year one Archive

The Value of Short-term Mentorship

By Allison McWilliams (’95), Ph.D., Assistant VP, Mentoring and Alumni Personal & Career Development, Wake Forest University At this point you likely have heard that you need to find mentors, sponsors, and other support systems to build a successful career. In this age of


The Connection Crisis: Craving Friends at Work and How to Bring Back Belonging

Do you have friends at work? For many employees, the pandemic and remote work have made relationship-building with colleagues more challenging than before. Check out this article from Forbes about how to cultivate friendships at work and the positive benefits that result from these […]


Get the Feedback that You Need

Difficult conversations are hard. It’s hard to tell someone they’re not meeting your expectations, and, it can be hard to ask for and to listen to someone telling you how you aren’t quite measuring up. Of course, not all feedback conversations are critical. But frequently […]


Navigating Year One

Navigating your first year in your first job after college can be difficult and overwhelming. The good news is: you’re not the only one who feels that way! In this LEARN with @LifeAfterWake webinar, Allison McWilliams (’95) and Katherine Laws (’20) discuss the challenges […]


Setting (Realistic) Expectations as a Young Professional

By Allison McWilliams (’95), Ph.D., Assistant VP, Mentoring and Alumni Personal & Career Development, Wake Forest University What does it mean to set realistic expectations as a young professional? What should you do when those expectations still don’t live up to the reality of showing […]


Scaffolding Skills for Effective Management

By Allison McWilliams (’95), Ph.D., Assistant VP, Mentoring and Alumni Personal & Career Development, Wake Forest University Beyond the actual work tasks, the product you’re churning out, and the measurable goals you and your team are working to achieve, there is a critically important role […]


How Managers Can Help with Impostor Syndrome

By Allison McWilliams (’95), Ph.D., Assistant VP, Mentoring and Alumni Personal & Career Development, Wake Forest University When new employees join your organization, they have a lot to learn, right off the bat, ranging from where to park to when they are expected in the […]


Building Relationships that Work at Work

By Allison McWilliams (’95), Ph.D., Assistant VP, Mentoring and Alumni Personal & Career Development, Wake Forest University There are few things that are more important, and more challenging, than building great relationships at work. And, as someone who is just starting out, you are probably […]


Your Money and Your Time: Managing Life as a New Professional

By Allison McWilliams (’95), Ph.D., Assistant VP, Mentoring and Alumni Personal & Career Development, Wake Forest University There’s a lot of emphasis on work in your first year after college – what type of work you will be doing, where you will be doing it, […]


Managing the New Professional: Setting Boundaries

By Allison McWilliams (’95), Ph.D., Assistant VP, Mentoring and Alumni Personal & Career Development, Wake Forest University Historically, there has been an unwritten rule that the boundaries between work and life should be clear and impermeable: you leave your life stuff at home and don’t […]


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