“Work smarter, not harder.”
Chances are, you’ve heard this phrase before — and probably more than once. The philosophy behind working “smart” is to maximize your productivity when you are working so that you can get more stuff done in shorter periods of time. By working smarter, you’ll find yourself with more time in the day to sleep, exercise, be creative, and recharge.
You meticulously tweaked your resume until it was 100% perfect. You spent hours writing (and rewriting) a compelling cover letter. You researched and prepped for that phone screen — and knocked it out of the park. Now, you’re getting ready for an in-person job interview. How do you prepare?
Turns out, what you do on the day of the interview will contribute a lot to how well you do in the interview itself.
When Payal Kadakia quit her job at Warner Music Group, she didn’t have a backup plan. All she knew was she wasn’t happy in her current job — and she needed to do something about it.
She spent several weeks trying to figure out what that something would be. After much soul-searching, she finally landed on her big idea: a fitness search engine that would surface new classes in your area.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
That question is, as HubSpot recruiter Emily MacIntyre puts it, “so boring.”
But love ’em or hate ’em, those tried-and-true interview questions still make their way into even seasoned interviewers’ candidate conversations.
“I got lucky.”
“I don’t belong here.”
“I’m a fraud, and it’s just a matter of time before everyone finds out.”
Today, the world is more connected than ever before. If you need to quickly reach someone who isn’t nearby, you simply fire off an email, instant message, or social post, and you’ll likely receive a response within minutes.
That’s where things might get tough. Even though we can reach each others quickly and easily, you may still face some communication challenges.
We’ve all wondered it before. Maybe we’ve Googled in hope of finding an answer. Maybe we’ve asked someone for help. Maybe we’ve just worried in silence.
Your LinkedIn profile is a place for you to build your professional brand, showcase your achievements and skills, share content with other professionals, and connect with colleagues, business partners, and even potential employers.
And people will come across it in a variety of ways — whether they’re searching for employees at your company or in your industry, or they met you in person and want to remind themselves what you do or learn more about your accomplishments.
Ever misjudge a hug for a handshake and wind up trapped in some sort of unforgivable in-between? I have.
Ever stumble your way through a few floors of elevator small talk, only to regret 99% of what you said upon returning to your desk? Yup. Guilty of that, too.
This post originally appeared on HubSpot’s Sales Blog. To read more content like this, subscribe to Sales.
We’ve all heard that you should never check your email when you first get to the office if you want to start your day at peak productivity. If you’re not careful, you’ll be lost in a black hole of links, articles, and email chains that don’t deserve your morning attention.
When people think about becoming managers, many assume it’s going to be all sunshine and roses.
They’ll have more responsibility! They’ll get to help people grow! They’ll get to shape the future of their company! They might even get a raise!
But when they actually become managers, reality can be shocking.
Take a minute to think about the best mentor you’ve ever had.
This doesn’t have to be someone at work, although it certainly could be. But mentors come in all shapes and sizes: It can be your manager, a colleague, a parent, a friend, a coach, a college professor … anyone who’s been a particularly excellent advisor at some point in your life.
Now, think of what made them stand out to you.
If you’ve ever spoken in front of an audience — big or small — it’s likely that you’re familiar with “Q&A paranoia.”
It’s not that you don’t want to answer people’s questions — heck, you’re the expert — but not knowing what to expect can be a little stressful.
How many times a week do you hear the phrase, “Oh, you have to check out that blog post/podcast/book/TED Talk. It’s the best!”
I’m a low-stakes betting person (not the billion-dollar-Powerball-jackpot type), but I’d put good money on the fact that you probably hear that a lot.
The problem? You’re busy.
