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Job Interview

The Right Way To Prepare For A Job Interview

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Being in between jobs can be one of the most frustrating times in a person’s life. Scrambling to find places that you’re qualified to work, preparing a solid clean resume, writing an engaging cover letter, and sending out dozens of emails until you get a bite, can be hard. However, you will get an interview, regardless if it’s your dream job or not, getting an interview can be half the battle, now it’s time to tackle the other half and get yourself the job. 

Interviews are basically sales pitches for yourself and your skills. Knowing how to speak about yourself in an eloquent and confident matter is important and shows potential employers that you know you’re the right person for the job, now it’s just time for them to see that. It’s also important to note that while you may be nervous, the employer your meeting with is most likely going to want to help you give the best answers you possibly can. No boss wants to see a potential employee fail due to nerves or is going to try and outsmart you during the interview process, they most likely view it as one of their daily conversations in which they’re trying to get the most information on how their company can improve with what you’re offering; in this case yourself. So don’t be worried about if the boss will like you, but instead, focus on getting the boss to like the skills, accomplishments, and talents that you already know you have. 

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A major component to nailing an interview is being fully educated and prepared for what you’re interviewing for. Regardless of the position level or title, educate yourself on the company and its history. Learn their primary goals and go beyond just “what they do.” For example, if you’re interviewing for a job at Starbucks, you’re going to need to know a little more than just they’re a place that serves coffee. Get familiar with company goals, past accomplishments, future plans for improvement, and most importantly, where you fit into all of it. 

“Start by reading the company’s website and then review its most recent press coverage. You’ll get a sense of the company’s priorities, which you can then tie in with your skill set during the interview. Not only does it give you an opportunity to demonstrate to your interviewer that you took initiative, but you’ll get a better idea if the company is the right fit for you,” said Shari Santoriello, a career specialist at career and leadership coaching company Ama la Vida. 

In the same way that you’re going to study the company itself, you also need to study the specific job description for what you’re applying for.  Many individuals believe they can use the same sort of generic responses in an interview and just slightly modify it to match the job they’re trying to get. Specificity is your best friend in an interview, so look at the exact job description for what you’re applying to, and cross reference it to your own resume. It helps to print both out and set them side by side, this way you can really see right in front of you the areas of your experience that match up with what the company is looking for. If you’re aware of the areas of cross reference as well, you’ll be better prepared to bring it up during the interview process. 

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These tips involve some level of rehearsal, which is never a bad idea when it comes to interviewing. Rehearsing answers to generic interview questions that you can expect to be asked will make you prepared for when they’re actually asked. It’s a lot harder to answer a question like “What are your strengths and weaknesses” if you don’t already have a general idea with where you’d want to go when answering a question like that. Even the simplest of questions can become difficult to answer if you don’t have anything prepared. Being put on the spot in an interview causes nerves to take over and can cause you to forget every strength you’ve ever had, and chances are you have a lot! So rehearse with a friend, family member, even the mirror and just get some basic answers prepared so you feel more reassured that you’ll be ready. 

Finally, make sure you look the part and prepare some questions for the conclusion of the interview. Employers generally love talking about the companies and operations they run, so having two to three solid specific questions about the job/company shows employers that you’re engaged and ready to learn without even being offered the job. Looking the part should be a given, but you’d be surprised how many individuals avoid this step out of fear of seeming too overdressed and eager. Never let that fear hold you back, the more overdressed you think you look, the better. Even if you’re interviewing at the most casual work environment imaginable where the whole office wears sweats and graphic tees, dressing up in a nice pair of khakis and a long sleeve button up shows your potential boss that you mean business more than the people already working for the business.

Cozy Home

How to Make a Tranquil Home

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Our homes should provide us with a relaxing, serene environment in which to unwind at the end of the day and escape from the problems of the outside world. Too often, though, our homes serve only to make us even more frustrated and irritated, such as when we leave everything a mess or our redecorating projects don’t turn out as planned. Cultivating a pleasing environment can be tricky, but it’s essential for our overall sense of well-being to have a place we’re proud to call our home. Here are some guidelines for turning your house or apartment into a space where you can enjoy yourself and forget about the troubles of work or other responsibilities.

The first step, as with most things, is to make sure that you have a clear goal in mind for how you want your space to look and feel. This starts with assessing your environment as it is: do you have too many knick-knacks scattered around? Do your decorative elements suffer from stylistically clashing with one another? Or do you simply have too many bare walls? Assessing the style of your home can be difficult when you’re so used to seeing it every day, so it can be helpful to invite a friend over for feedback or suggestions. And of course, if you have a partner or roommates, you should collaborate with them to brainstorm ideas that all can enjoy. Most importantly, try to consider the mood that your space puts you in, and what energy you’d like the space to inspire instead. Your environment impacts your mood in ways that can be easy to ignore, so it’s good to be in tune with how the space around you impacts how you feel.

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Once you have a vision for your ideal home in mind, the next step is to work on carrying out your ideas. Think about what activities you’d like to do in each space of your home, whether they be writing, playing board games, or exercising, and plan accordingly. Although the task of transforming a space can seem overwhelming, taking it step-by-step helps to make it feel like a more attainable goal. A good first step is to get rid of the things that you know you definitely don’t need or want anymore; not only is this easy to do, but it helps clear up your space, giving you an idea of where things can be added or rearranged. As you’re doing so, you can put the things that you’re not sure of what to do with aside to deal with later. You’ll begin to notice the energy of your space changing, which will help later on in the process when you introduce new elements into the environment.

During the organizational process, it’s helpful to differentiate between items that you want to keep in open storage and those you want to keep in closed storage. Useful, but unsightly items, like vacuum cleaners and cleaning supplies, should be kept in closets and drawers, whereas personal effects, like vases, pictures, and coffee table books should be kept out in the open. When you have less stuff in your space, the things that remain become more prominent in the mind’s eye, so it’s important to highlight the things you really care about and that contribute to the atmosphere you’re looking for. 

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With that in mind, it’s important that you coordinate the locations of your items with their functions. For instance, if you like to have a cup of coffee or tea in the morning, everything necessary to prepare your beverage should be closeby. Additionally, keep in mind that as time goes on, things are going to accumulate; as such, your should have a dedicated space to put your keys, your mail, your jacket, and so on. If you don’t, you’ll find that your newly redesigned space will quickly become just as unsightly and cluttered as it was before you began your efforts.

An often-overlooked, but essential, element of home decor is lighting. Lighting can fundamentally transform the atmosphere of a space, so it’s important to pay close attention to how your home is lit. Bulbs with a warm color temperature are generally preferred over cold, bluish lights, but you should choose the type of lighting that best suits your space. Also pay attention to your lighting fixtures of choice, as lamps can contribute to an atmosphere that is very different from overhead lights. If possible, ensure that all of your lighting fixtures are set on a dimmer, so you can experiment with the brightness of each bulb. And take advantage of natural lighting whenever possible by installing blinds, shades, and curtains as appropriate.

If you’re interested in, and able to repaint your walls, it’s usually best to choose colors that are bright and muted. Think soft grays, pale blues, and off-white. Ceilings should generally be painted a lighter tone of what’s on the walls. Smaller spaces, and those used primarily at night, can benefit visually from being painted in darker tones.

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When picking out furniture, it’s often better to choose pieces that are comfortable over ones that are visually striking. After all, you’re looking to create a comfortable environment that you’d like to spend a lot of time in. Make sure the texture of your couches, chairs, futons and tables is visually appealing and soothing to the touch. By choosing comfy furniture, you’re also creating a space with a serene atmosphere, both in terms of its tactile properties and visual appeal.

While it’s easy to focus on how things look, make sure to pay attention to your other senses too. An old chair may be comfortable to sit in, but if it creaks every time you get out of it, it can start to become annoying. Putting down a runner on a hardwood floor can help minimize the sound of footsteps, and lubricating hinges can help with squeaky doors. Additionally, incorporating candles, incense, or scent diffusers into the environment can be just the thing to complete your home’s transformation.

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/realestate/calm-home?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Frealestate&redirect=true

https://vicentewolf.com/

https://lauracattano.com/

https://clodagh.com/