The progressive Arts

Dressing for success requires understanding why your appearance matters and then using that information to best market yourself as a candidate.  As part 1 of our 4 part guide we will publish how to be prepared for that important interview. Why should it matter what I wear? A common question asked by job candidates is: “Why does it matter what I wear to an interview?” Like it or not, empirical studies show that interviewers make decisions about candidates quickly. While your Gild Certifications help interviewers to understand your job performance potential, the first subjective impression you make in-person often begins with how you look. Professional and fastidious self-presentation matters because it will position you as a candidate that is: Respectful of the interviewer Interested in the job Attentive to detail Confident Presentable to clients Professional in demeanor and approach Possessing high self-esteem Behavioral studies also indicate the tremendous power of the th...

The star-forming region NGC 3603 - seen here in the latest Hubble Space Telescope image - contains one of the most impressive massive young star clusters in the Milky Way. Bathed in gas and dust the cluster formed in a huge rush of star formation thought to have occurred around a million years ago. The hot blue stars at the core are responsible for carving out a huge cavity in the gas seen to the right of the star cluster in NGC 3603's centre. Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration

In this artist's impression, dive into an emission nebula and fly close to giant young stars. Loading player...

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has produced an outstanding image of part of the famous Tarantula Nebula, a vast star-forming cloud of gas and dust in our neighbouring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud. In this picture, we see a close-up of the Tarantula’s central region, glowing brightly with ionised gases and young stars. The wispy arms of the Tarantula Nebula were originally thought to resemble spindly spider legs, giving the nebula its unusual name. The part of the nebula visible in this image from Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys is criss-crossed with tendrils of dust and gas churned up by recent supernovae. These supernova remnants include NGC 2060, visible above and to the left of the centre of this image, which contains the brightest known pulsar. The tarantula’s bite goes beyond NGC 2060. Near the edge of the nebula, outside the frame, below and to the right, lie the remains of supernova SN 1987a, the closest supernova to Earth to be observed since the invention of t...

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has produced an outstanding image of part of the famous Tarantula Nebula, a vast star-forming cloud of gas and dust in our neighbouring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud. In this picture, we see a close-up of the Tarantula’s central region, glowing brightly with ionised gases and young stars. The wispy arms of the Tarantula Nebula were originally thought to resemble spindly spider legs, giving the nebula its unusual name. The part of the nebula visible in this image from Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys is criss-crossed with tendrils of dust and gas churned up by recent supernovae. These supernova remnants include NGC 2060, visible above and to the left of the centre of this image, which contains the brightest known pulsar. The tarantula’s bite goes beyond NGC 2060. Near the edge of the nebula, outside the frame, below and to the right, lie the remains of supernova SN 1987a, the closest supernova to Earth to be observed since the invention of t...

What the damage to the Fukushima plant portends for Japan—and the world ONE danger of earthquakes, from Tokyo to San Francisco, has always been the flames that rise from the wreckage when fires are unleashed from their hearths. In Japan they have been called the “flowers of Edo”. But no earlier flames have been as foreboding as those that have erupted sporadically from the stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power station. The horrifying spectacle will not end the planet’s nuclear endeavours. It could, however, reshape them radically. Of the nuclear plants that provide about a third of Japan’s electricity (see chart), Fukushima Dai-ichi is not the first to be paralysed by an earthquake. But it is the first to be laid low by the technology’s dependence on a ready supply of water for cooling. To be near water is usually to be near the sea. And in this case, that meant right in the path of a tsunami. The immediate impact of the catastrophic failures at Fukushima is not yet clear. It is w...

In asking this question the interviewer is trying to determine whether you can do the job. To answer this question, avoid blaming other people or circumstances and focus on your ability to bring skills relevant to a company problem and demonstrate these skills by providing a specific example. Potential answer: I love a challenge. I am looking for a position where I get a chance to put my skills to the test on a daily basis.

By asking this question, the interviewer is trying to get at the core of why they should hire you over the other candidates – some of whom may look remarkably similar to you. Be prepared to take this key opportunity to emphasize why you are different. Focus on your skills, abilities, qualifications and experiences that may be unique compared to the rest of your competition. Potential answer: If I look carefully at my experience at ABC, I know there is one thing that really stands out, I not only write code in a variety of different languages but I can communicate in a very clear and concise manner to management why changing code could contribute to the bottom line of the business. My ability to put complex technical requirements into plain English for non-technical members of the team allowed our team to outperform every single team at ABC.

By asking this question the interviewer is trying to (a) see if you will fit in, (b) see whether you will stay at the company for a suitable period of time, (c) determine if you are worth the company’s investment and (d) find out if there is anything wrong with you. To answer this question, deal with the interviewer’s needs and state your reasons for leaving in a positive context. Potential answer: If you were laid off, show you were just one of many. I joined the company because it was a startup and I would get a lot of opportunities to take on more responsibility quickly. Unfortunately, the rapid shift in the economy left us under-capitalized to properly market what ultimately will be a great product. Ultimately, for the survival of the company, management needed to reduce costs by eliminating the support team of which I was a key member. If you were fired, show that you had a different approach than management. I am a firm believer that all customers deserve the highest ...

By asking this question, the interviewer wants to know (a) what motivates you and (b) about your work values. To answer this question, stress the values held by the employer and focus on performance and getting the job done. Try to use examples. Potential answer: I was very satisfied in my last job, because I worked directly with the programmers and solving their problems; that is an important part of the job for me. I enjoy working with a team of competent, energetic and innovative professionals to develop and implement exciting projects. In the past year, I worked closely with one of our best project managers and learned a great deal about decision-making and implementing solutions on a tight deadline. I am looking forward to working in a similar environment that encourages team effort and initiative. Really though, most of all, I enjoy seeing the results of our efforts translated into satisfied customers and new projects.

By asking this question the interviewer is (a) giving you a chance to talk about your goals, (b) trying to see if you are a thoughtful, driven candidate and (c) trying to determine whether you fit within the organization. To answer this question, again link your skills to the customers need and show how your goals benefit the company. Sometimes it is best to talk about short-term and intermediate goals rather than locking yourself into the distant future. Potential answer: I have been looking for a position that will allow me to use C++. My primary goal was to find a company using C++ like yours. I may have some learning to do, but I hope that in six months I will be the person people turn to for the right answers. Ultimately, I look forward to managing projects. My short-term goal is to come work with the team and finish Project Unicorn by using my knowledge of C++ to add functionality just like I did when XYZ put out HyperTee 2.0. My intermediate goal is to continue to build r...

By asking this question the interviewer is (a) trying to determine that you have prepared and are not just interviewing because there is an available position and (b) trying to get a sense of the value you would add. To answer this question, focus on how your experience allows you to solve a specific problem and give examples. Potential answer: I have always greatly admired ABC. After researching the company I came to admire it even more and understand that you are planning to expand into Europe and will need significant support here for the European team. Based on my experiences with XYZ in providing dedicated support for their European team, I am confident that I could bring new innovative solutions to help improve the performance and efficiency of the team. Exactly like the time I was responsible for integrating, rolling out and eventually supporting SDR4, XYZ’s own project management software.

By asking this question the interviewer is trying to (a) see how prepared you are, (b) determine how you handle a problem, (c) see why you would help the company and (d) determine your real motivations for seeking employment. To answer this question, relax, this is simply a chance for you to explain how your skills and abilities provide the employer with a benefit by giving examples. Potential answer: My research indicates you need someone with a help-desk background to reduce the call volume diverted to supervisor level employees. In my 4 years at ABC, I was able to reduce call volume by over 40%. I am confident while working with your team, we could significantly reduce call volume. As we have discussed, your website is very static and needs new and creative approaches to compete in today’s market. To effectively compete, the site needs to be a database-backed site with dynamically generated content, like your competitor BGM, LLC. Working with you, I am confident we could do t...

By asking this question, the interviewer is trying to (a) screen out people who confess to weaknesses that are unacceptable given the position and (b) see how you deal with an uncomfortable question. Answer this question by minimizing your weakness and emphasizing your strengths and giving a weakness that is also a strength. Be honest, but do not be absurdly blunt. Focus on professional traits, not personal traits, because professional traits can be learned. Potential answer: I am always working on improving my communication skills to be a more effective presenter. I recently took a seminar at MIT on effective IT communication skills. One of my weaknesses was to take on too many projects with too little time to complete to my high standards. I have learned to prioritize and set realistic goals. I am now more focused and productive professionally and personally.

What are your Greatest Strengths? In asking this question the interviewer is simply trying to figure out whether you can do the job and whether you will fit in at the company. To answer this question, focus on how your technical skills solve a problem the company has and may possibly benefit the company. Potential answer: I am very good at supervising and managing the members of our team and being the liaison with management. My team had a major project due and we hit a snag; our client had not made some necessary adjustments so the data migration was going to be delayed by three weeks. I split the team in half to focus one half on the current project while the other half dealt with the data issue. Ultimately, it worked perfectly. I kept our management team in the loop every step of the way and we came in 5% under budget and on time – under some really tough circumstances.

“Tell me about yourself” is a very common question, but it is also the question which most candidates do not do well on. The challenge is because it is normally the first question asked, job candidates miss an important opportunity to make a great first impression. The good news is with some preparation and a lot of practice, you make a phenomenal first impression by answering this question well. First, what not to do: Do not recite your resume or academic transcript. The interviewer can read your resumé. Do not ramble an answer. Since this is a very common question, candidates are expected to have a good, concise answer. Being caught-off guard with this question without a good answer shows recruiters that a candidate did not prepare properly. Do not give a common, boring response. Excite me. Interest me. You’re talking about yourself, so take the opportunity and promote yourself as to why the recruiter should hire you. So, with that in mind, what should you say? Here are so...