Interview with Author of the Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success - Mark A. Herschberg

Mark is all about technology. He wants to help people to be better entrepreneurs and learn the business. ALL ABOUT MARK: From tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems, Mark has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s and in academia. He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT’s “career success accelerator,” where he teaches annually. At MIT, he received a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering & computer science, and a M.Eng. in electrical engineering & computer science, focusing on cryptography. At Harvard Business School, Mark helped create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools. He also works with many non- profits, including Techie Youth and Plant A Million Corals. He was one of the top-ranked ballroom dancers in the country and now lives in New York City, where he is known for his social gatherings, including his annual Halloween party, as well as his diverse cufflink collection. Drawing on nearly twenty years of teaching at MIT’s “career success accelerator” program and a career spanning half a dozen industries, Mark distills the key skills for a twenty-first-century career into The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. (Section one) Career, lays out a process for constructing an actionable career plan, then guides the reader to success both in interviews and on the job to advance along the career plan. (Section two) Leadership and Management, focuses on the fundamentals of managing and leading, applicable to managers and individual contributors alike. It details the essentials of a high-performing team, how to foster a learning organization, how to reduce meetings by making them more effective, and much more. Unlike typical management books, these tools apply no matter what project management approach an organization uses. (Section three) Interpersonal Dynamics, describes how to successfully negotiate, efficiently build a network, and effectively communicate with people from any background. A final chapter on ethics in the workplace provides guidance through common challenges every employee is sure to face at some point. The importance of these skills is well established, yet they are rarely taught in school or corporate training, leaving most people to learn only from experience. The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You fills these gaps. All too often with business books the reader gets overwhelmed with ideas, most of which are forgotten within a few days of finishing the book. The free companion app reinforced the key ideas by allowing the reader to be passively reminded of the techniques. Alternatively, the user can open the app and actively browse or search tips. The category tags and favorites allow the user to focus on specific tips. This is useful to limit tips to the chapter being read or before an activity like an interview or networking event when a user wants to brush up on a specific area. The app is completely free. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1520119819 Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thecareertoolkitapp&hl=en_US You can contact Mark on his website or email for more information at [email protected] https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com/ You can Mark A. Herschberg on social media as well.