
Women Are Proving to Be the Best Leaders During This Pandemic—Why I’m Not Surprised
Gretchen Whitmer, governor of my home state of Michigan, has a crisis on her hands. Michigan has the fourth-highest number of cases of the coronavirus in the country, and the third-highest number of deaths. She's been responding with quick, decisive action and empathetic communication since the beginning, and in the last few days, she's extended a stay-at-home order, banned all gatherings, and stopped residents from traveling to in-state vacation homes. It's working, say experts: there are "early signs of a plateau," especially in hard-hit metro Detroit.
Her colleague Brian Kemp, governor of Georgia, a state close in size to Michigan—they have 10.6 million residents compared to Michigan's 10 million—has been acting differently. Though his state has the 11th-highest number of cases, Kemp refused to shut down Georgia's beaches or issue a stay-at-home order until April 3, after 36 states had already done so. And now the state is struggling with insufficient test kits on hand (only 5,000, a "tiny fraction" of what experts say they'll need) and climbing death rates.
Those differences in leadership aren't just stylistic. They will directly impact the number of lives lost to the coronavirus. Which got me thinking: why is it that women leaders are doing better than their male counterparts?
I'm not the first to ask this question. Forbes contributor Avivah Wittenberg-Cox wrote a great piece highlighting the traits that women leaders are showcasing in this crisis and how their countries are better for it. Her globally-focused examples included Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel's honesty and acceptance of the science; Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen's decisive action to stop the spread of the virus; New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern's early and clear decision-making; Iceland's prime minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir's work to embrace tech to track infections; and Norway's prime minister Erna Solberg's decision to speak directly and empathetically to her nation's children in press conferences that normalized anxiety and fear.
Wittenberg-Cox is right that part of these women's success is due to leadership traits that they're showcasing. I'm not sure I agree with her that those traits are inherently female ones.
I believe that leading with empathy or listening to people who are smarter than you are things anyone can do, not just women. That being said, I do see her point that those traits aren't found in many of the hyper-aggressive leaders cluttering the world stage. Whether you're in the U.S. or the UK or Israel or India, much of the world is currently led by male politicians who place bravado over brains.
I think women leaders are doing so well at addressing the pandemic because women leaders can't get to be leaders without having those brains. Across the board, women heads of state are supremely qualified. They have a harder time making it to the top, and when they get there, they have reserves of competence to call on. Before gaining access to power, they have to be more qualified and perform better than their male counterparts to even be considered for leadership, make it through rounds and rounds of media scrutiny on everything from their political outlook to their outfits, and win over an electorate who (still, even in 2020) is more used to seeing women as caretakers than commanders-in-chief.
I'd like to take a moment to celebrate some women who have made it through that gauntlet, taken on positions of leadership, and been putting their communities first throughout this crisis. I'm as big a fan of Merkel and Ardern as anyone, but I want to shout out some lesser-known leaders, too, who also happen to be women of color, who get even less recognition than their white counterparts:
- London Breed, the mayor of San Francisco, who declared a state of emergency in February, when Trump was still claiming the virus was a hoax. Her early, decisive leadership led to the Bay Area successfully flattening its curve earlier and with less casualties than other major cities.
- Lori Lightfoot, the mayor of Chicago and meme star, who has personally been driving around and breaking up gatherings that are in violation of the city's stay-at-home order, publicizing the increased risk of domestic violence and partnering with rideshare services to offer resources to people in dangerous domestic situations, and speaking out about the racial injustice in coronavirus infection and death rates.
- Wanda Vazquez, the governor of Puerto Rico, who led the first shutdown of nonessential businesses, beating California, the first state on the mainland to do so, by four days. She had to be decisive—Puerto Rico is still suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, the scandal around the forcing out of previous governor Ricardo Rosselló due to corruption, and continued solvency issues, and couldn't handle the strain of a full-blown pandemic—and so far, it's working: Puerto Rico's case numbers have stayed lower than those of 42 other states and territories.
We've known for a while now that diverse teams are better, more productive ones, and that bringing together all types of people with different experiences and identities leads to the most successful solutions. Which is why I worry when I see a picture like this one that shows that the team the U.S. first assembled to address the coronavirus was entirely male and almost entirely white:
Today we had a very productive meeting of the White House Coronavirus Taskforce in the Situation Room. We placed ad… https://t.co/qs0tfvR33b— Mike Pence (@Mike Pence) 1583015225
That's not good enough.
A leader making space for children to be heard, stepping aside from the podium to let the experts talk, or refraining from placing blame in favor of creating solutions shouldn't feel so refreshing. Those ideas should exist in every government. We need them now more than ever.
Elect women.
5 Networking Tips to Score a Remote Job
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of workers have turned to remote work. Before the pandemic in 2019, 22% of employers offered at least some remote work. Now in 2022, that percentage nearly doubled to 40%. The shift to remote work has become beneficial for me and many of my friends who are recent college grads starting their careers. It’s allowed us to dictate our own time and save money from commuting, spend more time with loved ones at home, and have the flexibility to travel and build connections from anywhere. Remote working has also changed how people network for jobs. We have more options now.
Since remote networking is so new, it can be challenging to understand how to do it effectively. Read on to learn my top tips for networking for a remote job.
1. Connect with your high school or college.
The schools you went to want to see you succeed! Connect with old professors, classmates, or alumni on social platforms like PowerToFly or LinkedIn. You can find connections through sports teams, clubs, or topics of interest that will help you build stronger relationships. Don’t be afraid to ask them for advice, mentorship, or even introductions.
2. Join a class!
Have you ever had a hobby that you never had the chance to pursue? Coding? Running? Painting? It’s never too late to learn something new. Plus, spending time doing what you love will introduce you to other people who love the same thing. Not only will this help expand your social circle, it can also help your career! Once you feel comfortable, talk to your classmates about your work, and ask them about theirs. The perk of classes like these is that you will build relationships with people from all different career backgrounds which will help you determine your career path, especially if you are looking for a mid-career pivot.
3. Register for the Early Career Summit.
My friends and I are very excited to join PowerToFly’s Early Career Summit this fall to meet the inspiring founders and CEOs of incredibly impactful companies. This is a great opportunity to get useful tips and learn about different perspectives, professions, and topics that you may be interested in.
4. Attend a virtual job fair and connect with leaders who inspire you.
Job fairs are great for meeting people who can be helpful because everyone attending is there to network! Job fairs at PowerToFly are a great place to meet hiring managers and recruiters from our sponsoring companies. If you come prepared with a resume it is an opportunity to make a great first impression with a company. After the virtual job fair, remember to connect with the people who stuck out to you and introduce yourself on PowerToFly or LinkedIn. Make sure to tell the recruiter who you are, and highlight what stood out to you about their talk.
5. Offer to help.
People really value your help (when it‘s needed). If you know someone in your network looking to hire a web designer and you know a great place to find one, don’t be afraid to make the connection! If you see a job opening that would be great for someone in your network, let them know! Helping people in this way will help build your trust and credibility.
Remote networking has its differences from in-person networking, but it has never been easier to have access to social platforms that can help create connections. It will take some creativity and hard work, but once you have the appropriate mindset the options are endless.
Careers in Web Development: Which One's For You?
We all have our favorite websites– the ones we frequent, bookmark, and recommend to others. You might even enjoy some website features so much that you’ve found yourself wondering why they aren’t more popular. Or maybe you’ve experienced times where you were frustrated with a website and wished you could add features or even design your own!
If you’ve ever found yourself intrigued at the prospect of designing and developing your own websites, then a career as a web developer might be just for you!
As a web developer you would be responsible for coding, designing, optimizing, and maintaining websites. Today, there are over 1.7 billion websites in the world and, in turn, the demand for web developers is on the rise. In order to figure out what kind of web development work best suits you let’s start with an introduction to the three main roles in web development that you can choose from.
The Three Types of Web Development Jobs
Front-End Web Development: The Creative Side
Think of front-end development as the décor of a house. The color scheme, furniture, manicured lawns, and overall aesthetic. In terms of a website, front-end development is laser-focused on the appearance of a website and its presentation on different devices. If you’re considering a role in front-end development, it’s important to learn programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These three languages go hand-in-hand. HTML allows you to create user interface elements, CSS helps you with stylistic elements, and JavaScript allows you to incorporate online tools and connect your website to back-end functions.
In addition to programming skills, front-end developers need to be detail oriented, creative, willing to keep up with the latest trends in web development, cyber security conscious, and geared toward user-friendly designs. The median salary for a front-end developer can reach well into the $90,000 to $100,000 range.
Back-End Web Development: The Logical Counterpart
While a house can be beautifully decorated, it’s incomplete without a solid foundation and efficient infrastructure. Similarly, a well-designed website depends on logical and functional code to power the features of that website. Back-end web development is code-heavy and focused on the specifics of how a website works. If you enjoy the analytical challenge of creating the behind-the-scenes code that powers a website, then back-end development is for you.
Since this role is more code-heavy, it’s important that you learn numerous programming languages and understand algorithms and data structures. Some languages that are essential to back-end development are Ruby, Python, SQL, and JavaScript. Back-end developers also ensure that users can successfully retrieve and access data. This requires creating and using APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) which act as messengers that relay data related requests. Additionally, developing the code for the inner workings of a website also requires back-end developers to be conscious of the user interface features designed by front-end developers and to internally mitigate potential security risks. Due to the increased technical aspect of this position, back-end developers normally earn higher salaries than front-end developers. The average median salary for this role is around $118,000 per year.
Full-Stack Web Development: A Little Bit of Everything
A full-stack developer is essentially the Jack (or Jill)-of-all-trades in web development. Full-stack developers need to be knowledgeable about both front-end and back-end roles. This does not necessarily imply that you would need to be an expert in both roles, but you should fully understand the different applications and synergies they each imply. In order to work in this position, you will need to know the programming languages used by front-end and back-end developers. In addition to these languages, full-stack developers also specialize in databases, storage, HTTP, REST, and web architecture.
Full-stack developers are often required to act as liaisons between front-end and back-end developers. Full-stack developers need to be both problem solvers and great communicators. The end goal for a full-stack developer is to ensure that the user’s experience is seamless, both on the front-end and on the back-end. In return, you can expect to earn a median salary of $100,000 – $115,000 a year for this role.
Taking the Next Step
Web development is both in-demand and lucrative! All three roles described above contribute to specific aspects of web development and the scope of each one can be customized to the industries and positions you feel best suit you. Regardless of which role you choose, all of them need a foundation in programming.
To gain the programming skills needed in each role, you can enroll in courses or learn independently. Coding bootcamps are a great way to boost your skillset quickly and efficiently.
Click here for some of our highly rated programming bootcamp options! Make sure to check out the discounts available to PowerToFly members.
Engineering Teams Are Growing At CallRail! Join Them!
💎 Are CallRail's engineering teams the right fit for you? Watch the video to the end to find out!
📼 Engineering teams at CallRail encourage collaboration, communication, and empathy. Ayana Reddick, Senior Software Engineer at CallRail, shares what they are looking for in candidates and tells you why you’ll thrive there.
📼Engineering teams want candidates who have a growth mindset, love to learn, and are really good at communication. They also value team members who are excited about solving problems and working collaboratively. If you think you have what it takes, don't hesitate to apply.
📼At CallRail, engineering teams use Ruby on Rails for their backend, Angular on their frontend, and PostgreSQL for persistent data. They also use Jira for creating and tracking tickets, GitHub for their version control, and AWS for many cloud tools. Get familiar with these resources if you want to join them!
Engineering Teams And Diversity - Company’s Culture
CallRail seeks to hire from underrepresented groups. They pride themselves in selecting from a pool of very diverse candidates. They value the work that people do over their resumes. They encourage people to take their authentic selves to work. And they strive to create a supportive and welcoming environment. For this, they have Employee Resource Groups, that give voice to, provide safe spaces for, and educate the company at large. Some of their ERGs include the Rainbow Coalition, Black and Brown, Women Circle, and more.
🧑💼 Are you interested in joining CallRail? They have open positions! To learn more, click here.
Get to Know Ayana Reddick
If you are interested in a career at CallRail, you can connect with Ayana on LinkedIn. Don’t forget to mention this video!
More About CallRail
CallRail is here to bring complete visibility to the marketers who rely on quality inbound leads to measure success. Their customers live in a results-driven world, and giving them a clear view of their digital marketing efforts is the priority for CallRail. They see the opportunities in surfacing and connecting data from calls, forms, and beyond—helping their customers get to better outcomes.
Ashlee Bobb on Taking Advantage of Nike’s Financial Literacy Program
Below is an article originally published in April 2022 on Nike’s LinkedIn. Visit Nike's company page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn more.
“In my early twenties, I wasn’t the best at saving money. So, when I got the job at Nike and found out a financial coach was offered to me — for free! — I thought, ‘It’s time to be an adult. I should use this service to help me learn how to buy stock, tell me what I’m doing right with my money and where I can improve.’”
That’s Ashlee Bobb, Nike Media and Influencer Relations Manager, on the free, unlimited access to financial coaching offered to every U.S. Nike employee through EY Navigate™. EY coaches are trained on Nike’s benefits and programs, so Ashlee was able to work with her coach on a budget and savings plan utilizing Nike’s 401k match and Employee Stock Purchase Plan – all in one 45-minute session. She left the meeting feeling confident about what her next paycheck would look like and how her money would work for her.
“The EY coaches are really willing to come on the journey with you,” Bobb says, adding that hers was willing to work with the fact that, hey, she’s not going to give up take out, but still wants to save for the future. “The cool thing is I can see how this financial guidance could help me down the road when I decide to get married, buy a house, have a kid. Every Nike employee should take advantage.”
Sound like the kind of company you want to be a part of? Check out our open roles on jobs.nike.com