September 3, 2024 Leave a Comment

Impress Employers with Your “Growth Mindset” in Job Interviews

Every year, LinkedIn digs through its vast data set to identify the skills most in-demand from employers. For job seekers, it is crucial to be aware of and understand these in-demand skills, as they can be key talking points in job interviews. This year, alongside predictable abilities such as teamwork and communication, LinkedIn highlighted ‘adaptability’ as “the top skill of the moment.” In today’s fast-moving job market, workers are required to learn new skills and participate positively and enthusiastically in a fast-changing work environment. This mindset, often called a ‘growth mindset,’ is a crucial tool for success in the current job market. Understanding and embracing adaptability can make you feel more prepared and confident in your job search.

The concept of a growth mindset was popularized by psychologist Carol Dweck, who describes it as a person’s capacity to embrace change and actively pursue learning and improvement. Rather than viewing abilities as fixed, a growth mindset involves believing new skills can be developed through dedication and effort.

When I first heard the term’ growth mindset ‘, it seemed like just another corporate buzzword. But, as I delved deeper into its meaning and read about its practical applications, I came to realize that a growth mindset is something we all embody at different stages of our lives–we’ve all faced challenges and failures–it’s our ability to overcome these and learn from them that truly represents this mindset.

Think about the challenges you have faced in the last five years. Most everyone I speak to about their career in that time faced significant challenges in how they did their job, whether they held a job, or how they thought about their careers during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people shared with me that they surprised themselves with their ability to ‘pivot’ and adapt to a quickly changing set of conditions. This adaptability, a key aspect of the growth mindset, made them more resilient and flexible. For some people, it was simply the ability to work from home and realize that they were surprisingly more competent self-managers than they thought they would be. Some people were forced to rethink their careers entirely and develop a whole new set of values about what matters to them about their work and what they can do. Some discovered the joys of work-life balance; others found that not only could they learn to use new technologies but that they actually could enjoy them. One of my clients shared with me the surprising discovery that she valued teamwork and missed it when it was gone, even though she had complained about having to deal with her team for years prior.

What does this have to do with a growth mindset? Your ability to talk about some of the challenges (even failures) you have faced and identify how they were growth opportunities can indicate to an employer that you can bring that same mindset to your work.

Why is a Growth Mindset Important?

Adaptability, optimism, and confidence in your ability to learn–the essence of a growth mindset–are abilities that employers strongly value. They value these skills because they indicate resiliency and openness to learning new things, which is essential in a fast-paced and ever-evolving work environment. A growth mindset refers not only to the individual employee but also to how they regard the company and the role they can play in making it grow through greater adaptability and resiliency.

How to Talk About Your Growth Mindset in an Interview.

1. Share specific examples

In job interviews, the best way to illustrate your skills and attitudes is through concrete examples. Think about times when you faced challenges or setbacks and how you overcame them. Be willing to discuss failures and demonstrate to employers that you can handle them. Use the SAR (Situation, Action, Result) method to tell a coherent and straightforward story.

For instance, a candidate can talk about a time when they took on a new challenge:

Situation: “In my last job, I was asked to lead a project in a new technology area that I was unfamiliar with.”

Action: I dedicated extra time to learning about the technology, sought mentorship from an experienced colleague in the field, and attended relevant workshops.”

Result: “As a result, not only did the project succeed, but I also became the go-to person for others seeking advice on this technology.”

This example demonstrates resiliency, a commitment to learning, and optimism about your ability to embrace challenges and learn from them.

2. Discuss your commitment to lifelong learning.

A passion for lifelong learning can manifest in various ways, including seeking feedback from peers and supervisors, taking courses, and reading books.

Again, use the SAR method:

Situation: “Part of my job involves presenting professional development workshops to staff. I try to get feedback on every presentation I give–I believe that there is always something I can do to make my work better“

Action: “After each presentation, I send out a brief anonymous survey to ensure that staff are comfortable giving me honest feedback. I ask whether they enjoyed the presentation and whether anything could have been done better.”

Result: “I have improved my presentations over time, including taking a course in presentation techniques, a result of which I can show a measurable increase in staff satisfaction.”

This example demonstrates initiative, flexibility, and a commitment to improving performance.

3. Highlight your adaptability in handling change.

Employers are looking for candidates who don’t only adapt but thrive when there are opportunities for change. Share instances where you successfully adjusted to new circumstances or learned new skills on the fly:

Situation: “During the pandemic, my employer instituted a new database that required staff to capture our work with clients in detail. My initial response was to be somewhat overwhelmed at figuring this out myself and start capturing every customer’s contact details.”

Action: ” I reached out to some colleagues, and we set up a group discussion online to figure out how to make this work. We used video conferencing technology to try it out together and figure out strategies that worked. We met a couple of times afterward to review our progress and iron out issues we encountered.”

Result: ” After using it for a while, I became quite proficient. I realized that it is a highly effective tool to track customer contacts. It has significantly improved and made my work more efficient.”

4. Discuss your own goals and learning plans.

Expressing your eagerness to continue growing can further emphasize your growth mindset. Employers value employees who are committed to learning new information and gaining new skills. To indicate your interest in this, talk about your interest in lifelong learning.

Talk about areas where you want to develop and outline your learning plan: “I’m excited about the opportunity to deepen my knowledge in [specific area related to the job]. I’ve already started taking online courses and attending industry webinars to stay ahead of the curve.”.. “By continually pursuing new learning opportunities, I aim to bring innovative solutions and fresh perspectives to the team.”

Tips for better interviewing:

Be genuine: Authenticity is critical–be honest about your experiences and how you’ve approached learning and development. Consider even sharing failures or struggles you’ve had and how you’ve overcome them

Be specific: Using SAR enables you to share specific examples to describe your growth mindset clearly.

Practice: Prepare and rehearse how you’ll discuss your growth mindset so you can present it confidently during interviews.

By effectively communicating your growth mindset, you’ll show potential employers you’re capable and committed to continuous improvement and success. Embrace these strategies, and you’ll be well on your way to making a memorable impression and standing out as an asset to potential employers.

July 24, 2024 1 Comment

Remote Work Skills: Do You Have What Employers Need?

You might worry that you’ve wasted 2020 by *merely* surviving a pandemic instead of learning a new skill in your supposed free time, but turns out that — without even thinking about it — you’ve acquired a whole repertoire of unexpected new skills that might come in handy for your next job. (Not that surviving a pandemic isn’t an admirable achievement on its own, of course.)

Think about it: whether you’ve been working remotely from home, or just using your computer to stay in touch with family and friends using video and social media, buying stuff online and so much more, you’ve mastered a whole new set of remote work skills in which an increasingly large number of employers are going to be interested.

Working from home brings a whole new set of challenges that most workers (and employers) never considered as we transitioned from the workplace to home in March 2020. In addition to the ongoing insecurity employers continue to face regarding the viability of working in the office in the short to medium term, they are also increasingly aware that there are clear ongoing benefits to remote work. This means that more remote opportunities will be offered, and job seekers should expect to be challenged by employers to convince them of their ability to successfully work remotely.

Assess Your Remote Work Skills

Working remotely requires a balance between both soft (personal) skills, and hard (knowledge and technical) skills. Employers are going to look for both, though they know full well that hard skills can be learnt, whereas soft skills are harder to teach.

Think through what employers would like a remote worker to be able to do. The best way to assess what employers expect is through job postings. If you use the keyword “remote” in your online job search, you’ll find something like this (adapted from an actual posting):

Remote – Phone Sales Representative

Are you a great phone sales person who is self-motivated, goal oriented and loves to work independently? We are only looking for talented and motivated Sales Representatives to join our booming Sales Team.

The job:

Enthusiastically present and promote our services to potential clients
Assess the requirements of potential clients and provide them with a solution that best fits their business needs
Develop creative sales strategies for potential clients and initiate agreement discussions
Participate in virtual sales meetings and remote training
Be organized and enter all relevant information and communications into our database
Perform all other related tasks based on the needs of the organization

Requirements and qualifications:

Windows computer/laptop with headset, webcam, minimum Processor Type i5, Four core/AMD A8 Quad Core, 16GB RAM, high speed internet, 30mbps download, 15mbps upload,
Phone sales experience, familiar with B2B sales
Perfect command of the English language
Strong sales focus and loves a great challenge
Demonstrates a competitive drive and a desire to succeed
Assertive, persuasive, and self-starter personality
Strong phone presence and conversational skills
Self-motivated to exceed all quotas and goals
Ability to handle stressful situations professionally and appropriately

Reading through posts such as this, certain generic skills can be noted:

Technology skills:

Able to operate and manage communication technology and related software
Enthusiastic and capable learner of new skills; able to master new tools with ease

Personal skills:

Self-motivated / self-starter
Goal oriented
Confident, enjoys a challenge
Works well independently
Organized and reliable
Skilled time manager – punctual, able to prioritize
Able to follow instructions, and respond quickly to requests
Independent, cool headed problem solver
Strong interpersonal skills (online these include maintaining eye contact, projecting your voice, speaking clearly)
Strong phone presence and conversational skills
Strong language skills
Flexible and adaptable
Able to handle stressful situations professionally and appropriately

Review these skills and add the ones that best describe you to your resume, cover letters and LinkedIn.

Make sure employers know that you have the skills they need

If you want to stand out from other candidates, it’s not enough to simply list skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile — you are going to have to be able to show your remote work abilities. These behaviours can be demonstrated through how you conduct your job search and what you talk about in interviews, as well as what references say about you.

Whether you have worked remotely or not, try to prepare thoughtful answers to questions about how you will handle the challenges of working remotely. Think through various scenarios that might arise, and how you would handle various situations. Whether you have worked remotely or not, try to prepare thoughtful answers.

Of course, it is always best to be able to draw from experience to answer interview questions, but otherwise think though how you would handle various situations. Remember that your virtual job search might be a source of examples.

Here are some of the scenarios you might get asked about:

Teaching yourself new software — Video conferencing software – Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, GoToMeeting, and scheduling, using a shareable calendar such as Outlook or Google Calendar
Organizational methods — systems for managing time, meeting deadlines and prioritizing, using tools, task tracking methods, lists, colour coding, spreadsheets
Staying focused and motivated — describe your personal challenges for keeping motivated and how you work to overcome them, such as balancing independent work with collaboration, teamwork and accountability, structuring your time
Handling challenges – independent problem solving vs consultative work; think through how you have/would handle teamwork challenges across distance, for example
Adaptability and managing changing demands – your philosophy, methods and experiences in working with colleagues and managers on their schedules with their preferred tools

Think through how you’d talk about these situations. Draw on examples where you have done this, if possible.

Demonstrate your **skills by how you handle the remote hiring process**

You will be evaluated based on how you conduct yourself in the remote interviewing process, so make sure you are prepared, following through, reliable and punctual, and that you have mastered the video interview and other tools.

We posted this blog about Acing the Video Interview in 2018 (we were ahead of the game, apparently!). It includes tips on ensuring you maximize the opportunity to be interviewed remotely:

Prepare your interview space:

Set up your interview space; the room should be tidy, well-lit and quiet
Position your computer so that doesn’t face a window; that way, there will be no reflections on the screen
Make sure that the room is silent; no crying babies, barking dogs or loud traffic

Make sure your computer (hardware and software) works:

Long before the interview, test your computer, camera and microphone with a friend
Bring the microphone near and test that the speakers are on
Test for sound; can you hear the person and can they hear you?
Set up the camera, make sure it works, and that you are not too close or too far
Set up the video so you can make eye contact. When you are being interviewed on video, you will want to look at the face of the interviewer, which isn’t necessarily where the webcam is positioned. Tip: to ensure that you are looking at the interviewer, resize and move the window with the person’s video image up or as close to your webcam as possible.

Plan what you are going to wear:

Prepare an outfit as you would for an in-person interview – simple and professional
Neat and clean (unwrinkled) clothes
No busy patterns (e.g. stripes) – they don’t always look good on video
Bright or dramatic colours also can become even brighter on screen (including black); grey, blue and pastels look best
Avoid sparkly dangly jewelry – it’s distracting and can make noise

Bottom line

Remote work has taken a huge leap forward in the last year, and we can expect employers to continue to want to employ staff who can manage such changes well beyond the pandemic. Make sure you are able to tell employers and demonstrate to them that you have these valuable skills and are available to adapt to change in a nimble and competent way.

April 29, 2019 Leave a Comment

Answering the Salary Question in a Job Interview

blond businessman holding one small piggy bank and one much larger piggy bank

Addressing the salary question isn’t easy for a job seeker. If the salary you ask for is too high, the employer might choose a more affordable candidate. If it’s too low, you might be selling yourself short or be seen as less qualified or valuable.

So, what is a job seeker to do?

Before tackling this question, it helps to do some research.

How much do you really need to earn?

Take a careful look at your budget and identify the minimum that you can afford to earn. Of course, you will try to do better than the minimum, but there are reasons to take a job that are not financial, such as an opportunity to start a new career, fill a gap on your resume, or perhaps the job is an opportunity to start at a company you really want to work for.

Use this tool to help you figure out how much you need to earn per hour, month, and year.

How much can you expect?

Do you know how much employers are willing to pay you, given your particular skills and experience, and their given salary structure? It isn’t easy to figure out the going rate for a specific job. There are many variables to consider, including:

The average salary for your profession
Your experience and skill level
Where you fit into the salary range in your field: entry-level, average or senior?
How do salaries in your city compare to other locations?

Resources are available online to help calculate your potential salary, but be cautious; it doesn’t always give an accurate estimate of how much you might be able to be paid, considering your unique skills, experience and circumstances:

Recruitment agencies reports, such as RobertHalf Canada’s Salary Guides
Salary sites, such as Payscale: Salary Data & Career Research Centre (Canada)
Canadian government sources, such as The Job Bank: Explore Careers by Wages

The current job market is also the best source of salary information:

Check with people you know; ask them about the salary range in their company for similar roles
Speak to recruiters and hiring managers
Check job postings; sign up for job alerts with sites such as Indeed.ca — many jobs will include salary expectations.

At the interview:

Salary negotiations do not need to be adversarial or aggressive. If you are clear about how much you need and have a sense of what is being paid in the market, then you are in a good position to ask for what is realistic.

Some salary negotiation tips:

Wait for the appropriate time to discuss salary; it is better to impress the employer first with your skills and dazzling personality, and try hold out until later in the hiring process when the employer is more invested in your candidacy
If salary has not come up yet, and you are ready to discuss it, ask the employer when they plan to discuss salary (instead of asking “how much do you pay?”)
Resist throwing out the first number – ask the employer for the salary range they pay
Take your time deciding, consider the possibility of playing hardball and saying no. Just make sure you can afford to do so.

February 11, 2019 Leave a Comment

Answering Unexpected Interview Questions: Lessons from a CEO

Diverse people with creative inspiration speech bubbles

We sometimes forget that even the highest-ranking executives have gone through job interviews. Recently, CNBC posted an interesting article with the provocative title, 15 years ago, Google’s CEO had a brilliant response to a tricky interview question – and it helped him get hired, which offered insights into the questions that leading companies such as Google sometimes ask and what they hope to hear from candidates.

At an interview for a Vice President position at Google, Sundar Pichai was asked an unexpected question which he could not answer; his response provides a useful strategy for job seekers: early on in the interview process, Pichai was asked about his thoughts on a Google product that was launched earlier that day. A little confused, he answered honestly that he hadn’t yet seen it yet. Undeterred, he proceeded through multiple interviews where he was repeatedly asked that question, and continued to explain that he had not seen it yet. Eventually, at the fourth interview, the interviewer took the opportunity to demonstrate the product, which allowed Pichai — at the fifth interview — to finally share his viewpoint of the product.

Not only was Pichai hired for that position, but he went on to become Google’s CEO.

So, what did he do that was so effective?

The article goes on to highlight the impact of Pichai’s decision to be honest and direct when faced with a question about a product about which he had no knowledge. This approach kept him as a contender throughout the lengthy interview process.

Pichai’s honesty and directness in answering this seemingly impossible question was the key to his success. He remained focused and continued calmly during the interview. The article describes this as “intellectual humility” — the value of honesty and curiosity in an interview, rather than pretending to be knowledgeable and perfectly skilled. Job seekers sometimes underestimate employers’ interest in character and soft skills, such as the ability to handle an unexpected question with grace.

Employers know that employees can learn a new skill or gain new knowledge, such as the recently launched Google product in Pichai’s case, whereas honesty, willingness to learn and humility cannot be learned.

Laszlo Bock, former Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google is quoted in the article saying that,

“Successful, bright people rarely experience failure, and so they don’t learn how to learn from that failure. They instead commit the fundamental attribution error, which is if something good happens, it’s because I’m a genius. If something bad happens, it’s because someone’s an idiot or I didn’t get the resources or the market moved.”

Job seekers need to remember that during an interview, there’s no need to rush into answering every question quickly. When presented with a difficult question, take a moment to consider your reply. Ask a clarifying question that may show a willingness to learn or thoughtful analysis. Keep in mind that getting to the interview stage means the employer has read your resume and decided that you have a lot to offer. In addition to demonstrating your skills and knowledge, an interview also provides the opportunity to show personal integrity, honesty and confidence. Respectful, curious and genuine employees make much better colleagues and contribute to a positive company culture.

To impress interviewers, not only should you prepare your knowledge of the job, the company, and of yourself, make sure to rehearse honest and clear responses to questions. This will allow employers to get know you as a thoughtful, critically self-aware candidate, who is open to new learning — which are highly valued characteristics.

January 29, 2019 Leave a Comment

How to Handle Speed Job Interviews like a Pro

Large companies continue to modernize their recruiting processes to screen candidates faster. Traditionally, face-to-face and panel interviews were the standard. In recent years, telephone, online video, and group interviews have become more commonplace. Now employers are using speed interviews to sort through many qualified candidates quickly.

What is a speed interview?

Speed interviewing gives employers the ability to meet with multiple candidates briefly in an organized and controlled way. Ten to 15 candidates attend a speed interview. One person interviews each candidate individually anywhere from five to 15 minutes. This pre-screens candidates for selection for in-depth full interviews.

The article, Need to hire quickly? Try speed interviewing, describes how one startup company used speed interviewing to hire an account manager. This company publicized this hiring event on social media then reached out to qualified candidates to attend a speed interview event. During a five-minute interview, the interviewer asked four or five typical interview questions. Each candidate then moved on to three other rounds with different individuals.

After the interviews were all completed, candidates had a tour of the office. The interviewers met shortly afterwards to discuss their impressions and identify those candidates they regarded as “most promising”. The selected candidates had an in-depth second interview. This enabled the company to make a quick decision, resulting in hiring a new account manager within 48 hours of the speed-interviewing event.

This example gives you an idea of how speed interviews work. Depending on the employer and the sector, the format and character of speed interviews will vary. Small companies and startups seem to favour this technique. You may also run across speed interviewing when recruiters or retail companies, for example, need to pre-screening candidates for multiple positions. Speed interviews give employers a chance to compare candidates and watch how they perform under pressure.

Preparing for a speed interview

If you have ever had a pre-screening interview, or answered employer questions at a job fair, then you’ve had a taste of what a speed interview has in store.

Preparing for a speed interview is similar to preparing for any other interview. The difference is being able to respond quickly and succinctly. The more prepared you are, the better you will perform.

Preparation and practice makes perfect

Prepare, then practice with a friend, or in front of a mirror.

Review the job posting and make sure you know it well, especially the requirements for and the description of the job.
Research the company. Review their website, understand their priorities and mission.
Know your resume well. Describe your work history fluently and clearly. Be ready to answer how this job fits with your career goals.
Think through why you are a good match for the job. Be prepared to market yourself as the best candidate.
Think of examples in your work history when you accomplished or performed activities that are specifically relevant to this job.
Practice your answers, especially common questions like, Tell me about yourself. Why should we hire you? What weaknesses and strengths do you bring to the job? What are your career goals?
Prepare questions to ask each interviewer.
Have your references ready.
PRACTICE again!

During the speed interview

Dress professionally but comfortably. You may be moving through various interview stations.
Bring a folder with everything you need: five copies of your resume, the job posting, your company research, your questions and answers, your reference list, paper and a pen.
Arrive early. You’ll be more relaxed if you’re not rushing.
Put your phone on silent and place it out of sight.
Bring a bottle of water and carry tissues.
Be ready to shake hands enthusiastically, make eye contact, smile, and speak clearly no matter how nervous you feel. Be prepared for a noisy interview room.
Collect business cards from each interviewer, or write down their name and email address for post-interview thank you notes.

After the interview

Write a brief thank you email to each interviewer separately after the interview.
Contact your references with the position you’ve applied for.
Be patient. Decisions take time. If you haven’t heard anything after a couple of weeks, follow up with a brief email to your main contact, asking when you can expect a decision.

Remember, this is just another type of interview. The only difference is that you need to make a great first impression quickly with each interviewer. Good preparation and organization will give you confidence and that will lead to a great first impression!