So, you received a call back for an in-person interview. Now what? The week leading up to the in-person interview probably deserves more effort and preparation than any other portion of the job search process. Here's a step-by-step guide on preparing for an interview.
The Day You Are Offered The Interview
These are some things you should do immediately after getting an interview:
Respond promptly -Waiting to respond may send a message that you're not interested (bad!) or have poor follow-up (also bad!). Respond promptly, thank the employer for the opportunity, and express your excitement without being over the top.
Ask about logistics -Aside from nailing down the location, it's generally acceptable to ask about the company's dress code and the names of those you'll be interviewing with. Avoid asking questions that you (or Google) can answer yourself (e.g. directions).
Clear your schedule -If you're currently employed or have other commitments, make sure the appropriate people know you will not be available on the day of your interview.
The Week Before The Interview
Your interview is a week away! Get prepared by doing the following:
Research the company - Even if you did this before applying for the job (which you should have!), it's time to revisit the company website, its blog and social media accounts, and recent news articles.
Research the hiring managers - If you know who the interviewers are, do a little research. Look for them on the company's team page and on online networks like LinkedIn. Try to get a feel for who the interviewers are and for the type of person the company employs.
Decide what to wear to the interview - Don't wait until the night before. Try on your interview outfit, ask others for their opinion, and make sure you don't need a trip to the dry cleaner or cobbler.
The Day Before The Interview
In order to be completely prepared for your interview, make sure to do these things the day before:
Review the job posting - It will be far easier to tailor your interview answers if the job description is fresh in your mind.
Practice answering common interview questions - There are certain questions you can expect to be asked during a job interview. Look up the generic ones as well as ones specific to your industry, then rehearse them with a friend, family member, or patient pet.
Prepare questions for the employer - At the end of an interview, you will be given the opportunity to ask questions. It's an important part of the interview and the questions you ask could make or break your chances of landing the job offer, so put some serious thought into them.
Map the directions - One of the last things you want to do is be late for your interview. Find how long it should take you to get there, then give yourself plenty of extra time in case you get lost, stuck in traffic, or detoured.
Gather your day-of materials - Even if the hiring manager doesn't ask, it's common practice to bring enough copies of your resume for yourself and for each of the interviewers. You should also bring a pen and paper to take notes, as well as anything else specifically requested by the employer. Other things to consider include mints, grooming materials, money for parking, and a backup interview outfit (just in case you spill your Starbucks all over your lap).
Do the obvious things - Go to bed at a reasonable hour and set at least one alarm.
Think positively - Visualizing a positive outcome has a surprising impact on real-life performance. Think about past successes and envision, in detail, a stellar interview in your mind.
What steps do you take when preparing for an interview?
If you need more help preparing for your next job interview, we're here for you!
We'd love it if you joined our FREE community. Itâs a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you prepare for your next job interview.
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Technology is one of the largest budget items for an organization, but does it seem like employees arenât using the systems as efficiently as they could be? Iâve found that the first step is to make sure youâre offering training to all of the employeesâmore than just handing them a user manual.
Your organization just purchased a brand-new system and wants to make sure they maximize the use of it. One key is to make sure everyone is trained so they understand how to use the system. Training is typically focused on when the new system is first implemented. Many organizations will have the vendor come onsite to train. Employees sign up to attend scheduled training sessions, or it may be a train-the-trainer scenario wherein designated trainers (department super users) train the rest of the organization. This gets your system implementation off on the right foot.
It would be considerably better if the organization offers continual training. This means providing formal training activities for new employees joining the organization months later, major system upgrades released annually, and when individuals simply want ârefresherâ training. Did you know that individuals typically only remember a fraction of the information from a training session?
Training Options
The second step is to have a variety of training options. Itâs important to understand that individuals learn differently (different methods and different speeds) as well as there may be various logistics to consider. For example:
Some individuals will prefer instructor-led classes (either in-person or virtual) while others are audiovisual and like videos.
Some individuals like to read materials on their own. There are even third-party vendors who provide specific training materials such as quick reference cards and videos for products such as Microsoft Office 365 as well as Acrobat and Windows.
You can create custom self-paced courses using tools like Articulate leveraging PowerPoint slides.
Post training materials on the intranet so all employees can access the information.
If there is a large number of individuals to be trained and/or everyone canât be gone at the same time, you may need to offer multiple sessions for a specific training course.
If the organization has multiple locations, it may not be economical if individuals have to travel to attend in-person training sessions, so it may be more cost effective if the trainers travel or offer virtual training sessions.
Not all individuals work Monday-Friday 9-5 pm, and may instead work four 10-hour days or âoff-hoursâ (e.g. second/third shift, weekends) so itâs important to offer training to accommodate these schedules.
Learning Retention
Even with the above differences, there are specific concepts that will help individuals retain what theyâve learned during training. This includes:
Make sure the content is relevant (preferably with real-world examples), so individuals know how to apply what theyâve learned.
If the topic is creating a new customer in the ERP, walk through the actual steps including required and valid values, and have an exercise wherein they actually practice setting up a new customer.
When teaching individuals about Excel and features such as Pivot Tables, provide examples showing when/why/how to use a Pivot Table to analyze and categorize large amounts of data.
If doing âtrain-the-trainer,â consider having the students do some role-playing.
Provide some type of handout (student training guide) for individuals to take notes on.
If itâs a âliveâ training session (either in-person or virtual), encourage individuals to participate in discussions. Engagement promotes retention.
Provide students with the opportunity to practice what theyâve learned with exercises, quiz questions, etc.
Create âcheat sheetsâ for common things like application-specific keyboard shortcuts/hotkeys, when there is a long list of valid value codes, etc.
A comprehensive and up-to-date training curriculum is an investment. Organizations that make this investment are demonstrating that employee development is important! Employees will appreciate the efforts to grow and make them more knowledgeable.
For more information on offering training to maximize the use of your technology, follow me on LinkedIn!
Many people have been working from home for the past two years. However, not everyone took the time to properly set up their home office. This is because many people thought that remote work was a temporary situation for them. Now, however, more and more people are realizing that working from home might be their […]
A business degree opens doors to many career opportunities with a handsome salary package and unlimited growth potential. However, if you are considering a business degree, you might not know what kind of door you would like to open and feel clueless about your career path. Plus, working towards a profession without knowing where it […]
Anyone that buys or sells music has discovered that COVID-19 brought upon us all a new set of consumer expectations. Companies using outdated pre-COVID-19 music sales strategies will not survive in a post-COVID-19 world. If you are distributing music in a traditional way, such as streaming, and your sales strategies are similar to a few years ago chances are that those distribution methods are outdated which means that you may be unconsciously losing fanbase market share.
I recognize the pain points and that everyone has anxiety due to recent market shifts, and might be afraid or fearful about cryptocurrency, stock market concerns, economic unrest, and the like, but donât put this off because the rough spots in the market will pass, however, you cannot afford to not use NFTs as a true distribution source for music. NFTs are a differentiator for your record label. This is guaranteed and if you do not innovate others will pass you by.
Passing You By Due To Lack Of Innovation
I was working for one of the world's largest gaming companies, negotiating Influencer and streetwear licensing deals, when the pandemic hit and it was an overnight shift in how we saw buying. We use microtransactions for gamers' avatar vanity capsules, however, after COVID-19 the gamers began gaming differently, and music artists began broadcasting concerts in the gaming vertical on Twitch. Consumers started to communicate how they wanted to be contacted, how they wanted to buy, which platform, when, and how they made their own decisions. They were becoming a different type of consumer and this directly empowered them.
Itâs been painful to observe record labels struggling with artist music releases, where rollout plans have horribly failed for large artists, and where labels have failed to engage fans as they are not paying attention to new consumer patterns of buying and they keep doing the status quo.
Those who have tuned in to see where fans are hanging out like in Discord NFT rooms and Twitter rooms, community collaboration events with other music and NFT peers, and are open to experimenting with cryptocurrency, have shared insights of who will be able to differentiate or who will be successful.
From the cryptocurrency, Web3 conversations, which can be overwhelming and confusing as the market shifts, sometimes can provide a looking glass into the future.
Still, navigating the space will prove to be the key for successful labels, and without adoption of new strategies, it may also just be the grounds for early disqualification by fans. Especially for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, embracing NFTs as a form of distribution is beneficial for the artist fans and the labels and will be profitable for all.
5 Signs That Your Record Label Needs NFTs As A Music Distribution Differentiator And Is Begging For Leadership To Engage
Your consumers are picking cheaper subscription music service models from a competitor.
Your A&Rs, artist and label partnership managers, and C-suite executives appear to not be active in virtual spaces, AR spaces, engaging in crypto discussions, and designing record deals that included advances in cryptocurrency and address NFT procurement & distribution in major label deals.
A well-planned teaching initiative for fans, educating the audience in NFT/cryptocurrency basics, where the fans foster demand organically and achieve scalability. Effective planning to counter the learning gap for fans to buy NFTs must be closed and it must be constantly cultivated for ease of purchasing NFTs.
The artist marketing efforts are focused on traditional music distribution models rather than on educating on NFTS and creating demand for your artist's music in new platforms and innovative spaces like NFTs.
Buying new music from you is a hassle without an easy way to use cryptocurrency on the label website, where the labels provide links to Coinbase wallet, Opensea, and more. This helps fans understand the process for executing an NFT purchase.
What has been your experience with the modernization of the sales process and engaging modern buyers? I would love to get your perspective.
LiquidPiston is an engineering service provider that develops compact together with efficient engines for automobiles and power generation. Their own rotary engines are typically the first disruption to engine motor technology in over some sort of century, and they will be always on the search for talented engineers for you to join their team.
Do you want developing efficient thermodynamic burning engines? Here's why an individual should consider working to get LiquidPiston.
Information About LiquidPiston
LiquidPiston develops advanced rotary internal combustion engines in line with the companyâs patented thermodynamic period and engine architecture in their state-of-the-art laboratory services in Bloomfield, CT. Their particular combustion engines are lightweight, powerful, quiet, efficient, low-vibration, and multi-fuel capable, and they are scalable from 1HP to help 1000 HP.
These engines are certainly not Wankel engines; they're much better. LiquidPiston boasts that their own X Engine has "10x more power" and is definitely "30% more efficient, inches improving on efficiency, excess weight, size, vibration, and noises.
LiquidPiston can be currently focusing on army and aerospace markets yet plans to enter commercial and commercial, marine, UAV, urban mobility, and auto markets in the close to future.
The engineering company appeared to be featured upon How Itâs Produced , a documented series from your Science Route.
4 Factors To Work For LiquidPiston
1. Use an open-minded team along with varied engineering backgrounds
LiquidPiston's group of engineers are trailblazers and mavericks, people who challenge this status quo and therefore are often the first to bring brand new tips to market.
2. Observe your own ideas applied (in 1-2 weeks vs. 1-2 years)
Innovation is rewarded from LiquidPiston. Employees are motivated to push the limitations in the world regarding combustion.
3. Operate with minimum red tape
At LiquidPiston, you have the independence to explore your enthusiasm, which can lead in order to incredible opportunities.
some. Utilize a broad scope
You'll participate in your whole engine/product development procedure from scratch and below one roof.
In case you're interested in operating at LiquidPiston, visit the exact company's careers page to learn a lot more!
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One of my jobs as a career coach is to help you see things from the recruiter's perspective. I actually was in the staffing recruiting industry before I became a career coach, so I know what they're thinking. And in this case, I don't want you to think of recruiters as the enemy. You want to enter into any conversation with a recruiter very informed, very calm, and very confident. Because if you do that, you're going to build a great relationship and get the results you're looking for.
What You Need To Know About Negotiating Salary With A Recruiter
Let's break this down. A recruiter cannot waste their time on you if they can't afford you. So when they're asking you about your salary expectations, they're just trying to figure out whether or not they can even present opportunities to you.
If a recruiter asks you about salary expectations, respond with a range.
Your salary range consists of two things:
Walkaway rate (the lowest amount of money you can accept without looking for another job)
Ideal salary
Now, your ideal salary is based on market research. It needs to be within alignment with the market. You need to make sure that you're not overreaching on that range and, at the same time, you don't want to sell yourself short. So you do your homework and figure out, based on your skill set and your location, what your ideal salary is.
Your salary range could be big, maybe tens of thousands of dollars difference between the lowest number (the walkaway rate), and the highest number (your ideal salary). But it's a range. And you should present that to the recruiter and say...
"My range is (blank). This is the least amount of money I can take, and this is what I'm hoping to make. And that's really dependent upon the benefits, the opportunity itself, and what's involved. Do you have any opportunities that fit that range?"
That's how you start this conversation.
Recruiters hate it when people avoid the salary conversation. If you went into a store as a customer and asked, "How much does this cost?" and the salesperson said, "Well, let's get to know each other more before I tell you," that would feel super shady, wouldn't it? Well, that's what you're doing in this situation if you're not upfront because the recruiters are the buyers, the customers, and you're the business-of-one, the service provider selling your services.
So, when negotiating salary with a recruiter, you should be very confident, calm, and relaxed, and be able to explain your range. When you do that, you look so professional. And now the recruiter is excited because this is their first interaction with you. They're thinking, "This personâthey know their range, they know their worth, they know what they want. I can work with this person."
Ultimately, it's all about doing some research and knowing your value as an employee, and then communicating that effectively with a salary range. That's all you have to do to successfully negotiate salary with a recruiter.
If you need more help negotiating salary with a recruiter or hiring manager, I can help.
I'd love it if you joined my FREE community where professionals like you are learning how to become empowered in their careers so they can finally find career happiness and satisfaction. More importantly, I have tons of resources inside this community that can help you prepare for your next job search.
Sign up for my FREE community and become a Workplace Renegade today! My team and I are looking forward to working with you soon.
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In order to have a productive discussion about career growth with your boss, it is important for you to prepare and think through some key items ahead of time. You want to be in full control of your career path and the best way to do that is to approach your manager with confidence and conviction around your career growth goals.
To prepare for the discussion, start by answering some basic questions about yourself and your career:
This response should focus on what you hope to achieve in your career.
What are your values?
This response should include your top five values in life. The importance of answering this question is to be sure your career goals match your current values. For example, if you value innovation, that influences your career choice and objectives.
What are your motivators?
This response includes examples of what motivates you. Is it fast-paced work with short deadlines? Is it structured work or flexible work? As with your values, you want to be sure your career objectives align with your motivators.
Deeper Career Questions To Ask Yourself
What is your short-term career objective?
This response should be about where you see yourself in the next 12 months. If you want to be in a new assignment, then you should state that, as well as what that assignment could be. If you want to remain in your current role but perhaps take on additional duties, then include that information in this question response.
What is your long-term career objective?
This response highlights your ultimate career growth objective. Some people do not know what this is, but if you do, it is important to share it with your manager. This helps your career plan to be tailored toward reaching your ultimate career goals.
Questions For Planning Career Growth
What are your strengths?
This response focuses on your current strengths that you can leverage as you grow in your career.
What are your developmental areas?
This is about the areas where you need to grow so you can reach your career objective.
What are you willing to do in the next 12 months to reach your career objective(s)?
This response should focus on some specific, tactical items (SMART goals) that you can work on over the next 12 months. Consider this your action plan to reach your objective.
After Preparing For A Career Discussion With Your Boss
After you have these questions answered and feel comfortable with your responses, it is time to share this information with your manager. Ask your boss for input on your career growth objectives and whether they feel these are reasonable and achievable.
Ask them for input on your strengths and development areas and also request their support of your action plan. This will aid in your ability to be successful in reaching your objectives.
By taking the time to answer these questions and prepare for your career discussion, it will be much more productive and, hopefully, a more engaging discussion for both you and your manager.
Not sure how to grow your career? We can help!
We'd love it if you joined our FREE community. Itâs a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades.
It's time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!
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A lot of people tell you to follow your passion, follow your dreams, or do what makes you happy. But how many people are really doing it?
Survey after survey indicates that the majority of employees are unhappy in their professions or wished they had pursued other passions earlier. So, why do they stay?
In reality, it may be a case of not really understanding what they want to do. Finding your work passion is tough when you have no idea where to start. However, the alternative of not figuring it out can leave you even more unhappy, bitter, and unproductive.
When you realize you want to do something else but have no idea where to begin, follow these steps to get started:
Evaluate What Drives You Each Day
In order to find your work passion, you have to evaluate what drives you. What makes you tick? What issues do you feel particularly excited about? What cause or stance would make you drop everything to make life better?
Answering these questions can help you to assess your interests and decide where you can place them in your professional life. They can also help you create an interview bucket list, which is vital to a strategic job search.
Connect Those Strengths To A Career
Not every interest translates into a career. For example, just because you love soccer doesn't mean you can make a career out of it. Instead, focus on the strengths that you have and connect these strengths to a career path. So, for the person who's interested in soccer, perhaps you also have a real interest in how the sport is marketed. You may want to look into sports marketing positions, which can fulfill both interests.
(P.S. If you want to know which careers you'd thrive in based on your workplace persona, check out ourfree quiz!)
Ask Yourself If It's Realistic
You may be a great public speaker. However, that doesn't mean you should be the president.
Setting realistic expectations can help you to navigate these strengths into a suitable career. While not everyone can be the president, you can pursue public speaking opportunities elsewhere. To help you, try making a list of all of the jobs you would like to have and narrow them down to jobs you have the most chance of actually landing.
Network And Gain Connections
Networking and gaining the right connections can have dual benefits. First, networking can help you meet people with similar dreams and work passions. These connections can then let you know how they got to where they are, share pros and cons about your passion, and provide some real insight into what you can expect.
Next, networking and gaining the right connections can help you break into an industry. Think of it as that golden ticket to finding and then landing those jobs you would do anything for. This is particularly vital to those who haven't worked in the given space, even if they love it.
Be Bold
Being bold can get you far in life. It's how so many innovators and leaders reached that level of greatness.
While your work passion may be out there, it's necessary to pursue it if it's important enough to you. Sure, it's probably going to take a lot of hours and late nights. However, being bold means taking the good with the bad and moving forward with the notion that it's all worth it. And if it's not worth it, then you can move on to something that is.
Finding your work passion and relevant jobs when you have no idea where to start can be very frustrating. However, once you understand what your passion is, you can get busy getting your life started, and be happier because of it.
If you could use more help figuring out what you're passionate about, we're here for you!
We'd love it if you joined our FREE community. Itâs a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades.
It's time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.