4 Quick Tips for Impressing Senior Management During Job Interviews

4 Quick Tips for Impressing Senior Management During Job Interviews4 Quick Tips for Impressing Senior Management During Job InterviewsA meeting with a big-time company executive can be daunting. Use these tips to keep yur cool.Everyone seeks more influence at work. They want to become leaders to do something great with the career they are given, and be well-liked by those around them.However, prior to securing an executive-level position, its imperative that you learn how to interview with senior management its a different game than when you were in the lower ranks. Below, youll find four strategies for interviewing with C-level personnel in an effective, calm manner that instills confidence and increases likability.Paint a picture of success Dont be intimidated when the interviewer discusses unresolved issues that will come up at the new company. Rather, stay calm and note that hurdles exist to be jumped over. Effectiveness is a highly desired trait, so emphasize that your thought process is one geared towards solutions rather than fixating on problems. After all, a hurdle is just another obstacle that hasnt been conquered.While you want to be honest about the amount of work necessary for overcoming the companys obstacles, you dont want to appear daunted or intimidated. Make sure to maintain a been there, done that type of mentality. Recognize that achieving the discussed goals will take work, discipline and willpower.Persuade through stories of personal experiences As a job seeker, you are not going to convince a senior-level hiring manager that you possess the traits necessary for success by stating outright that you are intelligent, resilient, optimistic, motivational or competent. Rather, to effectively persuade the hiring manager, vividly discuss instances in which you displayed these behavioral facets. Allow the executive to come to their own conclusions.Turn distractions off hours prior to the interview In a 2005 study, Psychologist Dr. Glenn Wilson d iscovered that persistent interruptions and distractions in the workplace (or, in this case, while interviewing) had a profoundly negative effect on our ability to be productive. The study found that excessive use of email, social media, text messaging and online video scrambled our brain to the tune of losing 10 IQ points and hindering short term memory. (For reference, your body loses about five IQ points from using marijuana.)It is beneficial for the interviewee to spend the hours before the interview away from technology (or at least the internet), engaged in focused thinking. The break from online activities will allow the interviewee to think more optimistically and anticipate a beneficial outcome from the meeting.Dont be deterred by aggressive or rude behavior Interviewees who are unable to adapt to dealing with difficult interviewers will forfeit a significant amount of potential earnings throughout their lifetime. For most, their fundamental flaw is that they personalize th e thoughts of the interviewer too much.For instance, if an interviewer alludes to the fact that they are interviewing many other candidates, a humble smile may be one of the best approaches. This calm demeanor is paramount to gain an advantage on competing interviewees. Many job seekers will immediately take offense to what is being said and will end up alienating the recruiter or hiring manager.In business, the companies that hire the best employees are the companies that win. Remain calm and gain the hiring managers confidence by viewing the interviewing process in a more realistic, optimistic way. Think of the meeting as less of a stressful situation, and more of a collaborative conversation.

Customize this Outstanding Architect Resume 1

Customize this Outstanding Architect Resume 1Customize this Outstanding Architect Resume 1Sample Architect ResumeCreate Resume EducationSept 1980 Dec 1982Masters of ArchitectureABC University (Oakland, California)Fall Plan Off competition winnerGraduated with honorsSept 1975 June 1979Bachelor of Environmental DesignXYZ University (Brighton, New York)AffiliationsStudent Body PresidentNew York Future Architect Association (Clinton, New York)ExperienceMarch 1990 presentStaff ArchitectABC Son Engineers, (Buffalo, New York)Residential and commercial design, site inspections, working drawings, MiniCad, renderings.September 1984 February 1990Architectural AssistantXX XX Associates (Los Angeles, California)Model preparation, preliminary design, AutoCAD.January 1983 August 1984Architectural AssistantXYZ Engineering (San Jose, California)Responsible for all phases of project planning and design from initial site visit to as built and drafting.Additional SkillsComputers InternetComfort able in IBM / clone or Mac environments.Extensive use of Microsoft Office Suite and web design software.Developed personal and several other web pages.Knowledge of computer networking that includes prior work with Microsoft NT 4.0 and Novell 3.12, 4.0.Language SkillsMulti-lingual capability. Excellent command over English. Fluent in French and Spanish.Trade / Crossover SkillsIntermediate knowledge of electric and plumbing.Experienced in both residential and commercial build out and renovation projects.Have experience in planning, budget and scheduling.Customize Resume

Taming our wandering mind Why distraction is not your enemy

Taming ur wandering mind Why distraction is not yur enemyTaming our wandering mind Why distraction is not your enemyWe live in an era of distraction.Teachers, researchers, and productivity experts love to remind us of our inability to stay focused. Technology seems to be eroding human memory, creating irreparable damage to brain functioning, or diminishing our ability to do deep work.Either you are focused, or you are welchesting your time, they tell you.Most reports portray distraction as a devastating epidemic. However, experts worrying about our diminishing attention span is nothing new. So did our ancestors when books, radio, or TV disrupted their respective eras.What if we stop seeing distraction as the enemy?The benefits of not paying attentionIf you think adventure is dangerous, try routine, its lethal. - Paulo CoelhoAs a father of two teenagers, I too worry about distraction as an addiction. Also, coaching teams to become more focused and productive, I tackle this issue all t he time. However, seeing technology as the enemy doesnt help.Theres another side to the era of distraction truism.Distraction can increase performance and endurance - listening to music during exercise gives your workout a boost and makes physical activity less painful.Distraction is an effective mechanism for reducing pain as a Columbia University study shows - both humorous and engaging activities can shift our focus away from pain. Also, distraction from depression can be a healthy coping skill - it provides a break for those who suffer from rumination.Digital technology can distract us from pain in the present, but can also make us stronger for the future, Dr. Jane McGonigal explains in her book Superbetter. The authors research shows how some personal technologies can boost our resilience and develop our ability to overcome dicke bretter bohren mssens in the future.Distractions are neither negative nor positive - theres a variety of factors that can hurt (or not) your produ ctivity.Various studies show that your outcome depends on complex interactions among the attentional demand, the nature of the task you are performing, and how related the distraction is to the primary task.When stimuli are relevant to your goal, they are not a real distraction. Conversely, when the stimulation requires responses (i.e., dual-task performance), it will steal your attention. Also, people performing difficult tasks tend to resist distraction more than those performing easy duties.Technology can have negative consequences but is not the enemy. Social Media has the exact same negative effect on depression as eating potatoes, as Nir Eyal wrote here. The current technology backlash could be a manifestation of our society adjustment to change. Leaps in technological innovation are often followed by moral panics. - he explains.The author references a Swiss scientist worries about how hand-held innovation devices could cause harmful and confusing consequences. That was back in 1565, and he was talking about the adverse effect of books.Paradoxically, positioning distraction as the enemy distracts society from finding meaning in its own accomplishments, as this piece explains.Mind the exit doorDistraction is not the problem - the reason why we become distracted can harm or help you.When we cant find the path towards focus and mindfulness, most people use distraction as an exit door. We cross it to escape from what we dont want to face. Distraction becomes an easy way out from not dealing with reality.Tzu Po said Normal folks turn clarity and calmness into oblivion and distraction wise people turn oblivion and distraction into inner perception and focus.Do you use distractions to escape or to grow?These are the two mindsets to engage with distracting activitiesEscapismUsing distraction to regain strength and fight back pain is one thing. To live in denial is completely different. The problem is not playing video games or binge-watching Netflix to have f un, but doing so to avoid responsibilities or doing a task.GrowthDistractions can help you prepare to deal with the future. You can turn them into a meaningful pause in between tasks - being always on can be as harmful as continually running away. Your brain, just like your body, needs to rest from time to time. Setting your mind free can help you unleash creativity and discover new things.However, not all activities affect people equally - what can help you grow might be someone elses escapism.The four types of distractionsFocus and Control define our relationship with distractions.Being in control means that you choose to be distracted or to be focused. Its a purposeful choice.Focus is the ability to keep paying attention to your primary task, regardless of interruptions.There are four main distractions as you can see in the matrix below.1. Purposefully DistractedEither you need a break or want to temporarily avoid pain or something thats bothering you. You decide to get distrac ted you have a clear reason why you are running away from responsibility.You shouldnt feel bad for binge-watching Netflix or spending time on social media if you can keep it under control. The problem is doing so compulsively or without noticing it.2. FocusedThis is when you have something that you should (or want to) be focusing on, and you are in control - you direct your attention to the right thing at the right time.So, if you are attending a meeting, you purposefully silence (or leave outside) your device. Instead of being carried away by notifications, you set all potential distractions aside. You create a space to do one thing at the time.3. DerailedThis is when you are focusing your attention on the wrong thing. It can happen either because your attention is pulled away without you realizing it or because you are escaping reality - you cant (or dont want to) focus on the here and now.Its like checking your Social Media notifications when one of your colleagues is presentin g a new idea to the team. You dont have control of your attention you are focusing on the wrong thing.4. Zone OutThis is what most reports refer to when they talk about the era of distraction - they want us to believe technology makes everyone zone out.Buddhists call this the Monkey Mind - you are jumping from one thought to another randomly. Not only you are not in control of your attention, but you cant focus on anything for more than a second.The Monkey Mind feeds on stimuli it jumps around from branch to branch (or thought to thought).Its like shifting from one app to another without actually noticing which one you are looking at a specific moment in time. There are so many things going on in your mind that your attention is nowhere - you become a prey of anxiety and useless multi-tasking and random-thinking.Mind wandering The creative doorYou cant silence your monkey mind by locking it up you have to tame it first.Zoning out means you are jumping from one thing to another be cause you cant focus. Mind wandering is allowing your mind to move aimlessly without focusing on anything in particular - you are not running away, but opening the door for new things to happen.When you embrace mind wandering on purpose, you turn the exit door into one of creativity.Train your mind to let go of control not to avoid reality, but to pause, reflect, reset, recharge, and inspire yourself.Research published in the journals of the Association for Psychological Science explores how mind wandering is related to cognitive processes involved in working memory and executive control.Neuroscientists suggest that the long-lost art of self-reflection - from mind wandering to focused thinking - is an increasingly valuable part of life. When we purposefully put our brains at rest or let our mind wander freely, great things can happen.Let your Monkey Mind speak up free. Be patient. It will take some time to turn distraction into your best friend. Try the following tricks.Get lost on purposeInstead of resisting mind wandering, create the right conditions. Try new routes, walk around your neighborhood without a clear direction, disrupt your routine, or let other take the steering wheel. By physically getting lost, you let go of your mind too.Defuse your thoughtsCognitive Behavior Therapy uses the defusion technique to become aware of our thoughts and learn to tame them. By understanding the thoughts that keep our mind busy, its easier to regain control. Defusion requires looking at your thoughts rather than from your thoughts, noticing thoughts rather than being caught up in them, and letting thoughts come and go rather than holding on to them. Learn more here.MeditateTo tame your inner Monkey, you have to face it first. Meditation provides some quiet time to listen, experience, and understand your wandering mind. You can meditate just for a few seconds You dont have to block your thoughts and emotions you need them, as Mingyur Rinpoche explains on this video. Take a napSleep is the most effective way to let your mind wander. Leonardo da Vinci kept a bed in his studio. The master of all polymaths had six half-hour long naps regularly every day. That habit not only helps the artist rest but also allow his creatives juices to flow freely.Go for a walkCharles Darwin let his mind wander during his daily walks. It helped him recover a focus so intense that his children played tricks to test his concentration. Charles Dickens was another walk enthusiast - we could rack up 30 miles-a-day. Walking meetings are also an effective way to boost productivity, as I wrote here.Train your mindDownload my free ebook Stretch Your Mind, a compilation of exercises to grow beyond your comfort zone, one stretch at a time.Thisarticlefirst appeared on Medium.