Answer in professional terms primarily; prepare, rehearse and then relax. Just let your personality and qualifications shine through
One question always makes an appearance at job interviews: “Tell me about yourself.” Almost without exceptions, candidates struggle to come up with a good answer. It’s almost as challenging as that other dreaded interview question: “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Fortunately, there are ways to answer that are sure to impress any…
‘The word entrepreneur is synonymous with stepping out of your comfort zone’
Psychological resilience enables entrepreneurs to cope with challenges more effectively. A recent study conducted by Smith School of Business at Queen's University, in partnership with Concordia University, revealed how resilience alone accounts for an eight per cent greater chance of business survival. When mixed with the ability to interpret challenges or setbacks as puzzles to…
In a global business environment, negotiations are more important than ever because complex variables must be considered
Negotiations take place every day in our private and business lives. Skilful negotiation plays a large part in building a successful career – especially a power job with a global company. Getting a great job involves a series of negotiations. High-value candidates can negotiate virtually anything – salary, benefits, working hours, perks, advancement prospects and…
There are many simple things you can do to ward off stress for any given situation
The next time you are stuck in traffic, fretting and fuming as the vehicles inch along, or you are standing in an incredibly long lineup at the bank listening to parents attempt to placate their whining child, whom they lovingly call 'incorrigible' and the rest of the people in the bank would term 'monstrous', take…
A lack of talent is affecting all organizations. Here are a couple of suggestions to solve the problem
I am often asked the same questions: "What are you seeing out there? What are the key issues organizations are grappling with?" I don't claim to be an expert on all things organizational, but in my work I am seeing a clear trend: a lack of talent. This isn't new, but to solve the problem…
Our advice for evaluating whether a job offer is too good to be true
What do you do if offered a job that sounds too good to be true? A headhunter calls and says he has the job opportunity of a lifetime. Do you jump on it or back off and consider it carefully? Big mistakes are made when emotions take precedence over sound, objective reasoning. Masterful executive search…
There is no concrete set of skills necessary to be a boss
Mention the word "boss," and we immediately think this person has some special abilities or training. When bosses make bad decisions, we're horrified. But we're also amused and pleased at the same time because it demonstrates they're human after all. Whatever your job, there is a curriculum, agenda, rules or protocols that prepare you for…
ECO Canada report says labour market shortages remain a problem
Canada’s energy efficiency goods and services sector is poised to create 36,000 jobs this year, growing by 8.3 per cent, according to a report released on Monday by ECO Canada. The report said the sector directly employed about 436,000 permanent workers in 2018 across approximately 51,000 businesses across six industries. The report cited construction, manufacturing,…
Stop focusing on measuring it and just do something about it
Quick, on a scale of one to five, how excited are you by your job, your boss, and the organization you work for? If the pollsters are right, chances are you answered a three or less. According to a swath of recent surveys, employee engagement is at an all-time low. The culprits of old –…
Be mindful about practicing. Eliminate wasteful communication. Make the hours matter and become a better LEAN Communicator
In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell states that an individual needs to practice a complex task for about 10,000 hours before he or she becomes a world-class expert. He cites the Beatles, Mozart, Sun Microsystems co-founder Bill Joy, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, and others. (Ability, luck, support from others and timing are also important for…
Many career-builders turn squeamish when it comes to asking for a raise through fear of rejection and how to broach the subject diplomatically
Many career-builders turn squeamish when it comes to asking for a raise. The reasons include fear of rejection and discomfort about broaching the subject diplomatically. Often, it's hard pinpointing the exact reason. Maybe it has something to do with negative attitudes toward money often being passed from one generation to another. As children, parents and…
Having shortcomings is not the problem – as humans we all have them. The problem is not knowing what they are
There is no question that we need to align people with jobs and situations that play to their strengths. There is nothing more powerful than leveraging what people do well: it builds engagement, accelerates projects and initiatives, and significantly increases the likelihood of personal and organizational success. Besides, who wants to spend their life working at…
If you expect to get ahead, you must understand and respect the power of organizational politics
If you expect to get ahead, you must understand and respect the power of organizational politics. There is no escaping it. Fiercely competitive industries are rife with politics. Refusing to play organizational politics can be career suicide. Politics – the business of high-stake schmoozing and winning people over – aren't for everyone. But the measure…
Being excluded from a clique may actually be your fault
If you have ever been part of the leadership of a board, you have no doubt heard the complaint that your group is too cliquey. A Clique is any small group of people, with shared interests or other features in common, who spend time together and do not readily allow others to join them. This…
Understanding, analyzing and dealing intelligently with employee behaviours is a key to good leadership, increased productivity and higher profit
American actress Mae West is quoted as saying, "The best way to behave is to misbehave." That may have worked for Mae West, but it won't work on the job. Most companies want behaviour that inspires productivity, performance and, of course, profit. Behaviour can be broken into five categories: 1. Behaviour is observable. An employee…
One question always makes an appearance at job interviews: “Tell me about yourself.” Almost without exceptions, candidates struggle to come up with a good answer. It’s almost as challenging as that other dreaded interview question: “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Fortunately, there are ways to answer that are sure to impress any…
