Video interview tips

Video interview tips by Amber Rolfe Everything’s done online these days. Even interviews…The possibility of being invited to a video interview is on the rise, and this will either fill you with fear of the unknown, relief that you won’t have to leave the comfort of your house, or maybe even a bit of both.A video interview will have a large amount of similarities to a regular face-to-face interview, but here are some specific video interview tips to help you get started:Prepare your surroundingsMake sure you choose a quiet space for the interview, and tidy the area so it looks presentable. It’s always good to have a clear, uncluttered space to help you to concentrate on the task at hand, and to remind you that you’re in a formal situation.Also, get rid of any potentially embarrassing or offensive belongings lying around. Your interviewer will be able to see more than you think, and the smallest distraction in the background that you thought wasn’t in view could give too much away about your personal life, or reflect badly on you.Note: It’s OK to like Star trek, but it’s not OK to have your entire bedroom decorated with memorabilia (complete with Spock costume) when you’re on a professional video call.Look the partUltimately, a video interview is supposed to follow the same rules and format as a face-to-face interview, so it’s a good idea to wear the same outfit you’d wear if you were going to the workplace. Being professionally dressed will also put you in the right mind-set, and stop you from falling into an overly comfortable ‘I’m at home in bed’ state.Since you’ll be sat down, and expectedly, only viewable from the waist up, it might be tempting to wear interview-appropriate clothes on top and some kind of pyjamas on the bottom. But, as comfy as it sounds, we don’t recommend you do this.What if you have to get up? Or the cat decides that now is the time for his amateur acrobatics, involving him jumping on the table and knocking the camera f ocus downwards? Yeah, you know it could happen.Avoid any potential interruptionsCall a babysitter, switch off your phone, tell your friends you’re out, and so on.Awkward interruptions that interfere with the smooth running of your interview are best avoided as much as possible. You want an interviewer to see you’re serious about their role, so show you’re prepared.Always turn off the TV, music, and close other programmes on your computer. You might really need to catch up on your Netflix binge watching that you often use as ‘background noise’, but now is not the time.And finally, ensure those you live with are aware. The last thing you want is someone screaming your name at the top of their voice, asking if you’d rather have Chinese or Indian for dinner. It’s a tough choice, we get it. But one to be discussed after the interview.Look at the camera, not the screenEye contact is important in any kind of interview, but video calls make it a lot harder to follow, because, where do you look?If you look directly at the interviewer on the screen, it might feel like you’re giving good eye contact, but all they’ll see is you looking down. Focus on looking directly at the camera instead, at least for the most-part of the interview.Also, remember to smile.Make use of notes, but don’t rely on them too muchGreat news: looking at your notes is acceptable in a video interview. As long as you do it subtly, there’s no reason you can’t have handy tips nearby. Use them to help you answer any difficult questions or remember specific facts about the role or company.But don’t use them as a script, or you’ll probably sound like a monotonous robot with no natural feelings. And you won’t be able to look at the camera at the same time.Remember: body language is still a thingAlthough you’re not in the same room as your interviewer physically, body language remains important. Sit up straight, look attentive and enthusiastic.Be aware of the limitations in s ound quality and volume in this situation you want your interviewer to hear you clearly. Don’t cover your mouth, remain conscious of your hand-to-face gestures, and try and keep your hands at bay in a safe place, AKA your knees.Sure, use hand movements to emphasise a point if it feels natural, but don’t overdo it. You also shouldn’t force it just because you don’t know what to do with your hands.Top tip: Hold a pen to occupy your hands if that stops the random arm flailing.PracticeHaving a video interview trial run is not only important for gaging the best body language and practicing your answers, but also to test your equipment. Because let’s face it, technology isn’t always the most trustworthy of things, and you never know when it might decide to malfunction.Check the best angle for your webcam, the best height of your chair, and the speed of your connection. Because no one can pull off the blurry, constantly freezing, pixelated look without looking like part of a b ad 80s arcade game.Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Interview Techniques Telephone, video and group interviews

Personal Branding Weekly - Have Strings Attached Always - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Weekly - Have Strings Attached Always - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I’ll best illustrate this with the use of a listening-to-the-radio analogy. If you listen to the radio, you have a couple of (or more) stations you like to listen to, maybe for the music they play or the programs they feature. However, should you hear something you don’t like (songs you don’t appreciate, too many commercials), odds are you’ll change the station. Even more displeasing is where there’s too much static noise on a particular station, in which case you hurriedly find the next best station and escape the static! Always having strings attached to the content you provide Blending that analogy to our topic of the day, your personal brand is the radio station, and what you present to your audience is like the music/content that radio stations provide. If the audience likes what you have to offer (informative content, helpful material and advice), they’ll tune in to your brand. Noise in your personal branding comes when you start being confusing in your messaging. Messages that are disconnected from your brand, are more likely to chase your audience away. Constantly going ‘salesy’ on your audience is bound to push them away as well, much like a station playing too many commercials will drive listeners away. This often happens when you’re focused diligently on garnering a “return on your investment” into your personal brand. The audience wants messages that are relevant, useful, informative, and valuable yet authentic to your personal brand. How do you help, with a product or a service, a specific audience?   If you can communicate helpful hints or educate others from your strength area, then your audience sees that your messages are relevant and helpful. When they see you as someone who provides helpful, valuable information they’ll seek you out for further business. A list of ingredients does not make a chef.  Go ahead! Share what goes into the secret sauce!  [tweet this] The trick is to balance the helpful content with the marketing pitch. Asking every once in a while for customers to buy from you is acceptable, as it’s a good way to generate business. However, let the ratio of good content in relation to marketing be favorable in terms of the former, and you’ll be keeping your “listeners” tuned in all the time. Tune into our authors who shared these great insights this past week: 4 Tips To Ace Your Next Phone Interview  by Glassdoor.com What You Don’t Know About Yourself is Shocking  by Nance Rosen Learning to Dance: An Interview with Ben Weston  by Bill Connolly Do’s and Don’ts of Business Cards  by Ceren Cubukcu 6 Ways to Expand Your Personal Brand Beyond LinkedIn  by Heather Huhman Revitalize the Prison to Attract Audiences  by Elinor Stutz The 7 Real Reasons You Need to Be an Expert at Something  by Brian Horn What the Interviewer Wants to Know about You  by Alex Freund Want a Better Career? Smile More  by Richard Kirby MS CEO: Open Mouth, Insert Foot  by Skip Freeman Word of Mouth Starts by Owning Your Contacts  by Maria Elena Duron Is Someone Getting the Best of You?  by Jeff Shuey Growing Your Personal Brand Facebook Fan Page  by Susan Gilbert 6 Ways to Get Your First Client  by Leslie Truex Kick-start Your Week With A Happiness Regimen  by Beth Kuhel How to Be More Persuasive at Work  by Ken Sundheim How Long Will My Job Search Take?  by Marc Miller

Personal Brands - Dress to Impress Not Dress for Success - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Brands - Dress to Impress Not Dress for Success - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Building space by Norbert Lov; Creative Commons Listening to a co-worker, Kristen, she shared, “Growing up, I was a lucky child. I had parents that never forced me into a role. They regularly taught me to be happy and to love myself no matter what others would think. But, more importantly, they instilled in me the fact that books cannot be judged by their covers. It’s because of this I never cared about what I wore since only the people worth getting to know wouldn’t care about your appearance. However, as I grew older and met more and more people, I found there was something more to the idea of dressing to impress. Where the not caring about appearance made it extremely easy to find those that were actually worth getting to know, caring about my appearance allowed me to impress those that would have otherwise paid me no mind.” In reality, not paying attention to appearance is a harder feat to accomplish. We, after all, have been hardwired to care very much about how people look. Back before modern society, a look was what helped you determine if the human was healthy or sick, friendly or hostile. What you determined in that one look helped you figure out if avoiding them would actually lead to a better chance of survival for you. Yet, even with this undeniable truth of our lineage, many of us rage and rail against societal requirements. Either caused by jealousy, fear, misunderstanding or a sordid past, avoiding dressing for occasions is usually caused by some sort of negative emotion. As hard as this can be to overcome, if you want to succeed, you can’t ignore the fashion requirements of your industry any longer. People judge you as soon as they see you. Why would you want to give them a negative perception that you would then have to fight to overcome? Dress for Your Work Fashion is one of those things that is very different based on what industry you work in. This is why dressing for success means very different things across every field. For instance, would the medical professional wear a gown worn by a starlet at the Met Gala? No. Should that medical professional wear such a gown to their own industry’s celebration, they would no doubt be met with awkward smiles and confused stares. Dressing to impress is far more than adhering to societal rules. It’s a way to exhibit your knowledge of your industry’s culture and how you can adapt to it while still maintaining your individuality. It exemplifies that you can pick up on the subtle social cues in a way that promotes both harmony and success. Such understanding is a must the higher up the ladder one climbs. Showing that you know how to deal with the best means you have a better chance of leading the industry to greatness than those that refuse to adapt. Practice Makes Perfect When I first learned about the expectation of dressing up to events I didn’t find important, it was through a very rude shaming in public. This person tore me down in front of others. However, she couldn’t be avoided because she was a prominent figure in the community. Truth be told, once my ego had healed, I found a kernel of truth in what she had done. The method was uncalled for, sure, but she had her reasons. Dressing correctly for the event in question is a sign of respect for the event itself. It’s a physical manifestation of your understanding of what that event is, its history and why you were invited to attend. By refusing to dress up for it, you insult the institution, and many do this unknowingly. They believe they’re fighting those that have shamed them when, in reality, it’s seen as a fight against the institution itself. Instead of giving up, I adapted. Slowly but surely I learned. I still made mistakes by overdressing or underdressing, but each event I gleaned something new. I began watching the other people and studying their clothes. I began analyzing colors and fit so I could better see what would work for my own personality. I also kept testing what I could get away with not doing and still be considered fashionable. Now an intermediate of industry fashion, I’m finding more success than before. You have approximately seven seconds to make a great first impression. Assume five of those seconds revolve around your clothes.

Slow Life Down On Saturday Mornings

Slow Life Down On Saturday Mornings Do you ever feel as though your kids are growing up too fast, that life is so crazy it’s just passing you by, and you’re worried these precious early years of parenthood will be over before you know it? You’ve got a lot on your plate and you’re rushing around trying to make sure it all comes together. Sometimes though, it’s just as important to take a step back, slow things down, and soak it all in. If you have the feeling that you’re stretched thin and you don’t have enough time to slow down and spend some quality time with your kids, it might be time to make Saturday mornings part of your “relaxation routine.” As crazy as it sounds, penciling in time to relax is one of the most effective ways to make sure you actually get a chance to recharge.  Saturday Morning Time Out Saturday mornings are made for taking some time out: they’re your first chance to sleep in all week (although that may depend on your kids), you still have all afternoon and Sunday to run errands and do chores, and you don’t have to worry about rushing anyone off to school. What better way to enjoy Saturday morning than with a traditional pancake breakfast with fluffy, fruit-filled flapjacks and real maple syrup? (Hotcake tip: out in the country, light maple syrup is considered the superior stuff since it’s more refined and sweet, but at farmer’s markets across Ontario there’s been a big growth in the dark stuff, which is richer with maple flavours.) Another way to enjoy Saturday morning breakfast is to whip up a classic recipe from Getcracking.ca/recipes/ like sweet potato pancakes and poached eggs, making thick, hearty, orange-coloured flapjacks and topping them with perfectly round poached eggs. Watch as the golden yolk soaks into velvety pancakes as your fork glides through this healthy but savoury dish. If making dinner (and the kids’ lunches, and acting as official cereal-box-opener) is regularly your job during the week, let your partner take over Saturday morning breakfast duty. After all, according to The Art of Manliness, pancakes are a man’s job â€" or at least, breakfast seems to be the one meal that even the most kitchen-averse husband is willing to tackle, as long as you let him go hog wild with the bacon and sausage if he wants to. Show him the nutritious breakfast recipes from the Egg Farmers of Ontario and the tons of inventive ways to make a lavish breakfast for you and the kids.  Dont Forget The Eggs Eggs are a natural source of protein and vitamins that improve eyesight, reduce your risk of heart disease, and reduce your risk of future cardiovascular, neurological, and liver diseases. They are also often used as an effective weight loss food because they make you feel full after eating far less than you would if you were filling up on toast. You may be surprised how well they keep, too; according to Egg Farmers of Ontario, the “best before” date on a carton of Ontario eggs refers to how long they are considered “Grade A.” A Grade A egg has an intact yolk that’s identified in a process called candling; as they pass their best before date, they remain safe to eat.  But the yolk will not hold together if you crack it into a frying pan. These are better used as an ingredient in baking or pancakes.  Thats a handy trick that will help your family cut down on food waste. Make eggs part of your family’s Saturday morning routine, whether they’re poached, fried, scrambled, or whisked into a pancake batter. Image: Saturday.

How to Put Goal Writing on Resume - A Plan for Success

How to Put Goal Writing on Resume - A Plan for SuccessWriting a goal is one of the most important parts of your resume. It will help you find employment if employers look at your resume and see your ability to write well. When you are asked to write goals for your resume, make sure you do so with confidence and not hesitate to write. Here are some tips to writing goal statements that will help you go through the rest of your job search.Most often, the first goal in your statement should be what you hope to accomplish. The reason it is the first thing is that people who are interviewed will always ask what you hope to accomplish. It will make them more likely to hire you if they see that you have a plan. Also, your goal statement should not be a half-baked idea. In fact, it should be very specific and describe exactly what you hope to achieve.Next, you should write your goal as vividly as possible. Include details like when you think you will accomplish it, who will you be working wit h, and what exactly it is you hope to accomplish. Sometimes, the best way to describe your goal is to list three things that need to be accomplished. For example, you might say you want to be the most prolific writer on your resume, the most competitive manager, and the happiest person at your job. Don't be too specific, but it is okay to be vague when describing your goals because employers can see that you can talk about it.When describing your goal, don't forget to let them know what your skills are. Your goal statement should include your strengths, but you can also include a description of your accomplishments that would be beneficial to them. Be sure to mention your potential for leadership positions, work ethics, and how you feel you can contribute to the business. It is important to show how you can bring value to the organization.Your statement should go beyond just what you hope to accomplish. In order to get hired, employers want to know what you are looking for. Use your words to describe what it is you are looking for in a job. Don't give them a generic description that doesn't match what you are really looking for. You will be able to use your goal writing on resume in your job search.Finally, in order to put goal writing on resume to good use, you need to do it in the right way. Often, employers will use a template or do some other technique to make their goal statement appear professional. Make sure you write your goal statement in a manner that makes it stick out from the rest of your resume. To do this, you can use bullet points, or you can write it as a one-sentence statement. When you write it as a one-sentence statement, it will appear much more professional.With these tips in mind, you can now go forward and start to write your goal statements on resume. Make sure that when you do so, you use the tips above. This will help you come up with a goal statement that is professional and powerful enough to stand out. After all, it is how to put goal writing on resume to the ultimate benefit.Those are just a few tips on how to put goal writing on resume to an even greater degree. To make a successful resume, don't forget to do a bit of research and learn as much as you can about how to put goal writing on resume. It will make the difference between success and failure in your career.

Video Executive Mistake #6 of 6 -- Appearance and Performance

Video Executive Mistake #6 of 6 -- Appearance and Performance Executive Mistake #6 of 6 Appearance and Performance Are you appearing and performing appropriately for todays job search era? You may be out of date with the way to appear. And I dont just mean just clothing. Im Dana Manciagli, author of Cut the Crap, Get a Job! and here are some examples of the job search appearance and performance mistakes executives are making in their job search today: Resume has not been updated by a resume specialist and describes your jobs in industry terms that nobody can understand. Weak or non-existent LinkedIn profile Cover letter, if you have one, uses I about 20 times and simply regurgitates your resume. Old suit, out-of-date accessories. Interview preparation: Very little research, did not bring insightful questions for them, did not prepare for the most common interview questions like your strengths and weaknesses. Interview performance: No pen and paper Non-verbal clues: Your posture is slumped down in the chair, shows disinterest, or displays come and get me if you want me. You did not go for the close or ask about the next steps in the process or state how interested you are in the role and why. Follow-up: No thank you note back to each interviewer. For an executive job search tip, I recommend you re-boot, re-start and re-energize your job search process end-to-end. Ill help you. Specifically, here are two pieces of job search advice about your job search appearance and performance: Invest in updating your overall appearance. By appearance, I mean on your documents, on social media sites, and professional follow up. Physically, Invest in a new interview suit, work out, stand up straight and smile. Dial up your energy level. Every single job search encounter is important. A meeting with a networker, a phone interview, an e-mail and face-to-face interview are all examples of job search encounters. You need to dial it up! Assure you smile, have a good handshake, energy in your voice, your step, your eye contact. Most importantly, show energy about the company and interviewer. Executives, you can do so much better and leave a much more memorable impression if you appear and perform to the best of your abilities. Good luck!

Over 100 tickets gone already for our conference in May - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Over 100 tickets gone already for our conference in May - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog We have already sold over 100 tickets for our International Conference on Happiness At Work in May to participants from 14 countries. Dont miss out on 2 great days and 15 inspirational speakers See the full program and get your tickets here. 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