💼 How to navigate hiring szn

It's Thursday, Boston.

❄️ Heads up: Tonight’s rain will likely turn into snow Friday morning. It won’t be a lot, but if you need an excuse to work remotely on Friday, you can tell your boss we told you to.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Inauguration Day round two

• Brian Walshe’s search history

• 10 years of memes

Up first…

WORK

It’s hiring szn 

Jan. and Feb. are historically the biggest hiring months of the year. And while history may not repeat itself given the economic climate — for many companies, the first quarter will likely be business as usual.

“It’s an excellent time to be looking for talent,” said Brian Gross, Boston Consulting Group’s North America COO. “This is the time when the best talent is on the market and the best talent is looking to make a move.” 

So, if you’re on the job hunt, it’s time to decide what matters to you. According to B-Side IG followers, flexibility and work-life balance are some of the most important factors in a new job. Which tracks with the results from this 2022 Deloitte survey asking Gen-Z and Millennials why they chose to work for their current organization. 

Which means it’s time to network. Network. Network. Attend events, tap into your alumni network, even cold reach out to people on LinkedIn. Getting an interview is half the battle, so making any kind of connection could be a coup.

And even if nothing comes of those connections right now, “you never know,” said Julie Rosen, a senior accountant at The Barr Foundation. LinkedIn has been her networking tool of choice.

Still early in your career and need some advice? Lower the bar on saying yes and focus on your strengths versus what you think is the “ideal” career path. At least that’s according to Gross.

“I spent the first three years of my career banging my head trying to get what I thought I wanted, but it wasn’t actually what I wanted,” he said. So instead of focusing on what you think your career path should look like, focus on what you actually enjoy and do well. 

And say yes to the opportunities before critiquing them, because the reality is, “when we’re early in our career, we don’t know what we don’t know,” Gross said. 

Happy hunting!

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

👩🏿‍⚖️ Andrea Campbell is the first Black woman to be Mass. attorney general. She was sworn in as the state’s top lawyer yesterday, also making her the first woman of color to hold statewide office. Campbell plans to spend her first days in office creating teams to focus on reproductive rights, protecting seniors from fraud, and enforcing gun laws. With treasurer, auditor, and secretary of state also sworn in on Wednesday, Bill Galvin is now officially the last man standing.

🚨 Brian Walshe allegedly dismembered his wife before discarding her body. The 47-year-old, who was charged with murdering Ana Walshe and disinterring her body, allegedly spent the morning of his wife’s disappearance searching on his son’s iPad, “How long before a body starts to smell'' and “10 ways to dispose of a body,” prosecutors laid out at his arraignment Wednesday morning. Investigators believe Brian Walshe placed her remains into trash bags and discarded them in North Shore communities. Brian Walshe pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail.

🏠 Mayor Wu’s vision for rent control is coming into focus. Wu’s administration is readying a proposal that would cap rent hikes at 10%. Her plan would allow landlords to increase rent by 6% plus the consumer price index (a measure of inflation). But that final increase would not be able to go over 10% in one year. However, buildings opened in the last 15 years and small owner-occupied properties, like triple-deckers, would be exempt from this rule. The plan hasn’t been formally announced yet, so it could still change. But regardless, it will likely face a long road to approval from both the City Council and state.

THINGS TO DO

Get a (new) hobby

🧼 Try your hand at soap making with a class from Fanny Osorio at Cannonball Cafe. You’ll get to make and take home two custom natural soaps. Tickets are $40. | Saturday, Jan. 21, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

🍷 Learn how to make the Italian classics with an Italian cooking class (with regional wine pairings!) at Rebel Rebel in Somerville. Tickets are $15. | Wednesday, Jan. 25, 6 to 7 p.m.

🪴 Make a succulent terrarium (we’re not killing our plants this year!) at Michaela’s Market in Southie. Tickets are $35. | Sunday, Jan. 29, 1 p.m.

🌀 Give pour art a go with a pour art pop-up class from Rahim Gray inside Kendra Scott on Newbury St. Tickets are $30. | Friday, Feb. 3, 4 to 7 p.m.

🖌 Explore different art mediums with drop-in art activities at the Saturday Open Studios from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Admission is $20. | Saturday, Jan. 21, 1 to 4 p.m.

ONE LAST THING

“This is fine” meme turns 10

The “this is fine” dog meme just turned 10 years old. 

The meme’s artist, K.C. Green, of Easthampton, Mass., originally drew the comic to express his mixed feelings about how his antidepressants would change him and his creativity. But Green knows that art can be interpreted in several ways, and the internet definitely delivered. 

The viral image allowed Green to create a Kickstarter and keep him afloat as a young freelance artist. You can check out his comic called “Funny Online Animals” to see more of his drawings.

🍺 Thanks for reading! Secret’s out! Our concert we’re hosting with Sofar Sounds tonight will be at Castle Island Brewing Co. in Southie. So come say hi — there will be beer and pizza! 

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].