You are unique. You have different talents and abilities. You don’t have to always follow in the footsteps of others. And most important, you should always remind yourself that you don’t have to do what everyone else is doing and have a responsibility to develop the talents you have been given.
By Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
Believe in yourself. You are braver than you think, more talented than you know, and capable of more than you imagine.
By Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
According to this law [the law of Dharma], you have a unique talent and a unique way of expressing it. There is something that you can do better than anyone else in the whole world–and for every unique talent and unique expression of that talent, there are also unique needs. When these needs are matched with the creative expression of your talent, that is the spark that creates affluence. Expressing your talents to fulfill needs creates unlimited wealth and abundance.
By Deepak Chopra
Talent development is more important in today’s business landscape than ever before. It is the organizational process of positioning employees for career advancement in a way that aligns with the company’s mission. This includes identifying workers’ aptitude and goals and helping them develop the knowledge and skills they need to achieve those goals and fill the needs of the company. It refers to the efforts to build upon employees’ existing skills while identifying new skills and opportunities to help achieve organizational goals. It ensures that an organization remains competitive in the ever-changing global market.
Talent development is a actually series of processes designed to motivate, grow, and retain members of your workforce. As a sub-category of performance management, talent development is frequently used to help companies uncover hidden talent within their organization and empower high-potential employees to grow inside the business. Talent development goes beyond training and includes on-the-job learning opportunities such as shadowing and mentoring.
Go with your talent. Radically! | Luk Dewulf
Luk Dewulf challenges schools, organisations and more than that: society, to be much more successful in detecting, using and empowering the talent of any individual. Because everybody has many talents. What is talent? How do you discover your talent? What is the difference between ‘talent’ and ‘talent in action’? How can you develop skills to use your talent more effectively? And… how to deal with your weaknesses? Luk Dewulf gives an answer to all these questions and will help the audience discover their own talents, based on daily life examples and experiences.
It Doesn’t Take Talent to Find Your Talent | Jared Osborne
Jared uses his passion for photography to encourage others to identify and pursue topics they are passionate about. Jared is a senior at Howell High School. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
How to Master the Art of Leadership | Simon Sinek’s Greatest Speech
Simon Sinek says that leadership is a way of thinking, a way of acting, and most importantly, a way of communicating. It means communicating to those people that you care, that you have what it takes to solve their problem. Leaders inspire others around them and make them believe what they believe, as Dr. Martin Luther King did with his vision of “I have a Dream.” In this seminar, Simon Sinek explains what makes a good leader and how you can master the skills of leadership.
Inspiring Business Leaders / Role Models
Mohamed Alabbar – Founder & Chairman of EMAAR Properties, UAE
Welcome to Enigma Magazine’s Exclusive Cover Interview with the Emirati Global Business Tycoon Mohamed Alabbar, most famous as the Founder & Chairman of Emaar Properties around the world. This is Mr. Alabbar’s first cover story in Egypt and one of the very few he has done in his career. In this interview, Mr. Alabbar discusses his phenomenal journey to success, from starting out as one of 13 children, in a household with no water or electricity, to become one of the most successful and influential men in the Middle East. Mr. Alabbar also discusses his other business ventures, such as his take over of the food giant the Americana Group and his ambition to become the ecommerce leader in the Arab world, with his fast growing shopping site Noon.com In this rare personal and in-depth interview with Mr. Alabbar, his true personality comes through; highlighting why he is such a role model for so many in the Arab world and beyond.
Job Interviews
Overview
What is a Job Interview?
Simply put, it is when the employer meets with you to determine if you have the right qualifications to do the available job. It is also an opportunity for the employer to identify whether or not you fit the company culture. Are you a team player? Do you have the same values and work ethics as other employees? It is also a chance for you to show evidence that you have the right qualities needed.
These questions test how persuasive you are. Interviewers want to see if you can make a calm, confident case for yourself, even if they’re acting skeptical. They’re looking for factual and compelling answers.
At some point in your life, you will have to be interviewed. If you look back through your life, there will be countless times when you can remember being interviewed. Whether that be pre-school interviews, school entry interviews, doctor-patient, or parent-teacher interviews.
We haven’t even graduated from school yet and we have already experienced many types of interviews. Slowly these interviews will get phased out and you’ll start being interviewed for higher education opportunities and career prospects.
The point stands; despite the massive amount of interviews, we still get nervous about being interviewed. But why do we get nervous before a job interview?
Common Questions Asked During Job Interviews
1. Tell me about yourself.
Sample answer:
Sure, I’d be glad to. I’m an tech-focused project manager for up to 8 years now.
I graduated from University X, where I made the Dean’s List, with a major in business administration and a minor in computer science. After that, I first got into the industry working as an administrative assistant at Company X. There I provided clerical support with interdepartmental communication, helped in managing schedules, and maintained the digital filing system.
After that, I was working as a project manager for Company Y that provided cloud computing solutions for about 6 years. There, I personally managed 5+ teams of software projects, and made sure everything went smoothly in terms of business goals, deadlines, budget, and more.
In my downtime, I enjoy reading about AI, tech, and robotics. Since you guys do all 3, I thought I’d apply.
2. What is your greatest strength?
Sample Answer:
Coming to my strengths and weaknesses, my strengths are. I am a good learner, innovative, I have a positive attitude, and committed to my work.
3. What is your greatest weakness?
Sample Answer:
My weakness is procrastination and I am a bit selfish too. My ultimate goal is to do work that I like to do and your company can provide me that opportunity.
4. Why should we hire you?
How to answer:
Be sure to point out qualities/skills/attributes that you possess that may set you apart from other candidates. Do you have certifications that others may not? Demonstrate confidence without sounding conceited. Illustrate your worth as an employee by talking about what past and present supervisors would say about you. Make sure you highlight your uniqueness to show you would be the best candidate for the position.
5. Why do you want to work here?
6. Tell me about a time you showed leadership.
7. Tell me about a time you were successful on a team.
8. What would your co-workers say about you?
9. Why do you want to leave your current role?
10. Describe your most challenging project.
11. Tell me about something you’ve accomplished that you are proud of.
12. Can you explain your employment gap?
13. What are your salary expectations?
14. What do you like to do outside of work?
15. Tell me about a time you had to manage conflicting priorities.
16. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
17. Describe your leadership style.
18. Tell me about a time you worked with a difficult person.
19. Tell me about a time you had to persuade someone.
20. Tell me about a time you disagreed with someone.
21. Tell me about a time you created a goal and achieved it.
22. Tell me about a time you surpassed people’s expectations.
23. Tell me about a time you had to handle pressure.
24. Tell me about a time you had to learn something quickly.
25. Do you have any question for me?
Useful links:
How to Introduce Yourself in an Interview
Guide to the Most Common Interview
Interview Questions and Answers
How to approach those questions
This is a nerve-racking question, so make sure you’re set up for success. Here are some tips that can help you do well in answering it:
Ask yourself why you think you’re qualified – Prepare for the interview by picking three or four qualifications and experiences that help them understand why you’re a fit for this job.
Tell them how you’d fit in – Paint a picture of what you’d accomplish that gives you a leg up on the competition. Also, show them why you are a great match for this company by letting them see that you know about their mission, their vision, how they operate—and how you would fit into that really well.
Speak authentically – How you say something is as important as what you say. So when you’re sharing your successes and you’re answering these questions, speak like the best version of yourself and make sure that you’re doing it in a way that allows the interviewers to connect to you.
How to approach past experience questions
Respond to this kind of question with a compelling story that uses the “SAR” framework: situation, action, and results.
Describe the situation – Talk about the initial events that occurred. What were the problems that you were experiencing? What needed to be solved and what resources did you have–or not have? This is a really key part of the story, so it should be about three to four sentences long.
Get into the action – Speak about the key milestones that you went through. Tell them what you did to turn the situation around. Don’t go into too much detail though. It should only be about two to three sentences, and try to use active verbs, things like “I implemented” or “I persuaded”.
Show the results – Let them know how well things turned out, how the problems were solved and what you may have learned along the way. Try to include a clincher at the end, like dollars saved or improved profitability. It drives home that you did a great thing.
Useful links
Why are talent development processes so important?
Talent development is your secret weapon. Here’s why
What is talent development?
Talent development: Definition, Important, and Strategies