Quiet People in Meetings Are Incredible
Knowing when not to talk is an art.
As a corporate man by day, and an entrepreneur by night, I’ve attended my fair share of meetings over the last decade or so.
Meetings can be an odd experience. Before you know it the meeting can get out of control. Leaders with pinstripe suits or hair that is turning grey quicker by the day can lose the plot. They flex their ego with words. In other words, they talk a lot. As the meeting wears on the duel continues. Leaders throw words around. Those looking for their next promotion do the same.
Looking smart is key. You use spreadsheets and insert phrases into customer’s mouths that they never said to ensure you’re seen as right or most in touch with the customer.
It’s all bullshit. The meeting is a waste of time. No resolution is reached.
But it’s not all bad. Meetings have taught me one valuable lesson: watch the quiet people.
There are these hidden people that attend meetings. They say nothing. You can attend ten meetings in a row and never hear them say a word. Their words are a privilege reserved for the royal family. You find yourself dying to know what they would say. They act like a fly on the wall. With every meeting, they get smarter, by saying nothing at all.
They observe the loud beasts, rather than become a beast.
I used to be loud in meetings. These quiet people changed my mind. Now I try to sit quietly in most meetings and not say a word. I’m a long way from mastering this skill but it has already taught me so much.
The loudest person in the room is not the most senior, or necessarily the brightest spark.
Job titles make people do stupid things. One of those misdemeanors is talking too much. You can have a title today and have it gone tomorrow.
What ruins business is people that don’t listen. They think they know the market but actually they don’t know anything at all.
The brightest spark in the room says nothing at all. They are there taking notes and paying attention to what is going on. They watch the duel of egos and see no room to interrupt.
When the meeting is over they go back to their desk and help complete the list of actions. They are a doer, not a talker.
The person who talks the loudest and the most in the meeting is not the smartest. They are drowning out the solutions of the people who do the real work.
It’s okay to sit in silence. It doesn’t make you a loser; it makes you smart.
Bright sparks know when to shut up.
Of course there are times when you’ll be asked to speak about a topic. You can’t say no, or do hand signals.
The idea is to speak with as few words as possible and make your point. Then, once you’ve said what you need to say in the shortest amount of time possible, know when to shut up.
Knowing when not to talk is an art.
If you can learn to shut up at the right times, you can hear the unspoken people. You can also hear what is not being said.
Bright sparks know when to listen, and learn.
To shut up is to listen.
To listen is to change your life.
Why? When you listen you learn. When I was working a job and was way out of my depth looking after a billion-dollar Silicon Valley Tech company, I listened my way to mastery. By sitting in meeting after meeting and saying nothing, I learned what the customer did and how my employer’s business worked. Nobody in those meetings ever found out that I had no idea.
When you listen, people then assume you know what you’re doing. And guess what? You will know what you’re doing if you listen.
I remember hearing about a guy (forgot his name) that listened his way into meetings. By using the art of listening, he climbed his way up to joining meetings with the two founders of Google.
All he did was sit there and shut up, and simply offer to take the notes for the meeting. Nobody ever questioned him. What he learned in those meetings completely changed his life. He excelled much faster in his career because he was ahead of the knowledge curve, thanks to the meetings he got to attend.
If you listen, you’re going to learn things they can never teach you in a prestigious university. You could argue this man’s education that he got from the two founders of Google was better than his university degree — all by listening.
Praise quietness, not hot air and noise.
My aim in meetings now is to be the least loudest person in the room. There is so much hot air and noise in meetings that achieves nothing. Your desire to be heard in meetings could be stopping your learning.
Your ego makes you talk too much. If you learn to take yourself lightly and dial down your own importance, you’ll end up saying less in meetings.
The loudest person in the room is the dumbest because he/she doesn’t know, or have the discipline to shut up. It’s tragic. Don’t make your life a tragedy by talking too much in meetings.
Quiet people change the world because they hear things others don’t.
Fall in love with quiet people in meetings.
Study those gorgeous quiet creatures.
You too can be a quiet person if you choose — but first you have to see the magic of quiet people, to be moved to silence.
~ Tim Denning
Jul 28, 2020
TO READ article:
https://medium.com/the-ascent/quiet-people-in-meetings-are-incredible-7bb05ef9acd1/
Zoom Interview Preparation Tips
Candidates who take the time to prepare for an interview tend to stand out. Here are my top recommendations for successfully interviewing online, whether this is your first or fiftieth Zoom call:
- Test out the interview platform in advance.
- Use the best internet you can access.
- Have a plan B if your internet is shaky.
- Find the quietest place you can.
- Consider using a virtual background.
- Choose your outfit based on company dress code.
- Research your interviewers.
- Prepare personalized questions for each interviewer.
TO READ article:
https://thebestschools.org/careers/career-prep/zoom-interview-prep/
Are You Likable or Unlikable? Science Says the Rule of Presence Provides an Immediate Answer
Sure, it helps to be outgoing and gregarious, but science shows that presence — or just anticipated presence — makes a major difference in likability.
BY JEFF HADEN, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, INC.
@JEFF_HADEN
First up, the outcome-driven reasons. Research shows genuinely likable people tend to be more successful in sales. More likely to enlist the help of, and even lead, other people. More likely to be promoted or hired.
In short, genuine likability is a driver of success.
And then there’s this. Genuine likability is crucial to building and maintaining great relationships. Likability is crucial to influencing, in a good way, the people around you. Likability is crucial in helping other people feel better about themselves.
In short, genuine likability is a driver of positive, lasting connections and relationships.
So are you likable?
Answering that question could mean considering how thoughtful you are. How giving. How self-deprecating. How attentive. There are a number of different ways to assess whether people think you’re likable. (Because that’s one assessment we all instinctively make when we interact with other people.)
Or you could just ask yourself two questions.
“Do I Show Up?”
Imagine that you attend an in-person college class for a semester. You never speak up. You never speak to anyone. You’re just there. Will the people in the class consider you to be likable?
It all depends on how often you attend.
In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, the same four women attended a number of different classes. Sometimes certain women would attend every class. Sometimes they would attend about half the classes. Sometimes they only attended one or two.
What didn’t vary was how they communicated. They never spoke to anyone.
At the end of the semester, students were asked which of the women they liked best. The ones who attended the most classes were consistently rated as most likable, the ones who attended the fewest classes were rated as least likable.
That seems odd, since none of the women rated ever interacted with anyone. How can you decide that I’m likable, or unlikable, if you’ve never talked to me?
According to the researchers:
Mere exposure had weak effects on familiarity, but strong effects on attraction and similarity.
Which is a fancy way of saying, “The more often I see you, the more I will like you.”
One way to know if you’re likable? Whether you show up regularly.
Or barring that….
“Do People Know I Will Show Up?”
Say your business involves multiple locations across the country. Even if you’re Roger Penske and log over 600,000 air miles a year visiting your worldwide operations, you still may only see many of your employees a few times a year. How can you be likable if you are rarely present?
In a classic study first published in Human Relations, researchers gave participants profiles of two people and told them that one would be a partner in future discussion groups.
Oddly enough, when asked, the participants said they liked their future partner more — even though the profiles were basically identical.
According to the researchers:
When a person is in a unit relationship (meaning you’re part of an organization or team or even just a discussion group) with another person, there is a tendency toward making the relationship harmonious.
This harmony may be achieved by liking the other person.
Which is a fancy way of saying that if I know I’ll see you, I’m more likely to like you because I would greatly prefer to like you. No one likes to be in a “unit relationship” with people they don’t like.
Deciding ahead of time that I will like you helps me avoid cognitive dissonance, the natural discomfort that comes from holding two contradictory beliefs at the same time.
If I know I’ll see you again, it feels better to me to assume I like you.
Which means I’m already primed to like you.
Which means you don’t have to be exceptionally likable when we do meet. All you have to do is avoid screwing things up.
Exposure Effect and Anticipated Presence
Research shows a major factor in likability is frequent, consistent presence. That’s the exposure effect.
Research also shows that knowing someone will show up is a major factor in likability. That’s anticipated presence.
So start by showing up. Stop by. Make a call. Send an email. Be a consistent presence, whether in person or virtual, if only for a few minutes at a time.
And if you can’t do that, let people know when you will show up. Let employees know when you’ll visit their location. Set regular Zoom meetings, even if those sessions are months apart. Send regular update emails.
When people know you will show up, even if those moments are infrequent, they will like you more.
Whether you’re outgoing and gregarious, or not.
9 mistakes that will instantly destroy a first impression, according to these self-made millionaires
9 mistakes that will instantly destroy a first impression, according to these self-made millionaires
Published Tue, Jan 28 202011:53 AM EST
Last month, nine self-made millionaires and Advisors in The Oracles told us how they dress to make a good first impression.
But first impressions go far beyond what you wear. So we asked them about the common mistakes people make that can instantly destroy a first impression — and how to change those bad habits once and for all.
1. A poor handshake and no eye contact.
“I never hire anyone I don’t trust, and I always form my first impression of someone based on their eye contact. If you want someone to trust you, you better look them straight in the eye.
A good handshake is also key. It isn’t so much about firmness, it’s about making sure the skin between your thumb and forefinger connects with the other person’s hand in the same spot. That connection signals that you’re confident and trustworthy.”
—Barbara Corcoran, founder of The Corcoran Group, podcast host of “Business Unusual,” investor on “Shark Tank.”
2. Being dismissive.
“Kindness goes a long way. I still remember all the show business folks who were mean to me early in my career, as well as the ones who took my hand and gave me advice.
I once hung out with a friend who was a big celebrity, and a fan approached him for an autograph. When he gave it to them without even turning around to look at them, I saw the hatred on his fan’s face.”
You never forget kindness, but you often hear things like, ‘I got in an elevator with so-and-so, and they didn’t even say hi.’ Now they hate that person for the rest of their life.”
—Jay Leno, comedian, star of CNBC’s “Jay Leno’s Garage,” former host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show. Follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
3. Failing to ask good questions.
“To build rapport and credibility quickly, ask open-ended questions.
For example, find out how the other person got started in their industry or ended up in their job role or city. Ask about their goals and dreams to see how you can help them, with questions like, ‘Where do you want to be in 10 years?’
You’ll get to know the person better, communicate that you’re thoughtful and curious, and grow your knowledge.”
—Marla Beck, co-founder and CEO of Bluemercury, creator of M-61 Skincare and Lune+Aster cosmetics.
4. Neglecting your reputation.
“A first impression doesn’t start the second you meet someone. It begins with your reputation, which you build over time with above-average performance. Then when you finally meet that person, your reputation precedes you.”
—Markus Hetzenegger, founder and CEO of NYBA Media GmbH. Follow him on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.
5. Showing signs of disinterest.
“It’s not enough to be interesting. You have to be interested. Why? Because what really drives a person is themselves. So make your conversation about them.
Ask what they do, why they do it, and what they want to accomplish. Save your pitch on how you can add value to their lives for future encounters, which you’ll get if you don’t blow the first one.
And don’t forget to give them your business card — ideally with your picture on it — so they have a way to follow up with you. But remember: It’s ultimately your job to follow up with them.”
—Natalie Workman, co-founder of Cardone Ventures for Women. Follow her on LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
6. Taking first, giving later.
“When you’re humble and generous, you’ll build a loyal community around you. It’s a give-and-take in the business world, but we must first learn to give. The more you can offer your services, knowledge, connections, and time to others, the more they will give in return.”
—Ashley Alderson, founder and CEO of The Boutique Hub and Boutique.Style, cancer survivor, motivational speaker, host of “Boutique Chat.” Follow her on on Instagram and LinkedIn.
7. Failing to showcase your strongest assets.
“I’m enthusiastic by nature, but I used to hold back because I wanted to seem ‘cool’ — until I realized my enthusiasm is actually one of my most valuable assets.
It’s so important to identify your strongest skills and showcase them proudly. If you’re an eloquent speaker, speak often. If you’re a great listener, ask lots of questions. But you also need to avoid overemphasizing them.
—Alon Rajic, CEO of Finofin, which operates Money Transfer Comparison, a leading authority on the comparison of money transfer providers.
8. Speaking before you listen.
“Years ago, if I met someone new, I would act like I had valuable insight and quickly steer the topic toward what I could offer. Over time, however, I learned to listen more and only speak when the timing is right and when I have something genuinely valuable or insightful to say.”
—Craig Handley, co-founder of ListenTrust and author of “Hired to Quit, Inspired to Stay.”
9. Trying too hard.
“The poet Maya Angelou once said, ‘People will never forget how you make them feel.’
Those words are so true. I’ve been offered great opportunities in the first meeting because someone ‘had a good feeling’ about me. My strategy is be my most authentic self, instead of trying too hard to impress them (which is something I see so many people do).”
TO READ article:
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/28/9-mistakes-that-will-instantly-ruin-a-first-impression-according-to-millionaires.html
Is U.S. labor shortage reaching a critical point?
TO READ article:
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/05/the-us-labor-shortage-is-reaching-a-critical-point.html
100 top job interview questions
Interview questions can run the gamut. It’s unlikely you’ll face all 100 of these, but you should still be prepared to answer at least some of them.
(Thad Peterson, Monster staff)
Practice for a job interview with these top 100 questions.
While there are as many different possible interview questions as there are interviewers, it always helps to be ready for anything. Which is why we’ve taken the time to prepare this list of 100 potential interview questions.
Will you face them all? We pray no interviewer would be that cruel.
Will you face a few? Probably.
Will you be well-served by being ready even if you’re not asked these exact questions? Absolutely. To learn how to be prepared for job interview questions, start here.
Basic interview questions:
• Tell me about yourself.
• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• Why do you want this job?
• Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?
• What’s your ideal company?
• What attracted you to this company?
• Why should we hire you?
• What did you like least about your last job?
• When were you most satisfied in your job?
• What can you do for us that other candidates can’t?
• What were the responsibilities of your last position?
• Why are you leaving your present job?
• What do you know about this industry?
• What do you know about our company?
• Are you willing to relocate?
• Do you have any questions for me?
Behavioral interview questions:
• What was the last project you led, and what was its outcome?
• Give me an example of a time that you felt you went above and beyond the call of duty at work.
• Can you describe a time when your work was criticized?
• Have you ever been on a team where someone was not pulling their own weight? How did you handle it?
• Tell me about a time when you had to give someone difficult feedback. How did you handle it?
• What is your greatest failure, and what did you learn from it?
• How do you handle working with people who annoy you?
• If I were your supervisor and asked you to do something that you disagreed with, what would you do?
• What was the most difficult period in your life, and how did you deal with it?
• Give me an example of a time you did something wrong. How did you handle it?
• Tell me about a time where you had to deal with conflict on the job.
• If you were at a business lunch and you ordered a rare steak and they brought it to you well done, what would you do?
• If you found out your company was doing something against the law, like fraud, what would you do?
• What assignment was too difficult for you, and how did you resolve the issue?
• What’s the most difficult decision you’ve made in the last two years and how did you come to that decision?
• Describe how you would handle a situation if you were required to finish multiple tasks by the end of the day, and there was no conceivable way that you could finish them.
Salary questions:
• What salary are you seeking?
• What’s your salary history?
• If I were to give you this salary you requested but let you write your job description for the next year, what would it say?
Career development questions:
• What are you looking for in terms of career development?
• How do you want to improve yourself in the next year?
• What kind of goals would you have in mind if you got this job?
• If I were to ask your last supervisor to provide you additional training or exposure, what would she suggest?
Getting started questions:
• How would you go about establishing your credibility quickly with the team?
• How long will it take for you to make a significant contribution?
• What do you see yourself doing within the first 30 days of this job?
• If selected for this position, can you describe your strategy for the first 90 days?
More questions about you:
• How would you describe your work style?
• What would be your ideal working environment?
• What do you look for in terms of culture—structured or entrepreneurial?
• Give examples of ideas you’ve had or implemented.
• What techniques and tools do you use to keep yourself organized?
• If you had to choose one, would you consider yourself a big-picture person or a detail-oriented person?
• Tell me about your proudest achievement.
• Who was your favorite manager and why?
• What do you think of your previous boss?
• Was there a person in your career who really made a difference?
• What kind of personality do you work best with and why?
• What are you most proud of?
• What do you like to do?
• What are your lifelong dreams?
• What do you ultimately want to become?
• What is your personal mission statement?
• What are three positive things your last boss would say about you?
• What negative thing would your last boss say about you?
• What three character traits would your friends use to describe you?
• What are three positive character traits you don’t have?
• If you were interviewing someone for this position, what traits would you look for?
• List five words that describe your character.
• Who has impacted you most in your career and how?
• What is your greatest fear?
• What is your biggest regret and why?
• What’s the most important thing you learned in school?
• Why did you choose your major?
• What will you miss about your present/last job?
• What is your greatest achievement outside of work?
• What are the qualities of a good leader? A bad leader?
• Do you think a leader should be feared or liked?
• How do you feel about taking no for an answer?
• How would you feel about working for someone who knows less than you?
• How do you think I rate as an interviewer?
• Tell me one thing about yourself you wouldn’t want me to know.
• Tell me the difference between good and exceptional.
• What kind of car do you drive?
• There’s no right or wrong answer, but if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
• What’s the last book you read?
• What magazines do you subscribe to?
• What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the last year?
• What would you do if you won the lottery?
• Who are your heroes?
• What do you like to do for fun?
• What do you do in your spare time?
• What is your favorite memory from childhood?
Brainteasers:
• How many times do a clock’s hands overlap in a day?
• How would you weigh a plane without scales?
• Tell me 10 ways to use a pencil other than writing.
• Sell me this pencil.
• If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?
• Why is there fuzz on a tennis ball?
• If you could choose one superhero power, what would it be and why?
• If you could get rid of any one of the US states, which one would you get rid of and why?
• With your eyes closed, tell me step-by-step how to tie my shoes.
TO READ Thad Peterson’s article:
https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/100-potential-interview-questions
The 5 Best Fonts To Use On Your Resume
Times New Roman might cost you your next job.
While resume font choice may seem trivial, experts say it’s actually pretty important. A bad font can take the focus off the accomplishments you’ve listed.
“A reader may not arrive at the content if your font if too distracting,” Samantha Howie, senior human resources recruiter at the New York-based Maximum Management Corp., told the Huffington Post. “The key is that we can read it with ease.”
Drawing upon Howie’s recruiting expertise and tips from a typeface expert, we’ve composed a definitive list of the best fonts to use on your resume. Spoiler alert: The days of using Times News Roman have come to an end.
#5
Garamond
The classic
For an elegant feel, Garamond is the one. “Garamond is very readable,” Howie told HuffPost. “But for me, it feels a little bit old fashioned, or perhaps not as corporate.”
#4
Arial
The safe bet
Howie approves of this widely popular font, calling it a “safe bet.” Typeface expert Brian Hoff, creative designer at Brian Hoff Design, agrees. “It’s very neutral,” he told HuffPost. “It’s clean but doesn’t have much of a way about it.”
#3
Georgia
The modern alternative
“It has the same positive attributes as Garamond, but for me doesn’t feel as dated because it is less curvy,” Howie said of this font. However, Hoff said that Georgia tends to appeal more on the Web than it does in print. So if you’re going to distribute hard copies of your resume, think twice about Georgia.
#2
Helvetica
The timeless preference
“It’s a no-fuss typeface that has a timeless feel to it,” Hoff said. Howie mentioned that Helvetica is popular at the recruiting firm where she works.
#1
Calibri
The perfect balance
Modern. Tasteful. Professional. Interesting. “Calibri really does it for me — it’s my personal favorite,” Howie said. “It’s clear, readable, straightforward but not lacking in personality.” In Microsoft Office 2007, Calibri replaced Times New Roman as the default typeface in Word and replaced Arial as the default typeface in PowerPoint and Excel.
Of course, some typefaces are absolute negatives. Comic Sans, for one, should never be considered, according to the experts we interviewed.
“Comic Sans was literally created for comic books,” Hoff said.
“In the professional word, it is totally inappropriate,” Howie added.
Times New Roman, a font praised by high school English teachers across the country, is not so warmly received in the professional world, either.
“It’s telegraphing that you didn’t put any thought into the typeface that you selected,” Hoff told Bloomberg News earlier this year. “It’s like putting on sweatpants.”
The consensus: Be interesting but not too playful. Be professional but not basic. Be modern but not extravagant. Moderation is key when it comes to resume fonts.
By Andrew Lord
The Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/12/fonts-to-use-on-resume_n_7562714.html
Here are 2 fonts that make your emails readable — and 2 you should never use
In an ideal world, your email recipients would be moved more by the substance of your message than its aesthetic value.
But according to a recent article in Bloomberg, designers think certain fonts make a better impression in professional communications.
Here are two fonts they recommend using:
Georgia: Each letter written in this font has an additional stroke at the end. So it’s generally easier to read the individual characters.
Verdana: The shape of the letters in this font is more open than in fonts like Arial. There’s additional space between letters, and the spacing is more even.
Here are two fonts they suggest not using:
Helvetica: The letters are too close together, a type designer told Bloomberg. That makes it hard to read.
Arial: Font designers say it has “ambiguous” letter shapes (as in, the letters “b” and “d” are the same shape in reverse) that make it hard to read multiple words in a row.
email fonts
Business Insider
Arial and Helvetica are default fonts in many popular email clients, including Gmail and Apple Mail, but most font designers change the settings.
Meanwhile, one designer that spoke to Bloomberg advocates that organizations change their default font settings in order to make it easier for employees to read email.
by Shana Lebowitz
Business Insider
http://www.businessinsider.com/best-and-worst-fonts-for-email-2015-7
40 Handy Excel Shortcuts You Can’t Live Without
Written by Kristina Volovich | @steeens11
March 7, 2016 // 7:00 AM
40 Excel Shortcuts You’ll Definitely Want to Bookmark
Navigation
These simple shortcuts can help you navigate between workbooks, sheets, rows and columns.
Shift + Enter (PC and Mac) = Move up through a selection
CTRL + ↑ (PC); Command + ↑ (Mac) = Jump to the top of a column
CTRL + ↓ (PC); Command + ↓ (Mac) = Jump to the bottom of a column
CTRL + . (PC and Mac) = Jump to the corner of a selection (Note: Rotate to each corner by repeating this keystroke)
CTRL + w (PC); Command + W (Mac) = Close the active workbook window
CTRL + Shift + F6 (PC); Command + Shift + F6 (Mac) = Switch to previous workbook window
CTRL + Tab (Mac only) = Switch to the next open worksheet
CTRL + Shift + Tab (Mac only) = Switch to the previous open worksheet (Mac)
F11 (PC and Mac) = Start a new chart sheet
Shift + F11 (PC and Mac) = Insert a new sheet
CTRL + y (PC); Command + Y (Mac) = Repeat the last action
CTRL + d (PC and Mac) = Fill selected cell with the content in the cell above selected cell
CTRL + r (PC and Mac) = Fill selected cell with the content in the cell to the left of selected cell
Formatting
Formatting in Excel can be difficult if you don’t know of what you’re doing. Here are a few shortcuts that to help you easily format your cells.
CTRL + F (PC); Command + F (Mac) = Find and replace values
CTRL + Shift + % (PC and Mac) = Show all values as percentages
CTRL + Shift + $ (PC and Mac) = Show all values as currency (Note: Replace $ with your own country’s currency key)
CTRL + Shift + ~ (PC and Mac) = Show all values in general number format
CTRL + Shift + & (PC); Command + Option + 0 (Mac) = Apply an outline border to selected cells
Here’s what cells look like with (left) and without (right) a border:
Screen_Shot_2016-02-24_at_3.29.24_PM.png Screen_Shot_2016-02-24_at_3.30.53_PM.png
CTRL + 2 (PC); Command + b (Mac) = Apply or remove bold formatting to selected cells
CTRL + 3 (PC); Command + i (Mac) = Apply or remove italic formatting to selected cells
CTRL + 9 (PC and Mac) = Hide selected rows
CTRL + Shift + ( (PC and Mac) = Unhide selected rows
CTRL + 0 (PC and Mac) = Hide selected columns
CTRL + Shift + ) (PC and Mac) = Unhide selected columns
CTRL + ; (PC and Mac) = Insert current date
CTRL + Shift + : (PC); Command + ; (Mac) = Insert current time
CTRL + k (PC); Command + k (Mac) = Insert a hyperlink
Selecting Rows & Columns
Save yourself the manual dragging and selecting rows and columns with these handy keyboard tricks.
Shift + ↑ [or] Shift + ↓ (PC and Mac) = Expand the selection by one cell either upward (↑) or downward (↓)
CTRL + Shift + Arrow Key (PC); Command + Shift + Arrow Key (Mac) = Expand the selection to the last non-empty cell
CTRL + [spacebar] (PC and Mac) = Select entire column
Shift + [spacebar] (PC and Mac) = Select entire row
CTRL + a (PC); Command + a (Mac) = Select entire sheet
Alt + ; (PC); Command + Shift + z (Mac) = Select only the visible cells in the current selection
Formulas
Formulas are a huge part of every marketer’s Excel toolkit. Here are a few shortcuts that’ll make you a formula wiz.
= (i.e. press the “equals” sign; PC and Mac) = Start a formula (e.g. “=A4+A5″)
Alt + (PC); Command + Shift + t (Mac) = Insert AutoSum formula
F2 (PC); CTRL + u (Mac) = Edit active cell
CTRL + a (PC and Mac) = Display the Formula Builder after you type a valid function name in a formula
Miscellaneous
Here are a few more time-saving shortcuts.
F7 (PC and Mac) = Open spelling & grammar check
Shift + F2 (PC and Mac) = Insert a comment
insert-comment-excel.png
Control + Shift + s (PC); Command + Shift + s (Mac) = Save your work as
http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/excel-shortcuts?utm_content=buffercbb1d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin.com&utm_campaign=buffer
50 Most Common Interview Questions
Glassdoor Team | March 16, 2015
When it comes to the interview process, research and preparation for the interview can often times determine your chances of making it to the next step. One of the best ways to get ready for a job interview is to practice your responses to any and all interview questions – even the downright weird.
To help you get started, Glassdoor sifted through tens of thousands of interview reviews to find out some of the most common interview questions candidates get asked during recent interviews. So, if you have a job interview lined up, practice in front of a mirror or ask a friend or family member to listen to your answers to the following questions so you’ll be ready to put your best foot forward.
Most Common Interview Questions
What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
Why are you interested in working for [insert company name here]?
Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?
Why do you want to leave your current company?
Why was there a gap in your employment between [insert date] and [insert date]?
What can you offer us that someone else can not?
What are three things your former manager would like you to improve on?
Are you willing to relocate?
Are you willing to travel?
Tell me about an accomplishment you are most proud of.
Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
What is your dream job?
How did you hear about this position?
What would you look to accomplish in the first 30 days/60 days/90 days on the job?
Discuss your resume.
Discuss your educational background.
Describe yourself.
Tell me how you handled a difficult situation.
Why should we hire you?
Why are you looking for a new job?
Would you work holidays/weekends?
How would you deal with an angry or irate customer?
What are your salary requirements? (Hint: if you’re not sure what’s a fair salary range and compensation package, research the job title and/or company on Glassdoor.)
Give a time when you went above and beyond the requirements for a project.
Who are our competitors?
What was your biggest failure?
What motivates you?
What’s your availability?
Who’s your mentor?
Tell me about a time when you disagreed with your boss.
How do you handle pressure?
What is the name of our CEO?
What are your career goals?
What gets you up in the morning?
What would your direct reports say about you?
What were your bosses’ strengths/weaknesses?
If I called your boss right now and asked him what is an area that you could improve on, what would he say?
Are you a leader or a follower?
What was the last book you’ve read for fun?
What are your co-worker pet peeves?
What are your hobbies?
What is your favorite website?
What makes you uncomfortable?
What are some of your leadership experiences?
How would you fire someone?
What do you like the most and least about working in this industry?
Would you work 40+ hours a week?
What questions haven’t I asked you?
What questions do you have for me?