How to handle those open-ended interview questions

How to handle those open-ended bewerbungsinterview questionsHow to handle those open-ended interview questionsPrepping for an interview is part of the job application tango - and arguably, its prone to have the fruchtwein amount of complicated steps. From thoroughly researching both the company and the executives youll be face-to-face with, to practicing your responses and printing off a crisp resume, theres plenty of homework. One of the areas that might cause the most stress is studying up for the inevitable open-ended interview questions that challenge you to speak eloquently at length, provide examples and demonstrate a slice of your personality.While taxing on your anxiety levels, career expert Colleen Star kchenbulle explains that its important to think of this interview section as less frustrating and unnecessary and more about an opportunity to let your true value shine through.At the end of the day, its likely that youll be competing against several people who have similar skills and experience, she says. Your interviewer will instinctively choose the person they want to work with - the person they feel belongs in their tribe and has a personality that vibes with the brand and team.Here, a guide to prepping for and expertly handling those long-winded questions on the spotTake time to study your successes thoroughlyMuch like you can rattle off the companies youve worked for, where you attended university, and nearly everything about your hometown or home team, Koch says you should be just as comfortable with your specific successes. And she means the nitty-gritty You didnt merely improve retention in customers, you made a big impact by an impressive percentage you can provide. Since many could-be employers will ask you for vivid examples of actionable work, knowing dates, numbers, and changes over time will leave a lasting impression.Another frequently asked question by interviewees hints to your problem-solving and goal-reaching abilities. As a way t o understand your focus, your determination, and your tactical skills, Koch recommends illustrating every step along the way to the solution. She provides this template as a starting pointIn 2016 we were faced with situation, and as a result, I was tasked with challenge. After considering several options, I presented solution. I worked closely with my team to identify the small steps needed to advance our goal and helped them maintain their progress. At the end of the campaign, we saw a your super rad ROI result that you want to share.Koch reminds applicants that its easier to reverse-engineer great results into open-ended questions than it is to come up with great results when surprised with a question.Be comfortable with a pause before an answerYou know youve found a best friend or a romantic partner for life when you can spend time together without filling the silence with unneeded chit-chat or small talk. Its a perspective that might take months - or even years - to adapt to, but Koch says its one that also translates into confidence during an interview. If you automatically begin answering a question as soon as its proposed without taking a hot second to consider your answer, you might come across as unprepared. Thats why settling in, taking a deep breath, and feeling at ease in the pause before a response is a smarter tactic.Interviewees tend to be concerned about how long theyre taking to answer when what you really want to convey is that you are a thoughtful person who isnt going to pollute the conversation with verbal garbage while you figure out what youre trying to say,Koch shares. No one wants to work with rambling 10-minute monologue guy. Dont be that guy. Be brave enough to face a few moments of silence in order to provide a succinct and relevant response.Get specific with your self-introductionsFor many employers who have been round the candidate sourcing block for a while, tell me about yourself is a surefire way to begin any sit-down. Career coach Cheryl Palmer explains because it is so open-ended, it usually catches shaky applicants off guard, sending them down a jibberish rabbit trail. Her tactic is strategic Make your comments and your introduction specifically tailored to the role youre applying for, and keep it at, or under, the recommended two minutes or less.This is not the time to start revealing personal information which is completely irrelevant to the job. You need to practice your answer so that you not only stay within the time frame but that you also hit key points that would get your interview off to a great start, Palmer instructs. If you are applying for a job in HR, for example, talk about your HR background and how it relates to the requirements of the job that you are applying for. You dont want to give too much information because you still have the rest of the interview to expound further on any details.Dont be afraid to be a little vulnerableNo matter which way they choose to phrase it, most empl oyers will want to know certain situations where your career or your performance was less than rosy. From asking for weakness to seeking an example where you didnt meet a goal, Koch says the purpose of this question is to give you an opportunity to showcases your humility and your ability to grow as a result of adversity. The worst response ever, she says? Claiming youre a perfectionist and thus, hard on yourself. Since it comes across as a cop-out (and as she labels it, BS) - tell a focused, totally-true story instead.Start with the scenario, your proposed solution, and why it didnt work. After that short introduction, you want to talk about what you learned from the experience, and how that new knowledge will benefit you in the role youre interviewing for, Koch suggests.Relate your top skill sets to others by exampleWhat sets us unbekannt from other applicants is our superstar qualities, according to Koch. This means while your best friend might excel in interpersonal situations, you might be far more creative when going through a rocky period of downtime. Open-ended questions to hint to understanding which secret sauce you offer are important for an employer to know, and for you to explain.Koch says your response should be tailored, based on what youre attempting to emphasize. For interpersonal skills, you might want to talk about how you make a real effort to get to know your coworkers and employees - from their passions to their values and working style. Or, if youre focusing on your leadership abilities, Koch suggests describing how youve inspired others by your example.You might also share how the clarity of distance you have as a leader has enabled you to discover solutions that might not be immediately evident to the employees or coworkers who are deep in solution-seeking, she adds.

Pro tip How to convince your boss to let you go freelance

Pro tip How to convince your boss to let you go freelancePro tip How to convince your boss to let you go freelanceIf youve been putting together your plan for leaving your 9-to-5 job and venturing into the brave new world of freelance, theres a potential client I bet you havent stopped to consider your current employer.When I started my freelance career, my first client was the same PR agency Id been working for over the belastung two years. There were things outside of work I needed to be able to dedicate my time to but I was committed to my job and team. I loved what I was doing, but I also craved the freedom of flexibility and autonomy.If this sounds like you, keep reading because in todays Pro Tip Im going to share my step-by-step process for convincing your boss to let you go freelance.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and morePinpoint your valueThe most important factor in convincin g your current employer to let you switch from full-time to freelance is to pinpoint the unique value you bring to their geschftliches miteinander.For me, it was my knowledge of and connections within the video game and esports industries. Beyond my expertise, my proven loyalty and track record for being a high performer also helped contribute to my cause. I had just been promoted about six months prior and worked well with my team and clients.Once you have your unique value identified, gather important milestones youve hit throughout your time with the company. I like to focus on quantifiable milestones because numbers are the best way to communicate results to your boss. For my situation, this was the amount of new business I helped secure for the company, additional retainers I negotiated with existing clients, high-profile news hits I secured for product launches, etc.Do your researchFreelancing is far from a new concept but nowadays more and more businesses are embracing this c hange in the workforce. Before you approach your boss with your freelance plan, do your research to make sure that freelancing is actually something you can afford to take on.When youre a freelancer, youre forfeiting your company-provided benefits like healthcare, 401K matching, and paid vacation days. So take time to do some research and make sure that youre ready for the change.You also want to make sure that the jump from full-time to freelance is sustainable within the company youre working for. Meaning to say, that you can continue to not only show your value but identify areas where you can continue to pick up additional work when projects end.If youre looking for more guidance on things to take into consideration before starting your freelance career, get your hands on my freelancer starter kit.Create a planThe last thing you want to do is pitch the idea of freelancing to your boss without a plan in place. Youre asking for a significant change and in order to get the best out come, youll need to prove that going freelance is the best route for not only you, but your employers business goals.Start by looking at the next six to twelve months and identify key moments where you regularly play a significant part in the business. For me, this was around client conferences and product launches. Once you have those key moments in place, think of the value you add to those occasions and the amount of time it typically takes to complete the necessary work-related tasks.Freelancing is about hourly rates. Even if you negotiate a monthly retainer, you want to make sure youre being compensated for the amount of work you agreed to for the amount of time estimated so you dont issue back into what could feel like a 9-to-5 grind.After you identify your value and key business moments, list the types of tasks you want to do as a freelancer to help support them. Then look at what youve written out to determine if its too little or too much work to support your freelance goal s. From there, adjust where you need to and start to imagine how youd like to bring this up to your boss.The pitchLets recap, before you schedule a time to sit down and pitch the idea of freelancing to your boss you want to have the followingA clear understanding of the unique value you bring to their businessConfidence through the research youve done that youre ready for freelance lifeA plan of action for how you will transition to and execute freelancing so effortlessly, theyll hardly notice the differenceOnce you have these three factors in place, ask your boss to schedule a time for a one-on-one conversation. Its important this meeting be scheduled during a time with minimum distractions. For example, if you know your boss is particularly busy in the mornings, aim for the afternoon.Start the conversation with confidence. This is a proposal youre pitching, not a favor. Switching to freelance is a business-related request so dont go into the meeting thinking that youre going to ap pear weak or less-than for asking for something that you want.Start with something like thisI would like to discuss the opportunity of transitioning to a freelance employee with you today. Ive created a plan of action that Id like to share for how I can continue to add value to your business in this new capacity. I enjoy working with you and hope this is something you will take into consideration.This messaging is clear, to-the-point and friendly. From here, share your plan and ask for feedback along the way.Be prepared to answer questions likeWhy do you want to switch to freelance?What hourly rate are you expecting?How many hours a week can you commit to?Are you willing to come into the office?How long do you want to freelance for?Every individuals answers will be different so its important to think of what you want from the setup. Be prepared for where youre willing to compromise and where you are firm. Having clear answers will make the decision-making process much easier for you and your boss.This article originally appeared on Create and Cultivate.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Machines cant replace these 2 human qualities, one expert says

Machines cant replace these 2 menschlich qualities, one expert saysMachines cant replace these 2 human qualities, one expert saysAs Artificial Intelligence is set to spread into ourworkplaces, many of us are left wondering what the machine influx will mean for ourindustriesand, perhaps, ourjobs.The much-anticipated book by Kai-Fu windschatten,AI Superpowers China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Ordercomes out next week as does the entirety of Thrive Globalsoriginal video series with dem wind abgewandte seitein which he shares his theories (and warnings) about the future of the workplace. The former president of Google China, Lee is a major thought leader, expert, and investor in the field of Artificial Intelligence. And his insights on the ways technology will change how we work predict nothing short of a revolution.The Future of Jobs 2018report, released Monday, backs up Lees predictions it forecasts that by 2025, more than half of all current workplace tasks will be performed b y machines. Thats up from 29 percent today.But Lee has some exciting news for those of us wondering what this means for our industries and our jobs. There are two important qualities that machines wont be replacing anytime soon creativity and compassion.Because of this, certain professions probably wont see much change as a direct result of machine job replacement scientists, storytellers, artists, and so on, Lee said in an interview with Recodes Kara Swisher although AI will surely seep into the way these professions are practiced.Plenty of other jobs, however, will see more drastic shifts towards uniquely human qualities shifts that will likely call for serious reprioritization in the workplace.A profession Lee focuses on as an example is teaching A lot of what teachers do, he says, is routine. So grading homework, grading exams, giving us exams, giving the same lecture again and again. Those can be done by AI, Leetold Recode. But this doesnt mean teachers will disappear. It me ans they will likely focus on one-on-one training and mentorship, on the human aspect of teaching that requires the sensitivity of compassion and the flexibility of creativity, he explains.Envisioning this new professional landscape is an exciting opportunity to connect with our own humanity and the humanity of others. It proposes a world in which the kinds of things that allow us to thrive community, inspiration, variety will be prioritized in our work.This potential for a working world in which its easier to find fulfillment doesnt negate the hardship many individuals will face as the jobs they work hard in are eliminated. Education, cultural priorities, and training systems will have to catch up with the AI revolution.But for those of us thinking about it now, we have a few suggestions for cultivating the compassion and creativity Lee says will continue to be so crucial.Read more fictionStudiesshow that reading a novel can help increase both compassion and creativity. The scien ce shows that our brains process the experiences of characters in a novel the same way they process living through those experiences and while a lot of the research focuses on the short-term manifestations of this process,researchalso suggests the effects are long-lasting. This means that you are literally stepping into someones shoes when you read, and then carrying that experience with you afterward, learning empathy. The connections our minds make as we process language and story, too, are deeply creative. And, when you pick the rightbook, reading is incredibly fun (and mind-expanding.)JournalBy helping you process and find meaning in the madness of daily life,journalingis a great way to develop the ability to make creative connections and think outside of routine. It doesnt need to be the sometimes tedious itemization of summer camp journaling. Even just writing down a few thoughts or observations every day can help. Use your iPhone notes or, better yet, get a small notebook yo u can carry around in your bag, and jot down some thoughts throughout the day. Youll be surprised at what comes out.Listen really listen to the people you loveSpending time with yourloved onesis important not just to remind you that you are connected and loved, but also to help you exercise compassion. Truly listen when your friends or loved ones are telling you about work and relationship trouble or work and relationship joy When we pay attention to what they say, we learn about human experience outside ourselves, practice empathy, and cultivate compassion.Pick up a creative, social hobbyJoining a club or social group centered around a creative activity is a great way to cultivate compassion by interacting with people you might not otherwise and creativity, by keeping you accountable about your creative practice. This could be something like a reading or writing group, an evening painting class at a local art school. It doesnt have to be something youre great at, but it should be something you enjoy that takes you out of your daily routine.This article first appeared on Thrive Global.