Why Steve Jobs’s success strategies are still relevant to today’s workers

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Steve Jobs remains a legendary figure in the world of business, with his leadership maxims still inspiring greatness today.

 

Doing what you love

Jobs told his staff that the world is changed for the better by the persistence and enthusiasm of people who have passion. This genuine sense of enthusiasm is wholly authentic and cannot be faked, leading to success at every stage of employment.

‘Denting’ the universe

Jobs was known for having a huge vision and a way of expressing it that was compelling and intoxicating to everyone he came across. His vision with the Mac set his incredible force into motion and created the game-changing products we know today.

Checking the details

Jobs was known for driving his engineers nuts with demands that seemed irrational; however, this led to an incredible sense of detail in the customer experience. Every aspect is treated with care, from the tiles in the stores to the laptop angle tilts.

Kick-starting your intellect

Jobs believed that the secret to being creative was purposefully exposing yourself to the greatest things that humans had achieved and then attempting to bring these findings into your own work. This led to the CEO of Oracle, Larry Ellison, calling Jobs the modern time’s Picasso. He also brought people together from a range of hugely diverse fields, stimulating their innovation and challenging assumptions.

Creating superb customer experiences

Tesla is one example of a brand that copied elements of the Apple experience, with Apple stores generating more sales per square foot than any other high-end retailer. Every element is considered and kept consistent across the world.

Mastering the message

Jobs was also known for his incredible presentations and message sharing. He was superb at building drama and stories without needing PowerPoint slides. Today’s business leaders still use his principles of minimal design rich in images, engaging delivery, clean presentation and entertainment.

Selling dreams rather than products

Many people originally thought that buyers of Macs were crazy; however, Jobs knew that genius existed in craziness and that his job was to provide products that helped people to achieve their dreams and goals. He knew how it was possible to create customers for life by selling products that allowed the individual to achieve their whole potential.

Ultimately, the success of Apple showed that a business could be started in a bedroom, a garage or any unprepossessing space by someone with the passion, energy and vision to make it succeed. This was – and still is – the Apple way, and the lessons apply to us just as strongly today.

Whether you work in HR, are a new employee, an employer or a recruiter, these lessons will help you to re-evaluate your own working methods and recalibrate your own goals and approaches. Allow the genius of Jobs to take you further and experience your own goal achievements!

 

Ref: http://recruitingtimes.org/business-movers-shakers/11411/steve-jobss-success-strategies-still-relevant-todays-workers/

5 Must Ask Job Interview Questions

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When you’re sitting in a job interview, you’re going to be fielding a lot of questions from a hiring manager. However, many applicants forget that the interview is the ideal time for them to ask some questions of their own. While the hiring manager wants to ensure that you’re a good fit for their organization, you also want to get a sense of what this company is all about too. To do that, make sure to ask the following questions:

What’s the biggest issue facing the company and how might I be able to help?

This gives you some insight into how you can be most useful should you get hired. It also gives you a look into where the company’s main areas of focus might be. For example, if they’re telling you that they’re in desperate need of a new website, you can then speak to your familiarity with working on this type of project as you go about the rest of the interview.

How does your company define success?

This will let you know whether the organization is a good fit for you. It also allows you to get a sense of how to get ahead should you get hired. Whether success is measured in numbers, an attitude, ideas, or all of the above, having this information in advance is valuable.

Do you offer opportunities for further training or professional development for your employees?

You want to work for a company that invests in its employees, and this is one way to tell if this is the case.  As an added bonus, it shows that you’re interested in continuing to improve yourself and learn more.

Do you have plans for new products or services?

Make sure to research ahead of time so you know that there’s nothing in the news that you should know about before you ask this question. If it’s clear there’s not, ask away, as it can give you some insight as to how your time with the company may be spent if you get the job. This is also another question that lets you tailor your answers so that you can show off your skills and illustrate how you’d be an essential part of that new product they’re hoping to launch.

What is the next step in the process?

It’s okay to ask the hiring manager to demystify their process for you a little bit. Depending on the person, you may get a lot of clarity—they tell you they’re interviewing three other people and will get back to you in a few weeks, for example—or they may be more vague. Either way, you’ll leave with a better sense of what to expect.

 

Originally published at: http://blog.sparkhire.com/2015/07/18/the-questions-you-absolutely-must-ask-during-a-job-interview/

Facebook testing a jobs feature, set to compete with LinkedIn, Indeed

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Facebook is exploring a feature to allow companies to create job postings and receive applications. Here’s what it could mean for job seekers, recruiters, and the competition.

 

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Image: iStockphoto/Rawpixel

Job seekers may soon have another platform for their search: Facebook recently announced that it was testing a feature that would allow companies to post jobs directly on the social media site, offering competition for job sites such as LinkedIn and Indeed.

“Based on behavior we’ve seen on Facebook, where many small businesses post about their job openings on their Page, we’re running a test for Page admins to create job postings and receive applications from candidates,” a Facebook spokesperson told TechRepublic. The company declined to offer any other information.

The move marks another foray for Facebook in engaging users in aspects of life beyond connecting with others. In October, the social media giant launched Marketplace, a page to buy and sell items with people in your community. Around the same time, it also announced the release of Workplace, a communications and collaboration platform for professionals.

For job seekers, Facebook has a competitive advantage against LinkedIn when it comes to user bases: Some 1.79 billion people have Facebook accounts, compared to just 467 million people with LinkedIn accounts. Most of LinkedIn’s revenue comes from charging corporate recruiters to connect with job candidates.

“This is part of the Facebook world domination plan,” said Shama Hyder, CEO of Marketing Zen. Hyder said it seems that the company is trying to move into the same space as the Chinese website WeChat, which is less like a social network and more like a complete internet on its own. On that platform, people can send money, get directions, and keep up with friends.

“Facebook wants to be the one stop shop for people online,” Hyder said. “This is great news for job seekers, especially in the tech field, because if the old adage is true—that friends and your network is what gets you your next job—that just got a whole lot easier.”

Facebook also knows it has lost some younger users to Snapchat, Hyder said, and executives want to continue to entrench it as a mega giant—not a company that fades with time.

Some recruiters said they don’t expect a Facebook jobs feature to impact the field. “LinkedIn is pretty much the ‘go-to’ social media site for business networking and jobs, while Facebook is mainly for friends and social,” said Jennifer Yeko, founder of Ninja Recruiting. “I don’t think it will be a game changer at all.”

However, tech jobs are more difficult to fill than others—if tech applicants are more likely to apply to a tech job opening through Facebook over LinkedIn, that could make a difference in that field specifically, she said.

Most recruiting teams today don’t need a higher volume of candidates, but rather, higher quality candidates, according to Leela Srinivasan, former LinkedIn employee and current CMO of Lever.

Research from Lever, released last month, found that only one in 152 people who apply for a job via a career site or job board is hired, compared to one in 72 proactively sourced passive candidates, and one in 16 employee referrals.

“Simply put, if Facebook is successful in helping companies connect with higher quality applicants—not just more candidates—that are a better match for the role at hand, there’s potential for them to add a lot of value to jobseekers and companies alike,” Srinivasan said.

Facebook’s latest venture into recruitment could bring positive effects to all three parties in the job search, according to Perry Oostdam, cofounder and CEO of Recruitee. Job seekers, especially millennials who already use Facebook daily, will appreciate the ability to apply seamlessly in one online experience.

Further, “in this job seekers’ market, employers find it harder and harder to make their vacancies reach the potential candidates,” Oostdam said. “With Facebook joining the party, it automatically becomes the biggest online talent pool ever. This is of extreme interest to employers whose job posting options won’t limit to job boards and LinkedIn anymore.”

Competitors like LinkedIn will need to innovate, Oostdam said. “LinkedIn has become the go-to place for employers to post jobs. It might have been resting on its laurels, but now it’s time to wake up and innovate,” Oostdam said. “Facebook is a serious threat—it possesses the largest social network with the most active users after all. This competition will benefit job seekers and employers alike—job postings will be more accessible and inclusive.”

The 3 big takeaways for TechRepublic readers

  1. Facebook recently said that it is testing a feature that would allow companies to post jobs directly on the social media site and take applications from candidates.
  2. The social media giant’s move into the job board space could mean trouble for competitor LinkedIn, which has 467 million members compared to Facebook’s 1.79 billion members.
  3. Some recruiters say they believe Facebook’s potential new features could be a boon to job seekers and recruiters, while others doubt that it will have a major impact on the space.

Mastering Body Language In A Job Interview

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In an increasingly digital world the importance of face-to-face communication and body language is easy to overlook. In an interview situation, body language can be a game-changer.

“Before you say a word, the interviewer will have made crucial decisions about you through the way you communicate with your body and through your facial expressions,” says Joan Kingsley, psychotherapist and author of The Fear-Free Organisation.

Of course, what you actually say in an interview is still crucial, but the interviewer will also be watching to determine if the body language is consistent with what you are saying, points out Sue Whaley, HR director of intercity rail operator, First TransPennine Express.

Master your body language and get the right message across with the following dos and don’ts:

First impressions do count

And that’s the impressions of everyone you meet on the day of the interview – in the lift, in the reception area, even in the toilets. Whaley says: “These people are your potential colleagues and they need to get the impression that you would like to join their team.” You don’t know who they are, but they might just be asked for their first impressions of you.

“Look ready and prepared, not flustered and late,” Whaley says. “Be approachable and friendly, smile, make eye contact and give a firm but not forceful handshake.”

Exude confidence

Stand, walk, and sit with good posture as it relates directly back to people’s perception of high confidence, according to body language expert Robert Phipps, author of Body Language – It’s What You Don’t Say That Matters.

Body language expert Mark Bowden suggests gesturing with open palms at exactly navel height is an instant way to show you are calm, assertive and confident.

“Gestures in this area of the body create a strong impulse both in the interviewee and the interviewer for open engagement,” he explains. “Not only will you feel more confident but the interviewer will feel more confidence in you and everything that you present to them,” he says.

Show an interest in the business

Demonstrate you are listening to the questions and to the information about the role and the organisation. “Engage with the interviewer don’t just answer their questions, lean forward, use your body, hands and facial expressions,” says Phipps.

Give them good eye contact, he adds – around about 65-70% when conversing, and a little more when you are the listener. “Anymore can come across as intimidating or threatening. Any less is perceived as a lack of interest or confidence in what you are saying.”

Demonstrate energy, positivity and enthusiasm

Use your hands and body movement to emphasise and animate your points and project a dynamic presence – but don’t get carried away, says Whaley.

“Show passion and belief in your achievements and views. Don’t say, ‘I really enjoy the challenge of managing others’, but you are slumped in your chair looking at the floor.”

As well as having your own body language mastered, take notice of how your interviewers are behaving too, says Whaley. Are they confused, bored, agitated, disengaged, entertained, trying to ask the next question?

“Read their non-verbal cues and adapt your responses accordingly and you will make their job easier and demonstrate yourself to be a skilled communicator,” she explains. “Nod and smile to show you understand and subtly try mirroring the interviewer’s posture and pose. This builds rapport and empathy.”

Don’t let your body language betray how nervous you are

You can’t stop the nervous looking behaviours that your body produces, but you can countermeasure them with confident ones, explains Bowden.

“If you choose to perform the behaviours of a confident person – even when you don’t feel it – your interviewer will have a theory of mind that you are confident and will then cherry pick data about you that substantiates their bias.”

On the other hand, if they can’t find that data, they will just use their imagination and make it up, Bowden warns.

Touching your face and crossing your arms are not necessarily an indicator of stress or deceit, says Bowden, “but enough people have read inaccurate body language books that say it is.”

Meanwhile, leg shaking, hair playing, pen clicking, teeth sucking and clock watching never make a great impression, adds Whaley.

Don’t arrive unprepared

According to Phipps, one of the best ways to avoid nerves tripping you up is to prepare before the interview.

“Practise, practise, practise with a friend or family members and get their feedback on how they perceive you,” he says. Video yourself to see how you come across or sit in front of a mirror and notice what is going on with your body as you engage with others. “You’ll be surprised at just what you do that you don’t realise, as most of our body language is unconscious,” he explains.

Don’t stress yourself out unnecessarily by arriving late. “Unless you want to arrive at the interview breathless, red-faced and in an emotional frenzy, leave lots of time to get there,” says Kingsley.

Plan to arrive early and go for a coffee. “With time to spare you can do some deep breathing to calm your nerves, check you’re looking the way you want to, and visualise yourself as conveying strength, confidence and power,” she adds.

“Remember, great actors use their bodies to give a convincing performance; act the part and you’ll feel the part.”

 

 

Written by Kirstie Brewer

Original source: https://jobs.theguardian.com/article/how-to-master-body-language-in-an-interview/ 

Dealing With A Diverse Work History On Your CV

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When hiring managers spend increasingly less time reading CVs, you need to join up the dots for them and quickly demonstrate that you’re a strong candidate. This isn’t too difficult if you’re applying for a similar role or in the same sector, but it’s more challenging if you’ve had a number of different jobs, if you’re changing career, or if you’re going back to a role or sector you previously worked in.

Here are some ways you can make sense of diverse experience:

Tailor your CV to the role

Your CV should not be a list of everything you’ve done. It’s purpose is to position you for the role, so decide what’s most important and delete unimportant details.

You might need to refocus your history to make it more appropriate. For example, if your previous job was in administration, with additional sales responsibilities, and you now want to move into sales, you can write in your experience section “administrative assistant with special responsibility for sales” and highlight your sales work and related achievements over the administration duties.

Focus on the wider themes of your career history

Go beyond the job titles and think about what you have consistently done well throughout your career. Have you always excelled at leading teams, helping people, increasing customer satisfaction, promoting a product or cause, for example? You can use this information to help build your brand and to strengthen your skills section.

By looking back over your career, you can probably find patterns of achievements or types of roles where you’ve made the strongest impact. These patterns help you clarify your brand — the qualities and career strengths that differentiate you and bring value to an organisation. Focus on these strengths when you write your CV and include career achievements that illustrate them.

A one-sentence branding statement under your CV heading (the job title that you’re applying for) and a three to five-sentence career summary or professional profile also help to communicate your brand and immediately appeal to an employer.

Some skills (such as communication, organisation and leadership skills) are useful in all roles. Highlight these, especially if you need to compensate for a sketchy experience section.

This example is a reply to a question on the forums where the poster was asking how someone with a varied career can identify a specialism:

“Separate your skills into different categories; financial and budgetary, marketing and customer service, project management, technical and so on. For each skill area, think of one example to illustrate. What programs are you an expert at in web design? What sort of marketing have you been able to do on a restricted budget? And so on. The job description will give you a good indication of what skills and abilities they most want to see.”

Reorganise your work history

Rather than sticking to a strict reverse chronological sequence listing every job from the most recent to the last, group your experience under different headings. You can divide your career history by functions (marketing or sales, for example), or by industry (publishing or advertising, for example) depending on what’s most important from the job description, or what your strongest selling points are.

If you’ve had a series of short-term jobs — like this person in the forum — you can also group by time-frame.

Here’s a snippet of the advice:

“It’s a good idea to group together related short-term work experience. You can do it by time-frame (grouping together your nine months’ experience) or you could do it by theme. For example, all your copywriting/editing/journalism experience in one section (the first section in your work history, if you’re now applying for communications roles) and all your TV production experience in a different, second section.

“How you slice and dice your work experience is going to depend on what the job you apply for requires, so you can be flexible in how you present this information. Have a look at the job advert and work out what’s most important, then make sure this is prominent on your CV.

“Given that the length of time you spent in these most recent roles has been short, try and focus on what you achieved. Do you have any samples of your work you can point to — such as links to articles and content online? Can you beef up your CV with a couple of testimonials?”

Employers generally want to see reverse chronology, but if you’re returning to a sector you worked in previously, select a couple of achievements from this period and put them in a key achievements or career highlights section before your experience section — without including the dates. It doesn’t hide the fact that your most recent experience isn’t the most relevant, but it does show a successful track record in your targeted industry.

Originally published here: https://jobs.theguardian.com/article/dealing-with-a-diverse-work-history-on-your-cv/