As We Work

U.S. colleges have seen a big decline in enrollment since the pandemic began. More than 1.3 million fewer students are enrolled in colleges now than in Spring 2020, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. In a tight labor market, it may make sense to skip getting a college degree and get a job instead. But what happens when the market turns soft, and employers can be more choosy? We hear about Kiah Peschel’s pandemic-driven decision to drop out of college and why she’s not worried about her job prospects. Then, UC Berkeley Professor Tolani Britton shares some of the potential costs of not having a degree, from reduced individual earnings over a lifetime to negative impacts on health and well-being. Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Reading “College Pays Off, but Not for Everyone”  “Help Really Wanted: No Degree, Experience of Background Checks” “Blue Collar Workers Make the Leap to Tech Jobs: No College Degree Necessary”  WSJ’s Life & Work Coverage   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the height of the pandemic, major companies like Amazon, Walmart, Walgreens and CVS expanded benefits for workers, including access to more paid sick leave. Now, some of them are starting to pull back on those benefits. The benefit expansion seemed to signal the arrival of a more worker-centered workplace, but could the cuts signal a return to the way things were before the pandemic? We talk to Brian Kropp, a VP at the consulting firm Gartner, about why some companies are walking back expanded leave and what that might say about the future of the employee-first workplace. Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Reading Sick With Covid, Americans Feel the Pressure to Power Through at Work   Calling In Sick or Going on Vacation, Workers Aren’t Showing Up This Summer  More Companies Under Pressure to Provide Paid Sick Leave  WSJ’s Life & Work Coverage  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve taken you through some of the biggest moments in a career, from hire to retire. But how do you navigate your career during this time of uncertainty? In this episode, WSJ Life & Work columnists Rachel Feintzeig and Callum Borchers answer your questions on the changing job market, including how to get ahead when a lot of the workforce is still at home, putting your best foot forward to land a job, and if a potential economic downturn could signal the end of the Great Resignation. Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Reading “How to Keep Your Job or Find a Better One if There’s a Recession”  “Workers Don’t Feel Quite as Powerful as They Used to” “Think Working from Home Won’t Hurt Your Career? Don’t be so Sure.”  The Workplace Report  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From afar, retirement looks like a promised trip to Shangri-La at the end of our working lives. But for many, the abrupt change in the speed of life or loss of work identity can be very jarring. For Dr. David Ekerdt, a professor who spent his career studying retirement, and Dr. Sherry Mendelson, a writer and psychiatrist, the expectations of leaving the working world did not match the reality. Drawing on knowledge from their working years and their own retirements, they share tips on how to prepare psychologically for the next chapter. Send us your stories about work and careers! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Reading “I Spent 44 Years Studying Retirement. Then I Retired.”  “The Strains Retirement Put on My Marriage—and How It Survived”  “Are You Emotionally Ready to Retire? Eight Questions to Ask Yourself”  The Workplace Report  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Exhausted by your job? Need to take care of family? Want to pursue a passion? Or maybe you need to take some time away from the grind. More workers now expect to take a break sometime in their careers. But can stepping away from work hurt your chances of getting back in the game? We hear from three people who went through it, and how they came back. And Carol Fishman Cohen, CEO of the career re-entry company iRelaunch, gives us tips for how to take a break without breaking your career.  Links Submit Your Career Questions   “Take a Career Break, but Stay in the Game”   "How to Prepare Your Finances Before Quitting Your Job”  Center for American Progress Income Loss Interactive Calculator  The Workplace Report  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve been working for a while now. Maybe you’re at the top of your game, but you’re feeling stagnant. You might be wondering: where has my motivation gone? This happened to Marissa Dacay as she was rising in the marketing division at Adobe. But instead of finding greener grass at a new company or in a new role, Marissa worked with her employer to pivot within Adobe. We talk about how she did that - and speak with organizational psychologist Allison Gabriel about three keys all employees need to keep their passion for the job. Send us your best piece of career advice! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Reading: ‘I’m Still Under Construction’; Six Tales of Lifelong Learning  Employers Want to Train Workers but Are Swimming in Options  Forget Positive Thinking: How Sweatpants Managers Can Stay Motivated  WSJ Workplace Report  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The word “networking” may conjure images of cocktail parties filled with strangers handing out business cards. But, in reality, effective networking is about making deeper connections with potential allies. Chris Mossiah is a VP at JP Morgan Chase and a member of the LGBTQ community, and tapped into that community to be more authentic at work while growing their career. Also, networking expert Dorie Clark reveals how even introverts can succeed at networking and why dinner parties can be better for making connections than glad-handing at cattle calls.  Send us your best piece of career advice! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Reading: "Welcome to the ‘Network Generation"   “Networking Professionals Get Back on the Gala Train”  “How to Close the Networking Gap”  WSJ Workplace Report  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Salary, vacation days and benefits: negotiating at work can feel like a second job. But Yale professor and negotiation expert Barry Nalebuff says few of us do it right. He says it helps if you think about … pie! We explain what that means - and he answers your questions about navigating tricky situations at the bargaining table. Plus - we want to hear your career advice! Email us at aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. For Further Reading: Barry Nalebuff’s book on negotiation Split the Pie   “Asking for a Raise: How (and When) to Do It”    “Want a Raise from Your Boss? Here’s How to Ask”  WSJ Workplace Report  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people who’ve made it know: there’s no success without failure. But learning how to recover and keep going after failure can be a challenge, even for seemingly successful people. Author Min Jin Lee gave up a career in law to become a professional writer, and confronted rejection, shame and her own fear of failure head-on. It took many years of struggle before her second novel Pachinko became a best-seller and was turned into an Apple TV series. She says the experience led her to believe that success and failure are the wrong metrics. Plus, sports psychologist Jonathan Fader explains how reframing our own narrative can help us move towards a growth mindset, where mistakes make us better.  Send us your best piece of career advice! Email aswework@wsj.com, or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Reading: Min Jin Lee’s Website  Jonathan Fader’s TED Talk  From the WSJ: Mastering the Art of ‘Failing Up’ at Work   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year’s crop of new college graduates are walking into one of the hottest job markets in generations. Some are demanding big paychecks from their new employers, but money isn’t the only thing on their “must have” list. WSJ reporter Lindsay Ellis brings us conversations with new grads who are prioritizing company culture and work life balance. Jeff Beavers, Michigan State University’s executive director of career services, digs into the difficulty of networking during COVID times and how students need to see beyond their majors to search for their careers. “The Class of 2022 Is in Demand. What Do New Grads Want?”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices