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Casual Articles - Spying, Security and the Psychology of Secrets
Interviews Inside Out - 30 Things to Do to Improve Your Next Interview
I have interviewed candidates at all levels with major corporations and the federal government for over 8 years, and am still struck on a daily basis at how many applicants look great on paper, have all the skills, but can't make it through an interview.It is typical that most applicants spend a lot of time preparing their written job application, but don't put the same time and effort into preparing for the interview. But, a candidate who prepares well and presents well at an interview will always win out over candidates with similar credentials and experience. To help you ace your next job interview, I've turned the interview process inside out with a list of 30 ‘must do's' that will help you win over interviewers like myself.Do confirm all important details such as time and location the day prior to the interview.Do some background research, or review the research you have already completed. By the time you attend the interview you should be reasonably well acquainted with the organisation and the type of work they do, as well as the details of the position. Do dress accordingly. While it is true that the rules of dress in the workplace have changed in recent years, in most cases you will still be expected to wear a suit and tie (if you are male) to an interview. I once heard it said that you should dress in the workplace according to where you want to be in the hierarchy, not where you currently are. This is even more important in a job interview.Do arrive 15 minutes early. Not arriving early is considered being late. Do give yourself plenty of time to make the journey and park the car, or if travelling by public transport allow for delays or cancellations. Do stay calm, explain and apologise if you are late. The interviewer would rather hear an apology than nothing at all.Do allow for double the time you are told the interview will takewere they thinking?
I have interviewed candidates at all levels with major corporations and the federal government for over 8 years, and am still struck on a daily basis at how many applicants look great on paper, have all the skills, but can't make it through an interview.It is typical that most applicants spend a lot of time preparing their written job application, but don't put the same time and effort into preparing for the interview. But, a candidate who prepares well and presents well at an interview will always win out over candidates with similar credentials and experience. To help you ace your next job interview, I've turned the interview process inside out with a list of 30 ‘must do's' that will help you win over interviewers like myself.Do confirm all important details such as time and location the day prior to the interview.Do some background research, or review the research you have already completed. By the time you attend the interview you should be reasonably well acquainted with the organisation and the type of work they do, as well as the details of the position. Do dress accordingly. While it is true that the rules of dress in the workplace have changed in recent years, in most cases you will still be expected to wear a suit and tie (if you are male) to an interview. I once heard it said that you should dress in the workplace according to where you want to be in the hierarchy, not where you currently are. This is even more important in a job interview.Do arrive 15 minutes early. Not arriving early is considered being late. Do give yourself plenty of time to make the journey and park the car, or if travelling by public transport allow for delays or cancellations. Do stay calm, explain and apologise if you are late. The interviewer would rather hear an apology than nothing at all.Do allow for double the time you are told the interview will takewere they thinking?
The actors in the unfortunate events at Hewlett-Packard most like
Getting a Job is Hard Graft
Well, I haven't been in this situation for some years now, thankfully, but it's good to reflect on old writings, and this is still true today, as it was then ...Probably the hardest part of being unemployed is not knowing when things are going to change for the better. That illusory hope for the future which encourages: "Only a little longer to go and I can get a raise, promotion or big commission deal - is simply not there.So as the bills creep up, (because however you try to work it, you never have quite enough to go 'round), and as the things you can't have or just really don't need become an ever-increasing weight on that other list (things you are going to pay for, sort out and get, once you have a job), you find that little by little your life is becoming smaller and smaller, and that you're in quite a trap.BENEFITSYou can't take just any job, because once you are back in work you lose whatever small relief you've been able to obtain from rates and other bills and once again these and the mortgage will be all yours to pay in full from your salary package.If you were in a well-paid position before, the chances are that your outgoings are still potentially high, and that outweighs the merits of taking just any job. So you need a position with a salary similar to your previous earnings. Or more - because now you have those other unemployment benefits called debts."Getting a job is a job in itself", say the Employment Service. It is indeed. Probably the hardest job of all because there are no guarantees no bonuses for effort, no overtime, and certainly no pay cheque at the end of the month.RESPONSESYou want to see my job search file. You really do. I went through it a few days ago and found that this year I have written over 90 letters, filled in 26 application forms, made over 95 telephone calls chasing up hopeful chances and attended 19 interviews.To - date I have received an abundant supply of straight-off-the-floppy-disc form letters which in so many words say - "Thanks, but no thanks".There's a word-pr
A Fortune 100 director willingly passes confidential board room chatter to the press; a CEO slips into using any means available to plug the leak; private eyes are seduced from keyhole peeking into alleged criminal impersonations hoping to impress a big client, and a phone company clerk is flustered or pressured into releasing confidential call records.Well, I haven't been in this situation for some years now, thankfully, but it's good to reflect on old writings, and this is still true today, as it was then ...Probably the hardest part of being unemployed is not knowing when things are going to change for the better. That illusory hope for the future which encourages: "Only a little longer to go and I can get a raise, promotion or big commission deal - is simply not there.So as the bills creep up, (because however you try to work it, you never have quite enough to go 'round), and as the things you can't have or just really don't need become an ever-increasing weight on that other list (things you are going to pay for, sort out and get, once you have a job), you find that little by little your life is becoming smaller and smaller, and that you're in quite a trap.BENEFITSYou can't take just any job, because once you are back in work you lose whatever small relief you've been able to obtain from rates and other bills and once again these and the mortgage will be all yours to pay in full from your salary package.If you were in a well-paid position before, the chances are that your outgoings are still potentially high, and that outweighs the merits of taking just any job. So you need a position with a salary similar to your previous earnings. Or more - because now you have those other unemployment benefits called debts."Getting a job is a job in itself", say the Employment Service. It is indeed. Probably the hardest job of all because there are no guarantees no bonuses for effort, no overtime, and certainly no pay cheque at the end of the month.RESPONSESYou want to see my job search file. You really do. I went through it a few days ago and found that this year I have written over 90 letters, filled in 26 application forms, made over 95 telephone calls chasing up hopeful chances and attended 19 interviews.To - date I have received an abundant supply of straight-off-the-floppy-disc form letters which in so many words say - "Thanks, but no thanks".There's a word-pr
What were they thinking?
The actors in the unfortunate events at Hewlett-Packard most likel
When The Going Gets Tough
In this day and age where a single customer has thousands of brands to choose from, how can corporations in India protect their brands to become the first choice of any buyer?Gone are the days when companies in India more or less operated in a monopolistic environment. Post liberalisation has not only led to an inflow of multinational competitors, but more so has increased the choices for the Indian customers. In such an environment, can companies protect their future just by looking at their profits at the end of the year? Certainly not. The concept of brand value is still at a nascent stage in the Indian market. However, companies in India today have just started realising the importance of brand as an economic value generator. The concept of brand valuation was pioneered by Interbrand Corporation, a global brand consultancy which generates ranking for the Top 100 Global Brands every year. One of the most surprising things in the league table is that no Indian company ranks in the top 100. Does that mean companies like Infosys, Wipro, Tata and Reliance have not yet reached the level of being considered as ‘global’? In August 2005, the TATA brand was valued at $6 billion (over Rs. 30000 crores), a sufficient number to include itself in the top 50 global brand ranking.Organisations must not look at brand valuation in isolation. Although, every company would be interested in knowing the value of its brand; the important thing is to learn how to sustain it and thereafter leverage that value within the entire organisation’s system. Valuing an intangible asset like ‘brand’ is not driven by a formula. It is a logical analysis of every element that drives the value of that particular brand. Indian management consultancy like Equitor have taken this a step further and have started developing a model that allows an organisation to convert its intangible assets into tangible outcomes through the use of a balanced scorecard.Looking at the current scenario in the Indian market, there is no alternative to investing in brand as an asset to secure future earnings. And to make that
slips into using any means available to plug the leak; private eyes are seduced from keyhole peeking into alleged criminal impersonations hoping to impress a big client, and a phone company clerk is flustered or pressured into releasing confidential call records.In this day and age where a single customer has thousands of brands to choose from, how can corporations in India protect their brands to become the first choice of any buyer?Gone are the days when companies in India more or less operated in a monopolistic environment. Post liberalisation has not only led to an inflow of multinational competitors, but more so has increased the choices for the Indian customers. In such an environment, can companies protect their future just by looking at their profits at the end of the year? Certainly not. The concept of brand value is still at a nascent stage in the Indian market. However, companies in India today have just started realising the importance of brand as an economic value generator. The concept of brand valuation was pioneered by Interbrand Corporation, a global brand consultancy which generates ranking for the Top 100 Global Brands every year. One of the most surprising things in the league table is that no Indian company ranks in the top 100. Does that mean companies like Infosys, Wipro, Tata and Reliance have not yet reached the level of being considered as ‘global’? In August 2005, the TATA brand was valued at $6 billion (over Rs. 30000 crores), a sufficient number to include itself in the top 50 global brand ranking.Organisations must not look at brand valuation in isolation. Although, every company would be interested in knowing the value of its brand; the important thing is to learn how to sustain it and thereafter leverage that value within the entire organisation’s system. Valuing an intangible asset like ‘brand’ is not driven by a formula. It is a logical analysis of every element that drives the value of that particular brand. Indian management consultancy like Equitor have taken this a step further and have started developing a model that allows an organisation to convert its intangible assets into tangible outcomes through the use of a balanced scorecard.Looking at the current scenario in the Indian market, there is no alternative to investing in brand as an asset to secure future earnings. And to make that
What were they thinking?
The actors in the unfortunate events at Hewlett-Packard most like
Where Does Your Talent in Business Live?
Do you want to completely eliminate every competitor you will ever face?Do you want your clients and prospects to see you as a unique solution to a focused challenge they encounter?Does feeling good about the start of every day excite you enough to take action that is different than what you have been doing?If so, I would like to introduce you to the greatest single differentiator anyone can ever have; your authentic talent in business.Talent is that secret that has been seen as the domain of people we call "talented." Artists, writers, musicians, anyone involved in art.But art is really life after all. Talent does not have to be limited to people engaged in artistic pursuits.Art is the expression of a feeling. An emotion captured in a medium. Limiting the medium to paint, musical instruments or paper, really limits all that art is.When you break it down, art is really just an expression of a feeling you have in your heart. It can be anything; a business, an idea, or simply personal inspiration.The creative application of thoughts and feelings from the mind to the outer world is what we call talent.And talent lives in the heart and mind of anyone who is willing to slow down long enough to understand and experience it.One of the better examples I've seen recently is from the mortgage industry.At the start of 2005, Eric was stuck. He was not reaching his full potential in the mortgage business, but knew he could.Through questioning and evaluation we discovered that he truly cared about people. He was not just looking to get a deal done and move on. He actually took each loan personally, as if it were for a member of his own family.He had a talent for understanding each client’s unique home buying needs and knew how to find great solutions that met them. Basically, he would dig when others in his industry would have given up.Once he understood his "talent" he was able to articulate a message of "Taking your loan personally, treating every client like they were members of my family."e peeking into alleged criminal impersonations hoping to impress a big client, and a phone company clerk is flustered or pressured into releasing confidential call records.
Do you want to completely eliminate every competitor you will ever face?Do you want your clients and prospects to see you as a unique solution to a focused challenge they encounter?Does feeling good about the start of every day excite you enough to take action that is different than what you have been doing?If so, I would like to introduce you to the greatest single differentiator anyone can ever have; your authentic talent in business.Talent is that secret that has been seen as the domain of people we call "talented." Artists, writers, musicians, anyone involved in art.But art is really life after all. Talent does not have to be limited to people engaged in artistic pursuits.Art is the expression of a feeling. An emotion captured in a medium. Limiting the medium to paint, musical instruments or paper, really limits all that art is.When you break it down, art is really just an expression of a feeling you have in your heart. It can be anything; a business, an idea, or simply personal inspiration.The creative application of thoughts and feelings from the mind to the outer world is what we call talent.And talent lives in the heart and mind of anyone who is willing to slow down long enough to understand and experience it.One of the better examples I've seen recently is from the mortgage industry.At the start of 2005, Eric was stuck. He was not reaching his full potential in the mortgage business, but knew he could.Through questioning and evaluation we discovered that he truly cared about people. He was not just looking to get a deal done and move on. He actually took each loan personally, as if it were for a member of his own family.He had a talent for understanding each client’s unique home buying needs and knew how to find great solutions that met them. Basically, he would dig when others in his industry would have given up.Once he understood his "talent" he was able to articulate a message of "Taking your loan personally, treating every client like they were members of my family."
What were they thinking?
The actors in the unfortunate events at Hewlett-Packard most like
Leading Change - Big Titles Don't Mean Big Honesty
"Doesn’t listening to this give you that "Big Mac' feeling? You crave it, taste it, smell it and just can’t wait til' you can bite into it. A little while later, after you eat it and get it down, you start feeling tired, bloated and real sick to your stomach. That's kinda' how I feel here ... a little sick and not right."One of my project managers leaned over and said that to me in a change meeting when the Senior VP of Human Resources had just hijacked our change plane. It was unbelievable but true. After all this time, with the old leader sitting nearby, this guy is delivering the goods on our work. Where has he been all this time?We were all called in for a project update when up steps our Senior VP of HR. The only thing missing from this charade was Gomer, from Mayberry saying, "Surprise, surprise." This guy had no involvement in this project for the two long years of its life. Now, today, he walks in and pronounces he's in charge. He’s not only in charge; he’s announcing everything is beautiful. I was waiting for Ray Stevens to come in and sing his song by the same name.The project in question was a PeopleSoft implementation that was a full year behind schedule. When we were invited to this ‘update’ the email led us to believe we were coming to hear the 'Straight Talk Express". Like, let’s get be honest and do what needs done to get this thing on schedule. Instead, this guy stands up, with all his compatriots in the room, including the CEO cleaning his nails, and lays some smack on us.From the time he started talking it was clear this guy could jump through a bag of pretzels and come out straight. It was unbelievable. He was spewing forth more BS than Congress on a good day. The old leader, the Controller, sat silently by as we heard 'all is well'. If you only heard the HR guy’s update you’d have thought this baby was ready to walk. It wasn’t so.As the change leader, you must be part Gunnery Sergeant and make things happen, part JFK and inspire people to believe, and part Intelligence Officer to insure you see things like this guy coming. You cannot
ompany clerk is flustered or pressured into releasing confidential call records."Doesn’t listening to this give you that "Big Mac' feeling? You crave it, taste it, smell it and just can’t wait til' you can bite into it. A little while later, after you eat it and get it down, you start feeling tired, bloated and real sick to your stomach. That's kinda' how I feel here ... a little sick and not right."One of my project managers leaned over and said that to me in a change meeting when the Senior VP of Human Resources had just hijacked our change plane. It was unbelievable but true. After all this time, with the old leader sitting nearby, this guy is delivering the goods on our work. Where has he been all this time?We were all called in for a project update when up steps our Senior VP of HR. The only thing missing from this charade was Gomer, from Mayberry saying, "Surprise, surprise." This guy had no involvement in this project for the two long years of its life. Now, today, he walks in and pronounces he's in charge. He’s not only in charge; he’s announcing everything is beautiful. I was waiting for Ray Stevens to come in and sing his song by the same name.The project in question was a PeopleSoft implementation that was a full year behind schedule. When we were invited to this ‘update’ the email led us to believe we were coming to hear the 'Straight Talk Express". Like, let’s get be honest and do what needs done to get this thing on schedule. Instead, this guy stands up, with all his compatriots in the room, including the CEO cleaning his nails, and lays some smack on us.From the time he started talking it was clear this guy could jump through a bag of pretzels and come out straight. It was unbelievable. He was spewing forth more BS than Congress on a good day. The old leader, the Controller, sat silently by as we heard 'all is well'. If you only heard the HR guy’s update you’d have thought this baby was ready to walk. It wasn’t so.As the change leader, you must be part Gunnery Sergeant and make things happen, part JFK and inspire people to believe, and part Intelligence Officer to insure you see things like this guy coming. You cannot
What were they thinking?
The actors in the unfortunate events at Hewlett-Packard most like
WEBconference Applications For Personnel
Personnel Integration of new employees is a difficulty faced by many companies. The new additions are left to fend for themselves, hoping to learn directly in the arena. In such a situation, a training method that is a continuing formation adapted to the ever-changing needs of the firms would be illusory; also, efforts to manage all the information within an organization as back-up data would be unrealistic. Often, consultation with employees is usually nonexistent, too. Hence, it can be safely concluded that the research result which says that clients' loyalty is directly proportional to employees' motivation is true.Solution Pedagogical methodology has profoundly evolved during the last ten years. Virtual classrooms have appeared, with long-distance training. Closer to us, "coaching" has become a common practice. Both these methodologies can make use of the web conferencing technology. By constantly recording the training sessions as well as the meetings, information can be made widely available to everybody. Usually, these concern better practices or strategic visions that can be shared. Also, thanks to the polls and votes during a web conference, the management gets to know the personnel's opinions which they can actively implicate.Results First of all, optimizing training to integrate new employees shortens the time needed for them to fully develop their capacities and to perform better. Profit targets are met faster as costs get reduced, as well. Moreover, the organization's efficiency in the developing of exchanges and the sharing of best practices improves, too. This has a considerable impact on profits. The higher the individual motivations pyramid, the more the people will feel the need to belong, to be appreciated, and to accomplish something. In short, the key is bidirectionality. About Tele-efficiency Tele-efficiency helps its clients to save time, improve their synergy and lower their travel expenses. Offer
were they thinking?Personnel Integration of new employees is a difficulty faced by many companies. The new additions are left to fend for themselves, hoping to learn directly in the arena. In such a situation, a training method that is a continuing formation adapted to the ever-changing needs of the firms would be illusory; also, efforts to manage all the information within an organization as back-up data would be unrealistic. Often, consultation with employees is usually nonexistent, too. Hence, it can be safely concluded that the research result which says that clients' loyalty is directly proportional to employees' motivation is true.Solution Pedagogical methodology has profoundly evolved during the last ten years. Virtual classrooms have appeared, with long-distance training. Closer to us, "coaching" has become a common practice. Both these methodologies can make use of the web conferencing technology. By constantly recording the training sessions as well as the meetings, information can be made widely available to everybody. Usually, these concern better practices or strategic visions that can be shared. Also, thanks to the polls and votes during a web conference, the management gets to know the personnel's opinions which they can actively implicate.Results First of all, optimizing training to integrate new employees shortens the time needed for them to fully develop their capacities and to perform better. Profit targets are met faster as costs get reduced, as well. Moreover, the organization's efficiency in the developing of exchanges and the sharing of best practices improves, too. This has a considerable impact on profits. The higher the individual motivations pyramid, the more the people will feel the need to belong, to be appreciated, and to accomplish something. In short, the key is bidirectionality. About Tele-efficiency Tele-efficiency helps its clients to save time, improve their synergy and lower their travel expenses. Offer
The actors in the unfortunate events at Hewlett-Packard most likely weren't thinking at all, and in fact may have been acting under the direction of their hard-wired personality preferences - traits which, in the absence of discipline or policy redirection, and in the presence of a personality-driven and divisive environment, hijacked the director's recognition of his fiduciary responsibilities and common sense. The devil didn’t
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