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"Focus! Make sure your resume focuses on the job you want, not the job you have/used to have but now hate. Be very clear to your readers so they don't have to try and guess what you want to do (because they won't)."

Erin Kennedy, Professional Resume Services, Inc.

“Be relevant! Your resume must 'speak the language' of your target audience and show them that you have done the exact things (or possess the exact skills) they are asking for in the job description.”

Vicki Aubin, The Rockin' Career Coach

“Let your objective drive the entire writing and formatting process since it’s all about positioning yourself for your next opportunity and not just rehashing the past! Note: This does NOT mean you have to include an objective statement on your resume and, in fact, I prefer you start with a summary section that showcases your core qualifications as they relate to your job search goal.”

Wendy Enelow, Author, Modernize Your Resume: Get Noticed … Get Hired

“To be effective in winning interviews, your resume must be a persuasive, branded marketing document that is results-focused and tailored to the position you are seeking. Generic, one-size-fits-all documents with misspellings, poor grammar and lack of focus get circular filed.”

Louise Garver, Career Directions International

"Don't let your resume get out of date. You never know when the opportunity for your dream job will present itself. When you have the attention of a hiring manager or recruiter, you want to be able to send them your information ASAP, not next week."

Donna Svei, Avid Careerist

“Be clear about communicating your value proposition—what you can deliver—with proof of performance in a way that will distinguish you from others competing for the same position. This is best accomplished in the branded profile at the top of the resume (be specific and include concise examples), then backed up with a few salient details in the brief Challenge-Action-Result stories in the experience section.”

Jan Melnik, Absolute Advantage

Vocabulary:
possess (the exact skills) = have, own

objective = purpose, goal. aim

rehash - to arrange ideas, pieces of writing or pieces of film into a new form but without any great change or improvement

core (qualifications) = fundamental, essential, basic

persuasive = convincing - good at making people do what you want

tailored (to) - made for a particular person or purpose

ASAP - as soon as possible

back up (with) - ​to provide support for somebody/something

salient = relevant, important

Source: https://advice.j2c.com/career-experts-share-top-resume-tips/

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“Scrap the useless stuff, focus on relevant information and show benefit of hiring you to your future employer.”

Tomas Ondrejka, Kickresume.com

“Never misrepresent yourself on your resume. Resume lies—even small ones—can result in a job offer being pulled, or can come back to bite you months or even years later. It's not worth it. Represent your skills and experience in a way that appeals to a prospective employer, but do so accurately and honestly.”

Luke Roney, JobHero

“Recruiters aren’t interested in dry and boring job descriptions with lists of duties or even lists of responsibilities; focus instead on your actual achievements in each role you have undertaken—and do try to quantify them with figures, percentages, etc. where at all possible so as to add both weight and credibility.”

James Innes, The Resume Center

“Ask yourself: Can a recruiter or hiring manager easily identify your unique selling point on your resume? A recruiter or hiring manager needs to be able to identify your unique selling point easily.  Beyond the requirements for the role, what do you uniquely bring to the position? Make sure that trait/characteristic/skill/experience is highlighted.”

Amy Wolfgang, Wolfgang Career Coaching

“My piece of advice for job seekers would be to make their resume mobile-friendly. Long gone are the days of including graphics and fancy elements on a printed resume. With a large majority of hiring managers and recruiters viewing resumes on mobile, it is important for a resume to be easily readable on all mobile devices. "

Caileen Kehayas, Proven

"Tailor each resume (yes, a different resume for each company) to the company and position you are interviewing for...meaning you want to focus on the skills and abilities that the company puts a lot of value in (not just the things you are proficient at) and present them in detail on your resume."

Mike Simpson, TheInterviewGuys.com

Vocabulary:
scrap - to cancel or get rid of something that is no longer practical or useful

come back to bite somebody - to become a bigger problem in the future because you have not dealt with it:

worth - important, good or pleasant enough to make somebody feel satisfied, especially when difficulty or effort is involved

appeal (to) - to attract or interest somebody

credibility - the quality that somebody/something has that makes people believe or trust them

selling point - a feature of something that makes people want to buy or use it

highlight = underline, emphasize, stress, accentuate

fancy - unusually complicated, often in an unnecessary way; intended to impress other people

tailor - to make or adapt something for a particular purpose, a particular person, etc.

proficient (in/at) - able to do something well because of training and practice

Source: https://advice.j2c.com/career-experts-share-top-resume-tips/

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“When it comes to writing your resume, don't try to be everything to everyone. Decide on what job you want to apply for and write your resume in a way which positions your skills, experience and personality as the obvious answer to that employer's problem.”

Irene McConnell, Arielle Careers

“Demonstrate your value by illustrating your accomplishments. Companies want to know what you can do for them and the only way they will know is if you have done it for someone else, i.e., saved company money, helped increase sales, improved processes, etc.”

Martin Weitzman, Gilbert Resumes

“Shifting to an achievement-based resume is ideal because this relays to hiring companies that you’re someone who has produced results for current and past employers…and as we know, past performance offers reassurance for repeat positive performance.”

Teena Rose, Resume to Referral, LLC

"Write your resume to show you’re the perfect fit for the position you’re targeting. Your fit for the role can be substantiated in many different ways—from your branding statement, to the accomplishments you share, to the culture of the company. Include how you are the solution to the company’s problem. Create your branding statement around it, use examples of how you’ve resolved identical problems/needs before and how you positively impacted your client or employer. Employers are looking for specialists (experts) not for generalists or jack-of-all-trades."

Jessica Hernandez, Great Resumes Fast

"When describing the roles you have held, succinctly list the successes you achieved not just your responsibilities"

Kimberley Hubble, Hudson RPO

“When writing your resume make sure you use the SAR format:

S: What was the situation or project in which you were involved?

A: What action did you take to address an issue, overcome an obstacle, or drive change?

R: What was the result of your actions?

If job seekers use that formula on their resume, the document will be results focused and highlight the key points that provide for a compelling, achievement-based resume.”

Debra Wheatman, Careers Done Write

Vocabulary:
when it comes to = concerning, in terms of, as for

accomplishment = achievement - an impressive thing that is done or achieved after a lot of work

shift (to) - to change from one state, position, etc. to another

relay (to) - to receive and send on information, news, etc. to somebody

substantiate (claims, accusations) - to provide information or evidence to prove that something is true

jack-of-all-trades - a person who can do many different types of work, but who perhaps does not do them very well

succinctly = concisely - using only a few words that state something clearly

address (an issue) - to think about a problem or a situation and decide how you are going to deal with it

overcome (an obstacle) - to succeed in dealing with or controlling a problem that has been preventing you from achieving something

obstacle = problem, issue. complication, hindrance

drive (change, growth) - to influence something or cause it to make progress

compelling = exciting, intriguing, fascinating, intriguing, gripping

Source: https://advice.j2c.com/career-experts-share-top-resume-tips/

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“Keep it current. Every six months, everyone should take a look at their resume and make any relevant updates or changes based upon their accomplishments. By keeping it up to date, it’s always ready.”

Beth Colley, Chesapeake Career Management Services

“Focus more on unique and novel accomplishments, and less on typical day-to-day responsibilities. You don’t need to tell us in 10 different ways that you made coffee if your job title is Barista—we know what a Barista does. Focus instead on something you did that wasn’t something we could easily guess.”

Dave Fecak, Resume Raiders

“The only way for hiring authorities to predict future performance is to assess past performance. When including accomplishments in the resume, be sure to use the CAR formula (challenge, action, results). For every achievement bullet point be sure to begin the bullet with the result/impact and follow it up with the action.”

Lisa Chapman, Chapman Services Group, LLC

“Make sure your resume is perfect. Spell check, grammar check, proofread it and then give it to a friend to proofread. Read it out loud or, if you have trouble catching your own mistakes, print it and proof it again.”

Malki Ehrlich, GingerSoftware.com

"Be CLEAR about the job you want (‘your target’). Think of your resume as a product. It's a box. Without a job title or clear cut indication of the type of job you want, it's unclear if you are a box of cereal or a box of laundry detergent. Don't give recruiters the unnecessary power to jump to conclusions about who you want to be and what type of role you want to land: spell it out for them by writing a bold title right across the top!!"

Laura M. Labovich, The Career Strategy Group

"Think of your resume in the same way you would your outfit for an interview—don’t make it too cute or decorative; keep it professional, honest, concise and informative but allow your personality to come through."

Jennifer Gefsky, Après

Vocabulary:
keep it current = keep it up to date - having or including the most recent information

novel (feature, concept, idea) - different from anything known before; new, interesting and often seeming slightly strange

bullet point - an item in a list in a document, that is printed with a square, diamond or circle in front of it in order to show that it is important. The square, etc. is also called a bullet point.

proofread - to read and correct a piece of written or printed work

clear-cut - definite and easy to see or identify

jump to conclusions - to make a decision about somebody/something too quickly, before you know or have thought about all the facts

bold - brave and confident; not afraid to say what you feel or to take risks

concise = brief, succinct - giving only the information that is necessary and important, using few words

Source: https://advice.j2c.com/career-experts-share-top-resume-tips/

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Reading time: about 8 min

Although virtual meetings do have a lot to offer hybrid and remote teams, great virtual meetings don't happen by accident. Virtual meetings come with challenges that are often preventable with some advance preparation.

To make your virtual meetings more intentional from the start, consider implementing meeting best practices that can improve participation and engagement.

Technical challenges and solutions

Although technology has a lot to offer, technical issues are almost a given with virtual meetings. These issues can show up for both facilitators and participants-potentially impacting your success in collaborating with your team. Challenges may run the gamut from internet issues to software bugs. Common technical problems with virtual meetings include:

Bad connection

Feedback or echo

Poor sound quality

Video slows or stops

Dropped meeting or call

Software updates

System incompatibility

Wrong settings or permissions

Regardless of the cause, you may experience technical challenges from time to time, and without having a plan for how to manage those technical issues, the productivity of your virtual meetings may suffer.

Prevention and planning are your best tools for managing technical challenges. Not all of your participants may have the same level of comfort with technology and resolving their own technical issues, so you as a facilitator may be put in the position of troubleshooting technology. If necessary, ask everyone to install the meeting software beforehand and check their microphones, sound, and connectivity in advance of the meeting.

Solutions

Microphone not working: If your microphone isn't working properly, it's possible that the wrong microphone is selected in your settings or that your permissions aren't granting your meeting software access to your microphone. Your computer/device may have more than one microphone, so be sure to check that you're using the correct one. If one microphone isn't working properly, you can switch to a different microphone or purchase a plug-and-play microphone for your device. Test your microphone using a free online testing tool or built-in testing via your meeting software platform.

Feedback or an echo: Speaker noise could be caused by problems with a participant's microphone and speaker setup, so if you have a large number of participants attending the meeting, be sure to ask them all to mute their microphones when they're not speaking. You can look for the source of the echo by testing each microphone one at a time, if needed.

Speaker not working: Speaker issues are often a software problem, meaning you may need to check software settings or permissions. As with microphones, speakers can be tested online or within your meeting software. Aging speakers sometimes develop sound problems, too, so you may want to consider purchasing a high-quality speaker or headset you can plug into your device.

Background noise: During the call, ask everyone to mute their microphones while they aren't speaking. Facilitators and participants should find somewhere quiet to join the meeting and silence background noise, if possible. If that doesn't eliminate the background noise, you may be experiencing a software issue. If all else fails, sometimes ending the meeting and starting over can help.

Weak connection: Ultimately, even the best internet connection has limitations, but a weak connection can make it impossible to facilitate or participate in a virtual meeting. Sharing a connection with high-bandwidth activities such as video streaming, information processing or uploading can make it more difficult to successfully run a virtual meeting. Try to save high-bandwidth activity for when you aren't in a meeting. Before the meeting begins, check your connection.

No internet: When your internet connection fails, your meeting software will usually drop your call unexpectedly, and you won't be able to reconnect. Having a secondary connection available if your internet connection is unreliable can help. Sometimes a smartphone hotspot will suffice in a pinch. If your connection drops suddenly, try reconnecting.

Participation challenges and solutions

Like technical challenges, participation issues can disrupt virtual meetings or reduce their likelihood of success. Quality participation means everyone is getting value from the meeting and contributing value also.

What you do to encourage participation as a facilitator can have a direct impact on your results. Do what you can to help your participants get the most out of the virtual meeting.

Participation issues can range from the impact of time zone differences to how easy it is to interrupt other meeting attendees. Other common challenges include:

Multitasking during the call

Distractions outside of the meeting

Boredom or a lack of engagement with the topic

Focus on other projects or on personal issues

Participants feel uncomfortable or unacknowledged

Participants don't know each other well

Meeting is scheduled at an inconvenient time for a particular time zone

Forgetting which time zone the meeting is in

One or more of these challenges could interfere with a participant's ability to attend the meeting and participate successfully. For this reason, it's important to work with your participants so that everyone has what they need.

Solutions

To improve participation quality, it is important to keep your meetings well-organized and prepared. Here are a few tips:

Use an agenda: Let everyone know what to expect during the meeting and when. With that information, they can plan their schedule better and know what to pay attention to during the call.

Team meeting agenda (click on image to modify online)

Find the best time: Split the difference between time zones to build engagement and boost attendance. If possible, avoid scheduling meetings that are late in the night or early in the morning for your attendees. You could also pre-record a presentation and schedule a short follow-up meeting for questions.

Build rapport: Whenever possible, create an environment in your virtual meeting room where attendees feel comfortable asking questions or making comments. You could ask someone ahead of time to ask you a question or two during the meeting to help other attendees feel comfortable.

Make it visual: Having visuals to look at provides more reinforcement for the topics discussed during your meeting, helps visual learners to participate, and helps to alleviate boredom.

Break up long presentations: If you're presenting difficult or lengthy information to a group, consider breaking up the presentation into smaller pieces with different activities or topics in between. For instance, after a 10-minute overview of a new topic, you could open up discussion around a short case study or example before moving on. Remember that long meetings are unlikely to succeed-many people begin to lose focus when meetings are longer than an hour. You could schedule breaks or plan a long meeting in sessions over a few days.

Ask questions: Engage participants during a long presentation by asking your audience a question or two for discussion.

Brainstorm in advance: Ahead of time, you could invite participants to brainstorm before the meeting via a virtual whiteboard such as Lucidspark. Your participants could ask questions, review ideas, and even make suggestions before your meeting. This process can make your meeting more productive and help your participants to get involved.

User story map brainstorm

Improving meeting engagement and facilitation

Often, how facilitators run their virtual meetings has a direct impact on the quality and value attendees receive. Facilitating better meetings has a lot to do with making meetings more meaningful and helpful rather than just mandatory online gatherings.

Ineffective facilitation can cause many meeting challenges, such as:

Meeting moves too fast or too slow

Only some attendees sharing ideas while others aren't heard

Uncertain goals

Incomplete guest list or too many attendees

Solutions

To facilitate a better meeting for your attendees, consider:

Involving the meeting sponsor: Ask whomever gains the most from your meeting's outcome to share their own expectations and objectives with you. Find out what outcome your meeting needs to meet in order for it to be considered productive. You can use this information to guide your planning, invitations, and scheduling.

Design canvas for meeting agenda (click on image to modify online)

Learn how to be a better facilitator in this webinar with facilitation expert Marsha Acker.

Keep learning about how to improve virtual meetings with a free ebook.

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Virtual Meeting Challenges and How to Overcome Them

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Reading time: about 8 min Although virtual meetings do have a lot to offer hybrid and remote teams, great virtual meetings don't happen by accident. Virtual meetings come with challenges that are often preventable with some advance preparation. To make your virtual meetings more intentional from the start, consider implementing meeting best practices that can improve participation and engagement.

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One of the areas that my clients find challenging is communicating effectively in English when there is no visual element, for example, when on audio-only calls and when the video is switched off.

Specifically, the lack of cues to help interpretation, such as facial expressions and body language, can make it harder to connect and judge the reaction of the other person, especially if their voice is not very expressive, or they are distracted. The lack of visuals means you have to concentrate much harder to interpret the key messages and understand.

It can come up as an issue also because your connection or the sound is not great, or you experience technical issues. Finally, it can be incredibly challenging when you find it hard to understand the other person, maybe because you are not used to their accent, way of speaking or speed of speech.

You might be concerned that you do not pick up the intended messages and miss a critical point which is essential to the call.

You might start to feel awkward as you lose the thread of the conversation and struggle to participate fully, share your views and have a share of voice.

So what if you do experience difficulties?

What can you say to explain, without sounding like you do not understand, or being rude?

How do you make sure you really understand those key points?

Today I am sharing my key professional English phrases for overcoming challenges on virtual calls with no video, so you can flag your challenges appropriately, make sure you are fully part of the conversation and connect well to the team.

Connection challenges

I was having problems logging on.

I had a technical issue.

I'm afraid the connection is not very good.

The wifi isn't very good, I'll drop off and reconnect.

I'm going to move to another room, back in a minute.

I'm sorry, I think we missed that, you just froze.

We lost you for a minute there, but I think you were talking about.....

Could you just repeat that please, we lost you for a minute.

You're breaking up quite a lot.

Hearing issues

I'm sorry, I can't hear you very well, it's quite noisy in the background.

Your sound is a bit quiet, could you speak a bit more loudly, please?

Sorry, can you say that again, I can't hear you clearly.

Could you write your question/ comment in the chat?

Other problems

You're on mute

My camera/ microphone/ my sound isn't working at the moment.

Can you see my screen?

I'm sharing my screen, can everyone see it?

Give me a thumbs up if you can see it.

Problems with understanding somebody

I didn't quite catch that

Could you repeat that again (slowly), please?

Could you run that past me again, please?

Can I just check that I understand what you said? So, ..... (repeat back in your own words)

I'm not sure I quite understand, could you email the details?

I hope you do not experience these issues too frequently on audio-only calls, however you now can prepare for this situation with these key phrases above! You can feel in control and know how to make sure you flag your issues professionally and appropriately. This means you can be fully part of the conversation, participate, share your views and have your rightful share of voice.
Any questions or need more help? Contact me to chat further about your challenges.
You might also like reading:

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Coping with online meeting issues - Culture Cuppa Blog

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One of the areas that my clients find challenging is communicating effectively in English when there is no visual element, for example, when on audio-only calls and when the video is switched off. Specifically, the lack of cues to help interpretation, such as facial expressions and body language, can make it harder to connect and ...

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Maintaining people's attention during a virtual meeting is challenging enough without technical difficulties derailing your live presentation. If something goes wrong on the speaker's end, it's not uncommon for the audience to lose interest while the issues are being addressed, which can destroy your chances of achieving your communication objectives.

Fortunately, there are swift actions you can take to maintain command of the virtual room. We asked 14 members of Forbes Coaches Council what speakers should do to stay on track if they experience technical difficulties while delivering a presentation to an online audience. Here's what they had to say.

Members share advice for handling technical issues during virtual presentations.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.

1. Have A 'Low-Tech' Backup Plan
Always have an alternative "low-tech" plan for your meeting. Include a "protocol" in the meeting preparation information that you send to all attendees that gives clear action steps for moments when video, Wi-Fi or audio fails. Setting up a teleconference line is an option if the video quality is compromised. Send PDF slides in advance for participants to download on a device in the event that you can't share your screen. - Christine Grimm, Aria Consulting International
2. Overprepare For The Meeting
Overprepare so that you can improve new approaches to engaging the audience in the moment. This includes having a backup audio solution and a person prepared to jump in and keep the momentum going. Most importantly, keep things simple. Overreliance on technology can complicate what should be a human interaction and connection. - Cyndee Blockinger Lake, Blank Page
3. Prepare To Continue On Another Platform
Technical glitches are a part of virtual presentations. It's always wise to be prepared beforehand. If video is lost, you still have your enthralling voice to keep the audience engaged. Keep a few polls ready, use platforms like Mural or Miro to engage them in brainstorming or use Mentimeter to continue your presentation outside of your webinar platform in an engaging way. - Pritha Dubey, Success Vitamin
4. Have A Co-Host
Never host alone! Having a co-host or tech by your side who can support either you or your audience or both in a virtual meeting is not a luxury but a must-have if you want to come across in a professional way. A tech/co-host with tech and content knowledge can flexibly support both areas and keep participants engaged when the main presenter has issues, and he or she can help with tech issues. - Ute Franzen-Waschke, Business English & Culture

Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
5. Delegate Troubleshooting And Audience Engagement
Meetings are most effective when two people are facilitating so that one, preferably the producer, can handle technical difficulties, and the second can engage the participants. Keep the conversation going. You can ask a question and encourage people to respond by voice and chat. This will keep them engaged while your producer troubleshoots the technology. You can also ask participants to share their expertise. - Maureen Metcalf, Innovative Leadership Institute
6. Own The Glitch
With composure and steadiness, own the technical glitch and swiftly move to resolve it. Resolution may require a slight adjustment or possibly moving to plan B or C (a virtual space requires both). Since the risk can be high, preplanning with speakers in advance is key. Encourage them to pose reflective questions, invite the audience to take a 10-minute break, or stay present with what is happening. - Angela Cusack, Igniting Success
7. Designate A 'Tech Support'
Having another colleague come in as the designated support for Zoom or webinar technology in the meeting is great for helping the presenter focus on the content and audience. This resource can either help attendees with connection questions or mute/unmute the microphone as a co-host in Zoom. As co-hosts, they can also advance slides or take over the slide presentation in case the presenter runs into technical issues. - Kelly Huang, Genesis Advisers
8. Maintain Your Momentum And Their Focus
While we always plan for the best, things happen that are out of our control while conducting virtual meetings. The best thing to do while you are fixing the problem is to ask questions and engage the audience. That way you are not losing momentum or their focus. From personal experience, a little humor with some relevant, fun storytelling goes a long way. - Izabela Lundberg, Legacy Leaders Institute
9. Engage People By Name
As soon as you are back online, engage the audience. If possible, call out a few of them by name, ask specific questions and require participants to answer either live or in the chat box. Another strategy that works is to engage in an interactive activity, such as a breakout session or a physical exercise. - Jennifer Helene, Purposeful Ventures, LLC
10. Plan Thought-Provoking Activities
Unexpected technical hiccups are to be expected. Plan ahead so that, when it does happen, you can easily roll with it. I find it helpful to add humor and to have a few thought-provoking activity questions to engage the audience and distract them from paying attention to the technical difficulty. It may be perfect timing for an individual reflection moment. - Sheila Carmichael, Transitions D2D, LLC
11. Have Redundancies In Place
Have redundancies in place in case of technical glitches. The more important and sensitive the nature of the meeting, the more necessary this is. Do you have a backup computer, tablet or phone that you can use, a backup microphone and even a backup for internet connectivity or cell service? Glitches happen, and using a little human ingenuity when they do can help you keep attention while you adjust. - Jonathan H. Westover, Ph.D, Utah Valley University & Human Capital Innovations, LLC
12. Don't Let Your Talk Depend On Technology
Your talks should not be dependent on technology. Too many of the outstanding presenters I've seen over the years wasted many minutes waiting for the IT department to fix "an internet issue," or they let the room go while "getting the PowerPoint to work," and that drives me and the audience crazy. You should be able to pivot from something as dramatic as a power outage or a computer crash and do just as great of a presentation. - John M. O'Connor, Career Pro Inc.
13. Stay Calm And Utilize 'Just In Case' Resources
We're all learners since people have been mandated to work remotely. While leading a live, online leadership program, I was taking more time than anyone expected pairing people up for video breakout discussions. I stayed calm, apologized and laughed at myself, then shared a question for discussion that I had prepared "in case" of technical challenges, encouraging self-sufficiency. It worked. - Sheila Goldgrab, Goldgrab Leadership Coaching
14. Pivot Into A Teachable Moment
Don't panic; pivot instead. Let your audience know what the challenge is, then work on the solution in front of them. People understand that this virtual world is new for most people. Use it as a teachable moment and never let them see you sweat. - Pasha Carter, The VIP Network

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Council Post: Experiencing Technical Difficulties? 14 Ways To Maintain Command Of A Virtual Room

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Maintaining an audience's attention can be challenging even for speakers who are live and in person. If you face technical issues while delivering a virtual presentation, it can be even more difficult. Here, 14 experts from Forbes Coaches Council discuss ways to maintain command of a virtual room.

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Could you tell me about yourself and describe your background in brief?

Interviewers like to hear stories about candidates. Make sure your story has a great beginning, a riveting middle, and an end that makes the interviewer root for you to win the job. Talk about a relevant incident that made you keen on the profession you are pursuing and follow up by discussing your education. In the story, weave together how your academic training and your passion for the subject or industry the company specializes in, combined with your work experience, make you a great fit for the job.

What to say:

“I come from a small town, where opportunities were limited. Since good schools were a rarity, I started using online learning to stay up to date with the best. That’s where I learned to code and then I went on to get my certification as a computer programmer. After I got my first job as a front-end coder, I continued to invest time in mastering both front- and back-end languages, tools, and frameworks.”

“I grew up in rural Montana as the oldest of five kids. I had to lead and take care of others from a young age, which is something that’s helped me throughout life. Second, growing up in rural Montana, I spent a lot of time in the outdoors, which is why I chose to study environmental studies in college. My recent experience with [Company X] has really allowed that passion to flourish. Now I’m looking forward to taking my skills to a larger stage — which is why I’m here talking to you today.”

How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?

Employers ask this question to gauge how you interact with various stakeholders or colleagues of differing opinions. Do you hold down the fort or crumble under pressure? They want to make sure that you won’t have a meltdown when the pressure becomes intense and deadlines are looming. Share an instance when you remained calm despite the turmoil. For this question, consider sticking to the STAR method, which stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result or learning.

What to say:

“I realize stressful situation are always going to come up, and I definitely have had to learn how to navigate them throughout my career. I think I get better at it with every new experience. While working on a new product launch at my last company, for example, things were not going according to plan with my team. Instead of pointing fingers, my first reaction was to take a step back and figure out some strategies around how we could we solve the problem at hand. Previously, I may have defaulted to panicking in that situation, so being calm and collected was definitely a step forward and helped me approach the situation with more clarity.”

“I was working as a project manager on an IT project, and one technician was constantly late finishing tasks. When I approached him about it, he got defensive, so I kept calm and acknowledged that the deadlines were challenging and asked how I could help him meet expectations. He told me that he had been pulled into another project so I met with the other project manager and we came to a resolution that lightened the technician’s workload. For the remainder of the project, the technician delivered great work. I learned that you don’t always know what others are experiencing and by keeping that in mind, you can better navigate conflict and be a more helpful and supportive colleague.”

Have you ever quit a job? If so, why?Have you ever been fired? If so, what happened?

Candidates answering this question should be positive and underscore what they learned in that role that sets them apart, as well as how a new role fits into their career path, according to Sethi.

Be honest, frame your experience positively and talk about how the new job is a better fit and what you hope to learn.

What to say:

“I learned so much about leadership from my time at [Company X], I felt that working for [Company Y] would be the next logical step for my career path.”

“The last job wasn’t a good fit, which helped me to seriously examine my strengths and weaknesses and what I want to learn in my next job. That’s what led me to this job today.”

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Your company is looking for a new employee to participate in a major project. The boss wants the communication within the group to run smoothly, so your team is asked to pick a colleague with whom you would like to work together.

Hold a meeting. Each of you must choose three personality traits from the file. You will have to prove to your colleagues that these are exactly the traits that a new employee should have. Allow everyone to speak up about one trait at a time. After a circle of answers, pass to the next trait.

Let's make the game harder! You will be prompted for idioms that you must use every time you answer. Try to include as many idioms as you can.

Your colleagues will be asked to do the same. Ask them politely about the meaning of the idioms that they have used.

If you are asked the meaning of an idiom, explain it.

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What are your greatest strengths?

In your answer to this question, share your most relevant technical and soft skills. While it may feel uncomfortable to speak highly of yourself, remember that this is your opportunity to tell your interviewers what makes you a great candidate. To answer, follow the formula below:

1. Share one to a few positive qualities and personal attributes: "I’ve always been a natural leader...”

2. Back them up with examples: "...I’ve exceeded my KPIs every quarter and have been promoted twice in the past five years. I look back at those successes and know that I wouldn’t have reached them if I hadn’t built and led teams composed of highly skilled and diverse individuals. I’m proud of my ability to get cross-functional groups on the same page...”

3. Relate them back to the role for which you’re interviewing: "...I’ve also regularly honed my management skills through 360 reviews and candid sessions with my team, and I know continuing to build my leadership skills is something I want from my next role.”

What are your greatest weaknesses?

It can feel awkward to discuss your weaknesses in an environment where you’re expected to focus on your accomplishments. However, when answered correctly, sharing your weaknesses shows that you are self-aware with an interest in continued growth and learning—traits that are extremely attractive to many employers. Consider using this formula for your response:

1. Select an actual weakness (not a strength) that's honest but professionally relevant: "I’m naturally shy...”

2. Add context: "...From high school and into my early professional interactions, it sometimes prevented me from speaking up...”

3. Provide a specific example:" ...After being a part of a workgroup that didn’t meet our strategic goals two quarters in a row, I knew I owed it to my team and myself to confidently share my ideas...”

4. Explain how you overcame or are working to overcome it: "...I joined an improv acting class. It’s fun and has really helped me overcome my shyness. I learned practical skills around leading discussions and sharing diverse perspectives. Now, in group settings, I always start conversations with the quieter folks. I know exactly how they feel, and people can be amazing once they start communicating.”

What is your greatest accomplishment?

It’s easy to get hung up on figuring out your single most impressive accomplishment. Instead, think of a few achievements that showcase your work ethic and values. If you can, pick examples that also tie back to the job you’re applying for. The STAR method is a great tool to ensure you highlight the most relevant parts of your story.

What to say:

“In my last role, I managed all of the company's social media content. I noticed other brands were experimenting with videos and seeing great engagement from their customers, so I asked my boss if we could do a low-budget test. She agreed, so I produced a video cheaply in-house that drove double the engagement we normally saw on our social channels. It also drove conversions with 30% of viewers visiting our website within a week of seeing the video.”

Tell me about a time you failed.

Stories of failure can reveal important insights about an applicant’s maturity, resilience, temperament, openness to learning, and ability to receive critical feedback. What the recruiter ultimately wants — and they may even state this explicitly — is not so much your story of failure but what you learned from it and how you turned that insight into a productive approach.

When speaking about learning: Learned / Gleaned / Gained insight / Realized / Understood

When speaking about overcoming a challenge: Overcame / Improved / Elevated / Corrected

When speaking about reimagining a challenge: Recalibrated / Adjusted

What to say:

Last year, my team introduced a new cloud-based internal filing system to the company and launched it as quickly as possible. But when the staff reported errors and frustrations using it, we realized that we hadn’t taken their learning curve into consideration. So, we met and worked with our internal communications team to develop a company-wide education campaign. I regret we didn’t make this part of our roll-out plan, but we worked very hard to learn from what happened and now prioritize user education with all product roll outs.

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Wordwall - Create better lessons quicker

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Making a suggestion: How about ...?, Let's ..., I suggest we ..., Why don't we ...?, Maybe we could...?, What if we ...?, Asking for suggestions: Has anybody got any more ideas?, What does everybody else think?, How are we going to...?, Do you think we should...?, Agreeing: Sounds good to me., OK, let's give it a try., What a good idea., Sure, why not?, I guess that could work., Disagreeing: That's a good idea, but..., Hmmm, I see what you mean but..., I'm not sure I agree because..., I don't think that will work because..., The problem is..., Asking for Clarification: Sorry, what do you mean by that?, I'm not sure what you mean by "formal dress code." Could you show me some examples?, Sorry, I don't understand this phrase. Would you mind rephrasing it for me?, Hmm, I'm not sure I understand. Could you explain that again?, Hmm, I don't quite follow you. Could you explain that to me again?, I'm afraid I'm not following. Could you be more specific?, Could you elaborate on that for me? I'm not sure I follow., Giving clarification: I'd like to explain..., What I mean is..., Sorry, let me explain..., Let me clarify..., To put it differently, , To put it in another way...,

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Making a suggestion: How about ...?, Let's ..., I suggest we ..., Why don't we ...?, Maybe we could...?, What if we ...?, Asking for suggestions: Has anybody got any more ideas?, What does everybody else think?, How are we going to...?, Do you think we should...?, Agreeing: Sounds good

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What type of work environment do you prefer?

Be sure to do your homework on the organization and its culture before the interview. Your preferred environment should closely align to the company’s workplace culture (and if it doesn’t, it may not be the right fit for you). For example, you may find on the company’s website that they have a flat organizational structure or that they prioritize collaboration and autonomy. Those are key words you can mention in your answer to this question.

If the interviewer tells you something about the company that you didn’t uncover in your research, like, “Our culture appears buttoned-up from the outside, but in reality, it’s a really laid-back community with little competition among employees,” try to describe an experience you’ve had that dovetails with that.

What to say:

“That sounds great to me. I like fast-paced work environments because they make me feel like I’m always learning and growing, but I really thrive when I’m collaborating with team members and helping people reach a collective goal as opposed to competing.”

Do you prefer working independently or on a team?

Your answer should be informed by the research you’ve done on the company culture and the job in question. Nevertheless, you should expect that most work environments will have some team aspect.

Many positions require you to work collaboratively with other people on a daily basis, while some roles require you to work on your own. When you answer this question, highlight the best traits of your personality and how they fit the job requirements. It could also be in your interest to answer this question by highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of both situations.

What to say:

“I enjoy a blend of the two. I like having a team to strategize with, get diverse opinions from, and reach out to for feedback. But I am also comfortable taking on assignments that require me to work independently. I find I do some of my best work when I can focus alone in a quiet space, but I really value collaborating with my teammates to come up with the best ideas.”

When you’re balancing multiple projects, how do you keep yourself organized?

Employers want to understand how you use your time and energy to stay productive and efficient. They’re also looking to understand if you have your own system for staying on track with the work beyond the company’s schedules and workflow plans. Be sure to emphasize that you adhere to deadlines and take them seriously.

Discuss a specific instance when you stayed on track. Talk about the importance and urgency of the projects you were working on and how you allocated your time accordingly. Explain how you remain organized and focused on the job in front of you.

What to say:

“I’m used to juggling projects at my current job where I’m often moving between coding one software program to another. I use the timeboxing technique to make sure they’re all on track, allocating time on my calendar for certain tasks. I’ve found it really helps me prioritize what needs to get done first, and it holds me accountable for the more repetitive day-to-day tasks I’m responsible for.”

Where do you think you'll be in five years?

This can be an infuriating question, says Welch. After all, she says, it’s hard to predict the future and most employers expect you to see yourself at their company. While you should stress that you see yourself at the company for the long haul, set yourself apart, Welch says. Show you understand how the company will change and how you will evolve with it.

What to say:

"Some of my future goals for the next few years include leading a design team in a formal capacity. I’m also excited about the prospect of working with product and event teams on developing streamlined processes—this is a natural fit with my project management background.”

“I would like to continue developing my marketing expertise over the next several years. One of the reasons I’m interested in working for a fast-growing startup company is that I’ll have the ability to wear many hats and collaborate with many different departments. I believe this experience will serve me well in achieving my ultimate goal of someday leading a marketing department.”

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What are your salary expectations?

Employers will always ask this question because every position is budgeted, and they want to ensure your expectations are consistent with that budget before moving forward. Remember that it’s often better to discuss a salary range rather than a specific number during the interview and leaving room for negotiation. It’s also better to err on the side of caution and quote a slightly higher number as it’s easier to negotiate downward than upward. As a general rule of thumb, I advise not bringing up the questions about salary until your interviewer does or bringing it up too early in the process.

What to say:

“Based on my skills and experience and on the current industry rates, I’m looking at a salary around $____” (then fill in with your desired salary range and rationale).

“My salary expectation is between $XX, and $XX,, which is the average salary for a candidate with my level of experience in this city. However, I am flexible and willing to discuss.”

“I am seeking a position that pays between $75,000 and $80,000 annually, but I am open to negotiating salary depending on benefits, bonuses, equity, stock options and other opportunities.”

“Before discussing any salary, I’d really like to learn more about what this role entails. I’ve done a lot of research on [Company X], and I am certain if it’s the right fit, we’ll be able to agree on a number that’s fair and competitive to both parties.”

Why should we hire you?Why do you want to work at this company?

To truly answer this question, you need to know the company well, says Sethi. Do your research about the company in advance, studying both their pain points and their goals.

Interviewers often ask this question to determine whether or not you took the time to research the company and think critically about whether you’re a good fit. The best way to prepare for this question is to do your homework and learn about the products, services, mission, history and culture of this workplace.

What to say:

“My experience accurately managing inventory intake and skills in creating effective, streamlined schedules make me uniquely qualified to succeed in this kitchen manager position. I understand that you require a highly organized candidate with acute attention to detail. In my previous job, I successfully handled schedules for 20 employees and reduced food waste by 15%. I’m confident in my ability to use my organizational skills to bring efficiency and order to your restaurant."

“The company’s mission to help college grads pay off their student loan debt resonates with me. I’ve been in student loan debt myself and would love the opportunity to work with a company that’s making a difference. Finding a company with a positive work environment and values that align with my own has remained a priority throughout my job search and this company ranks at the top of the list.”

“While I highly valued my time at my previous company, there are no longer opportunities for growth that align with my career goals. This position fits perfectly with my skill set and how I’m looking to grow in my career. I’m also looking for a position at a company like yours that supports underserved communities, which is a personal passion of mine.”

What questions do you have?

This question serves as an interview’s finale, says Welch, and it can make or break your chances.

Use your answer to show you’ve been listening to your interviewer and focus on an aspect of the job that you both discussed in your talk. She also suggests you show that you can think expansively by asking about the industry and this company’s competition.

What to say:

“From my conversations with [NAME], I know some of the biggest challenges facing your company will X, Y, and Z. What is the company’s plan to overcome those challenges?”

“Mary said part of my job would be interfacing with the operations team. I’d love to hear a little more about what that entails.”

What would success look like in this role?

What are some of the challenges people typically face in this position?”

Do you have any hesitations about hiring me?

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Top Interview Tips: Common Questions, Nonverbal Communication & More | Indeed

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1.      “The new guy in accounting really made light work of (to do it without fuss, quickly, and with ease) the annual report.”

2.      “Come on everyone – let’s work together as teamwork makes the dream work.”

3.      “We’re all going to have to work together to hit the deadline, but many hands make light work (the more people are involved, the easier the job is.).”

4.      “No one appreciates me here even though I work like a dog (to work hard).”

5.      “Gosh you really are going to work your fingers to the bone (to work hard) if you carry on like this.”

6.      “The only way I’ll get this promotion is if I work my socks off (to work very hard).”

7.      “I’m not sure how long Susie can keep working like this. She’s first in and the last out every day. Burning the candle at both ends (working too hard, normally from early in the morning to late at night) isn’t good for her.”

8.      “I love the new guy in the team. He always goes the extra mile (do extra work, more than is expected) to make sure we get the job done.”

9.      “That’s a great idea and we should discuss it later, so let’s put a pin in it (to move on or change a discussion topic and pick it up later) for now.”

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1.      “Sorry my love, I’m not going to make it home for dinner as I’m snowed under (extremely busy) at work.”

2.      “I don’t want to be part of Tim’s team as he never pulls his weight (do what is required of him)!”

3.      “We’ve been working together for a month and the team is starting to gel (have good relationships with each other and work well together).”

4.      “I’ve thought about what the poster should look like but can’t make up my mind. Can we meet up so I can bounce some ideas off you (to share an idea with someone and get their opinion on whether it is good or bad)?”

5.      “Right, that’s my break over, I had better get back to the grindstone (to return to/start a hard, tedious task).”

6.      “We signed up two new clients last week and 4 new clients this week, with 3 more in the pipeline. We are on a roll (experiencing a period of success or good luck).”

7.      “I don’t understand why he continues to bend over backwards (to work extra hard to help someone or to make them happy) for Julia, she doesn’t appreciate it.”

8.      “We spent 15 years building this business, it took blood, sweat, and tears (a hard thing to do and requires a lot of effort) to make it what it is today.”

9.      “If you all knuckle down (to focus and work diligently on a task or problem) and do your revision between now and the exams then you will pass with flying colours.”

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1.      “I haven’t seen my family for over two years, so we are going to go on holiday together, we really need to make up for lost time (to catch up).”

2.      “Trust me, I will move mountains (make every possible effort) to make sure that you are satisfied with your new branding.”

3.      “The athletes are complaining about having to train on a Sunday, but no pain no gain (suffering is necessary in order to achieve something).”

4.      “I’ve asked him several times but he ignores me.  I must take the bull by the horns (to deal decisively with a difficult or dangerous situation) and tell my landlord that I am moving out unless he fixes the central heating.”

5.      “We have a new team member starting this week. Can everyone help him get up to speed (to be familiar with current information) on our accounts?”

6.      “The client rejected our original concept, so it’s back to the drawing board (to start again after a plan or idea was not successful).”

7.      “Our manager is burning the midnight oil (to consistently work beyond normal business hours) to meet every deadline.”

8.      “Stop looking at past examples and think outside the box (to go beyond a normal idea).”

9.      “Let’s all communicate constantly so we are on the same page (to have a shared understanding with others).”

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1.      “The team must raise the bar (to raise standards or expectations) if we want to win a customer service award.”

2.      “My boss and I don’t always see eye to eye (to agree) on reporting techniques.”

3.      “It may be a good idea, but the bottom line (the most important part) is that it’s not profitable.”

4.      “Ultimately, it’s the client’s choice since they call the shots (to make the major decisions).”

5.      “Don’t expect a promotion if you’re constantly slacking off (to work lazily).”

6.      “I can’t think of any ideas off the top of my head (to know immediately); I’ll have to do more research.”

7.      “The company fired the CEO for not doing things by the book (to do something by law or rule).”

8.      “If you don’t’ know the exact cost, just give a ballpark figure (a rough estimate).”

9.      “We need a thought shower (to come up with a bunch of ideas) to come up with new ideas.”

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It is not easy for many to have a productive online meeting. If you also need to do this in English, and you are not confident in your abilities, the stress level can tend to infinity.

I teach English at EPAM, where in the English for Virtual Communication course, company employees learn to communicate effectively online. In this post, I want to share useful phrases that will come in handy at online meetings and will help you avoid embarrassing situations.

How to conduct an online meeting

"Let's start?"

The more participants, the more difficult it is to control who joined and who should wait. Before you start chatting, check if everyone is on the call. Suddenly someone important is missing?

Phrases to help you and those around you know when to start a meeting:

"Who speaks?"

One of the most embarrassing moments in online communication is when you don't know who is talking. Or others do not understand that you are at the microphone.

Feel free to say your name before you start speaking: "This is Nick", "It's Ann here"...

"May I interrupt?"

To delicately interrupt a person in personal communication, we use gestures and facial expressions. Sometimes eye contact is enough. Online communication is more complicated. To interrupt your conversation politely, use the following phrases:

"Can we continue?"

If they interrupt you, make it clear that you are ready to listen to the interlocutor. You can say: "Go ahead"...

If you have lost your mind, feel free to ask where you left off. The question will come up here "Where was I?"

"I'll take a little pause."

Often people are not going to interrupt, but, performing some actions, they involuntarily become silent. To avoid the awkwardness of the sudden silence, comment on what you are doing.

"Can you see my screen?"

The same rule applies to screen sharing - inform other participants that you are starting the presentation:

Do not forget to check if everything is visible to the participants: "Can everybody see the first slide?"

"I need to go to another meeting"

If the call is taking longer than planned and you need to leave, you can say:

How to report technical issues

They always happen at the most inopportune moment. If you know how to signal them, it already helps to solve the problem.

"Something went wrong"

The first thing to do is to report that there is a problem: "Sorry, I'm having some technical difficulties here"...

"I have communication problems"

If you have a bad connection, you can report it like this:

"Now I will try to fix it."

While you are solving the problem, ask the protesters to wait: "Hold on a minute " or "Hang on ... Is that better?"... Then let us know what's going on:

"I can `t connect"

The phrases below come in handy if you or others have unexpectedly disconnected from the meeting:

If everything is working out, you can say:

"There is a problem with the picture or sound."

Depending on the problem, the following phrases should be used:

It often happens that you used the mute option, then started talking again, but no one responded. Check if you (or your colleague) forgot to turn on the microphone:

If you have difficulty hearing the interlocutor, tell about it:

Practice

We adapted the well-known game Buzzword Bingo, adding the phrases from this post to it. Practice - this is the only way to learn to speak a foreign language! Mark when you hear these phrases in online meetings from colleagues and use them yourself.

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Useful English Phrases for Online Meetings - Prog.World

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It is not easy for many to have a productive online meeting. If you also need to do this in English, and you are not confident in your abilities, the stress level can tend to infinity. I teach English at EPAM, where in the English for Virtual Communication course, company employees learn to communicate effectively...