Networking is an essential skill for first generation professionals. As we have discussed in prior Articles, your approach to networking may differ depending on your goals for the event, the group within which you are connecting, or even the event at which you are networking. In this Article, we give you 10 more advanced considerations to continue honing your networking skills.

Burnout has been highlighted recently, as the pandemic amplified both work and life-related stressors and left busy professionals with few ways to manage the added stress. According to the World Health Organization, burnout is characterized by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job, and reduced professional efficacy. In this Article, we will discuss four signs of burnout and five ways to manage or reduce burnout in your career.

A personal Board of Directors is a small group of trusted mentors, colleagues, or friends that will advise you throughout your career, according to their individual skillsets and experience. This select group of will consist of honest and educated advisors, not necessarily mentors, to whom you can reach out with specific questions or issues as they arise. In this Article, we will discuss how you can select and engage a personal Board of Directors to build relationships and advance your career.

We have all attended those dreaded “meetings that could have been an email." As a first generation professional, you may be responsible for organizing, conducting, and concluding productive and efficient meetings that not only further the initiative being discussed, but generate action items to involve all stakeholders. In this Article, we will discuss how bringing key teammates together, adhering to a set agenda, and clearly defining next steps will allow your meetings to run smoothly.

One of the most impactful leadership behaviors is to encourage innovation, from trying new systems or brainstorming new ideas or products. Innovation and adaptability allows you to stay in touch with the latest in your industry and allows you to hone in on the needs of your constituents. Further, innovation encourages new and different ways of thinking, which allows your team to wok outside the box in a meaningful and creative way. In this Article, we will outline five best practices to encourage innovation and how you can implement them on your team.