Job Search - Interview Types

     When you are preparing for a job interview nowadays knowing just basic information about the company you are interviewing for may not be enough to impress the recruiter. So you might be asking yourself what are some ways that you can prepare yourself so that you can feel more confident when beginning the interview process. Well one thing that can be extremely beneficial to a person is knowing what type of interview they are experiencing or are going to experience. This can help you plan your approach and mentality way better when you can play along with an interviewers game.
     The first type of interviews you should know about are what are known as a structured and unstructured interview. In a structured interview, the interviewer will present to you a series of pre-prepared questions in a specific pre-set order. This mainly helps the interviewer to compare answers from multiple candidates to see which is best fit for the job. In an unstructured interview the only difference is that instead of having a set list of questions to ask, instead the interviewer will ask questions based on the answers you give to questions already asked.
     The next type of interview that you can have which is also one of the most common types of interviews these days is the behavioral interview. This is where you asked to relate specific incidents and experiences you have had from your past. This interview helps interviewers to determine your potential in areas such as your ability to work under pressure, coordinate with others, and resolve conflicts with others. Another thing this helps the interviewer learn about you is how you handled these experiences in your life and whether or not it reflects what the company's values are. This is where you can gain the upper hand by doing prior research to what a company's values may be so that when asked to bring up experiences you can discuss the ones that are in the context of the company's values. A situational interview is very similar to that of a behavioral interview except the questions focus on how a person would handle hypothetical situations that may arise on the job.  This is where knowing a lot about the position you are applying for will come in handy since these hypothetical situations will most likely be related to the job you are applying for.
      A working interview is the one that simulates the most realistic environment out of all. This is where an interviewer will actually ask you to perform a job-related task during the interview. You may be asked to do things such as solve a problem that the company is having, make a presentation, engage in a role playing scenario, or lead an entire team to come up with a specific idea.
     The last type of interview is probably the one that will cause you the most stress and is rightfully named the stress interview.  This is the type of interview where you will be asked questions meant to make you feel uncomfortable, have to deal with long periods of silence, criticism, interruptions, or even be treated with hostility by the interviewer themselves. The main idea behind this type of interview is to see how well a person can handle stressful situations. This interview is the one where if you realize what is going on and that you are part of one then you understand more of why it is happening and this allows to you to better collect your thoughts for responses.

LINK:
More on Interview Types

Job Search - Resume

     When it comes to job searching when you ask a person what they believe is the most vital part of job searching most will probably say it is having a nice well written resume. Many people seem to become nervous when it comes to the idea of having to write a resume, however, a resume is actually just another form of a business message that you can follow the three-step process for.
      In short, a resume needs to tell an employer who you are, what you've accomplished, and most importantly how you can benefit the company that you are trying to apply for. A resume's purpose is not to land you the job by having to give out every detail about yourself, but to get the company interested in you enough to bring you in for an interview. Before beginning to even write your resume it would probably be best to gather as much information as possible to get to know who is going to read your resume so that you can select the best approach for your audience.
     When actually writing the resume make sure that you adapt your skills to your audience. What that means is plan how to word everything you will write carefully so it can catch the recruiters eye's quickly by sticking out. Write down your education and experience in a form that translates your attributes into a way that an employer will find valuable. Also, as with any business message it is vital to write clearly with strong language and a professional tone that is appropriate to the employers you are trying to target no matter what form of communication you are using.
     The final step in writing your resume and a vital one at that is when the resume is completed. It is important to revise the resume as you would any business message to make sure there are no typo's and that it is clear and concise for your audience to understand. Besides the actual text in the document make sure that the design element of the resume also checks out. The layout should be evenly spaced throughout and anything that should be aligned needs to be aligned because this will be noticed by anyone who reads your resume. Another thing that people might notice is if their resume is either too short or too long by the time they are done. This is the step where if there is too much you can look at your resume as a whole and decide what can be cut down or removed completely. If your resume seems to be too short then maybe you haven't put enough information for your resume to be properly evaluated and considered. Lastly, send the resume through the medium that was requested and make sure that it is formatted correctly and will display correctly when being sent through that medium and also most importantly that the receiver can open your resume.

LINK:
Job Search Tips - Professional Resume Writing

Oral Presentations

     When it comes to the thought of having to give a speech this might make a person nervous. There are three main points to keep in mind to help someone overcome their fear of speeches. Firstly, one must remember that everyone gets somewhat nervous when speaking in front of large crowds. Second, being nervous is actually a good sign believe it or not. This shows that you care about your presentation and how well you do. Lastly, you don't need to succumb to your feelings of nervousness when having to give a presentation. With proper planning and organization you will gain the confidence to know you are delivering an efficient and effective speech.
      Even though the idea of having to write out your presentation may seem weird it is actually a very beneficial step towards proper structuring of your presentation. It helps to develop your ideas and structure your points to help support your overall message. Just like any written message an oral presentation consists of an introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction is where you will gain the audiences attention and interest in the topic you are discussing. You will establish your credibility while preparing your audience for the main ideas which are to come. It is important to have a strong introduction to make sure your presentation starts off great and grabs the audience.
     The majority of your speech will be included in the body. When presenting your ideas it is important to make sure you keep a consistent flow and link between sentences by incorporating the use of transitional words or phrases. If your presentation involves what can be potentially confusing points it is necessary to use familiar words and easy examples to make sure the audience gets it. You should already have the audiences attention from your introduction so now it is vital for you to keep hold of it. Do not be afraid to ask for opinions or ask if anyone has questions or comments. This will help to see if your listeners are gaining a clear understanding of points you are trying to make.
     When it comes time to present your conclusion let the audience know that you will be wrapping it up. This will make the audience pay close attention for one final moment before they anxiously await to move on with their day. Your last words will be the ones that the audience will most likely remember when they leave. This is why it is important to restate the main points you spoke about through the body portion of your presentation. To end on a strong note your final words must be memorable and make a great impression on your audience. You can achieve this by planning ahead to what your closing statement will be to that when you do close your audience is sure to remember you.

LINK:
12 Tips on Oral Presentations

Visual Communication

     Although the primary focus of business professionals when it comes to communications revolves around the best way to say things many people might not realize visual communication may be just as important. When it comes to creating visuals it can sometimes help make some important concepts better understood and make things more obvious than if they were to use words alone. Sometimes it is even possible for the proper visual display to relay more information than words in a same given amount of time. You must remember that most of the time visuals are what attracts a persons attention and grabs onto it. When as much has been taking out of sentences and phrases that is when a person tends to look to the visual to gain a final better understanding of what was read.
     There are, however, some risks involved in using visuals that one must pay attention to just as there are risks for when writing text messages. One is that you must always remember that just as some words or phrases have symbolic meaning when read in different cultures, there are also colors, shapes, and other certain visual elements that can have visual symbolism that varies in different cultures. Another thing to be aware of is that when it comes to preparing visuals they must be carefully planned and created just as you would writing an ordinary message. The reason being because an awkwardly wrote sentence or typo can be overlooked by majority of people who read it but a visual that seems irrelevant or badly implemented will be way more noticeable especially if your audience seems to be having trouble in decoding a visual to what its true meaning is.

LINK
Visual Aids for a Speech or Presentation : Types of Visual Aids

Using the three-step writing process for writing negative messages.

     Last time I discussed that when it comes to writing a proper business message you should use the three-step writing process. Now it's time to discuss how to use the three-step writing process to deliver bad news to someone.

     When planning your message you need to take in the fact immediately that your audience is not going to like what you have to say to them. You need to make sure you think through your purpose of this message carefully to determine how straightforward it is such as turning down a job application, or more complicated such as having to give someone a bad review on performance. Once you have a clear purpose you also need to realize negative messages can sometimes feel extremely personal to the receiver. Selecting the right medium is also very important and it is advised to deliver the message in person to show respect and allow them to ask questions. One thing to remember is that trying to get the main idea across in your message is usually more difficult than just telling a person "no".

     When you begin to write your negative message keep a close eye on the effectiveness of it because if the audience feels the message is unclear it will just add on to their stress. When it comes to saying certain things make sure to choose positive words. For example, "Your request doesn't make any sense." can be perceived as being harsh as opposed to saying "Please clarify your request." So use language that shows respect and doesn't seem to sound as if you are accusing them which will hurt their pride.


     Finally, when it comes to completing your negative message pay very close attention to all details making sure everything is said clearly for the audience to understand, complete as to not leave any details out that can make the audience question something, and concise so the user doesn't have to spend a long time reading more and more bad news. You should make sure you have proofread the document for any grammatical errors and when everything checks out be sure to deliver it promptly and that the audience receives the message.


Below is a link showing intern doctors practicing how to deliver bad news to patients.
Delivering Bad News

Three-Step Writing Process

     When it comes to planning out how to write a proper business message there are many thoughts that may come into a persons mind such as "how should I say this" or "Does this have everything I want it to say". There is a simple three-step writing process that will help in making sure you create a more effective message.

     The first step is the planning stage. The planning stage is where you analyze the situation to find out purpose and also to develop a profile of who your audience will be. You must gather information that will fill the needs of your audience. In the planning stage you will also select the right medium to deliver your message. Before you begin to write your message, you should lastly make sure you have organized your information to make sure you can get your main point across and decide what kind of approach you will take whether direct or indirect.

     The second step is the actual writing. The main idea you must focus on when writing is to make sure you adapt to your audience. By maintaining a "you" attitude towards the audience, you build a better and stronger relationship and gain credibility through your positive emphasis and politeness. Make sure to control the tone of your voice to a conversation tone with proper voice and plain English. While you are composing the message remember to choose strong words that will get your point across to create more effective sentences through your message.

     The last step comes when you are done writing your message. The first thing to do once finished writing is to revise your message and evaluate its contents and make sure it is clear and readable to your audience. After you have ensured that your message is exactly spot on to what you want to say then you can choose an effective design layout that will give your message a professional appearance. Before its time to send your message out, you should go back through your message but this time to search for any errors in spelling, mechanics, or layout. Once all of this is done then you can distribute the message using the medium you chose during your planning and make sure everything that is needed to be sent is sent successfully.



Below is a link to an example as to how you would make sure you deliver bad news to your audience in the best way possible.
Business English Writing - Bad News

Mastering Team Communication

        From construction to sports to business teams every single one has a single element in common and that is in order to be effective in what they do they must have great team communication. There are more things involved in being an effective communicative team other than just being a good talker and listener. 

          In order to understand how to effectively communicate as a team we must first observe the advantages and disadvantages of a having a team as opposed to going at it solo. One major advantage of having a team is the fact that your weaknesses could most likely be your teammates strengths which gives access to more abilities and information. Another advantage of working in a team is the increased performance you will have due to not having to encounter as many issues that may affect performance negatively since you have a bigger group of minds that can solve complex problems more efficiently. However, there are also disadvantages to working with a team. A major disadvantage that could affect performance is peer pressure. For example, an individual may feel pressured to keep opinions or ideas to themselves if it may seem that the rest of the team seems to agree on an idea even if that idea may not be the best possible one. Another big problem that could occur in teams is if any member of the team has their own hidden agenda and has their own ideas and motives on how and why they want to do things even though the rest of the team is oblivious to it.

          Now that we know some advantages and disadvantages we can see how to make sure we still keep a team as efficient as possible. One idea we can implement in ourselves to be better team players is the idea of active listening. We allow ourselves to just turn off any notion of wanting to speak while a person is giving us their opinion on a matter and just listen and pay full attention to what is being said. As simple as it may sound this is actually something that requires practice. A team must also have specific roles for each member so to avoid conflict and also so that each member knows his specific role and what exactly that individual needs to do. Another major issue that affects teams all the time and everyone in them is when a conflict arises. There are however good efficient ways to resolve conflict. The first thing that must be done when a conflict seems to be brewing is to deal with it before it gets out of hand the question is though how do we properly deal with it. To resolve a conflict without making it worst requires attention to finding out what seems to be the reasons for the problem and what are possible solutions. When there is a conflict the team needs to remain open to hearing everyone's opinion on the matter and be fair to giving everyone's input equal attention.

          Another way to make your team a more productive one is by planning productive meetings. To set up a productive meeting the first thing is to make sure you know the purpose of why you are having a meeting so you do not need to waste time figuring out what to talk about last minute. Also, a meeting with less people would be better for discussion so do not invite anyone to the meeting who will not benefit from it or will not benefit you. And lastly, a proper time and place must be chosen that will guarantee everyone involved will be at their most attentive and productive point. For example, it is probably not best to have a meeting after a long day of work and right before everyone heads home because as you can probably guess there will be too much thought on when is it over so everyone can go home more than what needs to be done.

LINK:

Effective Team Communication

Business Communication 2.0

     Communication is the process of transferring information and meaning between senders and receivers, using written, oral, visual, or electronic channels. The essence of communication is sharing so to provide data and information that will benefit both sender and receiver. Technology is advancing at such a rapid pace nowadays that is has affected communications within businesses dramatically leading to what is referred to as Business Communication 2.0. This refers to the new way of communication which no longer is restricted to what use to seem as a one-way communication with upper management issuing orders to lower level employees or relaying messages without much feedback.  Now with the availability of these new technologies the recipient of messages is not simply a receiver but an active person in the conversation. This opens up many channels of communication within a business allowing for more benefits such as projects not just becoming a planned projects where managers strictly dictate orders to employees but more of a reactive environment to converse best possibly approaches to tasks needed to be done.

    One example of this Business Communications 2.0 is the use of social networking technologies. They are redefining the way team communication is handled by completely removing geographical and organization boundaries. Erasing geographical boundaries makes it simple for employees to share information with people without needing face-to-face interaction. Allowing for participants to communicate before an organized event takes place also guarantees more productivity. Social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Xing have started to play bigger roles in some companies who use these network technologies to form "virtual communities" that link employees with other employees throughout the company, customers, and suppliers. The biggest advantage of a social network is that it allows for companies to form the most efficient teams for a task no matter where an employee or possible recruit is located.

     Social Networking is just one of many network technologies that has helped redesign the way many companies communicate and as you can see it allows for greater effectiveness for tasks and easier communication through an entire company especially one that may be located all throughout the world. As technology continues to progress as it already has so rapidly it seems that it can only benefit the business world positively and communications throughout businesses will continue to evolve as we see companies adapting to the use of new network technologies.

LINK
Social Networking Sites for Business