Horizon Point Consulting

Author: Taylor Simmons

  • How Can Assessments Benefit You & Your Team?

    How Can Assessments Benefit You & Your Team?

    I spoke with a young man recently who was in limbo regarding his career path. He had completed his bachelor’s degree and wasn’t sure where to go from there. He was in need of a little affirmation and direction. After our initial conversation, we started with an interest inventory. It confirmed the initial career path he had always considered. He had gotten a little side-tracked and just needed some assurance of his path and next steps. After we discussed the assessment results, I provided the next steps and contacts to set up appointments for his continuing education to pursue his dream job.

    Assessments are a great tool for providing insight and direction for individuals of all ages who are unsure of career direction. Interest inventories, skills assessments, values-based assessments & even personality assessments can be valuable in assisting students and adults with career development and career decisions. There are so many options out there. Here are a few free options I use often:

    1. Interest: My Next Move 
    2. Personality: 16 Personalities 
    3. Values: Work Values Matcher 

    Check out these articles for more insight into assessments & their value:

    Your Guide to Understanding Career Assessments (via Indeed)

    Reasons to Learn More About Your Personality Type (via Very Well Mind)

    Clarifying Your Work Values Leads to Job Satisfaction (via The Balance Careers)

    Assessments can be used in many other ways – hiring, team building, discovering leadership potential, and the list goes on! Did you know we offer assessments at Horizon Point? We can help you with career direction, hiring for fit, building your team as well as identifying and coaching your high potential employees. Let us know if we can help!

  • Interview Prep for Today’s Job Market

    Interview Prep for Today’s Job Market

    I’ve received several requests over the past few months in regard to preparing for an interview. Interviewing can be tricky. It varies from job to job and from employer to employer. Throw in a pandemic with virtual interviews and it gets even trickier!

    Just last week, I received a text from a wonderful client who was unsure of how well she did in a recent interview. She (jokingly) asked, “is there a class for interview anxiety?” If you don’t get anxious during an interview, please share your secret with the rest of us! On a side note, I’m sure she did amazing!

    Also last week, a colleague shared a few fabulous resources that are great for interview prep. One of the resources was specifically about what to do during the interview. Here are my favorite takeaways:

    • Ask the Right Questions: Come with prepared questions and ask questions during the interview. Ask informed, open-ended questions to show your interest in the company and position. (examples include: What is your vision for this department? What challenges do you expect in the next six months?) On a side note, don’t ask the wrong questions (avoid questions about vacation time, benefits, or salary).
    • Sell Your Skills: Match your skills to the skills sought by the company. You can usually determine this from the job posting’s “required and preferred skills” section. Share a concise description of your experience that matches the company’s needs.
    • Keep Responses to the Point: Be a good listener. Stay on track and be direct with your responses. Keep your answers to a two-minute maximum. To prepare/practice, try the S.T.A.R. prep tool. Check out The STAR Method: The Secret to Acing Your Next Job Interview to find out how to use the S.T.A.R method.

    If you are preparing for a virtual interview, check out 20 Video Interview Tips to Help You Dazzle the Hiring Manager and Get the Job.

    Stay tuned, maybe we will offer an interview class soon!

  • A Book Review of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

    A Book Review of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

    Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking is a must-read for introverts and extraverts alike. It explores the misconceptions of introverts and their many positive attributes.

    I have two children who are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to introversion and extraversion. This book resonated with me on so many levels. I also love that it has a Tips for Educators section at the end. 

    The back cover notes Quiet as The Book That Started The Quiet Revolution. It explains:

    At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society. 

    In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.

    Here are a few of my favorite quotes from Quiet:

    “We don’t ask why God chose as his prophet a stutterer with a public speaking phobia. But we should. The book of Exodus is short on explication, but its stories suggest that introversion plays yin to the yang of extroversion; that the medium is not always the message; and that people followed Moses because his words were thoughtful, not because he spoke them well.”

    “Introverts, in contrast, may have strong social skills and enjoy parties and business meetings, but after a while wish they were home in their pajamas. They prefer to devote their social energies to close friends, colleagues, and family. They listen more than they talk, think before they speak, and often feel as if they express themselves better in writing than in conversation. They tend to dislike conflict. Many have a horror of small talk, but enjoy deep discussions.”

    “So stay true to your own nature. If you like to do things in a slow and steady way, don’t let others make you feel as if you have to race. If you enjoy depth, don’t force yourself to seek breadth. If you prefer single-tasking to multi-tasking, stick to your guns. Being relatively unmoved by rewards gives you the incalculable power to go your own way.”

    Regardless of your MBTI results, you will find value in this book. Unsure if you are naturally an introvert or extrovert? You can check out 16 Personalities to find out for free!

  • 3 Tips for Your Job Search During a Pandemic

    3 Tips for Your Job Search During a Pandemic

    Almost every event I’ve attended lately, I’ve had conversations with individuals or overheard discussions about furloughs, downsizing and layoffs. The job market is volatile, and more and more people are searching for new opportunities, and many of those people haven’t had to search for a job in a long time.

    My husband and I have had conversations about what we would do if one of us lost our job. It’s scary to think about. We agree that we would do whatever we needed to do to continue to support our family. Which leads me to my first tip:

    1. While searching for the next best opportunity, find a side hustle that will allow you to pay your bills during your search. Instacart shoppers make way more than you would think! Also, during your downtime, check out The Next Right Thing, a book about making life decisions.
    2. Network like it’s your job. Networking is something we do on a daily basis without even realizing it. During my career, the majority of my positions have been obtained through networking. Not sure how to get started? Check out this article from Balance Careers: How to Use Networking to Find a Job.
    3. Stay busy. As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, I often help clients with gaps in their resume. The best way to avoid gaps in your resume (& questions about them in an interview) is to keep yourself busy while you are searching for your next job. Volunteering or continuing your education area great ways to avoid resume gaps. The Muse shared 5 Better Ways to Talk About the 5 Most Common Resume Gaps.

     

    Check out The Point Blog for more resources to help with your job search.

  • How to Do Virtual Training Well

    How to Do Virtual Training Well

    At Horizon Point, we have always offered virtual training in some form or fashion. While navigating a pandemic, more and more companies are reaching out to us about facilitating training virtually. We are fortunate that this is not new to us & with SO MANY tools, i.e. Zoom, virtual sessions can be just as fun and effective as live, in-person training!

    I facilitate an online career development course for Horizon Point. Typically, we offer a new course every month and have people from all over the US and occasionally other countries participate.

    Here are my top tips for successful facilitation of a virtual course:

    1. Set Clear Expectations – During or prior to the first virtual session, make certain that all expectations are outlined. If you must utilize the computer camera, give everyone a heads up, so no one shows up in their PJs.

    2. Allow for Flexibility – Everyone appreciates some level of control when participating in the training. Allow some flexibility in your course/training. If someone is unable to participate for reasonable circumstances, offer a makeup session, or record the live session. I also allow for flexibility in submitting required assignments, but still set clear expectations on what must be completed in order to successfully complete the course (like a hard & fast deadline for all assignments).

    3. Be Available – This should be a given. As an instructor, you must be available and approachable. Provide participants with your preferred method of communication & make it a habit of returning calls, texts, or emails within 24 hours.

     

    Need more ideas on Engaging a Remote Workforce? Check out this podcast from Adam Grant: How Science Can Fix Remote Work.