Being prepared for common phone interview questions is a requirement if you want to stand out and land the job you want. With so many interviews being conducted remotely these days, being comfortable with this format is essential. This list of phone interview questions will help you get ready for the big day! 1. Tell […]
The post 31 Common Phone Interview Questions (With Answers) appeared first on Career Sherpa.
If you have never been a manager of people before, you are an individual contributor today and, who knows, you might even be part of Generation Z, and you might be interested in becoming a people manager. Let me share with you the key things that are going to help you immensely when you become a manager of people and a leader.
What I mean by that is you have to know yourself before you’re able to promote and provide and help others. There are various things that you can do to gain self-awareness. For example, one of them could be you can do a DISC. This is a free personality assessment/test that you can find online. It will show you what your dominant areas of personality are. There are others of course that can be either self-interpreted or that can be done through a specialist. Remember that self-awareness is the first component of emotional intelligence and, therefore, once you understand what that is for you, you can understand your emotions, your strengths, your weaknesses, your needs, and your drives.
To assess where you are in this journey, you can go to insight-quiz.com created by Tasha Eurich.
There are two known avenues for all of us to get motivated: intrinsic (internal) or extrinsic/identified (external).
When it comes to internal or intrinsic motivation, think of the things we naturally want to do, just because we enjoy them! An example of this could be writing or journaling just because we see the value of reflecting, sharing, and including others in our thinking and learning.
If you consider extrinsic/identified motivation, these are the things we do because we have identified them as important to accomplish the goals that we want to achieve. An example of this could be: “I am studying how to become a world-class online facilitator,” or “I want to blog for Fast Company.”
How well do you know your motivations? Get on it! Once you become a people manager, if you know what motivates you, it will be part of your approach to management going forward!
Have you ever wondered why in the world we have two ears and one mouth?
The main reason is that to be our best selves going forward in both our professional and personal selves, to be our most effective selves, we need to listen twice as much as we speak. If you think about it, when we speak, we hear ourselves, our thoughts. When we listen, we learn. I know it is difficult to do for those of us who are extroverted and think our ideas out loud.
Try listening twice as much as you speak and see the difference! Ask, listen, pay attention.
You may wonder what a mentor is and why might you need one (or more) in preparation to become a manager (and going forward). A mentor is someone who knows more than you do about a given topic and whose opinion you respect. They are trusted advisors. And remember, there is also “reverse mentoring” which is mentoring from folks who are younger than you, yet they offer you a window into your current reality.
When you think about a mentoring relationship, both confidence and competence increase—on both ends—by mere conversation and acute listening. In mentoring relationships, we believe and care about each other. Mentoring relationships inspire us as we grow, evolve, and decide. They help us step into our potential.
Mentoring reduces limiting beliefs and assumptions. We explore alternatives, run experiments, and progress. Mentoring facilitates change, development, and growth. Lessons endure. Mentoring relationships keep us ever grateful and encourage lifelong approaches to helping others learn.
The most effective executives, athletes, and other celebrities have had a coach or a variety of them. In the case of someone looking to develop and grow their career, the best investment is hiring an (executive) coach.
So, what is executive coaching? According to the International Coach Federation (ICF), coaching is defined as a partnership with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Coaching is a client-driven process that’s distinct from other service professions, such as counseling, mentoring, consulting, and training. Powerful—right?
Would you like to partner with someone who can do that for and with you? If your answer is yes, or even, I’m not sure—feel free to reach out to me for a discovery session: Ana Smith – Your Coach
You’re meeting with your team about solving a problem and want to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again. One person suggests a solution, but there isn’t a lot of conversation. You may have come up with a solution, but it may only fix a symptom or be a workaround. There should have been more conversation to make sure the team came up with the best solution.
The conversation must be constructive and respectful, specifically since some ideas will be more feasible than others. In order to have a meaningful conversation: 1) team members need to feel safe to express their opinion to the group; and 2) the team should consist of individuals who are well-versed in their area of expertise. I think there is also a third item: to have diverse individuals.
And when I say diverse, gender and race are just the first steps. I also mean national origin, sexual orientation, and all of the other characteristics that make each of us different. Each individual has specific knowledge and work experience, and it’s shaped by things such as our personality, background, and even our childhood. All of these things give us a unique and valuable perspective.
Even a mundane question like “How to eat the best bowl of cereal?” has more than one answer. Most people pour a bowlful of cereal then add milk. Some will pour the milk first and then add the cereal. And others will pour a bowlful with two different kinds of cereal or prefer to use almond milk. You may not have considered some of these ideas, but individuals can rationalize why their way is best. So, you should challenge your assumptions and thought process by listening to (and trying) various ideas before making a final decision.
It’s similar when trying to come up with the best solution for a problem or strategy/plan. The more homogenous the team is, the more “groupthink” you’ll potentially have—because the group has a similar thinking style. But when you have a diverse team, you’re likely to have more of an innovative brainstorming session. When you have a diverse team, there will be perspectives that you may not have considered such as:
How embarrassing would it be if a customer pointed out a major flaw? Especially if it could have been avoided if there wasn’t “groupthink”? Initially, some team members may feel out of their comfort zone, but with each success, they’ll get into a groove. The team learns to appreciate the diverse ideas and perspectives being contributed and celebrates the uniqueness that each team member brings. They’ll ultimately have more innovative and productive discussions and develop well-thought-out solutions. The team will realize that diversity makes them stronger, and to hold the door open for the next individual.
For more information on the benefits of a diverse team, follow me on LinkedIn!
It’s currently hard enough to obtain a job interview these types of days. But here’s your #1 reason why individuals don’t make it for you to the next round associated with interviews or have the job offer…
@j. t. odonnell No. 1 Cause You Don’t Get Work Offers #jobinterview #careertiktok #jobsearch #joblife #edutok #interviewtips ♬ original sound — J. T. O’Donnell
I always discuss about the Goldilocks theory. Remember how there’s way too little, too much, and simply right? Well, when this comes to interview responses, they need to become ideal. Too little info gives the impression that will you’re closed off. Associated with something to hide. If you’re not confident . Most likely shy. Something can really feel off. But if an individual give too much details, you might come throughout as narcissistic, supply the impact you love to listen to yourself talk, or anyone could sound a small flighty and all within the board with your terms.
If people have trouble finding out how to help answer interview questions, It is best to look up the the majority of common interview questions that you may get requested in a job employment interview and then write out there your answers and help to make sure they’re succinct. Provide employers the information they should know, but do that within a timely and succinct way.
By so doing, the key towards a successful interview (and getting more job offers) is good interview replies. Therefore whatever you perform, don’t skip that appointment prep!
Check out Work This Daily as well as our career resources. We’re going help you feel strengthened inside your job search therefore you can land the exact right job for everyone.
Transparency is a big thing right now. Companies are encouraged to be more transparent on pay, how they recruit, their culture and more. But you also need to be more transparent about what you’ve done and how you’ve made a difference and what’s important to you. This week’s summary includes articles that touch on transparency. […]
The post Summary Sunday: Issue #463 appeared first on Career Sherpa.
I’m not sure if you can classify these wise thoughts as powerful words that can keep you motivated at work. Perhaps they are more akin to an attitude, or way of being. But I believe if you remember these words, if you remember this advice in the workplace, you’ll be sure to get a boost of motivation at work.
How often do you catch yourself complaining about others at work? Or finding fault in others? You may think you have a legitimate reason, but all the complaining will not do you any good. In fact, all it does is keep you demotivated. When you do this, you keep reminding yourself of how bad your work environment is.
Here are the powerful words to remember: “discuss, don’t complain.” What’s the difference? Well, when you discuss, you try to understand the root cause, and you try to find a solution. When you complain, you only focus on the problem and find “pleasure” in dwelling on the faults of others.
Another powerful phrase to remember in order to keep motivated at work is “listen to comprehend.” How often do you find yourself listening to your colleagues only to rebut what they say? When you have actions like that, how can you find a good work environment to keep motivated? Next time a colleague talks, truly listen to comprehend what they are saying.
Have you analyzed your speech at work? Perhaps you should. How often do you hurt people with the words you say? When you use unkind words and often repeat gossip, you inevitably create an unhealthy environment for yourself and your colleagues.
More words to keep in mind in order to keep motivated at work are “speak with understanding.” Acknowledge people’s good qualities and praise them. When we focus on others’ good qualities, it also makes us feel happier. Do an experiment: speak well of others for a few weeks. A month if you can. Every day, compliment someone sincerely. Even someone you do not like. Then, see how much more motivated you feel at work.
The three last powerful words to help you keep motivated at work are “help, don’t hide.” Whenever there is an opportunity to make yourself available for service to others, do it. The more time you spend helping others and not hiding away from them when help is needed, the happier you will be at work. What you are doing is strengthening your relationships and growing your network. These support systems will later come to your aid too when you are in need of help.
There are, of course, more powerful words that can help you keep motivated at work. But start with these. They may seem like a few small phrases, but they are not easy to do. It takes months and months of practice. But if you are able to do these for a stretch of time, you will see a difference in your motivation at work.
Are you still feeling unmotivated at work? It might be time for a change.
Check out Work It Daily and all of our career resources. We’ll help you feel empowered in your job search so you can land the right job for you.
This article was originally published at an earlier date.
If you’ve ever been in a position where you need to job hunt, you may be familiar with some of these questions that could have run through your mind during the process. What kind of people will I have to work with? What if I don’t fit in there? Will my manager give me time […]
The post The Importance of Communication’s Role in Preventing Bias-Based Discrimination at Work appeared first on Jobacle.com.
If you’ve recently submitted an application, it’s only natural to wonder how long it takes to hear back about a job. The outcome could have a significant impact on your future, so you want to know as soon as possible! Table of contents How Long Does it Take to Hear Back from a Job? What […]
The post How Long Does It Take To Hear Back From A Job? [Answered] appeared first on Career Sherpa.
We all make mistakes—that’s what makes us human. But when you’re looking for a new job, it’s important to minimize those job application mistakes because they may cost you the position.
Here are some of the biggest application mistakes candidates make (and how to avoid them):
These types of errors, although they seem small in nature, can be a major red flag to employers. It shows you lack attention to detail, and many hiring managers or recruiters will think you rushed through your application.
How to avoid this mistake: Take your time filling out job applications and have someone else look them over if possible. This includes having someone proofread your resume and cover letter. You can also read your resume, cover letter, and other job application materials aloud to catch anything you may miss while scanning through on the computer.
This is something everyone learns in grade school, but it’s amazing how many people STILL don’t read directions! Every application you fill out will be slightly different or require a different response—so it’s important to read through each step.
How to avoid this mistake: Pay attention and slow down during the job application process. If you’re feeling rushed, it’s probably because you’re applying to too many openings that you may not be qualified for (or genuinely interested in), so you may want to rethink your job search strategy.
This is a big no-no. It shows you don’t really understand what the employer is looking for and are just hoping your resume fits some of the criteria. Not tailoring your resume also makes it harder for it to get past the ATS.
How to avoid this mistake: Carefully read through the job description, qualifications, and education requirements. On your resume, show the employer how you’re qualified through your previous experience, skills, and expertise. Quantify your work experience and accomplishments, and make sure your resume is optimized with keywords so it can actually get past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager.
Your cover letter should tell a compelling story and make the hiring manager interested in moving on to your resume. It should also address the hiring manager by name and describe exactly why you are the best candidate for the position. Not doing these things will communicate to the hiring manager that you’re not that interested in the position you’re applying for. You won’t stand out from the other candidates and will be less likely to land a job interview, even if your resume is tailored to the position.
How to avoid this mistake: Write a disruptive cover letter for each position you’re applying for. Although there may be similarities between positions, always customize your cover letter for each job opening. Focus on your connection story. Why do you want to work for this specific employer? What part(s) of this company are you passionate about? Why do you feel connected to their products or mission? Your disruptive cover letter should answer these questions.
It’s imperative that you research the company you’re applying to. You need to know what they do, how the company is structured, and their mission, values, and goals in order to determine how you fit in. Should you move on in the hiring process, these things will be vital to a successful interview—and you’ll be one step ahead. Failing to research the company before submitting your job application will result in an ineffective resume and cover letter. If you do manage to land a job interview without conducting research on the company, you’ll be scrambling trying to prepare for interview questions, and you might fumble your answers if you don’t do enough research.
How to avoid this mistake: Perform a simple Google search on the organization. Look through their company website and social media profiles. Also, read reviews of the organization and its products, and browse recent news articles that mention the company.
What are some other major job application mistakes you’ve made and/or witnessed?
If you need more help improving your job applications, check out Work It Daily’s FREE Resume & LinkedIn Bootcamp!
During this bootcamp, you will learn:
Interested? Sign up today!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.
As an educational consultant, I facilitate teacher professional development across the United States and, sometimes, internationally. While there might be consensus in the education field on the importance of using rigorous learning standards to guide instruction, exactly which standards should be used is a matter of heated debate. So, when I once accidentally mentioned in Texas the Common Core State Standards, an eruption of anger ensued. It turns out, Texas passed a law banning it! It was as if I had crossed the Rubicon; there would be no going back. From this point on, no one in this training session was listening to how to break down standards into daily lesson objectives—a process applicable to many standards frameworks. I learned a valuable lesson that day: know one’s audience when training staff.
Across many industries, there should be standard practices to ensure the effective planning and delivery of adult training and development. Staff training facilitators take heed. Failure to adhere to these practices can derail the best-laid professional development plans!
Why should we care? On average, companies spend $1,252.00 per staff member each year on training and development. Training can also be a time investment black hole with 33.5 hours of training per staff member per year being the norm. Despite this investment, 44% of new staff leave within the first six months of a new assignment. To replace these staff members, an organization also can expect to spend 21% of that staff member’s annual salary to replace them.
Here are four critical adult learning mistakes that are common missteps and strategies for steering staff training around these dangerous shallows:
How do you know your training achieved its goals if an end target is not established? Although it might be nice to go off-grid and take back roads while driving on vacation, organizations don’t have the luxury in terms of time or money to let staff training go wrong. Like when teachers plan lessons around a stated learning objective, clear success criteria should be established in every staff training. Let participants know what the success criteria will be up front. Better yet, tell participants what they are going to do, do it, and then tell them—or have them tell you—what they did.
During training, monitor how well participants are learning the training material. It is easier to rephrase concepts and to reteach “in the moment” than to have participants leave trainings unprepared thus requiring follow-up staff development down the road. Consider using strategies such as signaling, choral response, and cold calling as checks on understanding. At the end of training, revisit/summarize with participants how the success criteria were met. Be sure to define/record the next steps.
Recognize that participants are people who come to staff training at various content readiness levels and with different backgrounds and cultural knowledge. Participants also might be used to learning in a particular way, even if research is now telling us we learn best using multimodal approaches, and/or interacting with internal/external stimuli dissimilarly (introverts vs. extroverts). Facilitators of learning need to meet participants in the zone where they are ready to learn and in ways that engage them in learning.
Provide a story or models when presenting your content that will interest your participants and of which participants have background knowledge. For participants less familiar with the content, training facilitators can provide scaffolds and/or learning supports so that they can meet the established success criteria. For staff who are already knowledgeable about training content, provide different options for professional development.
Rather than expecting training designers and facilitators to serve as fonts of knowledge, these people should act as learning guides and as curators/collectors of knowledge being acquired during training. Embed collaborative learning activities within the body of any staff training. To focus trainees during collaborative activities, provide training participants with the analytical questions with which they are to engage up front. Determine the discussion protocols that will be used to allow for equal representation of voice and that create collective knowledge around the training topic. Jigsaw activities, Inside-Outside Circle discussions, and quick Think-Pair-Share conversations are three easy ways in which to engage participants in collaborative discussion. There also are more formal discussion protocols out there.
Post anchor charts for tasks, important links, text, infographics, etc. around the room, on Padlet, and/or on Google Drive. Extend learning and support to training participants by using 24/7 virtual discussion boards. Also, consider which training content can be delivered through online courses. Online courses, for instance, that culminate in one earning a digital badge can go some way in breaking down training content into digestible parts, allow people opportunities to complete training on their time schedule, and help organizations validate that staff has met a certain knowledge threshold.
Staff training disasters cannot always be prevented. However, staff developers do not have to be blindsided by common staff development pitfalls. If thoughtfully planned out, in the ways discussed above, staff training can be an impactful way through which to increase staff knowledge around their roles and responsibilities as well as your organization.
Please feel free to reach out to me at John Schembari, Ed.D. | LinkedIn.
Recently, a reader asked the following question: “I was recently let go from my last company. Are your career experts able to assist with exit statements on why you left a job for situations like this?”
Yes, we do a lot of work in this area. It falls into our “Interview Prep” category.
Here’s how we help you work through and create a solid answer to: “Why did you leave your last job?”
At Work It Daily, we provide expert career courses you can watch to find out how to prepare for behavioral interview questions like the one above. Then, we give you a comprehensive list of 18 behavioral interview questions that you could get asked during an interview. (I’m talking REALLY tough questions—the kind that make you sweat just hearing them, let alone answering them!)
Once you’ve read through and thought about these behavioral interview questions, you can choose to write out your answers and submit them to a career coach for review. The career coach then works with you by email so you can fine-tune your answers and be truly confident they are sending the right message. In particular, we focus on the questions that are giving you the greatest “crisis of confidence,” and then we work on those until you are 110% ready to discuss them in an interview.
The process above works well for those who have been fired or laid off because it helps them work through their pain and fears related to discussing what they see as an “unpleasant” item on their career record and resume.
Through your interactions and support from your career coach, you’ll see that this is nothing to be sad, embarrassed, or angry about. We help you move past the emotions and focus on the good (yes, good!) that has come from the experience. Trust me, you need to move past this. Ninety-three percent of communication is nonverbal. So, if you aren’t completely comfortable talking about all the tough stuff, then you can bet hiring managers will read it in your body language, facial expressions, and tone. People know when you are lying—and not being at peace with your past and trying to hide it is a form of lying, especially to yourself.
So, if you need help answering, “Why did you leave your last job?” check out Work It Daily and all of our career resources. We’ll help you effectively answer this question (and other difficult behavioral interview questions) and gain the confidence you need to ace your next interview.
This article was originally published at an earlier date.
Creating an emotional bond with consumers requires more than good marketing. It requires understanding your audience, being authentic, building trust, connecting personally, and inspiring storytelling.
Which brands do you think got emotional branding right?
In 2021, Chipotle noticed that conversations were happening on Roblox around their brand, with fans creating Chipotle-themed avatars and games. They decided to mix things up and brought their annual Halloween “Boorito” promotion to the Metaverse in partnership with Roblox. Each day, the campaign prompted Roblox users to dress up their avatars in Chipotle-inspired costumes and accessories, including Chip Bag Ghost, Burrito Mummy, Spicy Devil, and Guacenstein. Users were then encouraged to visit the Chipotle virtual store to retrieve a code for a free burrito to be redeemed online. Users could also interact with the Chipotle Boorito Maze to collect ingredients that would give them superpowers to avoid spooky monsters. Once users reached the maze’s center, they could access free and exclusive Chipotle-themed virtual items for their avatar. Chipotle’s share of the proceeds from the sales of the in-game items was donated to a cause that supports young farmers.
Chipotle is always experimenting on new platforms to meet their customers where they are at, providing them with an experience and value exchange that’s authentic. More than 8.5 million people visited the maze since it launched in October and this number continues to grow as Chipotle decided to keep it going.
Unfortunately for Facebook, trying to hide its problems behind a new name doesn’t work. Facebook rebranded itself to Meta, bringing together its different apps and technologies. Apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp are now a part of the new metaverse-focused parent company. This announcement came on the heels as the social media giant dealt with claims that it had violated individual privacy, bullied small companies as a monopoly, damaged teens’ mental health, and even incited violent insurrections. CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg presented a six-minute video of why the company was rebranding itself and its agenda. In the video, Zuckerberg came across as uncomfortable and awkward.
According to the Harris Brand Platform, Facebook’s trustworthy score dipped to 6.2% once they announced their rebrand to Meta, Source. And a CNN survey released in November found that 76% of adults believe “Facebook makes American society worse,” Source. U.S. teenagers’ ‘time spent’ on Facebook was down 16% in 2021 compared with 2020. Source.
Geico started disrupting the insurance industry 20 years ago. It was then when we first met the personable green gecko with a British accent that America fell in love with. We learned a simple message that hasn’t changed since: “15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.” What separates them from the pack is that they deliver this consistent message across a wide variety of amazingly creative and humorous ads: gecko, caveman, when pigs fly, spy mom, hump day, tag team helps with dessert.
How many of these ads do you remember? Geico’s emotional branding approach has impacted its brand awareness and performance being the second-largest insurance company by market share.
Peloton, known for its cult-like, loyal fan base, thought they could ignore safety issues. In March, Peloton received a handful of ‘incidents’ related to its Tread+ treadmill including the death of a child who’d been pulled below the belt. In April, The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned Peloton owners to stop using the Tread+ if they had small kids, or pets at home, citing “serious risks.” Peloton initially pushed back on the CPSC’s guidance, indicating that their statement was a “misleading, inaccurate bulletin.” CEO, John Foley, posted a letter on Peloton’s website acknowledging “a small handful of incidents” related to its Tread+ machines and that “there is no reason to stop using the Tread+ as long as all warnings and safety instructions are followed.” After mounting pressure from U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill) who told the press that “one family will never be the same…because a new, ‘hot’ company prioritized their brand over human life,” in addition to receiving 72 reports of adult users, children, pets, and/or objects being pulled under the rear of the treadmill, including 29 reports of injuries to children such as second- and third-degree abrasions, broken bones, and lacerations, Peloton changed their tune Source. In May, Peloton voluntarily recalled its Tread+ stating, “I want to be clear, Peloton made a mistake in our initial response to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s request that we recall the Tread+. We should have engaged more productively with them from the outset,” Foley said. “For that, I apologize.”
Following the announcement, Peloton’s stock plunged 16% equating to a loss in value of about $4 billion. Peloton estimated the treadmill recall would cost the company about $165 million in lost revenue during the quarter, and result in a $16 million hit to its profits.
According to a recent study published in Harvard Business Review, being emotionally in-tune with your customers can make or break your business. Researchers found that tapping into a customer’s unspoken emotional needs is the most effective way to maximize that customer’s lifetime value (CLV). Source Hopefully it’s obvious to you which of these brands were desperate and which were dialed in, driving increased CLV. Start building your brand leadership today. You’ve got this!