9 Nifty Tips for Nailing a Group Interview

9 Nifty Tips for Nailing a Group Interview It pains me to say it, but group  interviews make sense. When HR resources are tight, businesses can swap the good old one-to-one method for an all-in-one approach instead. By getting all potential candidates together in one room, employers save time and manpower money. Watching applicants operate in a group setting also offers them  a great insight into each persons sense of teamwork and ability to interact with others. It also provides an opportunity for comparison and benchmarking. While this style is all sunshine and lollypops for employers, group interviews are actually pretty scary for the  candidates! Not only do you have to research, prepare, fight the nerves and sell yourself like you would in an individual interview, you now have to do it all in front of your direct competition while trying  to stand out in a group where everyone is trying to stand out. Freaky stuff. Challenge accepted. To  leave the winning impression on the panel, you need to need to focus on  nailing  these 9 things: 1. Presentation How you look is the first thing interviewers will notice. Their visual judgement of you comes before the  verbal one, so dress to impress. Always dress smartly and professionally, but if theres ever a time to whip out the crowd-pleaser outfit with a pop of colour, its now. You want to be noticed for the right reasons, and not blend into the background. Needless to say, steer clear of crushed clothes, food stains, messy  hair and too much skin on show. 2. Skills Re-read the job description before going in and revise your own CV too (in case they probe into it). Be very clear in your mind about your best skills and expertise; when it comes to the group tasks, try to mention or reference points which highlight an in-depth understanding of the subject matter, and your technical capability. 3. Creativity Regardless of the role you are applying for, youll need to be prepared to showcase creativity. People like to hire people who think in an entrepreneurial way, who think outside the box and arent afraid to find new ways of doing things. When answering questions in front of a group, dont fall into the trap of going for the safe and obvious answer. Try something different to get you noticed. If the obvious answer is obvious to you, its obvious to everyone else too and saying it wont win you any favours, and will only waste you opportunity to showcase your uniqueness. 4. Confidence Conduct breathing exercises before you go in if thats what it takes. Youll really need to show the hiring managers you are confident of your own abilities, and confident to speak in front of a group. If you are going to successfully interact with clients, stakeholders or colleagues  in the role youre applying for, you need to showcase an air of confidence. Dont be the one in the group cowering from the limelight, and avoid making nervous, self-deprecating comments when presenting in front of the other candidates. 5. Attitude Being confident is one thing; being arrogant and bossy is another.  Dont be afraid to put your hand up to answer a question, or volunteer for an exercise, but avoid being the person who has to be heard all the time. You dont want to be seen as the know-it-all who is hogging all the air time. Showcasing a positive, social attitude is important these hiring managers are looking for someone to work with them every day. They want someone who is not only ambitious but easy to be around too. 6. Teamwork Dont get roped into a power struggle. Be sure to push for your opinions and ideas to be heard, but be conscious of letting other people speak, and to take things in turn. Hiring managers wont just wait to be blwon away by a final presentation; they will watch how you interact with others, and if youre constantly butting in and speaking over others, or hogging the air time,  its not a good look. 7.  Leadership You need to show that you can be a good leader. Dont shy away from the opportunity to pull everyone together. Even if you arent delegated the task of group leader, when it is your turn to present to the group there are several leadership qualities you can showcase. For starters, offering praise to  other candidates for their ideas shows you arent self-centred or too proud to give credit where credits due. Just dont be patronising. Speaking in a clear and concise manner at a comfortable pace, with the right level of projection shows you can control your words and collect our thoughts  properly. Its also important to think of some intelligent, relevant questions to ask. If you can raise a really good point, or highlight your understanding of the subject matter by your ability to probe deeper into it in the right way, you will get extra brownie points. A great attribute of an  excellent leader is their ability to ask and listen, not just delegate. 8.  Body language When other people are talking, look at them. When people are talking to you, maintain a comfortable level of eye contact. There is a balance to be struck between staring someone down and gazing around the room seeming disinterested. Take notes, but not too many notes that it looks like youre doodling.  You should also make  sure you dont cross your arms or slump onto onto one foot; maintaining a nice, strong posture will paint you as a professional who is aware of their surroundings and audience. 9. Personality Prepare for ice breakers! Dont be too serious going into the room, there will almost certainly be a warm up activity where you have to  talk about yourself and your interests. Research some ice breaking games and practice coming up with something on the spot. The key here is not to opt out of answering the question. At all costs, avoid the embarrassed giggle accompanied by, I dont know! or I cant think! Even if the question is, if you could be one piece of food, what would you be and why?, it is still an interview and you are still required to come up with a compelling answer. If you feel confident enough, try to crack a joke laughter is the best medicine for nerves, so itll ease the tension in the room, and youll be thought of as the hero. Once youve finished the interview, its important to treat it like any other interview. Follow up with a thank you and a pleasure to meet email (if youve been in contact directly with them prior to this). If youve nailed all 9 of these things, you should expect a call back pretty quickly! Image: Shutterstock

The Dos and Donts of Writing a Resume

The Do's and Don'ts of Writing a ResumeLearning the do and don'ts of writing a resume can help you immensely when it comes to creating a document that will help you get the job you want. When writing a resume you are effectively filling out a form. When applying for a job you have to prove yourself to the potential employer in some way or another. You need to make yourself stand out from the rest of the applicants for the job.So how can you learn how to help yourself? Well, there are certain things you should know about what is on your resume before you start to fill it out. The reason why is because it might appear dishonest or overly fussy to an employer if they don't recognize your skills or abilities in the position you are applying for.The first thing to look for is proof of your skills in previous jobs. List any work experience you may have in your cover letter and in your resume. This is important as it demonstrates that you have the necessary skills to get the job done.Anothe r thing to look for is to get a sense of how you present yourself in your resume. For example, if you know that your English is below average it would be better if you spend a little extra time on improving it so that it does not detract from your overall presentation.Know your goals. If you want to increase your chances of getting the job then it would be a good idea to focus on writing a resume that will show you to be the best applicant for the job. Keep in mind that employers are looking for an employee that they can trust so ensure that your language is clear and easy to understand.On the other hand, a lot of people use this opportunity to simply pad their resumes with extraneous information that is not what employers are looking for. However, doing this will just waste the employer's time and have them questioning your true abilities and skills.Another common mistake is to use certain words that are overused such as in the resume example above. Remember that employers do not r ead resumes because they are looking for candidates who are qualified and capable. Instead they read resumes to see if you have the capability to handle the job.Do and don'ts of writing a resume are basic. They are just to help you avoid making mistakes when writing a resume. With these simple rules you will find that you are able to easily write a resume that will help you get the job you want.

What Disney Can Teach Entrepreneurs - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

What Disney Can Teach Entrepreneurs - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career When Walt Disney first sketched a mouse on a train trip back from a failed business meeting, he probably had no idea that Mickey Mouse would become the enduring icon of family entertainment and the Disney brand. However, as he built his empire, he probably wasn’t surprised by it. The business decisions he made suggest that he understood people and what it took to attract their business. Here are some important lessons Disney can teach entrepreneurs. It’s About the Experience I challenge anyone to visit a Disney park and not marvel at the depth of detail in every ride, restaurant, walk-way and staff engagement. Walking into a Disney park is like walking into magic and the illusion never ends. But beyond creating an atmosphere of family, fun and good times, the experience extends to services and customer support. Don’t want to wait in line? Get a fast pass with a time to show up later and go to the head of the line. Something’s gone wrong? Disney will fix it or work to make it better. Disney understood that a good brand is built on generating positive feelings from customers, and the parks are built around that idea. It’s Personal Millions of people visit Disney parks and stores, and purchase Disney products every day. Even so, the company strives to make its customers feel special. Visit a park on your birthday, and every staff person will wish you a happy birthday.  Its MagicBands and cards allow visitors easy access to their rooms, enter the parks, sign in for Fast Pass, and purchase food and items. A family’s visit and the MagicBands and cards can be customized, allowing everyone to design their own Disney experience.  Successful entrepreneurs understand that part of creating an exceptional experience for customers is by giving them what they want or need and making them feel special. Retain the Brand, Yet Change with the Times The music industry and now the publishing industry have struggled in the digital age. Traditions and the old ways kept them from recognizing and taking advantage of change. However, Disney has kept pace with changing times. While it continues to deliver exceptional service and meet its mission of quality family entertainment, it recognizes that it’s not the 1950s anymore. Disney heroines of today are stronger and more independent than their predecessors who needed a prince to save the day. Disney has moved into the digital age with MagicBands and cards, and mobile apps that allow visitors to access more and get information faster and easier.  The Disney company recognizes that changing times requires an ability to adapt to better meet customer needs. You don’t have to like Disney to recognize that the company does some things very well, making it a model for other entrepreneurs. By focusing on delivering a positive experience, making customers feel important and valued, and being able to keep pace with changing customer needs, you can build a successful business too no magic required. Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

How to find the right job for you

How to find the right job for you We reorganized the company today. We brought in a new, interim CEO, whos not me. For many entrepreneurs, that is their worst nightmare. But I couldnt be happier. For one thing, its a sign that my company, Brazen Careerist, is doing well. Remember when the company was running out of money and my electricity was getting turned off? There was no one worrying then that I was the wrong person for the CEO position. No one cared because it looked like we were going under. But then the media started talking about how we could be LinkedIn for Gen Y and we started moving fast. I dont worry about of money anymore, and we are moving at a faster speed because we can see where we are going, how well make money, and how well grow the community. 1. Know where your strengths are. The thing that makes me great is my writing. I have spent my whole life writing, constantly trying to figure out how to earn money writing. My favorite thing Ive ever written is this blog. I adore the conversation, I adore the format, the never-ending research, and the self-referential links, because thats how my mind works: connecting random stuff together all the time trying to figure out the best path to happiness. Blogging is my dream-come-true media. But I also love building companies. So I was in heaven for two years turning my blog brand into a social networking company. I am great in that phase of a businessthinking, philosophizing, finding holes in markets, finding holes in ideas. I never give up. I always have another idea, and I dont mind feeling lost day after day, week after week. 2. Watch where you gravitate. But now the company needs to run fast, to execute a model we have confidence in. I am not fast at executionI do not keep ten thousand things in my head at one time. Heres a good example: I flew to DC to talk with investors and had about five hours to retool our presentation to incorporate a new marketing plan. I spent two of those hours writing a blog post. And the more responsibility I had for running a large team, trying to hit many goals at once, the less work I did. Honestly, I just didnt know what to do. I was outside my core strength. And I know this: the first sign that you are outside of your strengths is when you cant make yourself do the work you need to do. 3. Find people who complement your strengths. To get out of germination mode and reach our launch, I needed to surround myself with people with complimentary skills. I spent two years looking for business partners before I found Ryan Healy and Ryan Paugh. The way I knew it was a good fit is that as soon as I suggested we partner, they said yes, and then had a million ideas of their own. Then, when the company was stuck financially, I found a new board member who runs a company with $150 million in revenue. He met with me every week for six months to help me focus on cash flow. When the company was clearly moving too fast for me to keep up as CEO, I badgered another board member to be CEO. He told me a number of reasons why that wouldnt work he had had two huge exits and he wasnt planning to be CEO again, and another company wanted him to be CEO, and he wants to watch his kids play football. These are all good reasons that I overcame, and I got him to agree to be interim CEO. 4. Do what differentiates you. So Im going to be Chief Evangelist. This is a great job for me, because basically, I keep blogging, and talking to the media, and I go to SXSW with my fake tan. Most of all, I am certain Im right about Brazen Careerist. LinkedIn is a place to display your network, not build your network. Facebook is too personal to use as a platform for managing your professional life. The way to build your network is through conversation, and Brazen Careerist is a great tool for that network-building conversation that gets you control over your career. (And hey, you should sign up!) I can talk about this all day. 5. If you really can do the job, youll be doing it already. Recently, I did a live chat on the Washington Post web site, answering fifty questions in sixty minutes about how to use social media to help your career. The chat was fun, and people asked interesting questions. It was great exposure for Brazen Careerist. But during that hour I couldnt help wondering: Who is making sure were hitting marketing numbers? Who is going to hire the new head of sales? Now I have an answer: Ryan Healy. In any office, employees gravitate to the job each should be doing, no matter what the titles are. Sometimes we gravitate to a job and its not available, and we go nuts doing something we shouldnt be doing. Sometimes we gravitate to that job and its such a good fit for us that we do it even without a title. Ryan Healy has been running day-to-day operations of the company for a while now. Without the official authority. Because hes great at it. While I am thinking of ideas and philosophizing, Ryan is always asking, What are we getting done? A lot of people say they should be doing a job they do not have the authority to do. Heres some news, though: Youd be doing it already if you were great at it. Ryan Healy is now Chief Operating Officer at Brazen Careerist because hes already shown he can do the job. Thats how you get serious promotions: doing the job first, in an outstanding way. Okay. So what you can expect from me is more blog posts, because when my blog traffic goes up, its good for Brazen Careerist. And you can also expect to see less of me feeling frazzled and crazy and fighting with Ryan. Because Im not anymore. Im back in my sweet spot, and I feel so lucky to be here.

Using Professional Resume Writing Services in Austin Texas

Using Professional Resume Writing Services in Austin TexasHiring a professional resume writing service in Austin Texas can help you with the job search. A professional resume writer will write your resume for you and give you tips on how to create a successful resume. This is often more effective than doing the job yourself.Professional resume writing services will read your resume. They may check it for spelling, and grammar mistakes. They will provide suggestions for making your resume more professional, such as using first person pronouns, titles in the 'correct' format, and adding a title under each accomplishment. They may even suggest doing these things yourself, if your resume is less than perfect.Another tip offered by the professional resume writing services in Austin Texas is creating a cover letter. This cover letter can be copied from another job posting. You can use this cover letter as your original and edit it to suit your personal requirements. This helps your potenti al employer see that you are well prepared for the job.Professional resume writing services also offer a variety of services. Many include copy editing. Editing includes checking for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and spelling. It is also used to make sure that the information provided is correct. Many of the professional resume writing services in Austin Texas offer proofreading services, but you can be assured of their professionalism and expertise.Another benefit to hiring a professional is the job search. These services offer services such as a job search. The job search will include researching jobs in your area, finding the best jobs, and matching up with the best jobs available.Finally, many of these services have excellent customer service. This is important because they are representing you. They understand how important the job search is to your future and strive to provide you with assistance in finding the right job.Hiring a professional resume writing service in Austin Texas is often the most cost effective way to get a job. It is often more convenient because you don't have to travel to find an experienced and professional writer. And it is more convenient because you can save money by eliminating the need to put yourself out there on the job market and turn down jobs you don't feel are right for you.There are many reasons to hire a professional resume writing service in Austin Texas. So, take some time to learn more about what your options are, and then choose the best one to help you on your job search.

EuroGEL 2006 and Festival In The Workplace - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

EuroGEL 2006 and Festival In The Workplace - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Tuesday is your last chance to sign up for the EuroGEL 2006 conference on september 1st in Copenhagen. Read more and sign up. I hope I see you there :o) And dont forget the pre-EuroGEL presentation on Festivals In The Workplace Im doing together with Roosevelt Finlayson from the Bahamas and Traci Fenton from D.C. on august 31st from 4-6 PM at Caf? Enter in Copenhagen. Read all about it and send me an email if youd like to be there. Its free and its fun!! Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

5 Strategies To Trim Your Résumé To The Right Length - CareerEnlightenment.com

The Diamond ApproachWhen I was learning to write essays back in high school, my teachers likened an essay to an hourglass shape: broad at the top and bottom to tie together the general ideas, and narrow in the middle sections to focus on each argument, point-by-point.When I’m detailing experience on a client’s résumé, I imagine a diamond shape.The top and bottom points (think home plate and second base, if you’re imagining a baseball diamond) are where you simply list things. The wide points in the vertical centre (first and third base) are where you get into the nitty gritty details.How does this work in practice? I use three different sections to give a résumé its ‘diamond’ structure:Professional Summary: A list of all jobs within the past 10 to 15 years, including title, company, and month/year dates of tenure.Experience: Detailed responsibilities and accomplishments for 3 to 5 recent and relevant roles, using bullet points.Earlier / Additional Experience: A list of early career jobs, including title, company, and years of tenure.The reason the diamond approach works so well is it allows you to present a complete career history without going into too much detail, highlighting the important information without omitting anything.Combine RolesIf you’ve spent a long time at one company, chances are you’ve been moved around from role to role, department to department.This is usually a good thing, because it demonstrates depth of experience, confidence in your abilities, and an ability to succeed across scenarios.But what if one or two of those roles just aren’t that significant within the grand scheme of things?Maybe budget cuts shut down the department after 8 months, or the mandate was quickly achieved, and you were moved along into another, more relevant role?With space (and a recruiter’s attention) at a premium, don’t feel like you have to detail less-than-memorable roles.Don’t omit it entirely, of course, but feel free to simply lis t it in the Professional Summary Section, and then combine it with the role immediately preceding or following it, explaining what you’ve done with a bullet point.Here’s an example:Head of Product Innovation, Home Widgets                                 Dec 2011 to CurrentTeam Lead, Home Widget Improvement Task Force                  Aug 2011 to Nov 2011ABC CorporationRole evolved from overseeing a 5-person continuous improvement task force to leading implementation of task force recommendations, spearheading innovation across the $3bn home widget division to capture share of market and increase revenue.Ultimately, your résumé is more a marketing brochure than a court transcript: present the information in the way that paints you in the best light, while (of course) still being truthful.Be Strategic About Consulting Contract Work.These days, it’s not uncommon for executives to have experience going from contract to contract, or spending stretches of th eir careers consulting for other businesses.Whether you were getting your feet into the Australian market after a stint overseas, or consulted after selling your start-up and before your next full-time role, jumping around for a period has less stigma than it used it, as long as you can present it compellingly.For consulting roles, I typically advise clients to treat it as self-employment on their résumé: list tailored consulting and small business owner duties in the Responsibilities section, and explain each engagement, including the impact you had, with two to three bullet points in a Key Projects section.For contract positions, there are a few options.If the roles were similar, consider listing each in the Professional Summary section, and then combining details in the Experience section, similar to how a Consultant might.For those contracts you’d like to downplay, don’t be afraid to move them to an Additional Experience section, freeing up space to focus on your most impr essive roles.Eliminate The FluffAllow me to be blunt for a moment.If you’re going after a COO job, recruiters don’t need to know that you’re PADI deep water certified, have completed every 100 Books to Read Before you Die list on the Internet, or are a champion cheesecake eater. (Unless, of course, it is COO of a diving operation, publishing house, or a cheesecake manufacturer, in which case go to town!)“Butbutmy personality,” you protest.And you’re right. Personality does matter to recruiters, just not at the initial résumé screening stage.Move that stuff over to your LinkedIn profile or, even better, your website (you have a website which showcases your personal brand, right?), and focus on what really matters in your résumé: all the ways in which you’re qualified to be the next (insert job title).While I’m on the topic, know that personality isn’t the only source of fluff on long résumés.Unending lists of professional development courses, skills, and techn ologies can have the same eyes-glaze-over effect on recruiters. I’m talking about things that are obvious, irrelevant, out-of-date, or lacking broad credibility:The Executive Assistant who lists Microsoft Word as a skill;The Data Entry Specialist who lists “Public Speaking for Marketing Managers” as a qualification;The CTO who lists systems they worked with 25 years ago;The VP of PR who lists every in-house, non-credentialed professional development workshop they’ve ever taken.Go through your résumé and (critically) ask yourself these two questions: Does this make me look out-of-touch? Does it seem like I’m padding my experience/qualifications?If the answer is yes to either, make use of your delete key.The Five Question TestAt the end of the day, everything on your résumé and I really do mean everything should serve a clear goal: communicating why you’re qualified for the job, and securing an interview.That means looking at your résumé through the (skeptical) eye s of a recruiter, and asking yourself whether you have what they’re looking for.While the details change for each role, recruiters’ high-level assessments don’t actually change all that much across functions or levels.To make sure my bespoke executive résumés communicate everything recruiters need to see in order to invite my clients for an interview, I’ve developed a 5 Question Test.If a résumé doesn’t answer every question, we keep working until it does.Scope: Have they managed teams, budgets, projects, etc. of a similar size, scope, and level of importance to the role?Experience: Do they understand the commercial drivers and impact of the function and industry, as demonstrated by what they’ve done, and the insights they’ve shared in their résumé?Skills and Competencies: Do they have the key skills and competencies needed to succeed in this role?Getting It Done: Have they proven they’re able to deliver on the strategic priorities and mandates of past roles?Pr ogression: Does their career make sense to me? Have they progressed logically and succeeded in roles with more responsibility and impact?If you find your résumé is too long, get out your red pen and cut out everything that doesn’t answer the 5 Question Test.If you’re anything like me, it can be legitimately hard to edit out roles and projects that were a significant part of your life, but with only 1-3 pages to work with (depending on your level of seniority) and with your résumé being the difference between getting an interview, and continuing to languish in the job search wilderness it’s critical that you invest the time to do it properly.