Tag: communication skills | Page 3

Employee Ghosting and the Value of Respect

Wednesday, September 12th, 2018|

Which one of these do you feel is harder: to be rejected outright, or to be simply ignored? Today, many employers are facing this question almost on a daily basis.

In dating and romantic relationships, the practice of one partner ignoring another – not responding to texts and treating all attempts at communication with radio silence – is known as “ghosting.” Similar practices are steadily creeping into the business world, with a wave of talent and prospective employees not showing up for scheduled interviews and agreed-upon start dates, or even for jobs they’ve already committed themselves to. Ghosting is giving hiring managers and employers a scare.

How We Got Here

The United States is in an era of low unemployment and sustained economic growth. As the demand for new talent outpaces supply, employers have struggled to find the right people for all of their open opportunities. Talent and employees thus have much more power than they did during the Great Recession when many lost their jobs with little fanfare and interviewers often ignored candidates they didn’t want to hire. The new reverse imbalance manifests in cavalier employee behavior such as unannounced absenteeism and a failure to communicate.

According to USA Today, as many as 20% of workers in some industries now engage in ghosting practices. This trend is negatively impacting large and small businesses, along with their customers. On the other hand, it’s inspiring conversations about how workers and employers can treat each other better, to foster more healthy and successful relationships down the line.

In order to facilitate mutual growth, the culture of work requires trust, respect, and core values to be shared between employers and employees. As any discerning politician can tell you, it is foolish to pin one’s fate to shifting, unpredictable trends in economics. We advocate that employers, employees, clients, and talent use the advent of ghosting as an opportunity to get reacquainted with the core values that can sustain them through booms and busts.

Communication

As a talent, it’s ok to reject opportunities that aren’t right for you, however, do it in a manner that respects the offer and lets any relevant stakeholders know. Honest compassionate communication always makes the truth easier to convey, and with an appropriate heads-up, everyone should be able to move on more smoothly. When leaving your current job, give two weeks’ notice when possible, and offer to tie up any loose ends in your work to facilitate an easy transition.

As a hiring manager, when you decide not to hire a candidate after an interview, let the candidate know. If you can, provide some constructive feedback, even if it may not be what the candidate wants to hear. It can be difficult to deliver bad news, however, it’s worth it if it means supporting a culture of openness and mutual respect. It is also important to acknowledge that it’s a candidate-driven market, and many candidates are experiencing multiple interviews. Providing timely feedback is key, especially if you are interested in the next steps with a candidate.

Transparency

When we give accurate information to others, we empower them to make better-informed decisions in the future. We also invest in the strength of our own reputations, because everyone appreciates those who deliver the truth with respect and understanding.

As your circumstances change, make sure everyone around you knows what they need to know to prepare for any impact this may have. As a talent, this means letting your employers or recruiters know if you are available. As an employer, it means keeping your team informed about the state of the company and letting them know you’re all on the same side.

The world is small, and life is long. As technology makes us all more closely interconnected, our reputations, previous actions, and patterns of behavior are more likely to open or close new opportunities for us. If you must exit a difficult situation, and you do so with grace and full disclosure, you will more likely find support from your former colleagues when circumstances change and may be less in your favor.

At Artisan Creative, we believe a culture of respect is paramount in all human endeavors. We give our talent and clients the tools and support they need to succeed when they lead with their values. Contact us today to learn more.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the 488th issue of our a.blog.

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Turning Your Passion Into a Career

Wednesday, August 1st, 2018|

How do you turn your passion into a career? People are often advised to follow their dreams and passions, but let’s face it–turning a passion into a career is easier said than done.

In the first blog of our new feature, Artisan Advice, we spoke with Basir, a writer we recently placed at our client’s Texas location. Basir is one of the few who turned his passion into a career.

When Basir was young, he voraciously read automotive blogs and publications. He dreamt of being an auto journalist and reviewing cars but ended up pursuing business and marketing–that is until he took a 180-degree turn and decided to chase his passion.

He’s since worked for the likes of the BBC and TIME in New York, startups in San Francisco and now as a writer working on automotive with our client. So how did he manage to achieve his dreams and what did it take to get there?

Find a Mentor

As a fresh graduate, Basir landed a writing job at the BBC. Their past interns were mostly journalism majors and lacked the same thing–automotive knowledge. Basir’s deep knowledge of the automotive industry impressed the Editor in Chief so much he hired him without any writing experience. Thanks to the Editor’s faith, Basir learned firsthand the skills needed to write well. Many people we’ve spoken to have shared similar experiences with us. Do you have a mentor or a former supervisor who has taken a chance on you?

Start Your Own Blog

Starting your own blog is solid advice, especially when you need to bolster your portfolio or submit some samples to an application. Think about what topics you’re passionate about and start a Medium or WordPress site. “Your blog doesn’t have to be the next big thing, but when it’s time to apply to gigs you can send your samples. It develops your skills, too. Not only that, but clients can see how serious you are.” In Basir’s case, it’s clear that clients will take a chance if they see potential, but you need to prove yourself, too. A blog is a great way to quickly convey your interest and passion before you even get to the interview stage.

Know Your Value When You Lose Inspiration

How do you place a value on something you write or design and how do you know if it was a success? If you’re feeling like you’re stuck in a creative rut, take a look back at some of your successes and see how many times your article was viewed or shared. Seeing the fruits of your labor and results can help you to feel inspired again.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the 482nd issue of our a.blog. Get in touch today and start the conversation!

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Personality Assessments and the Hiring Process

Wednesday, July 25th, 2018|

“When you meet somebody for the first time, you’re not meeting them. You’re meeting their representative.” – Chris Rock

Businesses struggle every day to hire and retain top talent. Making professional matches is as much an art as it is a science, and even the strongest minds in HR, recruiting, and management must sometimes learn from mistakes.

In their quest to find the best candidates, many top companies use a variety of personality and integrity tests to screen applicants during their interview processes. There’s an ongoing debate around this practice, with strong arguments and research supporting either side. Should you consider implementing this sort of testing for potential new hires, it’s important to know the pros and cons.

Pros

– You’re in good company. According to a recent survey, more than 40% of Fortune 100 companies use some form of personality testing as part of their recruiting and onboarding procedures.

– It can get results. Studies have shown that retail businesses who used integrity testing in hiring reported a 50% reduction in inventory loss. Long-term results for some other forms of testing are less clear, but anything that weeds out clearly unqualified applicants obviously saves time for HR, and money for the company.

– It can eliminate biases. Individual interviewers may be biased toward candidates they personally like, or, worse, make decisions based on unconscious cultural biases. By establishing measurements that are more objective, at least theoretically, testing can correct for this tendency.

– It can be fun. Startups such as Knack offer gamified versions of some employment-related tests, which can infuse a spirit of play into your hiring process. Some companies also test current employees after they’re hired, which can be a part of an employer-employee feedback loop that improves conditions at work.

-It’s a good communication tool. Learning more about ourselves and our colleagues is a great step towards better communication and connection.

Cons

– Tests themselves can be biased. Tests reflect the values and biases of their creators. Interpreting results requires training and judgment. Placing value on certain personality traits will always be controversial. Proceed with caution, research, and awareness.

– Potential new hires can “game” the tests. The main thing a test measures is how adept the subject is at taking the test. People who are determined to get hired, despite any reasons why they shouldn’t, can find ways to manipulate their results.

–Testing can entrench a fixed mindset. “Growth mindset” refers to the attitude that perceived weaknesses present opportunities for improvement. According psychology professor Art Markman, there is a significant risk in testing if it carries the message that skills and characteristics are innate or that people are fixed entities, hardwired from birth for success or failure. Employees deserve the chance to improve over time through their own initiative, which is easier if they don’t think of themselves as fixed data points on a scale.

One tool that the Artisan Creative team uses as a group is the CliftonStrengths Assessment, where we use our top 5 strengths to communicate via a common language on a regular basis.

With decades of experience as creative recruiters, we know hiring is easier when you don’t have to do it alone. Contact Artisan Creative today and leverage our expertise to make your next great match!

We hope you’ve enjoyed the 481st issue of our a.blog.

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Giving and Receiving Constructive Feedback

Wednesday, July 18th, 2018|

In order to be constructive, feedback must be mindful, purposeful, well-informed, and well-intentioned. It must also be clearly understood and easy to act upon. The purpose of constructive feedback is not to reward or punish; it is to share valuable information and insights so the entire team will be in a better position to accomplish its goals.

Whether you’re giving or receiving feedback after an interview, portfolio review, annual employee performance session, or client presentation you can benefit from ideas in the highly regarded book Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler. This book offers a lot of insight, along with a helpful checklist to keep in mind, whether you want to share notes with your colleagues or want to listen more deeply to mutually uncover opportunities for improvement.

“Start With the Heart”

Your observations will be of more value if you practice seeing (and feeling) the world from the recipient’s perspective. Likewise, if you can hear the hopes, fears, and emotions behind the feedback you receive, you may be more able to appreciate it as a gift. If you struggle with compassion or often find yourself on the defensive, the toolkit of Nonviolent Communication can change your perspective.

“Stay in Dialogue”

For feedback to be constructive, both parties must talk to each other, not at each other. Our relevant content on active listening has workable ideas on how to keep the paths of communication open.

“Make it Safe”

Safety is one of the most fundamental human needs; if safety is in doubt, addressing higher-level needs is not as easy. Part of building strong relationships is giving colleagues space, to be honest with each other without anyone feeling threatened. The most constructive moments happen in a calm environment within an atmosphere of mutual respect and only after any tensions or distractions have been dealt with.

“Don’t Get Hooked By Emotion (Or Hook Them)”

Clear communication happens above the noise and static of aggression, manipulation, or games of status. To give and receive constructive feedback, you must work around any emotional tactics and triggers and maintain your focus on what is true, what is useful, and the objectives you share.

“Agree on a Mutual Purpose”

Make sure constructive feedback is shared on a common ground. This means setting your goals upfront, being transparent about what you hope to gain, and recognizing each other as allies on the same journey, headed in the same direction.

“Separate Facts from Story”

We, humans, excel at constructing narratives; we use this skill to find patterns in our experiences and to make sense of the world. To remain open to new information and wisdom, we must practice setting aside our stories and pay attention to things objectively, as they are, in a way both parties can understand and agree upon. Things are almost never precisely what they may seem!

“Agree on a Clear Action Plan”

Every transmission of constructive feedback should conclude with a set of concrete, realistic, shared goals. The best feedback often results in a plan of action, and once the plan of action is followed through to everyone’s satisfaction, then you know the feedback was constructive!

At Artisan Creative, we believe the surest path to professional growth is through better communication. Get in touch today and start the conversation!

We hope you’ve enjoyed the 480^th issue of our a.blog.

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Creating Inspiring Presentations

Wednesday, June 6th, 2018|

In a good presentation, you are presenting useful and important ideas. In a great presentation, you are inviting your audience to join in, creating engagement and interaction.

There are various techniques that will help you set the stage for a more effective presentation. In short, best practices are a) understand how human thought and behavior work, and b) take concrete measures to let these things work for your presentation, rather than against it.

But what should your presentation be? What should the content consist of? And how should it convey its core ideas to its audience?

Know Your Big Ideas

Before you begin to structure your presentation, you should distill it down to a few important ideas. If you can’t break it down into a few core concepts, then it probably lacks a coherent message. Applying more thought and effort to the central thesis of your presentation will give it the beating heart that it needs to come alive.

Script It Out

Write out everything you plan to say, more or less verbatim.

First, create a rough draft. Although it may not be great, yet, you need to start somewhere, and your rough draft is that place. (Creativity coach Beth Lapides refers to the first draft as, “something to put a coffee ring on.” That’s all it needs to be.)

Then, edit, with vigor and ruthlessness. You can nitpick and fuss over your precise choice of words, to ensure your language is as economical and compelling as it can be.

This process can sometimes take a good amount of time. When you know your presentation is strong, it can be wise to quit while you’re ahead. Some presentations that sing on the 16th draft can turn flat on the 23rd. With time and experience, you will get better at knowing when your presentation is as good as it needs to be.

Create Your World

This is the step that often separates a great presentation from a good one.

Now that you know exactly what you want to say, translate those words and ideas into pictures, sounds, and feelings.

Then… forget the words.

Think of your presentation not as a static inventory of words and sentences you want to say, but as a three-dimensional word composed of pictures, sounds, and feelings. When you rehearse your presentation, practice living in this world. Keep practicing until you are comfortable and familiar with this world, able to explain your surroundings to others. (Comedian Greg Dean has a “rehearsal process” you can borrow.)

When it’s time to present, think of it as an opportunity to invite your guests into your world and show them around.

If you are not comfortable public speaking or presenting to a large group there are great resources to utilize to get you comfortable. Toastmasters is an international resource with chapters in many cities

When you live in the world you want to explain, you will have a far more powerful ability to transmit your ideas – and their emotional impact – to others.

At Artisan Creative, we believe in taking your work to the next level. Because if you’re reading this, you’re obviously ready to go “from good to great,” as a creative professional. Contact us today to take the next step.

We hope you enjoy the 474th issue of our a.blog.

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Working with Non-Millennials

Wednesday, May 16th, 2018|

In the last few decades technology has changed the world of business rapidly and profoundly. This rate of change continues to accelerate. To overcome the widening gap in knowledge and to be able to collaborate more effectively, it is essential for members of different generations to understand each other in a spirit of teamwork, empathy, and mutual respect.

With their range of experiences, Baby Boomers, Generation X-ers, and Millennials can often generate more useful and exciting ideas together. Cross-generational diversity and cross-collaboration can become a great organizational strength and lead to expanded creatvity and new solutions to solving challenges.

We’ve explored some of the cultural attitudes that make members of the Millennial generation unique and valuable coworkers. Today, we’ll share tips for Millennials who strive to work more effectively with seasoned teammates.

Respect Their Independence and Set Expectations

Members of Generation X, in particular, are often distinguished by a rebellious, skeptical, and iconoclastic spirit. They grew up mostly before the advent of smartphone communications and always-on social networking. Compared to Millennials, they tend to be motivated less by community and more by a sense of individuality, as do many Boomers.

“When working with an X-er, don’t be surprised or offended if they choose to work alone,” writes Mira Zaslove in Fortune . She adds, “X-ers tend to be hands-off, low face-time managers. So when working for an X-er, ask them to clearly define their expectations. When you do receive a compliment from an X-er, you’ve done a great job.”

Help Them Understand New Technologies and Trends

Many Millennial workers are digital natives, having had access to fast-paced technologies and the internet their entire lives. Thus, it may be difficult for them to appreciate how wondrous and strange these innovations can seem to those who did not always have them, or who witnessed their rapid proliferation firsthand from the 1980s through today.

When working with colleagues on new technology, “never say, ‘This is so easy,'” writes Ann Friedman of The Los Angeles Times . “Recognize that baby boomers have a lot of fear and anger about technology, and tread gently.”

It is important to appreciate how glorious our new technological breakthroughs really are. Demonstrating the utility of a new application or device to someone who doesn’t regularly use it may even renew your own sense of delight.

It All Comes Down to Communication

When communication is optimized, almost any group of people can come together to pursue shared goals. Working to achieve that understanding is how we mine the greatest value from our work and our lives.

Appreciating and working with our differences requires well-honed active listening skills, along with an appreciation for different learning styles and preferences in communication and collaboration.

When we respect our shared and individual goals and work together to continuously improve our company cultures, our differences make us much stronger through our diverstiy.

At Artisan Creative, our experience has shown us how great teams are built among individuals from all walks of life. Contact us today to take your career or your business to the next level.

We hope you enjoy our 471st a.blog.

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How to Find Your Ideal Candidate

Wednesday, April 18th, 2018|

In past posts, we’ve covered some of the important factors that separate effective job descriptions from others. One of the most important is effective SEO using language familiar to your prospects, setting expectations appropriately, and differentiating between strict requirements and “nice-to-haves.”

Today, we’ll share a few pro-level tips that will really set your job descriptions apart and help you attract the most qualified, in-demand candidates.

Go Big

An increasing number of candidates, particularly those of the Millennial generation, are looking for job opportunities that align with their values. Therefore, look beyond the standard compensation package speak and whether or not it’s important to know the full Adobe Creative Suite or just Photoshop. If you want to attract candidates at the cutting edge of technology and culture, write your job descriptions with an eye toward the larger mission of your company – what you do, why you do it, and how larger ideals (and groups of people in need) are served by your work.

Get Small

After you’ve conveyed a broader idea of what it means to work at your company, describe a typical day on the job, in clear, meaningful detail. This will communicate all responsibilities associated with the job, and also give prospective applicants a taste of your company culture. It will also demonstrate that you understand the position you’re hiring for and that you know what sort of candidate would be most apt for it.

Use Pictures, Sounds, and Feelings

Take your first draft and rewrite it, making sure that every sentence paints a picture, creates an experience, and inspires a vivid emotional response to attract your ideal candidate. Potential applicants should be able to visualize an imagined scenario of working and excelling as part of your team. This will result in a memorable job description, and create an opportunity for your ideal candidates to resonate with your corporate culture.

Use Humor

Humor works well only if it’s true to the personality of your company culture. If you write a job description that’s comfortable with the realities of the job and life at your company, you can start the working relationship on a light and friendly note. Most teams of creative professionals who spend a lot of time working together develop their own collective sense of humor, including inside jokes and references. Using humor can separate your job description from thousands of similar ones.

With 20+ years of experience matching creative talent with top clients, we have a refined sense of how to cast a great opportunity in the most flattering light. Nothing makes us happier than making a great match. We know that a lot of pieces have to come together to make that happen, and we’re here to help guide you through that process. Contact Artisan today to get started.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the 467th issue of our a.blog.

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How to Build a Design Portfolio

Wednesday, April 4th, 2018|

“It’s easier to get a job when you have a job.”

There is some ring of truth to this cliche. If you’re a designer starting out – perhaps you’re a fresh graduate, or you’re changing careers – this can seem frustrating and paradoxical. Most high-status job openings are available only to those with years of experience. If you must have experience to get experience, how does anyone ever get started?

Fortunately, it is easy to build an impressive design portfolio with no professional experience whatsoever. Even if you’ve never had a paying client, you can do remarkable work and showcase it in a manner that will open doors.

Think Like a Designer

Before you create an online portfolio or get an account on Dribbble or Behance, rethink your entire life story, from the perspective of your identity as a designer.

“If you’ve ever solved a problem, then you have design experience,” says Jason Early, a designer, entrepreneur, teacher, mentor, and author of the career guide Getting Hired. “You just need to reframe how you present it. The design process is used to address a challenge. Any challenge. And showing how you worked through the process to address that challenge can be a portfolio piece. Show your work. Just like in grade school math class, showing how you got to a solution shows how you think through a challenge. And that is what a portfolio is. A collection of examples showing how you reached a solution.”

Say “Yes”

As you move forward in your career, you will learn to say “no” to opportunities that don’t serve you. However, in your early days as a designer, you must err on the side of taking on more work and saying “yes” to as many different projects as you can. Then, follow the green lights.

Look for pro bono projects for nonprofit and charity organizations you support. (Taproot Foundation, a clearinghouse for pro bono creative work, is one place to start.) If you have acquaintances who perform or promote shows, offer to design graphics and fliers for them in exchange for free admission (or beer and pizza). Seek out any opportunity to show up and create something.

If you’re passionate about the early work that goes into your portfolio, you will likely find opportunities to do more work like it, for more generous compensation.

Make All the Things

Keep solving problems, embracing fresh challenges, flexing different muscles, and adding work to your portfolio. At first, you may be frustrated that your own work isn’t up to the standards of the successful designers you admire. This means you’re right on schedule.

Work through the “taste gap,” push through the resistance, and keep showing up. The only way to do great work is to do lots of work. As you consistently generate more new samples, you can continuously update your portfolio to showcase better and better examples of what you’re capable of.

Find the Others

You are one of many people building a creative career. It may scare you to think you have millions of skilled and hungry competitors. But you can shift your thinking and instead see the creative people around you as potential collaborators, eager to work and grow together. Being independent doesn’t mean being alone.

Attend networking events and reach out to those who have complementary skills. Then, work together on projects that showcase and challenge you both.

For instance, if you are a designer, join forces with a like-minded copywriter. You may build a fruitful long-term partnership, like copywriter Jeff Goodby and art director Rich Silverstein, with a joint brand that combines your talents. At the least, you will build your professional network, enrich your thinking through cooperation and mutual respect, and do work together that you wouldn’t and couldn’t do alone.

At Artisan Creative, we have years of experience helping new and experienced designers build their portfolios, their networks, and their careers. Contact us today to learn more and get started.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the 466th issue of our a.blog.

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Job Skills for the Future

Wednesday, March 28th, 2018|

The World Economic Forum recently released its report on “The Future of Jobs.” The results have important implications for job seekers, hiring managers, and anyone else who wants to build professional skills that will be relevant into the decade ahead.

The section “10 Skills You Will Need to Thrive in 2020” is particularly relevant. People management, emotional intelligence, negotiation, and other “soft skills” deemed essential in previous years still rank high on the list. However, creativity, critical thinking, and keen judgment are now ranked higher than before, suggesting the increasing utility of mental flexibility, brainstorming, and other related skills. Traits that have been traditionally associated with artists, designers, developers, strategists, and other “intellectuals” or “creative types” are now considered vital for anyone who wants to build a sustainable career and flourish into the future.

Let’s look at the WEF’s top five skills to cultivate in anticipation of the year 2020.

1. Complex Problem Solving

Automation and artificial intelligence are poised to eliminate many jobs in administration, production, and other areas tasked with solving simple, routine problems. This will leave humans to focus on larger, systemic, global challenges, which will demand higher-level thinking and the ability to adapt, reframe, and psychologically challenge ourselves.

2. Critical Thinking

Rather than placing blind trust in traditional sources of authority, the future demands that we become more open-minded with a certain degree of skepticism, thinking many steps ahead of our current challenges and distractions. We can hone our critical thinking skills by controlling our information diets, taking charge of our mindsets, and learning from experience.

3. Creativity

Creativity has never been the exclusive province of playwrights, classical composers, and aesthetes. Rather, creativity is a muscle that we all need to exercise. Find out how to best defy your fears and make every day a storytelling adventure. Then apply creative thinking to all of your personal and professional decisions, to be ready to pose radical solutions for the serious problems we’re tackling as a species.

4. People Management

Just as the inspired artistic genius is no longer a useful model for creativity, so the solitary crank or bully is no longer an effective role model for professional success. Relating to others, practicing compassion, and understanding what makes people tick is increasingly required of us all. The individual is no longer the dominant paradigm for understanding the human experience – it’s being replaced by the network. What’s more, building strong relationships with others is its own reward.

5. Coordinating with Others

Interdependence and interconnectedness are important values of the future. As a new array of stimuli distracts us, making it harder to coordinate efforts and to meaningfully connect, much power will accrue to those who appreciate the practical challenges of team and relationship-building and devise ever better ways to do it.

At Artisan Creative, we know that today’s future is tomorrow’s present, and we pride ourselves on thinking ahead. Be prepared – contact us today. We hope you’ve enjoyed our 466th blog.

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Body Language Speaks Volumes In An Interview

Wednesday, March 21st, 2018|

Body language plays a big part in our daily interactions—from interacting with clients and vendors to public speaking to conducting interviews—whether you are the interviewee OR the interviewer.

I once interviewed a brilliant candidate, who was extremely skilled in his craft and (on paper), had all the qualifications our client was looking to hire.

However, during our pre-qualification interview, the candidate never made eye contact and looked down for the better part of our conversation. And, when he did look up, he would look a few inches above my head.

There were three of us conducting this group interview, so perhaps his nerves took over or he didn’t know which one of us to look at.

He was very smart—however, the role was asking for more than smarts—our client was looking for someone with strong interpersonal skills to interface with their clients and vendors. And, they were looking for a leader, who could command attention and the respect of his peers and team.

It is a fact that first impressions are made within 7 seconds. This means initially body language speaks much louder than words and often sets the tone of whether someone decides to take you seriously or not!

In an interview, this could be the difference between getting that desired job or not getting it!

In today’s digital age, video interviews have become commonplace and often take place over Skype, Zoom, Facetime, or Google Hangouts as a first interview.

Body language in a digital interview is just as important as in-person — maybe even more since the goal is to do well enough to get to the ‘in-person’ stage.

In an ‘in person’ interview, your body language is critical the moment you enter the building—from the time you greet the receptionist, to waiting in the lobby, to finally meeting your prospective boss. Imagine you are on stage the entire time—you never know who else will be called upon to join the interview!

In a group interview setting, greet and shake everyone’s hands and make the essential eye contact. When answering a question, share equal time looking at the interviewers. Start with the person who has asked a question, then pace yourself and look at the others as you share the specifics of your background. Do not make the mistake of only looking at and addressing the big boss.

If asked a difficult question, or a question that requires you to think before answering—do not start staring around the room or the ceiling as if the answer is magically written on the walls!

Hopefully, you’ve prepared for this moment. Take a moment, breath, and speak to a specific or parallel experience you have, in a confident articulate manner.

As a candidate, you must research the industry, the company, and the role in advance to be fully prepared for the tough questions!

Pay attention to your ‘sitting’ body language: are your arms crossed, could you possibly be seen as reserved or distant? This can sometimes portray insecurity. Or are you leaning in to demonstrate paying attention?

Your gestures and facial expressions are windows into your personality during an interview. As much as you are being interviewed for your skills, you are also being interviewed for fit within the team. Are you friendly, confident, outgoing, articulate? Eye contact and smiling are a quick assessment of these traits.

Be aware of your gestures and how much is too much—in an interview you want to demonstrate excitement and passion for the role. However, since you are on a much smaller stage, scale everything back to fit the environment.

Body language speaks volumes—Let it speak loud and clear!

At Artisan Creative we will share our 20+ years of experience to help prepare you for your interview. Contact us today.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the 465th issue of our a.blog.

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