Perception is Reality - Workology

Perception is Reality Perception is Reality Come on guys. I know you have heard this. If you dress professional, you act and feel professional. Its so true!! Not only that, you leave a lasting impression on your interviewer. Not too long ago, a candidate arrived for an interview in jeans, a wrinkled dress shirt that had a stain. Yikes! Immediately, the impression was, Who was this bum? Interestingly enough, I met this candidate at a job fair. He had a resume in hand, suit, and tie. WOW! I was very impressed. Needless to say, the guy didnt get the job. Was it only because of his interview ensemble? No, but it definetely started the interview out on a sour note. Perception is Reality When I interview for a job I am interested in, I arrive early and sit in my car for about 10 min. I do visualization. I envision myself qualified for the job and saying all the right things. I also think of positive words and qualifications I know I posess. Its kind of like pumping yourself up before the big game. If you come into the interview not believing in yourself, how do you think you will be able to articulate your qualifications and skills in the interview? Not so much Im imagining. Arriving to your interview on time and looking your best is all part of your Marketing Plan Ive talked so much about. Its all about the packaging. You wouldnt buy a car that was dirty, smelly, and covered in muck. So why present yourself for an interview like that? Two days before the interview, run through your dress and try everything on. How you would dress for an interview depends on the position you are interviewing for as well as the company and its culture. How you would dress for a legal assistant in a conservative law firm is completely different from a graphic designer with a trendy, progressive company. Get a friend to give you their honest opinion and first impression. Take your clothes to the dry cleaners and get them pressed professionally. Be conservative with dress, makeup, and jewelry. Dont wear over overpowering cologne or perfume. Good luck!! Next time. . . Interviewing Technique for almost any interview question

The Simple Thing Great Bosses Do to Win Over Colleagues

The Simple Thing Great Bosses Do to Win Over Colleagues Need your collaborators to like you? Never microwave fish for lunch, keep away from simply checking in, and remember to discuss your disappointments. That last tip comes directly from the Harvard Business School, where a group of specialists as of late found that chiefs who notice their mix-ups face less hatred from partners. It might appear to be nonsensical, yet it's a basic route for individuals to lessen envy, as doctoral understudy Nicole Abi-Esber tells MONEY. We as a whole need individuals to believe we're skillful, so we overshare the things that cause us to appear to be capable, she says. Couple it with a battle and that will cause individuals to associate with you more. Abi-Esber chipped away at the paper Relieving Malicious Envy: Why Successful Individuals Should Reveal Their Failures. She joined a group of specialists who set out to investigate in the case of discussing their entanglements, as opposed to concealing them, made individuals less desirous. This is what they discovered â€" and how you can do it, as well. Mix-ups Are Good for Something To begin, the Harvard specialists looked to confirm that individuals are without a doubt more averse to reveal their disappointments than victories. Utilizing Amazon's Mechanical Turk program, which pays standard individuals to take overviews, they initially got some information about their achievements and who they'd told about them. The outcomes affirmed their theory. Individuals are so hesitant to uncover disappointments, Abi-Esber says. On the off chance that you give individuals the chance, they will pick the triumphs. In the wake of building up that gauge, the scientists saw in the case of uncovering disappointments alongside triumphs really made spectators less envious. Again utilizing MTurk, they had around 300 subjects enter segment data and read short memoirs of anecdotal friends. In a few, just victories â€" like honors or significant compensations â€" were uncovered. In others, the two victories and disappointments were incorporated. Individuals who read the victories and disappointments memoirs had lower sentiments of jealousy than the ones who just observed triumphs. The group reproduced that finding in another MTurk concentrate with more than 660 individuals and afterward moved onto a field learn at a startup pitch rivalry. Specialists got some information about 80 business people to tune in to a sound account of another person's pitch. A few variants of the content just included triumphs, similar to I have just handled some tremendous customers â€" organizations like Google and GE. Others included triumphs and disappointments, with the individual saying, I wasn't generally so effective. I experienced a ton of difficulty getting to where I am presently… numerous potential customers turned me down. The specialists again found that individuals who tuned in to the triumphs and disappointments adaptation felt less noxious jealousy. They additionally found that noteworthy mix-ups expanded view of certainty and genuine pride. A special reward, a few people even felt roused to better themselves. Elvis, Oprah and You There are huge amounts of well known disappointment stories: Elvis Presley was once told he'd never make it as a vocalist, Oprah Winfrey got terminated from her first employment in TV, and creator J.K. Rowling had her Harry Potter original copy dismissed by 12 distributers. Be that as it may, you don't need to be a big name to commit your errors work for you. Supervisors, directors and others in administration positions can put this Harvard procedure to use in their regular daily existences. Simply take a gander at Princeton educator Johannes Haushofer's currently renowned CV of disappointments, a comprehensive rundown of all the degree programs he wasn't acknowledged into, the partnerships he didn't get, and the honors he didn't win. Abi-Esber, as well, has been embracing the training in her regular daily existence. At the point when she signed onto LinkedIn not long ago to post about her first scholarly paper getting distributed, she didn't simply boast. She likewise referenced all the difficulties with proof, modification and altering she and her co-creators looked in arriving at that point. It's as basic as that. So whenever you're praising an accomplishment at work, make a point to recognize the disappointments en route. Regardless of whether you're not the top chief, the way that you conquered those challenges will probably cause you to appear to be less egotistical to your associates. In those minutes when you're sharing things that went right, make a point to likewise share things that turned out badly, Abi-Esber says. What's more, don't be too stressed that oversharing is going to dishonor you. For whatever length of time that you pair your discussion of disappointment with discuss achievement, your notoriety will be fine.

Ingredients for the Perfect Company Culture

Elements for the Perfect Company Culture There's not at all like finding the ideal fixings to make an incredible dish, particularly for Thanksgiving. In any case, shouldn't something be said about the fixings required for the ideal organization culture? Organization culture exists and develops around your organization heads and your workers. It basically incorporates a gathering of standards, practices, and qualities that are interesting to your business. On the off chance that nobody sits in your lounge during lunch, it's not a direct result of a specific standard against doing as such, it's just your organization culture. As an organization chief or HR supervisor, you have a great deal to do with establishing the tone of your organization's way of life. Here are a portion of the fundamental fixings expected to make the ideal organization culture at your business: Keep your laborers feeling new with inspiration. When picking organic products or vegetables for your dishes, you don't pick the shriveled, unwatered plants, isn't that so? All things considered, remember to keep an eye on your own yields: your representatives. Inspiration and support are significant in developing your organization culture. Recognize your group for a vocation all around done and rouse them to improve in the event that you hit an unpleasant time. Causing this piece of your ordinary routine will to greatly affect your business. Try not to leave your workers feeling overcooked. In the event that your workers are feeling pushed or sickly, loan some assistance and diffuse some pressure. There are a lot of extraordinary pressure busters for the workplace. So pick a day to arrange an organization trip to the recreation center, films, or to supper. Give your staff a little TLC occasionally to keep up organization culture and worker assurance. Stuff your organization with ability. The most ideal approach to make an extraordinary organization culture and environment is to enlist the best ability and keep away from mis-recruits. I know, it sounds actually quite difficult. In any case, recruiting an awful fit isn't just expensive, it's terrible for your way of life. Luckily, video interviews are an incredible method to evade awful recruits since you have more opportunity to break down if a competitor is a solid match. Get everybody in the equivalent (sauce pitcher. Teambuilding is fundamental in making an ideal organization culture. In case you're having issues fabricating a shared situation, start by being straightforward across levels and offices in your business. Calendar intermittent gatherings to have offices share their activities and results. Be that as it may, that probably won't be the genuine issue. Do your workers know one another? If not, plan some an ideal opportunity to let them do only that! There is no group without trust, so ensure that is not missing from the condition. Characterizing what the great organization culture is for your business will differ from others. So make a stride back and evaluate your organization culture. Characterize the key components in your organization culture and figure out what's missing. When you have the entirety of the fixings, remember to do some intermittent upkeep! How would you characterize organization culture and the key components in making the great climate? Picture: Courtesy of Flickr by Highways Agency.

Top 10 Reasons You Didnt Get the Job

Top 10 Reasons You Didnt Get the Job You may be familiar with some of these issues â€" others may surprise you because very few interviewers are willing to share honest feedback with candidates. In Part 2, Melisa talks about mistakes that sabotaged so many of my interview coaching clients before they learned how to fix them.So you landed yourself a face-to-face interview! Congratulations! With so many candidates applying online and seeing their resumes disappear into “the black hole,” you’re doing great.This means:Someone actually read your resumeThey thought your resume indicated enough relevant experience to call youYou passed the phone screen â€"- you said enough of the right things to show you’re well-qualified enough to justify the time for the hiring manager (and perhaps others) to meet you in personFantastic! Now, all you have to do is close the deal in the interview.Unfortunately, that’s where a lot of qualified candidates run into trouble. Maybe you never heard back after the interview, maybe you got a frustratingly vague rejection email, maybe you got called back for another round only to get rejected later.Rejection sucks. It is particularly frustrating when you know you’d be great in the job.If you don’t know what you’re doing “wrong,” you can’t fix it. Most interviewers will not take the time to give you honest, useful feedback about why they decided not to hire you.However, based on my experience, I can tell you that it probably had something to do with one of the following issues.The Rookie MistakesThese are mistakes you should already know to avoid making, but they’re worth mentioning before we get to the more complex issues that can sabotage you.Your Timing was Off Everybody knows that you should never show up late for a job interview. Right? This is a tough mistake to overcome, even if you had a good reason for being delayed. Right away, a manager will assume you’re not serious about the opportunity or worse, you’re just not reliable.If you do happen t o be late, your only chance of redemption is to own it. Acknowledge you were late, apologies, and then thank them for their willingness to still see you. You made a mistake, we all do. It’s how you handle it that will help them get a glimpse of your character. The worst thing you can do is to pretend they didn’t notice. Trust me, they noticed.But did you know that arriving too early is almost as bad as showing up late?You’re excited. You’re anxious. You’re eager. But you’re way too early.You meant well. We know that. But by showing up too early, you inadvertently annoyed someone or stressed someone out. They know you’re out there…sitting…waiting….people are starting to ask, “who is that person here for?”Showing up extra early can also convey a subtle whiff of desperation.It sounds silly. I get it. But it’s real. You don’t want someone who is already annoyed by your actions to be determining whether you are the right fit for the position; unfortunately, th ey probably already decided that you’re not and will be using the interview to justify that decision. It’s not fair or logical, but it happens.You want to come across as excited, not desperate. A good rule of thumb is to arrive no more than 15 minutes prior to your scheduled time.Of course, give yourself enough time to account for unforeseen delays, but once you find the building, if you’ve got time to spare, head to the nearest coffee shop or hang out in your car if you need to. Use this extra time to collect yourself, review the job description, and go over your notes.You Were Rudeto the Receptionist Consider yourself under the microscope from the moment you arrive. Your every move is being assessed. I should not have to tell you that being polite and cordial is the right thing to do. Someone once told me, “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”Some managers will purposely ask the receptionist or administrative assistant for their impression of you. Hiring managers are working to build a cohesive team and a healthy work environment. If they get the sense that you are not going to play nice with others, they are not going to risk the team dynamic they’ve already createdYou Didnt Follow Instructions Many companies will ask you to bring certain items with you to the interview. For example, an application, ID, references, proof of education, 5 million copies of your resume. Whatever it is, they are requesting it for a reason. If you cannot follow these instructions or if you’re making up excuses for why you’re not prepared, you can bet they view that as an indication of how you will respond to job duties. This was your first assignment and sadly you failed.And by the way, failure to follow instructions is one of the primary reasons for candidates getting rejected at the application stage and never making it through to the interview as well.You were Unpolished Industry and company culture will influence the attire you choose for an interview, but sloppy is sloppy no matter where you go. Little things can make a big difference when you only have 20-30 minutes to make an impression. Unkempt hair, wrinkled or stained clothes, body odor or strong cologne/perfume scents, shuffling through an unorganized bag are all indicators that you don’t have your act together.Sloppiness makes you look like you don’t care enough to prepare. Many managers will also see lack of polish as an indicator that they wouldn’t be able to trust you to positively represent their group or the company.If you’re a real mess, they may even be too distracted to concentrate on your responses.Shallow? Maybe. But these visual (and olfactory) cues make a difference, sometimes even on a more subconscious level.The Trickier IssuesThe rookie mistakes described above are easy to avoid once you’re aware of them. These next issues are more complex. You may be inadvertently sending messages that raise red flags for your interviewers .If you’re walking out of interviews feeling like it went reasonably well, then getting rejected or vague or unexplained reasons, one of these issues may apply to you.Avoiding them will take more subtle tweaking of your approach.They Dont Think You Would Stay You studied marketing and PR in college, interned for a media company and have a fashion blog. This is all great stuff but you’re interviewing for an entry-level customer service position in healthcare. Your interviewer is going to have doubts about whether this is the job that you really want.You need to convey that you want the position and would be motivated to excel in the role long-term. If you’re only interviewing for this job because you need the paycheck, that’s going to come through if you’re not very careful.It looks bad for a manager to hire someone who leaves after a short tenure â€" or who just can’t be bothered to give the position their all. High turnover also costs companies a lot of money.Sure, you probably could do the job if you’ve made it to the interview stage. Now you also have to sell them on why you’re excited about the position. In fact, commitment and enthusiasm can help a less-qualified candidate get hired over someone with more experience.Many companies are willing to look at transferable skills and will train and invest in their new employees, but they need to know that this is what you really want to do and that you will commit. So you have some dots to connect and some convincing to do.Maybe this isn’t your dream job. Maybe you’re looking in several different directions and aren’t sure which is the best fit. Maybe you’re making a career change.In these cases, you need to be able to channel the part of you that can get excited about the position.If you decide later that the job’s not the perfect fit, you can always turn down the offer. However, you’ll never get the offer at all if you can’t show some enthusiasm and commitment in the interview.You r Non-Verbal Cues Betrayed You Maybe you can get away with a weak handshake. Maybe. But a weak handshake and poor eye contact, probably not. Your body language sends a loud message. Good posture, smiling when appropriate, making eye contact and leaning forward are all positive ways to express your interest in the job.Avoid behavior that is socially awkward like keeping your coat on, holding your bag in your lap, or changing your shoes before heading out on your commute.Practice in advance so that you can avoid distracting behavior like fidgeting or verbal tics like “ums” and “uhs” and making your statements sound like questions?These non-verbal cues may be the natural result of anxiety. Savvy interviewers won’t be too quick to dismiss you for being a little nervous. However, don’t underestimate the power of confidence, even if you have to fake it.A little fidgeting can be a deal-breaker if it comes down to deciding between you and another equally-qualified candidate who better projects confidence and rapport-building skills.And remember that too much confidence can backfire too. Be careful of behavior that may be considered too casual or, for some interviewers, rude. For example, bringing in a cup of coffee or keeping your phone out during the interview. There is a line between confident and arrogant. Don’t cross it.You Didnt Click You thought the interview went great. You had an answer for every question, you maintained eye contact, and your experience was perfect for the job. So what went wrong?Well, you probably made it through at least a few rounds, but ultimately got passed over based on factors beyond your resume. In a competitive job market, you have to do more than show you could do the job reasonably well. You also have to make your interviewer(s) want to work with you.They liked you, sure, but somebody else managed to really engage the interviewer and things ‘just clicked’.It’s hard to control this “click factor.” Sometimes, i nterviewers are making knee-jerk judgments about your personality that aren’t fair or accurate.And let’s face it, sometimes you’re better off because working with the interviewer would have been a nightmare for you.However, if you develop your interview skills, you can find a way to connect with just about any interviewer.If you didn’t “click,” it’s probably because you weren’t able to convey enough about your personality or experience to help the interviewer envision working with you. You kept your answers too general or you weren’t able to relax and be yourself.Better preparation will help you relax and be more authentic and specific in your responses. (See Big Interview for more on how to do this)You Were Forgettable Your average interviewer will talk to a lot of candidates before filling the position. You have to be able to stand out from the crowd if you want the job offer.This forgettable factor often goes hand in hand with the inability to “click” with t he interviewer (see above). Your answers were too general or unsophisticated. They lacked the substance and examples that you need to set yourself apart from the competition.Sure, you could probably do the job but the manager isn’t looking for someone who can just fulfill a list of tasks, but rather someone who can take initiative and make an impact.You may be memorable and engaging in real life, but is it coming through in your job interviews?You Shared Too Much A job interview is not the place to discuss personal matters. But what about when a personal matter relates to why you left a position or why there’s a gap in your resume?The real test here is if you are able to discern what is appropriate to share. If you share too much, you risk steering the interview off course or coming across as unprofessional.This is why it’s so important to prepare your speaking points if you have a tricky issue that could come up in your interviewers. For example, what if you took time off due to illness or a family matter? You know the topic will come up, so plan how you will address it.Usually, it’s best to keep it brief and general. Avoid the impulse to get defensive or over-explain. Remember to reinforce that you are ready to commit to this position now, even if you had to take time off in the past.It’s also possible to overshare about previous positions. We’ve heard it time and time again: “Do not speak negatively about your past employers.”However, candidates still make this mistake often. Vent to your family and friends, not to the interviewer. Many people think they can be excused with making negative comments because they started the sentence with, “I don’t want to talk badly about anyone but…”. It doesn’t work that way.Negative talk will only distract them from your positive qualities.You Flubbed Asking Questions at the End Have you heard the old cliche that “there are no stupid questions”? Well, in a job interview, there are. The object ive of an interview is for you to convey that you have the experience and skills necessary to fulfill the job while assuring the interviewer that you are prepared to commit, work hard and be successful in the role. You want them to know that you have a strong understanding of what the job entails and that you are prepared to take on the challenge.At some point in almost every interview, you will likely be asked if you have any questions. You want to be sure that you have questions and that they reflect well on you.There are many questions that you can ask that will support your objective. You want to show that you are interested, smart, and have done some homework on the position.Avoid questions that don’t add any substance to the conversation. Don’t ask about topics that you should have researched already. Don’t ask questions about schedules, hours, vacation, and benefits (save these or after they already love you).Take this opportunity to show you want to learn more about th e interviewer’s vision for the role, obstacles they foresee, and career opportunities that may exist.All of these mistakes can be avoided with the right practice and preparation.It’s well worth the time to analyze where you may be falling short and how you can strategize to make a stronger impression.After all, no hiring manager is going to tell you exactly why you didn’t make the cut. However, if you’ve been interviewing and not getting offers, it’s very likely that one of these mistakes is to blame.HUMOR: Here is a clip from Borat where hes getting interview feedback from a recruiter.