Amazing If

Curiosity is an amazing skill to support your career development. It helps you to learn more, create more and connect more. Whilst some people may be more naturally curious, it is a skill you can build, and this week Sarah and Helen share their tips to do just that and their advice on how to use curiosity to help your career.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A strong personal brand can help you to navigate your Squiggly Career, bringing you into contact with more opportunities which align to what you want to be known for. Hear from Sarah and Helen about how they have built their personal brand and what tips and insights you can use to do the same.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Flexible working is thankfully on the rise, but that doesn't mean it's easy to ask for or to manage. Helen and Sarah share their experiences on when it's worked for them and when it's been a challenge. Listen to hear their tips on how to set yourself up for success with flexible working and what other resources might help you along the way.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Comfort zones feel nice and safe, but they can hold you back from having a happy and fulfilling career. In this week's episode Helen and Sarah share what they have learned from stepping out of their comfort zones, including Sarah's reflections on being interviewed on BBC news this week! Listen to hear how doing jobs you don't know how to do yet and building a support team can make the difference between stretch and stress.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Networking has a bit of a bad reputation and in this episode, Helen and Sarah talk about how thinking of it simply as 'people helping people' has transformed how they go about networking and the career value they have got from their relationships. Learn about their top tips to grow and maximise the value of your network.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Having run a 'side project' for the last 5 years, Helen and Sarah are experienced in how to make them work and how to get the support you need to keep them going. In this episode, they share practical tips on how to find the time and how to manage your side project alongside the day job.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you ever feel like you avoid those tricky conversations at work, you're not alone. Many of us struggle to say what's on our mind when we fear conflict or how someone else will respond. In this podcast, Sarah and Helen talk through the difficult conversations they have both faced and what they have learnt about how to approach them.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We all know that feedback helps us to grow and develop, but we've all experienced plenty of times when we have either received poorly communicated feedback or been guilty of it ourselves. In this episode, Helen and Sarah will share the tools they have developed to make the feedback process easier and more valuable. Listen and learn about models that can help you have a happy career.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mentors can be extremely valuable for your career, helping you to navigate even the most squiggly times! However, it can be hard to know how to find a great mentor and build a strong relationship. In this episode, Helen and Sarah talk about the mentors that have made a difference to them and what they have learnt about how to create a network of mentors that contribute to the development of a happy career.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As people juggling corporate jobs, their own business, studies, charitable work and family life, Helen and Sarah know a thing or two about finding time. In fact, 'how do you find the time' is the number 1 question they get asked! In this episode, they share the different things that help them to achieve their goals, including finding 'power hours' and connecting your actions to your passions.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

At some point, we're all faced with the challenge and opportunity of finding a new job. This can be a tricky time, where knowing what you're great at and what really makes you happy at work becomes key to making the right decision. In this episode, Helen and Sarah share their experiences of finding new jobs and their top tips for making the right choice about where to go next.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Squiggly Careers is the podcast from the team behind Amazing If, that discusses how to make work better for everyone - subscribe now.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Are you paralysed with nerves when you’re faced with the boss? Are you too afraid to venture an opinion when you’re surrounded by experienced colleagues? In the final episode of the series, Helen and Sarah tackle a monster of a confidence gremlin - the fear of senior people. Providing helpful tips on how to improve the way you feel around senior people, this episode will help dissolve imaginary pedestals and set you on your way to more productive and happy interactions at work.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Freezing up or waffling on are normal, but unhelpful reactions to being put on the spot. If this sounds like you - don’t worry. Helen and Sarah have some simple suggestions for how you can avoid the blind panic and instead gracefully ride the surprise.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Feel like your age is holding you back at work? Well Helen and Sarah are here to help. No, they’re not offering an ageing elixir but practical, actionable advice about how you can demonstrate your maturity at work. Don’t feel defeated by something you can’t control - think creatively about how you can increase your value, not your years.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From empowering TED Talks to inspiring books, there are so many resources you can use to help build your confidence. In this bonus episode, Sarah runs through her top recommendations.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Scared of making that next career move? Afraid you might fall short of perfection? In this episode, Sarah and Helen explain that the quest to be the best can result in a crippling fear of failure. So why not change your aim from perfect achiever to ambitious learner? Here is some practical advice on how to embrace mistakes, learn from blunders and go boldly into challenging situations at work.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this bonus episode, Sarah shares her top three techniques for building confidence. From the simple questions you can ask yourself, to the ways you can shift your outlook to increase your value at work.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Does nervous energy sometimes take you over? Do you sometimes feel yourself blush or start to sweat in tricky work situations? This week Sarah and Helen are taking a look at confidence gremlins that manifest as body reactions – and for Sarah, blushing is one she’s battled with first hand!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this bonus episode Helen tackles three things that can undermine your confidence... and how to stop that happening.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.