Interviewing Basics for Engineers, Part 1

Interviewing Basics for Engineers, Part 1 Interviewing Basics for Engineers, Part 1 Interviewing Basics for Engineers, Part 1Like many career fields, engineering is all about preparation studying the necessary skills in school, developing hands-on experience in the field as an intern, and entering the profession ready to step up and do the work each day.But for most young engineers the interview process is the major hurdle that stands between all this preparation and making career dreams a reality.Interviewing is never easy. But in technical fields such as engineering it can prove especially challenging. Hiring managers are increasingly looking for candidates to bring the expected technical skills to the table as well as a long list of other soft skills and culture-fit attributes. The field is evolving and the pressure is on candidates to prove they can keep up, learn new skills and continue to grow on the job.Theres a lot happening in engineering right now, but theres always a lot h appening, says Ron Patrick, director of talent acquisition at The MITRE Corp., a nonprofit that manages federally funded research and development centers, supports several government agencies, and hires hundreds of engineers each year. Every decade, he adds, brings new challenges along with new opportunities.Also for You Salaries for Mechanical Engineers Are UpWe reached out to hiring managers and industry experts to get their advice on how young job candidates can successfully tackle the interview process and walk away with a new job.Needs Are Always Changing In the last 10 years or so, nontechnical experience like managerial skills have become more important to hiring managers, says Anthony Fasano, an engineer-focused career coach and the founder of the Engineering Management Institute. As recently as the 1990s, engineering firms and large companies would hire for a variety of different departments, such as marketing, business development, drafting, engineering, etc. Today, budget constraints are forcing engineers to take on many of those roles. Hiring managers look for candidates who can tackle those additional responsibilities.In Part 2 of Interviewing Basics for Engineers, we look at the soft skills a changing marketplace is demanding from job candidates.Tim Sprinkle is an independent writer.

5 tips for being charming

5 tips for being charming5 tips for being charmingBeing charming. Is there a mora enviable quality? Wed hate charming people if we didnt love them so much.Ive covered how to besexyandcoolbut charming, well, thats a whole nother beast. And what a beautiful beast it is.Were going to pull together the research from many, many well,fartoo many surces and create our own little Charm School here on the interwebz.Lets start with the fruchtwein fundamental dynamic in how people evaluate one another. Its how others judge you and how you judge others. And, amazingly, we get it wrong almost every timeThe Fundamental DynamicYou know how people always say first impressions are oh-so-important? A good body ofresearchshows theyre right. And, to add to that, once those impressions are set,expertssay theyre exceedingly hard to change.And that is downright scary. Its a lot of pressure. Were afraid of lookinglike an idiot when we first meet someone new. So often we try to impress them by appearing comp etent. Or maybe weplay it cool.Looking for an inspiring way to start your day? Sign up forMorning MotivationIts our friendly Facebook robot that will send you a quick note every weekday morning to help you start strong. Sign up here by clicking Get StartedOr maybe you do both. But if youre trying to be charming, that is aterribleideaHarvard research shows 80% of our judgments about people come down towarmth and competence. And the more important quality is warmth. Well take a lovable moron over a competent jerkmore oftenthan not.Being perceived as an idiot shouldnt be your biggest fear - being seen as cold should. You want to be in the right hand column, not the left.So whats the most important thing to do when it comes to being seen as warm? Former head of the FBIs Behavioral Analysis Program,Robin Dreeke, says its as simple as smiling more.Moreover, when meeting someone new, studies show people are unlikely to judge the interaction by how interesting you are. Theyre nervous too. Like you, they are more focused on whethertheyrescrewing up.FromThe Art of ConversationResearch has found that with a serious topic or a good friend, we measure a conversations success by how enthralled we were by what the other part said. Whereas, the less familiar the other person, the more trivial the topic, the likelier we are to rate the experience by our own performance.So to be charming, think less about being impressive, more about being warm, and more about whether the other person feels liketheyreperforming well.(To learn more about the science of a successful life, check out my bestselling bookhere.)So we know whats important and the right attitude to take. But how should we act? And what error do we commonly make in our behavior? Well, to get this right, we need to take a lesson from Would you believe me if I said racists?Put Some Effort In, Willya?Racists often have to pretend to not be racist. And that requires work. So they put in the effort that many of us dont when interacting with others. So research shows, believe it or not,racists often make a better first impressionWe tested the hypothesis that, ironically, Blacks perceive White interaction parteners who are more racially biased more positively than less biased White partners, primarily because the former group must make more of an effort to control racial bias than the latter.If you think Im encouraging or condoning racism youre insane. Dont be racist. Butdoput in some effort when meeting others. If it can make racists come off better, imagine what it can do for you.Making an effort sounds obvious but we just dont do it. We get lazy.Research shows that couples enjoy time together more when theypretend its their first date. Why? When youre on a first date you put more effort in.Think of a gracious host at a party. Theytry. They put in effort to make you feel welcome. To get to know you. To make sure you are introduced to others, that you have a drink and are comfortable. And when you feel awkward at the party you want to cling to them. Why? They went out of their way to be nice to you. Thats charm.Research shows that how you go into a conversation often determines the result. When were socially optimistic and expect others to like us,they often do. Meanwhilemistrustcan be a self-fulfilling prophecy.So make an effort. Dont play it cool.I like to frame it in my mind as How would I act if I had wanted to meet this person for a long time and finally got the opportunity?(To learn the 4 secrets to reading body language like an expert, clickhere.)So we know the right attitude and how to behave. But were not out of the woods yet.You may find yourself in the ninth circle of Small Talk Hell where traitors to charming conversation are condemned to an eternity of making comments about the weatherWhat is the point of small talk? How do you do it well? And how do you break free from it and connect on a deeper level?Small Talk = Seeking SimilarityWhat should your goal be when makin g small talk? Ask questions to find points of similarity. Similarity is extraordinarily powerful when it comes to bonding and this is backed bymore studiesthan you would ever want to read.Best part? The similarity doesnt even have to be something deep or serious to have profound effects.FromHow To Have A Good DayLauren Rivera, a sociologist at Northwestern University, found that 74% of recruiting managers at prestigious firms reported that their most recent hire had a personality similar to mine. How did they decide they were similar? It wasnt a particularly deep assessment. One of the most important factors was having familiar leisure pursuits, such as a shared interest in sports or technology.And when you find that similarity, dont be afraid to show some enthusiasm. You dont have to hop up and down. Be calm and speak slowly but positive emotions, passion, and being excited about something are good. Isnt that who youd like to spend time with?Professor Stephen Ceci taught his class the way he had for the past 20 years, replicating nearly everything imaginable - except he started speaking with moreenthusiasm. What happened?His student ratings went up - in every single category.FromThe Tell The Little Clues That Reveal Big Truths about Who We AreAnd you want your body language to be open and comfortable. Think expanding. Body movements that go up and out are good. Anything that compresses or squeezes is bad. Heres FBI behavior expertRobin DreekeI always want to make sure that Im showing good, open, comfortable non-verbals. I just try to use high eyebrow elevations. Basically, anything going up and elevating is very open and comforting. Anything that is compressing lip compression, eyebrow compression, where youre squishing down, thats conveying stress.So you know how to handle small talk - but now how do you escape it? Nothings worse than being mired in banality. Were going to cast three powerful scientific charm spells at onceHit them with the trifecta of as incere compliment,vulnerability, and arequest for advice. This is a great combo-verstrker for deepening a bond, humanizing yourself and taking the conversation to another level.Is the person youre talking to in good shape? Then its as simple as, You look like you hit the gym a lot. Ive really let myself go over the past year. Id really appreciate any exercise tips you have.You paid them an honest compliment, you opened up about something many people might be reluctant to admit, and positioned them as an expert. Who wouldnt be flattered?(To learn the top 6 influence techniques of hostage negotiators, clickhere.)By asking for advice, you build a more trusting connection and move on to a meatier subject. And it gets them talking. You just need to focus on listening. Problem is, most of us are terrible at listening. Whats the secret to being a good listener?They Need ToKnowYoure ListeningAt some point someone has angrily asked you, Are you listening to me? And you probably responded, Of course, I am. And you probably were. So whats the problem here? You werent making itclearyou were listening.And the best way to do that is to ask good questions. If you were to say, Every morning I dream about poisoning my co-workers coffee and someone responded with, Arsenic and cyanide are old standbys but have you considered thallium? Its odorless, colorless and tasteless this would make two things clear. First, they are definitely listening to you. Second, this is not someone you want to make angry.Robin Dreekesays the best questions are open-ended, beginning with how or what. Theyre great because someone cant easily answer them with one word and they keep the conversation going.Actively showing interest in others is powerful.When people speak, the best responses are bothactive and constructive. Whats that mean?It is engaged, enthusiastic, curious and has supportive nonverbal action. Ask questions. Be excited. Ask for details. Smile. Touch. Laugh.ViaFlourish A Visionary New Und erstanding of Happiness and Well-beingYou want to let them do the bulk of the talking but you dont want this to feel like an interrogation or a therapists office. You need to talk too.Share something related, preferably emphasizing similarity yet again, and bounce the ball back with another open-ended question.Remember what the research said theyll judge the interaction by how well they feeltheydid. So donotplay the one-up game, where youre trying to top their story. Theyll feel bad and youll end up in the cold-competent quadrant. No bueno.You can accept everything they say without having toagreewith everything they say. Nod your head and dont pick fights. So none of that I was just being honest argument-inducing nonsense.To prozentanteil political communication expertFrank Luntz, Its not what you say, its what they hear.Directness is the privilege of intimacy.Dont be blunt with people you barely know and rarely be blunt with people youdoknow. Thats acting like warmth doesnt matter, and as we saw above, it matters more than anything else.(To learn a clinical psychologists 7 steps for making difficult conversations easy, clickhere.)Okay, the conversation is humming along and youre pretty darn charming. Time to hit them with the knockout punchGive Them The Thing We All WantShould we give them a big, flattering compliment and tell them theyre awesome? Nope.The fact is people dont just want to be seen positively they want to be seenas they see themselves. Whats the thing we all want? To feel understood.FromNo One Understands You and What to Do About ItPsychologists call this the desire for self-verification, and it is a profound and universal need. People become really uncomfortable when they get compliments (or criticism) they feel they genuinely dont deserve. What this means for you is that praising someone for a quality they dont believe they possess can backfire on you big-time. The best way to steer clear of this problem is to stick with truthful affirmations . In other words, affirm the abilities and accomplishments that you have direct evidence of- the ones that you know to be authentic and genuinely admire.So how do you do this? Youve been putting effort into the conversation, right? Asking good questions? Well, then its not too hard to suss out how this person sees themselves and what traits they value.If you listen to people, they will tell you who they are. And professorSam Gosling(who I think of as the academic Sherlock Holmes) says what they tell you is usually accurateIdentity claims are deliberate statements we make about our attitudes, goals, values, etcOne of the things thats really important to keep in mind about identity statements is because these are deliberate, many people assume we are being manipulative with them and were being disingenuous, but I think theres little evidence to suggest that that goes on. I think generally people really do want to be known. Theyll even do that at the expense of looking good. Theyd rath er be seen authentically then positively if it came down to that choice.So compliment them on who they tell you they are. Its not that hard. Former FBI lead international hostage negotiatorChris Vosssays its as simple as listening and paraphrasing what they say to you.And even if you get it wrong, youre still doing great. Theyll correct you. This is called getting to know them better. And the fact that youre trying to get to know them better is very, very flattering. Humbly revise your statement, paraphrasing what they told you.This is what leads to that powerful feeling of this person gets me. And nothing feels better than that.(To learn the two-word morning bung that will make you happy all day, clickhere.)Charm School students, class is dismissed. Weve learned a lot. Lets round it up and learn how to do all of this so its sincereSum UpThis is how to be charmingThe Fundamental Dynamic Warmth is more important than competence. Better to be seen as a lovable idiot than a cold, compe tent Evil Genius.Put in some effort, willya? They will judge the interaction by how they feeltheydid. So help them do good.Gracious hosts make an effort.Small talk = seek similarity And once youve found it, offer asincere compliment, show vulnerability, and ask for advice.You hate small talk? Me too. Youve done a great job of reading this so far. Sometimes I have trouble reading long blog posts. Whats your secret?They need toknowyoure listening Ask open-ended questions, be active and constructive, and contribute but dont one-up.Give them the thing we all want We all want to feel understood. Understand?Now I get to sit back and wait for the emails from friends saying, Eric, why dont you do any of this whenImtalking with you? Well, the best footballcoachesare not necessarily the best footballplayers. But I try.If youre not naturally charming (and Im usually about as charming as a brick through a plate glass window) this stuff takes some practice. Which raises an important issue if you make these changes, are you being inauthentic?Not if you have the other persons best interests in mind. When I spoke toHarvard Business School professorGautam Mukundahe saidChanging yourself is not inauthentic. Part of what people do is they change. They evolve, they can grow, and they can change themselves.So what is it to be authentic? It doesnt mean you cant change, but it does mean that the changes that you make, again, have to be aligned with the sense of who you really are, and who you want to be.In fact, research shows that when you try to be your best self, you end uppresenting your true selfIn sum, positive self-presentation facilitates more accurate impressions, indicating that putting ones best self forward helps reveal ones true self.To be charming, try to bring out the best in others. And you dont have to be inauthenticJust be the best version of who you already are.Join over 320,000 readers.Get a free weekly update via emailhere.Thisarticleoriginally appeared atBarkin g Up the Wrong Tree.

How to move your organization from fear to fearlessness

How to move your organization from fear to fearlessnessHow to move your organization from fear to fearlessnessThe fear of speaking up is pervasive unfortunately, fruchtwein people dont realize it.Silence is unelendiced, but the costs of fear shouldnt they are massive. According to Harvard professor Amy Edmondson, companies waste millions of dollars because most employees stay silent.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreSpeaking up is vital to drive progress and innovation. If you or your team stay silent, your organization loses invaluable input. People dont just hold back schwimmbad news or dissent, but ideas for improvement and growth.Holding back is natural. Silence is intuitive when we dont feel safe. Thats why most of us think twice before sharing an idea or asking a question during a meeting. We dont want to be laughed at, ridiculed, ignored, or punished we think speaking up wi ll get us into trouble.Organizations need creativity and innovation, bedrngnis silence. Without trouble,theres no change. A fearless culture encourages participation everyone shares their ideas and thoughts to move the company forward.So, how do you get abfluged?First Steps to Building Psychological SafetyFortunately, Ive seen a growing interest among companies they realize the importance of becoming fearless. But, few know where to get started. Or the challenge I face more often organizations want to build psychological safety without really changing.Overcoming fear involves revisiting leadership styles, organizational culture, and team behavior. Be ready to challenge how you think.Amy Edmonson, author ofThe Fearless Organization,describes three steps leaders can take to create psychological safety the shared belief that a team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.Start with the leader they have to set the stage to frame the work and emphasize purpose.Inviting participation leader s must practice inquiry, humility, and set up processes.Responding productively appreciate participation and destigmatize failure.Getting buy-in from senior leaders is vital to building psychological safety across an organization. However, this shouldnt stop you. Many successful revolutions happen from the inside-out. You can create safe spaces even within a toxic culture.Im bedrngnis a fan of 22 matrices they can be deceiving or oversimplify things. However, I came up with one to organize and help my clients better understand what it takes to build aFearless Culture.In my experience, there are two key elements at play vulnerability and creativity both feed off each other.Vulnerabilityis a challenging concept. We are taught to look confident, assertive, and in control. Being vulnerable is the opposite. We must be humble to acknowledge our humanity, emotions, and flaws. Its something that everyone must embrace and practice leaders, teams, and individuals.Creativityis more than the ab ility to solve complex problems its an essential metaskillfor the 21st Century. Dealing with uncertainty and ambiguity requires adapting to a dynamic reality. Creativity helps us reframe and solve unexpected day-to-day issues.Each quadrant addresses a different challenge.Increase Self-AwarenessWe canelend lead others if we cant lead ourselves first. Knowing oneself is critical to becoming an agent of change. Most of us think we know ourselves well, butonly a few really do. It takes courage to confront with our unknown unknowns.Lead with QuestionsLead as if you are right but listen as if you are not.Intellectual humilitymakes you a better leader. In a complex, rapidly changing world, you cannot have all the answers. Asking excellent questions is more important than pretending we know it all.Invite ParticipationAuthentic conversations, not Powerpoints, drive change. People want to actively be part of the conversation, not just feel involved. Participation not only defeats silence peop le feel less resistant when they have a saying on how things should work.Fail SmartFailure is not a destination but a necessary stop in the innovation journey. Fearless cultures dont hide their mistakes. They share them openly learning and improvement matter more than egos. It also prevents others from repeating the same error.How Companies Build FearlessCulturesThis matrix has also helped me capture thedifferent practices to build Fearless Cultures what Ive learned from researching what companies are doing as well as my own practice.To keep this post short, I will share some methods and provide links for further reading. It will help you understand the overall approach. Feel free to reach out if you have questions orcheck out this workshop.A. Increase Self-AwarenessEmbracing vulnerability requires courage trust startswithin yourself.Self-awareness is much more than understanding yourself its learning to how others see us too. Increased self-awareness takes time and regular practice . The good news? You can start small.Organizational psychologist Tasha Eurichrecommendsestablishing the habit of a daily check-in most self-aware people practice it. Ask yourself these three questions at the end of each dayWhat went well today?What didnt go so well today?How can I be smarter tomorrow?Many companies, likeMedium, practice acheck-in roundat the beginning of a meeting to increase team awareness.By asking Whats got your attention? the team realizes the emotions and feelings each person is bringing to a meeting. Understanding where everyone is coming from promotes empathy and reduces useless conflicts.Heres a compilation of15 exercisesto develop self-awareness at an individual and team level.B. Lead with QuestionsLeadership needs to shift fromowning knowledgetopromoting a culture of curiosity. Questions encourage quiet people to speak up. As Edmondson said, Questions create a vacuum that serves as a voice opportunity for someone. They create a small safe zone automaticall y.Questions promote transparency. Take this one for exampleIf I leave the company, what would you like the new CEO to change?This question makes it safe to talk about what the CEO can improve. First, because she/he is sending the message that she/he wont be there forever. Second, its acknowledging that she/he is not addressing all expectations. Lastly, it drives a sense of urgency it helps uncover issues that are meaningful and critical to the team.Similarly, Steve Jobs was getting anxious that Pixar employeeswerent speaking upat the end of staff meetings. He realized he had to change the question. Do you have any feedback? wasnt encouraging people to talk.Jobs overcame silence by asking,Whats not working at PIXAR? Whats working at Pixar?The first question invited people to discuss what needed to be fixed. It came from a place of honesty and vulnerability. The second one balanced the other it helped people appreciate the positive things.C. FailSmartDo you have a mistake policy?Error s are a necessary path toward innovation. Explicit your company approach to mistakes and risk-tolerance live it and reward those who experiment.Rajan Tata, founder and chairman of Tata,created a prizefor theBest Failed Idea. He believed failure is a gold mine and wanted to spark innovation and keep his team from avoiding risks.Dont fail fast fail smart. Mistakes are lessons in disguise. Errors are not something to feel guilty about.Social Media consultancy NixonMcInnes created theChurch of Fail its not a new religion but a way of making it okay to err. This monthly ritual celebrates mistakes. Anyone can get on the pulpit to share their own and what theyve learned.Traditional brainstorm processes favor extroverts, people with positional power, those who can think quickly, or like to process ideas by speaking out loud.Overcoming fear takes time. The124-Allmethod is a way to access the inherent power and potenzial of a diverse group. Firstly, participants brainstorm by themselves, seco ndly, in duos. Thirdly, in groups of four. In the end, everyone shares their best ideas.Brainstorming progressively builds creative confidence one person at-a-time.Encouraging autonomyand distributing authority help build Psychological Safety - they are essential to develop a culture of experimentation. Listening to peoples ideas is not enough organizations must give them more space to make decisions too. Dont protect your team theres no growth without failure first.D. Invite ParticipationChange cannot be managed by a small group of executives its a shared responsibility by everyone in the organization. Participation not only drives ownership it multiplies the number of ideas and perspectives.Appreciative inquiryis a smart way to drive change through co-creation. It engages all stakeholders in self-determined change organizations are designed, maintained and transformed by conversations.Managers do not have all the answers. Increased participation drives engagement and speed. Invite and conquer let your team choose rather than being forced to support change.Listen to all the voices. Software developer Atlassian practicesconversational turn-takingto ensure even participation all team members get their turn to speak up. Managers or loud people go last to avoid influencing or silencing others.Makeparticipation optional. Sounds counterintuitive but it works. People become more committed when they feel in control. Similarly,self-selection choosing ones activities and team increases accountability and performance.The Law of Two Feetis an essential component of the Open Space Technology (OPT)approach. People can leave a meeting when they feel they are wasting their time. It makes it safe to choose ones priorities wisely.Participation is recognizing that together we create better solutions. Check outthis postto discover other methods to generate conversations that drive change.Your human talent is your most significant competitive advantage. Imagine all they can do if they werent afraid to speak up.A Fearless Culture encourages people to bring their best selves to work. Overcoming fear requires time start small and be consistent. Building vulnerability and creativity will advance your organization. Take the first step.Gustavo Razzetti is a change instigator who helps people and organizations createpositive change. He advises, writes, and speaks on team development and culture transformation. Receive hisweekly insightsor follow him onLinkedIn.This article first appeared on Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people