Week 1: Mastering Online Job Interview Essentials
What Matters Most to You in a Job or Working Environment? (OPTIONAL Activities)
What you want in a job matters! You’re more likely to “get the job” if you’re looking for a company and position that fit you well…and you’re more likely to enjoy, stick with, and grow in a job that you like.
Here are two activities to help you think about what matters most to you:
- Career Anchors
This brief quiz helps you identify your primary motives for working. Take and score the quiz first, then read these descriptions of the anchors. (Your choices may surprise you.)
- What Color Is Your Parachute Preference Grid
If you don’t own What Color Is Your Parachute, it’s worth investing in the book, or the workbook, which contains only the Parachute exercises.
This exercise lets you compare specific features of your dream job to see which ones matter most to you. List 10 important features of your dream job—short commute, flexible hours, office with light and air, self-directed work, great co-workers, etc.—and then use this preference grid to compare each item to all of the others. (If you have lots of preferences, use this 24-item version of the grid.)
Want to Get a Jump on Week 2? (OPTIONAL Reading)
One big element of networking, informational interviews, and job interviews is small talk. If small talk is awkward for you (or you just hate it), here’s a whole section of blog posts to help you get good at it anyway.
I recommend starting with this post about small talk for business, and this one about introvert and extravert networking styles.
In Week 2, we’re also going to talk about a technique that I call Answer the Question First. Start with this post, and follow the links if you have time.