PTT: Conference Call in Real Life

Hello, hello! I am happily working remote from a beautiful cabin in Wisconsin. I couldn't really afford to take the whole week off for vacation, so I decided to opt for two days where my 'office' consists of a deck looking onto a lovely lake.

My view on Monday from the 'office'

On the subject of working remote..
A lot of businesses today rely on being able to collaborate with the client, even when they cannot be in the same city (let alone the same conference room). There's no replacing the value of an in-person meeting. But business folk are making due with conference calls to meet with our managers, project teams, and clients.

But conference calls can be challenging. The average call is filled with awkward pauses, technical difficulties, and trouble focusing. Check out Conference Call in Real Life. It hilariously demonstrates the struggles that go into these virtual meetings.

So what's the trick to making a conference call as successful as possible?
1. Join early. 
- It just makes sense to try and be on for the whole meeting. It's no fun to try and catch up if you miss a portion of the call. And let's face it.. it's already hard enough to focus on a conference call. Besides, do you really want to be the beep interrupting the conversation 5 minutes into the call?

2. Can you hear me now?
- Try and find a good spot to take the call from. A good internet connection or cell service can make all the difference. It could be a total waste of everyone's time if there's a poor connection.

3. Tell 'em who. 
- Especially when on a call with people we don't talk very much, how often do you just know their voices? If you have something to contribute try and always start with "Hi this is _____." and then your idea.

4. Most importantly - Mute.
- This is a big one. Talk to anyone and one of the most annoying things that can happen on the conference call is a lot of unnecessary background noise. Don't be the one that forgot to mute their line.

What are your tips for communicating over conference calls? Comment below.

PTT: Tell Me About Yourself

Professional Tip Tuesday
Every interview I have been in starts with: "Tell me about yourself." I counted, and I have been in 15+ interviews. It should be a piece of cake by now, but when it comes to that question I usually freeze up and just stammer through the basics.

The answer should be concise and packed with relevant information. It's easy to neglect this question when preparing for an interview - but as with everything, practice makes perfect. After you do your research, keep the tips below in mind and practice, practice, practice!

There are a couple of reasons why this question is so important.
     1. It is the interviewer's first real impression of you as a candidate.
     2. It allows you to summarizes how you are a good fit for the job.

So how can you nail these two points when you are answering this question?

Meet the generic interviewer: Mr. Word-Art

How to rock the first impression.
- Confidence is key.

• AVOID: Between being nervous and trying to stall, it's easy to start with, "Well... I am... Umm, I did.." You can definitely recover from this, but it's not the best start.
• INSTEAD, DO THIS: Start off strong. Presenting yourself with certainty will not only show the interviewer that you are comfortable - but you will also feel more comfortable moving on in the interview.

- Show off your uniqueness.

• AVOID: Giving the generic answer. It's far too easy to tell them the same general overview they can pick up from scanning your resume. 
• INSTEAD, DO THIS: Tell them something interesting that will make you standout. You can still tie in that general info if it makes sense or seems to fit - just don't make it the focus of your answer. "During my time at College X, I got involved with..."

How to prove you are a good fit.

- Highlight the right experiences. 

• AVOID: Uniqueness can be tricky. Telling them about a special certification or an interesting skill is great - but only if it's relevant to the position. Something that is unique about me is that I can wiggle my ears, but that probably isn't going to help me in an interview.
• INSTEAD, DO THIS: If you are applying for a sales position, talk about a time or an experience that makes you a great salesperson. More specifically, pick an example that compliments the company and/or the position. 

- Tie it all together with a nice, little bow. 

• AVOID: Sometimes people lose what they are saying as they are answering interview questions and trail off. It can be difficult to end strong after a monologue about yourself.
• INSTEAD, DO THIS: Connect the dots. The best way to end your answer is to tie it all together. Why does this experience make you a good fit for this company? HOw is everything you just said relevant to the employer? You can even say, "So with my experience with X, I am excited about the opportunity to be here today because of everything your company is doing with Y."

Answering "Tell me about yourself" confidently can give you a great footing for the rest of the interview. How do you make the most of this question? Comment below. 

PTT: Professional Prince Charming

Professional Tip Tuesday
In the book, Ask For It!, Linda Babcock talks about her experience advising graduate students. One day, a group of female students walked into her office and asked why only male graduate students got to teach their own courses.

Linda immediately contacted the dean. She found out the male students asked to teach the course. Female students never did and therefore, never got the opportunity.

Women do not typically call out their hard work or accomplishments. But if we don't advocate for ourselves, who will?

Little Princess Anna Faye

On a slightly unrelated note, I loved fairy tales when I was a little girl. My parents even told me a large birthmark on my right shoulder was the sign of a real princess. So I felt an extra special connection to Snow White and Cinderella growing up.

But with my girl-power-we-can-do-anything attitude, I never fully bought into that whole damsel in distress/Prince Charming thing.

So I really loved Sallie Krawcheck's idea that women work hard and expect their Professional Prince Charming to come to their rescue. In her comparison, she said we expect our prince (manager) to see our efforts and give us the praise and promotions we think we deserve.

Unfortunately there isn't always a happy ending if we don't work for it ourselves. This week's Professional Tip Tuesday is:

How to advocate for all of your handwork. 




Now do not be fooled, friends. I don't have this down yet. But here are 4 tips I have picked up on so far.

1. Be friendly. 

• Think about how often you rant to your friends about how much you did at work. If you are comfortable with your coworkers and supervisors, it will be much easier to say "Hey, look at all of the stuff I did!"

2. Get over that impostor syndrome. 

• Congrats,  you are a rockstar and you got where you are because of all of your hard work and efforts. Your resume, references, and interview proved it. The only one doubting you is you. Don't forget that. 

3. Take note.

• The reason women don't usually say anything is because they either don't feel like it was enough OR they don't want to brag. When I am giving my supervisor the run-down of what I accomplished that day, I realize how helpful I have been and they usually do too.

4. Make it known. 

• Tell your manager about great performance, praises, and your end-goals. Even if your Professional Prince Charming is out there, he/she probably isn't a mindreader. Help them help YOU and tell them what they need to know. 

Be your own Professional Prince Charming and let people know how much you do. It's not the easiest thing, but these tips are a great start. What do you do to advocate for yourself in the office? Comment below! 

PTT: Keeping up with Current Events

Professional Tip Tuesday
This past weekend my roommate, Laura, and I did "all the things". The catchphrase for the weekend captured our attempt to tackle a gigantic list of activities. We went to the movies, baked, cheered for our beloved Iowa Hawkeyes, did the Halloween thing, and rounded out the weekend with popcorn and Hocus Pocus.

All decked out 'Merica style for Halloween festivities.

"All the things" is a big part of weeknights and weekends. A full time job takes up a lot of free time. Especially living in a fun, new city with friends and a bucket list a mile long - I try to take advantage of the little bit of free time.

So to tie this all back to this week's Professional Tip Tuesday.. 

It can be tough to keep up on current events between work and "all the things". Even when I make an effort to catch up on the days happenings, I could spend all day trying to figure out the background info on one topic. And unfortunately, living in a bubble and neglecting the news isn't exactly acceptable.

Contrary to popular belief: No news, isn't always good news. 
But I recently found an email subscription that makes all of this a whole lot easier. In 2012, two girls started TheSkimm from their apartment. This daily e-newsletter is geared towards women and summarizes the ins-and-outs of the big headlines. Their webpage reads:

"We are an online newsletter that simplifies the headlines for the professional who knows enough to know she needs more. Our concept is simple: we read, you Skimm."

How great is that?

the Skimm

Being well-informed is a huge part of becoming a successful young professional. I highly recommend TheSkimm. Not only do I love the idea behind everything they are doing - but I also get to read up on all about the important stuff that's happening in about 5 minutes while I drink my morning coffee.

So keeping up with the news doesn't have to be a chore any longer thanks to TheSkimm! How do you get your daily dose of news headlines in your day? Comment below.

PTT: Pro Tips for Resume Writing

Professional Tip Tuesday

In the spirit of Career Fairs and job hunting season, I wanted to share this incredible infographic I found on Pinterest. 

10 Easy Steps to a Better Resume.

I have a love / hate relationship with resume writing. It is not an easy task. But seeing the finished product always brings a feeling of accomplishment. 

The average employer will spend about 30 second skimming your resume.. 30 seconds! That's a short amount of time for 1 page with lots of print to stand out in a stack. The infographic posted below does a great job of breaking down the important elements of a resume to make your experiences shine!

Originally posted by www.yellowlinelabs.com

One of the hardest, but most important tips Yellow Line Labs calls out is your approach. Telling the company how your skills and abilities will benefit them is key. If you can show them that you will add value to their mission, their organization, and their team - you will be a far better candidate for it.

So since resumes can be so tricky - my question for you is: How do you jazz up your resume and make it stand out? Comment below to share your thoughts! 

PTT: How to Rock the Career Fair

Professional Tip Tuesday
This time, last year, I was probably freaking out a little bit. The career fair was quickly approaching and all of a sudden everything was starting to feel real. Graduation was 7 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days away. And I still had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. 

Oh, the game of life.

Walking into that career fair for the first time was terrifying and exciting. There were rows and rows filled with so many companies. Employers from all across the country were right in front of me. And I had no idea where life was going to take me.

Career fairs can be an awesome way to see your options, network, and open some doors. It's not very often you get a sea of employers who are hiring all in the same place. With all of that in mind, this week's Professional Tip Tuesday is:

How to rock the career fair. 

As you prepare for the fair, here are some questions to think about: 

1. How should you prepare?

• Research! If you know a little something, it will for sure set you apart from the masses.
• Use that amazing source we all have access to - the internet! 
• Spend 15 minutes and look up at least 5 companies that you know will be at the career fair and write down 2 facts about each of them. You won't regret it. 
• Be ready. Get all of your stuff together in advance. 
• Finalize your resume and have someone look it over. Print 5+ copies (depending on how ambitious you are feeling!). 
• Use a plain folder or padfolio to keep your resumes from getting all crinkled. Bring a piece of paper to take some notes and a pen.

2. How do you talk to employers?

• Be confident. Flash a big smile, go for the handshake if it seems appropriate, and say something super original like...
• "Hi, my name is Anna. I am graduating this May and I am looking for a full time job." 
• The research will help. But even if you see a company there you have never heard of, don't be afraid to wing it. Also, flattery will get you far.
• i.e. "Hi, my name is Anna. I am graduating this May and I am looking for a full time job. [Insert company name] looks like an awesome place to work.. can you tell me a little bit about it?" 
• Be open minded. Don't pass up an employer just because you don't think it's for you. Last year, I got a free trip to Texas just to interview for a company I almost didn't stop to talk to.

  

  My first 'business trip' flying in style into DFW International Airport.

3. How can you follow up? 

• Following up can be one of the most important parts. It's how you develop a network and show initiative. 
• Immediately after you leave a company's booth, take down some notes about what you talked about. Try and be as specific as possible. 
• After the fair, email the person or send them a message on LinkedIn. Use the notes you took to make it feel personal! 
• i.e. "Hi Susie, It was nice to meet you today. It was great to hear how much you like x about your job. I would love to learn more about your role and the company. What next steps are there for applying? Thanks for your time, -Anna"

Those are 3 big things that can help you make the most out of the career fair! Have you attended a career fair before? What are your go-to tips for talking to employers? Comment below.

And in case you were wondering.. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. But I think exploration is what your twenties are for :)

PTT: Presenting like a Professional [Woman]

Professional Tip Tuesday
My roommate told me this morning a radio host referred to today as: "National Don't Want to Go Back to Work Day". Man, oh, man I couldn't agree more. My first 'paid' holiday and I still felt like I could have used an extra day!

Friday after work, I made a split second decision to go back to Iowa City for the home opener football game. As much as I love Kansas City, it was fantastic to recognize some faces and be in a familiar place for a bit.

A holiday weekend spent with good friends and cheering on the Hawkeyes.

And now, I am in my last week of training at work - hallelujah! But before I get there.. I have a big presentation coming up on Thursday. So today's Professional Tip Tuesday is: 

Presenting like a professional [woman]!

This post specifically goes out to the ladies. We tend to have a different speaking style than men. The following 4 tips are things to be aware of when presenting. 

1.Watch out for that upspeak? (The question mark is ironic...)

• Occasionally girls aren't quite as confident in the words we're speaking and we phrase our sentences as questions. But what does that do? It totally discredits everything we have said. That's no good.

• You are presenting on the topic for a reason. You know your stuff. So show it with a strong, confident ending to your sentences!

2. Use punctuation. Don't interrupt yourself.

• I didn't even know it, but this describes exactly what I do ALL the time. Do you ever find yourself adding on ands and buts and howevers like they are going out of style? Compound sentences are another big thing we do when we're feeling unsure. 
• Tara Sophia Mohr explains it perfectly in her article (linked here): "When we don't feel we have the right to take up space in a meeting or conversation, or when we are nervous, we tend to rush, and never leave a moment without words". 

3. Be an expert. Know it and practice it. 

• The key to successfully do 1 and 2 is to actually be sure of what you are talking about. If you are comfortable with the content, the rest will come way more naturally. 
• And here's the secret - it's ok if you don't know everything! The audience will be oblivious as long as you can say most of it with confidence. 
• **Bonus tip: If someone in the audience asks you something you are unsure of, deflect the question with something like: "I want to make sure I give you the right answer so let me check up on that and get back to you." You will still sound like you know it all. And as long as you follow up with that person, your credibility is saved.

My friends and I didn't know everything about the university when we worked for orientation.
But we definitely had to be comfortable with the material when presenting to students!

4. Embrace your personality! Our warm tones can set us apart.

• The more I read about women in the workplace - the more excited I get. We have a special niche skill that makes us an incredible value to any team. 
• Especially in the context of tips 1, 2, and 3 - an empathetic but confident tone can make for one killer presentation!

There you go. That's my 4 big tips on a successful presentation. These are all things I am learning to embrace slow but sure. All of these tips will do wonders if you can get them down. 

Men tend to naturally speak more matter-of-factly than women. So for this week's questions: Whether you are a man or a woman - what's your trick to sounding like you know your stuff? What are your top presentation tips? Comment below! I would love to hear your advice since my big speech is coming up on Thursday :)

PTT: Think about the PLOT

Professional Tip Tuesday:

How do you PLOT your words to effectively communicate?

Yesterday during training at work we had a "Consultative Partnering" session. It was an workshop all about effective communication - my bread and butter. I loved it! One of the things we learned about was PLOT.. which is what I want to offer up today for a Professional Tip Tuesday.

PLOT is all about knowing your audience and making your communication efforts count. In my internship last year, someone described the role of a communicator as an interpreter. Basically, anyone utilizing their communication skills is trying to convey an idea from one person to another.

I don't know about you, but interpreter makes a lot more sense to me when I think about the purpose of communication. It's not necessarily all about leveraging my personal communication style to woo the person receiving the message. It is more about understanding how to cater that message and help the receiver make sense of it. 

And voila! Along comes the PLOT idea: A simple acronym that helps you figure out how to best deliver a message to a particular person. As you look at the example below, think about someone you know well and fill in their traits. Here is the breakdown:

PLOT: 

• P - Personality 
• How would you describe the person and their personality?
• i.e. Pragmatic and always multi-tasking
• L - Language 
• How does the person communicate? 
• i.e. Short and to the point
• O - Opinion or Frame of Reference
• How do they generally seem to view life?
• i.e. Realistic
• T - Task 
• How do they approach a task?
• i.e. Very structured, step-by-step, lots of details

The whole idea with PLOT is that it gives you the opportunity to quickly assess what your audience needs. It can make a world of difference when you are deciding how to deliver a message. 

For example, I am generally a relational gal. My communication style is full of rapport. But if I were talking to the person I used as an example above, they may hate that fluff. By mapping out their PLOT, I figured out I had better use more succinct and to the point communication with that person. 

If I were to ask this person to do something, I would want to think about the PLOT and how it comes into play. I would not spend as much time on the big picture - I would focus more on the details and the importance of their particular part. I would explain to them exactly what I need them to do and the significance to the project. 

So that is my example of PLOT. Use this next time you are trying to communicate an idea! Whether it's your roommate or a coworker, PLOT can help you establish a communication style that works on the individual level. 

It's also really interesting to PLOT yourself! It helps you breakdown your communication style in a whole new way. So what's yours? Comment below and tell me about it.