Failure is tough on all of us. Whether a missed shot to win the game, a bad grade, or unrequited love, failure triggers emotions like sadness, fear, and anxiety that we generally wish to avoid in life. However, in seeking to avoid failure, we all risk curtailing our successes as well. Many people we work with remain wary of failure (we're sometimes scared of it too), leading some to pivot to their backup plans (e.g., returning to their pre-MBA industries) before fully pursuing their goals. While doing so might protect you in the short term, the long-term costs of opportunities lost are immeasurable. Perhaps you could have launched your software idea and gotten funded. Or scaled your existing restaurant business nationwide. Or established your African VC firm. Why not take some risks, especially when you're young?

Highly recommended article from the World Economic Forum on the importance of investing in women. Gender inequality remains an issue many of our clients, both men and women, in economies at all stages of development, struggle with. We have heard many first-hand stories of women having a more difficult time being listened to during meetings, feeling disproportionate pressure balancing work and family priorities, and finding fewer mentors and advocates with which to accelerate their careers. As a result, productivity for all of us suffers.

In the lead-up to interviews, we have heard a lot of questions about interview attire. As you know, your attire will be part of the first impression you offer your interviewer – and you want that first impression to be great!

Every step along the job search process is an opportunity to clearly articulate your brand and to pitch to employers why they should fight for you. As a jobseeker, you may think that your job is to be the best you can be and that the right company should by the very nature of the process fight for you. While in some instances, where the supply of talent is low and the number of positions is high this might be the case. However, giving reasons for the employer to fight for you can still benefit you.

Sometimes the stars align when you are job hunting, and you end up with multiple offers at the same time. This is where the voices of others, and the voice of self-doubt can start to negatively impact your career decisions. Our team has been there, and we understand what a difficult choice it can sometimes be. But now is the time to be true to yourself and get analytical about your career decisions.