How to job hunt when exhausted

When you’re already worn out from working full time, caring for family, and managing this new way of “Covid being,” it’s hard to muster up the energy to jump into a job hunt or consider changing careers. But now might be the perfect time to make a shift. How can you overcome that exhaustion and take back control of your professional future? 1) Define your why by understanding why you want a new job will help you focus on the end goal. 2) Visualise how you will feel when you find a job that brings you joy and embrace that energy to propel you forward. 3) Make a plan by determining how much time you are willing and able to dedicate to the job hunt and block of that time every week. 4) Focus on what you can control such as networking with people in your field, staying up to date on job postings and preparing for interviews. 5) Master the art of rejection since every application, interview and meeting is a chance to grow.

(Adapted from “How To Job Hunt (When You Are Already Exhausted),” by Marlo Lyons, published on October 07, 2021, the Harvard Business Review)

Femtech — the overlooked frontier

Period trackers, silent breast pumps and cannabidiol-infused tampons: these are all examples of ways in which “femtech” firms are coming up with ways for women to overcome health problems specific to their sex. Women are 75pc likelier than men to adopt digital tools for health care. That makes for big investment potential: the femtech market could more than double from $22.5bn last year to more than $65bn by 2027, by one estimate. Yet the market has been slow to grow — in 2020 femtech received only 3pc of all health-tech funding. But now, venture capitalists are at last waking up to the opportunity. For example, Dame Jessica started Jennis, a fitness app to help other women perform safe post-natal workouts. It now lets users optimise workouts for the different phases of their menstrual cycles, and has just concluded a successful funding round. Dame Jessica’s startup is part of a wave of “femtech” firms coming up with ways for women to overcome health problems specific to their sex.

(Adapted from “Femtech Firms Are At Last Enjoying An Investment Boon,” published by The Economist on October 16, 2021)

When leaders short-circuit rationality

I’m not saying only total losers would skip this story, but a bunch of people did warn me. If you read on, you’ll discover how only I can protect you from the shadowy groups peddling lies to control your children. If a version of this message sounds familiar, it’s because it contains some of the most common techniques deployed by the authoritarians, con men, bosses, and questionable cultural figures swirling around us. Even Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy, Elon Musk, and Gwyneth Paltrow have inadvertently used some of these methods. (Respectively, prejudice, scare tactics, and faux intimacy.) Propaganda — communication designed to manipulate thought or behaviour — is the opposite of persuasion. It’s running amok, juiced by social media clicks, dopamine hits, cable TV, and, as always, advertising. Whether used gingerly by celebrities twisting the truth or dangerous demagogues wrecking democracies, rhetorical devices are brain hacks.

(Adapted from “How Trump, Elon Musk and Gwyneth Paltrow short-circuit your ability to think rationally,” by Eric Roston, published on October 15, 2021, by Bloomberg Business)

India’s coal crisis

According to data released by the Central Electricity Authority, as of October 13, India’s 135 thermal power plants overall had on average coal stock that would last just four days. In all, 112 of the 135 power plants are operating with stocks that are at critical or super-critical levels. India relies on coal to meet over 70pc of its power needs, and Coal Indian Limited supplies over 80pc of the total coal. The current coal crisis comes amid a broader energy crisis across the world with the prices of natural gas, coal and oil rising sharply in the international market. Lacklustre domestic production and a sharp drop in imports over the last few years has resulted in the current crisis. According to BP Global Energy Statistics, domestic coal production in India has stagnated since 2018 while imported coal has dropped significantly.

(Adapted from “Explained —What Is The Extent Of India’s Coal Crisis,” by Prashant Perumal, published on October 17, 2021, by The Hindu)

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, October 25th, 2021