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And I love buying new things, for me, my home, even my family and friends. It’s a little bliss every time I open a package or watch my loved ones opening a gift. For so long, that was my driving force. Work hard, earn more, buy the cute dress, the fancy gadget, the perfect home decor. But somewhere along the way, I started to feel... weighed down. Not just by the stuff itself, but by the constant cycle of wanting more, buying more, and then feeling the fleeting happiness fade, only to be replaced by the urge for the _next_ thing.\n\nIn addition, things got worse with the rise of social media and [social media influencers](https://www.workingal.com/articles/enough-with-those-influencers) who stormed my feed and kept showing me new finds and cool products. So, I had to buy everything; the Stanley cup, the magnificent leggings for my [Pilates workouts](https://www.workingal.com/articles/pilates-flexibility), the new face mist for my [acne-prone skin](https://www.workingal.com/articles/mistakes-acne-prone-skin), and the list goes on.\n\n## What Does It Mean to \"Deinfluence\" Yourself?\nDeinfluencing yourself isn't about extreme minimalism or deprivation. It is the conscious practice of breaking [algorithmic conditioning](https://www.workingal.com/articles/5-social-media-documentaries-you-need-to-watch), questioning consumer urgency, and identifying the emotional triggers behind impulse purchases before you tap \"complete order.\"\n\n## The Psychology of Impulse Buying: What Emotion Are You Actually Chasing?\n\n![Deinfluence Yourself Guide.webp](https://assets.workingal.com/Deinfluence_Yourself_Guide_98b65243b5.webp)\n\nIt’s easy to blame social media, but the truth is, a lot of our purchasing habits are rooted in something deeper. We often buy things to fill a void. Maybe we feel lonely, so we buy new clothes to feel more appealing. Maybe we’re stressed, so we order a bunch of new stuff to get that little rush of a package arriving. Sometimes, we're seeking to fit in, to project an image of success, or to feel like we're \"keeping up\" with everyone else.\n\nThe deinfluencing journey starts when you pause and ask yourself what emotion you're really chasing. Is it happiness? Security? A sense of belonging? Once you identify the underlying feeling, you can find healthier, more sustainable ways to fulfill that need that don't involve your credit card. You can connect with a friend, go for a walk, or spend an hour on a creative project. It’s about replacing the temporary high of a purchase with the lasting satisfaction of a meaningful action. And how to do it? The following realistic ways helped me deinfluence myself and start being more considerate of my [spending habits](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-identify-your-bad-spending-habits).\n\n### 1. Audit Your Algorithm: The Aggressive Mute Strategy\n\n![woman influencer ](https://assets.workingal.com/Deinfluence_Yourself_Guide_cfc2ffac37.webp)\n\nThink about your social media feed for a sec. How many perfectly curated lives are you scrolling through every day? How many \"must-have\" items are being dangled in front of you? It's not their fault, of course. But all that constant exposure can make you feel like your perfectly lovely life is somehow... lacking.\n\nSo, the first step for me was a little digital declutter. It wasn't drastic, no deleting apps cold turkey (baby steps, right?). Instead, I started being really intentional about who I was following. Anyone who consistently made me feel that pang of \"I need that!\" got the unfollow or mute button. Instead, I started seeking out accounts that inspired me in different ways –people sharing their hobbies, their creative projects, their cozy homes, without the constant promotion. It's amazing how much lighter your mental load feels when you're not constantly bombarded with the next big thing.\n\nAnd honestly? Those little digital detoxes are pure bliss. Even just putting my phone on airplane mode for an hour or two in the evening feels like a mini-vacation for my brain.\n\n### 2. The 30-Day \"Cooling Off\" Rule (And Shopping Your Own Closet)\n\nRemember that thrill of seeing something you just _have_ to have? Our brains are wired for that little dopamine hit. But what if we just... paused? That's where my \"waitlist\" (which is literally just a note on my phone) comes in. When I see something tempting, I add it to the list, and then I make myself wait at least a week, sometimes a month. You'd be surprised how often that initial \"OMG I NEED THIS NOW\" feeling completely evaporates.\n\nThen comes the gentle interrogation. Do I _really_ need this? Or do I just want it because it's trendy? Do I have something similar lurking in the back of my closet? Will this actually make my life better, or will it just end up gathering dust? Asking myself these questions, like talking to a thoughtful friend, has saved me from so many impulse buys.\n\nAnd you know what else? I've started \"shopping my own closet\" more. It sounds a bit cliché, but it's actually kind of fun! I've rediscovered clothes I forgot I had and found new ways to style old favorites. It feels so much more resourceful (and wallet-friendly!) than constantly buying new things.\n\n### 3. Practice \"Loud Budgeting\": Say No to High-Cost Social Guilt\n\n![Deinfluence Yourself Guide.webp](https://assets.workingal.com/Deinfluence_Yourself_Guide_0615146bbc.webp)\n\nFOMO, or the \"fear of missing out,\" is a beast. It's that nagging feeling that everyone else is out there having the time of their lives, and you're stuck at home. Of course, spending time with people you care about is a priceless part of a happy life. But so is the peace of mind that comes with being in control of your money. And sometimes, those two things can feel like they're at odds.\n\nLately, I’ve been trying to get a little pickier about what I say \"yes\" to. With all the invites to weekly happy hours, [weekend trips](https://www.workingal.com/articles/europe-on-a-budget-5-affordable-european-destinations), and just-for-fun classes, it's easy to get swept up in a packed social schedule that also drains your bank account. I've started asking myself a simple question: \"How is this adding genuine value to my life?\"\n\nIf that weekly volleyball league your friends are begging you to join costs $100 a month and makes your stomach churn just thinking about the expense, it's okay to say no. Prioritizing your financial health is not selfish; it’s one of the most powerful forms of self-care there is. The same goes for those everyday purchases. That new beauty serum everyone is raving about on their \"Get Ready With Me\" videos might look enticing, but when you stop and ask yourself what it's truly worth to _you_, you might find that it's not worth the $40 at all. [Loud budgeting](https://www.workingal.com/articles/loud-budgeting-trend) can help you as it has helped me as well.\n\nThis approach isn't about living a boring life. It's about shifting your mindset from \"Can I afford this?\" to \"Is this truly worth my time and my money?\" You are the boss of your calendar and your wallet. Saying no to an invitation—or a purchase—is one of the most powerful ways to take control and make room for what truly matters.\n\n### 4. Replace Dopamine Purchases with Low-Cost Focus Rituals\n\nThis has been the biggest shift for me. I realized that the fleeting happiness I got from a new purchase wasn't really filling me up. So, I started focusing on things that actually do – spending time with loved ones, getting lost in a [good book](https://www.workingal.com/articles/summer-books), going for walks in nature, even just making a [really delicious meal](https://www.workingal.com/categories/food).\n\nFinding a [hobby](https://www.workingal.com/articles/hobby-and-personality) (or rediscovering an old one) has been huge too. For me, it's been getting back into cooking. When I'm focused on executing a recipe, the urge to consume just kind of fades away. It's like I'm filling that empty space with something meaningful instead of something material, which is a treat not only for me but for my loved ones as well.\n\nThe most important thing is to change your mindset about this whole \"deinfluencing\" thing. If you think of it as deprivation, it can be challenging. If you approach it as being more intentional, more mindful, and ultimately, more content with what you have, it is going to be liberating. Deinfluencing yourself is finding your own style and your own priorities, rather than chasing after the ever-shifting trends.\n\nThere are definitely days when I still get tempted. But the more I practice these little habits, the easier it gets to tune out the noise and tune into what truly brings me joy. And honestly, that feeling of freedom – the freedom from constant wanting – is way more satisfying than any shopping spree ever could be.","how-to-deinfluence-yourself",3,"How to Deinfluence Yourself: 4 Realistic Ways to Stop Impulse Buying | The Working Gal","deinfluencing​, deinfluence​, how to deinfluence yourself, how to stop bying things we don't need, deinfluencer trend​","Tired of the endless cycle of buying things you don't need? Here is how to deinfluence yourself, quiet algorithm fatigue, and regain control of your budget.","2025-08-07","Europe/Berlin","2025-08-07T21:15:42.866Z","2026-09-04T23:34:45.849Z","2025-08-07T21:22:31.358Z",{"id":76,"documentId":77,"name":78,"alternativeText":79,"caption":80,"focalPoint":81,"width":82,"height":83,"formats":84,"hash":123,"ext":86,"mime":90,"size":124,"url":125,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":127,"updatedAt":127,"publishedAt":127},355,"skurbl8sm8j37n4qcq2v7rb1","Deinfluence Yourself Guide-57fbefba0151e312a8905dd22578817fed819679563647f69fd51dc4980b6fe1.webp","","Deinfluence Yourself Guide",null,1600,900,{"large":85,"small":96,"medium":105,"thumbnail":114},{"ext":86,"url":87,"etag":88,"hash":89,"mime":90,"name":91,"path":81,"size":92,"width":93,"height":94,"sizeInBytes":95},".webp","https://assets.workingal.com/large_Deinfluence_Yourself_Guide_57fbefba0151e312a8905dd22578817fed819679563647f69fd51dc4980b6fe1.webp","1b0ec292a200e902af7a8726c5ea5844","large_Deinfluence_Yourself_Guide_57fbefba0151e312a8905dd22578817fed819679563647f69fd51dc4980b6fe1","image/webp","large_Deinfluence Yourself Guide-57fbefba0151e312a8905dd22578817fed819679563647f69fd51dc4980b6fe1.webp",49.88,1000,562,49884,{"ext":86,"url":97,"etag":98,"hash":99,"mime":90,"name":100,"path":81,"size":101,"width":102,"height":103,"sizeInBytes":104},"https://assets.workingal.com/small_Deinfluence_Yourself_Guide_57fbefba0151e312a8905dd22578817fed819679563647f69fd51dc4980b6fe1.webp","6e0bab9b845e8cb1ac8914ed035e5dc5","small_Deinfluence_Yourself_Guide_57fbefba0151e312a8905dd22578817fed819679563647f69fd51dc4980b6fe1","small_Deinfluence Yourself Guide-57fbefba0151e312a8905dd22578817fed819679563647f69fd51dc4980b6fe1.webp",20.62,500,281,20620,{"ext":86,"url":106,"etag":107,"hash":108,"mime":90,"name":109,"path":81,"size":110,"width":111,"height":112,"sizeInBytes":113},"https://assets.workingal.com/medium_Deinfluence_Yourself_Guide_57fbefba0151e312a8905dd22578817fed819679563647f69fd51dc4980b6fe1.webp","3d392a5f25013d964a9f32ac2745f1e4","medium_Deinfluence_Yourself_Guide_57fbefba0151e312a8905dd22578817fed819679563647f69fd51dc4980b6fe1","medium_Deinfluence Yourself Guide-57fbefba0151e312a8905dd22578817fed819679563647f69fd51dc4980b6fe1.webp",34.26,750,422,34262,{"ext":86,"url":115,"etag":116,"hash":117,"mime":90,"name":118,"path":81,"size":119,"width":120,"height":121,"sizeInBytes":122},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_Deinfluence_Yourself_Guide_57fbefba0151e312a8905dd22578817fed819679563647f69fd51dc4980b6fe1.webp","f9fca901a0f5bc6314846526abd49940","thumbnail_Deinfluence_Yourself_Guide_57fbefba0151e312a8905dd22578817fed819679563647f69fd51dc4980b6fe1","thumbnail_Deinfluence Yourself Guide-57fbefba0151e312a8905dd22578817fed819679563647f69fd51dc4980b6fe1.webp",8.15,245,138,8154,"Deinfluence_Yourself_Guide_57fbefba0151e312a8905dd22578817fed819679563647f69fd51dc4980b6fe1",103.52,"https://assets.workingal.com/Deinfluence_Yourself_Guide_57fbefba0151e312a8905dd22578817fed819679563647f69fd51dc4980b6fe1.webp","@strapi/provider-upload-aws-s3","2026-09-06T10:36:37.177Z",{"id":26,"documentId":27,"name":28,"slug":29,"createdAt":48,"updatedAt":48,"publishedAt":49},{"id":26,"documentId":130,"name":131,"slug":132,"instagram":133,"facebook":134,"bio":135,"linkedIn":136,"createdAt":137,"updatedAt":137,"publishedAt":138,"avatar":139},"rrgw04x1ox461oib75ljto7k","Dimitra","dimitra","https://www.instagram.com/dimdimi/","https://www.facebook.com/dimitra.lioliou.9","She started in corporate, stepped out to build her own businesses, and along the way learned five foreign languages. With a background in Sociology, her focus remains squarely on human behavior, the true engine behind every business, cultural trend, and daily decision. Today, she splits her time between Europe and the US, writing about work, culture, and the subtle mechanics of modern life. If you ask her about languages, consider yourself warned: she will not stop talking.","https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimitra-lioliou/","2026-09-06T10:31:18.888Z","2026-09-06T10:31:18.911Z",{"id":42,"documentId":140,"name":141,"alternativeText":142,"caption":143,"focalPoint":81,"width":144,"height":144,"formats":145,"hash":156,"ext":147,"mime":151,"size":157,"url":158,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":159,"updatedAt":159,"publishedAt":160},"vho74tz85ywt8uvcc2i46n8j","Dimitra Lioliou-490b9ae7a31e67cbe83f6cbd018b514572b484c2a12096c4257fcc93fbbdacd5.png","dimitra lioliou profile pic","dimitra lioliou the working gal",250,{"thumbnail":146},{"ext":147,"url":148,"etag":149,"hash":150,"mime":151,"name":152,"path":81,"size":153,"width":154,"height":154,"sizeInBytes":155},".png","https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_Dimitra_Lioliou_490b9ae7a31e67cbe83f6cbd018b514572b484c2a12096c4257fcc93fbbdacd5.png","1af5fda28d3e7890e8a99c385239de61","thumbnail_Dimitra_Lioliou_490b9ae7a31e67cbe83f6cbd018b514572b484c2a12096c4257fcc93fbbdacd5","image/png","thumbnail_Dimitra Lioliou-490b9ae7a31e67cbe83f6cbd018b514572b484c2a12096c4257fcc93fbbdacd5.png",47.39,156,47387,"Dimitra_Lioliou_490b9ae7a31e67cbe83f6cbd018b514572b484c2a12096c4257fcc93fbbdacd5",28.15,"https://assets.workingal.com/Dimitra_Lioliou_490b9ae7a31e67cbe83f6cbd018b514572b484c2a12096c4257fcc93fbbdacd5.png","2026-09-06T10:31:18.786Z","2026-09-06T10:31:18.787Z",{"id":162,"documentId":163,"title":164,"content":165,"slug":166,"coffees":26,"seo_title":164,"keywords":167,"seo_desc":168,"bylineDate":169,"bylineTimezone":71,"createdAt":170,"updatedAt":171,"publishedAt":172,"featuredImage":173,"category":212,"author":213,"img":210},678,"egskuhx4kv0d0bn5nup4kwka","Back To Work After Vacation? 5 Steps to a Smooth Return","You can't pour from an empty cup, and you can't be your best at work if you're feeling burnt out. So you booked that flight, packed that bag, and soaked up every glorious minute of your time off. But now the dream is over, the laundry is piled high, and the dread of that first day back is setting in.\n\nThat feeling is more common than you think. Anxiety about going back to work after vacation is a real and valid emotion, often leading to what's known as the \"post-vacation blues.\" According to a [survey conducted by MyBioSource](https://www.mybiosource.com/learn/post-time-off-burnout-in-america-insights-from-a-nationwide-survey/), a notable 42% of employed Americans expressed dread at the prospect of returning to work after taking time off. While the exact numbers vary, a large percentage of working professionals feel a sense of dread or sadness when thinking about returning to their jobs. In fact, a study by [Monster.com reported](http://monster.com) that over two-thirds of U.S. employees experience some level of stress or coming back to work after vacation.\n\nThis feeling and unpleasant mood isn’t just about these beach days being over; it’s about the abrupt shift from a state of relaxation and freedom to the structured, high-demand environment of the workplace. The good news? You don't have to let the back-to-work dread ruin the memory of your trip. We've got a five-step plan to help you make your return as smooth as possible, transforming that going back to work after vacation sigh into a confident stride.\n\n### Step 1: The Soft Landing: Ease Your Way Back\n\nOne of the biggest mistakes you can make is to return from your trip late Sunday night and dive straight into work Monday morning. This gives you zero time to decompress, unpack, and mentally prepare for the week ahead. The best strategy is to plan for a soft landing.\n\nIf possible, schedule your return for a day or two before you're due back at the office. This time acts as a buffer which you can use to unpack, do a load of laundry, grocery shop, [meal prep for the week ahead](https://www.workingal.com/articles/5-tips-for-meal-prep), and just get your home life back in order. This way, when Monday rolls around, you won't be scrambling. Your out-of-office reply is your best friend here. Instead of setting it to switch off the moment you return, program it to expire a few hours or even a full day after you're back. This gives you a precious window of time to triage your inbox and get your bearings without new emails piling up.\n\nThis approach acknowledges that your mind needs time to shift gears from \"vacation mode\" to \"work mode.\" Think of it like an airplane descending slowly instead of a sudden, jarring crash-landing.\n\nThis strategy also [helps combat PTO guilt](https://www.workingal.com/articles/pto-vacation-guilt), that nagging feeling that you should be working even when you're on vacation. By giving yourself this buffer, you're honoring the fact that you earned this time off and that a proper transition is necessary to be productive in the long run.\n\n### Step 2: The Email Triage: Don't Let Your Inbox Win\n\nThe dread of that overflowing inbox is a major source of anxiety about going back to work after vacation. Instead of opening your email and letting panic set in, you need a plan of attack.\n\n![back to work after vacation.webp](https://assets.workingal.com/back_to_work_after_vacation_9dee02829b.webp)\n\nFirst, don’t dive in headfirst. Take a deep breath and start with a quick scan. Create three folders: \"Urgent,\" \"To Do,\" and \"Archive.\" Now, do a swift first pass. Most emails from marketing lists, newsletters, and minor updates can be archived or deleted immediately. The goal here is to reduce the sheer volume.\n\nNext, focus on the \"Urgent\" folder. These are the emails that require your immediate attention. Handle them quickly, or if they require more time, schedule a block of time later in the day to tackle them.\n\nFinally, move to the \"To Do\" folder. These are the emails that can wait. The key here is not to feel pressured to respond to every single one on your first day. Set a realistic goal, like tackling 10-15 of these throughout the day, and schedule them into your calendar just like any other task.\n\nIt’s also helpful to remember that your colleagues and clients know you've been away. They don't expect you to have all the answers the moment you get back. Be kind to yourself and give yourself the grace to catch up gradually. This approach is not only more effective but also drastically reduces the stress of coming back to work after vacation.\n\n### Step 3: Mindset Matters: Keep the Vacation Vibe Alive\n\nThe transition from a relaxed, carefree state to a stressful work environment is a shock to the system. The key to mitigating this is to consciously bring some of that vacation mindset back with you.\n\nThink about what made your vacation so enjoyable. Was it the leisurely morning coffee? The long walks? [The digital detox](https://www.workingal.com/articles/digital-detox)? Find ways to incorporate these small, joyful rituals into your daily routine. Maybe you start your workday with a cup of your favorite vacation brew, or you make a point to go for a [15-minute walk](https://www.workingal.com/articles/9-ways-to-walk-a-bit-more-every-day) during your lunch break. These small acts of self-care can make a world of difference.\n\nThis is also a great time to practice some humor back to work after vacation. Share a funny story from your trip with a colleague, or indulge in a few back to work after vacation memes. Laughter is a powerful stress reliever and can help you reconnect with your work environment in a positive way.\n\nA [recent survey found](https://hbr.org/2023/07/how-taking-a-vacation-improves-your-well-being) that employees who take their full vacation days report better mental health and job satisfaction. By holding on to the positive feelings from your trip, you're not just warding off the blues—you're reinforcing the importance of taking that time off in the first place.\n\n### Step 4: Communicate Your Boundaries: Set Expectations\n\nYour first day back isn't a race to prove how much you missed work. It's a day to set the stage for a successful and balanced week. This means [communicating your boundaries](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-set-and-preserve-boundaries) clearly and politely.\n\n![back to work after vacation.webp](https://assets.workingal.com/back_to_work_after_vacation_3881ca5553.webp)\n\nLet your team know that you're back and you're catching up. A simple message in your team chat or a quick email can go a long way. For example: \"Hi everyone, I'm back from vacation and slowly getting caught up. I'll be focused on addressing urgent tasks today and will respond to other requests as soon as I can. Thanks for your patience!\" This sets a realistic expectation and prevents anyone from thinking you're ignoring them.\n\nBy doing this, you're teaching people how to interact with you after a break. You're showing them that your time off was valuable and that you need a moment to re-integrate. This also helps reduce PTO guilt by reinforcing the idea that breaks are productive and necessary, not a weakness.\n\nThe conversation around going back to work after vacation is changing. It’s no longer about a silent, hero-like return to a pile of work. It’s about being human, being honest, and [being a leader](https://www.workingal.com/articles/the-most-effective-leadership-books-you-will-ever-read) who understands the importance of work-life balance.\n\n### Step 5: Look Forward: Plan Your Next Adventure\n\nNothing cures the post-vacation blues quite like having something new to look forward to. Even if your next big trip is months away, [start a new list of destinations](https://www.workingal.com/articles/5-destinations-for-a-quick-getaway-on-the-west-coast), a new board on Pinterest, or a new budget tracker. The simple act of planning can reignite that spark of excitement.\n\nYou don't need another epic two-week getaway. Your next adventure could be a local weekend trip, a visit to a new neighborhood cafe, or even just a fun event you've been meaning to attend. The goal is to sprinkle your calendar with things that bring you joy.\n\nThese five little steps are exactly what you want to not just survive your back to work after vacation meme-worthy return, but you’re thriving. You’re acknowledging your needs, respecting your boundaries, and ensuring that the hard-earned time you took to recharge pays off long after the trip is over. Now go ahead, tackle that inbox—you've got this.","back-to-work-after-vacation","back to work after vacation, going back to work after vacation​, back to work after vacation meme​,anxiety going back to work after vacation​, ","Feel dread about returning to work? Beat the post-vacation blues with our 5-step guide to a smooth transition and stress-free return to the office.","2025-08-06","2025-08-06T20:10:32.100Z","2025-08-06T20:16:54.980Z","2025-08-06T20:16:54.977Z",{"id":174,"documentId":175,"name":176,"alternativeText":177,"caption":178,"focalPoint":81,"width":82,"height":83,"formats":179,"hash":208,"ext":86,"mime":90,"size":209,"url":210,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":211,"updatedAt":211,"publishedAt":211},353,"b977eussab37xgurfga6goj0","back to work after vacation-06e1c7d455e0e9135d1f19d21b46427e63f761f2687095aaaae18cf77e56c62f.webp","woman in a desk back to work after her vacation","back to work after vacation",{"large":180,"small":187,"medium":194,"thumbnail":201},{"ext":86,"url":181,"etag":182,"hash":183,"mime":90,"name":184,"path":81,"size":185,"width":93,"height":94,"sizeInBytes":186},"https://assets.workingal.com/large_back_to_work_after_vacation_06e1c7d455e0e9135d1f19d21b46427e63f761f2687095aaaae18cf77e56c62f.webp","d9cafb4b16e813669af81ecb9b6ce9ca","large_back_to_work_after_vacation_06e1c7d455e0e9135d1f19d21b46427e63f761f2687095aaaae18cf77e56c62f","large_back to work after vacation-06e1c7d455e0e9135d1f19d21b46427e63f761f2687095aaaae18cf77e56c62f.webp",25.44,25442,{"ext":86,"url":188,"etag":189,"hash":190,"mime":90,"name":191,"path":81,"size":192,"width":102,"height":103,"sizeInBytes":193},"https://assets.workingal.com/small_back_to_work_after_vacation_06e1c7d455e0e9135d1f19d21b46427e63f761f2687095aaaae18cf77e56c62f.webp","6ed38f371352a8ffa26d7340ea946e03","small_back_to_work_after_vacation_06e1c7d455e0e9135d1f19d21b46427e63f761f2687095aaaae18cf77e56c62f","small_back to work after vacation-06e1c7d455e0e9135d1f19d21b46427e63f761f2687095aaaae18cf77e56c62f.webp",11.96,11962,{"ext":86,"url":195,"etag":196,"hash":197,"mime":90,"name":198,"path":81,"size":199,"width":111,"height":112,"sizeInBytes":200},"https://assets.workingal.com/medium_back_to_work_after_vacation_06e1c7d455e0e9135d1f19d21b46427e63f761f2687095aaaae18cf77e56c62f.webp","6d9da0e666c64edce0c1ab3f0ad8c56d","medium_back_to_work_after_vacation_06e1c7d455e0e9135d1f19d21b46427e63f761f2687095aaaae18cf77e56c62f","medium_back to work after vacation-06e1c7d455e0e9135d1f19d21b46427e63f761f2687095aaaae18cf77e56c62f.webp",18.21,18212,{"ext":86,"url":202,"etag":203,"hash":204,"mime":90,"name":205,"path":81,"size":206,"width":120,"height":121,"sizeInBytes":207},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_back_to_work_after_vacation_06e1c7d455e0e9135d1f19d21b46427e63f761f2687095aaaae18cf77e56c62f.webp","2acdf25bd3f9b8ef0a65ab5cf94bdc80","thumbnail_back_to_work_after_vacation_06e1c7d455e0e9135d1f19d21b46427e63f761f2687095aaaae18cf77e56c62f","thumbnail_back to work after vacation-06e1c7d455e0e9135d1f19d21b46427e63f761f2687095aaaae18cf77e56c62f.webp",5.22,5216,"back_to_work_after_vacation_06e1c7d455e0e9135d1f19d21b46427e63f761f2687095aaaae18cf77e56c62f",44.54,"https://assets.workingal.com/back_to_work_after_vacation_06e1c7d455e0e9135d1f19d21b46427e63f761f2687095aaaae18cf77e56c62f.webp","2026-09-06T10:36:35.341Z",{"id":26,"documentId":27,"name":28,"slug":29,"createdAt":48,"updatedAt":48,"publishedAt":49},{"id":214,"documentId":215,"name":216,"slug":217,"instagram":81,"facebook":81,"bio":218,"linkedIn":81,"createdAt":219,"updatedAt":219,"publishedAt":220,"avatar":221},22,"wyt3u257aw7uw0dwu7iyp43t","Mariana","mariana","Mariana is our amazing psychologist. She is generally shy, but she has the answers to all questions. She is calm but can be pretty sarcastic if she wants to! She is working with women who are struggling in their jobs. She also loves knitting. She helps our Working Gal Team with her valuable insights and tips for a balanced work life.","2026-09-06T10:31:24.439Z","2026-09-06T10:31:24.476Z",{"id":222,"documentId":223,"name":224,"alternativeText":79,"caption":79,"focalPoint":81,"width":144,"height":144,"formats":225,"hash":233,"ext":86,"mime":90,"size":234,"url":235,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":236,"updatedAt":236,"publishedAt":236},11,"fheiaa5f5erfp90gy58ro2z5","1-4e8c14f9a17f874e48d1483a84a5e11eff6bee5c825f8de8b99f80ea39cc3be7.webp",{"thumbnail":226},{"ext":86,"url":227,"etag":228,"hash":229,"mime":90,"name":230,"path":81,"size":231,"width":154,"height":154,"sizeInBytes":232},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_1_4e8c14f9a17f874e48d1483a84a5e11eff6bee5c825f8de8b99f80ea39cc3be7.webp","4b4c936585b7dd1c23ef309e30c37e86","thumbnail_1_4e8c14f9a17f874e48d1483a84a5e11eff6bee5c825f8de8b99f80ea39cc3be7","thumbnail_1-4e8c14f9a17f874e48d1483a84a5e11eff6bee5c825f8de8b99f80ea39cc3be7.webp",4.15,4148,"1_4e8c14f9a17f874e48d1483a84a5e11eff6bee5c825f8de8b99f80ea39cc3be7",8.36,"https://assets.workingal.com/1_4e8c14f9a17f874e48d1483a84a5e11eff6bee5c825f8de8b99f80ea39cc3be7.webp","2026-09-06T10:31:24.366Z",{"id":238,"documentId":239,"title":240,"content":241,"slug":242,"coffees":26,"seo_title":240,"keywords":243,"seo_desc":244,"bylineDate":245,"bylineTimezone":71,"createdAt":246,"updatedAt":247,"publishedAt":248,"featuredImage":249,"category":288,"author":289,"img":286},674,"kgsc14fgnq1ashhlqzgglybe","What Is Loud Budgeting and How to Do It Right","While working and networking, I see countless comments from women trying to navigate the tricky world of [personal finance](https://www.workingal.com/articles/financial-self-sabotage-why-you-fail-to-manage-your-finances) and find a way to [save on a tight budget](https://www.workingal.com/articles/tight-budget-savings). We all know the feeling: the pit in your stomach when a friend suggests a pricey weekend getaway you can't afford, or the quiet dread of another \"Can you split the bill?\" moment at a high-end restaurant. For years, the unwritten rule has been to smile, nod, and make up some excuse—a vague \"I'm busy\" or \"I have other plans,\" trying to avoid being [a victim of the lifestyle creep](https://www.workingal.com/articles/you-re-not-richer-you-re-just-spending-more). We've been taught to keep our financial cards close to our chest.\n\nBut lately, a new trend has been making some serious noise, and it’s a total game-changer. It’s called loud budgeting, and it’s taking over social media feeds everywhere, especially on TikTok. This isn't just another fleeting hashtag or an evolution of the [no buy challenge](https://www.workingal.com/articles/is-no-buy-challenge-the-solution-to-saving-money); it's a refreshing, empowering approach to money that's giving women permission to be honest, unapologetic, and in control.\n\nSo, what exactly is loud budgeting, and how can you make it work for you?\n\n![woman holding money she saved from loud bugdeting](https://assets.workingal.com/loud_budgeting_trend_bce09a67c8.webp)\n\n## The Meaning of Loud Budgeting\n\nThe core idea is simple: be open and honest about your [financial boundaries and goals](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-set-smart-financial-goals) with the people in your life. It’s a direct response to the pressure to “keep up with the Joneses” (or, in our case, the Jennifers on Instagram). Instead of offering a lame excuse for declining an invitation, you state your financial limitations with confidence.\n\nFor example, instead of saying, \"Oh, I'm just so swamped this weekend and can't make it to brunch,\" you might say, \"That sounds amazing, but it's not in my budget right now because I'm saving up to pay off my credit card debt.\"\n\nThe \"loud\" part isn't about bragging or oversharing every detail of your bank account. It’s about being transparent enough to remove the shame and stigma often associated with [saying \"no.\"](https://www.workingal.com/articles/50-ways-to-say-no-politely) This shift in mindset is incredibly powerful. It normalizes conversations about money, which have long been considered taboo, and helps you prioritize your own financial well-being without feeling like you're missing out. By being vocal about your goals, you might even inspire others to do the same, creating a supportive network of friends all working toward a more secure future.\n\n## How to Do Loud Budgeting Right: It Starts with a Solid Plan\n\nYou can’t be loud about your budget if you don’t have one! Before you can confidently communicate your financial boundaries to others, you have to know them yourself. Think of it as your secret superpower. Here’s a breakdown of how to build a budget that works for you:\n\n### 1\\. Create a Realistic Budget That Fits Your Life\n\nThere are a number of tried-and-true budgeting trends, and the key is to pick one that you'll actually stick with.\n\n- **The 50/30/20 Rule:** This is a fantastic starting point. You allocate 50% of your take-home pay to your \"needs\" (rent, groceries, transportation), 30% to your \"wants\" (dining out, shopping, hobbies), and 20% to savings and debt repayment. It's a simple framework that provides flexibility while keeping you on track.\n- **Zero-Based Budgeting:** If you love a challenge and want total control, this is for you. You assign every single dollar of your income a job, so your income minus all of your expenses equals zero. This method makes you incredibly intentional with every dollar you spend.\n- **The Cash Envelope System:** For those of us who struggle with overspending, this hands-on approach is a game-changer. You pull out cash for your [variable expenses](https://www.workingal.com/articles/10-ways-to-save-money-on-home-expenses) (like groceries or entertainment) and put them into separate envelopes. Once an envelope is empty, you're done spending in that category until the next cycle. It's a physical way to see your money leaving your hands, which can be a powerful deterrent to impulse buys.\n\nNo matter which method you choose, take a month or two to track your spending. I did this myself last year and was shocked to see how much I was spending on daily coffee runs. Once you have a clear picture of your habits, it’s much easier to create a budget that feels achievable.\n\n### 2\\. Define Your Financial Goals (Your \"Why\")\n\nThe true power of loud budgeting comes from having a clear \"why.\" Why are you saying no to that pricey girls' trip to Tulum? Is it because you're saving for a down payment on a condo, paying off your student loans, or building up a six-month emergency fund? When you have a specific, motivating goal, it's so much easier to stay on track.\n\nMake your goals S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound). Instead of a vague \"I want to save more money,\" try something like, \"I want to save $15,000 for a down payment on a house within the next two years.\" This gives your loud budgeting efforts purpose and makes it easier to explain to others.\n\n### 3\\. Communicate with Confidence\n\nThis is where the \"loud\" part comes in. When an opportunity arises that doesn't fit your budget, you'll need to communicate your position clearly and kindly. Remember, you don't owe anyone a detailed explanation.\n\nYou don't need to over-explain your entire financial situation. A simple, \"That sounds fun, but I'm not able to swing it right now,\" is enough. If you offer an alternative, this shows you still value the person and want to spend time with them. Instead of a fancy dinner, suggest a potluck [movie night](https://www.workingal.com/articles/these-are-the-movies-you-need-to-watch-if-you-re-a-wine-lover) at your place or a walk in the park with a picnic lunch. This shows your \"no\" isn't about them; it's about your financial priorities.\n\nThe goal is to set a boundary, not to make others feel guilty. Frame your statements in a positive light by focusing on your goals. For example, \"I can't make it to that concert, but I'd love to catch up soon. I'm really focused on building my emergency fund right now, and it's exciting to see it grow!\"\n\n## The Long-Term Impact of Loud Budgeting\n\n![woman waiting in a chair while loud budgeting to save money](https://assets.workingal.com/loud_budgeting_trend_e792e04dbf.webp)\n\nLoud budgeting isn't just a fleeting trend from TikTok; it's a powerful tool for long-term financial freedom. By being loud about your budget, you can reduce financial stress. This means that by setting clear boundaries, you eliminate the anxiety that comes with trying to keep up with a lifestyle you can't afford.\n\nLoud budgeting can also help you [build stronger relationships](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-maintain-friendships-when-busy). True friends will respect your financial goals. By being open, you might find that others in your circle are secretly struggling with the same issues and appreciate you for starting the conversation. Also, when you're consistently mindful of your spending and held accountable by your social circle, you'll be amazed at how quickly you can reach your financial milestones.\n\nIn a capitalistic world that often celebrates spending (which is good from time to time!), loud budgeting is a bold and much-needed reminder that there is power in saving, and even more power in being honest about it. It’s a trend that's not only good for your wallet but also for your peace of mind. So go ahead, get loud, and start budgeting your way to a more secure and fulfilling future.","loud-budgeting-trend","loud budgeting,  loud budgeting trend, loud budgeting tiktok,  loud budgeting meaning,  loud budgeting meaning","Discover the loud budgeting trend! Learn what it means to be open about your finances, how to create a budget, and get personal examples to help you succeed.","2025-08-05","2025-08-05T21:44:28.082Z","2025-08-05T21:50:48.166Z","2025-08-05T21:50:48.163Z",{"id":250,"documentId":251,"name":252,"alternativeText":253,"caption":254,"focalPoint":81,"width":82,"height":83,"formats":255,"hash":284,"ext":86,"mime":90,"size":285,"url":286,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":287,"updatedAt":287,"publishedAt":287},351,"duyz56osn437mt9yf36747hh","loud budgeting trend-f2590e4a11401f8e6c12249b35e4995f91c59ad6d32fa207beb0926655fda2cb.webp","woman doing loud budgeting to save money","loud budgeting trend",{"large":256,"small":263,"medium":270,"thumbnail":277},{"ext":86,"url":257,"etag":258,"hash":259,"mime":90,"name":260,"path":81,"size":261,"width":93,"height":94,"sizeInBytes":262},"https://assets.workingal.com/large_loud_budgeting_trend_f2590e4a11401f8e6c12249b35e4995f91c59ad6d32fa207beb0926655fda2cb.webp","dc4d5ecc71c7d0a1f891ccdf23f3cdf0","large_loud_budgeting_trend_f2590e4a11401f8e6c12249b35e4995f91c59ad6d32fa207beb0926655fda2cb","large_loud budgeting trend-f2590e4a11401f8e6c12249b35e4995f91c59ad6d32fa207beb0926655fda2cb.webp",26.06,26056,{"ext":86,"url":264,"etag":265,"hash":266,"mime":90,"name":267,"path":81,"size":268,"width":102,"height":103,"sizeInBytes":269},"https://assets.workingal.com/small_loud_budgeting_trend_f2590e4a11401f8e6c12249b35e4995f91c59ad6d32fa207beb0926655fda2cb.webp","9234231b8f1755913e12390642234303","small_loud_budgeting_trend_f2590e4a11401f8e6c12249b35e4995f91c59ad6d32fa207beb0926655fda2cb","small_loud budgeting trend-f2590e4a11401f8e6c12249b35e4995f91c59ad6d32fa207beb0926655fda2cb.webp",10.95,10946,{"ext":86,"url":271,"etag":272,"hash":273,"mime":90,"name":274,"path":81,"size":275,"width":111,"height":112,"sizeInBytes":276},"https://assets.workingal.com/medium_loud_budgeting_trend_f2590e4a11401f8e6c12249b35e4995f91c59ad6d32fa207beb0926655fda2cb.webp","4078fe3ee9a84c9339e51f7bf5c4aaf7","medium_loud_budgeting_trend_f2590e4a11401f8e6c12249b35e4995f91c59ad6d32fa207beb0926655fda2cb","medium_loud budgeting trend-f2590e4a11401f8e6c12249b35e4995f91c59ad6d32fa207beb0926655fda2cb.webp",18.2,18202,{"ext":86,"url":278,"etag":279,"hash":280,"mime":90,"name":281,"path":81,"size":282,"width":120,"height":121,"sizeInBytes":283},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_loud_budgeting_trend_f2590e4a11401f8e6c12249b35e4995f91c59ad6d32fa207beb0926655fda2cb.webp","d5776b846b8b98cd3a47b8198b2b526f","thumbnail_loud_budgeting_trend_f2590e4a11401f8e6c12249b35e4995f91c59ad6d32fa207beb0926655fda2cb","thumbnail_loud budgeting trend-f2590e4a11401f8e6c12249b35e4995f91c59ad6d32fa207beb0926655fda2cb.webp",4.29,4292,"loud_budgeting_trend_f2590e4a11401f8e6c12249b35e4995f91c59ad6d32fa207beb0926655fda2cb",51.04,"https://assets.workingal.com/loud_budgeting_trend_f2590e4a11401f8e6c12249b35e4995f91c59ad6d32fa207beb0926655fda2cb.webp","2026-09-06T10:36:33.354Z",{"id":26,"documentId":27,"name":28,"slug":29,"createdAt":48,"updatedAt":48,"publishedAt":49},{"id":290,"documentId":291,"name":292,"slug":293,"instagram":81,"facebook":81,"bio":294,"linkedIn":81,"createdAt":295,"updatedAt":295,"publishedAt":296,"avatar":297},26,"o04be84r6qe80zkm7zy6xpgu","Chiara ","chiara","Food, drinks and pop art are her gigs. If it’s trending, visually arresting, or tastes like summer in Italy, she’s already covering it. From late-night gallery openings to the secret menus you need to know about, Chiara captures the lifestyle that most people only double-tap on.","2026-09-06T10:31:25.477Z","2026-09-06T10:31:25.499Z",{"id":298,"documentId":299,"name":300,"alternativeText":301,"caption":301,"focalPoint":81,"width":144,"height":144,"formats":302,"hash":311,"ext":304,"mime":308,"size":312,"url":313,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":314,"updatedAt":314,"publishedAt":314},13,"mzrligapcbqqgo57pbzn5z69","Chiara-857942c0a6cd986597cd67b034ab73d7912c7f254d0b21d885381f1d21a2acae.jpg","chiara the working gal",{"thumbnail":303},{"ext":304,"url":305,"etag":306,"hash":307,"mime":308,"name":309,"path":81,"size":234,"width":154,"height":154,"sizeInBytes":310},".jpg","https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_Chiara_857942c0a6cd986597cd67b034ab73d7912c7f254d0b21d885381f1d21a2acae.jpg","4b42ca6e75fd00cea3f5a78268bacf12","thumbnail_Chiara_857942c0a6cd986597cd67b034ab73d7912c7f254d0b21d885381f1d21a2acae","image/jpeg","thumbnail_Chiara-857942c0a6cd986597cd67b034ab73d7912c7f254d0b21d885381f1d21a2acae.jpg",8355,"Chiara_857942c0a6cd986597cd67b034ab73d7912c7f254d0b21d885381f1d21a2acae",17.9,"https://assets.workingal.com/Chiara_857942c0a6cd986597cd67b034ab73d7912c7f254d0b21d885381f1d21a2acae.jpg","2026-09-06T10:31:25.316Z",{"id":316,"documentId":317,"title":318,"content":319,"slug":320,"coffees":66,"seo_title":318,"keywords":321,"seo_desc":322,"bylineDate":323,"bylineTimezone":71,"createdAt":324,"updatedAt":325,"publishedAt":326,"featuredImage":327,"category":366,"author":367,"img":364},668,"hnlbs94m95ebeb8kwkpcqvst","PTO Guilt: Maybe This Year It's Time To Enjoy Your Vacation?"," \n\nEvery year, I can't wait for those days of the long-awaited PTO. I meticulously plan my trips, envisioning sandy and sunny beaches (or cozy mountain getaways sometimes). I imagine lazy mornings, new adventures, and that blissful feeling of complete detachment. But then, as the date approaches, a familiar, unwelcome feeling creeps in: guilt. That nagging sensation that I'm somehow letting my team down, or that the workload will pile up uncontrollably while I'm gone. If you've ever felt guilty when taking PTO, you are absolutely not alone. In fact, you're part of a significant majority of working professionals.\n\nPTO guilt is a pervasive issue, particularly among the millennial workforce. We've cultivated a culture where [busy-ness is often equated with importance](https://www.workingal.com/articles/don-t-be-busy-be-productive), and taking a break can feel like a sign of weakness or a lack of dedication. We worry about falling behind, about emails piling up, or even about how our colleagues and [managers might perceive us](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-deal-with-a-passive-aggressive-manager). This internalized pressure leads to a shocking reality: a significant portion of our hard-earned paid time off goes unused.\n\n## The Alarming Truth About Unused PTO\n\n![pto guilt.webp](https://assets.workingal.com/pto_guilt_a52d54a733.webp)\n\nLet's look at the numbers, because they paint a clear picture. According to a recent survey by LiveCareer, [59% of U.S. workers feel uneasy taking time off](https://www.livecareer.com/resources/pto-culture-crisis) from work. This isn't just a fleeting thought; it’s something deeper: a deep-seated [anxiety](https://www.workingal.com/articles/stress-management-these-5-techniques) that often prevents us from fully utilizing a benefit we've rightfully earned. The top concerns cited by these workers include:\n\n- Work will pile up while I'm gone: 19%\n- I'll miss something important or lose an opportunity: 19%\n- People will see me as less committed: 12%\n- I'll get laid off or replaced: 8%\n\nThese anxieties are real, fueled by [workplace cultures](https://www.workingal.com/articles/4-hacks-for-effective-communication-in-the-workplace) that subtly, or sometimes overtly, discourage time off. The same LiveCareer study found that 33% of workers feel pressure not to use all their PTO accrued, and a notable 9% say their employer actively discourages time off. Even more concerning, 49% report their company says it supports vacation, but workloads make taking time off unrealistic.\n\nThe result? Americans collectively leave millions of vacation days on the table. In 2018, for instance, more than [50% of American workers had unused vacation leave](https://www.ustravel.org/sites/default/files/media_root/document/NPVD19_FactSheet.pdf), totaling 768 million days. While there are some indications that this trend might be shifting slightly, the core problem of under-utilization persists. For many, the option of an unused PTO payout might seem like a small consolation, but it pales in comparison to the immense benefits of actually taking that time off.\n\n### Why We Feel This Guilt, Especially as Women\n\n![pto guilt.webp](https://assets.workingal.com/pto_guilt_121a6cdd47.webp)\n\nThe pressure to constantly be \"on\" is intensified for many working women. Project Time Off's report indicated that while both men and women face PTO issues, women were more likely (58%) than men (49%) to agree that vacation time is \"extremely\" important to them, yet paradoxically, they use less of it. Only [44% of American women use all of their annually allotted vacation time](https://www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/heres-why-women-take-less-vacation-time-than-men-and/319871), compared to 48% of men. This disparity often stems from factors like heightened stress from work, and a greater likelihood of feeling that guilt, the \"mountain of work\" they’d return to, and the risk of seeming less committed to their job.\n\nThis phenomenon points to deeper societal expectations and internal biases. We, as working women, are often conditioned to be indispensable, to take on extra responsibilities, and to push ourselves beyond limits. The thought of stepping away can trigger profound feelings of guilt all the time, making us believe that our absence will cause chaos or be perceived negatively.\n\n### The Undeniable Benefits of Taking PTO\n\nDespite these deeply ingrained patterns, the evidence is overwhelming: using PTO can significantly reduce stress and improve [employee productivity](https://www.workingal.com/articles/strategic-productivity-how-to-work-smart-not-hard). Evidence that is backed by extensive research.\n\n#### Improved Mental and Physical Health\n\nStudies show that employees who take regular PTO experience lower stress levels, improved job satisfaction, and [increased productivity](https://www.workingal.com/articles/productivity-diaries-i-started-to-wake-up-at-6-am-and-good-things-have-happened). Time away from work helps employees return with fresh perspectives and renewed energy. Research indicates that taking vacations can lower heart disease risks by 32% and reduce stress-related illnesses. One study even found that for every additional 10 days off, depression decreases by 29%.\n\n#### Enhanced Productivity and Creativity\n\nWhen you're constantly operating at 100% without a break, you're more prone to burnout, decreased [creativity](https://www.workingal.com/articles/hobby-and-personality), and even health issues. A real break allows you to recharge, gain fresh perspectives, and return to work [revitalized and more efficient](https://www.workingal.com/articles/dopamine-menu-can-this-method-). The _Harvard Business Review_ notes that statistically, taking more vacation leads to greater business success, lower stress, and more happiness at work and home. Research published in _Frontiers in Psychology_ found that people are more creative two weeks after their vacation than before taking time off.\n\n#### Reduced Burnout and Turnover\n\nChronically overworked employees are more likely to burn out, leading to decreased productivity, increased error rates, and higher absenteeism. Vacation helps cure burnout by replenishing emotional resources, such as a sense of social support and mastery. Happier, well-rested employees are more likely to stay with a company longer, reducing turnover costs.\n\n#### Economic Impact\n\nBeyond individual [well-being](https://www.workingal.com/categories/wellness), unused vacation time has a significant economic cost. Oxford Economics found that American companies were carrying [$224 billion in liabilities](https://www.visier.com/blog/avoid-the-hidden-costs-of-unused-paid-time-off/) due to unused vacation time. This accrual represents forfeited benefits that could otherwise stimulate the economy through travel spending.\n\n### How to Start Enjoying Your Time Off (Without the Guilt)\n\n![woman working during her PTO](https://assets.workingal.com/pto_guilt_fb78a11368.webp)\n\nSo, how do we break free from this cycle of feeling guilty all the time and truly benefit from the rejuvenating power of our paid time off?\n\n#### Plan Ahead and Communicate Clearly\n\nThe biggest fear is often the unknown of what will happen while you're away. Address this head-on. As soon as you decide to take time off, start planning. Communicate clearly and well in advance with your manager and team. When [asking your manager](https://www.workingal.com/articles/5-useful-questions-to-ask-your-manager) for time off, present a proactive plan:\n\n- Outline your dates.\n- Detail your plan for coverage. Who will handle what?\n- Delegate tasks with clear instructions and deadlines before you leave.\n- Set comprehensive out-of-office messages and direct key contacts to the right people\n\n#### Set Firm Boundaries and Unplug\n\nThis is perhaps the most crucial step. True relaxation happens when you genuinely disconnect from work demands. Resist the urge to \"just quickly\" check emails or take a call. Studies show that employees who psychologically disengage from work on their vacations experience the most significant improvement in well-being. \"If you're not at work but you're thinking about work on vacation, you might as well be at the office,\" says Ryan Grant, lead author of a UGA study (UGA Today, January 2025). Your vacation is for _you_. Silence notifications, delete work apps from your phone if you can, and let your team know you'll be fully offline unless there's an absolute emergency.\n\n#### Prioritize Rest and Recharge\n\nDon't pack your vacation so full of activities that you return more exhausted than when you left. Whether it's exploring a new city, lounging by the pool, hiking in nature, or simply enjoying quiet mornings at home, prioritize activities that genuinely help you relax and recharge. Engage in physical activity – it's been shown to boost well-being (UGA Today). Allow yourself time to decompress both before and after your trip. Planning a day or two to transition back into work mode can ease the shock of returning.\n\n#### Shift Your Mindset\n\nRemind yourself that taking time off is not a luxury but a necessity for your long-term health, happiness, and [career sustainability](https://www.workingal.com/articles/10-reasons-that-block-your-career-progress). It’s an investment in your best self. When you return refreshed and energized, you are a better employee, a better colleague, and a better human being. Encourage your colleagues to take their time off too – leading by example can help foster a healthier workplace culture for everyone.","pto-vacation-guilt","pto guilt, feelings of pto guilt,  guilty when taking pto, paid time off guilt, why do I feel guilty when taking pto","Ready to ditch the PTO guilt? Discover why we feel bad taking paid time off, the surprising benefits of using your vacation days for stress reduction and productivity, and how to finally enjoy your well-deserved break. Learn to stop leaving unused PTO payout on the table and return refreshed!","2025-07-23","2025-07-22T23:32:17.477Z","2025-07-22T23:41:19.627Z","2025-07-22T23:41:19.625Z",{"id":328,"documentId":329,"name":330,"alternativeText":331,"caption":332,"focalPoint":81,"width":82,"height":83,"formats":333,"hash":362,"ext":86,"mime":90,"size":363,"url":364,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":365,"updatedAt":365,"publishedAt":365},348,"wct8dqcipvq2rezl40qw7wpl","pto guilt-96e77c78c4ff1883efc1f5d22e426025a06a61ff38d9fc9cc1451112f8af0895.webp","woman on a yacht feeling pto guilt","pto guilt",{"large":334,"small":341,"medium":348,"thumbnail":355},{"ext":86,"url":335,"etag":336,"hash":337,"mime":90,"name":338,"path":81,"size":339,"width":93,"height":94,"sizeInBytes":340},"https://assets.workingal.com/large_pto_guilt_96e77c78c4ff1883efc1f5d22e426025a06a61ff38d9fc9cc1451112f8af0895.webp","1b5e369fbae6de8da8c2d2cb50a1aa04","large_pto_guilt_96e77c78c4ff1883efc1f5d22e426025a06a61ff38d9fc9cc1451112f8af0895","large_pto guilt-96e77c78c4ff1883efc1f5d22e426025a06a61ff38d9fc9cc1451112f8af0895.webp",30.71,30710,{"ext":86,"url":342,"etag":343,"hash":344,"mime":90,"name":345,"path":81,"size":346,"width":102,"height":103,"sizeInBytes":347},"https://assets.workingal.com/small_pto_guilt_96e77c78c4ff1883efc1f5d22e426025a06a61ff38d9fc9cc1451112f8af0895.webp","0a537c471469a3e123aeb1bb3b0880b0","small_pto_guilt_96e77c78c4ff1883efc1f5d22e426025a06a61ff38d9fc9cc1451112f8af0895","small_pto guilt-96e77c78c4ff1883efc1f5d22e426025a06a61ff38d9fc9cc1451112f8af0895.webp",11.02,11024,{"ext":86,"url":349,"etag":350,"hash":351,"mime":90,"name":352,"path":81,"size":353,"width":111,"height":112,"sizeInBytes":354},"https://assets.workingal.com/medium_pto_guilt_96e77c78c4ff1883efc1f5d22e426025a06a61ff38d9fc9cc1451112f8af0895.webp","bd7b43b6a71d2234c37d25dc926f79d7","medium_pto_guilt_96e77c78c4ff1883efc1f5d22e426025a06a61ff38d9fc9cc1451112f8af0895","medium_pto guilt-96e77c78c4ff1883efc1f5d22e426025a06a61ff38d9fc9cc1451112f8af0895.webp",19.84,19838,{"ext":86,"url":356,"etag":357,"hash":358,"mime":90,"name":359,"path":81,"size":360,"width":120,"height":121,"sizeInBytes":361},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_pto_guilt_96e77c78c4ff1883efc1f5d22e426025a06a61ff38d9fc9cc1451112f8af0895.webp","55923db9bac7d7f3a1977d87b038b37d","thumbnail_pto_guilt_96e77c78c4ff1883efc1f5d22e426025a06a61ff38d9fc9cc1451112f8af0895","thumbnail_pto guilt-96e77c78c4ff1883efc1f5d22e426025a06a61ff38d9fc9cc1451112f8af0895.webp",4.12,4122,"pto_guilt_96e77c78c4ff1883efc1f5d22e426025a06a61ff38d9fc9cc1451112f8af0895",63.33,"https://assets.workingal.com/pto_guilt_96e77c78c4ff1883efc1f5d22e426025a06a61ff38d9fc9cc1451112f8af0895.webp","2026-09-06T10:36:30.689Z",{"id":26,"documentId":27,"name":28,"slug":29,"createdAt":48,"updatedAt":48,"publishedAt":49},{"id":26,"documentId":130,"name":131,"slug":132,"instagram":133,"facebook":134,"bio":135,"linkedIn":136,"createdAt":137,"updatedAt":137,"publishedAt":138,"avatar":368},{"id":42,"documentId":140,"name":141,"alternativeText":142,"caption":143,"focalPoint":81,"width":144,"height":144,"formats":369,"hash":156,"ext":147,"mime":151,"size":157,"url":158,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":159,"updatedAt":159,"publishedAt":160},{"thumbnail":370},{"ext":147,"url":148,"etag":149,"hash":150,"mime":151,"name":152,"path":81,"size":153,"width":154,"height":154,"sizeInBytes":155},{"id":372,"documentId":373,"title":374,"content":375,"slug":376,"coffees":66,"seo_title":374,"keywords":377,"seo_desc":378,"bylineDate":379,"bylineTimezone":71,"createdAt":380,"updatedAt":381,"publishedAt":382,"featuredImage":383,"category":422,"author":423,"img":420},664,"uy55er3wqqig23cdq92zryrm","5 Soft Skills You Need to Develop (and Why They Matter)","The professional landscape is changing so rapidly, we can barely keep up with the trends. Therefore, technical prowess alone isn't enough. And while [hard skills get your foot in the door](https://www.workingal.com/articles/job-interview-tips), it's your soft skills that truly open opportunities and define long-term success. But what are soft skills, exactly?\n\nSoft skills meaning revolves around non-technical, personal attributes that enable effective interaction with others and navigation of various workplace situations. Unlike hard skills vs soft skills (where hard skills are teachable abilities like coding or data analysis), soft skills definition points to interpersonal qualities like communication, problem-solving, and adaptability. These invaluable soft skills examples are crucial in any role, industry, or career stage, empowering improved collaboration, innovative problem-solving, and [stronger leadership potential](https://www.workingal.com/articles/why-women-are-underrepresented-in-leadership-positions). And if you wish to know which are the soft skills that can contribute to your professionaly success, let's explore the five essential soft skills you need as well as actionable ways to cultivate them and why these are the soft skills you need to develop.\n\n## 1. Effective Communication\n[Communication](https://www.workingal.com/articles/4-hacks-for-effective-communication-in-the-workplace) is arguably the most fundamental of all soft skills. It encompasses more than just talking; effective communication in the workplace involves active listening, clear articulation of ideas, effective written correspondence, and understanding non-verbal cues.\n\n### What It Is: Beyond Just Talking\n\n![people holding communication blobs](https://assets.workingal.com/essential_soft_skills_23971662e2.webp)\n\nEffective communication means conveying information accurately and clearly, and just as importantly, truly understanding what others are saying. It's about being able to express complex thoughts simply, adjusting your message to your audience, and ensuring your message is received as intended. This also includes the vital element of active listening – giving full attention to a speaker, understanding their message, and responding thoughtfully.\n\n### Why It Matters: Building Bridges, Avoiding Pitfalls\nMisunderstandings can derail projects, [create conflict](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-avoid-conflicts-at-work-1), and waste valuable time and resources. Strong communication, a key soft skill, ensures clarity, cultivates trust, and enables seamless teamwork. It's essential for everything from daily interactions with colleagues to crucial client presentations and effective leadership. People with strong communication skills are better at negotiating, resolving conflicts, and building strong professional relationships.\n\n### How to Develop It: Practice and Feedback\nTo develop this critical soft skill:\n\n- Practice Active Listening: When someone speaks, focus intently on understanding their message rather than formulating your reply and then ask clarifying questions.\n- Seek Feedback: Ask colleagues or mentors for honest feedback on your communication style. Are you clear? Concise? Do you cause misundestandings while delivering your message?\n- Tailor Your Message: Learn to adjust your communication style and content based on your audience and the situation. Each person and context are different and adjusting your wording and/or vocabulary accordingly can do wonders.\n- Improve Written Communication: Proofread emails and reports, use clear subject lines, and be concise. Nobody wants to struggle to read an email full of typos or a poorly written pitch.\n## 2. Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving\nIn a dynamic work environment, the ability to analyze situations, identify problems, and devise effective solutions is a highly sought-after soft skill. That means that you aren't aiming in finding an answer, but the best answer.\n\n### Defining Critical Thought\nCritical thinking involves analyzing information objectively, evaluating different perspectives, and forming [reasoned judgments](https://www.workingal.com/articles/stop-being-judgy). It's the capacity to ask the [right questions](https://www.workingal.com/articles/5-useful-questions-to-ask-your-manager), distinguish between fact and opinion, and synthesize information to arrive at a well-reasoned conclusion. It allows you to anticipate potential issues before they become major problems.\n\n### The Power of Problem Solving\n\n![emotional intelligence cube](https://assets.workingal.com/essential_soft_skills_f81305679b.webp)\n\nProblem-solving is the application of critical thinking to [real-world challenges](https://www.workingal.com/articles/real-stories-my-biggest-challenge-at-work). It requires identifying the root cause of a problem, brainstorming potential solutions, evaluating their pros and cons, and then implementing the most effective strategy. This soft skill allows you to navigate obstacles efficiently and innovate when faced with new challenges.\n\n### Strategies for Sharpening Your Mind\nTo enhance your critical thinking and problem-solving soft skills:\n\n- Analyze Situations Deeply: Don't jump to conclusions; gather all available information before making a decision.\n- Challenge Assumptions: Question \"the way things have always been done.\"\n- Practice Brainstorming: Generate multiple solutions before settling on one and consider diverse viewpoints.\n- Learn from Mistakes: [Reflect on past challenges](https://www.workingal.com/articles/the-art-of-failure-how-to-turn-mistakes-into-actual-success) and what you could have done differently.\n## 3. Adaptability & Flexibility\nThe modern workplace is characterized by new technologies, evolving market demands, and shifting team dynamics. The soft skill of adaptability is about embracing these changes rather than resisting them.\n\n### What It Is: Embracing Evolution\nAdaptability means being open to new ideas, adjusting quickly to new environments or tasks, and handling unforeseen challenges with ease. Flexibility is the willingness to adjust plans, methods, or opinions in response to new information or circumstances. This soft skill is vital for resilience and continuous improvement.\n\n### Why It Matters: Staying Relevant in a Dynamic World\nIndividuals who are adaptable can pivot quickly, learn new systems, and thrive in ambiguous situations. This makes them incredibly valuable assets, as they can navigate uncertainty, embrace innovation, and contribute effectively even when the landscape shifts. It also encourages a positive attitude towards change within teams. This is a key soft skill for resume building.\n\n### How to Develop It: Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone\nTo cultivate adaptability:\n- Seek New Experiences: Volunteer for projects outside your comfort zone.\n- Embrace Learning: Continuously learn new tools, technologies, or [industry trends](https://www.workingal.com/articles/5-free-coursera-courses-to-boost-your-career).\n- Practice Resilience: When faced with setbacks, focus on finding solutions and moving forward rather than dwelling on the problem.\n- Observe and Learn: Pay attention to how others successfully navigate change.\n## 4. Teamwork & Collaboration\nVery few professional achievements are accomplished in isolation. The ability to work effectively with others, contributing positively to group efforts, is a quintessential soft skill.\n\n### Defining Collaborative Success\nTeamwork and collaboration involve respecting diverse perspectives, sharing responsibilities, actively contributing to group goals, and resolving conflicts constructively. It means creating and maintaining an environment where everyone feels valued and can contribute their best work. This is a critical soft skill training area.\n\n### Why It Matters: Synergistic Achievements\nEffective teamwork leads to enhanced productivity, more innovative solutions (as diverse minds come together), and a more positive and supportive [work environment](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-recover-from-a-toxic-workplace). Organizations thrive when their employees can seamlessly collaborate, leveraging each other's strengths to achieve shared objectives. It’s a core element of what is a soft skill.\n\n### How to Develop It: Contribute and Connect\nTo improve your teamwork soft skills:\n\n- Practice Active Participation: Contribute ideas, offer help, and engage in discussions.\n- Listen to Others' Ideas: Be open to different approaches and feedback.\n- Offer Support: Proactively offer assistance to colleagues when they are struggling.\n- Resolve Conflicts Constructively: Address disagreements professionally and focus on finding common ground.\n## 5. Emotional Intelligence\nOften overlooked, emotional intelligence (EQ) is about understanding and managing your own emotions, and recognizing and influencing the emotions of others. This is a powerful soft skill that impacts virtually every interaction.\n\n### What It Is: Beyond IQ\nEmotional intelligence consists of several components:\n\n![woman walking the career ladder](https://assets.workingal.com/essential_soft_skills_9d272caab7.webp)\n\n- Self-awareness: Understanding your own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and values.\n- Self-regulation: Managing your impulses and adapting to changing circumstances.\n- Motivation: Driving yourself to achieve goals.\n- Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.\n- Social skills: Building rapport, influencing, and managing relationships effectively.\n### Why It Matters: Stronger Relationships, Better Leadership\nHigh emotional intelligence leads to better interpersonal relationships, enhanced leadership capabilities, and more effective conflict resolution. Individuals with strong EQ can navigate complex social dynamics, inspire trust, and remain calm under pressure, making them highly effective in any role. It's considered one of the 5 soft skills that are related to work ethic.\n\n### How to Develop It: Self-Reflection and Observation\nTo boost your emotional intelligence, a vital soft skill:\n- Practice Self-Reflection: Regularly assess your feelings and reactions to situations. Journaling can help.\n- Observe Others: Pay attention to non-verbal cues and try to understand others' perspectives.\n- Seek to Understand Before Being Understood: Practice empathy in conversations.\n- Manage Stress: Learn healthy ways to cope with stress, preventing emotional outbursts.\n## The Journey of Development\nDeveloping these soft skills is an ongoing process, not a one-time achievement. It requires continuous self-awareness, dedicated practice, and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone. Just like mastering hard skills and soft skills, improving your interpersonal abilities takes time and effort. Don't be discouraged by setbacks; view them as opportunities for growth. The journey of refining your soft skills is a continuous one, and even small improvements make a significant difference. Remember, soft skills training and soft skills classes are readily available resources if you're looking for structured development.\n\n## Always Remember\nIn a world increasingly driven by automation and technical prowess, the unique human capabilities offered by soft skills become even more valuable. Mastering what are soft skills and why they are important for your career trajectory. From communication skills to critical thinking, adaptability, teamwork, and emotional intelligence, these attributes are not just \"nice-to-haves\" but fundamental requirements for success in any career path.\n\nStart by identifying one or two soft skills you'd like to strengthen and commit to practicing them daily. The investment in your soft skills is an investment in your future – one that promises significant returns in your professional growth, personal relationships, and overall well-being. These are the crucial soft skills for resume building and career advancement.\n\n### Many thanks to Claire R., HR Specialist from London for her valuable insights used in this article.","soft-skills","what are some soft skills, what are soft skills, soft skills examples, soft skills vs hard skills, soft skills for resume, ","Unlock career success! Read the article and discover 5 essential soft skills like communication & critical thinking, and learn how to develop them for any job.","2025-06-09","2025-06-09T04:16:43.751Z","2025-06-09T04:50:31.375Z","2025-06-09T04:50:31.373Z",{"id":384,"documentId":385,"name":386,"alternativeText":387,"caption":388,"focalPoint":81,"width":82,"height":83,"formats":389,"hash":418,"ext":86,"mime":90,"size":419,"url":420,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":421,"updatedAt":421,"publishedAt":421},346,"gd9jc5qs71yai24ml9nqjzc4","essential soft skills-ba354504c8070b35f377ab0e878cc059aef3e1b604eed41cc9ab7dea274df5ff.webp","team collaborating together in a meeting","essential soft skills",{"large":390,"small":397,"medium":404,"thumbnail":411},{"ext":86,"url":391,"etag":392,"hash":393,"mime":90,"name":394,"path":81,"size":395,"width":93,"height":94,"sizeInBytes":396},"https://assets.workingal.com/large_essential_soft_skills_ba354504c8070b35f377ab0e878cc059aef3e1b604eed41cc9ab7dea274df5ff.webp","e630ca362867725daf8a8e68947c3bc8","large_essential_soft_skills_ba354504c8070b35f377ab0e878cc059aef3e1b604eed41cc9ab7dea274df5ff","large_essential soft skills-ba354504c8070b35f377ab0e878cc059aef3e1b604eed41cc9ab7dea274df5ff.webp",36.8,36804,{"ext":86,"url":398,"etag":399,"hash":400,"mime":90,"name":401,"path":81,"size":402,"width":102,"height":103,"sizeInBytes":403},"https://assets.workingal.com/small_essential_soft_skills_ba354504c8070b35f377ab0e878cc059aef3e1b604eed41cc9ab7dea274df5ff.webp","0806dc2a21e1a7f4ebebdc6fa111f80c","small_essential_soft_skills_ba354504c8070b35f377ab0e878cc059aef3e1b604eed41cc9ab7dea274df5ff","small_essential soft skills-ba354504c8070b35f377ab0e878cc059aef3e1b604eed41cc9ab7dea274df5ff.webp",16.28,16280,{"ext":86,"url":405,"etag":406,"hash":407,"mime":90,"name":408,"path":81,"size":409,"width":111,"height":112,"sizeInBytes":410},"https://assets.workingal.com/medium_essential_soft_skills_ba354504c8070b35f377ab0e878cc059aef3e1b604eed41cc9ab7dea274df5ff.webp","8443d6fab9bf59f95ff01a8fa8105e12","medium_essential_soft_skills_ba354504c8070b35f377ab0e878cc059aef3e1b604eed41cc9ab7dea274df5ff","medium_essential soft skills-ba354504c8070b35f377ab0e878cc059aef3e1b604eed41cc9ab7dea274df5ff.webp",26.25,26248,{"ext":86,"url":412,"etag":413,"hash":414,"mime":90,"name":415,"path":81,"size":416,"width":120,"height":121,"sizeInBytes":417},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_essential_soft_skills_ba354504c8070b35f377ab0e878cc059aef3e1b604eed41cc9ab7dea274df5ff.webp","02cbceab3e5f3807addf90fb83a61063","thumbnail_essential_soft_skills_ba354504c8070b35f377ab0e878cc059aef3e1b604eed41cc9ab7dea274df5ff","thumbnail_essential soft skills-ba354504c8070b35f377ab0e878cc059aef3e1b604eed41cc9ab7dea274df5ff.webp",6.6,6602,"essential_soft_skills_ba354504c8070b35f377ab0e878cc059aef3e1b604eed41cc9ab7dea274df5ff",68.3,"https://assets.workingal.com/essential_soft_skills_ba354504c8070b35f377ab0e878cc059aef3e1b604eed41cc9ab7dea274df5ff.webp","2026-09-06T10:36:28.783Z",{"id":26,"documentId":27,"name":28,"slug":29,"createdAt":48,"updatedAt":48,"publishedAt":49},{"id":424,"documentId":425,"name":426,"slug":427,"instagram":81,"facebook":81,"bio":428,"linkedIn":81,"createdAt":429,"updatedAt":429,"publishedAt":430,"avatar":431},28,"lrioj8o0y86rbbp68jnho7fr","Guest Author","guest-author","We invite guest authors from time to time to give us their valuable insights on different fields! We hope you enjoy them! If you want to be a guest author on our blog, get in touch and we can make it happen: info@workingal.com","2026-09-06T10:31:26.100Z","2026-09-06T10:31:26.115Z",{"id":16,"documentId":432,"name":433,"alternativeText":434,"caption":435,"focalPoint":81,"width":144,"height":144,"formats":436,"hash":444,"ext":304,"mime":308,"size":445,"url":446,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":447,"updatedAt":447,"publishedAt":448},"ton9xl1wn88idmldlfmmzil4","guest author-4350f07575e4897a40787a8784153548cca066fabd3c495ada51c419fde467af.jpg","guest badge","guest author badge",{"thumbnail":437},{"ext":304,"url":438,"etag":439,"hash":440,"mime":308,"name":441,"path":81,"size":442,"width":154,"height":154,"sizeInBytes":443},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_guest_author_4350f07575e4897a40787a8784153548cca066fabd3c495ada51c419fde467af.jpg","f685f7098971511481c54996e6129bc6","thumbnail_guest_author_4350f07575e4897a40787a8784153548cca066fabd3c495ada51c419fde467af","thumbnail_guest author-4350f07575e4897a40787a8784153548cca066fabd3c495ada51c419fde467af.jpg",3.96,3961,"guest_author_4350f07575e4897a40787a8784153548cca066fabd3c495ada51c419fde467af",7.6,"https://assets.workingal.com/guest_author_4350f07575e4897a40787a8784153548cca066fabd3c495ada51c419fde467af.jpg","2026-09-06T10:31:25.982Z","2026-09-06T10:31:25.983Z",{"id":450,"documentId":451,"title":452,"content":453,"slug":454,"coffees":36,"seo_title":452,"keywords":455,"seo_desc":456,"bylineDate":457,"bylineTimezone":71,"createdAt":458,"updatedAt":459,"publishedAt":460,"featuredImage":461,"category":499,"author":500,"img":497},654,"u5kb6t7qmbokkilq7mckizqn","Why I Didn't Hire You: A Founder's Honest List of Interview Red Flags","Most interview advice is written by people who have never hired anyone. I have sat on both sides of this conversation: as a candidate in corporate roles, freelance pitches, and agency interviews across multiple countries and industries, and as a [founder who has recruited for her own company](https://www.workingal.com/articles/expensive-mistakes-building-business-founder-lessons). Both perspectives changed how I think about the process, but the founder's side changed it more.\n\nWhen you are the one making the hiring decision, you see something you cannot see as a candidate: the pattern. Not the individual mistake or the one nervous answer, but the recurring behavior that appears across dozens of interviews and tells you something true about how a person operates.\n\nWhat follows is not a list of tips assembled from career blogs. It is the actual list of reasons I have clicked reject over the years, written the way I wish someone had told me when I was the one being interviewed. If any of these land uncomfortably, good. That means they are useful.\n\nThe 10 Reasons: Quick Reference\n-------------------------------\n\nThe full explanation of each follows below. This table is for the people who prefer to scan first.\n\n![honest list of interview red flags](https://assets.workingal.com/honest_list_of_interview_red_flags_08396dbc98.webp)\n\n## The Full List: What I Actually Think When I Click Reject\n\n### **#1  You Had No Idea What My Company Does**\n\n**THE PROBLEM:**  More than half of the candidates I have interviewed could not tell me one specific thing about the company beyond what is in the first line of the job posting. I have had people describe us based on a two-year-old description that no longer reflected what we do. I have had people who clearly confused us with another company, commenting on projects we’ve never touched. I have had people who answered 'Why do you want to work here?' with a sentence that would have applied to any company in any industry.\n\n**THE FIX:**  Spend 20 minutes on the website before the call. Read the About page, look at recent content or work, find one specific thing that genuinely interests you, and mention it. This alone puts you in a different category from the majority of candidates, which is a low bar that most people still do not clear.\n\n### **#2  Your CV Made No Case for This Specific Role**\n\n**THE PROBLEM:**  Sending a completely generic CV to a specific job posting is a signal that you are applying at volume and hoping something sticks. I understand the job market is difficult. I have been in it. But a CV that has not been adapted to the role tells me before we have even spoken that this particular opportunity is not something you considered seriously enough to spend 30 minutes on. The bar here is not perfection. It is relevance. If you are applying for an account [manager role](https://www.workingal.com/articles/miranda-priestly-management-style) and your most recent experience is in hospitality, you have transferable skills in client relationships, communication, and managing expectations under pressure. Those are directly applicable. Make that case explicitly. I cannot make it for you.\n\n**THE FIX:**  Read the job description carefully and identify the three skills or experiences it values most. Then look at your CV and make sure those three things are visible and clearly framed. You do not need to fabricate experience. You need to translate the experience you have into language that connects to what the role requires.\n\n### **#3  You Asked About Salary in the First Five Minutes**\n\n**THE PROBLEM:**  Compensation is a legitimate part of any job conversation, and there is nothing wrong with asking about it. The timing is the problem. Walking into an interview and [asking about the salary](https://www.workingal.com/articles/raise-negotiation-tips-for-women) before we have established whether there is mutual interest signals that the only variable you are evaluating is money, which makes the rest of the conversation feel like a formality. It also puts the conversation in a transactional frame before either of us knows whether the role is even a fit.\n\n**THE FIX:**  Let the interview develop. Ask your compensation question toward the end of the first conversation, or when the interviewer opens that part of the discussion. If the salary range was not included in the job posting and it is a dealbreaker for you, you can raise it professionally at the end: 'Before we go further, I want to make sure we are aligned on the compensation range so neither of us invests more time if there is a significant gap.' That is direct and reasonable. First-minute salary questions are neither.\n\n### **#4  You Were Late, Unprepared, and Your Zoom Setup Looked Like an Afterthought**\n\n**THE PROBLEM:**  I once interviewed a candidate who joined a video call eight minutes late, did not apologize, conducted the interview from their phone propped against something, had audible background noise throughout, and looked at something off-camera repeatedly while I was speaking. This is a single example, but versions of it are not rare. Bad lighting, a cluttered or distracting background, dogs, washing machines, street noise, a phone camera instead of a laptop. Every single one of these says the same thing: I did not prepare for this conversation. If you cannot manage the setup for a 30-minute professional call, I am not going to be confident about how you will manage the setup for a client meeting.\n\n**THE FIX:**  Set up the night before, not five minutes before the call. Laptop camera, not phone. Find a quiet space with decent light facing you, not behind you. If something genuinely comes up and you will be late, send a quick message. Two sentences are enough. The message itself is not the point. The point is that it demonstrates you understand that the other person's time has value.\n\n### **#5  Your CV Had Spelling Errors**\n\n**THE PROBLEM: This** is not a perfectionism issue. It is an attention-to-detail issue. Your CV is the one document in this entire process that you have unlimited time to prepare, review, and correct. It is also the first thing I see before I form any other impression. A spelling error in a CV tells me that the standard of work I can expect from you is one where obvious mistakes get through because checking carefully is not a habit. That is a problem in almost any professional context, and it is a significant problem in client-facing roles.\n\n**THE FIX:**  Read your CV out loud, slowly, from the bottom up. Then give it to one other person to read. The reason the out-loud method works is that your brain autocorrects when you read silently because it knows what you meant to write. Reading out loud forces it to process what is actually there.\n\n### **#6  You Told Me What the Role Would Do for You Instead of What You Would Do for the Company**\n\n**THE PROBLEM:**  When I ask 'Why do you want to work here?' and the entire answer is about what you will learn, how you want to grow, why you like remote work, or what the company's culture offers you, I hear: I am thinking about this entirely from my own perspective. Growth and learning are not irrelevant. But they are not what I am asking. I am asking what made you think this company and this role specifically are worth your time. The answer I want to hear has something to do with the work we do, the problems we solve, the direction we are going. Not what working here will give you. Unless you are applying for an intern position.\n\n**THE FIX:**  Prepare a two-sentence answer to this question that names something specific about the company and connects it to something you can contribute. 'I have been following your work on X, and I think my background in Y is directly relevant to where you are taking it' is infinitely stronger than any version of 'I want to learn and grow in a dynamic environment.'\n\n### **#7  You Had No Questions at the End**\n\n**THE PROBLEM:**  When I reach the end of an interview and ask 'Do you have any questions for me?' and the answer is 'No, I think we covered everything' or 'Not really,' I make a specific inference: this person did not think critically about this role or this company beyond what they needed to get through the interview. An interview is supposed to be a two-way evaluation. You are assessing whether this is the [right environment for your work](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-recover-from-a-toxic-workplace) as much as I am assessing whether you are the right person for the role. If you have genuinely no questions, that is a signal that either you do not care enough to be curious or you have not thought about it at all.\n\n**THE FIX:**  Prepare three questions. Ask the one that feels most genuine. Good examples: 'How do you measure success in this role after six months?' 'What does the team dynamic look like day to day?' 'What is the most significant challenge the person in this role will face in the first 90 days?' All three show that you are thinking about the work, not just the offer. \n\n### **#8  You Claimed Expertise With Zero Proof**\n\n**THE PROBLEM:**  This is the one that comes up most often in roles that require demonstrable skills: marketing, content, design, development, social media, SEO. Someone says they are a social media expert (please don’t say that anymore). I ask which accounts they have grown and by how much. They name an account with 400 followers. Someone says they have done SEO. I ask to see a Search Console screenshot or a before-and-after result. They do not have one. Claims without evidence are just words. In a professional context where the output of the role is the work itself, words are not enough.\n\n**THE FIX:**  Bring proof to every interview for a skills-based role. A portfolio link, a results screenshot, a case study, a live example. If you do not have polished portfolio pieces, show the work anyway and explain the context. One real result with numbers is worth more than a perfect-looking portfolio of vague projects. If you genuinely have no proof yet, say so directly and explain what you are building. Honesty about where you are is more compelling than overclaiming.\n\n### **#9  You Gave Me Scripted AI Answers**\n\n**THE PROBLEM:** This is the 2026 version of the problem that used to be called 'over-rehearsed.' The tell is different now: the answers are grammatically perfect, structurally sound, and completely hollow. When I ask 'Tell me about a time you handled a challenging client situation' and the response sounds like it was generated by a prompt that started with 'Write a professional answer to a common interview question,' I am not learning anything about you. I am learning that you prepared a script. The worst version is when the answer does not quite match the specific question I asked, because it was written for a slightly different version of the question, and you did not adjust it in real time.\n\n![tips and advice for job interview](https://assets.workingal.com/tips_and_advice_for_job_interview_277441c8bb.webp)\n\n**THE FIX:**  Use preparation to get clear on your real experiences, not to write answers in advance. Know which three [work stories](https://www.workingal.com/articles/real-stories-my-biggest-challenge-at-work) you want to draw from. Know what they demonstrate. Then let the actual conversation guide how you tell them. Interviewers are looking for the person behind the answer. The script hides the person.\n\n### **#10  You Were an Energy Drain**\n\n**THE PROBLEM:**  This one is harder to name but very easy to feel. Candidates who answer in monosyllables, who wait for the next question without contributing anything the question did not directly ask for, who convey through their energy that this conversation is something to get through rather than something to engage with. If I leave the interview feeling tired from carrying the conversation, that is information. I manage enough cognitive load in running a company. I am not going to add to it by hiring someone who requires me to pull every piece of information out of them in daily work.\n\n**THE FIX:**  An interview is a conversation, not a deposition. Contribute to it. If a question makes you think of something relevant that the question did not directly ask, say it. Ask a follow-up. Show some genuine reaction to what is being discussed. Energy in a 30-minute interview is a preview of energy in day-to-day work. Make it a good preview.\n\nThe Follow-Up: The Move That Separates Most Candidates From the Rest\n--------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nMost candidates do not send a follow-up message after an interview. Of those who do, most send a template: 'Thank you for your time, I enjoyed learning about the role, I look forward to hearing from you.' This is not a follow-up.\n\nA real follow-up references one specific thing from the conversation, adds something to it, and is sent within 24 hours. Example: 'Thank you for the conversation today. You mentioned that the team is expanding the content strategy into video this quarter. I worked on a similar transition at my last role and ran into the same challenge you described around consistency of output. Happy to share what worked if it would be useful.'\n\nThat message does three things: it proves you were paying attention, it demonstrates relevant experience in context, and it gives me a reason to continue the conversation beyond a standard decision timeline. It is also a piece of writing I can evaluate. In a role where communication quality matters, a well-written follow-up is itself a work sample.\n\nA bad follow-up is worse than no follow-up. An over-eager message sent 10 minutes after the call, a template that misspells my name, or a follow-up that asks whether I have made a decision after 48 hours are all signals I note. The follow-up is the last impression you leave before I decide. Make it a good one.\n\nThe Part You Are Allowed to Forget: Interviewing the Company Back\n-----------------------------------------------------------------\n\nEverything above is written from the recruiter's side. Here is the candidate's side, because I have been there too, and the advice I wish I had been given earlier is this: you are allowed to treat the interview as a two-way evaluation from the start, not just after you have the offer.\n\nThe questions that actually tell you something about a company:\n\n*   'How do you measure success for this role in the first 90 days?' A vague answer means they have not thought about it, which tells you something about how the role is managed.\n    \n*   'What is the thing that most often derails good people in this role?' An honest answer to this is more useful than any amount of employer branding.\n    \n*   'What does the feedback loop look like here? How do people know how they are doing?' This tells you how the company handles performance, growth, and difficult conversations.\n    \n*   'What has changed in this team or this role in the past year?' This tells you whether the company is evolving, stagnating, or in the middle of something you need to understand before you join.\n    \n\nA company that is irritated by specific, intelligent questions is showing you something important before you have committed to anything.\n\nFrequently Asked Questions\n--------------------------\n\n### Is it always a red flag to ask about salary early?\n\nNo. If the job posting did not include a salary range, and it is information you genuinely need to decide whether to proceed, asking for it at the end of an initial screening call is reasonable and professional. The version I described as a red flag is asking in the opening minutes of a substantive interview before any mutual interest has been established. Timing and framing are the variables.\n\n### What if I genuinely do not have a portfolio yet?\n\nSay so, and say what you are building instead. 'I am building my portfolio now and can share examples from a project I am currently working on' is honest and shows initiative. What I am actually evaluating in this area is proof that the skill exists, not necessarily a polished professional portfolio. A personal project, a volunteer role, or a side effort that demonstrates the capability is sufficient. What is not sufficient is claiming expertise you cannot demonstrate in any form.\n\n### How long should a follow-up message be?\n\nThree to five sentences. Long enough to be specific, short enough to be read in 30 seconds. No bullet points, no headers. A follow-up email is a professional note, not a proposal.\n\n### What if I am genuinely nervous and it affects how I present?\n\nNerves are not a red flag. The behaviors I described above are patterns, not symptoms of anxiety. A nervous candidate who is clearly prepared, engaged, and genuinely thinking about the answers to questions is a very different interview from a disengaged candidate who performs composure. I have hired nervous people. I have not hired people who were simply not present. \n\nYes, I Am Demanding. Here Is Why That Is Useful Information.\n------------------------------------------------------------\n\nEverything on this list is fixable before the next interview. None of it requires a different personality, a different background, or a different level of experience. It requires preparation, attention, and enough respect for the other person's time to show up having thought about the conversation in advance.\n\nI am demanding in interviews because I am demanding about the work, and the interview is the preview. The candidates who get offers are not always the most qualified on paper. They are the ones who made the process feel easy: they did their research, they were clear about what they bring, they asked something worth asking, and they made me feel like hiring them would reduce my workload rather than add to it.\n\nThat is the job. And it starts before you open Zoom.\n\n","job-interview-tips","job interview tips, why candidates get rejected, job interview red flags, interview mistakes, how to prepare for a job interview, reverse interviewing, job interview questions to ask","A founder who has recruited for her agency for years shares the real reasons she clicks reject. Not the polite version. The actual one.","2025-05-16","2025-05-15T22:15:07.397Z","2026-04-12T07:49:02.311Z","2025-05-15T22:24:45.699Z",{"id":462,"documentId":463,"name":464,"alternativeText":465,"caption":465,"focalPoint":81,"width":82,"height":83,"formats":466,"hash":495,"ext":86,"mime":90,"size":496,"url":497,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":498,"updatedAt":498,"publishedAt":498},341,"etd1uls6qp2lmfnhb50grpi9","tips and advice for job interview-166ab3e3998ef9f2ff8398ec3991ee1e3c6d4a8f8de2a05ed2e10c6b9f51829e.webp","tips and advice for job interview",{"large":467,"small":474,"medium":481,"thumbnail":488},{"ext":86,"url":468,"etag":469,"hash":470,"mime":90,"name":471,"path":81,"size":472,"width":93,"height":94,"sizeInBytes":473},"https://assets.workingal.com/large_tips_and_advice_for_job_interview_166ab3e3998ef9f2ff8398ec3991ee1e3c6d4a8f8de2a05ed2e10c6b9f51829e.webp","99c100fd1919a21dafa034fb42654c92","large_tips_and_advice_for_job_interview_166ab3e3998ef9f2ff8398ec3991ee1e3c6d4a8f8de2a05ed2e10c6b9f51829e","large_tips and advice for job interview-166ab3e3998ef9f2ff8398ec3991ee1e3c6d4a8f8de2a05ed2e10c6b9f51829e.webp",32.99,32994,{"ext":86,"url":475,"etag":476,"hash":477,"mime":90,"name":478,"path":81,"size":479,"width":102,"height":103,"sizeInBytes":480},"https://assets.workingal.com/small_tips_and_advice_for_job_interview_166ab3e3998ef9f2ff8398ec3991ee1e3c6d4a8f8de2a05ed2e10c6b9f51829e.webp","d40cd0a098785167261957b38469b21b","small_tips_and_advice_for_job_interview_166ab3e3998ef9f2ff8398ec3991ee1e3c6d4a8f8de2a05ed2e10c6b9f51829e","small_tips and advice for job interview-166ab3e3998ef9f2ff8398ec3991ee1e3c6d4a8f8de2a05ed2e10c6b9f51829e.webp",14.03,14034,{"ext":86,"url":482,"etag":483,"hash":484,"mime":90,"name":485,"path":81,"size":486,"width":111,"height":112,"sizeInBytes":487},"https://assets.workingal.com/medium_tips_and_advice_for_job_interview_166ab3e3998ef9f2ff8398ec3991ee1e3c6d4a8f8de2a05ed2e10c6b9f51829e.webp","9ff9d30050909d2b4b49252a4fe647e7","medium_tips_and_advice_for_job_interview_166ab3e3998ef9f2ff8398ec3991ee1e3c6d4a8f8de2a05ed2e10c6b9f51829e","medium_tips and advice for job interview-166ab3e3998ef9f2ff8398ec3991ee1e3c6d4a8f8de2a05ed2e10c6b9f51829e.webp",23.21,23206,{"ext":86,"url":489,"etag":490,"hash":491,"mime":90,"name":492,"path":81,"size":493,"width":120,"height":121,"sizeInBytes":494},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_tips_and_advice_for_job_interview_166ab3e3998ef9f2ff8398ec3991ee1e3c6d4a8f8de2a05ed2e10c6b9f51829e.webp","9b8803f556dc2f2e7f3e2badaf1d37c4","thumbnail_tips_and_advice_for_job_interview_166ab3e3998ef9f2ff8398ec3991ee1e3c6d4a8f8de2a05ed2e10c6b9f51829e","thumbnail_tips and advice for job interview-166ab3e3998ef9f2ff8398ec3991ee1e3c6d4a8f8de2a05ed2e10c6b9f51829e.webp",5.68,5676,"tips_and_advice_for_job_interview_166ab3e3998ef9f2ff8398ec3991ee1e3c6d4a8f8de2a05ed2e10c6b9f51829e",59.75,"https://assets.workingal.com/tips_and_advice_for_job_interview_166ab3e3998ef9f2ff8398ec3991ee1e3c6d4a8f8de2a05ed2e10c6b9f51829e.webp","2026-09-06T10:36:24.200Z",{"id":26,"documentId":27,"name":28,"slug":29,"createdAt":48,"updatedAt":48,"publishedAt":49},{"id":26,"documentId":130,"name":131,"slug":132,"instagram":133,"facebook":134,"bio":135,"linkedIn":136,"createdAt":137,"updatedAt":137,"publishedAt":138,"avatar":501},{"id":42,"documentId":140,"name":141,"alternativeText":142,"caption":143,"focalPoint":81,"width":144,"height":144,"formats":502,"hash":156,"ext":147,"mime":151,"size":157,"url":158,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":159,"updatedAt":159,"publishedAt":160},{"thumbnail":503},{"ext":147,"url":148,"etag":149,"hash":150,"mime":151,"name":152,"path":81,"size":153,"width":154,"height":154,"sizeInBytes":155},{"id":505,"documentId":506,"title":507,"content":508,"slug":509,"coffees":66,"seo_title":507,"keywords":510,"seo_desc":511,"bylineDate":512,"bylineTimezone":71,"createdAt":513,"updatedAt":514,"publishedAt":515,"featuredImage":516,"category":555,"author":556,"img":553},650,"bjd5dfs8gkxn2z7j4xzigv75","How To Not Let Your Job Define You","**Can Our Work Define Us?**\n\nOne of the first things that comes up when you get to know someone and start chatting with them is usually about your work. When asked to say a bit more about yourself, you will spontaneously answer the question of what you do for a living. These subtle interactions with others make it clear how important our work is not only for us but also for the rest of the world. Our very society has been created in such a way that our primary goal since our childhood is to prepare ourselves to go out into the adult world as successful professionals and land a job.\n\nThe one who doesn't want to work simultaneously is usually considered the scapegoat for their environment. And this could make sense, we would say, since we wonder what they do with their life, how they make ends meet, etc. Being an active part of the workforce guarantees our survival, our chances of getting entertained and enjoying the little happy moments in life, and ensures that we have everything else that is necessary for our well-being, in general.\n\n### We all understand that work is of great importance to our society and is part of our lives\n\nBut what effect does it have on our personality? Or do we choose our profession based on our personality? Whatever the answer, the only thing that is certain is that work determines our lives in one way or another. Right or wrong... it happens. There are professions where the personality traits of the professional play a decisive role in their modus operandi at work. Via their profession, they project their personality in some way to achieve their desired results (e.g., teachers, lawyers, and many more). But there are also professions, especially the more technical ones, where one’s personality is not in the spotlight.\n\nNevertheless, most professionals are identified in one way or another by their profession. A very typical example is, of course, the earnings and the social status we receive. It is common for those with a high income to automatically have social prestige, since society often considers people with good salaries to be respected.\n\n## In that case, what do you admire most?\n\nThe salary or the person? And that's where the question comes in... are we really our profession? Should our profession define us? And if yes, to what extent?\n\nOne trap we all fall into is that we associate our entire identity with our professional status. And it’s undeniable that in some professions, personality is the means actually to do the job.\n\n### But it is merely the means, not the result or the goal\n\n![rocks creating a balance ](https://assets.workingal.com/can_our_job_define_us_85a9b56fac.webp)\n\nOur work, especially when we do something we love, is a massive part of our lives. But how much will it affect us outside working hours? Will we bring work home? For example, does my working as a teacher mean that I have to be a \"teacher\" and treat my friends that way outside of work? I work on teaching every day, and certainly my personality affects my work, but that's about it. I should not be defined by that alone. I agree with the view that _your profession can reveal things about you, but it doesn't give the whole picture._\n\n## You're not just your profession\n\nMost people think they can tell who someone is by their profession. And it is partly true. But what about those who do a job out of necessity? How are they defined? So does the profession fully define our personality? Does how you do your job matter more than what job you do?\n\nThis trap that we all fall into, of defining ourselves by our work, becomes even clearer when we consider the cases of people who have lost their jobs and lost themselves along with them. When someone build their life around their job and all they think about is this and cannot function without it, if they lose their job (sh\\*t happens, the economy is not quite blooming yet), then they lose the meaning of life. I won’t get into the economic challenges that come with a job loss, which are clearly very important. I'm talking about the fact that if one loses their job, they lose their perception of themselves. They feel inadequate, and here come the other issues. Many people, unfortunately, experience severe psychological challenges when they lose their jobs. And sometimes it's tough to recover from that.\n\nFounding the whole meaning of your life on your work is not the same as founding the meaning of your work.\n\n### Is it important?\n\nOf course it is. Will it keep you busy after hours? Many times. Does it have to be the only thing that gives your life meaning? No. Everyone needs to find meaning in life beyond work. Have a personal goal and have time with yourself. This meaning is enough to help us improve professionally, set high personal and family goals, etc. All this belongs to a cycle where the focus is not on our work but on ourselves. Our work is just an important part of this cycle.\n\nTo be fulfilled, there [must be a balance](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-maintain-your-work-life-balance) between our professional and personal lives.\n\nWork is a very important factor in our personal happiness and development. It is through work that we complete our personality, and it indeed determines our lives to a great extent. After all, we understand its importance if we think about the hours we spend on it every day.\n\nBut... our work gives us meaning in life, it is not THE meaning of life. Our work is a part of ourselves, not our whole selves. You're not just your job. And we will only understand this if we are outside of it.\n\nThat's where we will realize that other things take priority in our lives.","job-define-us","why we define ourselves from our jobs, how important is my job for me, How To Not Let Your Job Define You, ","Why do we define ourselves from our jobs? Why work is so important that we operate according to what we do? Read the article and learn how to avoid being defined by your job.","2025-05-05","2025-05-05T21:53:59.120Z","2025-05-05T21:57:19.535Z","2025-05-05T21:57:19.532Z",{"id":517,"documentId":518,"name":519,"alternativeText":520,"caption":521,"focalPoint":81,"width":82,"height":83,"formats":522,"hash":551,"ext":86,"mime":90,"size":552,"url":553,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":554,"updatedAt":554,"publishedAt":554},339,"gbosud5oy9o3q2b867kl9pa7","can our job define us-7613648cdca26ad1571470c5681c97521424a9a7afa466ea0f9da9e825fa8cd2.webp","woman sitting on a chair waiting for an interview","can our job define us",{"large":523,"small":530,"medium":537,"thumbnail":544},{"ext":86,"url":524,"etag":525,"hash":526,"mime":90,"name":527,"path":81,"size":528,"width":93,"height":94,"sizeInBytes":529},"https://assets.workingal.com/large_can_our_job_define_us_7613648cdca26ad1571470c5681c97521424a9a7afa466ea0f9da9e825fa8cd2.webp","68c3f97883d0e0093b355f5621955167","large_can_our_job_define_us_7613648cdca26ad1571470c5681c97521424a9a7afa466ea0f9da9e825fa8cd2","large_can our job define us-7613648cdca26ad1571470c5681c97521424a9a7afa466ea0f9da9e825fa8cd2.webp",20.18,20184,{"ext":86,"url":531,"etag":532,"hash":533,"mime":90,"name":534,"path":81,"size":535,"width":102,"height":103,"sizeInBytes":536},"https://assets.workingal.com/small_can_our_job_define_us_7613648cdca26ad1571470c5681c97521424a9a7afa466ea0f9da9e825fa8cd2.webp","90a8793cd1aa3fbbe1af4d53a99c646d","small_can_our_job_define_us_7613648cdca26ad1571470c5681c97521424a9a7afa466ea0f9da9e825fa8cd2","small_can our job define us-7613648cdca26ad1571470c5681c97521424a9a7afa466ea0f9da9e825fa8cd2.webp",7.63,7632,{"ext":86,"url":538,"etag":539,"hash":540,"mime":90,"name":541,"path":81,"size":542,"width":111,"height":112,"sizeInBytes":543},"https://assets.workingal.com/medium_can_our_job_define_us_7613648cdca26ad1571470c5681c97521424a9a7afa466ea0f9da9e825fa8cd2.webp","a26f7392e23bbd6063b321eae2e34b26","medium_can_our_job_define_us_7613648cdca26ad1571470c5681c97521424a9a7afa466ea0f9da9e825fa8cd2","medium_can our job define us-7613648cdca26ad1571470c5681c97521424a9a7afa466ea0f9da9e825fa8cd2.webp",13.47,13466,{"ext":86,"url":545,"etag":546,"hash":547,"mime":90,"name":548,"path":81,"size":549,"width":120,"height":121,"sizeInBytes":550},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_can_our_job_define_us_7613648cdca26ad1571470c5681c97521424a9a7afa466ea0f9da9e825fa8cd2.webp","2a5518048d307c871700f97b85e57ebb","thumbnail_can_our_job_define_us_7613648cdca26ad1571470c5681c97521424a9a7afa466ea0f9da9e825fa8cd2","thumbnail_can our job define us-7613648cdca26ad1571470c5681c97521424a9a7afa466ea0f9da9e825fa8cd2.webp",2.95,2948,"can_our_job_define_us_7613648cdca26ad1571470c5681c97521424a9a7afa466ea0f9da9e825fa8cd2",49.71,"https://assets.workingal.com/can_our_job_define_us_7613648cdca26ad1571470c5681c97521424a9a7afa466ea0f9da9e825fa8cd2.webp","2026-09-06T10:36:21.396Z",{"id":26,"documentId":27,"name":28,"slug":29,"createdAt":48,"updatedAt":48,"publishedAt":49},{"id":11,"documentId":557,"name":558,"slug":559,"instagram":560,"facebook":561,"bio":562,"linkedIn":563,"createdAt":564,"updatedAt":564,"publishedAt":565,"avatar":566},"sl7fxkez8ct6dt87vtey17zc","Amalia","amalia","https://www.instagram.com/amalia.ka__/","https://www.facebook.com/amalia.kakampakou","Amalia is the Teacher. She loves what she does. She is addicted to detail: if it isn’t perfect, it’s not good enough. She loves her job and she loves writing. She wants to learn new things and she is very curious about everything. Her favorite question: Why? She usually answers the questions by herself, though.","https://www.linkedin.com/in/amalia-kakampakou-963945202/","2026-09-06T10:31:20.371Z","2026-09-06T10:31:20.383Z",{"id":66,"documentId":567,"name":568,"alternativeText":569,"caption":569,"focalPoint":81,"width":144,"height":144,"formats":570,"hash":578,"ext":147,"mime":151,"size":579,"url":580,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":581,"updatedAt":581,"publishedAt":581},"whdsfe9nw216cuohb29wd8ti","the working gal author-8b011626d0a8b20fab48a700e8ad81edab03fd226ef65d6763a5cbfc49873928.png","the working gal author",{"thumbnail":571},{"ext":147,"url":572,"etag":573,"hash":574,"mime":151,"name":575,"path":81,"size":576,"width":154,"height":154,"sizeInBytes":577},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_the_working_gal_author_8b011626d0a8b20fab48a700e8ad81edab03fd226ef65d6763a5cbfc49873928.png","1370900071f90710c216b2263fcf9d70","thumbnail_the_working_gal_author_8b011626d0a8b20fab48a700e8ad81edab03fd226ef65d6763a5cbfc49873928","thumbnail_the working gal author-8b011626d0a8b20fab48a700e8ad81edab03fd226ef65d6763a5cbfc49873928.png",49.22,49220,"the_working_gal_author_8b011626d0a8b20fab48a700e8ad81edab03fd226ef65d6763a5cbfc49873928",26.32,"https://assets.workingal.com/the_working_gal_author_8b011626d0a8b20fab48a700e8ad81edab03fd226ef65d6763a5cbfc49873928.png","2026-09-06T10:31:20.247Z",{"id":583,"documentId":584,"title":585,"content":586,"slug":587,"coffees":66,"seo_title":585,"keywords":588,"seo_desc":589,"bylineDate":590,"bylineTimezone":71,"createdAt":591,"updatedAt":592,"publishedAt":593,"featuredImage":594,"category":632,"author":633,"img":630},644,"e25el69akb8pchep8677ocxk","Is It That Bad To Work During The Weekends?","Recently, I had an interesting conversation about [work-life balance](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-maintain-your-work-life-balance) and how we can manage to finally achieve this very wanted balance we are all looking for. Is it possible to actually maintain a healthy relationship with our work, or should we just admit that, as adults, our jobs consume mainly the totality of our existence? And then, I started to think a bit deeper about whether “no-work weekends” are actually the solution to the problem, or, at the end of the day, if our work makes us happy, then we should go for it and spend as much time as we want.\n\nOver the last decades, the shift towards a more balanced life has been in the spotlight, and many people strive for more sustainable work-life conditions, aiming to reduce the time spent on their job or at least spend a couple of days off from it.\n\nExperts warn us that [working excessive hours](https://www.workingal.com/articles/don-t-be-busy-be-productive) and being preoccupied with our job all the time is bad not only for our mental and physical health but also for our [productivity and performance](https://www.workingal.com/articles/5-proven-ways-to-increase-productivity-in-the-workplace) at work, and there have been numerous initiatives to protect employees from overworking and possible burnout.\n\nHowever, despite improvements in the quality of working conditions and the protection of employees regarding their free time, especially during the weekends, and despite the importance of these initiatives, we have almost demonized the “working during the weekend” topic. And no matter how cool it is to have two full days off work, it can be equally dangerous to feel that it's almost illegal if we do.\n\n## Why Is Working Weekends Bad?\n\nThe truth is that the societal narrative is pretty clear: weekends are for rest, rejuvenation, and everything _but_ work. We’re bombarded with articles preaching the gospel of unplugging, the [importance of setting boundaries](https://www.workingal.com/articles/how-to-set-and-preserve-boundaries), and the dangers of burnout. And while these messages should be taken into consideration, especially in our increasingly “always-on” world, the reality is often a little more complex and a little less black and white.\n\nFor many of us, the idea of a completely work-free weekend feels like a distant fantasy. Perhaps you’re juggling a demanding career on top of a bustling family life, and those extra hours on Saturday morning are the only time you can [truly focus](https://www.workingal.com/articles/7-ways-to-improve-concentration-in-everything-you-do). Maybe you’re a passionate entrepreneur like me, and your business feels less like a job and more like an extension of yourself, with ideas bubbling up at all hours. Or perhaps, simply put, you _enjoy_ aspects of your work and find a quiet satisfaction in tackling a small task on a Sunday afternoon.\n\nThe truth is, whether or not working during the weekend is “bad” isn’t a universal decree etched in stone. It’s a deeply personal question with an answer that depends on individual circumstances, personality traits, and the very nature of our work.\n\n## The “On” or “Off” Rule\n\nThe first thing to consider is what “working” actually looks like for you on a weekend. Is it a frantic, stress-induced scramble to meet a critical deadline, leaving you feeling depleted and resentful? Or is it a mindful hour spent catching up on emails at your own pace, allowing you to start the week feeling more organized and in control?\n\nThere’s a vast spectrum between being chained to your desk for eight hours on a Saturday and simply spending 30 minutes responding to a few urgent messages on a Sunday evening. Perhaps your weekend work involves creative brainstorming in a relaxed setting, something that actually fuels your energy rather than draining it. Maybe it’s dedicating a couple of hours to a passion project that aligns with your professional skills, blurring the lines between work and hobby.\n\nThe key lies in understanding the _impact_ of your weekend work. Does it leave you feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and like you’ve sacrificed precious personal time? Or does it provide a sense of accomplishment, reduce weekday stress, or even bring you genuine enjoyment?\n\n## The Balancing Act: It’s About Integration, Not Just Separation\n\nThe concept of “work-life balance” often evokes an image of two perfectly balanced scales, with work neatly confined to one side and life to the other. However, for many modern women, this rigid separation is simply not realistic or desirable. Instead, perhaps we should be striving for “work-life integration,” a more fluid approach where the different aspects of our lives can coexist and even complement each other.\n\nFor instance, if tackling a few small work tasks on a Saturday morning allows you to fully immerse yourself in family time on Sunday without the nagging feeling of unfinished business, then perhaps it’s a worthwhile trade-off. If spending an hour on a passion project on a Sunday afternoon leaves you feeling creatively fulfilled and energized for the week ahead, then who’s to say that’s “bad”?\n\nThe danger arises when work consistently bleeds into our weekends in an uncontrolled and demanding way, leaving us feeling constantly on edge and unable to actually switch off. This is where boundaries become absolutely essential.\n\n## Should I Work on Weekends? | Setting Your Own Weekend Rules & What Works for _You_\n\n![Should I work on weekends](https://assets.workingal.com/Should_I_work_on_weekends_cb7ef84c41.webp)\n\nSo, how do you navigate this complex terrain and decide what’s right for your own weekends? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:\n\n- **What is the nature of my work?** Are there truly urgent tasks that can’t wait until Monday, or is it more about personal pressure and a fear of falling behind?\n- **What are my energy levels like?** Do I genuinely feel rested and capable of tackling a small task on the weekend, or am I already running on empty by Friday evening?\n- **What are my priorities for the weekend?** What activities and connections truly nourish me and help me recharge? Am I consistently sacrificing these for work?\n- **What is the impact on my mental and physical well-being?** Does working on the weekend leave me feeling more stressed, anxious, or physically drained?\n- **Am I setting healthy boundaries?** Am I allowing work demands to constantly intrude on my personal time, or am I proactively protecting my weekends?\n- **Am I doing it out of necessity or choice?** Is weekend work a genuine requirement of my job, or am I driven by internal pressure or external expectations?\n\nOnce you’ve reflected on these questions, you can start to create your own set of weekend rules. These might include:\n\n![Should I work on weekends](https://assets.workingal.com/Should_I_work_on_weekends_1145ec3f16.webp)\n\n- **Designated “no work” zones and times:** Perhaps you commit to a completely work-free Sunday, or you decide that after a certain hour on Saturday, your laptop stays closed and you do something fun and relaxing.\n- **Batching smaller tasks:** If you know you’ll feel better starting the week with a clear inbox, dedicate a specific, limited time slot on the weekend to respond to urgent emails rather than letting them linger or to create your weekly to-do list.\n- **Prioritizing rest and rejuvenation:** Ensure your weekends include activities that genuinely help you unwind and recharge, whether it’s spending time in nature, pursuing a hobby, or simply enjoying quiet moments. Something that will reboot your brain.\n- **Communicating your boundaries:** If you need to limit your availability on weekends, make this clear to colleagues and clients and avoid replying to emails and messages, especially if they are not urgent.\n- **Being** [**mindful of your “why”**](https://www.workingal.com/articles/intenional-living)**:** If you choose to work on the weekend, be conscious of your motivations. Is it driven by genuine need or a fear of not being productive enough? Is it a way to motivate yourself to progress, or do you just not have the luxury of staying away from your computer?\n\n## The Guilt-Free Weekend\n\nThere’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of whether it’s “bad” to work during the weekend. What matters most is that you are making conscious choices that support your overall well-being and allow you to live a fulfilling life, both professionally and personally.\n\nSo, the next time you find yourself tempted to peek at your emails on a Saturday morning, take a moment to pause. Ask yourself what truly serves you in that moment. Maybe the answer is to close your laptop and savor that extra cup of coffee. Or maybe it’s to spend a focused hour tackling a task that will bring you peace of mind.\n\nThe key is to move away from the rigid notion of the “sacred seven days” and instead embrace a more flexible and compassionate approach to work-life integration. Listen to your body, honor your needs, and create a weekend rhythm that makes you happy.\n\nBecause a well-lived life isn’t about never working on a Saturday or not touching work stuff during the weekend; it’s about feeling empowered to choose how you spend your precious time, every single day of the week, even if you feel like spending your weekend on your desk creating an amazing project.\n\n### Whatever you do, make sure you enjoy it to the fullest.","work-during-weekend","work from home weekend, is is normal to work on weekends, should you work weekends, why working weekends is bad, should i work on weekends, why working weekends is bad","Do you feel guilty if you work during the weekends and thinking that work-life balance is more like a burden to you? Read the article and normalize working whenever you want!","2025-04-30","2025-04-30T18:50:06.260Z","2026-02-19T23:28:12.289Z","2025-04-30T18:57:34.812Z",{"id":595,"documentId":596,"name":597,"alternativeText":598,"caption":598,"focalPoint":81,"width":82,"height":83,"formats":599,"hash":628,"ext":86,"mime":90,"size":629,"url":630,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":631,"updatedAt":631,"publishedAt":631},336,"ibugb58040unz1s9bzp6u409","Should I work on weekends-ee2a493a6e0e788041021c13c5dd258e24b233053e7f3db4239651587eb6cde1.webp","Should I work on weekends",{"large":600,"small":607,"medium":614,"thumbnail":621},{"ext":86,"url":601,"etag":602,"hash":603,"mime":90,"name":604,"path":81,"size":605,"width":93,"height":94,"sizeInBytes":606},"https://assets.workingal.com/large_Should_I_work_on_weekends_ee2a493a6e0e788041021c13c5dd258e24b233053e7f3db4239651587eb6cde1.webp","f53d9a5d13adeccd9df1cdcd26889fd7","large_Should_I_work_on_weekends_ee2a493a6e0e788041021c13c5dd258e24b233053e7f3db4239651587eb6cde1","large_Should I work on weekends-ee2a493a6e0e788041021c13c5dd258e24b233053e7f3db4239651587eb6cde1.webp",46.69,46690,{"ext":86,"url":608,"etag":609,"hash":610,"mime":90,"name":611,"path":81,"size":612,"width":102,"height":103,"sizeInBytes":613},"https://assets.workingal.com/small_Should_I_work_on_weekends_ee2a493a6e0e788041021c13c5dd258e24b233053e7f3db4239651587eb6cde1.webp","d4df99a3e18869bde924dca33637ce08","small_Should_I_work_on_weekends_ee2a493a6e0e788041021c13c5dd258e24b233053e7f3db4239651587eb6cde1","small_Should I work on weekends-ee2a493a6e0e788041021c13c5dd258e24b233053e7f3db4239651587eb6cde1.webp",17.64,17638,{"ext":86,"url":615,"etag":616,"hash":617,"mime":90,"name":618,"path":81,"size":619,"width":111,"height":112,"sizeInBytes":620},"https://assets.workingal.com/medium_Should_I_work_on_weekends_ee2a493a6e0e788041021c13c5dd258e24b233053e7f3db4239651587eb6cde1.webp","cfb770a679411a87f44e051db85e63b4","medium_Should_I_work_on_weekends_ee2a493a6e0e788041021c13c5dd258e24b233053e7f3db4239651587eb6cde1","medium_Should I work on weekends-ee2a493a6e0e788041021c13c5dd258e24b233053e7f3db4239651587eb6cde1.webp",30.79,30786,{"ext":86,"url":622,"etag":623,"hash":624,"mime":90,"name":625,"path":81,"size":626,"width":120,"height":121,"sizeInBytes":627},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_Should_I_work_on_weekends_ee2a493a6e0e788041021c13c5dd258e24b233053e7f3db4239651587eb6cde1.webp","fe5db7eb48f06e602ca1ebf7ab5bd8fd","thumbnail_Should_I_work_on_weekends_ee2a493a6e0e788041021c13c5dd258e24b233053e7f3db4239651587eb6cde1","thumbnail_Should I work on weekends-ee2a493a6e0e788041021c13c5dd258e24b233053e7f3db4239651587eb6cde1.webp",6.76,6756,"Should_I_work_on_weekends_ee2a493a6e0e788041021c13c5dd258e24b233053e7f3db4239651587eb6cde1",101.78,"https://assets.workingal.com/Should_I_work_on_weekends_ee2a493a6e0e788041021c13c5dd258e24b233053e7f3db4239651587eb6cde1.webp","2026-09-06T10:36:18.961Z",{"id":26,"documentId":27,"name":28,"slug":29,"createdAt":48,"updatedAt":48,"publishedAt":49},{"id":26,"documentId":130,"name":131,"slug":132,"instagram":133,"facebook":134,"bio":135,"linkedIn":136,"createdAt":137,"updatedAt":137,"publishedAt":138,"avatar":634},{"id":42,"documentId":140,"name":141,"alternativeText":142,"caption":143,"focalPoint":81,"width":144,"height":144,"formats":635,"hash":156,"ext":147,"mime":151,"size":157,"url":158,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":159,"updatedAt":159,"publishedAt":160},{"thumbnail":636},{"ext":147,"url":148,"etag":149,"hash":150,"mime":151,"name":152,"path":81,"size":153,"width":154,"height":154,"sizeInBytes":155},{"id":638,"documentId":639,"title":640,"content":641,"slug":642,"coffees":66,"seo_title":640,"keywords":643,"seo_desc":644,"bylineDate":645,"bylineTimezone":71,"createdAt":646,"updatedAt":647,"publishedAt":648,"featuredImage":649,"category":688,"author":689,"img":685},642,"lm0t2roat9pdxnwok5h9s9y6","It’s not AI, It’s People Skills for the Win","There's so much buzz about AI these days—but the real power move in your career and organization? People skills. While knowing how to use AI is a must, let's ground ourselves in a more enduring truth for your career: **Your people skills are your ultimate differentiator in this evolving landscape.**\n\n## Why AI is Super Buzzy\n\nEveryday, new headlines about generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) promise both that the future is brighter with more possibilities than ever AND that it’ll bring the world (or humans) to a painful end. A little balance, please!\n\nIt’s true. [Experts](https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/generative-ai-and-the-future-of-work-in-america) estimate that up to 12 million jobs will be automated by 2030 (about 8% of the workforce). However, many more jobs will be reshaped or updated. **We need to make AI our teammate, not our enemy.** To do that, we’ll all need to brush up on new digital skills AND our human magic.\n\n## Why People Skills are the Ultimate Differentiator\n\nWith gen AI sucking most of the air out of the #futureofwork conversation, I wouldn’t blame you if you thought digital skills were your number one asset. But they are not... People skills are.\n\nIn fact, more and [more employers are prioritizing people skills](https://www.cornerstoneondemand.com/resources/article/drop-hierarchy-why-people-skills-more-important/) during the hiring process. The work we do ultimately revolves around understanding the needs of, working with, and delivering value to other people, whether that’s our coworkers, customers, partners, or any other stakeholder. As technology handles more of the technical \"hard skills,\" **what truly makes you stand out becomes your unique superpower.** And employers agree that your ability to connect with colleagues, lead with empathy, navigate complex relationships and decisions, and communicate persuasively are standout skills. These are the skills that AI simply can't replicate.\n\n## Using AI to Free Up Time for People Skills: A Two-Step Approach\n\nInstead of getting lost in the AI hype, consider how you can use AI to augment your intelligence and free up time for what truly matters: human interaction and impact.\n\n- **Step 1: AI or human needed?** First, do a task breakdown for your day-to-day work. Then, for each task, decide whether AI can automate that task, augment, or assist you.\n- **Step 2: Update your work mix**! You can think about work being three types of activities: transactional (tasks), relational (building relationships and collaborating), and transformational (applying expertise). Today, the average work mix for knowledge-based workers is about 50% transactional, 30% relational, and 20% transformational. Researchers suggest we should expect a [10-30% increase in productivity](https://www.mercer.com/assets/global/en/shared-assets/local/attachments/pdf-2024-global-talent-trends-report-en.pdf) in the coming years by mixing more AI into our workflows.\n\n![AI & People's Skills](https://assets.workingal.com/AI_and_People_s_Skills_82c7f6dcda.webp)\n\nBy automating tasks and using AI to help you with your more complicated work, you should aim to cut your transactional work by over 50%. Yay! **That gives you almost 2x more time to make work more meaningful and fun.** Let your expertise shine!\n\n## The \"Easy\" 80% of People Skills: A Top 10 list\n\nOK. Let’s dive into the core people skills that will boost your career and confidence no matter where you work. Thankfully, it’s not that hard.\n\n### Here’s a Top 10 list that will take you far\n\n1. **Listen**: Truly take time to hear and understand what someone is saying.\n2. **Remember names**: People love this (and hate it when you don’t remember!) Bonus points for remembering a fun fact about them as well.\n3. **Communicate clearly**: Keep things short, simple, and focused on why it matters.\n4. **Show up on time**: Be there when you’re needed.\n5. **Cameras on**: Showing up and meeting people face-to-face builds trust. Have trust? Give people the grace to turn the camera off from time to time.\n6. **Give credit where credit is due**: Recognize and thank others.\n7. **Ask insightful questions**: And you’ll look interested, engaged, and smart.\n8. **Don’t pass the blame, and also don’t apologize frequently**: Focus on what’s been learned and how to improve.\n9. **Ask if you don’t know**: Most people like to help.\n10. **Don’t complain**: OK, occasionally we all do it; don’t make it a regular habit.\n\n### Additional Pro Tip\n\n![AI & People's Skills](https://assets.workingal.com/AI_and_People_s_Skills_796b4c4136.webp)\n\nThere’s an endless debate about women being perceived as “bossy” or “aggressive.” We’ve been told, _We’re not bossy; we’re the boss_. Others say women are expected by both men and women to be softer and are rewarded when we fit the stereotype.\n\nIt’s all true. And it’s not. I recommend ignoring any advice in this category. Instead, focus on what truly gives you confidence. If direct language and a focus on data is your natural mode of operation, then do that. If a softer language and reliance on EQ is your jam, then do that. You can be strong and empathetic, and a good communicator in multiple styles. It’s confidence that’s the key.\n\n## The \"Harder\" 20% of People Skills: Moving Onward and Upward\n\n### Feedback. Self-Advocacy. Leadership\n\nThese are the people skills that are harder for most of us to navigate. BUT, **they are also the skills that help us move onward and upward**. Investing in these skills is totally worth your while. Let’s try it out:\n\nFeedback. It’s supposed to be a “gift,” right? Insert eyeroll. Feedback’s often not delivered well and feels super personal in an ouch kind of way. Let’s flip the narrative. A different view: feedback is just information. It tells us as much or more about the person giving it as it does about us.\n\nAn example:\n\nThe Boss: You’re late getting your report to me every week.\n\nMe: (grrrr) But you told us end of week is fine! And I sent the last one on Friday by 4:00.  \nThe Boss: Other team members are getting theirs in earlier. And, if it was easy to read, maybe that’d be fine, but you could organize it better.\n\nMe: (WTF!?! I used the Boss’s template!) Ok, I’ll work on it. (Double grrrr!)\n\nAfter asking around and doing a little investigation on the down low, I discover that the real problem for the Boss is this: Their boss just added an early Monday morning meeting to go over team updates. AND, the Boss isn’t a fast reader, so they need a day or so to digest things. Rewrite:\n\nThe Boss: You’re late getting your report into me every week.\n\nMe: (pause) Ok. Definitely want you to get it when you need it. Can you tell me what a good time is to send it over? And it’d help to understand what’s driving the timing for you.  \nThe Boss: Hey, thanks. My boss is now asking for team updates first thing Monday morning, and I want to represent us well. If you could send it over by the end of the day on Thursday, that’ll give me Friday to prep.\n\nMe: Gotcha. I’ll adjust my schedule to make it happen.\n\nThe Boss: Thanks! You’re always on top of things.\n\n## Ready to amplify your \"human magic\" and thrive in the age of AI?\n\n![AI & People's Skills](https://assets.workingal.com/AI_and_People_s_Skills_da3122f8c7.webp)\n\nGet the tips, tools, and truth to master these essential skills in my book, \"Making Work Work for You.\" [www.jomcrell.com/book](http://www.jomcrell.com/book)\n\n### Now is the time to skill up… and the future’s yours","ai-people-skills","ai in work, peoples skill, professional skills and AI, AI success","Jo McRell is introducing us in an innovative approach on how to use AI along with our skillset to reach professional success. Read the article and found out how to do it.","2025-04-29","2025-04-29T21:32:52.977Z","2025-04-29T21:39:06.493Z","2025-04-29T21:39:06.488Z",{"id":650,"documentId":651,"name":652,"alternativeText":653,"caption":653,"focalPoint":81,"width":82,"height":83,"formats":654,"hash":683,"ext":86,"mime":90,"size":684,"url":685,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":686,"updatedAt":686,"publishedAt":687},335,"cmewlyn5bpob0xuut25w6y5w","AI - People-s Skills-e5b65b07fe1180371ba3195b4306230f408ffe87a42e20c45557c9142863cf0a.webp","AI & People's Skills",{"large":655,"small":662,"medium":669,"thumbnail":676},{"ext":86,"url":656,"etag":657,"hash":658,"mime":90,"name":659,"path":81,"size":660,"width":93,"height":94,"sizeInBytes":661},"https://assets.workingal.com/large_AI_People_s_Skills_e5b65b07fe1180371ba3195b4306230f408ffe87a42e20c45557c9142863cf0a.webp","790c47c8a499052f49ce032cc3c024da","large_AI_People_s_Skills_e5b65b07fe1180371ba3195b4306230f408ffe87a42e20c45557c9142863cf0a","large_AI - People-s Skills-e5b65b07fe1180371ba3195b4306230f408ffe87a42e20c45557c9142863cf0a.webp",31.69,31694,{"ext":86,"url":663,"etag":664,"hash":665,"mime":90,"name":666,"path":81,"size":667,"width":102,"height":103,"sizeInBytes":668},"https://assets.workingal.com/small_AI_People_s_Skills_e5b65b07fe1180371ba3195b4306230f408ffe87a42e20c45557c9142863cf0a.webp","25d7014d00576bca69785c7c2cd2cf37","small_AI_People_s_Skills_e5b65b07fe1180371ba3195b4306230f408ffe87a42e20c45557c9142863cf0a","small_AI - People-s Skills-e5b65b07fe1180371ba3195b4306230f408ffe87a42e20c45557c9142863cf0a.webp",14.38,14376,{"ext":86,"url":670,"etag":671,"hash":672,"mime":90,"name":673,"path":81,"size":674,"width":111,"height":112,"sizeInBytes":675},"https://assets.workingal.com/medium_AI_People_s_Skills_e5b65b07fe1180371ba3195b4306230f408ffe87a42e20c45557c9142863cf0a.webp","293a3628cb3e766fa767cab1b0521ff2","medium_AI_People_s_Skills_e5b65b07fe1180371ba3195b4306230f408ffe87a42e20c45557c9142863cf0a","medium_AI - People-s Skills-e5b65b07fe1180371ba3195b4306230f408ffe87a42e20c45557c9142863cf0a.webp",22.93,22934,{"ext":86,"url":677,"etag":678,"hash":679,"mime":90,"name":680,"path":81,"size":681,"width":120,"height":121,"sizeInBytes":682},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_AI_People_s_Skills_e5b65b07fe1180371ba3195b4306230f408ffe87a42e20c45557c9142863cf0a.webp","aa0960eb29d6c63333187f006c36009e","thumbnail_AI_People_s_Skills_e5b65b07fe1180371ba3195b4306230f408ffe87a42e20c45557c9142863cf0a","thumbnail_AI - People-s Skills-e5b65b07fe1180371ba3195b4306230f408ffe87a42e20c45557c9142863cf0a.webp",5.95,5948,"AI_People_s_Skills_e5b65b07fe1180371ba3195b4306230f408ffe87a42e20c45557c9142863cf0a",56.46,"https://assets.workingal.com/AI_People_s_Skills_e5b65b07fe1180371ba3195b4306230f408ffe87a42e20c45557c9142863cf0a.webp","2026-09-06T10:36:17.971Z","2026-09-06T10:36:17.972Z",{"id":26,"documentId":27,"name":28,"slug":29,"createdAt":48,"updatedAt":48,"publishedAt":49},{"id":690,"documentId":691,"name":692,"slug":693,"instagram":694,"facebook":81,"bio":695,"linkedIn":696,"createdAt":697,"updatedAt":697,"publishedAt":698,"avatar":699},30,"d5ntthk3btyz311jplqgiv0c","Jo McRell","jo","https://www.instagram.com/jmcrell/","Jo McRell is the author of “Making Work Work for You” and founder of employee experience strategy company Jo McRell Consulting. She’s helped organizations like Google, Intuit, Meta, and Gusto better empower their employees. Jo understands the challenges young professionals face as the dynamics of the workplace change. Through her book, work, and the AI ERA Community she co-founded, Jo equips employees and leaders with the tools to navigate disruptions in tech, employee culture, and work models so they can thrive in the future of work.","https://www.linkedin.com/in/jomcrell/","2026-09-06T10:31:26.558Z","2026-09-06T10:31:26.576Z",{"id":700,"documentId":701,"name":702,"alternativeText":703,"caption":704,"focalPoint":81,"width":144,"height":144,"formats":705,"hash":713,"ext":86,"mime":90,"size":714,"url":715,"previewUrl":81,"provider":126,"provider_metadata":81,"createdAt":716,"updatedAt":716,"publishedAt":716},15,"co7zyidhiwf10501jxkqmiwd","jo mcrell-758d367cfcc8cd8faae7120834843be21d97b25ac2aae35f41b085ff7923297a.webp","jo mcrell","jomcrell consultant",{"thumbnail":706},{"ext":86,"url":707,"etag":708,"hash":709,"mime":90,"name":710,"path":81,"size":711,"width":154,"height":154,"sizeInBytes":712},"https://assets.workingal.com/thumbnail_jo_mcrell_758d367cfcc8cd8faae7120834843be21d97b25ac2aae35f41b085ff7923297a.webp","1e645aef7a67fc8808548f32d5f79e98","thumbnail_jo_mcrell_758d367cfcc8cd8faae7120834843be21d97b25ac2aae35f41b085ff7923297a","thumbnail_jo mcrell-758d367cfcc8cd8faae7120834843be21d97b25ac2aae35f41b085ff7923297a.webp",4.43,4434,"jo_mcrell_758d367cfcc8cd8faae7120834843be21d97b25ac2aae35f41b085ff7923297a",9.2,"https://assets.workingal.com/jo_mcrell_758d367cfcc8cd8faae7120834843be21d97b25ac2aae35f41b085ff7923297a.webp","2026-09-06T10:31:26.474Z",{"pagination":718},{"start":719,"limit":720,"total":721},54,9,125,1788762750133]