Episodes
Episodes
Friday Sep 03, 2021
3 job search tips on how to get your 1st manager job
Friday Sep 03, 2021
Friday Sep 03, 2021
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
Tuesday Aug 31, 2021
How to get a management position with no prior experience
Tuesday Aug 31, 2021
Tuesday Aug 31, 2021
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
Friday Aug 27, 2021
Friday Aug 27, 2021
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
Tuesday Aug 24, 2021
Advice for young professionals in order to thrive in their career
Tuesday Aug 24, 2021
Tuesday Aug 24, 2021
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
Friday Aug 20, 2021
3 important business lessons you need to learn in order to be successful
Friday Aug 20, 2021
Friday Aug 20, 2021
EPISODE SUMMARY
Max provides insights on 3 key points based on this past week's episode with Dr. Michael Ho on building a personal brand that services people worldwide.
TIMESTAMPS
[0:28] How Max's first company name was a failure and why he decided to rebrand
[3:36] Why you need to get help in order to be successful in business
[5:16] The need to find purpose and why only focusing on money is a terrible reason to start a business
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
How to build a personal brand that services people worldwide for beginners
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Dr. Michael Ho, Founder of DR. HO’S, a company that has developed and formulated a line of products that have helped millions worldwide live a healthy lifestyle. We discuss his career journey in depth, from starting out running his own clinics, to transitioning in creating and developing his line of products and expanding his business worldwide, all through the power of building a trustworthy personal brand.
QUOTES
“I want to create a brand that people will trust, so putting your own name behind something will ensure someone will realize, hey if you put your name behind something there’s more likely hood that this product is trustworthy.” - Dr. Ho [19:01]
“I think to build a [successful] brand, you have to help your customers the best you can with the right intentions.” - Dr. Ho [25:50]
“[To be a successful entrepreneur] is to have a purpose. You gotta ask yourself why are you doing this, if your only purpose is to make some money, well that’s a very weak purpose, and not very inspiring for yourself and for your team.” - Dr. Ho [42:05]
TIMESTAMPS
[0:27] Meet Dr. Ho
[1:28] How Dr. Ho got started in product development
[10:05] How Dr. Ho decided to mass produce his first device
[13:08] Discussing whether Dr. Ho still has his clinics or has he now focused on only his product lines
[17:02] Choosing the name and building the DR. HO'S brand
[21:58] Additional business branding lessons from Dr. Ho
[26:19] Deciding the right time to build additional products
[30:49] Expanding to other markets effectively
[36:01] The future of marketing and what messaging will resonate with younger audiences
[38:12] A major roadblock that Dr. Ho had faced in growing his personal brand and what he did to overcome them to continue to grow the business
[40:16] Biggest business lessons for new and aspiring entrepreneurs
[46:07] Contacting Dr. Ho
[46:20] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
DR. HO'S
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn
Friday Aug 13, 2021
How to get promoted faster and signs you should quit your 9-5 job
Friday Aug 13, 2021
Friday Aug 13, 2021
EPISODE SUMMARY
Max provides insights on 3 key points based on this past week's episode with Christine LeLacheur on The Great Resignation and the future of work.
TIMESTAMPS
[0:26] How being visible with executives through attending social events helped Max land multiple promotions and raises, working at his first job out of university
[2:02] Shorter tenures are now the norm and it's expected for someone to leave a job after a certain period of time
[3:35] When to quit your job
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
The Great Resignation and the future of the workplace
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Christine LeLacheur, Co-Founder of the C Factor Community and Founder of Cheurfire Consulting. We discussed The Great Resignation, what the future of work will look like and how managers can help their team transition effectively back into an office work environment, as well as what to do with the team members that have become disengaged due to the fact they have to go back to the office.
QUOTES
“So if nothing changes [if you do prefer to work remotely for the majority of your work week] you’ll probably still unfortunately going to have that where people who are getting that face time in will continue to be top of mind [for those promotions]” - Christine LeLacheur [10:36]
“[When it comes to unhappy employees coming back to the office] as managers, I think we need to look at what is your sphere of influence, right so there are things that you can make an impact on from your role but also understanding that there are things outside of your control and not taking on the burden of the outcomes of those situations.” - Christine LeLacheur [22:23]
“You’re basically dealing with these younger generations that have seen multiple economic downturns with massive layoffs happening and so they were given the message that they were expendable and therefore they needed to think about their own career.” - Christine LeLacheur [38:04]
TIMESTAMPS
[0:39] Meet Christine
[1:39] Overview of The Great Resignation
[4:47] The future of work
[9:47] Will working remotely for the majority of your work week affect the chances of you getting a promotion
[11:32] Zoom fatigue and how it can’t replace face to face interactions
[14:13] Are employees working more now because of being remote and not having a commute
[16:29] The difficulties of a hybrid model and what would the ideal hybrid work model look like
[18:49] Advice for managers getting ready to go back to the office
[21:39] Dealing with team members that are not happy going back to the office
[26:00] The subtle difference between thinking of quitting and actually quitting
[28:22] Managers being short staffed due to an influx of resignations due to The Great Resignation
[30:49] Having conversations with your disengaged team members
[33:55] How to become more approachable as a manager and creating a psychological safe work environment
[36:41] Discussing possible consequences of the younger generation having shorter tenures than their older counterparts
[38:34] How younger generations are going to shape the future of work
[40:10] Discussing whether we are moving towards a more gig economy work culture
[42:01] A major roadblock that Christine had faced and what she did to overcome it to move her career forward
[44:46] Contacting Christine
[46:20] Outro
RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS
C Factor Community
Cheurfire Consulting
Christine LeLacheur on LinkedIn
Christine LeLacheur on Instagram
Chan With A Plan
Max Chan on LinkedIn