Author: TheHeadhunter

COVID-19 has forced the adoption of new ways of working and shifted the norm in and out of the workplace. Now organizations are tasked with reimagining their work and the role of offices in creating safe, productive, enjoyable workplaces for their employees. 

Many companies around the world have risen to the occasion, acting swiftly to safeguard employees and migrate to a new way of working that even the most extreme business-continuity plans hadn’t envisioned. Across industries, leaders will use the lessons from this large-scale work-from-home experiment to reimagine how work is done—and what role offices should play—in creative and bold ways.

According to McKinsey’s research, 80 percent of people questioned report that they enjoy working from home. Forty-one percent say that they are more productive than they had been before and 28 percent that they are as productive. Many employees liberated from long commutes and travel have found more productive ways to spend that time, enjoyed greater flexibility in balancing their personal and professional lives, and decided that they prefer to work from home rather than the office. Many organizations think they can access new pools of talent with fewer locational constraints, adopt innovative processes to boost productivity, create an even more influential culture, and significantly reduce real-estate costs. Workplaces around the United States are questioning how work should be done and the role of the office. 

Although the answer will be different for every organization, business, and functions, exceptional change-management skills, and constant pivots will need to happen over time.

During this pandemic, organizations have tried to ensure that the most critical processes could be carried on remotely. Most have simply transplanted existing processes to remote work contexts, imitating what had been done before the pandemic. Organizations should identify the most critical processes for each significant business, geography, and function, and re-envision them entirely, often with involvement by employees. This effort should examine their professional-development journeys (for instance, being physically present in the office at the start and working remotely later) and the different stages of projects (such as being physically co-located for initial planning and operating remotely for execution).

Organizations should also reflect on their values and culture and on the interactions, practices, and rituals that promote that culture. A company that focuses on developing talent, for example, should ask whether the small moments of mentorship that happen in an office can continue spontaneously in a digital world. Other practices could be reconstructed and strengthened so that the organization creates and sustains the community and culture it seeks.

Workplaces should use this time to break away from past habits and systems within the workplace. A well-planned return to offices can use this moment to reinvent their role and create a better experience for talent, improve collaboration and productivity, and reduce costs. Ultimately, the aim of this reinvention will be what good companies have always wanted: a safe environment where people can enjoy their work, collaborate with their colleagues and achieve the objectives of their workplaces.

Even in the best of times, it’s easy to feel disconnected from your manager, given how busy both your schedules are. Working remotely during COVID-19 can make you feel more out of touch with your manager. Although you’ve been able to keep in touch with your boss via Zoom calls and Slack chats, you still may feel less connected. If you’re wondering how to form a personal and deeper relationship with your boss who isn’t good at communicating, try our tips below.

Show appreciation

Everyone loves to be appreciated, even a boss who may seem self-contained or distant. Try to understand how your manager might be struggling with working from home by thanking them for helping to make the transition easier for you and your team.

Update your boss consistently on your projects

One of the most accessible and most useful ways to connect is to reach out and share an update on a project that is moving forward and your daily weekly workload. It’s your job as your manager’s direct report to make sure they’re aware of your professional progress and the projects that you’ve spearheaded. Show your manager that you can be proactive by reaching out first with an in-depth update on your workflow; they will be inspired by your commitment and will look forward to receiving your updates weekly. If you don’t have a 1:1 sync meeting on the calendar with your manager, now is the time to place reoccurring syncs on the calendar. 

Provide some of your ideas to the table

Reconnect with your supervisor by offering up an idea for a new project that will add to your organization. Regardless of your level at the company, you should seize the opportunity to bring forth ideas to enhance your role and value. Although your management and organization might be struggling with the challenges of the pandemic, you can keep the pulse on solutions within your control. Most managers will be pleased to see that you are solutions orientated and can provide out of the box thinking for future projects and initiatives.

Share your wins

Lastly, another way to connect with your manager is to share some substantial wins in the workplace. Say you’ve been working remotely on a few client projects, and you’re feeling down because your boss hasn’t shown much interest in your efforts. Today you heard from a client who said, “We’re all in. Let’s proceed.” Your boss likely would love some good news if they have only been hearing about the need for cost control amid diminishing revenues and shifts in the organization.

Building an online personal brand for yourself is something more imperative than you may think. When you hear the word branding, you may think about it only in terms of a business and not as something you need personally. However, establishing a personal brand is very important and will help you advance down your career path.

Here are some tips on how you can start developing it:

Create Your Brand

The first step is to determine how you will brand yourself. How do you want your company to be thought of when you come to mind? Are you an expert in your field? Are you one of the best at what you do? Or is it more about the experience of working with you that should stand out? Define these aspects as clearly and concisely as you can and put them into words that anybody from your intended audience will understand.

Define Your Audience

Do you know who you are selling to? Do you know how old they are, what they do in their spare time, what they value most? Having a clearly defined audience ensures that your marketing efforts will be directed appropriately. It will hone your efforts and make them count, both from a time-spent standpoint and from a financial one.

Develop a Strong, Professional Social Media Presence

Choose platforms that are appropriate to your line of business. LinkedIn and Twitter are the best ones to get started with, but having a Facebook business page and Instagram may also important. Instagram is actually a great platform if your work can be represented in a visual way. Best of all, social media is free, until you get into paid advertising, but first things first – that’s not necessary right away.

Curate Content to Share Across Your Various Platforms

Content curation is a way to encourage interest in your brand on social media. You can’t just be selling all the time because people will just switch off. Choose a few influential and/or entertaining sites that you like (hopefully related to your niche) and choose some of their posts to rebroadcast to your audience. Mention influencers in your posts, and reach out to them for link-backs and cross-posts. Connect with your audience and they will keep coming back for more.

Register a Domain Name & Get a Professional Email Address

Get a professional domain name and create an email account for yourself. For example, JohnSmith.com. If the .com version is taken, register the .me version. Create a professional email with your new domain name like john@johnsmith.com – this way you won’t be tied down to your ISP, or a free email service like Yahoo or Gmail. Using a domain name email gives you a more professional image right off the bat.

Get a Local Vanity Phone Number

A really unique way to help build your own personal brand is to get a vanity phone number. You can get either a toll-free or local area code, although a local one would be just fine for your personal brand. It’s pretty easy and affordable to do this and you can get a cool number like 555-john-doe.

Get a Website

Having your own personal website is a great way to develop your personal brand. It gives you a launching pad where people can go to learn all about you. You can put it on your business cards, connect your social accounts, and in general, it’s just a great way to promote yourself on a professional level.

Come Up with a Great Tagline

This is also known as a personal slogan – it should be short, concise, and to the point. You should be able to tell the world exactly who you are in 6 words or less.

Get a Cool Logo

Get a cool and unique logo designed for yourself and one that you can use on your website, printed materials, social accounts, and email signatures. If you aren’t design savvy, hire a graphic designer from a freelance site such as Fiverr, Freelancer, or Upwork.

Write Your Bio & Take a Great Headshot

If you haven’t got one already, write a great bio and take a professional headshot for yourself. If this is not your forte, find a bio writer on one of the freelance sites written above. For your headshot, make sure it represents the image you are trying to convey.

Start a Blog & Write About Your Expertise

Start a blog where you write about things you are interested in and know about to show off your knowledge and area of expertise. A blog is also helpful for having shareable content to post on your social accounts. It builds credibility and positions you as a subject matter expert.

Make Sure Your Information is Up To Date

Make sure every little thing you have posted online – listings, reviews, articles, guest posts, resumes, CVs – all of these should be up to date, current, and accurate with the appropriate links back to your home website and/or social accounts.

Actively Listen to News in Your Industry

Find out what the competition is doing and keep up with your peers. Follow thought leaders in your niche and connect with others who are doing similar things, even if they are in other cities or states.

Give Credit Where Credit is Due

Recognize influencers in your niche and shine a light on their accomplishments, especially if it’s something or someone that has had a positive impact on you, what you do, and how you do it.

Join Groups & Volunteer to Help Others

Contributeyouradvice, comment on posts that you find a personal connection to, and find ways of helping others in yours or in a complementary field. Ask and answer questions and encourage your audience to reach out whenever you can. The more active you are, the more relevant you become.

Develop Your Story

A strong personal brand is almost always supported by a compelling story. If you work in a range of disciplines, this is especially important, as having a common thread you can weave through will pull it all together. Think of a few individuals who have strong personal brands: Martha Stewart, Bill Gates, Richard Branson – these are all very good examples of people with a strongly identifiable personal brand.

Developing a strong personal brand is important for you and your career. Potential employers will search for you online, and when they do, you need to be able to control what they are able to find. Even if you are busy enough without a website or social media channels, make sure that your message always comes across loud and clear.

When you finally see that job interview request pop up in your inbox, it can be tempting to start thinking about all the ways you can please and impress the interviewer, especially right now in a competitive job market.

But, now is not the time to forget that interviews are your chance to interview the company, too. So many companies and industries have changed due to the pandemic. It’s your duty to ask insightful questions to ensure you make the best-informed decision for you. At the very least, it’s your responsibility to make sure you know what you’re walking into if you do accept the job.

Here are 5 new questions you should consider asking in a job interview, whether you land an interview during or post the pandemic.

What are the company’s biggest challenges right now and in what ways will this role help alleviate those challenges? 

Any company that has decided to open a new position during this pandemic has determined that the particular role is essential to the growth or continuation of the company. As a job candidate, it’s vital you understand the challenges the company may be experiencing as a result of the pandemic and how the company desires for your role to solve those challenges.

Asking this question allows you to go beyond the job description and gives you an idea of what you should expect if you were to land the position. It shows the interviewer that you’re a problem solver and that you’re not just thinking about yourself, but that you’re also thinking about how you can contribute to the company’s goals. Plus, as you move forward in the hiring process, their answer to this question will give you more ways to show the hiring manager that you can be impactful to the team right away.

What tools or practices have you all implemented to continue communication and collaboration, and to support employees?

While some companies embraced remote work and flexible hours years ago, many other companies have been forced to embrace remote work because of the pandemic and have experienced many changes because of it. Now more than ever, it’s important to know what type of company culture you’re walking into – or logging into from home before you accept the job. Especially if you are applying for a manager role, this question will help you get a good understanding of how the company is working together. This will help you be sure you’re joining a place that will allow you to connect and support your direct reports and senior leadership in a way that is productive and effective for everyone.

What other qualities have become even more vital in a new hire since this pandemic?

One of the hardest things for recruiters and hiring managers to determine while interviewing virtually is if a job candidate will mesh well with the team. Role fit and culture fit are the top two things companies look for when hiring. Eliminating face-to-face communication makes it a bit harder to determine the latter. But luckily, it’s still your duty to do everything you can to show the interviewer that your values, work style, and personality align well with the company and team. Asking this question is a great way to show them that. It will also give you a chance to see if the team has qualities that will allow you to thrive on the team and at the company.

Could you share more about the onboarding process, in light of COVID-19? What changes have been made to ensure that the new hire is still successful once they join the team?

Everyone knows that the first 90 days at any company are crucial to success. As a job candidate and potential new hire, you need to know how the company intends to onboard you while working remotely and practicing social distance. What new methods have they implemented to ensure you get started on the right path? How do they plan to connect you with other employees once you’re hired? What tools or pieces of training do they plan to give you access to once you join the team to make sure you’re well informed and well equipped? How long do they intend for you to work remotely before transitioning to the office?

Asking this question will help ensure you’re not lost at sea once you accept the job offer. It will also show the interviewer that you plan to be a valuable asset to the team right away.

I know things are quite uncertain right now but as we continue to navigate this time, what are the company’s top priorities and plans for the next few months? 

Transparency is key right now. If your future company can’t be honest with you as a job candidate about their plans or goals right now, then they most likely will not be honest with you once you’re an employee. Of course, none of us can predict how the next few months will pan out, but you can get clarity on the company’s rough draft. Job security is never guaranteed but, at the very least, you should know that you’re joining a company that has a strategy for proactively moving forward.

Asking some variation of these questions will give you a good understanding of the company you could be joining. These questions will also show the interviewer that you’re a problem solver, a big-picture thinker, and an adaptable team player, all things companies are looking for right now when hiring.

If your job has been affected by COVID-19 layoffs, you’ve likely been in the throes of interviewing heavily for a remote role. If you’ve been fortunate enough to land a remote position, you’re probably wondering, “What’s next? How do I onboard remotely, get up to speed in my role, and get to know my team from behind the computer screen?” First-day jitters are entirely normal, but starting your new job remotely might be a bit of struggle if you aren’t prepared to do so. 

Although companies are starting to reopen their organizations and invite their employees back to the office, some employees still have to work remotely due to COVID-19. For companies that already have a lot of remote and virtual based employees, this might not be a difficult transition, but for organizations that aren’t accustomed to having a remote workforce, the onboarding process and preparing employees for their new positions could be strenuous. Here are five tips to help you navigate starting a new job remotely.

Prepare yourself for a different type of onboarding

Given that we’re experiencing a pandemic, onboarding for your new role will probably be held over Zoom or another video communication platform. Consider reaching out ahead of time to find out what the process will look like for you. Send a quick note to your recruiter or HR contact and email your new manager to say you’re aware the company is doing remote work at the moment due to the pandemic and ask how they’re handling the logistics of onboarding. 

Be flexible and understanding

Have patience with your new employer. Understand that the onboarding process is complicated for both parties, and it’s not exactly ideal. Starting your job remotely at a time when your manager and colleagues are also getting used to working from home – and you’re all dealing with a lot of other stressors during a global pandemic – might make it a bit more challenging to hit the ground running. And it might take longer before you feel comfortable socially at your new organization.

Ask clarifying questions to understand the expectations of the role

Take the extra time to understand your manager’s and team’s expectations on everything from individual tasks to overall onboarding, especially if you’re starting a job that wasn’t intended to be remote. Since your manager and teammates won’t be in the same building to chat through questions and concerns, it’s essential to practice open communication to understand how you can add value to your role and organization. Within the first several weeks of your onboarding, be sure to go over goals that you’re looking to achieve within 30, 60 and 90 days with your boss, as they may have designed a plan for you already. To be sure you’re both on the same page regarding your progress and growth, set up weekly 1:1 syncs to discuss workflow and goals.

Understand how your new team communicates; don’t try to reinvent the wheel

It’s essential to discover how everyone prefers to communicate so you can know whether to prioritize your Slack messages, email or Zoom meetings. It’s critical that you become aligned with your managers and team because having a sense of their preferred method of communication will make it easier for everyone to get to know each other and foster positive and productive interactions without reinventing the wheel. 

Get to know your colleagues to establish stronger relationships

When you start a new job, it usually always involves meeting new team members. Given that you’re working remotely, that process might take longer and require more effort on your part, even if your manager or HR sent out an introduction email. Consider asking your manager for a list of key stakeholders and team members that you’d like to connect with. Then follow up with colleagues to set up virtual coffee chats to ask questions about their roles, the projects they’re working on, and what they think you should know about the organization, as well as to share a bit about the work you’ll be doing.

Although some companies are beginning to let their employees return to their offices given that states are now reopening across the U.S., many organizations are still following stay-at-home orders and allowing employees to work remotely amid COVID-19.  While it may seem difficult to stand out within your organization as a top-performing employee, especially when working from home, there are ways you can set yourself apart from the pack. Here are three ways to stand out in a virtual work environment. 

Prep ahead of time for team meetings and syncs

It’s essential to come prepared for every one of your 1:1 syncs and team meetings. Be sure to create an agenda beforehand, even if it’s just for your eyes. In a virtual environment, it’s easy to be lax, but you want your team and coworkers to see that you’re organized and can streamline meetings. Aside from creating agenda items for meetings, provide ideas that can further propel your business forward. You can also brainstorm possible solutions to your team’s problems. To provide value, it’s essential that you’re able to make your manager’s job easier and help your organization achieve success. 

Be sure to practice transparent and concise communication

Consistently clear and open communication is the key to success within the workplace, especially when working remotely. It’s critical to be proactive when communicating project updates or advocating for more direction regarding a task. If you don’t hear from a colleague regarding an update that you were expecting to receive, follow up with your teammate. As a next step, suggest recurring meetings to streamline communication and keep the project on task for completion. 

When working virtually, it’s imperative to keep your colleagues informed on your progress regarding tasks and larger projects. To eliminate confusion and chaos, take a break from the Slack channel and pick up the phone or schedule a Zoom touch base. 

Every communication you have with your colleagues is an opportunity to develop and nurture your work relationships. The more rapport you establish with individuals, the more they will respect you, enjoy working with you and remember you for future projects. 

Pitch new ideas and projects outside of routine tasks

Now is the perfect time to demonstrate your value not only to your manager but also to your organization as a whole. Pitch new ideas and projects outside of your typical tasks and responsibilities to strengthen your skillset and round out professional development. 

You wouldn’t head out on a long road trip without first planning your route. So why wouldn’t you apply that same thoughtful approach to charting your professional advancement? Whether you’re just starting out, feel as though your career is beginning to idle or you’re clearly stuck in a rut, creating a career map can be highly beneficial.

What is a career map? It’s a written plan outlining where you are in your career, where you ultimately want to go and the specific steps you could take to reach that objective.

Here are five navigation tips to put you on the path toward meaningful professional progression:

Pinpoint a destination

Many people make the mistake of engaging in career hoping rather than career mapping. But as once noted: “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”

Identify your primary professional objective and put it on paper. Be introspective and detailed when defining your ambitions. Sure, “I want to advance my career in the accounting industry and earn more money” is technically a goal, but it’s far too vague.

Is your objective to move up into a managerial role with your current employer? Do you want to transition into a more specialized area such as forensic accounting? Maybe you want to put yourself in position to make the jump to a Big Four firm. Regardless of your goal, make it specific and measurable.

Know your starting point

You need to understand exactly where you are before you can decide how you’re going to get where you want to go. Do a candid assessment of both your hard and soft skills. In what areas do you excel? Which aspects of your job excite you the most?

And while it’s certainly a less enjoyable exercise, put your weaknesses under the microscope. Are skills gaps or bad habits hampering your effectiveness? Could the lack of in-demand industry certifications hold you back?

Be honest about your strengths, shortcomings, likes and dislikes. This self-review can help you crystallize your long-term goal and give you insights into the specific steps you’ll need to take to achieve it.

Ask for directions

Make your interests known to your manager and ask for input and assistance. Does your career plan align with where your boss sees you going? Can they point you toward training opportunities or assign higher-profile projects that will prime you for the job you seek? Are there avenues to get there you hadn’t considered?

It’s obviously beneficial to work for an employer who communicates potential career paths and helps you reach that next level, but you’re the one who must take control of the wheel. That’s why you might consider trying to find a mentor. Mentors can provide ongoing support, objective feedback, real-world insights and tips on who to network with. If your company doesn’t have a formal mentoring program or you’re looking for a job outside the company, ask a member of your professional network whose opinions you trust if they would be willing to work with you.

Pay attention to career map mile markers

For some people, a lofty goal can seem overwhelming and unattainable, so break it down into a series of smaller ones. Establish clear-cut objectives and action steps — and set deadlines for accomplishing these interim goals.

For example, if you want to become a departmental supervisor, key steps might include completing a leadership training program or returning to school for an MBA. You also might pursue a leadership role with the local chapter of a professional association.

Whenever you reach a milestone, take time to reflect on and savor the achievement. Acknowledging your successes along the way helps you maintain momentum as you inch closer to your ultimate objective.

Stay driven

Any trip worth taking likely includes some bumps and wrong turns along the way. Don’t allow these inevitable disappointments to diminish your determination. When you run into a roadblock, regroup and move on. Career progress requires not only planning, but also drive and discipline. Focus on the lessons learned from your setback — then put your foot right back on the pedal.

It’s easy to feel anxious during this pandemic, especially when you’re working at home, juggling family and friends virtually, and trying to maintain your health. A survey conducted in March found that 18% of U.S. adults have experienced nervousness or anxiety five to seven days a week when thinking about the outbreak, while 28% report feeling those reactions three to four days a week. Those who are affected financially report higher levels of emotional distress. 

Collectively, we’ve all been experiencing COVID-19 for about four months. While it’s natural to feel anxious and stressed periodically, it can be debilitating to physically and mentally endure these emotions for long periods, which is why it’s imperative to prioritize our emotional well-being. Resilience is a crucial skill to develop to bounce back from various challenges in and out of the workplace. Demonstrating resilience helps you to rebound productively in challenging situations, and it has a robust protective effect against anxiety, which is helpful in today’s angst-ridden environment. Here are our six ways to ground yourself during an emotionally stressful time.

Start your day intentionally

How you spend your first hour of the day sets the tone for how your day unfolds. Instead of working on a to-do list or thinking about the projects you need to complete, focus your intentions and thoughts inwards. Take 10-15 minutes to sit, reflect and regroup on what you need to do personally, and let go of feelings from yesterday or anything negative that comes to the surface in the morning to set your intentions for the rest of your workday properly. Spend time to clear your mind of clutter and manifest how you would like your day to go.

Stay present during your workday

When experiencing tough emotions or situations, it’s best not to catastrophize in the moment. For self-preservation, it’s critical to not focus on the worst-case scenario in an effort to limit energy worrying about something that might not happen. Take a moment to pause, breathe deeply, and focus on staying present within your workday. Using simple breathing mindfulness techniques or meditation will serve to bring us back to the present, calm the mind, and reduce the high level of stress that we are all feeling now during this pandemic. 

Focus on what you can control

You can only control your actions, work product, and how you contribute to your teams. Unfortunately, you can’t control others and how they navigate the workplace and assignments. While many aspects of the pandemic are currently uncontrollable, it is helpful for us to work to control what we can, including our interpretations of and reactions to it. Helping others to find words to express and describe our experiences and opinions can help foster personal meaning and understanding. Developing and maintaining structure, routines, and consistency, which are antidotes to chaos and confusion, also helps streamline your workday and limit anxiety. Having several daily goals for your workday can help you stay grounded and focused. A project to-do list can create a sense of accomplishment, mastery, belonging, and positive emotions, even tackling seemingly mundane tasks. 

Stay aware of your emotions

Do a self-assessment hourly to gauge your feelings and emotions during your workday. Instead of focusing on negative emotions and letting anxious feelings get in the way, you can take productive steps to be in problem-solving mode rather than worry-and-stress mode. Learning to recognize and identify responses to stress, emotional strain, and exhaustion provides the foundation for resilient self-management. When you feel the anxiety starting to surface, do what you can to stay calm and work to keep your emotions in check. By catching anxious thoughts before they spiral you have the power to reframe them. 

Reframe your thought process to find the meaning of a situation

In any stressful situation, you can often find a deeper meaning if you search for it. Because we can’t overpower this pandemic, we must acknowledge the pain and fear this pandemic uncovers and the assumptions about our life that it challenges. However, COVID-19 can also reshape how we think about our circumstances and inspire us to make changes within ourselves and workplaces. 

Take breaks to move your body

Exercise isn’t just crucial for the body, it helps settle your emotions as well. Set some time aside each day to fit in some exercise. Being active creates endorphins, which act in the brain to relieve stress and promote feelings of well-being. Becoming resilient is not just about bouncing back – it’s about becoming tougher and better equipped for the next challenge. Challenges happen in everyone’s life, but how you view these experiences can make a big difference in how well you feel when you come out on the other side.

When it comes to job interview questions, the classic “What are your greatest strengths?” is a softball. It’s an invitation to shine a spotlight on all the skills and experiences that make you a good fit for the job. The curveball comes when you’re asked about weaknesses in a job interview.

“Tell me about your greatest weaknesses,” trips up many job candidates, and it’s no wonder: How do you tell an interviewer about your shortcomings without sounding like you’d be hopeless on the job?

It’s tricky, but it can be done.

How to approach the weakness question

Ultimately, you want to discuss your weaknesses in a job interviewin a way that helps you gain ground rather than lose it. Keep in mind that what hiring managers really want to know is how you handle adversity on the job.

To start, think about the limitations that have challenged you at work. It’s a good exercise to make a list of your known shortcomings, and one way to gather material is from past performance evaluations and notes from supervisors about areas for improvement.

You also want to make sure to research the employer and the open position. Thoroughly review the job posting before the interview so you don’t identify something as a deficiency that’s essential to the job. Reread the job description so you know what attributes and abilities are critical to the performance of the job. Those hard or soft skills shouldn’t be on your weakness list. Everything else is fair game.

Examples of weaknesses on the job

Do any of these weaknesses ring a bell? Note that these aren’t good choices for your answer if the job requires specific skills in these areas.

• Inexperience with specific software or a non-essential skill
• Tendency to take on too much responsibility
• Nervousness about public speaking
• Hesitancy about delegating tasks
• Discomfort taking risks
• Impatience with bureaucracies 

What to avoid in your answer

Your first reaction may be to say, “I have no weaknesses, and nothing will keep me from doing a great job.” But no one’s perfect, and hiring managers know that. If you respond to this question with an enthusiastic denial, the interviewer will probably write you off as someone with a lack of awareness or someone who is overconfident or unable to understand and learn from their mistakes.

Hiring managers are also wise to responses that attempt to frame a positive trait as weaknesses in a job interview. Classic examples include “I’m a perfectionist,” “I’m competitive,” and “I just work too hard.” Interviewers are on to these stock answers, but you can use them by adding details relevant to the job to show you’ve put real thought into it.

For instance, you could say something like, “I hold myself to very high standards and sometimes put too much pressure on myself. I’ve learned to recognize when I’m starting to do this, such as spending a little too much time on bigger projects like quarterly reports, and I’m usually able to keep myself in check.”

Put your weaknesses in a positive light

Once you’ve established your weakness, craft a response to put it in the best positive light. How do you do that? Here are three suggestions:

• Emphasize the positive, avoiding negative words like failure or inept.
• Talk about how you’ve transformed your weakness into a strength.
• Show how you recognize where you need to improve and take steps to better yourself.

What are ways you can improve yourself to address a weakness?

• Take a class or get training.
• Discover tools, such as apps, to track your time, schedule breaks or collaborate more smoothly.
• Work with a mentor.
• Engage in volunteer work to build a skill.
• Join professional groups or industry associations.

Sample responses to “What are your weaknesses?”

The question gives you the opportunity to set yourself apart. How so? You can show the hiring manager you recognize the areas where you need to upgrade yourself and how you’re taking steps to address them. Here’s a sample answer that takes this approach:

• “Although I always met my deadlines, I used to have a problem with procrastination, and I’d end up working really long days as a deadline approached. I decided that I needed to deal with the issue, so I took classes on project management and time management. I learned how to organize my days and attack bigger projects in manageable chunks. Now, I put together a plan as soon as I get a new assignment, and I often beat my deadlines.”

Another example illustrates how to use the requirements of the job to drive your answer. Let’s say you’re not a strong writer, and you’re applying for a job as a graphic designer. The job description emphasizes the need for production design skills and specific software experience but doesn’t mention anything about content creation. So you could answer the question about weaknesses in an interview like this:

• “I’ve always been on the design side of things and haven’t had much experience with content development, so I’d say that’s a weakness for me. However, I’m a quick learner, and I believe I could improve my writing skills if I ever needed to for my job.”

Alternatively, if you’re applying for a position as a financial analyst and one of the requirements of the job is to give regular reports to upper management, you won’t want to emphasize to the hiring manager that you struggle with communication issues.

Ready to take your career to the next level? The leap from manager to thought leader within an organization is a coveted next step and essential to your continued success and career growth. Wherever you are in your career, if you’re ambitious and goal-driven, you may have one question in your mind: will I be a thought leader one day and positively impact my company? Becoming a thought leader often requires a certain amount of being in the right place at the right time, but attaining certain qualities will also spark your growth within the company.  Read our tips below on how to develop into a thought leader from a manager. 

Limit multitasking

Most effective managers are excellent communicators and multitaskers, skillfully owning and juggling multiple projects and handling questions of their direct reports. However, to position yourself as a thought leader, it’s essential to focus on one project to maintain productivity levels and to limit the confusion of task ownership among the team. In your journey to becoming a thought leader, it’s important to let go of complete control. You must do this to focus on making the critical decisions that empower the team to propel the organization forward while letting direct reports focus on what it takes to bring supporting key projects to life.

Build on transparency

Within organizations, senior leaders play a pivotal and vital role in creating, sustaining, and influencing culture. When the team grows, thought leaders should shape the senior leadership team, which then influences their own respective teams. It’s essential to set a healthy foundation for transparent communication, which will help you grow from player to coach. In a survey from Harvard Business School, 70% of employees said they are most engaged when senior leadership communicates openly. Being honest, vulnerable, and having the courage to own up to things is essential. A lack of transparency could also create an environment of distrust that can quickly become toxic and difficult to navigate. Develop a foundation of transparent communication as you foster relationships with the direct reports on your team. This will, in turn, make them more open and communicative about dealing with the responsibilities you allowed them to take on as part of your delegation.

Learn how to delegate and trust your team

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to stay cognitively engaged in all aspects of your job – and that can limit how your team grows, thrives, and builds new skills. To scale your operations more effectively, you must build out and develop a talented team that you trust. Building trust is an essential part of developing effective emotional intelligence, as allowing others to make mistakes is vital for development. Allowing and encouraging your team to take on new tasks will lighten your workload for you to tackle more critical high-level tasks. It will also help foster new opportunities for your direct reports that will bolster their own capabilities down the road. A Gallup study found that companies with more talented individuals who can delegate have more significant growth rates and higher revenue, and they create a more substantial number of jobs. Your team’s potential to push its limits will grow with each member that you encourage to take on new responsibilities.

Get out of your own way

Don’t let imposter syndrome negatively impact your career growth. Don’t drag your feet on your career transition. Focus on thinking through projects, organizational goals, and team structures holistically and strategically. This will allow you to really focus on thinking strategically for your entire team and help your direct reports solve their most pressing problems. You can’t do it all alone.