At a glance
1. Scott Dinsmore: How to Find Work You Love
In an era when so many people dislike their jobs, Dinsmore argues that it is possible to find work that will inspire you, if you can determine your true values and goals. He offers a framework for personal discovery through incremental steps and considered risks, pointing to the need to make connections with other people who share your passions, priorities and interests. He says the fundamental question you have to ask yourself is, “What work can you not do?” Watch now.
2. Marie Claire Lim Moore: Why Asia Needs More Tiger Women – TEDxWanChai
Why are there so few Asian women in senior management positions in most Asian countries when so many do well in university? Marie Claire Lim Moore believes that the key reason is the belief that women’s primary role should be that of mother and wife, coupled with the reluctance of many companies to hire women after a career break.
She looks at the Philippines, which has a high proportion of women in senior roles, as an example of how to change expectations and attitudes. Watch now.
3. Nigel Marsh: How to Make Work-life Balance Work
The author of Fat, Forty and Fired examines the concept of work-life balance, emphasising that success should be about how you live your life. A good life requires intellectual, emotional and spiritual fulfilment, all of which are unlikely to be achieved by “working long hours to earn money to buy things you don’t need to impress people you don’t like”.
Each person must find balance for themselves and be aware of “the little things” that can, together, make for a full and happy life. Watch now.
4. Larry Smith: Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career
Economist Smith examines the many excuses that people offer for not pursuing the passions that will lead to great careers, such as the excuse that great careers are only for eccentric, lucky or highly gifted people.
Smith dissects and dismisses the range of excuses, arguing that any individual can create and develop a great career. It requires courage, self-awareness, hard work and single-minded commitment, but great careers are the means to make the world a better place. Watch now.
5. Kavi Guppta: The Remote Work Revolution – TEDxUWA
Guppta believes that technology has made remote work viable as a career option in many areas of activity. He advises that people trying to find work on this basis should emphasise their ability to organise themselves, work autonomously, and communicate across cultures.
Companies that want to use remote workers should start small and build up a network over time. While remote working is not for everyone, the number of people who want to take up the option is very likely to increase. Watch now.
6. Carol Fishman Cohen: How to Get Back to Work After a Career Break
Returning to work after an extended break can be a challenge. Cohen offers a wealth of suggestions for “relaunchers”, from networking to find a job to updating working skills, especially in relation to technology.
She also looks at the intern-like options that some companies are offering to people returning to the workforce. A “testing-out period” can minimise the perceived risk that some employers attach to a returning worker. There can be substantial long-term benefits for both the worker and the company. Watch now.
7. Jason Shen: When Looking for a Job Highlight Your Ability Not Your Experience
Shen notes that very few people hold jobs that line up directly with their experiences or their academic studies. But he believes that this is not necessarily a problem, if a job applicant can demonstrate relevant and high-level abilities, such as a special mode of problem-solving.
Equally, employers have to be willing to look past traditional metrics to identify people who are a good fit with the company and can bring innovative ways of working and thinking. Watch now.
8. Susan Colantuono: The Career Advice You Probably Didn’t Get
Many women who want to move into senior corporate positions find themselves stuck in middle management, despite excellent peer reviews and relevant training. Colantuono believes that the missing piece is connecting professional strengths to the company’s strategic goals.
Most career advice that women receive, she says, focuses on personal development. Closing the gender gap at the top will require training and mentoring that make the need for alignment explicit, so that talented people can compete on a level playing field. Watch now.
9. Susan Redden Makatoa: Flexible Working Should Be the Norm for Everyone – TEDxMacquarieUniversity
In her examination of flexible working, Makatoa notes that Australian legislation theoretically provides the right to flexible work to everyone but in practice it is mainly utilised by working mothers with young families.
This imbalance has created a feeling that this group has special privileges, leading to resentment from others. What is needed, says Makatoa, is a change of mindset so that flexible work rights are utilised by all. Some companies that have done this already have seen productivity enhancements and improvements in employee satisfaction. Watch now.
10. Angela Lee Duckworth: Grit, The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Duckworth has conducted extensive research on why some people succeed where others fail and concludes that grit – the view that life should be approached as a challenging marathon rather than a sprint – is the determining factor.
Innately talented people often do not follow through on initiatives and fail to reach their objectives. People with grit are more likely to accept occasional failure as the price of learning, a process which often translates into long-term, sustainable career success. Watch now.
Bonus:
Steve Jobs: How to Live Before You Die
Though not officially a Ted Talk, Steve Jobs’ commencement speech to Stanford University students examines how to see opportunities in setbacks, how to connect apparently disparate events of life, and how to find a career that can be a personal passion.
His concluding message is, “Stay hungry, stay foolish”. Watch now.
