Being able to answer âHow would your friends describe you?â is important, because this question gets asked all the time! And even though it sounds pretty straightforward, coming up with a strong response requires a bit of thought. This guide will help you answer this question and make a great impression. The Reason Interviewers Ask […]
The post Tips For Answering “How Would Your Friends Describe You?” appeared first on Career Sherpa.
What would we do with more time in the day? Most of us probably think we’d be more productive. But if there’s one thing we want more of but can’t control, it’s time. The secret to being more productive is not more time, but better time management. This is especially true at work.
The most successful professionals have exceptional time management skills. If you don’t have strong time management skills, that’s okay. Like any skill, time management skills can be developed.
We recently asked our leading executives about their best time management hacks.
Here are their responses…
You’ve probably heard of “time hacks” by now if you’re a video creator, a YouTube manager, or just someone who needs to maximize their time while working.
Time-saving techniques are basically ways to be more productive at work and do more tasks faster.
You can utilize a few different tactics to make the most of your time. I do the following things, to name a few.
The first thing I do is make a schedule I can follow. I know I’ll be able to focus and make the most of the time I have if I have a plan of action for each day and know what needs to be done and when.
Over the entire month, I aim to develop and batch my stuff, having enough for LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube long form, and YouTube shorts.
I divide my tasks into manageable portions and complete each one one at a time. This is another crucial time-saving technique.
This enables me to concentrate on each activity and complete it more quickly. I discovered various apps, like Notion, to keep track of what needs to be done so that you don’t forget anything.
Limiting distractions is a third time-saving trick. I mute my phone, turn off notifications, even if I find this to be a challenge, and concentrate on the task at hand. That way, I won’t be seduced by diversions all the time and can accomplish more in less time.
I try to take breaks throughout the day. This helps my mind recharge and Iâm able to continue with the task I set out to do.
By creating a schedule, breaking out each task into smaller chunks, limiting distractions, and taking breaks throughout the day, Iâm able to get more done in less time and be more productive.
Percy Leon is a digital media content producer specializing in educational technology and entertainment. He is interested in web3, metaverse, and the use of virtual reality for storytelling.
I thought I was a great multi-tasker as a businesswoman until I saw a video on Nick Cannon and Amber Grimes when I saw how they both work in the music industry. They are on time, work like no other, efficiently work, treating the housekeeping staff the same as a client. Always having a positive attitude and always showing up. I borrowed a life hack from Nick, where he has a daily list of his to-dos, but always adds the last item where he makes time to do at least one favor a day for someone. This is one of my favorite topics: how do we share our experiences and mold and guide the next generation?
I value sharing my perspective with Gen Z and millennials about the music industry and how staff should be treated. I have many students and industry folks that reach out to me to ask questions about the industry in LA and connecting with these requests is important to me.
My favorite time-saving hack is to follow the Nick Cannon style of working and do favors and serve others. But because there are so many requests, I had to come up with an organizational plan.
I reserve 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm every single Friday to allow for time in my calendar to serve others and share what I know about the music industry. I schedule 30-minute calls, back to back, for anyone who wants to chat on music, needs advice, needs to connect, or is looking for resources. This helps me to plan ahead and group requests together.
I’m a big believer in paying it forward as so many people, especially women, kicked down so many doors for me.
Kathryn Marshburn has spent 12+ years in the music and gaming industries guiding teams on identifying targeted goals with an agile approach resulting in driving revenue and reducing risk.
Self-prioritisation. Identify the current âaxis of powerâ in your work and align what you are doing with that.
For example, I gave an update every Monday to the CEO on the status of a number of projects that had previously been languishing.
I knew the CEOâs expectations: 1) that everyone involved in the projects was working well together, and 2) that what we said was going to be done was actually being addressed in a timely and accurate manner.
I spent a good amount of my week getting status updates, fact-checking, and thinking ahead for possible questions. I blended these into a truth-based, expectation-meeting story by the time Mondayâs meeting arrived.
This is where the âaxis of powerâ comes in. If the CEO thought I was getting things done and doing a good job, it didnât matter what anyone else thoughtâand I lived to fight another day…
Mark Taylor has 20+ years of risk, technology, and product management experience working in global and regional financial services firms in the UK and the U.S. He’s managed teams of 40+, successfully addressed 100+ regulatory issues, and has saved companies $15M+.
Delegation! As an executive, we are charged with hiring a highly competent team. Use the highly motivated in your group to assist with tasks and responsibilities. This also helps acclimate them to different skills, and you have the opportunity to discover hidden talents in your staff. Your employees will love the collaborative environment!
Carla Biasi is a personal stylist living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She currently has her own business and works part-time at an upscale women’s boutique and as a virtual and kit stylist for a womenâs specialty brand.
What’s the best time management hack you use on the job? Join the conversation inside Work It Daily’s Executive Program.
Scoring a job interview can be hard work, so you don’t want to waste the opportunity. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, sometimes the interview can go off track and before you know it, things didn’t go as well as you had hoped.
It doesn’t have to be this way! Sometimes there are subtle signs during the job interview that things aren’t going well that you can pick up in time to potentially turn things around.
Here are some of the signs you should look for…
Have you ever heard the expression, “An interview is about you trying to get to know the company just as much as they’re trying to get to know you”? It’s true. You should be evaluating the company as they’re evaluating your experience and skills.
But, if you’re doing this and the interviewer isn’t working hard to sell you on the company’s good traits, it’s probably not a good sign.
Companies want their chosen candidate to accept the job offer, so for their top picks, they’ll typically try to mention job perks, company culture, opportunities for growth, and other positives.
This may seem counterintuitive. After all, if the company likes you, why would they ask you challenging questions? But interviewers ask tough questions to candidates they’re considering because they want to see how they think on their feet and will react to tough job situations.
If they aren’t actually considering you, they’ll stick with the easiest questions to answer.
When interviewers are interested in a candidate, they will attempt to get to know them on a deeper level than questions like “What are your strengths?” can accomplish. They will often engage in chit-chat to make sure you’d be a good culture fit and to make sure your personality will mesh well with other team members.
If questions stay surface-level, there aren’t follow-up questions based on your answers, and the interviewer is cut and dried instead of diving into more personal questions, you’re probably not a top candidate.
Typically, at some point in the second half of the interview, the hiring manager will bring up salary expectations, references, or follow-up interviews. Even if they don’t do this, they’ll at least tell you at what point you should hear back about moving forward with your candidacy, or the estimated time by which they’re trying to fill the position.
But if an interview ends without a discussion about what the next steps in the process are, it probably means there won’t be any.
So, what can you do if you start seeing some of these signs throughout the interview? There’s a chance that you may not be able to turn it around if the interviewer has already made up their mindâbut there are a few tactics you can employ to give yourself the best shot.
Stay positive – Remember that there’s a good chance the interviewer is having a busy day, has a million other things on their mind, or just doesn’t have a very friendly or engaging personality. By projecting confidence and positivity, you have a chance to turn around their first impression.
Ask great questions – This approach has two potential benefits. One is that you can ask the interviewer outright if they think you’d be a good fit for the roleâthat way, if they bring up a specific concern they have with you or your experience, you have the chance to address it. Second, many recruiters and interviewers find that the type of questions a candidate asks says a lot about them. By asking insightful, thought-provoking questions, you may be able to increase the interviewer’s positive perception of you.
Think of it as practice – Even if you feel pretty confident that you won’t get the job based on these signs, you can at least view the interview as good practice for a job that’s a better fit for you. Try your best, and make a mental note of what you can improve next time.
Interviews are difficult, and no one likes knowing that their conversation isn’t going as well as they’d like. But by employing these tactics, you can have a better sense of what your interviewer is thinking and attempt to course-correct to get the job.
Need more help with your job search?
Join our community to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.