality is not value. Activity is not strategy. This is how you actually document your journey in a way that attracts jobs, clients, collaborations, and even scholarships. 1. Don’t just say “I’m learning” — show how you’re applying it. A lot of you post things like: “I’m learning data analysis. I’m open to roles.” That’s not documentation. That’s declaration. Try this instead: “I analyzed sales data from my cousin’s boutique using Excel and visualized the best-selling categories in a dashboard. It helped her focus her next restock.” You don’t need a job to showcase value. Turn everything around you into case studies. 2. Stop hiding the struggle. Document the process, not just the wins. You’re spending too much time trying to look successful. But trust me, the posts that attract people are the real vulnerable ones. Talk about: ~ The day you almost gave up on tech because you couldn’t afford data. ~ How you balanced learning with caring for siblings. ~ What it felt like watching your friends get jobs while you got silence. That’s how you stand out. Because people don’t connect with perfection, they connect with your process. The journey is the proof. Show it. 3. Document like someone who knows where they’re going. Many of you are freestyling online. But opportunity favours people who look like they have a plan. Instead of posting “anything or everything” Craft your content like a digital portfolio. ~ If you want a remote customer support job — share how you handled angry customers at your mother’s buka. ~ If you want to be a content designer — document how you redesigned a confusing church bulletins so people understood better. Be strategic. Every post is a building block. Use it to shape how the world sees you. 4. Teach what you’re learning — even if you’re not yet an expert. You don’t need 5 years of experience to be valuable. All you need is to learn one thing and share it. Let’s say you just learned how to use Canva: “Today I designed my first social media flyer using Canva. Here's what I discovered about font pairing and color contrast.” Teach from where you are. You’ll build community, attract curiosity, and stand out without faking anything. You’re not here to impress. You’re here to evolve publicly and intentionally. If you’ve been showing up and still getting no traction, You don’t need to work harder, You need to position better.