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Post-Webinar Q&A: LinkedIn Rock Your Profile

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We weren’t able to address every question submitted by LinkedIn Rock Your Profile attendees during the live webinar, but presenter Bryant Ramirez tackles most of them below!

[Watch the webinar recording and access the presenter’s deck.]

Setting Up a LinkedIn Profile

Q: Is there a way to post an article or published item, so it remains as the first item posted?

A: You can add the article/published item to your “featured” section below the About section and make this the first item.

Q: Does LinkedIn provide tools or templates to help improve your headline, summary, or work experience sections?

A: Check out https://blog.linkedin.com/ for tips and tools.

Q: Every time I try to add volunteer experience, it blocks me. What am I doing wrong?

A: This seems to be an error. Go to help.linkedin.com for more help.

Q: What did Bryant use to separate his ‘bullets’ in his headline?  Without them, a lot of text is overwhelming!

A: It’s a special character. In Word, you’ll find it as an Advanced Symbol, as Symbol character 183, Unicode F0B7. You could also just copy/paste it from my profile into yours.

Q: Do you suggest bullet points over sentences? Is a narrative better aided by full sentences?

A: I recommend a combination of both depending on what you’re trying to communicate. Is it a story, or are these distinct accomplishments? You could use prose to introduce a role you have done, but use bullets to highlight specific accomplishments.

Q: Bullets vs. narrative – wouldn’t this also reflect one’s communication style?

A: True. At the end of the day, it’s all about the story you are trying to convey. Likely, prose will have a higher likelihood of capturing someone’s ‘emotional’ attention (e.g., the Apollo Theater example I gave) while the bullets are quick ways of explaining ‘wins’ and ‘accomplishments.’

Q: Can you suggest how to address a 5-year career gap that included relevant/strategic volunteer work?

A: Add this experience as work experience. You can say this is “independent” experience. You can also call out a “sabbatical,” which I’ve seen done before. All of this is about the story you tell. What did you contribute during that 5-year gap? What did you learn?

Q: If we are in one industry but looking to move to another industry, which industry should we list?  The current one or the one(s) we think we want to move to?

A: Choose the new one so that it’s searchable. I also recommend showing the “experience” that demonstrates meaningful interest in that new industry, such as education, internships, fellowships, and other projects/initiatives.

Q: What should one highlight if you are an entrepreneur consultant but want to remain open to a great job opportunity?  Highlight self or entrepreneur success or hybrid?

A: You can say you’re working on a freelance/part time opportunity. I think employers understand that you could be leveraging your experience for various types of roles. I think your ‘entrepreneur success’ is part of ‘you,’ so tell that story. How does it allow you to add more value?

Q: How do you use LinkedIn to signal your readiness for jobs that don’t have a single title? I.e., higher education program administration jobs that might live in a couple of different areas of the university.

A: Good question. I think this is part of crafting your story by starting with what matters in any of those roles (e.g., leading the next generation of academics, passion for education, etc.) and then highlighting skills and experiences that are relevant for such roles. Many times, while you may not have the specific role or it may not be in the title, your profile should connect the dots and make it apparent how your experience is relevant for these roles you’re applying for. In my experience screening candidates, I look at their holistic background, and there are times I select a “non-traditional” candidate (e.g., a non-profit leader) because I can see how their skills/experience is relevant for the job I am filling (e.g., stakeholder management, current state & future state assessments, problem-solving, data & analytics). I believe everyone could mold their profile to demonstrate these relevant skills and experiences that provide a holistic perspective of your capabilities.

Q: If your LinkedIn profile is different from your resume because you’re tailoring them differently, do employers ever view this suspiciously, as though you’re inconsistent or somehow lying or hiding something about yourself?

A: It’s all about framing. You should be tailoring your resume anyways per role, as each role may require a different framing of your existing experience. Think of the LI profile as simply another way to frame what already exists.

Q: Should jargon be used in profile to demonstrate knowledge or not included to appeal to a broader audience?

A: It depends where in the profile. I would avoid using jargon in the tagline and the first portion of an About, but jargon can make sense in the experience section.

Q: Can you explain how LinkedIn searches profiles (i.e., how recruiters find people with skills or experiences, etc.)? How do you know if your profile is competitive for your field?

A: There isn’t a specific “score” that determines how competitive you are for a specific field; however, recruiters can use the attributes we discussed to search for you in Recruiter. I’m not as familiar with the specific algorithms, but needless to say, the more you contribute and the stronger your profile becomes, the more likely you show up in relevant searches.

Q: In academia, recommendations are almost always confidential.  How valuable are non-confidential recommendations?

A: This is an important nuance to consider. I’ll leave this to your discretion. Again, it’s about framing. A LinkedIn recommendation is likely much more brief and is more about their relationship and high-level observations – sort of like a “Kudos” or even a “Thank you note” to you that’s public. I can’t tell you exactly where the “line” is, but I think there is a clear distinction between a comprehensive, confidential, Academic recommendation and a brief, non-confidential, LinkedIn profile recommendation.

Other Ways to Use LinkedIn

Q: Why follow influencers? How is that going to help me, other than seeing the lifestyles of the rich and famous?

A: There are influencers of all types, not just the ones you see showing fancy stuff. Off the top of my head, I’m thinking someone like Ray Dalio is a valuable influencer. While he’s very wealthy, almost all of the content he posts is about explaining the current economic conditions in layman’s terms and providing a perspective you may not hear elsewhere. He also has shared some personal struggles that any human could relate to. The relevant “Influencers” could provide you with perspectives that may be helpful in future discussions and other networking opportunities as well.

Q: LinkedIn seems to be increasing with social media types of posts, rather than professional media. How should we adapt to this change in how LinkedIn is used now compared to previously? 

A: LinkedIn is simply a means, and it’s up to members to decide how they wish to communicate. The culture we promote on the platform still makes the content lean professional, but as we know, we’re not just a “professional” – we’re a whole human being. So I encourage you to share your perspectives as a whole human that could be relevant to the work you do and how you do it. This opens up a lot more commentary beyond specific industry insights. There’s a clear line between something that’s totally personal (such as your birthday party) and something that’s very relevant to your professional life but is related to something personal (such as celebrating a family moment as part of work-life harmony). Again, it’s all about framing.

About Our Presenter: Bryant Ramirez is an Associate on the Global Customer Experience team at LinkedIn and a LinkedIn ‘Rock Your Profile’ Ambassador. On the Global Customer Experience team, Bryant leads efforts in building customer intelligence capabilities and designing new service models to deliver more value to LinkedIn’s customers. As a ‘Rock Your Profile’ Ambassador, he works with diverse and underrepresented audiences to better leverage the power of LinkedIn’s platform and network. He is an alum of UCLA and the University of Texas at Austin, and in his spare time, he enjoys rock climbing, playing guitar, and traveling, having been to over 60 countries and 6 continents.

Webinar: LinkedIn Rock Your Profile

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Do you know the difference between your resume and your LinkedIn Profile (and why both matter)? Interested in learning how to leverage LinkedIn for networking and finding opportunities in higher education?

A sluggish job market is a good time to get your LinkedIn Profile in order and to explore ways to make professional connections online.

During this webinar, you’ll get answers to the above questions, as well as 10 key steps to optimize your LinkedIn Profile. Then there will be a debrief by walking through selected LinkedIn profiles during the Live Coaching session.

This webinar is presented by Bryant Ramirez, Global Customer Experience Associate and ‘Rock Your Profile’ Ambassador, LinkedIn.

[Check out the Post-Webinar Q&A with our presenter!]

Captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing is provided by CaptionAccess for all HERC webinars. Email marketing@hercjobs.org for a transcript. Click here to access the webinar on Vimeo.

LinkedIn Rock Your Profile from HERC on Vimeo.

Download the presentation deck (abbreviated version).

Read the Post-Webinar Q&A with our presenter.

Download a LinkedIn Profile Overview and Tips one-pager.

About Our Presenter: Bryant Ramirez is an Associate on the Global Customer Experience team at LinkedIn and a LinkedIn ‘Rock Your Profile’ Ambassador. On the Global Customer Experience team, Bryant leads efforts in building customer intelligence capabilities and designing new service models to deliver more value to LinkedIn’s customers. As a ‘Rock Your Profile’ Ambassador, he works with diverse and underrepresented audiences to better leverage the power of LinkedIn’s platform and network. He is an alum of UCLA and the University of Texas at Austin, and in his spare time, he enjoys rock climbing, playing guitar, and traveling, having been to over 60 countries and 6 continents.

What is Professional Development: A Three-Part Framework

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Professional development sometimes seems like another higher education buzzword with a vague definition and even more vague mandate. The Glossary of Education Reform defines professional development in the context of education as, “a wide variety of specialized training, formal education, or advanced professional learning intended to help administrators, teachers, and other educators improve their professional knowledge, competence, skill, and effectiveness.” (See also, the definition for “vague”). I define professional development as, “any activity that is part of a contentious and strategic effort to improve professional skills and competencies.” A shorter definition by far but still vague.

The audience for professional development is also vague, since it includes anyone who takes steps to advance their career.

Ambiguity can be incredibly frustrating for developing a plan. It can also be an incredible opportunity for personalization, especially when used in conjunction with a framework to focus goals. Here is a suggested framework that divides professional development in higher education into three broad areas of focus: the basics of professionalism, improving current weaknesses, and planning for the future.

Level Up the Basics

The basics of professionalism are the essential competencies necessary for success in any career. Their breadth of application sets them apart from skills and techniques, which are field or position-specific. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) lists eight core competencies that college students should attain for “a successful transition into the workplace.” Among these are communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and, ironically, career management, which includes the ability to “identify areas necessary for professional growth.”

Competencies require intentional use and improvement, and combined with their universal relevance, is why they are the first area of focus in professional development. Communication is one particular area that is commonly overlooked as a target of professional development. The requirement for communication as a part of the human experience can hide it as a key focus of professional development. But clear, accurate language is essential for communicating ideas, whether written or verbal. Fortunately, there are many avenues to improve the communication competency. For instance, many colleges and universities have on campus writing services and there is often room in budgets for editorial services to receive project-specific feedback.

A recent addition to the NACE competency list is global or intercultural fluency, which is when “the individual demonstrates openness, inclusiveness, sensitivity, and the ability to interact respectfully with all people and understand individuals’ differences.” As higher education becomes more accessible to groups that have been historically excluded, it is important to constantly update our information and understanding, whether by learning about microaggressions or identifying the structural (and literal) barriers in a program. Fortunately, colleges and universities are increasing the availability of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI or EDI) workshops and trainings. Another avenue is to explore the history of marginalized groups in your profession, field, and/or department. Comparing the history of these groups to ongoing initiatives and programs can contribute to further development of intercultural fluency and sometimes improve execution and performance of a current project.

Bolster Current Weaknesses

Improving current weaknesses is the second area of focus for professional development. While it may seem obvious to some, the surest way to advancement is to get a good recommendation from a current supervisor. Look to feedback from supervisor(s), colleagues, and annual evaluations to identify areas of potential improvement. Since broad categories like communication and teamwork fits in the “basics” category, focus on individual skills and techniques here. Perhaps there are particular tasks that you perform more slowly than you would like or receive less than stellar feedback on.

In either case, first do some background on the skill, technique, or task. Learn more about what it needs to communicate, why it is important, and how it has been done in the past. Use this information to inform the next attempt, and consider volunteering more often to further stretch skill development. If this approach does not yield the desired results, consider looking into formal training methods like continuing education courses and workshops. I consider setting aside time to identify and improve areas of weakness as a crucial part of professional development because positive changes in job performance will get noticed by supervisors. Gaining the confidence of a supervisor encourages them to provide good references and potentially sponsor you for more opportunities.

Plan for the Future

The third area in the professional development framework is planning for the future. This requires intimate and strategic knowledge of both career goals and the skills required to attain them. Those unsure about where they want to go next can employ networking and informational interviews to learn more about potential careers. Even those who do know what their next steps are can use informational interviews to identify silent or hidden skill sets to develop. Consider searching job ad boards for positions that are a logical next step and identify common themes in skills and/or knowledge that you can use to target appropriate professional development activities.

There are many potential opportunities in higher education to develop professional skills for your future. For instance, coding is an increasingly common job requirement. Identify a campus department or program that specializes in the area of coding necessary for your next step. If experience in python for data analysis is necessary, look for seminars and events in groups that study microbiome, public health, or economics. On the other hand, computer science departments and programs may be more appropriate to learn about data storage and infrastructure or webpage maintenance. There is also an abundance of online resources (such as Udacity, Udemy, MasterClass, Coursera, EdX, Codecademy, and more), apps (e.g., skill-specific apps like Duolingo, Mimo, Hacker X, Babble), and podcasts that are now available thanks to COVID-19. Finally, be alert for opportunities to launch or participate in projects that will develop both your professional skill set and resume.

Conclusion

Many employers directly support professional development with funds or credit for continuing education programs. But even if that isn’t available, higher education is offering more professional development programming for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars that are frequently open to staff as well. Even if a supervisor is hesitant, framing professional development as a tool to improve work outcomes and productivity may help earn their support. Of course, too much time on professional development could have the opposite effect of reducing productivity, so be strategic and time conscious when selecting professional development activities.

One recommendation for early-stage professionals (graduate students and postdocs) is to allot 15 percent of working hours to professional development like that described here. That equates to 300 hours in a 50-week work year, or six hours per week on average. Regardless of when it happens, professional development is required for effective and strategic career progression. The three-part framework (basic competencies, current weaknesses, and planning for the future) can help guide professional development to ensure that it meets your needs as a professional.

About the Author:  Dr. Ada Hagan is a microbiologist with a passion for making science accessible. In 2019, Dr. Hagan founded Alliance SciComm & Consulting, LLC as a means to use her strong background in communications and higher education to help make scientific concepts more easily understood and make the academy more inclusive to future scientists from all backgrounds. Her writing and research have been featured by BBC Radio 4, Science Careers, The Scientist, Massive Science, and the American Society for Microbiology.

How to Close an Interview like a Boss

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This post is part of the “Preparing for a Successful Higher Education Job Interview” blog series that will equip you with the tools and techniques to feel confident and ready. Thanks to Sharon Justice, career and leadership expert, for putting together these helpful and practical tips.

Saying you don’t have any questions at the end of an interview can sabotage an otherwise strong interview. The interviewer might think that you didn’t do your homework and haven’t thought creatively and deeply about the questions you were asked during the interview.

Questions are an important opportunity to assess the institution’s culture and convey your interest in the position. Usually the biggest hurdle is preparing a few questions that happen to get answered during the interview, like what are the next steps. When you’re stuck, you can use The 4 C’s formula to ask great questions.

The 4 C’s of great questions:

Connect

This is a great way to build rapport with the interviewer. Ask how they got started at the institution. Ask about their favorite part about working there. Also ask for advice they’d give to a newcomer.

Culture

Ask about the most successful person in the department, and what they do. Likewise, ask who was the least successful person that no longer works there. Why were they considered the least successful? If the successful person sounds like you, it’s a sign you’re a good fit. But if you sound more like the unsuccessful person, you might not fit into the culture.

Challenge

Sample challenge questions are asking what the next 60 days will be like. What does the employer want to accomplish with their current goal plan? What are the expectations as you grow in the department? Bring up what you’ve read in press releases, like budget reductions and institutional changes. Show that you’ve done your homework, but don’t ask questions that can be easily answered online.

Close

There are two fundamental closing questions for the end of the interview:

  1. “Is there anything in my background that causes you any concern about me being the best fit for this position? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts.”

There is a lot of risk here, so it takes a brave person to ask. Interviewers might say there’s nothing to cause concern, or bring up something that makes them think you’re not the best fit. If you have experience in that area, you can go back and resell yourself with an appropriate STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) response. If not, you can say what you’ll do to remedy the situation, preferably with a relatable example from the past.

For example, if you’re not familiar with a software program, you might’ve learned another program through online courses for a prior position.

  1. “Tell me what the next steps are in this process. When do you think you’ll be making next callbacks?”

This question helps you figure out how to send your thank you note. Always send a thank you note through email, a handwritten letter, or phone call.

The thank you is for making another impression, bringing you to the forefront. You might be one of 3 or 20 candidates, and if you send a thank you in a few hours or days, you’ll bump yourself to the top of the interviewer’s mind. Thank you notes aren’t very common and are usually generic, so personalize yours.

Sample 4 C’s formula:

  • Connect: How did you come to work here?
  • Culture: What is it like to work here?
  • Challenge: What keeps someone from being successful in this role?
  • Close: What are the next steps?

Closing the Interview Q&A with Sharon Justice

How many questions should you prepare for after the interview?

For a 30-minute interview, prepare 6-8 questions. You won’t have time for all of them, but some might be answered during the interview, so you need backups. For an all-day interview, prepare 20-30 questions, perhaps at least one per person.

When you get closer to the end of your interview, ask if the employer has time for two more questions. You always want to leave room for the final two closing questions.

When is the best time to ask about compensation and benefits?

Never during the first interview, and probably not during the second interview. At some point, HR will contact you.

In the first interview, dodge compensation questions by saying you’re confident in your research that the compensation will be in the range you’re looking for. Or say your skills are in the market value for the position. These days, you can find high-level information on your own through online research.

Is it okay to email asking for feedback if you didn’t get the job?

This doesn’t happen often, and typically not through email because that’s documentation. You’re more likely to get feedback through a phone call. You can start asking for feedback by contacting the HR department.

About the Expert

Sharon Justice has worked for over 30 years in various industry sectors focused on strategically growing businesses while equipping leaders and individuals for success. She currently serves as a Leadership Faculty Member at East Carolina University.  She offers customized leadership development programs and strategic business consulting through Justice Leadership.

How to Anticipate Interview Questions

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This is part of the “Preparing for a Successful Higher Education Job Interview”  blog series that will equip you with the tools and techniques to feel confident and ready. Thanks to Sharon Justice, career and leadership expert, for putting together these helpful and practical tips.

To prepare for interview questions you may be asked, begin by going through the job description to see what qualifications and skills the employer is seeking. In the sample job description below, areas to look at include:

  • Facilitation of recruitment, yield, and transition programs
  • Recruiting students
  • Travel extensively
  • Working extended hours
  • Organizational and analytical skills
  • Oral and written communication skills
  • Communicating effectively with others
job-description-How to Anticipate Interview Questions

You’ll want to provide examples of these highlights, and perhaps look through your data and statistics for concrete examples. Once you have a list of anticipated questions, you can do your homework by creating STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) answers.

Other questions you might be asked:

Don’t forget about the basic interview questions. These serve as a foundation for the rest of your interview.

  • Tell me about yourself
  • Weakness/strength
  • Why do you want this job
  • Why you are the right candidate for this job
  • Tell me about a time when…

The art of answering a weakness question

Don’t think you can fool the interviewer by disguising your strength as a weakness. “I work too much” is not really a weakness because it can be interpreted as working too hard. You want to identify an actual weakness, like procrastination or pushing deadlines, then refer to it in a formula.

The weakness formula

  • What’s your weakness?
  • How did you identify your weakness?
  • What are you doing to work on it?
  • Why is it important for you to correct it?

Example: “My weakness is procrastination. I realized that when I was missing deadlines and feeling stressed about putting difficult things off to the last minute. I decided that I needed to be better about procrastination, so I created a calendar and decided that everyday I’d do my most difficult task. My team relies on me and I need to do my part. I don’t want to be the last one involved.”

Practice, Practice, Practice

There’s a fine line between practicing to be comfortable and memorizing answers. Memorization is only surface level and won’t help you during a brain freeze. It’s best to practice, prepare, and be comfortable.

How to practice

Use the STAR format. Write S-T-A-R along the side of a page, and for each of the experience factors on the job description, write out at least 10 scenarios or answers to 10 behavioral questions.

Be ready for the basic interview questions:

  • Why are you interested in this job?
  • If you’re employed, why do you want to leave your current job?
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses?
  • What do you bring to this job?
  • Why should you be hired?

Practice out loud and over. The more you say it, the better it will roll off the tongue. Your responses will sound more natural the more you practice.

Notes to Have Handy for the Interview (Virtual or In-Person)

  • Scenarios to prompt you — Use a few words to jog your memory when you freeze up. Also have a pen with you to take notes on multi-part questions. This will help you stay on track and give you time to think. It’s okay to pause for a few seconds to gather your thoughts before you answer. Interviewers prefer that over immediate answers that might miss the mark.
  • Questions to ask — Depending on the length of the interview, you might need a few or many questions. Be prepared either way.

About the Expert

Sharon Justice has worked for over 30 years in various industry sectors focused on strategically growing businesses while equipping leaders and individuals for success. She currently serves as a Leadership Faculty Member at East Carolina University.  She offers customized leadership development programs and strategic business consulting through Justice Leadership.

Be a STAR and Stand Out During the Interview

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This is part of the “Preparing for a Successful Higher Education Job Interview” blog series that will equip you with the tools and techniques to feel confident and ready. Thanks to Sharon Justice, career and leadership expert, for putting together these helpful and practical tips.

During your interview, you’ll likely be asked multiple behavioral questions. Interviewers ask these questions to predict how you’ll behave in the role. You can differentiate yourself from other candidates by using the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result.

Often interviewers will ask specific questions like: “Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision. What did you do, how did you handle it, and what was the outcome?”

Others might ask hypothetical questions like: “How would you make a difficult decision if faced with one?” Hypotheticals are usually asked by less experienced interviewers because you could make up whatever you want, and it lacks the details of an actual experience. When faced with hypotheticals, answer with a specific example in a STAR format.

How to use the STAR format:

Question: “Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision.”

Answer: “I had to give difficult feedback to an employee. My task was to determine how and when I’d give it. I scheduled a conference room, gathered the documentation, and decided to do it first thing tomorrow instead of waiting a week. I let the person know and prepared my remarks so I’d know exactly what to say. The result was a 30-minute conversation that covered x, y, and z points. The employee gave me their part of the story. We decided on an action plan, moved forward, and that situation didn’t happen again. I’m glad I took care of it immediately rather than dragging my feet.”

Don’t give too many details, especially when you’re describing the situation, or you’ll lose the interviewer. Give just enough detail to show the results. If you’re asked follow-up questions for details about what happened, what you did, or what you learned, that means you missed the Results part of STAR.

Use the word “I” and claim your work

Our society tends to mask our individual accomplishments as those of a collective. The employer wants to know what you, not your team did. Use “I” whenever appropriate.

Practice your answers

Print or save the job description and analyze it for possible questions. Match your experience with the requirements, then determine where you have skill gaps. You could say your answer out loud or write down examples for each experience factor or requirement.

Then consider likely challenges to doing the job. What ideas could you bring to the table?

About the Expert

Sharon Justice has worked for over 30 years in various industry sectors focused on strategically growing businesses while equipping leaders and individuals for success. She currently serves as a Leadership Faculty Member at East Carolina University.  She offers customized leadership development programs and strategic business consulting through Justice Leadership.

Know the Who, What, Where, and How of the Interview

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This is part of the “Preparing for a Successful Higher Education Job Interview” blog series that will equip you with the tools and techniques to feel confident and ready. Thanks to Sharon Justice, career and leadership expert, for putting together these helpful and practical tips.

If you’re working with a recruiter, scheduler, or assistant, you might not be given information beyond a location and time. Ask follow-up questions and use resources to dig into the interview’s details.

Who is interviewing you?

Ask who you’ll be speaking with. Are you meeting with one person or multiple people? Are you interviewing with other candidates? If you don’t know, ask your middle person for names.

Where is the interview?

Many institutions are difficult to navigate. You need to know your interview location, find parking, and make sense of the institution’s nomenclature, numbering, and lettering scheme. Get detailed instructions and arrive early to campus. You don’t want to be too early to your interview, so you can wait out the time by getting a feel for the environment.

If it’s a virtual interview, log into the video or call platform before your interview to make sure there are no issues with the login credentials or the link provided to you. Test your internet connection. Familiarize yourself with the technology to help avoid technical difficulties.

What are you wearing?

Always dress for the job you want, not the one you have, so dress up a level. It’s easier to take off a jacket, remove a tie, or roll up sleeves than try dressing up from a casual outfit. Even if you’re told to dress casually, dress up. Your first in-person impression can never be taken back.

How is the interview conducted?

Interview formats have changed from the last 30 years—and even the last year. There is more availability for interviews to be held virtually. In a virtual interview, you might answer questions read by an avatar. Your video and audio will be recorded while a countdown clock runs on the screen. Once you’re done, the video will be sent off to the interviewer to assess. More common today are virtual interviews conducted through videoconferencing tools like Zoom and Go-To-Meeting.

Interview Formats

You might find yourself in one of the below interviews:

Group interview

Group interviews are prevalent for entry-level and competitive jobs, and more common for administrative positions than faculty positions. In these interviews, a collective of candidates gathers at a meet-and-greet or roundtable. The candidates compete against each other while networking with the decision makers, a department of students, faculty, or others.

It can be challenging if you’re not prepared for ongoing conversations, especially if the group is asked a question and everyone is expected to contribute. In these cases, you shouldn’t take charge and be overbearing. You also shouldn’t be the last to answer, because you’ll have to be creative to stand out with your contribution. Try to find a middle ground.

Panel interview

Panel interviews are very common for faculty positions. You’ll be interviewed by at least three people. In some panels, you might find yourself in front of twelve people.

Simulation interview

In simulation interviews, you’ll demonstrate your skills in front of an audience. You might be asked to give a presentation to students or administrators.

Onsite / Visit-extended interview

Onsite or visit-extended interviews might consist of a single interview, multiple interviews, one-on-one interviews, meetings with students, panel interviews, or a combination of everything. Often one or two meals are involved, and you might need overnight accommodations.

There might be plenty of activities to get you in front of the community. Sometimes you’ll be given an itinerary for five or six hours of events. These interviews require you to have a lot of stamina.

About the Expert

Sharon Justice has worked for over 30 years in various industry sectors focused on strategically growing businesses while equipping leaders and individuals for success. She currently serves as a Leadership Faculty Member at East Carolina University.  She offers customized leadership development programs and strategic business consulting through Justice Leadership.

Do Your Homework: Tips for Interview Prep

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This post is part of the “Preparing for a Successful Higher Education Job Interview” blog series that will equip you with the tools and techniques to feel confident and ready. Thanks to Sharon Justice, career and leadership expert, for putting together these helpful and practical tips.

Before any interview, you should know the format. Who will be interviewing you? Will you be speaking with one interviewer or a panel? Will there be other interviewees present? Will the interview be virtual, on the phone, in person?

After you’ve figured out the format, research the questions you’ll likely be asked, and think about how to assess the institution’s culture. You’re being interviewed for a position, but you are also interviewing the organization to see how well you might fit into their culture and their job opportunity. Interviewing is a two-way street, and you need to be prepared for that.

Search the institution online

Look up the institution’s website and any online press releases. Set up job and news alerts for the institution you’ll be interviewing with and stay updated on its current events. The worst thing that could happen is drawing a blank during an interview when a major event is referenced. The best thing would be to demonstrate you’ve done your research.

Additionally, you should look up the institution’s LinkedIn page. If possible, try to find your interviewers and see if you can reverse engineer their profiles to learn more about the institution, department, and its people. Social media is a huge news stream for many universities, so study the institution’s other social accounts. Learn the hashtags, accounts, and be familiar with the latest happenings.

Know the answers to these questions before you interview:

  • What is the mission of the College/University?
  • What do they specialize in?
  • What makes them different from other institutions?
  • Have they been in the news lately?

Speak to these questions during your interview. This will demonstrate that you’ve done your homework, and there is great power and value in knowing the institution’s context.

Use Glassdoor and Vault to find crowd-sourced information

Most people are familiar with Indeed and Glassdoor, but many aren’t with Vault. Vault is a corporate-looking view of the organization. Not all institutions are listed or have plenty of information, but the one you’re interested in might be.

Glassdoor is useful for more than job postings. You can get crowd-sourced feedback from the community about the interview process, salary, benefits, and more. A major benefit of Glassdoor is that contributions don’t disappear, so you can access history.

Look at the interview insights on Glassdoor. These are personal accounts of the interview process, including whether offers were offered and accepted, if interviews were negative or positive experiences, and which questions were asked. Take the insights with a grain of salt, but they’re a mostly reliable source of information.

About the Expert

Sharon Justice has worked for over 30 years in various industry sectors focused on strategically growing businesses while equipping leaders and individuals for success. She currently serves as a Leadership Faculty Member at East Carolina University.  She offers customized leadership development programs and strategic business consulting through Justice Leadership.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Virtual Conferences

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This content was adapted with permission from a blog post for the upcoming National Postdoctoral Association’s virtual Annual Conference happening April 15-16, 2021. The NPA’s mission is to aid in the development of postdoctoral researchers nationally. Learn more and register for the conference (use promo code HERC2021AC to save $50).

To maximize your experience, consider what you want to get out of the virtual conference in advance. Following the tips below will help you focus, engage, and absorb information from the event.

BEFORE THE CONFERENCE

Confirm your contact information

Check and make sure your full name and contact information, including the email address and phone number associated with your registration are correct and that the registration information does not end up in your spam email folder. This ensures that you not only receive information about the event promptly but also opens possibilities for other participants to connect with you.

Mark your calendar and prepare a space in your home or office

Review the conference schedule and plan to attend sessions that align with your career goals. Download or print the materials for the sessions most attractive to you. Make sure to check for reminder emails before/during the week of the conference. Add dates and times for each interesting session to your calendar and set reminder alerts.

The selected speakers and panelists presenting at the conference are key experts in their fields. Reading about the speakers and formulating thoughtful questions in advance will help you to take advantage of any live sessions.

If you find that your originally selected sessions do not meet your expectations, it is easy to switch gears in a virtual conference and join a different session, so consider having a backup plan for other sessions.

To truly be present in the experience, add an “out of office” message to your work email so you can fully invest your time at the conference. Do not forget to inform your family and colleagues that you will be attending this conference and have a dedicated space to avoid possible distractions. Most importantly, finish any other obligations ahead of time so you can relax when it is time for the conference.

Share the conference on social media and connect with others on event-specific forums/apps

Thanks to digital connection platforms, such as LinkedIn and Twitter, you can take another step forward to enhance your virtual conference experience. Sharing your plans to attend the virtual conference helps you connect with individuals interested in attending the meeting. Also, check if the conference organizers created any event-specific forums for attendees and join them to help build your professional network during and after the conference.

Prepare your computer for the conference

It’s important to check in advance that you are equipped with the necessary computer settings and are ready for a video conference. Make sure to download any required software and double-check that your computer is up-to-date to avoid software updates or connectivity issues during the conference. Should there be any disruptions, have a backup plan such as connecting with another device.

DURING THE CONFERENCE

Be an active participant and avoid distractions

Prioritize the time to be truly present and engage in interactions and feedback. Avoid potential distractions from your furry friends or phone. Limit notifications that may pop up on your phone or computer and turn on your email autoresponder. Use interactive features, such as “raising your hand,” chats or polls during live sessions to stay engaged.

Although the session will most likely be recorded, make notes/highlights for future reference during the sessions to stay focused and remember key points. At the end of each day, take a few minutes to write down key takeaways and any follow-up questions that you may want to ask others or the speakers.

Virtual networking is possible

Be sure to check the social media channels and monitor any conference hashtags to find conversations and engage with other attendees. Also, check out any virtual exhibit halls/expo to learn about resources and new tools and services that may be relevant for your career development.

AFTER THE CONFERENCE

Take advantage of recorded sessions

Most conference organizers record the live sessions presented at the conference. If you missed a session, found that there were multiple sessions you were interested in occurring simultaneously, or would like to review one you have attended check the conference website to see if these sessions will be available to watch even after the conference ends.

Follow-up after the conference

You may send a thank you email to the organizers or speakers. If you have any questions regarding a session you have attended, you should take advantage of the opportunity to connect with speakers post-conference. In addition, make sure to fill out any evaluation surveys sent out after the end of the conference to provide feedback about what you liked or disliked.

We are sure that our tips will help you make the most out of any virtual conference!

The original National Postdoctoral Association blog post was written by Lalitha Kurada, PhD, co-chair of the communications subcommittee and postdoctoral researcher at the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (USUHS/DoD), Bethesda, MD.

Community Colleges May Be a Good Fit for You

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After working at two prestigious four-year institutions, Reginald Nichols has spent the past 15 years at Middlesex Community College in Lowell, Massachusetts, where he is currently the Assistant Director of HR Talent & Compliance/AAO/ADA/504/Deputy Title IX Coordinator.

Middlesex may not have the name recognition of his previous employers, but Nichols thinks that community colleges may actually be a better fit for many job seekers.

Here are some of the benefits and challenges of working at two-year institutions:

A broader variety of students

In his previous role as an academic counselor at Middlesex, Nichols worked with a wide range of students. Some come to campus straight out of high school, but others are well into adulthood. Many are already in the workforce and are juggling family responsibilities, including raising children.

In general, community college students are more reflective of the communities they’re situated in that four-year schools, and more likely to be the first in their families to attend college. In total, staff and faculty have a chance to interact with a more diverse student body.

More chances for advancement

After working in the banking industry, Nichols started at Middlesex in the admissions office before switching over to advising. Some of his colleagues started in teaching and then became deans. Education and work experience are important, but because community colleges are teaching and learning institutions, one of the advantages of working in one is that it prepares employees to take advantage of better opportunities.

Less susceptible to economic changes

Nichols started at Middlesex right before the Great Recession in 2008, and of course is working there during the current pandemic. Drops in enrollment and economic challenges during both periods led to layoffs and furloughs at many institutions of higher ed, but Nichols said community colleges weren’t as impacted. Commuter schools like Middlesex have much cheaper tuition and aren’t reliant on room and board, so financial instability and campus closures don’t hurt the bottom line as much as they would at many four-year schools.

Multitasking is critical

There are aspects of working at a community college that could be a challenge or an opportunity, depending on the individual. Nichols said that community colleges tend to be fast-paced organizations, and his day doesn’t always go according to plan. Many community colleges have smaller staffs than four-year institutions, so community college staff may have a larger assortment of duties (for example, re-read Nichols job title). Flexibility is key.

Keys for applying

If working at a community college sounds appealing, Nichols has some tips for job seekers. First, don’t be discouraged if you don’t have previous experience in higher ed – much like the students themselves, staff come from all kinds of backgrounds. Along with educational credentials, community college value real-world experience, so highlight previous professional opportunities and why those skills will transfer over.

While the specific skill sets required will vary by position, attention to detail, dedication, and communication skills will always be important. Take advantage of free trainings through sites like LinkedIn Learning or Coursera. And reach out to human resources employees like Nichols for informational interviews to learn more.

About the Author: Harold Gutmann is the director of brand and marketing strategy at Santa Clara University. He is a longtime writer and editor who is proud to work in higher education, and encourages all job seekers to consider it.

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