Get a notepad and pen as this week's episode is a little different again - as Bec talks us through what’s covered in an MBA. This is in response to a lot of listener questions that Bec gets, about whether an MBA was really worth it. Well, Bec gives it to us in a single episode so buckle up. She covers:

 * SWOT analysis
 * PESTLE analysis
 * Porter’s five forces framework
 * Business Model Canvas
 * Value Chain analysis
 * Profit or issue tree analysis
 * BCG growth matrix
 * RACI - responsible, accountable, consulted, informed

Bec shares her view on whether an MBA is worth the considerable investment, and candidly talks through which parts have been the most useful and applicable in her career. We hope you enjoy this insightful overview from Bec.

Enjoying this content? Please rate and subscribe on your preferred platform, and let us know what you think!

S3, E7 The Career Coven: MBA in an episode

This week's episode is all about something that many people fear - networking. Bec and Annie reveal how they both feel about networking, and you’ll hear them discuss:

 * Is networking essential to success?
 * How to plan for networking
 * Linkedin…
 * Small talk - and whether that’s good networking
 * The importance of asking good and open questions
 * Active listening as part of networking

Networking and maintaining your professional relationships does not always have to be going to big events - you can tailor it to your own specific relationships. In some cases, it can even be fun activities like cold water swimming. You can make it work for you, so it’s not so daunting.

Fun little extras you’ll get in this week's episode include our tops on how to use Linkedin, as well as learn what gives Annie the ‘professional ick’.

Enjoying this content? Please rate and subscribe on your preferred platform, and let us know what you think!

Recommendations from this episode:

 * Kelly Hoey’s “Build Your Dream Network” [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Build-Your-Dream-Network-Hyper-Connected/dp/0143111485]
 * Herminia Ibarra’s “Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader” [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Act-Like-Leader-Think/dp/1422184129]
 * Viv Groskop. How to Own the Room: Women and the Art of Brilliant Speaking [https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Own-Room-Brilliant-Speaking/dp/1787631125]
 * LinkedIn Global Trends Report [https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/resources/talent-strategy/linkedin-global-trends-report]

S3, E6 The Career Coven: Networking

This week’s episode of the Career Coven is an incredible interview episode. We speak to Jas Chambers, who is the President Elect of Science and Technology Australia. Jas is also the chair and co-founder of Ocean Decade Australia. In addition to her formidable professional achievements, Jas is also a mother of three and matriarch of her family unit. In this interview, we discuss what motivates Jas to manage such an impressive personal and professional life.

Listen into this episode if you want to hear more about:

 * How Bec and Jas met. and their shared experience in of preventative breast surgery
 * The ocean advocacy work Jas does, and why she founded Ocean Decade Australia
 * The importance of governance in protecting the Ocean
 * The importance of writing things down, and being curious
 * How Jas balances her busy work and professional lives
 * Jas’s approach to parenthood, with her partner
 * Jas’s experience of a legal battle with her former employer

Annie and Bec were both so grateful to have this time with Jas - an incredibly inspiring leader. She is truly formidable, and we learned a lot from this chat. We recommend that you follow Jas’s work via her linkedin. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaschambers/]

Enjoying this content? Please rate and subscribe on your preferred platform, and let us know what you think!

S3, E5 The Career Coven: Jas Chambers on the Ocean, Good Governance & Taking Your Employer to Court

In this week's episode we cover values in the workplace, what they are, and why they matter. Bec this week goes completely off the cuff on this as she’s a values pro, and Annie did a bit of soul searching to reflect on what her values in the workplace are.

We cover:

 * How values and ethics are related
 * How your values can be supported in work, or not
 * Our own personal values and how we live them
 * How values are different in different aspects of life e.g. work, self, friendships
 * How values change over time, including in life transition stages like pregnancy
 * Navigating values misalignment
 * What we think of workplace values and how they are used

We also cover important topics such as to “wed-shred” or to “wed-dread”, and Bec ponders a potential correlation between how much you get paid, and how harmful the work you do it.

Enjoying this content? Please rate and subscribe on your preferred platform, and let us know what you think!

Recommendations from this episode:

 * Brene Brown - Daring Greatly [https://brenebrown.com/book/daring-greatly/]
 * Simon Sinek - Start with Why [https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/183786/start-with-why-by-sinek-simon/9781405977593]
 * Rutger Bregman - Moral Ambition [https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/latenightlive/rutger-bregman-moral-ambition/105268882], Utopia for Realists [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Utopia-Realists-How-Can-There/dp/1408890267]

S3E4 The Career Coven: Values

This week's episode is on the “Let Them” theory. A controversial theory, which can be summarised as a mindset and boundary-setting approach that encourages emotional freedom and letting go of control over how others behave.

At the core of this idea is that you can’t control other people's emotions, so you shouldn’t worry about it. In this episode, Annie and Bec give their hot take on:

 * What are the positives of this theory? When is it helpful
 * Is this just giving up, and giving up influence?
 * What would happen if we stopped engaging with complex issues at work
 * How “doing hard things” is part of work, and this theory does encourages being passive
 * The benefits of productive rage
 * Is “caring a little less” better advice for women than men?
 * How this helps people pleasers

Enjoying this content? Please rate and subscribe on your preferred platform, and let us know what you think!

Recommendations from this episode:

 * Shameless Media - Mel Robbins and the church of “Let Them” [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/mel-robbins-and-the-church-of-let-them/id1352875216?i=1000699123974]
 * Mel Robbins, The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About [https://www.melrobbins.com/book/the-let-them-theory/]

S3E3 The Career Coven: The "Let Them" Theory

In episode 2 of season 3, we cover the long awaited topic of burnout. This is potentially Annie’s favourite thing to talk about, as she considers herself often close to a burnout episode (and this is not a point of pride).

This episode covers:

 * The 3 dimensions of burnout
 * The “double shift” that women do at work, and at home
 * Annie’s personal experience of burnout
 * How burnout changes your brain, and how your brain recovers
 * The importance of social connections in the recovery from burnout
 * How to prevent burnout
 * When burnout means you should leave your job

Also learn about Annie’s hen-do, Bec’s view on sound baths and whether she will step into a renovation project or not.

Enjoying this content? Please rate and subscribe on your preferred platform, and let us know what you think!

Recommendations from this episode:

 * Christina Maslach, The Maslach Burnout Inventory – emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment.
 * Arianna Huffington, Advocates for microsteps [https://thriveglobal.com/articles/arianna-huffington-no-phone-bedroom-sleep-recharge-thrive-role-model] in her work at Thrive Global to counter burnout.
 * McKinsey & LeanIn.Org [http://leanin.org/], Women in the Workplace 2023 [https://womenintheworkplace.com/]

S3, E2 The Career Coven: Burnout

We’re starting season 3 of the Career Coven strong, with an episode on having a personal career advisory board. Get the expert take on the value of career advisory boards and learn about how we’ve both approached having career advisors around us.

This episode covers:

 * Why women need a personal advisory board
 * How important advisory boards can be in periods of transition (e.g. return to work, navigating maternity leave, changing roles or organisations)
 * How to choose your board members, and how to balance them
 * How to ask someone to be on your board
 * How to maintain relationships with advisors
 * Who is on our own advisory boards (beyond just each other).

Also get the massive life updates from Annie and Bec after a bit of a break in the pod...

Enjoying this content? Please rate and subscribe on your preferred platform, and let us know what you think!

Recommendations from this episode:

 * Jan Torrisi-Mokwa, Building Career Equity [https://www.amazon.com/Building-Career-Equity-Jan-Torrisi-Mokwa/dp/0983189676]
 * Herminia Ibarra, How to do sposorship right [https://herminiaibarra.com/how-to-do-sponsorship-right/] (2022)
 * Tara Mohr, Playing Big:  For Women Who Want to Speak Up, Stand Out and Lead [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Playing-Big-practical-guide-brilliant/dp/0099591529/ref=asc_df_0099591529?mcid=4b195716fab7359ab095d3e7554d362f&th=1&psc=1&hvocijid=3617108633627327215-0099591529-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3617108633627327215&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9222618&hvtargid=pla-2281435177378&psc=1&gad_source=1] (2015)
 * Rakshitha Arni Ravishankar [https://hbr.org/search?term=Rakshitha%20Arni%20Ravishankar], Finding The Right Mentor, Harvard Business Review [https://hbr.org/2023/10/finding-the-right-mentor-our-favorite-reads] (2023)

S3, E1 The Career Coven: Personal Advisory Boards

In the last episode of season 2, Bec and Annie discuss the skill of negotiation. Bec has a strong belief that everything in life is about negotiation, and this is one of her favourite skills to practice. Annie tends to rush negotiations, and push for outcomes, something which is a development area.

Bec talks through how she prepares for negotiations, so that she feels confident and calm in her position. She outlines how firm but fair is often the best approach to negotiations - as in the majority of cases you’re negotiating with people who you will work with again. Annie talks girl math - how to get to an hourly rate which does not undervalue yourself.

This episode covers:

 * What makes a ‘good negotiation’
 * The importance of knowing when to walk away
 * Playing a few steps ahead
 * Accidentally negotiating well
 * Not rushing negotiations
 * How it’s easier to negotiate on behalf of other people, and that you can ask for help
 * When to have a break in a negotiation

Enjoying this content? Please rate and subscribe on your preferred platform, and let us know what you think! hello@careercoven.com

Recommendations from this episode:

 * Venture Deals [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Venture-Deals-Smarter-Lawyer-Capitalist/dp/1119594820/ref=asc_df_1119594820/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=597877400562199837&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045894&hvtargid=pla-2281435179578&psc=1&mcid=62ee080c63ab3f69abaef9c4c1884765&th=1&psc=1&hvocijid=597877400562199837-1119594820-&hvexpln=74&gad_source=1], Feld and Mendelson. A good book for if you are preparing to raise money for a business. 
 * Accelerate Law. [https://www.acceleratelaw.co.uk/] Annie's Lawyer Simon who is amazing for startups. 

S2, E10 The Career Coven: Negotiation

This week’s episode is a risky experiment. Bec and Annie decided to put their chat to the test - by interviewing two people they’ve recently managed about what they’re really like. Annie interviews Francesca Ward, who Bec is currently managing. Francesca has done not one but two jobs with Bec - so knows her like the back of her hand. Bec has a chat with Dani Conlon, who was part of the team which Annie managed most recently. Dani doesn’t hold back - highlighting that Annie’s a ‘horse girl’…

We’ve learned a lot about each other through this conversation. We hope you find it as fun as we found recording it.

Enjoying this content? Please rate and subscribe on your preferred platform, and let us know what you think! hello@careercoven.com

S2, E9 The Career Coven: The Ultimate 360 with Francesca Ward & Dani Conlon

In this week’s episode, Annie speaks to Clare Mullen. Clare is the Chief People Officer at the health-tech startup Scan.com [http://scan.com/]. She works across the UK and the US to build that team. Annie and Bec decided, having an expert in interviewing on the show, we should probably focus on how to get a job from the perspective of someone who has really seen it all… over 20,000 interviews.

Listen in to hear a discussion about:

 * The top 3 most common problems you see in first interviews from the hirers perspective (and how to avoid them)
 * Tips for an amazing first interview from a hirer’s perspective
 * What candidates should be trying to find out from their future employer, as they progress through interview rounds
 * How to standout in interviews, in a good way
 * How Clare approached building her own career, including being a freelancer and then going into a full time role
 * Tips for starting freelancing

Enjoying this content? Please rate and subscribe on your preferred platform, and let us know what you think! hello@careercoven.com

S2, E8 The Career Coven: Hiring & Careers with Clare Mullen

The career podcast for women giving group whatsapp vibes. For women who want to learn strategies to take them to the next level their career - and also to have a bit of a laugh along the way.

Bec and Annie share a passion for women, and an interest in self development. However, they’ve both had really different careers and learned different things along the way.

Bec’s a corporate machine, and Annie’s a startup queen. In the career coven they share and compare experiences - learning from each other along the way. Expect topics like confidence, managing up and boundaries to be discussed (usually over a glass of wine).

Rebecca Ellul

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