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Active listening
Active listening

Collaboration

Active listening
Active listening

Collaboration

“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”

Epictetus

Active listening is a prerequisite for effective collaboration. This can help avoid miscommunication and improves teamwork in the workplace. Here’s a couple of questions you might answer in order to demonstrate this skill:

  • Do you consider yourself good at actively listening to others? Why?
  • What do you think takes to be a good listener? Why?
  • Do you demonstrate concern and try to build trust when you communicate with another person? Do you think that’s important? Why?
  • Do you observe non-verbal cues when you talk to other people? Do you think it helps to understand people better? Why?
  • If you don’t fully understand something, do you ask other person to clarify or rephrase?
  • Why do you think that’s important?

Communication skills
Communication skills

Collaboration

Communication skills
Communication skills

Collaboration

“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”

Mark Twain

Good communication skills are key to effective collaboration in the 21st century. If you can communicate your ideas clearly and concisely, you can reduce the likelihood of mistakes and misunderstandings. If effective communication is your strong suit – be sure to mention it! The question is how, right? Here’s a couple of prompts that might help you get the ball rolling:

  • Can you write emails, write blog posts and/or other types of messages that are clearly formatted, skimmable and get your point across?
  • Can you edit information and repurpose content and then adapt it to different platforms/channels?
  • Are you capable of evaluating your audience and tailoring communication accordingly?
  • What makes you think that you’re a good communicator?
  • Can you convey your ideas clearly and concisely?

Willingness to learn and teach
Willingness to learn and teach

Collaboration

Willingness to learn and teach
Willingness to learn and teach

Collaboration

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

Dr. Seuss

In order to stay relevant in our fast-paced world we must be willing to keep on learning and improving which, as a result, can enhance our ability to collaborate effectively. Here’s a couple of questions that you might consider answering in your video CV to demonstrate your teaching and learning skills:

  • Are you actively seeking to improve your skills and knowledge? Then apply it in the workplace? (give an example)
  • Do you use online learning platforms (Coursera, Futurelearn…) to hone your skills? Have you earned any certificates?
  • What do you do if you're stuck on assignments/tasks? Do you ask for your collegues' help?
  • If you see that your colleague is struggling with an assignment and you knew exactly how to do it, would you teach them how to achieve desired results or would you more often just offer to do it for them? (please give examples)
  • How do your teaching and learning skills help you collaborate with others?

Initiating change
Initiating change

Flexibility

Initiating change
Initiating change

Flexibility

“What you're supposed to do when you don't like a thing is change it. If you can't change it, change the way you think about it. Don't complain.”

Maya Angelou

Flexibility competence could be demonstrated by discussing how one initiates change. For instance:

  • If you see that something could be improved, would you go out of your way to suggest changes? If you would, do you maybe have an example to give?
  • Are you the one that initiates change in your organisation?
  • Do you engage with other people working in your industry and constantly look for networking opportunities that might lead to collaborations?
  • Do you try to constantly learn new things and then apply them in practice?

Dealing with unwanted emotions
Dealing with unwanted emotions

Self-management

Dealing with unwanted emotions
Dealing with unwanted emotions

Self-management

“It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently.”

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

We all have bad days but not everyone deals with them in the same way. You can be sure that in any workplace, you will have to deal with other people’s unwanted emotions as well as your own. If you pride yourself on being able to manage your emotions and maintain a healthy and pleasant work environment, you can mention this in your video CV. How? Try answering these questions for starters:

  • How do you deal with unwanted emotions, do you let them get in the way or do you maybe have a strategy how to manage them?
  • How do you manage unwanted emotions?
  • How do you deal with angry/agitated colleagues? Do you let their emotions transfer onto you? Or maybe you have methods/strategies how to calm your colleagues and help them?

Embracing cultural diversity
Embracing cultural diversity

Collaboration

Embracing cultural diversity
Embracing cultural diversity

Collaboration

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”

Audre Lorde

Working in multicultural environments is rewarding and exciting but it can also be challenging at times. Different customs, traditions and languages mean that a certain level of flexibility, diplomacy, patience and willingness to learn will be needed in order to collaborate fruitfully. Ready to show your prospective employer how well you work in multicultural environments? Highlight your skills by answering the questions below 👇

  • Briefly introduce your experience of working in multicultural environments
  • Have you ever faced any challenges while working in a multicultural environment? How did you deal with them?
  • Have you lived/studied abroad? If you have, tell us more about your experience.
  • How do you negotiate cross-cultural differences in order to accomplish your and common goals?
  • Are you eager to learn about the cultural practices and worldview of others?

How does your creativity competence help you make unexpected links?
How does your creativity competence help you make unexpected links?

Creativity

How does your creativity competence help you make unexpected links?
How does your creativity competence help you make unexpected links?

Creativity

“When you see someone putting on his Big Boots, you can be pretty sure that an Adventure is going to happen.”

Winnie the Pooh

Creativity is about making unexpected connections, looking at the world or a problem/task from a different perspective, and/or combining things that usually do not belong together. Here’s a couple of prompts that might help you demonstrate your ability to make unexpected connections:

  • Have you ever made an unexpected link? Could you talk more about a specific situation? What problem did you help solve?
  • Would you consider yourself a divergent thinker? Why?
  • Are you familiar with the SCAMPER, 6-3-5 brainwriting, thinking hats or similar techniques? Do you use them? What do you like about them? Do you maybe recall an instance you used one of these techniques with your colleagues?

Do's
Do's

Review and dissemination

Do's
Do's

Review and dissemination

"We give advice by the bucket, but take it by the grain."

Tom Stoppard

Do:

  1. Get inspiration from online examples
  2. Create a video when it's one of the application requirements
  3. Look professional in front of the camera, wear appropriate clothing
  4. Research the company/position you're applying for
  5. Write a script, prepare notes
  6. Get feedback from your peers, family, friends, co-workers (the more feedback the better)
  7. Show your personality
  8. Showcase relevant skills, expertise
  9. Have fun!