How to Identify Creativity During Interviews

How to Identify Creativity During Interviews It is every employer’s dream to have a team that is self-driven, sets new goals and comes up with new ways to explore their challenges. They are the creative type, who value self-expression and consider fulfilment of their passion as a reward on its own. If you are one, you know what I’m talking about. Creatives are highly sought-after and it is common to come across job postings that highlight the need for a creative approach. That’s a pretty vague term. Creativity, however, is not vague and there are certain traits that are common among all creative people. The common traits of creatives Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, perhaps the most noted researcher on ‘creativity’, identified these common personality traits among creative individuals in different lines of work. Creative individuals are energetic yet highly composed. They possess focus and are enthusiastic but also have strict downtimes for self-reflection. They have a mixture of maturity and childishness to their character. The emotional immaturity plays a key part in their approach to problems. They enjoy a light-hearted yet disciplined environment. No wonder they pursue careers that make them happy. Creatives tend to lose themselves in fantasy that are grounded in reality. Their way of looking at life might seem bizarre but results in outcomes that people tend to relate to over time. They show traits of both extroverts and introverts at the same time. A sense of pride mixed with humility is characteristic of all creatives. They have a sense of their own proficiency but constantly aim for greater challenges. Creative people are known to be psychologically androgynous, meaning they defy gender stereotypes. They are rebels at heart but also show conservative notions. It comes from being coherent with their choices and knowing what they want. They are passionate about their work yet objective about its worth. Creative individuals can reflect on the standard of their own work which help them evaluate its limitations. They love to explore art, culture and new interests but have a low threshold for pain. Bad quality in anything they have a taste for repulses them. If any of the above seem true in your case, you probably are a creative type yourself. In that case, you would know a creative person in an interview. It’s not always so easy though, right? So let’s build a list of idiosyncrasies to look out for in your candidates which will highlight them as creative individuals. Creative is as creative does 1. Are they observant? Creatives are a highly observant lot. It is not something they focus on. They just happen to observe everything. If you look at the works of geniuses like Hayao Miyazaki and Noam Chomsky, much of their work comes from a keen observation of society. They engage in people watching, capture nuances and can pick up on behavioural patterns. Check if the interviewee has an eye for detail. Their ability to gather information from subtle ideas will show that they are, indeed, a creative person. 2. What hours do they prefer working? This can be phrased as a direct question or you can lead the candidate to speak of their preferable working hours. Most creative people actually have odd working hours. Some feel productive in the wee hours of the morning while others might say they like working at night. Whatever might be the case, creative people have a distinct choice when it comes to when they like to work. They work the hours that work best for them. If the candidate voices a preference, it would suggest they get into their creative flow during that period. 3. How aware are they when they are in flow? Make them talk about something they feel passionate about. Creative people tend to lose track of time when engaged in activities they are genuinely invested in. But it’s important to keep time when it comes to business, right? Of course. But when you get better output by cutting a little slack, forcing a time schedule would kill the creativity that gives your team the edge in the first place. 4. Notice their dress sense How are they dressed for the interview? For startups that allow a casual dress code, most candidates would stick to what they feel comfortable wearing. If the candidate is a creative type, you’d notice their taste in fashion. Creative people have excellent taste and they know what works well on them. It would be a stretch to say all fashionable people are creative. But creative people are, for the most part, great when it comes to expressing their sense of style. 5. How do they rate themselves? Creative people tend to aim for bigger goals than others. They are always striving to achieve something more. They are their own biggest critic. So a creative individual would always see room for personal improvement. But they also happen to know their own strengths. Which means a creative person would expect a competent pay and might quote a higher package than your other candidates. 6. Watch how they communicate A creative might come across as eccentric at first encounter. If you pay attention, you’d see they have a personal approach to communicating ideas. This is a result of not conforming to the textbook approach and having their personal view of the world. They have a very clear grasp of the matters that interest them and discussing those would lead them to express things the same way they approach the subject in their mind. In fact, they are very good at getting ideas across in their own way. A candidate who shows these particular signs in their interview can be recognized as a creative type. It is important to note that hiring a creative or running a team of creatives is tough trade since they might not conform to traditional values. Often though, the outcome of their work is of far better quality just because they seek reward in improving themselves. About the author: Augustus Franklin is the founder and CEO of CallHub, a California-based Voice and SMS service company bridging the communication gap for political campaigns and advocacy groups. When he is not working, he is either making toys with his kids or training for a marathon.

7 Best Tips for Your Elevator Pitch - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

7 Best Tips for Your Elevator Pitch - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Imagine you go to a job search networking meeting for the first time, and the leader at one point informs the audience that everybody will have a chance to stand in front of the group and present an elevator pitch. I vividly remember such a scenario more than 10 years ago at a meeting with close to a hundred people in the audience. It was at a time when I was in transition, and my spirits and self-confidence were at all-time lows. So, for the survival of what little was left of my ego, my psychological response to such an unexpected event that I was obviously not prepared for was to protect myself from a perceived potentially harmful experience. I instantly looked for the red exit sign above the door at the back of the room and vacated immediately. Ever since, though, I remain embarrassed about it and now recall the incident with humor. Since then, I’ve of course had countless occasions to recite my elevator pitch with pride and confidence regardless of audience size or type. The elevator pitch for all occasions Well, there’s no such a thing as an elevator pitch for all occasions. The elevator pitch should be a sound bite or a statement made in front of an audience, and its purpose is to elicit further inquiry. The opportunity that arises after a good elevator pitch is to develop a dialogue with someone, and hopefully, the discussion will lead to a mutually beneficial relationship. The elevator pitch should not be a self-praising monologue, which typically is boring, non-memorable, and imitative of everyone else’s. It is most important that the elevator pitch fit the occasion. An elevator pitch out of context can be embarrassing, to say the least. At a recent dinner party, I sat next to a man I was not acquainted with. After a bit of easy talk, I asked him, “So, what do you do?” He replied that he’s a programmer in a small telecommunications company. At that point, I could have either dropped the subject or asked further questions. I did the latter, and so this turned out to be a pleasant encounter for both of us. The question is, how many elevator pitches should a job seeker have at the ready? Although no elevator pitch should be a memorized text that sounds like a rehearsed radio commercial, it’s reasonable to think in terms of three potential kinds. The first one should be a short recitation about 15 seconds long. All of your elevator pitches to an audience versus a single individual should start with your name at the beginning and end with your name again at the end. Also be sure you’re being heard loud and clear. Next, because one of the dangers is that the audience by now may be bored because everyone’s sounding like everyone else who preceded them, you should insert something differentâ€"something maybe surprising. One of my clients used to say, “I’m known to have saved a woman’s life.” That statement certainly drew everyone’s attention and begged for follow-up at the end of the meeting. And that’s precisely what that speaker’s objective and purpose were. It’s best to briefly say something about what you do, to mention the kinds of people you help, and to list the benefits that result from what you offer. Please don’t say I’m an IT professional. What, the others are less than professional? Don’t say I’m an HR business partnerâ€"as if other team members are not business partners. And don’t say I am passionate about. Nobody cares about that except you, and your self-assessment simply won’t serve to prompt anyone to approach you after the meeting for a conversatio n. The second type of elevator pitch to a group should be about 30 seconds long. Here again, besides of course saying your name at the beginning and end, you can talk about what you do, possibly mention your title if appropriate, and include something unusual or provoking so that someone will want to seek you out later. You can mention what you wish to continue doing professionally, the geographic area you want to work in, and even up to three target companies you’d like to work at. Perhaps someone in the audience has connections and would be willing to make an intro. The third type of elevator pitch could be a few minutes long. It should be tailored for individuals and not for a group of people. Here again, the objective is to continue the dialogue and potentially find someone to have a longer conversation with later, with the purpose of mutual benefit. Once a conversation is progressing and there’s common ground and interest, both parties could probably think of others who could be of help. And again, that’s the whole purpose of keeping the relationship growing: mutual interest. Your voice Besides the content of your elevator pitch, the audience will hopefully be impressed with your delivery via your voice. If your voice reminds the audience of the tone they hear from their GPSs, you’ll certainly be rememberedâ€"but not in a positive way! Use your voice appropriately. Speak with clarity. Make sure you enunciate well. And project enthusiasm by modulating your voice, as opposed to sounding monotone. The pace should be at a rate that enables large audiences to understand what you’re saying. Many people, when they get excited, start speaking faster than normal, which detracts from the clarity of the message. People with foreign accents should not feel embarrassed. There’s not much they can do about it, and in fact, an accent could sound attractive, different, memorable, and, possibly, charming. Your body language and presence Do you remember a movie actor’s every line? Probably not, but I bet you could get plenty verbose when it comes to describing the scene or the background to the plot. That’s how the human brain works: we remember several-fold what we see versus what we hear. Therefore, your appearance is much more important than the content of your elevator pitch. Look at the audience, but don’t swivel your head like a panning security cameraâ€"which is our usual tendency in such situations. Stand erect and without shifting weight from one leg to the other. Don’t cross your ankles. Find your balance. It is acceptable to use your arms but not in an exaggerated or melodramatic way. If your arm and hand movements complement and support your statements, then by all means use them. And above all, smile. Smile a lot, because all over the world and in all cultures, a smile universally means the same thing. It conveys positivity and well-being in the presence of others. The creation of an effective elevator pitch is challenging. It takes a lot of repetitions and several iterations before it will generate the intended results. Don’t attempt memorizing the lines; only experienced actors can succeed with that. Memorize only the key topics you want to convey. Once you know your basic material and start to feel comfortable, the words will flow smoothly. And remember that practice always makes perfect.

What Is A Discount Coupon

What Is A Discount Coupon Discount coupons are actually tickets which are exchanged for the financial discount on a product or a service. To promote a product or a service, the retailer and the service provider issues these coupons. It is a type of business policy that benefits the manufacturer as well as the customer. Coupons can be found on magazines and newspapers. In most cases they have time shares or simply not correspondent with your need. A new form of platform is available, that is through the internet. Be a smart shopper Always read thoroughly about the terms and conditions of the discount coupons. A  Coupon code website may sometime give vouchers that are not compatible at the check-out counter or may have some additional subscription. People often spend more in attempt to save big money. Even some coupons have points on them. If you purchase a product some points will be added on to the coupon, you can use this point as cash to get more items. Handling your coupons smartly and effectively can save you up to fifty percent of the total cost. To be a smart shopper you just need to keep certain things in your mind. You should not get a discount coupon that are not included in your need list. The main moto of the manufacturer is to enhance the sales or try new released products with the older ones. If you get tricked by their business policy you may not bring real saving but spending more in disguise. Online is the vital source of getting access to discount vouchers. The coupons that are purchased online can be used in stores nationwide. That is why in some websites you need to give your zip code to find out the accessibility of the product. Coupons are basically of two types; one is where you directly buy and use it on online shopping, and the other is where you use it at stores physically. You can even stack or combine the coupons to double or triple your savings. Forms of discount vouchers Discount coupons are available in variable forms. The most popular among them is the percentage based tickets. These kind of coupons are often used while online shopping and in the supermarkets. There are coupons that offer discount on hotels and vacations. But always read and check these kinds of vouchers as most of them have time shares and less time for outing. While there are some coupons that give discount only to the member of certain club or groups. You should be careful of these coupons as they normally propose for new signing up membership. But these are ideal for vacation trips as they do not hold time shares or subscriptions. There are some coupons available on coupon code website names as BOGO coupons. They are buy one get one free coupons. It is a straightforward coupon that actually benefits. The variations of the BOGO coupons are buy several and get one. This type of coupon is best for you when you purchase in a bulk for your regular purpose. Image Source; Image Source

How to Boost Productivity Working From Home

How to Boost Productivity Working From Home It’s expected that 50% of the UK workforce will work remotely by 2020, with almost 1.5 million employees currently ditching the office for their dining table. New research reveals that London has the highest number of remote employees, with 408,000 people using the home as their main office, and 250,000 people working from home every day of the week. From the position of your chair to the music you listen to, there are several factors that affect how productively you work from home. With this in mind, our experts reveal how to create the perfect setting. Feng Shui Feng Shui is the art of placement, teaching us how to position objects in the space around us to balance energy and create harmony. It has had a huge impact on the aesthetics of interior design and plays a huge role when creating a productive workspace. To follow the art of Feng Shui, you should separate your working and living space to encourage a good ‘work and home life’ balance. Feng Shui expert, Priya Sher, shares how to position your furniture to create the most productive workspace. She said: “Avoid the sofa, as this provides a space that can energetically separate your living and working life. Position your desk so that the back of your chair has the support of a solid wall. “It’s also a good idea to avoid sitting with your back to the window or open shelves. According to Feng Shui, open shelves act as arrows in your back and a window in your back can make you feel unsupported.” Other things to consider include the amount of clutter around you. “Avoid placing work files and paperwork on the floor as it signifies a deterioration of your business/career.” “Also, avoid working from the bedroom,” Priya said, “If you have a choice of rooms, the East and South- East rooms are great for working.” Colour Color Psychologist, Angela Wright, states there are four primary psychological colors: red, blue, yellow and green. Whether you work indoors or outside, surrounding yourself with certain colors can help boost productivity. She states: “If you’re in a physically demanding job, red is a great productivity booster. Workers that require a lot of physical exertion such as tradespeople, personal trainers, and tree surgeons may respond well to red.” “Use blue for a productivity boost in if you’re an office worker, it’s brilliant for completing administrative tasks or projects that require maximum focus. Add a splash of orange if you need extra inspiration.” “For innovators and entrepreneurs, yellow will help if you have a little brain fatigue. It’s great for a productivity boost and will get your juices flowing.” “Finally, if you thrive in a calm environment, green is the color for you. It’s great for people who practice yoga or meditation.” Music to improve your mood Like listening to music whilst working? Turns out it could be making you more productive. The connection between listening to music you like at work and an improved mood is strong, says Teresa Lesiuk, Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Miami. Her research shows that listening to that music often produces “mild, positive moods” and being in that frame of mind can be helpful when attempting to get work done. It turns out its not just classical music that stimulates productivity â€" however, we’d avoid anything too heavy. Teresa Lesiuk states that personal choice is important, especially in those who are moderately skilled in their jobs. Those who listen to music they enjoy often complete tasks more quickly because the music improved their mood. Songs which include sounds of nature can enhance cognitive functioning and improve levels of concentration. If your work requires you to be more upbeat, you could try listening to music that matches this tempo. Baroque is a good choice if you have a lot of work to get done. Keep it cool If you’ve ever worked in an office, you’ll know how difficult it is to get the temperature right and keep everybody happy. Working from home means this is one less thing to worry about â€" as you are in full control of the thermostat. Previous studies suggest that the perfect temperature to maximize productivity should be between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. However, as our bodies are all different, keeping the room at a temperature that’s comfortable for you should do the trick.

Hands-on Careers Youd Be A Fool Not to Consider - CareerMetis.com

Hands-on Careers You'd Be A Fool Not to Consider Recently there’s been a bit of a buzz about artificial intelligence. Apple just introduced us to a newer, cleverer version of Siri. And a London company, Deep Mind, just beat the world champion at the game Go using AI.Neither of these developments was supposed to happen for a long time. Yet here we are in 2016 and both these developments are already here.This has big implications for the job market. Machines, it seems are getting really, really good at cognitive tasks. And now institutions like the Bank of England are suggesting that up to 30 percent of jobs could be replaced by artificial intelligence.evalArtificial intelligence is expected to have the biggest impact in sectors like finance, law, and medicine. These industries are dominated by processing lots of data. Jobs will leave these sectors en masse in the coming years.But machines aren’t going to be able to do all jobs. Humans will still do things that require a deft touch or interpersonal interactions.Given the rise of AI, you’d be a fool not to consider the following hands-on careers.1. HVAC TechnicianPhoto Credit â€" YouTubeRobots aren’t all that great right now. In fact, robots can barely walk, let alone service machinery. That’s why becoming an HVAC technician is such a good career choice right now. It requires a bunch of distinctly human skills, like a deft touch. And it requires operations that simply can’t be replicated by machines â€" at least for now. Plus, the work is varied and well-paid.2. Elder Care WorkerPhoto Credit â€" WikipediaCare working has traditionally been at the low end of the employment spectrum. But going forward, that’s likely to change. Care work actually uses the full range of human capacities. Carer-givers have to manage tough social interactions. They have to know how to offer assistance. And they have to understand the instructions they are given. Machines might be able to do each of these individually. But they can’t do them all by themselves.3. Plumber Photo Credit â€" Plumber Like HVAC work, plumbing is a hands-on job that’s well paid. And as before, it requires the use of dextrous hands. And it comes with all sorts of other benefits too. For starters, you’re not stuck in an office, which is the current ideal. And secondly, you often get to choose your own hours and work to your own schedule.4. Education Support WorkerPhoto Credit â€" WikipediaOne of the safest industries right now seems to be Education. Yes, the education system itself isn’t exactly at the cutting edge of technology. But education is something that is going to become more and more important in the future. We see this growing importance today.evalAs jobs require greater skill, more people are flooding the education system. To be productive in the workforce, students often have no choice but to spend upwards of 15 years training. For anybody looking for a career in education, this is great news.There’s going to be demand for teaching support for the forese eable future. It’s people who are best able to communicate topics and facilitate learning right now, not robots.