Shine A Spotlight In Your Next Job Interview

Spotlight by Blondinrikard Fröberg on Flickr under Creative Commons by/2.0 As a job candidate, it’s up to you to shine the spotlight on the skills and experiences you’ve had that are relevant to the job or company you are interviewing for. Listen to this article on ConversationsOnCareers.com Take a moment It is not enough to have a dozen well-rehearsed stories that illustrate examples in response to the interview questions you anticipate. Invariably, you will get asked a question that you haven’t prepared for. In a few seconds you will have to decide which story fits the question best and start your answer. The danger is that you will tell the story as you’ve prepared it without tailoring it to your audience or the exact question. Interviewers remember when a response doesn’t answer their question. But they don’t remember that you took an extra few seconds before starting your response. Focus on what your audience wants to hear The AIM framework from Lynn Russell and Mary Munter is a great tool to employ when preparing any communication, including job interview responses. The acronym stands for Audience, Intent, Message. The audience is the person or people receiving the communication. The intent is both your intent: what you want to happen, and the intent you want to create in your audience. The message is both the delivery mechanism and the content. When preparing for any interview, take the time to really think about your audience. Are you speaking with the recruiter, or the hiring manager? These are two different audiences, and your intent will be different. For the recruiter, your intent is to...

Podcast Recommendations For and By MBAs – 2021 Edition

I recently asked University of Washington Foster MBA students and Alumni for podcast recommendations. I received the following 28 recommendations from 11 people (including myself), and I didn’t recommend my own ConversationsOnCareers.com podcast, but I do recommend it! Here is list, in alphabetical order. Sorry I do not have links, nor have I fully categorized it, but I will try to update this post soon. For now you can search the titles in your player of choice. AcquiredAll-inBabbageConnected & ReadyEconomist AsksExponential ViewFreakonomics RadioFunction with Anil DashHBR After HoursHBR IdeaCastHBR Women at WorkHidden ForcesHow I Built This w/ Guy RozHow to Be Awesome at Your JobHow We Survive (from Marketplace, about the environment and sustainability)MarketplaceMarketplace TechMasters In Business (from Bloomberg)Money TalksOdd LotsPivot (w/ Kara Swisher from NYT)Planet Money & The IndicatorSwitchedOn – future of energy, transportation and sustainabilityThe IntelligenceThe PitchThe Prof G Show (w Scott Galloway)Why’d You Push That ButtonYour Undivided Attention (w Tristan Harris and the Center for Humane...
Tips For Taking A LinkedIn Profile Photo

Tips For Taking A LinkedIn Profile Photo

A good headshot on LinkedIn is important for your profile. Users with photos receive 21x more views than profiles without, and are 36x more likely to receive messages. A “professional” photo increases those chances even further.  But you don’t need to pay a professional photographer to have a “professional” looking photo.  We’re going to provide some tips for getting a good photo. The good news is that smart phone cameras are perfectly capable of capturing and editing a high quality photo for your LinkedIn profile. While you will probably get better results if you have a friend or family member take the photo, you can also achieve good results with a selfie.  Either way, here are some considerations: Look your best: pick out a professional outfit that is aligned with the role and industry you are targeting. Look at the profiles of people with that role/industry and see how they are dressed. IE Bankers are buttoned up with a suit and tie, or blouse and blazer, product managers in tech are probably going to be more casual, think collared shirt, no tie. Take care of your personal grooming, hair (including facial hair for men), makeup, jewelry, etc… Make eye contact with the camera and remember to smile! This is another reason having someone else take your photo will likely yield better results, a friend can make you smile and capture multiple shots in a row to capture that perfect moment, and you will be looking at the lens, not your own image on the screen. Setting, background, lighting: find a place to take your photo where the background is...

Podcasts I’m Listening To (Summer 2020 Edition)

When the topic of podcasts comes up, the next question is always, “What do you listen to?” and since my listening habits change regularly, I figured it was long past time to update my current heavy rotation. News and Current Events Seattle NowUp FirstConsider ThisNPR Politics PodcastMarketplace TechShortwave Long Form Interview and Though The Ezra Klein ShowTen Percent HappierThe Science of Happiness Business and Industry Planet MoneyThe Indicator from Planet MoneyHBR IdeacastHBR Women at WorkHBR After HoursMasters In BusinessPrimedWorkLife with Adam GrantThink Fast, Talk Smart Kids and Stories I listen to alot of podcasts with my son, some of them include Myths and LegendsStories PodcastCircle RoundMystery RecipeTumble ScienceBrains OnForever AgoTreasure Island...
Zoom Backgrounds For Your Next Virtual Meeting

Zoom Backgrounds For Your Next Virtual Meeting

Are you #WFH (working form home)? Do you need a new background for your virtual meetings on Zoom, or Microsoft Teams? I found some great options with an interior design flair: Arhous furnitureRentFurniture.comWest ElmCurbed.comBruntwood.co.ukBEHR (the paint company)One Fine Stay (more exotic travel inspiration backgrounds)Search Pexels for “Zoom Office Backgrounds” So why not download a new background and virtually transport yourself to a new...