This document provides an agenda for a career coaching session that includes various activities and topics to help participants with their job search and career development. The session will include warm-up exercises, pitching practice, learning about personal branding, taking a recess break, and discussing knowing what career path or job one wants. Other topics on the agenda include learning, mindsets and tips for things like content marketing, psychological contracts, design thinking, and elevator pitches. The overall scope of the session is to provide personalized career support through activities, guidance on career issues, and a forum for practicing interview skills.

1. @
WARM UP
SCRIPTING
PITCH PRACTICE
SELLING & THE MARKET
BRAND YOU
RECESS
KNOW WHAT YOU WANT
THE ELEMENT
YOU & THE FUTUE OF WORK
CONTENT MARKETING
PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACTS
DESIGN, MINDSETS & TIPS
ELEVATOR PITCHING
WRAP
AGENDA

4. @
• Personalized career facilitation (resume, cover letter,
portfolio, presenting, negotiation tips, etc.) AKA guidance
• Where you escalate career-related issues or concerns
• A forum to practice your interview skills – behavioral
• Practice for speed interviews (e.g. meet & greet, job fairs,
• Where you share your job search experiences and insights
THE SCOPE OF SESSIONS IS..
THE SCOPE OF JOB STANDUP IS NOT..
• A normal class or technology lesson. We assume that you
will find the right answers our role is to guide you on the
questions and how you present your skills

5. Who are you? (Something unique and interesting - past career?)
What are your professional + educational accomplishments?
Where are you going?
• Full stack / front-end / back-end / UX / Digital Marketer / Product Manager
• Interest in ... Junior Role / Middleweight / Internship / Other
• Full time / Part Time / Freelance / Starting Business / Not Actively Looking

6. START WITH THE END.

10. 1. WHO?
2. WHAT?
3. WHY?
4. INVITE..
INGREDIENTS
4

11. WHO?
.
.
1
WHAT’S YOUR NAME
WHAT DO YOU DO THAT’S SPECIAL

12. WHAT?
.
.
2
WHAT’S YOUR DISTINGUISHING FACTOR?
WHAT UNMET EMPLOYER NEED WILL YOU SERVE

13. WHY?
.
.
3
WHY ARE YOU VALUABLE?
EXPLAIN HOW YOU WILL SERVE AN UNMET NEED
& WHY YOU ARE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB

14. INVITE...
.
.
4
ARTICULATE YOUR PLANS FOR FUTURE
CLEARLY SAY WHAT YOU WANT

15. YOU
YOU
KNOWTHINK

16. 1. LOGIC
2. CHARACTER
3. EMOTION

17. THIS IS FUNCTIONAL YET SAFE
I AM THE HUMBLE INVENTOR
WOW, CAN YOU SEE THE POSSIBILITIES!
LOGIC
CHARACTER
EMOTION

18. IT’S TIME TO HAVE A GO..
• Remember it’s a conversation
• What must you say
• What do they care about?
• Less is More
ie [If you’re rushing you shed some content]

19. EMPLOYER ME
YOUR TALENT + SKILLS
+ PASSION
WE
TRACK
RECORD

20. ATTRACTION AUTHENTICITY
RESEARCH RELEVANCE
PASSION
PURPOSE
THE
RIGHT
STUFF

21. CONVERSATIONS>
RELATIONSHIPS>
TRANSACTIONS.

23. THERE WAS NEMO THE ONLY SON OF A PROTECTIVE WIDOW
DAD WARNS NEMO OF THE DANGERS OF THE OPEN SEA
NEMO IGNORES HIS DAD AND SWIMS INTO THE OPEN OCEAN
HE’S CAPTURED BY A DIVER & ENDS UP IN A FISH TANK OF A DENTIST IN SYDNEY
DAD SETS OFF WITH OTHER SEA CREATURES TO SAVE NEMO
DAD AND SON FIND EACH OTHER, & REUNITE HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
ONCE UPON A TIME
EVERY DAY
ONE DAY
BECAUSE OF THAT
BECAUSE OF THAT
UNTIL FINALLY

24. THE
TWIT
PITCH

25. UBER
connecting you and a driver with the tap of a button
HAILO
like UBER but just for cabs
LYFT
like UBER but drivers aren’t professional
SIDECAR
like UBER but fares are dontations and drivers
aren’t professionals - aka car sharing
SWIFTO
company pitch: “Uber for dog walking”

28. EYE CONTACT
CALMNESS
HAND GESTURES
SMILE
PACING
POWER POSEAMY CUDY TED TALK

30. SELLMOVE
MAKE PEOPLE
WANT THINGS
MAKE THINGS
PEOPLE WANT
VS.

31. OLD SCHOOL SELLING
NEW SCHOOL SELLING
VS

32. OLD SCHOOL SELLING NEW SCHOOL SELLING

34. SOME TIPS
NO TYPOS!
Be concise.
Tell a story.
Share your work – don’t just talk about it.
Avoid generic objective statements.
Highlight career progression.
Highlight technologies you’d be comfortable using in an interview.
Be prepared to answer questions about anything you mention on your Resume
Seriously, no typos!

36. YA GO ON
YOURSELF.

38. JOB STANDUP
Do your homework
Culture, technology, executives, recent releases, growth numbers, competitors, etc.
LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Crunchbase, Built With, Angel List Quora, news searches
What do you love about the product? What could be better? If asked, what feedback would you say?
Practice reciting your personal pitch and answering the following kinds of questions

42. CONTEXT
AVERAGE 30 YEAR OLD HAS HAD 9 JOBS (USA)
PAST 5 YEARS DEMAND FOR UX DESIGNERS UP x 22
ALL THE BIG BOYS ARE ALL IN UK OR IRELAND
NEARLY 5K TECH STARTUP VACANCIES IN UK
SALARIES OF £30K+ > SOME EXCEEDING
WHAT ELSE???

43. NETWORKS

46. Smart Searching
• We want to work with those we know and like
• Job ads draw too many applicants
• Many jobs are filled before advertising
Challenges to Networking tactics
• Might seem too pushy, selfish
• Fear of rejection
• Intimidating

48. Understand your networking landscape
• List companies that you would like to work at
• List who’s already on your network – friends and acquaintances
• Look to your 2nd degree connections
• Be visible
• Attend Meetups, Online groups for designers/engineers /marketers
(for newbies and general ones, Hacker hours)
• Diversify, socialize in other circles
• Stay in touch

49. Like any relationship, network is built on trust
3 keys to building and keeping it:
• Visibility: They know who you are and what you do
• Credibility: They know that you’re good at it
• Profitability: They can trust you enough to do business with you
Also:
• Peers: If they know someone that knows you in a professional
capacity - this can make all the diffeence
• Connect: On another or deeper level – find common interests

50. SOME MORE TIPS
REFERRALS are #1 source of tech hires in most tech companies
Review your network (LinkedIn, FB, Twitter, Github, etc.)
for introductions, recommendations and explatory conversations
Help your friends/family with design, digital strategy and creation of websites
Be active on social networks and in tech communities like Twitter and Hacker News
Contribute to an Open Source project. Better yet go to a Hackathon
Answer questions on Stack Overflow and Quora
Participate in coding competitions like TopCoder

51. BLOGGING?

52. TIPS AND TRICKS
• Chronicle often - as long as you have something to say
• Map your journey - turn info into knowledge
• Try offering a tech tutorial / troubleshooting tips
• Get inspired by top blogs/twitter accnts (ie. 50+ Rubyist)
• Stay up to date with relevant blogs
• Make digital stuff and share it
• Link to your blog/medium/whever from your portfolio

53. IT’S TIME TO [RE]TEST YOUR..
• Presentation skills
• How you organize information
• Logical flow
• Art of story-telling
• Speaking from the heart
• Ability to separate relevant from irrelevant information
• Confidence in your journey

54. Practice telling your story.
Outloud.
Several times.

55. DO:
• Prepare and practice your response
• Contain response within 2 minutes
• Analyze listing
• Note body language
• Tailored top-down review:
> Summarize professional background and education
> Review each relevant experience
> Highlight notable points

56. DON’T:
• Bog down into too much details
• Digress from the thread of your story
• Mention irrelevant points
• Read from your resume (or mind)
• Ramble

57. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
• Speak from your heart - put some thought into your story!
• Maintain eye contact + use gestures naturally
PUBLIC SPEAKING GOOD PRACTICE
1. Tell them what you’re going to tell them
2. Then tell them
3. Finally tell them what you told them
RESEARCH
• Research interviewer aka CREEP
• Highlight relevant skills and accomplishments
• Mention any personal event if relevant in context

58. BRAND WHO?
1. Have your Brand You‘Script’ ready - max 60 seconds
2. Stretch, Breathe, and Smile
3. 1 by 1 in front of the class pitch yourself.
YES REALLY.

59. Practice Appreciative Inquiry
Emphasise the Good

60. “YOU HAVE TO
LEARN THE RULES
OF THE GAME..
AND THEN YOU
HAVE TO PLAY
BETTER THAN
ANYONE ELSE.”
-ALBERT EINSTEIN

61. WHAT EMPLOYERS
ARE LOOKING FOR
. TALENT > BOTH HARD + SOFT SKILLS
.CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVER
. INDISPENSABILITY
.T-SHAPER SQUARE-SHAPER

63. JUST
SOME
TIPS
IT’S ABOUT THEM NOT YOU
CLARITY WINS
BE CONSCIOUS OF BODY LANGUAGE
DON’T FORGET TO MAKE THE ASK
PRACTICE
BE YOURSELF

64. ASK QUESTIONS
ENGAGE BY LISTENING
CHARM
PRACTICE

68. RECESS

69. Know
what
you
want

70. WHAT ARE YOU
LOOKING FOR?
.
.
PURPOSE
FREEDOM
.VALIDATION
.MASTERY
MOST IMPORTANTLY

73. WHAT IS A VOCATION?

74. A CALLING.

75. EMBODIES YOUR CHARACTER
PHYSICAL + PSYCHOLOGICAL BEING
SENSE OF IDENTITY
YOUR FLOW THROUGH SPACE+TIME
NOT A MEANS TO AN ENDS

78. VALUE of
as an INDIVIDUAL
vs

80. A P T I T U D E
A T T I T U D E
P A S S I O N
O P P O R T U N I T Y
I GET IT
I LOVE IT
I WANT IT
WHERE IS IT?

81. AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
YOUR CALLLING IS YOUR
CAREER?

82. CAREER
=
RUNNING COURSE

84. The best way to join the tech community?
Enhance your marketability?
And find a new job?
is through...
PEOPLE
EVENTS
& CONVERSATIONS

86. Hiring is largely governed by old-school methods & word of mouth
33%
27%
15%
42%
30%
13%
Co-workers / Peer Referrals
Customers / Suppliers
Former Colleagues
Social Media
[aka LinkedIn]
SEARCH SELECTION
The Interview
Gut Feeling for Fit
w/ Company Culture
Recommendation
from peer

87. “Let’s face it, applicants have been known to ‘elaborate’ on their experience.
...Leaders take CVs with a grain of salt”
5%
SELECTION
Experience
on CV
- Alexa Von Tobel, Founder LearnVest.com

98. 33%
25%
16%
9%
7%
Let the conversation flow
Focus on skills &
job knowledge
Focus on unique
interests / capabilities
PROSPECTS / INTERVIEW
Focus on personality
Use structured questions

99. % Personal Presentation &
Attire
MEETS / INTERVIEW

103. Ad blocking has arrived on iOS 9
Use of ad blockers up 35% in Europe in the 12 months to June 2015
~ Killer Content Reigns King ~
FACTSFACTS

107. Psychological
Contract
the relationship between an employer and its employees
specifically concerns mutual expectations of
inputs and outcomes
the

108. Psychological
Contract
The balancing act between:
How you are treated by an employer
What you put into the job
the
+

109. SALARY
NEGOTIATION

110. Interests over positions

113. What demonstrates INNOVATIVE behaviour?
Craftiness
Self-Belief
Resiliency
Passion
Risk Propsensity
Leadership

114. TALKING ABOUT YOUR WORK
1. Clear Overall Delivery
2. Good Sense of Market
3. Competitive Landscape
4. User Scenarios & Flows
5. Clear Rationale Behind Features
6. Site Maps / Personas / Wireframes
& Prototype Testing

115. “A good designer behaves like a skilled professional
with analytical, persuasive, creative, and social skills.
You can count on them to solve problems, present
good work in a timely manner, be accountable, and
argue from an informed point of view.”
- Mike Monteiro, Author Design Is a Job

117. Qualities beyond coding/mkt/ux that are valuable
Curiosity
Interpersonal + communication skills
Creative+ innovative thinking
Logical approaches to problem solving
Confidence to ask questions and deliver feedback
Enthusiasm about technology+ knowing the competitive landscape
Ability to prioritize the highest impact tasks
Understanding of external and internal constraints - Empathy
Data driven with strong analytical skills
Self motivated + disciplined
Detail oriented
Patience and level-headedness
General business acumen

120. LET’S NEGOTIATE
Companies will expect you to negotiate.
Wait a day after receiving your offer.
Be enthusiastic about the offer [really!]
Be objective and realistic.
Keep your emotions in check
Wait for them to answer.
ALWAYS Get it in writing.

121. Negotiate or not?
Only if the salary too low
Agressive negotation?
Practice the golden rule
Negotiate on equity?
Case by case. Avoid be insulting (ie. asking for less equity and higher base)
If company is doing or likely to do very well - explore options through discussion
What are you worth?
Determine an acceptable range. Market data + personal needs + [track recrord]

122. "Once they've decided that they have to have you, only then are you in the position to negotiate”
-Dan Martineau
President of Martineau Recruiting Technology

123. Don’t Bargain over Positions
Separate the People from the Problem
Focus on Interests, Not Positions
Invent Options for Mutual Gain
Insitsist on Using Objective Criteria
from Getting to Yes
Roger Fisher & William Ury

124. KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR INTERVIEWER

125. Tips from Neil Roseman, Amazon.com
[Questions a decision maker will ask themslves or you]
Can this person improve the probability of your company’s success?
Probe when you see a long list of skills on CV. Separate truth from filler.
Ask probing questions about their CV to get at what they did, not what they observed.
Ask candidates questions that are relevant to problems your company actually faces.
Use some questions that are vague and open-ended. See if they ask you questions to find out more.
Personality fit question: Do you consider yourself lucky?
Make it tough but fun.

126. S T A R
Situation: The interviewer wants you to present a recent challenge and
situation in which you found yourself.
Task: What did you have to achieve? The interviewer will be
looking to see what you were trying to achieve from the situation.
Action: What did you do? The interviewer will be looking for information
on what you did, why you did it and what the alternatives were.
Results: What was the outcome of your actions? What did you achieve
through your actions and did you meet your objectives? What did you
learn from this experience and have you used this learning since?

128. Information Technology
Academia
Public Relations
Media Production
Business Development
Banking
Business Analysis
Project Management
Advertising
Product Design
Entrepreneurship
& More
S U P E R S T A R S

130. CONTEXT
AVERAGE 30 YEAR OLD HAS HAD 10+ JOBS (USA)
PAST 5 YEARS DEMAND FOR UX DESIGNERS UP x 22
MOST OF THE BIG BOYS HAVE PRESENCE IN VAN
1,300 VAN TECH STARTUPS ON ANGELIST
MANY MORE LISTINGS ON VAN STARTUP LISTS
WHAT ELSE ???

131. A VIBRANT
STARTUP
VANCOUVER
STARTUP
COMMUNITY.

137. HUMBLY CONFIDENTCONFIDENTLY HUMBLE

138. HOT SEAT!

139. Practice
Perfect

140. p e r s i s t e n c e

143. THANK
YOU.

144. WRAP