Tackling some of the common interview questions. 
In this short series, we take a look at two key interview questions and how to answer those. 
Plus how to perform at your best in a video interview. 

This is a great episode to return to each time you prepare for an interview and need a reminder of how to answer the question: Tell me your Strengths and Weaknesses. 

You can subscribe to stay up to date, and sign up at elitedigitalspace.com 

Changing Gears, how the Podcast will feature deeper conversations starting this spring 2021.

Are you being authentic? Your true self, where the real energy flows. 

This episode is challenging you to show up as your role model, and if you don't know who you really are... just watch out for those moments when you feel energised and in full flow. 

Follow that, do more of that.  


* Forgive the sound quality - it sounds like I'm in a bathroom! 
I will try to do better next time. 

#personalgrowth #success #authenticity #motivation #coaching 

Follow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-parker-msc/
Sign up www.elitedigitalspace.com 

Credit:
Song: Tobu - Candyland [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/candyland
Watch: http://youtu.be/IIrCDAV3EgI 

What does it really mean to be a new generation empowered conscious thought leader?

I want to draw attention to some of the languages we use today - because it's in this that we can understand massive social & business change:

For some the navigation of the wrong career path has led to confusion, and dissatisfaction, the impact of the pandemic makes us also sit back and think is this even possible for me.

The Traditional Career Ladder

I can think not so long ago climbing this corporate career ladder without a thought to the other options. Only when mentoring did it become clear to me the other routes were there all along we just don't have our eyes wide open.

A Harvard review talks about the damaging impact a 'delusional view of our careers' does for professional progress and personal satisfaction. A belief now backed by research.

Challenging the Single Track View of Your Career Progression

And I recently heard a great quote 'the world needs doers' - the people that won't sit back until someone else sorts it out but will take action.

The truth is the world needs all we have to offer, the contributions at technical, people, managerial, strategic - all levels.

Harvard Research into Careers

The Skills Needed For a Modern World

We've gone form schools and business with management saying…
Do as you're told, don't ask questions, follow the instructions, don't answer back, get on with everyone and do everything you're asked and you'll get on. You may have been one of these who promoted, or maybe you saw people leapfrog you for being this way

In the new world, we have companies needing to adapt, the pace of change in IT so fast, not to mention the pandemic and revolution right now. I don't just need a smart professional who can do as they're asked - I need a creative, advancing, thought leader, who knows and grows with the sector, who advises and leads, who is innovative while being mindful of the impact on my customers and business and systems & data… and everything.. Who can influence stakeholders and shareholders, board members to make the best decisions for this company - this technology. Everyone is a leader, step up…

It's overwhelming. And a skillset we weren't prepared for. From one change to the next you're not sure what you should be focusing on or delivering.
Follow the 3 dimensions of success, you're missing the direction clarity, the support & probably even a growth mindset to do all this…

If you're starting to feel misdirected, questioning your career decisions, feeling plateaued, worn out, overwhelmed and not sure what you should be focussing your efforts, get a coach. It can often make a huge difference to achieving and understanding your goals.

If I want to leave you with anything it's to rethink your definition of a leader... 

I suggest to you that the new generation of empowered conscious thought leaders are strong high impact contributors, as a high performing influencer, you show up in full flow almost every day. Passionate and connected to your work and personal growth as your life's work.

You are a CEO, a CEO of your own professional journey and destiny - the power to choose to challenge what's expected of you… to instead do what you want… 

I want to know what breakthrough did you have as part of this connect & message me on Linked in or email [email protected] 

Tell me your views & experiences, 

Sue

There's always a reason not to do something.  Like many things, there are unplanned and uncontrollable factors that demand our attention. 

Women, mums or dads imparticular are often caught out by meeting the needs of others.  

In this episode, I share a common story I hear from high performing busy IT professionals. And empower you to take a little more intentional control to make things happen. 

Joanne set out in 2019 to change companies, her organisation had no opportunities that she could grow into in her field of passion.

But January kick-started and so did a hugely significant work project, which she felt conscientious enough to stay and see-through, giving it her full attention. Which she always did. 

Then before you know it Easter has arrived and the kids needed her, Joanne was too busy living life and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this! Trust me, the philosophy of working hard on ourselves and our professional lives, to spend quality time with the family is the best reason of all. 

She was focussed enough after the schools went back to look for new roles. This is when the self-doubt arose, staring at lists of role requirements, Joanne felt like an imposter applying. 

Like many women, Joanne felt she needed to have all the skills to be qualified to apply. When the reality is that studies have shown male candidates will apply with just half the required skills. 

Either way, Joanne had decided that she needed a certification before applying for anything. This is where the scarcity mindset stepped in and told her it was frivolous or selfish to spend the family money on her own growth. 

Meanwhile, if you're anything like my house, eBay purchase after eBay purchase arrives at your door. And no one else feels the guilt. Or that subscription that got left running for the gym you never went. Or the Amazon Prime account that didn't get utilised. 

You get the picture, we often waste money on many things for the one time we may want to have it. Yet overthink a purchase like a course, book or a coach that could actually improve our lives or fulfilment in some way.

 Later Joanne found a discount voucher for her course that could be redeemed within 6 months and felt more comfortable with the self-investment. But then the lack of urgency meant that it was easy to park it for now. 

Before we know it it's October and Joanne needs to complete the course now. As a conscious hardworking professional she passes with almost full marks. And proudly shares her certificate on Linked in. 

So late in the year, Joanne has decided to leave it until January to continue the job search. And I'm pleased to say that she did. She was offered an incredible role which has since led to more responsibility as a senior supporting 3 associate project managers. 

And Joanne tells me the role didn't even stipulate the qualification she gained, and her only regret was not making the move sooner. 

She now has a coach in me and an ambitious career plan she's driven to achieve. Realising how she can transform her situation, and keep progressing in her key area of interest has given her the motivation she needed to love what she does. And most importantly the person she is becoming. 

Joanne's story is not unusual, many of us let other people control our schedules and priorities. We're not intentionally passive, but leaving our growth for unplanned and uncontrollable things to take over. 

Key Takeaways: 

--- Carve out 10-20% of your time for your personal growth

----Don't wake up one day feeling like you've plateaued. 

I hope this empowers you to take action.  If you want to stay in touch, subscribe to the podcast,  or connect on Linked in, Sue Parker. 

You know that you can predict 90% of what will come upon most interviews yet still many of us struggle to confidently answer the #1 job interview question, tell me about yourself. 

This episode talks about a new approach to maximise the first impression you have, listen on Spotify, Apple, Google play.

Now, this is going to contradict probably everything you've ever done or been told.  The number one mistake people make is chronologically running through your CV. 

You start by talking through your first job and why you decided to take a second. The situations you found yourself in. And before you know it, 5 minutes have passed and you haven't really sold your recent relevant experience. And perhaps you mentioned some career moves you weren't entirely happy with. But the interviewer is ready to move on.

I want to turn this on its head. Every leader and hiring manager we spoke to, said the best candidates are those who start with telling me their recent relevant experience and why this makes them suitable. 

In this episode, I share an example response and how to structure yours. 
Plus a little about the C word -- Confidence of course. 

To download the scripts visit:
https://elitedigitalspace.com/interviews

Don't forget to check out our empowering interview program to help you be the master of successful interviews.

To your net job move, Sue :-)

Credits:
Song: Tobu - Candyland [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/candyland
Watch: http://youtu.be/IIrCDAV3EgI

So I know I can be a serial procrastinator, for personal projects, I'll at whatever costs avoid the daunting or significant thing that needs doing. 

Are you the person that will happily get tied up in data queries and problem solving from the service desk to avoid that painful project? 

I know in the past I've lost several weeks in this cycle of quick wins and I've had team members do this too. 

My husband had exactly this when we decided to purchase a renovation project with a 2-year-old in tow. We'd stretched to the highest mortgage we could afford to create a dream family home. 

Dave's in the trade which means he would either be doing or organising most of the work himself. And I'd done my usual trick of wanting more, with an elaborate wrap around extension. 

It wasn't long before we did what any 'grand design' couple do and we had another baby. And we noticed we weren't progressing the build. 

Like most of us when we're overwhelmed with the scale of something, and there's a mounting to-do list somewhere else. We find it hard to focus on the thing that matters. 

He was kept busy enough with the little things and unable to get traction. We found with a few tricks we were able to make progress & I'm pleased to say it's almost complete. 

This podcast episode is all about reminding you to make the Priority or Big thing, the Big thing in your life or work. 

I talk a lot here about work projects, I watched as colleagues learnt the hard way how failing to devote enough resource or failure to even recognise the big focus will damage your reputation.  

Key Steps to Focusing on the Big Work Priority 

It's to help you prioritise, control your time and is so simple that it's a reminder you can use at work, but also in any goals in your personal life.

1. Get clarity on the number #1 key priority
2. Schedule the time - make sure you're spending the bulk of your time on this project.
3. Manage interruptions - take back control of the day or you'll continue to work to someone else's agenda 
4. Get clear on the ROI, the value added by this project or work - why? Because they may need challenging, next week they may not be important, but you need to read the situation and invest your effort in the right place. 

Finally, grab your calendar and block out your schedule to work on the 'big priority'.

Listen for more and do me a favour, if you like it, drop me a 5-star rating, I would really appreciate it.

Music credits to
Song: Tobu - Candyland [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/candyland
Watch: http://youtu.be/IIrCDAV3EgI

Do you often find yourself side-lined in meetings?

This episode is about helping you to take a key role in meetings (even online), to be a contributor, to get your voice heard.

So if you feel afraid like you have nothing to offer, think again, your perspective, whether it's feasibility, to flag challenges, or contribute to the solution someone believes you are important enough to be invited. 

Ok so be honest how many of us, give up our seat for someone? Or allow ourselves to get cramped into a corner.

Online when we sneak in late, quietly with the camera off we might as well be sat in the corner again. 

Yet there are some very simple adjustments that can radically change the role you play, and influence you have.

If you find the meeting a daunting place, use the time before to get prepared, look at the agenda and get clear how you can contribute.

Time for honesty, how many of us sit quietly waiting and waiting until someone asks us for our opinion? But before you could speak someone has your idea and has taken credit for it.

Next time get in early with your thoughts, use positive language, such as 'have you thought about x'. 

Always face the camera or your audience looking at the room to gain engagement. Building allies and teammates in the process. 

After repeatedly being asked to note take, I became so conscious of this and noticed many colleagues barely wrote a single word. So I closed the book and took on a role as an active participant in the discussion. I switched from frantic notetaker and saw a huge shift in the influence I had. 

Ever heard of the 'Power Walk' Or the 'Power Pose'? Studies have shown that after just two minutes of standing in a 'Power Pose' you can change your feelings, to become a more confident version of yourself. Next time you're about to head into a meeting, give it a try and let me know how you feel. 

If you find this subject fascinating then check out the book 101 unconscious mistakes women make, many of these are so ingrained by stereotypical norms we live by even today.

Tell me what would you add to this? And when you've given these a go, how did it help you to feel? 

drop me a mail [email protected] or linked in. 

If you find this podcast empowering, then please consider leaving me a 5-star rating and review. This will really help others to find support. 

Now while so many of us are feeling insecure, this episode is to help you find the areas in your professional life that you can leverage to gain more visibility and increase your own chances of a promotion. Not to mention strengthen the safety of your current position, so that you don't become a redundancy victim of covid.

It's easy to fall into the shadows during the pandemic. To have your efforts completely go unseen. For one there's less contact and face to face interaction or meetings to get noticed indirectly. 

It's true just as much in our work life, the saying 'Out of Sight Out of Mind'. 

WFH with the Kids

But with limited face to face contact, how do you keep visible, so that colleagues and decision-makers have an awareness, and can indirectly see you performing and adding value?

In this episode we explore 5 creative ways to boost your visbility during the pandemic even when working from home. 

Even when you might have your kids running in everytime you get on an important teams call.

Because you can never truly predict when they might wander through in their nappy.
I remember this one meeting I had a major project status update I must have had 3 directors and a group of other stakeholders on a conference call. All eyes were directed at our department to deliver this critical project. And from the moment we'd launched the meeting my daughter screamed. And wailed the whole way through. It just happened to be nap time. my husband was wrestling with her to nap. And I wanted the call the end, the screaming to stop and I kept apologising. 

It's tempting in those situations to mute and sit back (fall into the shadows) and if I hadn't been chairing, I might have done. 

It didn't end, One director said oh your poor daughter,…. but the truth is my husband was taking the brunt of the problem so that I could carry on. 

And we know non of these challenges mean we do any less, that we're any less conscious, committed or adding less. I like you delivered so much during this time and now.

Working Extra

In fact, if your company cut back last year, you might be bridging the gap or holding down 2 jobs. I know Developers also being Business Analysts since they'd been covid restructure victims. 

You might be a Head of Department working hands-on like me helping your team to deliver for the business.

Maybe you're also running the double shift looking after the kids, without any grandparent backup. 

Why does staying visible matter?

For all these reasons it can seem obvious that you should want to work on quietly behind the scenes without drawing too much attention.

Yet to protect the job we have from being a pandemic restructure victim and to secure our chances of a promotion you need to stay visible. 

At the very least you must stay visible because: 

1. no one knows what you are doing or how it impacts on someone
2. you miss opportunities because you don't know what he next big initiatives are. We don't know what we don't know! 

5 Ways to Stay Visible and Boost Promotion Opportunities

In this episode, I run through 5 practical things, summarised below, that you can do right now so that you don't get forgotten you move out of the shadows and take the opportunity to develop your future leadership skills. Listen to learn more

1. Schedule Regular Catch ups

2. Be Physically Visible 

3. Help Solve Business Problems

4. Take Part in Initiatives 

5. Be the Light - Positive Progress

As always don't forget to subscribe and connect with me on linked in. 

I would love to hear what you have implemented and has worked for you.

To your career success

Sue

This episode is dedicated to helping you to set Career goals that you will achieve and showing you how to do this. 

Now answer honestly, have you achieved your career goals?

Are they your goals? really? 

You know there are 3 big mistakes most of us make with goal setting. In this episode, I walk through these and you'll probably find that they are the reason you rarely succeed. 

I also wanted to share the secret to sticking power when it gets tuff and.....

How answering why is the most important question - this is the catalyst to taking action. 
Finding the pull - your why! 

Finally, one of the biggest game-changers for me and loads of the professionals I have worked with was overcoming the challenge of time... the full calendar, the busy days and demands of others. 

That's why I share the power of using habits to make regular progress.

Don't forget to grab the workbook with the Goals, Career planning and visual Career Wheel gap analysis tool.