Author: Portfolio Creative

Ever been tripped up in an interview by questions like this: “Tell me about a time when you have encountered a customer who was complaining of poor service. What did you do?” or “Tell me about a time you had to work with conflicting, delayed, or ambiguous information.” Well do not fear, the interviewer is not trying to trick you, he or she really just wants to know about your experiences and how you have actually acted in a situation, not how you might act or what strategies you know of. Also they might be trying to discover what you think is a stressful situation. This could be good for you, because you get the opportunity to show how well you handle stress, and that everyday little occurrences or upset customers are not that upsetting to you.

These types of questions are called Competency-Based Behavioral Interview questions (CBBI) and they are becoming more and more popular these days, so it is better to get used to them than to hope you won’t be asked one. Benefits for you of CBBI questions: 1) There is relevance between the questions asked and the position, as opposed to questions like, “If you were a salad, what would you have in you other than lettuce?” – Who prepared for this question and what is the point? 2) You can use your life experience to answer a question if you do not have work experience to demonstrate competency (i.e. How in life have you been adaptable or taken initiative?).

You shouldn’t necessarily practice your answers to these types of questions, as that doesn’t really help you in the interview, but it doesn’t hurt to be familiar with the format and anticipate the type of question. Try to practice giving STAR responses. Describe the Situation and the Task at hand, describe the Action you took, and the Results.

For further information refer to: High Impact Interview Questions: 701 Behavior-Based Questions to find the Right Person for Every Job, by Victoria A. Hoevemeyer.

When Columbus announced its GreenSpot program, Portfolio joined right away. Why? Because we wanted to find ways we could run our business more environmentally, we have the “every little bit helps” philosophy. Since we signed up we’ve added recycling pick-up, purchase a much higher percentage of recycled office supplies and have made efforts to reduce our overall paper usage. The great thing about environmentally friendly activities is that they are often money saving as well, so there are both direct and indirect benefits to your business. And it’s pretty good company to be in, check out the map to see which companies around town are participating-there are about four times as many participants as when we signed up!

Shud U B Concerned? R U at Fault?

The first part of this survey report showed some areas where what the interviewer expected was different from the behavior of some candidates. (Answering your cell phone in an interview? Seriously people.) This second part shows some interesting insight into expectations job seekers have that interviewers may not live up to as well.

Thx for the Iview! I Wud [Luv] to Work 4 U!! 😉

This recent article posted on HR Daily Advisor caught my eye. Mainly focused on a survey about interviewee behavior, and focused towards HR people, it provides excellent insight for job seekers. Reading the answers about what interviewers prefer versus what applicants do, you get a good picture of the situation from the their mindset. Knowing what that person sitting across the table from you might be thinking is powerful.

Every time a new big fat phone book lands on my doorstep I think what a waste of time, energy and money it was. Seriously, they never even make it into the house, just go straight into the recycling bin. If I need something I look it up online. With apologies to the companies who use yellow pages ads; I totally understand that it’s a great way to reach people, but you’re not reaching me anyway.

If you like the phone books then by all means continue to get them, this is not to make you feel guilty about the convenience of that handy book of information. But if you don’t use it, Yellow Pages Goes Green allows you to opt out of the delivery list.

Today is Job Action Day, a day of empowerment for workers and job-seekers. Put your career and job in the forefront, take stock of your situation, make plans, and take action steps to improve your career.

And tomorrow your Job is to Take Action–make your voice heard, vote.

Sharon DeLay is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer and Certified Professional Career Coach. She wrote this article for our newsletter recently, we thought it was definitely worth a second read.

Studies indicate that the most effective way to find a job is through networking. Whether you’re trying to get into the company of your dreams or move across the country, networking is the way to go. Research indicates that most of the jobs available today will be filled through networking, yet resistance to this method of securing a job remains high, mostly due to uncertainty about how to get started.

Try these five easy steps to jumpstart your career networking strategy.

1. Avoid assumptions. Often, the first words out of the new networker’s mouth are, “I don’t know anyone who can help me get to where I want. Everyone I know is just like me.” Actually, you would be surprised who people know. Even your closest friends and family members either know someone you should meet or know someone who knows someone. Don’t assume your current network is full of dead ends, which leads to the next point.
2. Begin in your comfort zone. One misconception about networking is that you have to talk with people you don’t know. This is uncomfortable for a lot of people because they simply don’t like talking to strangers or don’t know what to say. Select a few people (friends, family members, co-workers, etc.) you know, like and trust to begin with them.
3. Identify your goals. To get started, you need to first clarify a few things. What is it you want this year? A new position within your company? A new job altogether? New projects to expand your résumé? Knowing what you want to accomplish will help you determine your approach and what to say.
4. Just ask. Because your first time is always a bit awkward, just make a determination that you’re going to just ask…to meet, talk on the telephone, get advice, or whatever it is you need to do. Once you get over the initial fear and discomfort of asking, it gets easier.
5. Resolve not to ask for a job. That’s right; don’t ask someone for a job. If you ask someone for something not within his or her power to give you, he or she will be less inclined to want to help you. It’s a common human response: we tend avoid what we know we will fail to achieve (or that causes us pain). Rather than asking for a job, ask for information, other people to talk to, or feedback on how people perceive your skills, abilities and marketability. Nearly everyone can successfully give you what you need in these areas and this will ultimately lead you to your end goal.

Seth Godin has great insight about marketing and the world of work, his blog is one of my regular reads. A favorite recent post called Be careful of who you work for makes a great point. As job seekers we get rejected when we’re just not quite the right fit for the company. Shouldn’t we also reject companies that aren’t right for us? After all, if you’re not looking out for yourself and your career, who is?

We love those people at Junctionview and Couchfire, they are doing great things for the Central Ohio creative community!
Check this out:
“Day of The Dead” an event to celebrate the souls of our dearly departed November 1st at Junctionview Studios 10pm-2am
Costume party, art show displaying work created for the theme, DJ, food and drink, dancing, prize for best costume, and raffle. Guests are encouraged to bring a photo/card dedication in honor of a particular someone to place on the alter for the evening.
Admission is $3 or your soul would suffice.

It’s new, it’s cool, and it’s just a week away! Check out HighBall Halloween in The Short North, think of it as a combination of Mardi Gras and Carnivale, with a Halloween twist. High Street will be closed between Buttles and Hubbard, festivities include costume contests, a fashion show featuring local designers, a pet costume parade, bands, djs, prize money, and legal drinking in the streets!

Want to get even more involved? They really need volunteers to help make this the greatest party in the city.