Certify cards

Problem solving

Creativity

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”

Albert Einstein

Creativity is one of the competences essential to problem solving. Rules, guidelines and best practice manuals are helpful and can get you a result but they are not always available. Furthermore, in order to achieve extraordinary results, everyone needs to sometimes think “outside the box”. Demonstrate your problem-solving skills by answering the questions below 👇

What problem-solving event are you most proud of? Why and what happened?
How do you ensure that after having dealt with problems they do not repeat? Have you developed a method/technique to solve similar problems?
Tell us about a situation where you used creative thinking to eliminate frustration with a product/situation or a process.
Describe a situation where you had to think “outside the box” and how did you go about it?

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Willingness to listen and understand different points of view

Flexibility

“We all look at the same object in different ways.”

Kehinde Wiley

Listening and trying to understand different opinions and points of view are crucial to ensure effective teamwork. However, this requires a certain level of flexibility and willingness to compromise. Here’s a couple of prompts that might help you demonstrate this skill:

How do you keep an open mind in a workplace?
How do you take criticism?
Even if you disagree with your colleagues are you willing to (for instance) try out their suggestions?
Would you consider yourself tolerant? Why?
Do you consider yourself an fair-minded person? Why?
Are you curious to hear what other people think?

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Script writing and story boarding

Preparation

“To make a great film you need three things - the script, the script and the script.”

Alfred Hitchcock

So by now, you know already what you want to say, but here’s another question: how do you want to realise it in a video, with images and sound? This is the moment to imagine your story! Try to see and hear with your mind’s eyes and ears what you want the viewers to see and hear. Before getting cameras and phones out and recording your video CV, you better prepare. It’s good practice to write a script even if it’s just a simple outline. It will help you focus on what’s important and you won’t forget to mention anything. A script or storyboard should be clear to yourself, but also to the viewer. In fact, the viewer should be able to construct the video you have in mind on the basis of your script or storyboard.

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Do's

Review and dissemination

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

Tom Stoppard

Do:

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

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Getting out of your comfort zone

Flexibility

“Comfort can be dangerous. Comfort provides a floor but also a ceiling.”

Trevor Noah

Most people are nervous about getting out of their comfort zone but that’s probably one of the best ways to learn and improve. You could show your potential employer how you do it and handle situations in which stepping out of your comfort zone is necessary. Here’s a couple of things you might cover when describing how you get out of your comfort zone:

List 5 things that push you out of your comfort zone. When did you experience these?
Do you actively seek new ways and opportunities that would get you out of your comfort zone?

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Empathy

Self-management

“The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding.”

Plato

Claire Cain Miller from The New York Times draws attention to recent research which shows "that empathy makes people better managers and workers, and better family members and friends. But it’s bigger than just its personal effect. We’re all in this together, and researchers say that connection and compassion are crucial to a sustainable and humane future. ". The ability to understand and share the feelings of another is a sought-after skill in all work environments. How do you cultivate empathy? How can you show your prospective employer? Here’s a couple of prompts that might help you get started:

Would you consider yourself empathetic?
Do you find it easy to understand other people’s feelings, emotions and problems?
Do you actively seek to develop empathy? How?(volunteering, reading books …)

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Ability to prioritise

Self-management

“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The ability to set your priorities straight is invaluable. We can guarantee you that your future employer is looking for team members that can identify the most important tasks and get to them immediately rather than focusing on tasks of lower importance. Do you think you’re great at prioritising tasks? If so, you should definitely mention that in your video CV. Here’s a couple of questions that might help you get started thinking about how to best demonstrate this skill in your video:

Tell us about a situation where you had too much to do. How did you go through all the tasks?
How do you prioritize goals? Do you have a method, a checklist?
Do you set yourself goals? Do you do so in your professional and in your personal life? You could talk more about a goal that you set yourself and how you achieved it.
Do you set S.M.A.R.T goals?

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Strategic thinking

Creativity

“The most reliable way to predict the future is to create it.”

Abraham Lincoln

Creativity + planning = strategic thinking, and if you’re good at it, remember to mention this skill in your video CV!

What are your career goals? Are your ambitions reasonable and in line with the organisation’s/company's goals?
How and if you would change the company/organisation?
How would you contribute to its growth?
Can picture what the organisation could transform into with you?
You could possibly show your prospective employers what it would be like to work with you.

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