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Archives for September 2017

How to Answer the Question, “Tell Me About Yourself…”

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It’s a question you’ll hear in virtually every interview, phone screening, or informational session: So…tell me about yourself.

Maybe the interviewer isn’t so blunt—maybe they’ll couch the question as, where do you see yourself in five years? Or, what’s your big picture goal? But, at the end day, this incredibly common icebreaker question is the same. And, despite being so broad and open-ended it’s tough to answer—and even harder to answer in a smart, strategic, and forward-moving way.

So what’s a hiring manager or HR lead looking for when they ask this question? In short, A LOT. While the question itself seems pretty free-form, the interviewer is looking for a taste of what makes you the right candidate for this role. The fact that you’re married, have kids, love traveling, or are training for a triathlon aren’t. Neither is the job you had at age 12 or the things you don’t like about your current position. Why? Because, not only is personal information not relevant to the position, offering up too much could plant doubt in an interviewer’s mind—in other words, show them the reasons your personal life could compete with your work life or red flags you’ve bubbled to the surface that make you seem less than ideal for the position.

The secret to maximizing the tell me about yourself Q&A? Position yourself as the ideal candidate by bringing your strengths and attributes front-and-center. Organize your thoughts, then script your response and practice. This isn’t a question you should be tackling off the cuff, no matter how experienced you are interviewing.

Here’s how to prep like a pro:

1. Play to your strengths by, first, understanding your strengths

When a hiring manager asks this question, they’re looking for skills, strengths, and prior work experience you already have that relate directly to the position. For this exercise, list out four to six strengths—good communication, research work, classroom experience, publishing experience—that, typically, sync with positions in your field. From there, narrow down the list to three to five traits you’d want an interviewer to remember about you. Those should be the foundation of your response.

2. Touch on the personal—maybe

While you don’t want to get TOO personal in your initial Q&A, if you have personal interests or attributes you feel paint a positive, relevant picture, be sure to weave them in. For example, volunteer work in your field is generally seen as a major positive, and another testament to your experience and commitment. Likewise, being an avid writer or reader, or spending time on a hobby like astronomy, music or art shows off your intellectual curiosity which, for many hiring managers, is a huge plus.

If you’re going to focus on some of these outside interests, be sure you layer them in towards the end of your response. Limit yourself to one to two short statements, and make sure there’s a clear segue from your professional achievements and experiences into this corner of your day-to-day.

3. Do a little research

As you’re preparing for your interview, be sure to research a bit on the institution’s culture, reputation, and general philosophies. It’s not necessary—or advised—to drill down on each of them in your interview but, if there are connections you can make between your experiences, work history, and other strengths and capabilities, it definitely doesn’t hurt. If the hiring manager sees you as a natural fit for their institution, your interview—and your candidate path—will likely be much smoother, much faster, and much more seamless.

4. Organize your talking points

With the pieces outlined, the final step is to organize it all into a cohesive, succinct script. A good response starts with past experiences and concrete successes, then moves into strengths and capabilities relevant to the position. After that, plan to close with a short statement about where you are now and where you want to be.

Here’s an example:

PAST EXPERIENCES

I’ve been working as an associate professor of structural engineering at the University of Battle Creek for the last six years. Working with the School of Civil Engineering team, I was able to help build out the university’s profile as an engineering leader. My work involved significant teaching responsibilities as well as mentoring, coaching student researchers, and developing and executing meaningful research initiatives.

STRENGTHS & CAPABILITIES

Through this role, I’ve had the opportunity to hone my skills in the classroom and out, while becoming a leader in the department, the school, and the campus community. I’ve also developed a strong publishing portfolio and gained meaningful connections in the academic and engineering industries that have helped me identify new opportunities for my students and the school.

PERSONAL ADD-INS

During my “off-campus” time, I mentor through Engineers Without Borders, and serve on several of their committees. It’s a great way to connect with engineering students and new engineers, and really help some amazing communities.

CLOSING STATEMENT

Looking ahead, I would love to find a university with a developing civil engineering program, where I can apply my work, insights, and expertise to help their team and their students grow and thrive.

And when you’re done jotting down your script? Practice—then practice again. The more confident you feel in your response, the better and more naturally you’ll deliver it. That said, don’t try to memorize it—you don’t want to sound like a robot. But you do want to have a clear understanding of your talking points and the concepts you want to hit in your interview so you can sound self-assured and well-aligned with the interviewer and the position. Get this early question “right,” and you’ll be coming at the rest of the interview from a place of strength, with the momentum and one-on-one connection that, more often than not, defines a successful job interview.

The Academic CV: 5 Common Mistakes

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Academic CV: 5 Common Mistakes

Creating an academic CV is a vital part of working in academia. Your CV can also be an important tool when applying for funding, publication, professional development, and other opportunities outside the university.

Whether you are creating your first CV, or you want to “freshen up” one you already have, here are 5 of the most common mistakes people make and some useful advice on how to avoid them!

1: Overthinking design elements

If you go online and search for résumé and CV templates, you’ll find an exhausting number of examples that range from plain and simple to overly flashy.

It can be tempting to use a colorful, design-heavy template full of graphics, photographs, and complex design elements. I get it – they’re really pretty to look at. However, when it comes to creating an academic CV, simplicity is key. Many people still prefer to print out CVs, and a simple design will make sure yours can be easily printable and readable!

Here are some design elements to keep in mind when creating or updating your CV:

Use the same font throughout, and choose one that will be readable on any computer (Times New Roman, Arial, Courier, etc.).

Use consistent font size and formatting for your headers. Choose bold over italics whenever possible – it is easier to read while scanning.

Don’t write “Curriculum Vitae” at the top. I know this is widely debated, but if you write a solid CV we should recognize it as such.

List your accomplishments in reverse chronological order, so potential employers can focus on your most recent work, rather than something you did 10 years ago.

When citing your publications, presentations, or other works, make sure to use consistent formatting (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)! This is a major pet peeve for many people!

2: Focusing on duties over accomplishments

I find this to be a common mistake when people shift from a professional résumé to an academic CV. When discussing your professional and academic roles, focus on what you achieved or experienced, rather than your day-to-day duties. For the most part, the institutions you apply to will be familiar with the daily duties of a professor, research assistant, or administrator. Focus on the things you accomplished that stand out, or things you did above and beyond your regular duties.

For example, when describing a prior teaching position, ask yourself what you accomplished beyond simply “I taught English 101.” Most institutions already know that a teacher lectures, grades papers, and administers exams – they don’t need to hear about that. They want to know what special skills and attributes you can bring to the position.

Instead, ask yourself the following questions:

Did you create your own syllabus and/or teaching materials?

What types of learning managements systems (LMS) did you use to build your courses? Were your courses in person, online, or a hybrid?

Were you on a committee within your department? What did you accomplish?

Did you take on any leadership duties within your department?

Were you a part of creating/updating any curriculum, textbooks, or course outlines for your department or university?

Did you teach a specialized group of students (engineer majors, students with disabilities, nontraditional students, non-native English speakers, etc.)?

Focusing on the unique and amazing things you did while taking on research, teaching, or professional roles will help you stand out!

3: Using one CV for absolutely everything

Another common mistake I see is using one version of your CV for everything. Not tailoring your CV to fit the institution or position you are applying to can make you appear lazy or lacking attention to detail.

For example, I often advise my colleagues to create both an internal and external version of their CV. When applying to internal positions, you can get away with using course codes (STA101 instead of “First-Year Statistics”) or internal jargon you can’t use when applying outside an institution.

Also, make sure to organize your CV for the position! If you are applying for a research position, start your CV by listing research interests and experience. However, if you apply for a teaching position, move your teaching and presentation experience to the top. Putting the most relevant things on the front page will make sure your reader doesn’t have to get 3 pages deep before finding what they’re looking for.

4: Not asking for outside feedback

If I could give you only one piece of advice when writing/updating your CV, I would urge you to get a fresh set of eyes to look over it. I can’t tell you how many CVs I have read over the years that contain mindless spelling errors, inconsistent formatting, or annoying design elements – and my colleagues are English professors. Yes, even English professors are known to make mistakes!

Once you find a trusted colleague or friend to look over your CV, make sure to ask them the following:

After glancing over it quickly (give them a minute or so), did you easily find my education/teaching/research/other relevant experience? Or did you have to dig around to find it?

Is it easy on the eyes? Can you easily read a printed and online version of it?

Does it contain any spelling/grammar errors?

Did I miss anything you think I should add?

Does it fit the job description?

By having another person read over your CV, he or she will hopefully catch any errors or blind spots you need to address. Also, make sure to thank the person who helped you by buying them a beer, coffee, or offering to look over their CV in the future!

5: Not updating regularly

Once you have gone through the daunting process of creating an academic CV, your work is far from over! You will need to regularly go back to your CV and update it to reflect any new accomplishments or experience.

How often you update your CV will depend on the kind of position you have, so keep that in mind. Set a date on your phone or calendar to look over it once a month, at the end of every semester, or once a year – whatever works for you! Keep a “master copy” of your CV on your computer, so you can add to it whenever something comes up. You’ll use that copy as your basis for creating individual CVs for each future position you apply for.

Conclusion

It doesn’t matter if you are writing a CV for the first time, or fixing up one you’ve been using for 20 years – avoiding these common mistakes will make sure your CV stand out.

In addition to the basics we discussed here, there are specific criteria for CVs in different fields of study or when creating an international CV. If you aren’t sure how to create a specific CV for your situation, I always advise asking the head of your department or a more experienced colleague for advice. Once you’ve done that, and followed the advice here, you should have a solid CV that you can use for years to come!

Thinking about your next career move?

Check out our latest job postings or create a free account to save job searches, upload your resume, and get daily job alerts.

Heather Patton is a writer, editor, and adjunct English instructor with 10 years of experience in helping her students become the best writers they can be. She has taught at Wright State University and Clark State Community College in Dayton, OH, and Seattle Central College in Seattle, WA. Her students often refer to her as “nice but expects a lot,” which she feels is a pretty accurate assessment of her teaching philosophy. She has an M.A. in English Composition and Rhetoric from Wright State University. When she isn’t grading papers or editing company websites, she is an avid hiker, voracious reader, and makes a mean banana bread.

Fall into Balance with a Work-Life Master Calendar

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As summer comes to an end, I imagine that you are being ask to alter your work schedule, adjust to new school schedules and commit to a variety of extra-curricular and community activities. Unless you are conscious of how you are allocating your time and attention, December’s wintery winds will quickly be blowing upon you, along with additional layers of holiday stress and responsibility.

Self-Neglect = Unbalanced Work-Life

Where do you want and need to spend your time and energy? Are you prone to delve into tasks that hold you effortlessly accountable, like mandatory staff meetings and committees? Sometimes it is easier to spend your time saying yes to others than it is to devoting time to your long-term goals and private aspirations. When important aspects of our lives are unnourished, our lives feel unbalanced. Yet, even in our work-centric culture, carving out time for the things that matter most is doable with conscious planning and reflection.

Create a Master Calendar as Foundation for Work-Life Balance

To achieve work-life balance, consider creating a master calendar of your life during the fall. To get started:

Identify your (work and life) priorities until January 1

List work, caregiving and household routine tasks

Include activities for self-care and renewal

Assign an estimated time needed to complete each task

Be sure to include taken-for-granted activities, such as staff meetings, meal preparations, helping the kids get ready for school, your exercise regime, going out with friends and relaxing before bedtime. Just as importantly, identify your longer-term goals, assign them action items and estimated times for doing them. Keep in mind that your goals should reflect your unique life circumstances. You may not be able to train for a marathon, but you may be able to aim for a 5K.

Using a calendar template (I use Outlook), assign dates and times to your tasks. To keep the process manageable, schedule one or two weeks out and then a month, keeping in mind:

Are your priorities scheduled?

Do your activities contribute to your long-term professional and personal goals?

Have you scheduled time for projects that are due after January 1?

Have you scheduled adequate time for self-care and relaxation?

If you have more activities than time, where can you benefit from help?

Be creative about help to free up your time for other things. Can your colleague chair a committee? Can your spouse, partner or friend watch your kids while you exercise? Be sure to revise and update your calendar, and review it on a weekly basis. Let it guide – not dictate – where you place your time and energy.

Benefits Beyond Work-Life Balance

Maintaining master calendars benefit individuals who feel overwhelmed and burdened by too many responsibilities, helping them organize their tasks in reasonable ways that meet all of their needs. Perhaps more importantly, calendars help us focus on our long-term success while allowing us the emotional and physical energy to wholeheartedly enjoy the moments of our everyday lives.

Thinking about your next career move?

Check out our latest job postings or create a free account to save job searches, upload your resume, and get daily job alerts.

Robynn M. Pease, Ph.D. has over 20 years of related experience in the field of work-life and is the former director of the Greater Oregon Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (GO HERC). Prior to her current position as Faculty Ombudsman at Oregon State University (OSU), Robynn served as the Coordinator of Work-Life at OSU and the Director of Work-Life at the University of Kentucky. She holds a doctorate in Sociology from the University of Kentucky, with an emphasis in gerontology.

How to Avoid the “I’m Wonderful” Cover Letter

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For many jobseekers, the cover letter is a little bit like a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a taco. To unwrap the mystery, jobseekers must think of the cover letter as the narrative version of their resume. It’s the opportunity to tell their story without the constraint of the short, action verb, resume-speak rules that govern the resume.

The cover letter is where they can describe how their background and experience are the ideal fit for the company and position to which they are applying. They are helping the employer determine their competency by highlighting the information on their resume that illustrates that.

Now that you understand what the cover letter is intended to do, how can you make sure your cover letter is doing what it’s supposed to be doing?

Be Specific

Always address the cover letter to a specific person when possible. With access to Linkedin now more prevalent, you can always do your research to identify the person to whom your letter should be addressed. If there is no person you can identify, at all costs avoid “Dear Sir/Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern.” Instead try something like “Dear Hiring Coordinator,” which reads less like a form letter.

Who are You?

If you can answer this question, you already have the introduction paragraph. Talk about how you learned of the position and, most importantly, why this employer’s company or mission matters to you. This again is where good research gives you the opportunity to distinguish yourself from other candidates. Instead of just reading what’s on the company’s website and regurgitating that, find information in trade journals or online that speaks to the company’s latest successes or reputation.

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I’m Wonderful Because . . .

I often see jobseekers who declare they are able to do the job without any direct support from their resume. I call this the “I’m wonderful” type of cover letter, which generally is destined for the toss pile. It’s important that you provide evidence from your resume that illustrates this rather than asking the employer to take your word for it. Think of it this way instead: “I’m wonderful because I’ve worked as a candy striper and you, employer, are looking for someone with real people skills.” Or, “I’m wonderful because I’m a volunteer firefighter and you, employer, are looking for someone with leadership experience.”

Identify specific accomplishments that demonstrate the skills the employer is looking for in the position, and explain how you developed those skills. Take a look at your unique accomplishments (i.e. direct experience, transferable experience, interest/education) and complete the above statement. If you can do that, know that you are on the right track!

And in Closing . . .

This is the easy paragraph! Reaffirm your interest and why you are a good fit. Provide contact information, a list of any enclosures or salary requirements (if requested), and any details regarding planned follow up. Thank the reader for his/her time!

Now that you have unwrapped your taco rolled up mystery, pull out your old cover letters and see if you can improve them by following these recommendations.

Thinking about your next career move?

Check out our latest job postings or create a free account to save job searches, upload your resume, and get daily job alerts.

Michelle Shaw, Esq., LEED AP is an alum of Williams College and former attorney. She currently serves as an Associate Director and the Pre-Law Advisor for the Career Center where she counsels both current students and alumni.

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