Know Your Worth

This topic is personal - it is your internal measure of how you value yourself, regardless of what others might think of you. Your internal sense of being good enough and worthy of love and belonging. I would say this rating can go up or down on any given day depending on how you are feeling and how you have been treated. 

So many factors to consider when we talk about our worth and what thoughts we have around this. 

• Being clear on what you want and why.

• What patterns do you need to break? It can often be linked to limiting beliefs about yourself and your ability. Often all in your mind and not actually valid.

• Having purpose in the work that you do and the life you lead.

• Being someone who can support and develop others, can assist with our sense of belief in ourselves.

• The confidence you create when you back yourself and know how to effectively communicate assertively. Know that your opinion matters.

• Know what you should ask for and how to ask for it. That could be the promotion you deserve, the salary increase you have earnt or the time you need to take to make the right decision.

• The big one - being able to say no and and not needing a raft of excuses to feel better about saying no.

• Believe in yourself and know it is okay to walk away from someone or a role because it no longer serves you. You do not need to settle.

• Invest in you - do so with whatever means you need too.

• Do not let your weaknesses define you - instead they are opportunities to grow and learn.

• Be able to trust yourself and back your decisions.

• Know that you are enough - always enough.

There is a difference between knowing your worth and linking it to your self-esteem. Value who you are and what you can contribute to the world. 

Top Tips For A Successful Virtual Interview

With face to face interviews still not in play in most locations be prepared for a virtual interview. You should still prepare as if you would an in person interview and want to make a strong first impression.

1. Lighting is critical to get right. You want the light in front of your face and not behind. If you do not have access to strong natural light onto your face set up a lamp in front of you.

2. What can be seen behind you? Do a check and make sure the area is clear of clutter and make the area look professional. Even better blur your screen background where possible.

3. If you need to present, make sure you have checked the technology and know how to connect. If you can work from two screens, one where you can read from your presentation and the second allows you to see the interviewers faces and stay connected.

4. They can only see your top half so dress to impress from the waist up. Wear an appropriate outfit for the role you are interviewing for. It’s better to be overdressed than under.

5. Limit wearing accessories that could make unnecessary noise against your headset or speakers. I interviewed with a person who was wearing a chain attached to her glasses and every time she moved it made a loud noise against her headset, it was disruptive.

6. Print your resume or have it on the second screen - so you can keep track of what they are looking at and ensure you stay on script to what you provided.

7. Stay focused and put your phone away (unless that is how you are conducting the interview). Turn everything else off or onto silent so that you stay present during the interview.

8. If you are in a house with others, let them know it’s important they do not disturb you or make too much noise. In fact I have known some people have conducted the interview in their car to ensure privacy.

9. It can be tricky to know when someone will speak so stay connected and anticipate when you can if someone interviewing you wants to ask a question or share a comment.

10. Have pen and paper ready to take notes that you can refer to later. You may not need it although better to be organised and prepared.

Good luck and remember to let your personality shine through.

Top Tips To Write A Killer Resume

The most important part of the recruitment process is to have a compelling resume, without it you will most likely not make it through step one of the hiring process. 

Handy tips to create this work of art;

1. Ensure the resume is clear, concise and comprehensive of your working life - including your work experience, skills, education, training and achievements.

2. A summary statement is more valuable than your objective - here you can highlight what you are looking for although more importantly how you can add value to a company based on your track record and relate it back to the job advertisement.

3. Limit the personal information you include - you only need your name, email address, phone number and a LinkedIn profile if that make sense for you. Do not include your home address, age, or any reference to your personal life. This is due to biases that can be considered by a recruiter.

4. Unless you are applying to be a model or an actor I would suggest no photo - same reason as above. How you look should not impact your application.

5. Keep the information in chronological order - 2021 and work backwards - it’s all about the latest experience.

6. Unless applying for a senior executive position keep the resume short and sweet and no more than 3 pages. Recruiters receive so many applications these days they do not have time to read a storybook.

7. Talk about your achievements versus the tasks that you do. Show how you can add value with tangible examples.

8. You do not need to include references, they take up valuable space, if you are succesful you can supply them at a later stage.

9. Let your personality shine through.

10. Use a template that has a clear lay out and is easy to read. Use a font and font size that is readable, along with appropriate spacing.

11. Be careful not to overuse “buzz words” - do a Google search and you will find the skills/capabilities that they recommend to include and words that are used to death and do not have any impact. Obviously only include what relates to your ability.

12. Review, review, review - check for grammar and spelling. Then have someone else review for you.

Now off you go and reach out if you have any questions along the way or need support to create your killer resume.

What Is Your Elevator Pitch And Why Do You Need One?

An elevator pitch is the way you tell someone all of the important details about you or your business in a short amount of time. The name came about as if you were getting into an elevator and you only had a certain number of floors to sell yourself before that person needed to exit the elevator. 

They say the right pitch can make an impact and ensure someone will want to connect and learn more. 

If you only had 30 seconds to sell who you are or your business could you do this in a concise and compelling way?

If you google search “elevator pitch” you will come across ideas and templates that could assist you in drafting your version, although I came across this framework by Cydcor, an American company who specialises in outsourcing sales that I thought was simple and effective to follow. 

https://www.cydcor.com/blog/2019/02/craft-your-best-elevator-pitch/

An elevator pitch in 9 steps;

1. Headline - introduction and brief statement about you or your business

2. Audience - adjust your pitch depending on who you are speaking to

3. Branding - identify your unique value add

4. Rule of Three - stay with no more than three big ideas

5. Benefits - be clear on what are the benefits of your products or services

6. Proof - back up your statements with compelling facts

7. 30-Second Test - stay under 30 seconds with the pitch

8. Call to Action - be clear about what you want the listener to do next

9. Rehearse - practice makes perfect

All critical steps to build a memorable pitch. Step 8 is often forgotten, be crystal clear on what action you want the listener to take. Be ready to share your contact details so they can connect or take theirs so you can follow up. Step 9 is the most critical, pretend you are an actor practicing your lines so you can nail that 30 second sell. Practice in front of your family or friends and ask for feedback so you can hone your pitch skills to deliver that concise and compelling message.