Dare to Be Deliberate

Sometimes it feels like those conversations with recruiters aren't really interviews. After all, there are definitely things you can and should tell the recruiter, that you may not say during the interview with a company. Building trust between the recruiter and candidate is essential so that you can share what is truly most important as you seek your next career move. But keep in mind, there are things you can do to make sure the recruiter is getting an accurate picture of who you are professionally. When a video call is how you are going to make your first impression, there are a few things you can do to ensure it's a good one.

As a recruiter, Angee often finds herself pointing out those opportunities to make sure the candidates she works with are putting their best foot forward. What's funny is that she has heard more than once, "Oh… I would never do that in a 'real' interview."

When you interview with a recruiter, it is definitely a "real" interview. You are making a first impression. And that recruiter wants you to be "the one." They want you to succeed. Help them help you! In this episode, Angee shares a few ways you can make sure you're not doing anything that distracts the recruiter from learning about your skills, experience and career goals. Basics on how to avoid things that distract that recruiter from all the reasons you are the ideal person for a job.

Take notice of your general appearance. Look behind you and pick the best background that is not distracting. Have the light on your face instead of behind your head, causing you to be in the shadows. It's totally fine if your dog barks – hers might do the same. Kids coming into the room unexpectedly? Cat crosses the keyboard? That's part of life at home. It's all good. But every interview is a real interview.

Visit: LinseyCareers.com for show notes and available downloads.

© 2020 Angee Linsey

As we move from crisis to transformation, communications leaders are taking stock to see if they have the right talent on the team for the work that is ahead. When the doors open back up for hiring, you may be inundated with resumes, and it will take a lot of time to sift through them to find those few that may be right for your specific needs. In your rush to just get help after weeks of communicating in crisis mode, you may take the best of a small batch of resumes hastily screened. But what if the best candidate wasn't in that batch to begin with?

Now is the time to think about the future needs of your team. What roles are going to be critical in the transformation of your organization in a post-pandemic world? How can you start having more casual conversations with potential candidates so they are on your radar when you are ready to hire.

That's what Linsey Careers does best. Let us be your talent scout. Every day we're talking with candidates whose job may or may not have been impacted by COVID, but they are looking for that right next step in their career. They may not be looking at job boards but want to hear about potential opportunities in the future.

If you know you will be making changes or adding to your team later this year or early next, we can screen for those key skills you know you will need. And when you're free to start hiring, you can meet the A-players who want to be on a team with strategic and thoughtful communications leadership. The kind of leadership you offer.

Visit: LinseyCareers.com for show notes and available downloads.

© 2020 Angee Linsey

The pandemic world has given communicators some of the greatest professional challenges they will ever face. This is a time where their skills will help organizations manage through this crisis, and will shape their career.

In a recent blog post from the Arthur W Page Society, our guest John Onoda wrote, "The Next Phase of Corporate Communications in a Pandemic Stricken World" where he shared how influential communicators will need to be as companies go through a multi-year transformational phase post-pandemic.

In this podcast, Angee and John talk about the important focus shift from external to internal communications to help traumatized employees bring businesses back to life. He shares his thoughts and advice for what communicators must do at every level to be an effective partner to the business and, at the same time, take this opportunity to solidify their own career trajectory by earning incredibly valuable experience.

Arthur W. Page blog post link here.

Visit: LinseyCareers.com for show notes and available downloads.

© 2020 Angee Linsey

Recruiters hear stories all the time about crazy things that happen in interviews. When you're the candidate, how do you handle it when the person interviewing you is causing the interview to go off the rails?

In this short episode, Angee gives a few examples of interviews gone wrong and offers a few tips in case it happens to you. Add to the "normal" stress of interviewing, we are now in a situation where the only information you have to go on is what you learn through a video call.

No matter how many examples and tips you hear, when it comes to making a decision about if a company is the right fit, the most important thing is to gather as much information as possible, pay attention to your gut and be confident that it's okay to say no if the match isn't a good one.

Visit: LinseyCareers.com for show notes and available downloads.

© 2020 Angee Linsey

With 75% of internships and new graduate jobs being postponed, cancelled or moved to remote work, there are a lot of young people who are going to have a delayed start to their career. Angee is asking for your help by talking to students and new graduates about your company and various roles that may have never been on their radar. And we're not talking about OPEN positions. This is an opportunity to uncover possibilities for the future.

In an effort to help new graduates facing an incredibly daunting job market, Angee is rolling out a four-session web course that will give students and new grads the tools they need to set themselves up for success as hiring begins again. As professionals, we know that building our network takes time and effort. Actually, finding people who are willing to share their wisdom and provide guidance is a gift. There is no better time than now for you to give that gift to the college students and new graduates.

Who knows? Maybe it will be as good for you to serve as a mentor and coach as it is for that new graduate.

Visit: LinseyCareers.com for show notes and available downloads.

© 2020 Angee Linsey

Too often, when in an organization, we make the assumption that everyone knows what we do when we sit down for that cross functional team meeting, about to embark upon a new project. But if you are introducing yourself as "the comms person" rather than talking about what you do as it relates to the mission at hand, you're missing an opportunity to position yourself as an expert and a valuable team member.

In this episode, Angee expands on the concept of positioning yourself and shows how even people you know may need to be reminded of who you are and what you do today -- because their perception of a "comms person" may be based on past experiences with others -- good or bad.

Also -- you may have grown since you last worked with someone on the team. Maybe you have better leadership chops or you've expanded your knowledge or skills in a certain area that is beneficial for this project team you've joined. This is exactly the time to re-position yourself early by describing how you will be contributing to the team based on who you are and what you do today.

By positioning yourself appropriately for every situation – even when you know the players – you can build trust and confidence within the team, and demonstrate your value more quickly.

Visit: LinseyCareers.com for show notes and available downloads.

© 2020 Angee Linsey

In uncertain times, the role of the communicator is vital and the future of this function continues to evolve. Listen in as Angee Linsey speaks with Hanson Hosein, co-director of the University of Washington's Communication Leadership graduate program, about the importance of communications leaders being the antenna of an organization and how the future of our work may change.

In this episode, Hanson shares some insights on our world in the age of acceleration and the age of anxiety simultaneously. With exceptional communications, leaders can help everyone through both. And as we look forward to the future of work, he shares his own philosophy of how to stay ahead of the curve. Not only should we all be thinking about what we can do that people will pay us to do, but what do we enjoy and how can we lead those efforts to create what will be new and needed in our evolving reality.

While it's nearly impossible to be intentional in our own career development during a time of crisis, this episode gives a few morsels of food for thought for now and in the future, while paying attention to our current needs.

Visit: LinseyCareers.com for show notes and available downloads.

© 2020 Angee Linsey

In today's era of the threat of Coronavirus, we've entered a world of wanting to avoid shaking people's hands in professional settings. When interviewing for a job, can you decline the handshake greeting or farewell and still make a good impression?

In this episode, Angee will share a couple of tips for taking the lead on not shaking someone's hand - whether in an interview, sealing the deal or saying goodbye. It will feel a bit awkward at first, but as we all get used to this "hands off" culture, people will begin to get more comfortable with other forms of connecting.

One example of a way to convey warmth and openness when greeting someone without a handshake is to put your hand on your heart as you look the person in the eye and say hello. This may be a natural gesture for some, but if not for you, then find something that works better and practice with friends or colleagues to get more comfortable.

For now, and for the unforeseen future, staying healthy has to be the priority of all of us -- avoiding the handshake is one way to do your part.

Visit: LinseyCareers.com for show notes and available downloads.

© 2020 Angee Linsey

Every candidate and every hiring leader I work with always puts an emphasis on the importance of culture fit. For candidates, they want to know what the organization's culture is so they can be sure it aligns with who they are and how they work. For hiring leaders, they want the team dynamic to be enhanced by the new hire.

Noreen Pratscher recently made a career move to lead communications at JELD-WEN in Charlotte, NC. As she does with any move, she evaluated the culture of the organization and did a little self-reflection to make sure the move was right. In this conversation, Angee and Noreen talk about some of the questions she asks and ways she evaluates culture when considering new opportunities. Then they turn it around and talk about how to evaluate candidates when hiring to ensure that culture fit is there.

This podcast will leave you with a few great tips for hiring and getting hired with culture fit top of mind.

Visit: LinseyCareers.com for show notes and available downloads.

© 2020 Angee Linsey

Communicators are often much better at talking about their company, their team or their products, rather than talking about themselves. But when asked that seemingly simple question, "What do you do?" or "Tell me a little about yourself," so many of us get stuck with where to begin.

In this episode, Angee talks about how to position yourself in a way that describes who you are, and what you do, with a tone that conveys why you love what you do. When people hear that enthusiasm with HOW you describe yourself and the work you do, they tend to assume that you like what you do. And... if you like what you do, you are likely good at it!

Rather than relying on a dry or dull "elevator pitch," think about how you are positioning yourself to the listener. Frame your description in a way that makes the person you're talking to want to learn more, and a worthwhile conversation is sure to be the result.

Visit: LinseyCareers.com for show notes and available downloads.

© 2020 Angee Linsey