How do you handle a deadline?

How do you handle a deadline?

“I do great, I havent missed one yet.”

Not a good answer !!!

Why you may ask?

Remember math class? The answer is not important, but the process in which you get the result is !

During the course of an interview, many interviewers are trying to get a glimpse of you, the person, your routines, likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, etc.

The process in getting to know a person goes beyond, the bottom line result. The ways in which you have found your success, the roads you have taken, the struggles and triumphs all make up your character but also contribute to your skill set as well.

How you handle up hill climbs and challenges and your approach is key. Life is not perfect, companies are not and procedures may not be. How do you react when there is a breakdown?

What do you do when the documents you were waiting for to meet a deadline dont arrive in time?

Many times in life we learn a lot more from our mistakes and failures than we do from our successes. Dont be afraid to mention these, it makes you a real person, it also allows the employers to see that you are adapt to change, to new circumstance and can meet demands if fires arise.

We find out who we are and who are colleagues are when facing challenging times, this is how we find out our leaders and strongest players. Its a red flag when an interviewee has never faced challenges at work, or has had obstacles to climb.

This gives the sense to the interviewer that you were either not given much responsibility or do not challenge yourself, or maybe you are just not being fully open in your responses.

Silicon Staffing

www.siliconstaffing.co

Initial Interview; Dont Negotiate Salary

In an initial interview dont make the mistake of negotiating a price !

The initial interview is an opportunity to get to know your potential employer and it is a time for the employer to get to know you as well. The last thing you want to do is use the initial contact as a means of negotiating your future salary.

Of course every minute is an observation and a chance to lay out the standards and expectations from both sides, you can negotiate your salary by showing your value based on your experience, understanding and being a good fit for the company.

You may be asked directly what your salary expectations are, answer directly. If the company cant afford you, thats ok, you dont want to accept a job where you believe you are under paid and are constantly looking for an upgrade. Thats not a good situation for you and not fair to your employer.

Be honest in your evaluation of what your needs are and what your goals are, they maybe different and by placing your answer in this format, it will also give you an opportunity to negotiate later without closing yourself off and pinning yourself to a number.

No one under any circumstance wants to start anything negotiating price, its usually a bad sign!

Do you want to work with a vendor who puts more attention on invoicing you or providing a service? Do you go on a first date and discuss if you should have a joint bank account, or before starting your meal negotiate on who pays for it?

Of course not, so why would you take that approach in an interview.

Yes, every minute is a negotiation but it doesnt have to be direct, it can be subtle, show your value through your observations, experiences and what you can bring to a company. We sometimes forget that a company is just that, a company of people, a group of people, working towards the same common goal. So if your common goal is your bottom line, how can that fit into any company unless you are working for the Wolf of Wall Street!

Bottom line is that many applicants go into the interview process trying to give the right answer. Which is the wrong answer. Be honest, dont be afraid to layout your expectations, your needs and desires. Essentially what you will find if you continue to do this is that, you will end up in jobs you wont like and likely wont succeed in. Set a target and pursue it.

The initial interview is for both sides to get a better understanding of one another to see if there is a potential future, in being honest, you allow this relationship to mature and grow. You also give yourself the best opportunity to land a job you truly enjoy and are a good fit for. Dont make a mistake on settling for a job, it is only delaying our career success and potential.

Silicon Staffing

www.siliconstaffing.co

Basic Tools for Remote Success

Basic Tools for Remote Success

The perception is that your company needs some kind of exotic remote infrastructure to have the ability to have employees work remotely. Simply thats not true !

Many companies already use web based remote access portals such as Sales Force and a variety of portal cloud based system which allows uses of databases. The biggest issue is of trust and communication.

The trust factor is one that the employer needs to have confidence in the abilities, motives and dedication of their employee. This starts with having high quality people that are focused on a common goal. This starts with having a human resources department that is also focused on building a core group that is developed by hiring individuals who are committed to personal and company success and importantly growth.

These types of individuals are usually self-motivated professionals that have a thirst for learning and seeking excellence, they are highly responsible and borderline work-a-holics. They are professionals that have succeeded without working under supervision and they like their jobs !

If your employee meets that criteria, studies from Intel, Cisco Systems and a variety of universities has shown that, they will not only be more productive and efficient employees but also happier ones which will value a monetary gain, less!

So how do you communicate?

It cant be anymore simple or cost effective. With phones, email, text, IM and video messaging, there isnt much that you will be missing in regards to communication either oral or written. The number one tool for communication is a simple Skype account, Skype not only will allow you to IM, video chat but also simply drag and drop files of almost any size. Although very common many people overlook how easy and effective communicating via Skype can be.Another tool to share files is DropBox, which also allows for storage.

In regards to communication, there isnt anything you will be missing but a chat in the breakroom. Sharing information, files and documents are also easy so what next, the complex projects that need intervention?

For more complex projects TeamViewer allows one user to take control of the other users computer and users to share their desktops. It is very easy to install and easier to use. This tool allows training and project development to occur as if 2 or more people are in the same room on the same computer. You can train, discuss, develop or brainstorm from your high rise office or home office.

In your office you can always have someone take a peak at your screen, remotely you can too, ScreenHunter lets you take a snap shot of an area, the active window or the entire page, with just a touch and saves it to your desktop ot designated file for you to share.

As you can see, there isnt much in you can do in the office that you cant do working remotely but maybe stand over the shoulder of your employees, and you can do that to, if so you chose!

SKYPE	TEAMVIEWER	SCREENHUNTER	DROPBOX

www.siliconstaffing.co/remote tools.html

www.siliconstaffing.co

Giving Up at “Hello”

Giving Up at “Hello”

At times applicants lose the interview before its even over. Over the course of an interview process many applicants disqualify themselves by having negative thoughts. This is noticed by your interviewer when your voice pitch changes due to the energy or wind thats been taken from you, because you heard a phrase or a description which you think disqualifies you.

Stop !

You bring more attention to the skill set you maybe missing or lack confidence in by doing this. In addition no one wants to hire someone that is so ready to throw in the towel.

Maintain your confidence through out, dont assume, that you are disqualified. You are doing yourself a disservice. There isnt a skill in your profession that you could not master or improve on within a short period of time. Employers want people that are motivated to grow, employees that seek improvement and when hit with a road block, they have the skill set, will, and drive to figure out the solution. No boss wants to just hear about the problem, they also want to hear you have a resolution as well. Maintain this attitude.

If it is experience you lack, make up it with testing and competency results to show that you know your way around the office, or provide work product that employers can relate to. Its your world and how you make it and see it. If you dont see the light, how is your employer going to see it?

At times applicants think, my credit is bad, or that DUI a few years is holding me back, and during the course of the interview, all you think about is why they will not hire me. Instead realize that no one is perfect, and many employers will understand your situation as long as you are honest and can have a confident and justifiable reason, it could simply be, I made a mistake !

We all have, or know a family member or a good friend that has as well, it doesnt make our family or friends bad people or bad employees, they had a bad moment that they are more in the light for than others.

Stay confident, dont allow your weaknesses to hold you back, most times in life we set more road blocks for ourselves than there actually are.

Silicon Staffing

www.siliconstaffing.co

www.siliconstaffing.co/careers

Stick to the Facts

A common mistake many young applicants make in trying to cover their inexperience is referring to what they liked and concentrated on in high school. Although this level of passion is great, it actually sheds more light on your inexperience in a glaring manner than if you concentrated on your education achievements and even your brief work history in as much detail as possible. This is much more relevant to the position you are interviewing for unless that position is a high school teacher !

On the flip side many older candidates refer to the year they graduated or “in 1985 when I worked for IBM”, as a reference point, many times this ages you and in a career and job environment which seeks younger talent and associates it with fresh and new ideas, you maybe doing your self a dis-service. Now of course if the point of reference is something specific which may highlight a current need, that maybe okay, but think, how much has changed since 1985 ! Would you want to leave a branding of an outdated candidate?

Remember the interview maybe unique to you, but to the interviewer, you maybe interview 26 and in hindsight your branding may set you apart in an ultra competitive environment.

Do yourself a favor and stick to the facts, not to the dates, you dont have to say that you started working for IBM in 1985, you can simply say, “I initial gained the experience when I worked with IBM, it was a rewarding experience.”

This allows you to elaborate on your resume without aging you and most employers will be more interested in what you learned, gained and are able to transmit back than when it was. If your experience is truly relevant then you would be able to relate the experiences and make it a home run for you, if you are not able to make the experience you gained there relevant in your conversation or in your mind, then it is random conversation which shift the focus of the interview !

www.siliconstaffing.co
www.siliconstaffing.co/careers

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