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Personal branding and job interviews

18/12/2019 /

Who am I?

This existential question that we have probably all asked ourselves at least once in our lives is part of the process of building our personality. Not only. It is part of building our personal brand.

Just like companies sell products and services, we in some way sell ourselves. We sell our skills, our values, our purpose when we engage in new relationships, both private and professional. Which means that we must know what we are bringing to the plate and what we expect from others.

Building a brand takes time, vision and most of all clarity. It requires profound introspection to identify what are our unique features and skills, as well as acceptance of what we see in ourselves.
The brand not only has to be built, it also has to be presented; which, in the case of personal branding, means we have to learn how to introduce ourselves to potential employers (or partners!) showcasing our strengths, but also acknowledging our weaknesses; in general, when it comes to presentations, honesty and authenticity are often the winning solutions.

You can read more about how to best showcase your personal brand during job interviews in this Forbes article!

job interview

Image from Pexels (CC0 – Creative Commons)

5 tips to boost Creativity

20/11/2019 /

Creativity is an inborn talent of all human beings and it can also be developed. When youace challenges which you ot able to solve in a conventional way, it’s time to get creative. he World Economic Forum says creativity is one of the top 10 skills required for the future workplace. It’s is a useful tool to explore new and innovative ways of doing things, but there’s an added benefit to your mental health, since we being creative, your brain releases dopamine, which is a natural antidepressant.

Keeping your creative juices flowing can help you embracing and feel more in control. Expressing your innate creativity will help keep you motivated about the future.

This article provides 5 useful tips to boost your creativity:

1. Use your imagination: Creating space where you can disconnect and shut out external stimulation and impulses can help you to dream up all sorts of ideas.

2. Identify your creative time: Keeping a log and working out what time you are at your best for coming up with new ideas is very helpful in knowing when you will produce your most creative work.

3. Commit to continual learning: Adopt a lifelong learning mentality and cultivate a growth mindset. Open your mind and seek out new ways to test yourself.

4. Avoid energy drains: Energy is fundamental to creativity. When you are in a creative mode, it’s important to avoid anything that drains your energy.

5. Plan to do things differently: Seeing new things can help to spark new ideas. Messing up your routine and consciously seeking out ways to do things differently by exploring new environments, taking different routes and challenging your daily habits will help fuel your creativity.

Image: Pixabay – ElisaRiva (CC Creative Commons)

5 common mistakes made by leaders

30/10/2019 /

In an article published on Web Design, Steve Cartwright points out the five common mistakes made by leaders:

  1. Focusing on tasks rather than reaching the ultimate goal. You can’t lead others if you don’t know what you’re striving for, so be sure you’re clear and focused on the vision rather than the small tasks of the job.
  2. Checking up on employees rather than engaging them. Make it a point to get to know your team members: it’s important to get your vision across, and you can’t do that if you merely check in once in a while.
  3. Don’t stick to your own leadership style. You can learn from other leaders in history and in your business, but don’t mimic them when it comes to your leadership style: find your own way and stick to it!
  4. Resist change. Many leaders tend to do what they’ve always done in terms of leading. If you want your business or team to prosper and grow, take some time to expose yourself to new ideas.
  5. Hire people too fast to fill a slot. True leaders take their time when hiring and make sure they can complete the work and grow along with the company or team.

Five Common mistakes made by leaders

15 Best Books to improve your leadership

23/10/2019 /

In an article  published on Lifehack, Joe Vennare identifies some 15 best books especially would-be leaders need to read to define leadership and how to apply it, to communicate and motivate teamwork, and to keep going on.

According to John Coleman, ‘broad reading habits are often a defining characteristic of our greatest leaders’. Reading has shown to lead many benefits in leadership development.  It improves communication, emotional intelligence and organizational effectiveness and reduces stress.

Nowadays business people seems to be reading less. Sometimes because they are not sufficiently convinced of the importance of reading. In other cases because they don’t know what they should read or  they think they don’t have the time.

 

Image source: Pixabay (CC0)

28/09/2019 /

“You’re under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago.”

– Alan Watts

Image: Pixabay (CC0 – Creative Commons)

 

From Hobby to Hustle

18/09/2019 /

There is a so-called “modern trap” affecting our societies and it’s all about losing sight of what our passions are supposed to be doing for us.

For some of us, our work coincides with our passion; we pour everything into it and dedicate most of our days to making it a success.
For some of us, work is a way to get by from a financial point of view, but there are passions that we cultivate on the side.

Well, we are observing a trend whereby these passions are turning into side hustles for many people. This is by no means something bad; on the other hand, it can feel really nice to be able to do something we love and give it value too. However, what we are losing sight of is the intrinsic value of that activity we are passionate about: it makes us feel good. This nearsightedness can bring to a very negative consequence: not feeling justified to carry out our favourite activities unless we’re turning them into something profitable.

This trend is part of a bigger one: not being able to spend time just being. Not being able to take things slow. Not being able to enjoy free time. Not scheduling any self-care time.

Read this really insightful article here: Modern Trap of Turning Hobbies into Hustles

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Source: Pixabay (CC0 – Creative Commons)

When to be fast, when to be slow

04/09/2019 /

In this very interesting article, we are told that “Most of life is better lived slowly.” Strange, isn’t it? In a world where we are always rushing, always thinking of the next task at hand, always engaged in some project, the idea of taking things slow has become almost impossible to visualise.

Yet many actions we do daily, from basic ones like washing the dishes, to more important ones like making decisions, would be much better off if done slowly and mindfully.

The author says we should behave like the Kung Fu Master: he is fast when needed, but the rest of the time he moves slowly and stays calm.

Life is already short, we are better off enjoying every moment of it.

Read the article here: Be Fast When It Matters

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Source: Pixabay CC0

10 Tips to Work Under Pressure

17/07/2019 /
Is your routine demanding and challenging? In today’s jobs timing and productivity are not just precious, they even need to go hand in hand. It is important to find the right balance, to take advantage of time and to be able to do our best in every situation. In this article Martina McGowan suggests 10 ways to properly face up pressure.
  1. Remain calm, always.
  2. Stay focused on what needs to be accomplished.
  3. Help others to get through their taxing day.
  4. Sidestep the drama and stay positive.
  5. Get help if you need it.
  6. Steer clear of too much caffeine.
  7. Take your breaks.
  8. Use your vacation time wisely.
  9. Join in with big projects.
  10. If you are feeling stressed, avoid letting it show too much.

Read the full article

 

Image source: Pixabay – qimono (CC0)
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