Week 4 Revision: Resume Infographic

Infographics are fun and a much more visually pleasing way to get some information across. Using one with your resume can set yours apart. A job posting will likely get hundreds of responses and its easy to get lost in the mix. With a little effort you can put together a nice Infographic and potentially catch the eye of your next employer.

Thanks
Addicus

Week 4 Reflection: RISE Self-Evaluation

The RISE self evaluations are a great tool for looking back at what was accomplished and attained from each class. It would be too easy to just move on the the next class with the fast paced schedule we have at Full Sail University. The self evaluation is rewarding in that you can take a few minutes to look over the assignments and really admire what you have done. I also like that it makes you think about what the class means to your career and future plans.

Week 4 Reflection: RISE Peer Review

Klaus,

      It has been a real pleasure taking these classes with you. You have been an inspiration for me on a lot of these projects and I know whenever I review one of your projects I am going to learn something new.

Thanks and good luck to you in your future endeavors.

Addicus

       Klaus' Mock interview is here

       Reflect – The military life lends to a lot of great stories. It really shows how diverse we have to be on a daily basis. The questions you ask gave you openings to demonstrate your vast experience in the media field. Your video itself looks great the sound and lighting are great. I like that your interviewee was dressed nicer then your interviewer, it does make me think that I need to star wearing ties for these types of things. Having been in the military myself for so long and wearing a uniform, I need to start training myself on proper interviewing attire.

·       Inquire – I know it is often hard to talk about your strengths and weaknesses. I always think back to write my evaluations. I like your method of going with an obvious like your strong audio visual background and your language barrier, then adding one less obvious such as your strength of working in groups. It is also I great idea to show how your weakness caused a strength in another area, that is something I would like to work into my answers. Your answers are well thought out and feel genuine. The only suggestion I would make is to be careful of letting them run too long. I don’t me that you should edit your stories, just be sure to read the interviewer. A story that runs to long could be off setting to some, but could be a key selling point to another, especially for a customer service based job.

·       Suggest – It looks like you rehearsed a bit. This is a good thing. You mention that with the video you had the luxury of going back and doing some editing, and I totally agree. I had a few segments I needed to clean up. But that is what makes this tool so great. Even if we don’t know the exact questions we will be asked going into an interview we can practice from a pool of common questions. Going back and watching our practice will give us an idea of what our interviewer will see.

·       Elevate – Personal experiences will stick with someone a lot longer then vague generalities. I have sat many review boards in my time in the Military on both sides of the table. I can say that I will pick the heart-felt stories over the bland “tell-you-what-you-want-to-hear” every time. Your interview had lots of stories that showed your experience as a video expert, a leader, and a professional.

Week 3 Project: Mock Interview

I will definitely be doing a lot of these before I go out looking for a job. I knew the questions before I started and still got tongue tied a few times. This is a great practice for speaking out load and answering questions like "What is your weakness?" Even If you have ab idea of what you want to say, it might sound completely different out loud then in your head. Practicing these answers and then seeing yourself say them can teach you a lot about what the interviewer is seeing.

Week 3 Analysis: Virtual Interview Preparation

Here is my interview location. It is important to scout out a good quiet location so there are no distractions on either side. It could be detrimental to the interview if either side has to keep asking for repeated questions. Also testing the strength of the wifi is a good idea. A dropped call can be a dropped opportunity.

Week 3 Practice: Company Questions

Answering the questions is only part of the interview. When asked if you have any questions for them it shows a lack of interest in the position to not have a few ready to go. The next step is to know the right questions to ask to not give off the wrong impression. Here are a few of the ones I will put in my back pocket.

1.      Who held this position previously? Why is he/she leaving the role?

a.       Knowing where the previous person is going could help understand the permanence of the role. It would also be nice to see how long they held that position. Did they get promoted or did they leave the company. The answers could tell a little about how the role is viewed within the company.

2.      What do you like most about working for this company?

a.       The interviewer should have some good things to say about the company they are hiring for. Leave the question open ended could lead to some unexpected answers.

3.      Can you tell me about the team I’ll be working with?

a.       I liked this one because it seems a little more practical then meeting the team before you are hired.  It can also  be a good indication of an outsiders opinion of the team you are going to work for. The interviewer my not have specifics on the individuals, but this is more to gauge your work teams professional image.

4.      What's your timeline for making a decision, and when can I expect to hear back from you?

a.       I like this one because it is important to plan on following up. If I know when they are planning to make the decision I can better plan when to call for a follow up. The wording also shows confidence that I will be called back.

5.      What constitutes success at this position and this firm?

a.       I think it’s a good idea to go into a situation knowing how to be successful. It will also be useful to know what to expect in the first couple of months. The question also shows that you are expecting to make a difference right from the start.

Week 3 Practice: Teamwork Examples

It is good to practice answers for some of the questions you might get asked. Having a good example going n could save some awkward silence while you are thinking. These are two good questions to practice because most jobs require some amount of teamwork.

Here are my answers to both questions

Team Member:

Team Leader:

Week 3 Exploration: Interview Questions

     These were the top questions I liked from what I saw. Know a few of the questions that might be asked of you can really help you to prepare for an interview. You still need to know how the think in the moment and really listen to what is being asked. But having something prepared can give you a little more confidence when sitting down for the interview.

1.     Which blogs do you read       

a.     I liked this question because if you are in the media industry you should be reading other peoples work. It is important to know what your community is discussing.

b.     Knowing what you read could give an employer an idea of your writing interests. As a sort of video columnist it would be beneficial for Zuffa to know where there candidates interests are.

2.     What is your proofreading process?

a.     Proofreading and quality checks are pretty similar. The question could easily be interpreted as How do you quality check your work.

b.     With a fast turnaround on clips and live shows all the time the margin for error is pretty small. UFC has a need for quality video with little proofing time.

3.     What operating systems and programs do you use?

a.     Any job involving media should ask this question.

b.     There are vast differences in some of the operating systems out there and the programs available are even more diverse. If UFC uses Apple products and all you know is PC there will be a steep learning curve.

4.     Can you describe the difference between “there,” “their,” and “they’re?”

a.     This is important when blogging, writing, or engaging in social media. There are a lot of people on the web that will judge the content of writing based on grammatical errors.

b.     Although the primary purpose of this job is video editing, UFC has many blogs and written articles as well. It would not be out of the realm of possibility to transition into writing also.

5.     What do you know about the company?

a.     I like this one because as we learned earlier in this class knowing about the company you are allying for can be very useful. It is important to know if the companies philosophy is in line with your own.

b.     Zuffa is a good example of this, without a little research one might not know they represent UFC.

6.     What is your greatest professional achievement?

a.     This one is interesting because your greatest achievement might not have to do with the job you are applying for. Is it better to answer with one that shows your professionalism or one that might be less impressive but be inline with the job?

b.     I feel like this one could fall into the same category as the last one in that it tells how much the interviewee knows about the company.

7.     Tell me about a challenge or conflict you've faced at work, and how you dealt with it.

a.     This one is a little less direct then “what is your greatest weakness?” It still asks you to spin something negative into a positive trait without coming right out and saying it.

b.     No job goes smooth 100% of the time. Knowing how a potential employee handles a conflict can be very helpful. The UFC is know for conflict it is presumable that tensions can run high.

8.     What's your dream job?

a.     Here is another one that makes the candidate consider how much truth the interviewer wants. If it is not your dream job how can you spin it so that it is inline with the job you are applying for?

b.     This really is a dream job for me. I want to work for a some what smaller niche company that wants video created and edited on the fly and involves some travel. The catch for me is telling the interviewer that without making them think I am just spouting what they want to hear.

9.     What do you like to do outside of work?

a.     Although it may seem like this shouldn’t matter to an employer, there are a lot of companies that want to maintain a certain image. If your personal hobbies don’t coincide with that image it could cause issues. I learned a lot about this from my time in the military.

b.     UFC has a pretty distinct image. They may not be too concerned with what you do on your personal time, but how you answer could be an indicator of how you will fit in with the staff or how you will react to job requirements.

10.  Why do you want this job?

a.     I like a very direct question. This one gets right to the heart of what you are doing there.

b.     There may be people applying to Zuffa and UFC because they think it might be a way to break into the MMA ring. Or they just want to be closer to the fighters for whatever reason. I imagine they want people for this job that are interested in doing the work required by the position and this question could weed some of those out.

https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-answer-the-31-most-common-interview-questions

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewquestionsanswers/a/top-10-interview-questions.htm

http://www.resonancecontent.com/blog/10-questions-you-must-ask-before-hiring-a-content-writer

Week 2 Project: Elevator Pitch

You never know when you will meet your next job opportunity. Having a well rehearsed and natural "elevator pitch"will ensure you don't get tongue tied when the time presets itself. It's easy to lose focus and want to say too much all at once. Knowing the essentials and hitting those first can help make the right impression.

Here is my elevator pitch draft:

Thanks
Addicus

Star Submission: Doc Ellie

I worked with my 7 year old daughter on this one. Her 2 year old cousin loves Doc McStuffins and wanted to write her a story. My Daughter wrote the script and "directed" most of the shots.

I did all the camera work and editing. Editing was done on Final Cut Pro. This Project was done just for fun and was sent to my niece for Christmas.