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#BestofFSCBlog : #JobSearch : 45 Questions You Should Ask In Every Job Interview. Great Read !

January 8, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

It was the middle of July 2008, and I had just bought an expensive power suit for a job interview. After being laid off during the height of the recession and unemployed for about six weeks, I was feeling desperate and willing to spend money on anything that might put my career on track.

Surprisingly, the train was running on time that day, which gave me the opportunity to take my new jacket off, sit back, and prepare for this meeting one last time. At my stop, I realized I was so intently focused that I didn’t notice a robbery happening right under my nose. The jacket was gone.

With nothing but an inappropriate tank top on, I was mortified but decided to go for it anyway. I proceeded to meet all of the organization’s department heads, during which time my thoughts repeatedly returned to my improper attire. But believe it or not, I ended up getting the job.

Even though my story had a happy ending, there’s no doubt the pressures of the interview process had me unnerved. Anything can happen before or during an interview, which is why it’s crucial to walk in feeling prepared — even if your jacket has just been stolen.

Interviewers will be focused on finding out if you’re a right fit for the position, but it’s also important to decide if the company is a right fit for you. Have a list of questions ready to help you through your next interview:

Your role

Be careful not to ask questions already answered in the job description. It’s important go beyond those general duties to understand everything the job entails.

1. Can you offer specific details about the position’s day-to-day responsibilities?

2. What would my first week at work look like?

3. How does this position contribute to the organization’s success?

4. What do you hope I will accomplish in this position?

5. How does the company culture affect this role?

6. What job shadowing opportunities are available for an applicant before they accept an offer?

Proceed with caution: If rather than going into detail about the primary responsibilities listed in the job description, the employer rambles off many more duties — they may be asking you to take on more than you initially thought.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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Getting to know the interviewer

Most likely, the interviewer is the first contact you’ll have at this company — they could even be your future boss. Asking questions can help you understand their attitude, company values, and where the company’s future is heading.

7. What do you enjoy most about working here?

8. Why are you working in this industry?

9. Can you walk me through your typical work day?

10. What is your greatest accomplishment with the company?

11. What is your team’s greatest accomplishment?

12. What goals do you have for the company, yourself, and employees over the next five years?

13. What hobbies do you have outside of the office?

Proceed with caution: Be wary of leaders who have trouble opening up or don’t seem passionate about their company and team.

Management’s style

What type of management style do you need to reach the height of your potential? Now’s the best time to see if the company’s leaders align with your expectations.

14. How do leaders encourage employees to ask questions?

15. How do leaders set employees up for success?

16. How does employee feedback get incorporated into day-to-day operations?

17. How does management deliver negative feedback to employees?

Proceed with caution: Employers who can’t list how they encourage employees and set them up for success may not deliver the support you’re looking for in a company.

Company culture

From benefits and perks to the ways employees interact with each other, not meshing with a company’s culture can put a roadblock on your path to success.

18. What is your work culture like?

19. How would you describe the work environment here?

20. What benefits are focused on work-life balance?

21. What benefits and perks does the company offer?

22. What is the outline of your telecommuting policy?

23. How frequently do employees make themselves available outside of normal working hours?

Proceed with caution: Listen closely to how the interviewer describes the company’s benefits and environment to be sure it’s the right culture for your personality and working style.

Company reputation

After doing some research, you should already know a few things about the company’s reputation. Now it’s time to dig a little deeper to make sure this is a place where you’ll thrive.

24. What’s your mission statement?

25. How often is a new hire the result of a previous employee quitting?

26. Why do most employees leave the company?

27. How would employees describe the company and its leaders?

28. What are the company’s biggest problems? How are they overcoming them?

29. What do you want the company to be known for among employees — past, present, and future?

Proceed with caution: Quality leaders will be the first to admit that their company isn’t perfect. Interviewers who claim they would change nothing might be failing to grow and make positive changes.

Performance measurements

Knowing a company’s expectations and how they measure goals before accepting a job offer helps you decide if their style matches with what motivates you.

30. How are employees recognized for their hard work?

31. How involved are employees in the structuring of their own goals and tasks?

32. What are your views on goals, timelines, and measuring success?

33. How often are employees expected to provide status updates on a project?

34. How often do you evaluate employee performance?

Proceed with caution: Wanting constant updates and control over employee tasks are warning signs of a micromanager.

Future co-workers

The employees at this organization could be your next team. Make sure you’re positive this is a group you want to be a part of.

35. Can you tell me about the team I’ll be working with?

36. How competitive are your employees?

37. How do you develop teamwork skills among employees?

Proceed with caution: A competitive environment can be fun and motivating, but a lack of teamwork in the office could point to a cutthroat company.

Opportunities for growth

What is your ultimate career goal? Set yourself up for success by finding out how far this new position could take you on your career path.

38. What type of mentor system do you have in place?

39. What type of educational/training opportunities does the company offer?

40. What advancement opportunities are available?

41. How do leaders promote employee growth and success?

42. What does it take to be a top performer at this company?

Proceed with caution: If an interviewer is unable to share how you can advance within the company, chances are you might not be able to grow at the rate you want.

Moving forward

Don’t leave the interview with any questions unanswered — for you or the interviewer. This is your final opportunity to make sure you’re both on the same page before you walk out the door.

43. What’s the next step of this process, and when can I expect to hear from you?

44. Is there any other information I can provide you with?

45. Would you like to see more examples of my work?

Proceed with caution: Interviewers who don’t have a lot to offer on next steps may already have another candidate in mind or might not be in a big rush to hire. Remember to stay positive and continue to job search until you’re officially hired.

#BestofFSCBlog :Got Kids? Important Skills to Develop for Success in 2020 & Beyond. Must Read!

January 7, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

For workers across all sectors, the ground is shifting quickly. The way that people used to build lasting careers, often through becoming “deep domain experts,” is no longer enough to guarantee a future. New technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are supplanting many traditional roles and changing many others. As the McKinsey Global Institute puts it,

“All workers will need to adapt as machines take over routine and some physical tasks.”

This doesn’t have to be bad news. In fact, the changes underway can bring new, exciting opportunities for everyone who’s ready and willing to grow and develop new skills.

Through my work at Filtered, a company that takes a technological and human approach to recommending learning opportunities, I’ve come to see which skills are indispensable — and most likely to empower you to succeed in the decade ahead.

Understanding ‘power skills’

For years, workers have been hearing that data science and other related skills are in extremely high demand. (“You probably should have majored in computer science,” Quartz once said in a headline.)

That demand remains. Organizations need technological know-how to stay on top of new trends and to try to fend off against disruption. But these are no longer the skills companies need most.

The most important skills today are those that are usually called “soft” skills. Now, some call them “power” skills or “behavioral” skills.

These skills include collaboration, communication, creative thinking, work ethic, teamwork, networking, decision making, positivity, time management, motivation, versatility, problem-solving, critical thinking, and conflict resolution.

“Executives’ views regarding the priority of critical skills have taken a turn from digital and technical to behavioral,” IBM’s Institute for Business Value reported recently in a survey of thousands of executives. The top four skills that executives deem most critical for today’s workforce are: agility; time management; teamwork and effective communication.

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Why these needs will last

Change is happening at an unprecedented pace, as technological progress (including digital transformation) and global political unrest make for a highly unpredictable world. Smart businesses recognize that it’s very difficult to know how they’ll have to pivot in the future. Change really is the only constant.

At a time like this, what organizations need most are individuals and teams that can adapt and grow, helping the business to survive and even thrive. This is why developing a “growth mindset,” an ability to act mindfully, and a high level of resilience have become much more pragmatic and important than ever. All these power skills can, in fact, be learned and improved.

In-demand technical skills

Of course, traditional skills, sometimes called “core skills,” will also continue to give you a leg up over competitors as you work to build a career, so it’s important not to neglect them. The IBM survey found that the most critical are “analytics skills and business acumen,” followed by “technical core capabilities for STEM” and “basic computer and software/application skills.” That last category includes Excel, which I advise everyone to become proficient at.

Interestingly, foreign language proficiency is in IBM’s top 10 as well. Even with technologies like Google Translate helping people have conversations across different languages, the ability to effortlessly communicate with people around the world and understand nuances and turns of phrase can go a long way in helping build relationships — which remain the purview of humanity, not machines.

How to learn

The world is filled with learning resources, from articles to TED Talks, podcasts, infographics, well-chosen Twitter accounts and, of course, books. Fortunately, many companies are investing heavily in making resources available for their employees. Just as importantly, some businesses are carving out time in workers’ schedules to allow them to develop new skills.

Still, for workers this process can seem overwhelming. With a world of resources available, where do you begin?

Some top employers are taking new steps to help with this. Understanding the need to offer long-term career paths, they’re starting to focus their learning resources specifically on the kinds of skills they need. They’re aligning their self-directed learning cultures with changes underway inside the business. They’re saying to employees: here are the skills we expect we’ll continue to need in the years ahead. And here are some tools to help you learn them. It’s as though, rather than being dropped into a field of learning and told to walk in any direction, employees are given a digital map with GPS and multiple destinations available.

I recommend that workers actively take advantage of these opportunities. And when you interview with new companies, ask them about their skill needs and learning resources. The more you show an interest in developing the skills needed for the future, the more desirable a candidate you become — and any company will be lucky to have you.

Author: Marc Zao-Sanders is co-founder and CEO of Filtered, which helps individuals and companies learn to become more productive.

GlassDoor.com | January 6, 2020

5 Reasons Job Seekers Have More Power Than They Realize. A Must Read!

January 6, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

As a job seeker, it can sometimes feel like you’re at the mercy of a potential employer. But that simply isn’t true—especially in today’s job market, where unemployment sits at an all-time low, explains millennial career expert Jill Jacinto. “That puts power in jobseekers’ hands,” she says.

But a thriving job market isn’t the only thing that makes you—yes, you!—very powerful. Here, career experts explain why you’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to your dream job or career.

1. You are the interviewer, too.

When Jacinto speaks with clients looking for a new job, she reminds them they are interviewing the potential workplace just as much as that workplace is interviewing them. “The company—even if it has a coveted name—always wants to make the best hiring decisions,” she explains. Hiring managers are focused on retention. “It makes the hiring manager look bad if they hire someone only to have them leave,” Jacinto says. “So, they are going to do their best to sell you on this job, but it’s your job to ask the leading questions to ensure this is the best fit for you.”

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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2. You have special skills.

When you have any special skills, you have more control over where you can work—and in your negotiations for a better salary and benefits package, says career coach Hallie Crawford. And the good news is everyone has special skills: They might be soft skills, leadership skills, advanced training or knowledge of software or machinery, or more. Whatever they are, “this highlights the importance of staying on top of trends and learning new industry processes,” Crawford explains.

3. You’re competing in a tight market.

Now more than ever, “employers are looking to retain and attract talent,” Jacinto says. Why? As unemployment rates drop—Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows the unemployment rate was just 3.6 percent in October—the labor pool and competition becomes tight. And that means that “companies are trying to stay competitive with their peers by offering alluring total reward incentives and investing more in their employees in order to win them over,” Jacinto explains.

4. You have a strong online presence.

In today’s tech-savvy world, anyone with a strong online presence—like a complete LinkedIn profile, online portfolio or website, drool-worthy Instagram grid, and everything in between—has an edge over the competition, and can attract a potential employer, says Crawford. “Since [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][hiring managers] are searching for candidates from a long list of possible hires, having a strong online presence makes … it more likely a hiring manager will contact you,” Crawford explains.

5. The workforce is changing.

According to Jacinto, “it’s no secret the future of work is heavily influencing the job market.” As new jobs and skills are created and honed each year, “employers need to meet that demand in order to stay relevant,” Jacinto explains. “Even if a potential employee can’t check off all the boxes for one of these emerging roles, employers need to rely on their talent pool because of the overall skills shortage. We will see a lot more on-the-job training as new roles are needed.”

GlassDoor.com | January 3, 2020 | Jillian Kramer

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Now Is The Best Time Of Year To Start Your Job Search. Are You Ready?

January 6, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

The beginning of January is the most opportune time of year to seek out a great new job. Whether you’re unhappy at work or just want to test the waters to ascertain if you can obtain a better, more well-paying job, this is the perfect moment to start your search.

There are instances in your career when you may feel it’s right to start looking for a new job. It could be when you feel stuck in a quagmire at work, layoffs have been announced, you’re not appreciated by management or are grossly underpaid. Your reasons may be valid; however, the timing may not be aligned with the current needs of the job market.

Management and the human resources division have their budget and headcount approved. They are now ready to replace those who have left the company and add to staff as well.

There are seasons and occasional time periods when it’s advantageous to seek out a new job. These stretches of time are prime for candidates, as everything converges to make it a job-seeker-friendly environment.

There is just something that feels natural and right about engaging in a job search during January. Looking for a new job fits in nicely with a person’s New Year’s resolution. Usually, people promise themselves that they will lose weight, stop smoking or drinking, go to the gym more often, stop complaining about the annoying boss and secure a new job

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The start of a new year ushers in a feeling of promise and new beginnings. Mentally and emotionally, it’s a nice time to begin looking for a new opportunity and for a hiring manager to find a terrific new addition to the team to start off the year on a happy note.

Over the last couple of months, there has been light hiring happening during the Thanksgiving and New Year’s holiday season. Hiring crawled to a standstill due to vacations, a general renewed focus on family, friends and shopping, companies closing out the books for the end of the year and potential job seekers pulling back to enjoy the holidays.

During the holiday season, there was a lighter workload. Having a few less people wasn’t a problem. Hiring managers will soon start to feel the pressure of having too many empty desks. Now that business is getting back to normal, the absence of a key employee is felt by everyone. The supervisor is motivated to quickly find a replacement to ensure that the staff is keeping up with its responsibilities.

Management and the human resources division have their budget and headcount approved. They are now ready to replace those who have left the company and add to staff as well. Year-end reviews, raises, bonuses and promotions have been taken care of and the sole focus for the company is moving forward into the new year.

Many prospective candidates put their job search on hold over the holidays. They’d rather push the pause button and try to enjoy the season. A majority of potential job seekers prefer to relax, spend time with family and friends and are not keen on subjecting themselves to the anxiety and stress associated with looking for a new job. They also sit on the sidelines to wait and see if they will receive a bonus, raise, positive annual review or promotion.

If they are rewarded and shown appreciation, then the anticipated job seekers may decide to stay with the company, as they feel the love. If they do not believe that the company values them, employees will actively engage in a job search. As people move, more jobs will become open. It becomes a game of musical chairs, as people switch seats.

If you’re interested in seeing if there are more attractive opportunities available, this is a great time to start your job search.

Forbes.com | January 6, 2020 | Jack Kelly

How To Manage Your Career For The Next Decade — Three Career Trends To Watch In 2020 And Beyond.

January 5, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

I have been watching careers as a consultant, recruiter and career coach for just over 20 years now. In the first 10 years, I focused on big changes in entry-level recruiting, specifically the decrease in organized campus recruiting for a more diffuse hiring process that required new entrants to the workforce to be proactive about managing their careers from day one. The second 10 years, those changes moved up into experienced recruiting, and the 24/7 job search became a harsh reality for every professional.

Today’s professionals still need to be proactive and manage their careers 24/7, but also need to manage for different careers altogether. Here are three career trends to watch in the next decade:

Everyone is an entrepreneur

Freelancing is on the rise – 1 in 3 Americans freelanced at some point in 2018, and 28% of freelancers are full-time compared to 17% in 2014. This is a career trend that is hard to undo since employers benefit from getting the specific resources they need when they need them (and save on the increasingly expensive benefits costs of traditional employees). Freelancers also report being happier than traditional workers.

The fix? Even if you stay in traditional employment, you will compete with freelancers. The most hirable professionals will manage their career (and job search) like the freelancing entrepreneurs. You have to sell yourself harder – you will need more than a resume to get hired. You have to be more targeted with your networking. Like a business, you will benefit from the publicity and will need to build a brand.

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Reskilling is the must-have skill

AI, robotics and Big Data are some of today’s big disrupters, but there will be other disruptive innovations that add brand-new jobs and make other jobs obsolete. It is not a matter of if your job will change, but when. Today’s professional needs to know how to proactively change careers, not just search for a job in the same career –your original career choice may cease to exist or be unrecognizable.

The fix? Sure, you can research what the hottest jobs are right now, but those jobs will invariably change, and the requirements for individual jobs continually change. Rather than focus on what skills you need right now, make it a habit to continually reskill over time. Build a professional development plan, and budget it into your regular calendar. If it’s been a while since you have learned something new, start with something you enjoy even outside your career – learning how to learn, being comfortable as a student/ beginner again and building a love for learning are all helpful skills to have.

The new retirement age is never

People live into their 70’s on average, but peak earning years are your 50’s and 40’s (pay growth for college-educated women peaks at 40!). You need to be a good money manager to bank those earnings and stretch them as inflation increases and your average salary decreases over 20-30 years. 67% of seniors would prefer to not be working or to work fewer hours. One upside to working longer is that you could choose to move into a new career you enjoy.

The fix? Manage your money as closely and proactively as you manage your career. Manage your career for the ebb and flow of peak earning times and periods of unemployment and underemployment. Pursuing FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) is one way withstand career volatility. Reskilling and embracing an entrepreneurial approach (as noted above) will also help with career longevity. Since you need to focus on longevity, you also need to guard against burnout and keep yourself engaged and excited about your work. Finding success stories, like this 104 year old artist who sold her first painting at age 81, can help.

You have choices for where to take your career

It might sound scary to think about working longer, but it also means you have the time to build a career you love. It could be a lot of work to reskill, but it is also an opportunity to learn different things. It takes a different approach to manage your career like an entrepreneur, rather than an employee but it puts you in control.

Today’s professional has choices. Does that make you feel overwhelmed or excited? Are these trends an obstacle course to endure or an adventure to begin? How will you choose to approach this new decade?

Forbes.com | January 5, 2020 | Caroline Ceniza-Levine

#SuccessfulPeople :The One Thing To Prioritize To Be More Effective.

January 4, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

There is no dearth of information or advice about how to be more effective, including Stephen Covey’s famous book, a whole industry around time management, advice to shorten meetings (or cancel them altogether), advice to meditate and take naps, advice to wake up early and exercise, and advice from a wide variety of gurus, coaches, nutritionists, and more — all who want to help you be more effective at work by managing your energy, your time, your focus, and your priorities.

My advice for being more effective is simple.

Don’t be the bottleneck.

If you want to maximize not just your own effectiveness but that of your whole organization, the worst thing you can do is be the bottleneck. In today’s world of work, processes are intertwined across teams and companies such that a delay in your part of the process creates a bottleneck and delays for everyone else in your organization. And for your customers.

It is a subtle shift, but much of the advice on prioritizing work is focused on your activities that are part of your job and things that you need to do in a vacuum. Some people will tell you to do the quick things first so you can knock them off of your list. But what if the quick things impact you but don’t necessarily move the process of work along to others?

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Some will tell you to do the important and urgent things first, but what if you don’t include getting things to other people in your definition of important and urgent? And some people will tell you to make sure you’re blocking off time to think strategically, but what if you prioritize thinking about the future and end up becoming a hindrance to results in the here-and-now?

Throughout my career, after my first cup of coffee and a quick glance at emails and texts to make sure no crisis had emerged while I was sleeping, I’d prioritize my day’s activities based on who else needed something from me in order to do their work. Because I didn’t want to be the bottleneck. I didn’t want to be the one slowing down the team or threatening the delivery of a commitment to a customer or creating a drag on results.

Depending on the job, this has meant I’ve prioritized:

Making and communicating decisions. (It still amazes me how many people avoid making decisions and then even when they make decisions, they forget to communicate them.)
Signing approvals (or delegating them!).
Meeting with customers to understand their pain points and then communicating those to account teams to figure out how to do better.
Doing my part to get a new process or technology implemented.
Getting the pricing and marketing programs ready for a new launch.
Getting information to third parties, other teams, or my own teammates so they could advance and execute on initiatives.
Ensuring efficient placement and receipt of orders with the supply chain and logistics teams by getting new technologies in place with the sales teams.
Ensuring innovation teams had the resources, equipment, and machine time to create new solutions in the lab.
Calling and pressuring people who weren’t doing their part such that they were becoming the bottleneck for me and my team. (This is not the fun part.)

Now I know some of you are thinking that if you spend all of your time doing things that others need, you’ll never have time to plan or to strategize or to coach your team. What I’ve found is actually the opposite. When you prioritize things that you need to do so that others can do what they need to do, much less organizational (and personal) energy is spent on following up, nagging, waiting, and complaining.

Less organizational (and personal) energy is spent on fire drills and emergencies that emerged because work did not flow smoothly across the teams and organizations and third parties. Less organizational (and personal) energy is spent stressing out over whether or not something will be done on time. And all of that organizational (and personal) energy gets shifted to thinking about the future rather than being anxious over whether something will get done in the present.

And there is an added bonus to prioritizing things that others need from you in order to get their work done. When you do this, you develop a reputation as someone who is good to work with as opposed to the person who is always needing to be reminded to get their stuff done and holding everyone else up. This pays off when the time comes to talk about career-expanding projects and assignments.

So get your stuff done and get it in the hands of the people that need it. And get your teams and colleagues to shift their prioritization of work accordingly so together, you can reduce friction, accelerate your business, delight your customers, and create an environment where you are truly effective.

Forbes.com | January 3, 2020 | Robin Moriart

What To Do When Your Career Is Disrupted Later In Life. A Stable Job for Life is Arguably a Thing of the Past.

January 3, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Despite the various proclamations that we are living in an age of increasing footloose behaviors and we are going to have multiple careers throughout our life, the prospect of losing one’s job still has many of the pangs associated with other forms of grief. Indeed, losing your job is perhaps the toughest thing you can ever face, with damage not only in the immediate aftermath but over a prolonged period of time.

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Overall, 31% of job seekers aged 55 and older report they have been looking for work for 27 weeks or longer.

Around 50% of American workers over 50 years old are at risk of redundancy. The research, which was conducted by ProPublica and the Urban Institute, grimly tells us that this cohort is being pushed out of jobs held for some time before retirement causing the kind of financial damage that is irreversible.

Acting now

At the later stage in your career, the chances are that you may have developed a degree of financial security, and this can hinder your efforts to reinvent yourself as it removes the sense of urgency that is required to successfully transition into a new career. What is more, you may also be lulled into a false sense of security by the skills and experience that you have built up over the years.

Valuable though these skills may have been in your old career, there’s no guarantee that they will be equally valuable in your new one. This narrow focus and intense specialization may have worked in the past, but careers are changing, and the stability and security that typified the work-life when you were growing up are increasingly being consigned to the dustbin of history.

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Now, skills such as adaptability and agility are far more important, with organizations relying heavily on cross-functional teams where collaboration and emotional intelligence will come to the fore. Here are a few things you can do to make a successful transition:

Forget your titles – Chances are that your old career came with a good dose of prestige, with titles and all that came with them attached to your seniority. Those are lovely, but they are holding you back from moving on. It is far healthier to think akin to a film director who goes from project to project. Your past work was nice, but this is a new you, applying yourself in new ways.
Develop your portfolio – As you will no longer be able to rely on your title to open doors for you, it is important that you start to develop a portfolio of projects to showcase your skills. In this transitionary period, these can be projects outside of work. Not only will they give your life a renewed purpose, but you will almost certainly develop a wide range of invaluable skills too.
Adjust your outgoings – If you have high expenses, it can be tempting to jump into the first opportunity that presents itself, just to get some money coming in, but it is quite likely that this will be a bad choice. If you can build up some savings so that you can go for the right opportunity rather than the first opportunity then you are likely to be happier in the long-run.
Embrace the unexpected – Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) has become a bit cliched in the business world, but the essence of uncertainty and volatility do nonetheless ring true. You will need to be agile and open-minded to make the most of your new-found freedom, so consider fresh ways to stretch yourself and develop new skills.
Develop a love of learning – When you achieve a certain level of seniority it is tempting to rest on your laurels, but the world waits for no one, so it is vital that you are learning each and every day. There are countless opportunities to do this, from books, blogs and massive open online courses (MOOCs). You might even find mentoring young people can be a great way to learn from them as much as they from you. Admit where your knowledge has holes and work to plug them.

The chances are, your previous status gave your life a certain narrative, with your role and title key parts of that story. Now, you have the opportunity to craft a completely new narrative, and it is important that you spend time thinking about what that is. When you meet people, this is your point of entry into the conversation. You will be telling this story as your introduction to you to each new person you meet.

A stable job for life is arguably a thing of the past, so the ability to pivot one’s career and adapt to the changes in the market are likely to be valuable skills to learn. If you have to learn them later in your career, then so be it. In this way, the stability in your life comes not from your employer, but from within you, which is an altogether healthier place to be.

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Your Career: 5 Things To Ask Your Boss In The New Year.

December 30, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

You have control over your career if you speak up and ask questions. Maybe you don’t know what to ask for or you’ve been holding off on asking for something because you did not know how to ask. Consider this your nudge.

This is your push to ask for what you want in the New Year. Here are five things to consider asking for from your boss next year:

1. Business goals.

If you do not understand why you are doing the work you are doing, it is difficult to understand the purpose of your work. When you work without purpose, you may lose your enthusiasm and the level of quality that is required to succeed.

Ask your manager, “What are this year’s goals for the organization?” “What are your upcoming priorities?” The answers to these questions will help you understand how your role plays a part in reaching your company’s goals and helps to ensure that your efforts continue to meet goals. When you meet or exceed your organization’s goals, you demonstrate value.

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2. Expectations.

You may think you know what is expected of you at work, but are you absolutely clear on expectations? To avoid confusion or misunderstanding, ask your manager what is expected of you. When you are clear about what people expect from you, you will increase your chances of meeting or exceeding expectations.

3. Flexibility.

Would it benefit your health, family or projects to work from home one day a week or slightly shift your daily schedule to be able to arrive later and leave later? If you think some form of flexibility would help you be more productive with work, inquire about it. Communicate how the change will help you with your work. If you are already demonstrating solid work, it will be easier for you to ask for more flexibility.

4. Money.

If you want a raise, ask for it. If you need more resources for a project, ask for it. Assuming you are producing quality work, ask for what you need to continue to be the best professional that you can be and produce great work.

5. A promotion.

If you continue to prove your worth, consider asking your manager for a promotion. Don’t run the risk of not asking and build up resentment that may undermine your work product and impact your relationships with colleagues.

Keep in mind that asking for a promotion, more money and flexibility in one year or a short time span might not be wise. You should ask for what you want, but don’t go overboard. Consider prioritizing what you want in the upcoming year. A successful career is built on years of experience and climbing the ladder. The higher you go on the ladder, the move opportunity you will have to ask for what you want.

Ask about business goals and expectations. Arm yourself with the information to show your worth to your organization. When you demonstrate your worth, you have the leverage to ask for things like flexibility, a raise or a promotion. Questions have answers. Ask the questions to know the answers and see the road that will help you reach your goals.

Forbes.com | December 29, 2019 | Avery Blank

#JobInterview : 3 Sabotaging Mistakes You’re Probably Making In Your Job Interviews

December 27, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Let’s be real... With all the resume updates, networking events and hours you could spend submitting job applications, the job hunt can be brutal.

By the time you finally get asked to come in for an interview, you’re not only tired, but also your nerves have taken hold of you, and you’re sweating through your blazer in the lobby.

As a career coach, many clients have come to me for help after doing all the leg work to land interviews, only to walk into the room and unknowingly drop the ball.

Here’s the thing... Acing an interview largely comes down to having emotional intelligence, as well as recognizing how you may be deterring the interviewer from hiring you.

Through the years I’ve spent coaching clients from all walks of the workforce, I have found these three common interview mistakes to be the reason for not getting hired.

1. Telling them everything.

Many interviews start off with the really open-ended question, “tell me about yourself”. For most people, this leads down a rabbit hole of accidentally spewing your entire life history to a complete stranger or, even worse, simply regurgitating everything they could read at a glance of your resume. Or, they ask you about a questionable career shift or a gap in your resume, which prompts you to reveal your personal struggles or a story about the boss who fired you.

No matter how much of a connection you have with your interviewer, remember that oversharing that early will come across as unprofessional— and untrustworthy… even if the conversation is enjoyable in the moment.

It’s not about lying, but it is about learning where you can walk the line of perhaps addressing a concern about your application versus shining a giant spotlight directly onto your weakness. The best way to do this is to intentionally prepare your interview answers in advance to questions that you foresee in an interview. Practice breeds certainty and certainty breeds confidence, so be sure to practice and rehearse your answers. This means looking in the mirror, and practicing, or asking someone to sit down and host a mock interview with you as practice.

You’ve heard the saying, “practice makes perfect.”Well, there’s a reason for that. Your brain has a substance called myelin that coats axons, the nerve fibers that cause motion in your body. When you repeat a motion, you are building up this myelin in your brain. As a result, your brain functions faster with improved recall, communication, and responses. All to aid you in the interview process and keep you away from oversharing.

We live in a world where musicians have dress rehearsals, and actors shoot the same scene multiple times. Who are you to think that you shouldn’t also be practicing for your interview performances?

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2. Being cold or negative.

An interview is a high-stakes experience that leads to being nervous and anxious. What most people don’t realize, is that anxiety can often be expressed as anger or negativity.

A Negative Nelly is the last person a company wants to hire.

Sometimes, the attempt to be professional appears cold, and it makes sense that mastering this state of being is challenging. After all, you may be serious about the position for which you’re interviewing! Don’t let your focus come across as cold. Remember to tune into your inner human that knows how to bond and connect with another. After all, the interview got you in the room, your personality, and being someone the interviewer sees themself happily connecting with each day is what the interview conversation really become about.

Always remember, what you say about others says a lot about you. It might be tempting to talk smack about an old boss or employer when answering an interview question, but it will only make you look bad. Studies have revealed that negative perceptions of others are linked to higher levels of narcissism and antisocial behavior, all of which the interviewer may consciously or subconsciously pick up on.

People can intuitively tune into each other’s emotions, so if you are speaking poorly about someone else (or yourself!), the person interviewing you is going to walk away feeling negative themselves. If something negative really can’t be avoided, angel it from a learning perspective, sharing what you learned from the seemingly negative experience, and transition the conversation away from the topic.

In order to make sure your interviewer walks away with warm fuzzies, try sharing something personal about why the job aligns with your purpose or mission in the world, such as “The reason this opportunity strikes a personal chord with me is…” and then share whatever it is that brings passion into your work.

Always remember to look them in the eye, and yes, amongst all the stress, don’t forget to smile and have a good time.

3. Being unaware of the company culture.

If you are on a serious job hunt it can begin to feel like you are spamming out applications, turning into a zombie in search of the right fit. If you aren’t careful, you might walk into an interview unprepared to speak to the specific role and company.

Take the time to really do your research before you walk into the lobby for an interview. This includes not only the job description and company products or services but also getting a strong grasp on their culture.

We know the first impression matters, and part of that is what you wear. Are you interviewing at a large formal corporation are is it a trendy startup? It is never a good idea to show up casual to an interview, but it is in your best interest to know beforehand what the workplace environment is like.

Hop online and search through the companies’ social media for any workplace images. If you do a little research I am sure you can find pictures of employees at work events or walk through campus. This not only tells you what to wear, but also whether the culture aligns with what you are looking for.

During this search begin to compile a list of questions specific to the role and company. There is nothing more off-putting for an interviewer than a candidate who has no questions. When the hiring managers ask, “Do you have any questions for me?” it might be difficult at the moment to come up with something. Don’t become a deer in headlights with this question, instead have a list prepared. Having a few thoughtful questions will speak volumes about your interest in the role.

Always remember that as the person being interviewed, you are not calling the shots, they are. They brought you in to talk, so let them lead. Save your inquiries for the end, when they open the floor for you to ask them questions.

The first step to anything is awareness. Begin to pay more attention to what and how you handle interviews or practice interviews and take this learning into your next interview. Because being on the job hunt is not something you want to be doing forever.

Forbes.com | December 27, 2019 | Ashley Stahl

#YourCareer : How Taking Control Of Time Will Make You Successful And Happier.

December 27, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

We always hear people lecture us—usually our bosses and parents—that “time is money”. Time is an incredibly valuable finite resource. While you can get more money, we can’t create more time.

Going into the new year and decade, it’s important to think about how you can maximize your time to fast-track your career. Just think about how quickly the last ten years flew by. When we reach the year 2030, you’d love to look back and relish all your amazing accomplishments. One of the best and smartest ways to achieve long-term success is to take active, thoughtful control of your time. Instead of squandering it mindlessly, you need to leverage time to your best advantage.

Most people lament that they are overwhelmed with work, responsibilities, family obligations and annoying chores. It doesn’t help matters that society makes it too easy for us to get distracted from our goals. Social media sucks us into scrolling endlessly through our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds, binge watching shows and movies on Netflix and engaging in other time-wasting activities.

You should develop a cost-benefit analysis of how you spend your time. If you can earn more money doing what you do best—your job and profession—compared to spending a lot of time doing tasks yourself, than it’s prudent to outsource the chores. This includes things like fixing leaky plumbing, electrical work, food shopping and house cleaning. The time spent on these tasks takes away precious time that you could be enhancing your career or spending it with your family. The chores should be delegated to others. The time spent on your career will return massive dividends.

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You also need to consider the dollar value of your time. Think of how much each minute, hour and day is worth to you. Contemplate what activities would result in furthering your career. For instance, if you are an attorney and bill out hourly rates ranging from $200 to $500, it’s a waste of your time, energy and money to mow your own lawn, shovel snow from your sidewalks and clean your home. Put a price tag on your time and things will become more clear.

At first blush, this sounds arrogant and elitist. After digesting the concept, it’s simply practical. A landscaper may charge you about $50 bucks a month to take care of your lawn and a high school kid will happily take $30 dollars to shovel your driveway. While they are doing these chores, you can bill an extra few thousand dollars. You also avoid blowing out your back, slipping on the ice and doing a poor job on pruning the shrubs. You’re far better off allocating projects out to others and using the time to grow your career.

It’s also important to say ‘no’ to people. There are so many daily requests made of us at work and socially that takes up too much time without any benefits or upside. It seems harsh to do, but you need to protect your time from the intrusions of others. The more you allow people to consume your time and energy, the less you have to devote toward your career and life. This does not entail being mean or rude. When a friend asks you to help them move, you’re better off chipping in for a professional mover than schlep a couch and bed up five floors of a winding, narrow staircase.

According to Harvard Business School professor, Ashley Whillans, its smart and prudent to spend money to eliminate the stresses of repetitive chores. Your money buys you the precious commodity of time. Whillans emphasizes the happiness that is derived from the time taken back by not having to engage in certain tasks that you don’t like and are not good at.

In a TED Talk, Whillans says that “using money to buy ourselves out of negative experiences,” such as mundane and monotonous housekeeping and laundry is essential to de-stressing. She takes the concept further by asserting that it’s worth paying more money in rent or a home purchase closer to work as the time saved in commuting is invaluable. Her research shows that “buying time” leads to greater happiness and cuts down on the daily stress of life.

The concept may make some people feel guilty and uncomfortable. We’re always told to save money and do things ourselves. There is a little discomfort with paying people to deliver our food, fold our laundry, drive us places and do all the unpleasant tasks. Instead, Whillans says to focus on all the value you have with the extra time saved, which will lead to greater happiness.

By taking control of time, it will make you more successful in your career and happier in your life.

Forbes.com | December 26, 2019 | Jack Kelly