Computer-Assisted Interviewing

Computer-Assisted Interviewing Computer-Assisted Interviewing Those interview questions you answer may have been designed by a computer.Next time you step into a job interview, you may be facing more than a savvy but lone human resources manager or hiring manager; she may be backed up by a computer program.Recruiters and human resources professionals are using technology to stack the deck in their favor to select the right candidate, giving themselvs a competitive edge - the kind you would seek in a casino, said Dr. Larry Pfaff, a human resources consultant who specializes in candidate selection techniques, organizational needs assessment and performance appraisal.“Professional gamblers know which games have the best odds when they go to Las Vegas,” Pfaff said. “They know ahead of time that roulette and slots have poor odds, and cards and dice games have better odds. It’s like when recruiters look first at resumes and candidates’ skills to decide whom to interview - who has the best chance of success.”After almost 30 years as a co nsultant, Dr. Pfaff developed SELECTPro, a Web-based program that helps recruiters and hiring managers design and develop better interview questions to increase the odds of hiring someone who will be successful, he said.“SELECTPro is an outgrowth of my work helping companies design a better interview and screening process for hiring,” he said. “Most hiring companies put the most weight on face-to-face interviews, but that is the area they are worst at; the interviews aren’t structured and the questions are horrible, so they end up making gut decisions.”SELECTPro allows recruiters and hiring managers to build customized interviews based on a database of more than 500 questions across 55 different skill areas developed by Dr. Pfaff and used extensively during his career. The questions are based on behavioral event interviewing (BEI) techniques that use candidates’ past performance to gauge their future potential.“Over the years I developed this huge question bank based a round skill areas - interpersonal skills, leadership skills, sales skills, that sort of thing - that recruiters and hiring managers can use to identify what skills candidates need and then pull specific BEI questions from those areas to create a more powerful and effective interview,” Pfaff said.Screen First, Interview LaterSELECTPro is also effective when used to develop online interviews for use as candidate pre-screening tools. Companies can develop their own initial online interviews and can direct candidates to a customized site where they reply to preselected questions from the SELECTPro database. And SELECTPro is just one of a growing number of online candidate assessment tools available.“The days of handing a clipboard and pen to candidates are long over,” says Brian Stern of Cleveland-based Shaker Consulting. “Innovative companies are now looking for new ways … to successfully vie for talent” including online interviews and customized simulations that mimic sp ecific job roles within a company so candidates can get a feel for the job.“The more levels of screening you have, the better. Used this way, SELECTPro doesn’t take the place of an in-person interview, but it can serve along with the face-to-face interview to reinforce your initial gut reactions to a candidate,” Pfaff said, and that can mean the difference between hitting the jackpot and going bust.

Hospital Uses FAA-Approved Drones for the First Time

Hospital Uses FAA-Approved Drones for the First Time Hospital Uses FAA-Approved Drones for the First Time Hospital Uses FAA-Approved Drones for the First Time WakeMeds flagship hospital and campus in Raleigh, N.C., has become the first U.S. facility to use drones regularly to deliver medical samples, thanks to a partnership between UPS and Matternet Inc., a startup that develops drones to transport medicine and humanitarian aid. It marks the first time the Federal Aviation Authority has allowed a drone to make routine revenue deliveries under a contractual delivery agreement. The FAA buy-in came one-and-a-half years after Matternet began teaming with Swiss Post to deliver medical materials in Switzerland. Matternet will use its M2 drone to deliver blood samples between a medical park to the main hospital for lab testing at least five to six times per day, five days per week. See how an Insect Drone Camera Flies Like a Bee The M2 drone can carry a 5-lb payload up to 30 minutes and 12.5 miles on a single charge in no-wind conditions. Four electric brushless motors power the drone, delivering a top speed of 31 mph. It has a cruising flight speed of 18.6 mph and a maximum flight height of 1.3 miles. The drone connects to the Matternet Cloud Gateway. It serves as a communications gateway to monitor drone flights and protect delivery contents, routes, and other sensitive information. It also enables a remote mission control center that tracks drones 24/7 and intervenes in emergencies. The company also installed several Matternet Stations around the WakeMed campus for the drones to dock, recharge, and pick up or drop off packages automatically. The Matternet Station serves as a dock and charging station for the drones. Here, users insert their packages for drone delivery and select their destinations via an app. Photo:Matternet Inc. Deploying drones in densely inhabited major cities proved a different type of challenge because of airspace regulations. Matternet received regulatory approval through an FAA drone initiativethe Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Integration Pilot Program (IPP)which is introducing a new level of regulated airspace for drone flight. Before receiving FAA approval, the firm partnered with the Swiss Federal Office for Civil Aviation and Swiss Post in 2017, the state-owned public company that manages the postal system. The agencies worked together to ensure the drones did not interfere with nearby airport traffic or hospital helicopter landing pads. They certified Matternet to deliver lab samples between two hospitals in Lugano, slashing delivery times to 5 minutes, from 35 minutes. Swiss Post extended the service to Berne and Zurich in 2018. These flights led Swiss Post (and Boeing) to invest in Matternet. They also gave Matternet the data it needed to partner with FAA, Paolo Resmini, the companys head of platform and flight safety, said. Switzerland was a country that declared very early on that they wanted to be a leader in drone innovation, he said. We were able to take that opportunity and work with the [Swiss] regulators to develop a safety concept, functional processes, and establish an organization that could implement those processes. We then could take that framework to the United States and show U.S. regulators we know what we are doing in the drone space, Resmini said. Matternet traces its founding to 2011 when CEO Andreas Raptopoulos was attending Singularity University. The school encourages students to think big and use todays exponential technologies to tackle global challenges. Raptopoulos was inspired and believed that drones could provide medical relief in developing countries where medical facilities are sparse, transportation infrastructure often poor, and the clock is always ticking. He developed Matternets M1 drone as an automated supply delivery system. The initial test flight took place three years later, in Papua New Guinea. Working with Doctors without Borders, Matternet launched a fleet of six prototype drones. Since then, Matternet drones have delivered medical materials in Haiti, Bhutan, the Dominican Republic, and Malawi. Recommended for You: Iron Man Lives Resmini says that Matternets main focus is on the medical space, where it has found the most success and provides the greatest benefit for society. Right now we are hyper-focused on the medical space use case, Resmini said. If you zoom out, we are building a system that can move physical goods of any size anywhere. There is plenty of room for Matternet and other drone companies to grow. By 2025, worldwide revenue for commercial drone applications will approach $12 billion, according to Statista.com. This should drive demand for aviation engineers and drone companies. Scaling up our drones to handle a larger payload is easy, Resmini said. The more complex problems to solve are how does one coordinate flight safety, work with federal regulators, and ensure the drones are flying safely in the air. Carlos Gonzalez is special projects editor.

Best Skills to Put On Your Resume

Best Skills to Put On Your Resume Best Skills to Put On Your Resume Want to know what are the best skills you can include in your resume? Which skills will help you stand out? What are the best skills you can put that will help you in getting hired? Then, leave your stress behind because this article will answer all these questions. The first thing you need to know is there are two types of skills you can include in your resume. They are Hard Skills and Soft Skills. Also, you need to understand the differences they have and how to put them in your resume. While, hard skills can be directly written in your resume, soft skills aren’t. You need to showcase your soft skills through your achievements or awards. What are Hard Skills? Hard Skills refer to the specific skills learned through education or any training. They are the technical skills and abilities needed for a specific job. Best Skills (Hard) To Include in Your Resume Computer Technology Foreign Languages Copywriting Data Analysis Accounting Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Search Engine Marketing (SEM) What are Soft Skills? Soft skills are those skills or traits you possess which affects your ability to work and interact with others. These are characteristics you cannot learn though any course or training. They are the natural abilities you develop throughout your life. Best Skills (Soft) To Include in Your Resume Communication Time Management Teamwork Leadership Adaptability Creativity Self-motivation What skills are the best to put on your resume? What you need to understand is to get an interview with your resume, you need to put both of the skills in your resume, that is, both soft and hard skills. While writing a resume, you need to remember that the go hand in hand. Including only hard skills or only soft skills will reduce your chances of getting the interview.

They Asked For My Resume. I Sent It. Still, No Response.

They Asked For My Resume. I Sent It. Still, No Response. They Asked For My Resume. I Sent It. Still, No Response. INBOX: “I was contacted on LinkedIn by an IBM recruiter who said she was recruiting for a Senior Engineering Lead, and she asked for my resume. I sent it over to her as requested, but I've not heard back from her. I'm not really sure what to make of this. It feels like I've been rejected for a job I didn't directly apply for.” This scenario definitely started off on the right foot: LinkedIn did the exact job it’s supposed to do â€" it served as a platform for the recruiter to search for and find YOU. Then, the next thing we want to see happen is exactly what did happen: you had direct contact with a human being. But, after that the line just went dead. Let’s talk about 3 quick moves you can make to revive the opportunity in order to land the job you want. Send A Friendly Email What I suspect happened here is that the recruiter sent out a mass email for this role, and everyone was excited to respond. Perhaps the recruiter identified a handful of top candidates who tightly matched the job requirements, and you weren’t among them. It’s just reality that recruiters frequently do not make the rounds again to contact everyone who wasn’t selected. Or it’s possible the recruiter was deluged by people who happened to respond before you did, and hasn’t gotten to your email. We can’t jump inside the other person’s mind. We can only try to find out. Before you fire off an email to the recruiter, breathe, smile real big, and keep your attitude super-positive. No annoyance. No blaming. No desperation. Say, “I hope you’re having a great day! I previously sent my resume per your request last week. Have you received and reviewed it? If it happened to get lost in the shuffle, I'd be happy to resend. If you’re open to a call for 5 minutes this week, I’d love to learn more about the Senior Engineering Lead.” Dial Things Up If the follow-up email is only met with #crickets, let’s step things up. Check the contact information on the recruiter’s profile to see if her phone number is there. Google her name, her city, and IBM and see if you can uncover her number that way. Here’s a ninja trick that’s really effective. Call the particular location of IBM after hours and find her through their automated phone system. I especially favor this method for another reason: A call can be an interruption to the person on the receiving end. Should she answer in the middle of the day, the significance of your name might not immediately ring a bell for her. She may not be at her desk able to look at your resume immediately, and she’s likely to give you the brush off. However, calling after hours and using the automated phone system means you can leave a voice mail directly for her that she will pick up. “After-hours” means just after 5 or 5:30 their local time â€" doing this at 11 pm would look unprofessional, since voice mail is usually time-stamped. The voice mail you leave is largely similar to the email you sent â€" no need to fabricate completely different language. Make sure to smile and sound pleasant. Re-Direct Yourself One of the elements that makes job search long and laborious is the frustration we feel when something seems great at 1st, but then dies out. That’s a normal and natural feeling. Feel it fully. Then end it quickly. Re-direct your energy towards the next opportunity. This opportunity fell into your lap; you literally didn’t do anything to make it come to you in the 1st place. Therefore, it’s not as if this interaction set you back in your search at all. Positions come and go for a variety of reasons that you’ll never find out about. Should this recruiter re-appear, great. But don’t wait for it. Don’t hold out any expectations. Just regard it as a pleasant surprise. To feel like you have more control over the process, make sure that for every role you want to apply for, you identify the recruiter, senior HR person, or functional decision maker. Initiate real human contact with each relevant person, and be specific: why you’re interested in that particular organization, what exact expertise you offer for the role, and ask if the person is open to a short phone call this week. That’s the best practice when it comes to job search, and being consistent about it will increase your chances. U.S. labor statistics say the average time it takes to land a job is 24+ weeks. But there’s a way that jobseekers age 50+ are consistently getting hired within just 8 weeks. This video case study shows you exactly how. Register today.

What Gen Z Wants from Employers

What Gen Z Wants from Employers What Gen Z Wants from Employers The second wave of millennials, dubbed Gen Z, is entering the workforce. Do you know how to recruit and manage them? Here’s what these budding creative professionals told us they are looking for when it comes to their careers. There’s a new crop of talent set to enter the creative industry. They’re ambitious, passionate and entrepreneurial - and they’re ready to work hard for employers that understand them and their values. Is your creative firm or department ready to harness this cohort’s potential? To find out what hiring managers need to know to successfully recruit and retain Gen Z professionals, we turned to some best-in-class Gen Zers, aka Graphic Design USA Students to Watch in 2016 honorees. Here’s what they want you to know about their career wants and needs. Gen Z seeks mentorship Today’s college students and young professionals have had more guidance and support from parents, teachers, coaches and counselors than any generation in history, according to Robert Half’s Get Ready for Generation Z guide. And while they don’t want to be micromanaged, they do want to be given adequate direction to achieve success. They also hope to receive frequent feedback on their progress. “I think for me to make the most immediate impact, it would be awesome to have a mentor,” says Sierra Clark, an advertising and graphic design major at Columbus College of Art Design. Barron Webster, an artist and designer graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), adds: “The ability to learn from experienced people I respect in the field is one of the most important things I look for in a position, even more than the type of work I would potentially be doing.” Download our free guide on hiring and managing Gen Z now! Company values mean a lot Gen Z professionals want to work for companies that stand for something. “We are a generation that is willing to do whatever it takes to pursue our passions; we don’t do things just because they are practical,” Clark explains. Riley Andrew Donahue, who is pursuing a degree in illustration from Pratt Institute, adds: “The most appealing aspects about an employer are things like the image or the purpose of a company and how the company affects the community and the world outside of it.” In that same vein, Robert Half’s research revealed that Gen Z’s most valued characteristic in a boss or leader is honesty or integrity. The workplace environment is more important than you think Despite being digitally savvy, Gen Z craves a collaborative work environment where they can communicate face to face rather than via text, IM or email. According to Robert Half’s Gen Z research, this group’s top workplace priorities include: Authenticity: When recruiting, Clark says it’s important to be authentic and show what your company is truly about: “That will appeal to us more than trying to be gimmicky. The work and environment of the organization will draw us in.” Work/life balance: “Perks and benefits are often read as a company’s willingness to contribute to the health of their employees, but the attitude and atmosphere of the physical workplace is often a much more accurate read on how employees operate on a day-by-day basis,” Webster says. “If your company has great perks on paper but works people to the bone, priorities seem out of order.” Freedom within a framework: “While I think most people my age appreciate freedom in the subject of their work, structure is helpful and sometimes crucial for people new to an industry,” Webster explains. “The flip side of this is that young workers also should be willing to admit when they’re struggling.” An openness to innovation and risk-taking is crucial Gen Z wants creative freedom and values a work culture that supports smart risk-taking. Caitlin Weber, a masters student in the Center for Social Design at Maryland Institute College of Art, spent time in the industry before pursuing a second degree and has this unique perspective to offer hiring managers: “Having hired my own staff and interns in the past, I'd remind employers how refreshing it is to have new eyes on a problem,” she says. “It is easy in a creative profession to unintentionally begin building a toolkit of solutions and applying them as needed on projects. New professionals have less of these predetermined solutions in their back pocket, allowing them to see and discover new paths forward.” Managers will indeed need to strike a balance between providing creative freedom and pointing new hires toward proven best practices. While Gen Z is used to thinking outside the box, sometimes this generation forgets to first look “inside the box” for established solutions. “I have no problem following the rulebook, but I would love to be in an environment where I don’t have to witness that lasting glare that comes after unveiling a ridiculously over-the-top idea,” Donahue says. “Structure is critical when it comes to a company’s look, and I think an ideal company would have a balanced set of guidelines offering some standards alongside the encouragement of risk and innovation.” Provide professional development if you want to retain Gen Z Gen Z is used to being taught and expects to be constantly learning. They put great emphasis on personal growth. If they’re not developing their skills and deepening their knowledge, they won’t hesitate to look for a job that offers more robust professional development opportunities. “It’s important that learning does not stop after graduation,” says Gabe Melcher, an MFA candidate at RISD. “What matters most for me is that there’s room for developing individual ideas and skills. I want the opportunity to contribute to a studio environment that values its designers' intellectual development beyond the job at hand, and is involved in studio-based projects.” Weber agrees: “This is my second degree, and as with the first degree, I'm leaving having learned enough to know what I don't know. Providing opportunity for skills growth, mentorship and learning are very important to strengthening skills learned and practiced in the classroom. I think it's easy for new grads to end up in places where jack-of-all-trades skills are needed, but normally those roles exist because there isn't anyone else in the organization doing creative work. Especially in these roles, making sure that there is a commitment to supporting outside learning through conferences and extended education is important.” Let Gen Zers make an immediate mark Gen Z is eager to contribute and make an impact. The key is to respect and nurture them, and help focus their energy and enthusiasm. How can you do that? Webster suggests educating new hires early on about the structure of the company and how decisions are made. “Directly encourage and ask for their input,” he says. “One of the hardest things for me to overcome when starting a new job has been not feeling confident about when and where to express my opinions and apply my efforts. Pairing new hires with seasoned employees is a pretty easy way to overcome this.” Donahue adds that making a personal connection and putting forth the effort to learn about employees makes a huge difference and is a catalyst for motivation. “I definitely believe that the better you care about your employees and understand their lives, the better the work they produce will be.” The bottom line is that understanding Gen Z is critical to your business. By 2020, more than 20 percent of the workforce will be Gen Z, says Bruce Tulgan, a top expert on young people in the workplace. Those leading creative Gen Zers must prepare to become hands-on, coaching-style managers who promote innovation while customizing and calibrating their direction and feedback. Learn more about what makes Gen Z unique by viewing this SlideShare:

Panel Interview Questions, Answers, and Tips

Panel Interview Questions, Answers, and Tips Panel Interview Questions, Answers, and Tips A ?panel interview might seem intimidating because you have to meet with so many interviewers at the same time. However, they do not have to be scary. Knowing what to expect - and preparing accordingly - can help you feel confident.   Read on to find out exactly what a panel interview is and how to respond if youre invited to one. Plus, review sample interview questions and get tips on how to prepare for the panel. There is also an example of a panel interview invitation via email. Panel Interviews Panel interviews are conducted by a group of two or more interviewers. Typically, youll be in a room with several people who work at the company - these interviewers make up the panel. In some cases, the panel will ask questions to multiple candidates at the same time.   Most likely, each interviewer in the panel will ask you at least one question. If there are multiple job seekers, the interviewers might ask each applicant one question at a time. How to Perform Well During a Panel Interview As with all interviews, preparation is key. If you get invited to a panel interview, try to find out who will be present. Look up interviewers on LinkedIn, so you have some familiarity with their role and responsibilities at the company.   Try to engage with all interviewers, and dont just focus on the most outgoing participant. You dont know whos input will be important in the hiring decision. Also, presumably everyone is in the room because their opinion is important.   While one of the reasons companies hold panel interviews is to save time, another is to understand how candidates will operate in group situations. To that end, be prepared for fast-paced questions, cross-talk from interviewers, follow-up questions, and for your interviewers to potentially have different opinions and perspectives from each other. As is true so often for interviews, its helpful to try to think of it more as a conversation, rather than a q-and-a session. Panel Interview Questions Interviewers typically ask a mix of  behavioral  and  situational questions, as well as questions about the candidates personality and career goals. Below are some common panel interview questions:   Tell me about yourself.Where do you see yourself in 3 - 5 years?What is your biggest strength?What is your biggest weakness?Why do you want to work for our company?How would a colleague describe you?How are you at handling tight deadlines for projects where there is minimal supervision?Imagine that you are introducing a new policy to your co-workers or employees, and you are facing opposition. How would you handle it?Describe a time when you were working on a team project, and there was a conflict in the group. How did you handle the situation? Tell us about an occasion when you had to deal with a difficult client. How did you prevent the situation from escalating?What is the worst mistake you made in your previous position? How did you remediate this?Give an example of a time when you had to explain a complex issue to someone who was unfamiliar with the topic. How to Respond to a Panel Interview Invitation When you receive an invitation to a panel interview, respond right away if they ask you to confirm your availability. If you absolutely cannot attend, contact them immediately and request an  alternative date and time. If you have any questions about the interview, call the office to ask. Be sure to use whatever contact number or email address they have given you. When preparing for a panel interview, be sure to do some research on both the company and the individual interviewers. You should know their roles within the company and have at least one  question  prepared for each person. If the company has not supplied details on all interviewers, you can politely ask for a list of everyone youll meet, along with their job titles.   The day or two before the interview, you may also want to  confirm the job interview. Call the office to confirm the time and date. You may also want to confirm the location, who you will be meeting with, and how to get there.   Panel Interview Invitation Example The following is an example of an email inviting a job seeker to an interview by a panel. Subject Line of Email Message:  Associate Director Interview Dear Jane Doe, Thank you for applying for the position of Associate Director of Simsbury Town Library. We are pleased to invite you to participate in a panel interview. The details are as follows: Date: Tuesday, May 1Time: 10 AMLocation: Simsbury Town Library1 Park Drive, Simsbury, CT This will be a panel interview conducted by: William Morse, Director of Simsbury Town LibraryArlene Moriarty, Director of Human ResourcesMary Beth Larsson, President, Simsbury Town Library Board of Trustees When you arrive, please ask at the front desk for Irene Trachtenberg, and I will escort you to our conference room for your panel interview. We anticipate that the interview will last 45 minutes. Please call (860-555-2043) or email me to confirm your interview or to reschedule if necessary. We look forward to meeting with you. Sincerely, Irene Trachtenberg

How to Accept That Youll Never Be the Best - The Muse

How to Accept That Youll Never Be the Best - The Muse How to Accept That Youll Never Be the Best When I was a little girl, my pushy and overbearing mother forced me into dance lessons. Now, I’ll let you in on a little secret about me: I’ve always been the type of person who’s completely unwilling to do anything halfway. If I’m going to put the time in anyway, you can bet I’m going to give it my absolute all. So, personal background aside, let’s get back to these dance lessons. My group of squirrely and uncoordinated dancers had rehearsals on Wednesday every week in order to attempt to pull together this mess of a tap dance routine- which basically consisted of all of us running back and forth across the stage stomping as loudly as we could. But, in my mind, I was Ginger Rogers. I practiced every night, eagerly awaiting my chance to soak up the spotlight and show that crowd of beaming parents exactly what I was made of. I knew that I was so far above these other spastic so-called dancers, I would surely steal the show and politely curtsy to an unending standing ovation. When the day of the big recital came, I was amped and ready. I had on my pink leotard with a sewn-on fuzzy tail, feeling perfectly polished for our “Pink Panther” tap routine. My sparkly pink ears were centered on my head, and I was ready to stand center stage. The music started, I pasted on my adorable grin, and prepared to strut my stuff. The audience smiled, giggled, and let out adoring ooohs and ahhhhs. But, when I looked out into the crowd, I noticed that they weren’t looking at me. Well, of course my parents were, but that wasn’t necessarily the endless admiration I was aiming for. Instead, everybody was totally captivated by a different little girl on the stage. We’ll call her Jennifer for the sake of her anonymity (though, you know who you are, Jennifer). I hate to even admit it, but she was charming and adorable. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who would run home to practice in front of dear old Mom and Dad. She completely stole my thunder. Me? Well, I was so dumbstruck by the fact that this other little panther had swooped in out of nowhere and took all of my glory that I completely froze- causing the girl behind me to step on my fuzzy tail, trip and tumble to the floor, and rip a giant hole in the butt of my leotard. Definitely not one of my finer moments. So, where am I going with this long, rambling story of childhood woe? Well, I’ve always lived my life with the idea that if I’m going to do something, I’m going to be the absolute best at it. But, as I’ve moved on from that tap dance trauma and grown into an adult, I’ve realized something: That’s an absolutely exhausting way to live. It’s a harsh reality- you’re likely never going to be the best at what you do. And, the sooner you can swallow that pill, the better off (and saner!) you’ll be. Need some guidance? Here are four steps that will help you accept that brutal fact- before you get your tail stepped on by some clumsy-footed person behind you. 1. Recognize That Things Are Always Changing The world- and even your career- are constantly evolving and changing. What does this mean for you? Well, even if you do manage to attain the title of reigning champ for a brief, shining moment, it probably won’t last for too long. Just think: Tom Anderson from Myspace was the coolest thing in a white tee to ever hit the social networking scene- until some nerdy Harvard student by the name of Mark Zuckerberg came along and turned things around. George Washington was our first president- but 42 others have come after him. NFL teams are awarded the Vince Lombardi Trophy- but only until another team wins it next year. So, here’s what you need to remember about truly being the best at something: Only one person can do it at a time. And, even once you pull that off, someone will be directly behind you poised and ready to rip that crown off your head. Trying to constantly fend off those competitors for the sole purpose of remaining on top? It’s plain old exhausting and- quite honestly- unproductive. 2. Identify Your Personal Best Let’s think about marathon runners for a minute. Do these athletes all participate in these long races because they’re setting out to cross the finish line first? Absolutely not. In fact, most of them are just aiming to finish at all- even if they come in dead last. Instead of trying to breeze past everyone around them, marathoners set goals of beating their personal best every time they run. They don’t really concern themselves with who’s ahead of them or behind them. They’re only competing against the clock and their own best time. This is a mindset you can apply to your own career and life, whether you’re a runner or not. Simply stop obsessing over how successful or accomplished everyone around you is, and focus instead on being the best you can be. Let me tell you, once you’re competing with yourself- and not every single other person around you- life gets a whole lot easier. 3. Think About Outcomes Many people want to be known as the best- but for really no good reason. So, before busting your hump to achieve that fleeting status, it’s important that you take some time to think about what that accomplishment actually gets you. If your only answer to that question is “bragging rights,” you’re probably not pursuing something in your own best interests. “But, wait!” you’re likely retorting now, “Being the best means I’ll be successful and well-respected in my career field!” Sure, that’s true. But, think about it this way- do you absolutely have to be number one in order for that to happen? Wouldn’t you also be considered successful if you completed that challenging project ahead of the deadline or solved a complex problem in your office? Wouldn’t you also be well-respected if you were always kind and considerate of all of your colleagues? There are plenty of people out there with amazing professional reputations and important legacies that were truly never the best at what they did. That number one spot really isn’t the be-all and end-all. 4. Accept “Good Enough” I’ve already admitted to being an obsessive perfectionist. So, if you’re anything like me, the words “good enough” are like nails on a chalkboard or Styrofoam rubbing together. They make me grit my teeth and cringe. And, I think it’s important to mention that I’m not at all insinuating that you should half-ass all of your commitments in the interest of keeping your sanity. Instead, my point is simply that you don’t need to be the best at something in order to still be great at it. They aren’t mutually exclusive. Don’t believe me? Ask a roomful of people who the greatest band of all time is, and I’m willing to bet you get tons of different answers. Because, in the end, the title of “best” is really quite subjective. So, yes, you can still take immense pride in your skills and work, without having a shiny trophy or accolade to hold high above your head. In fact, I encourage you to do so. It’s human nature to crave that top spot that earns you the title of most successful and most accomplished. But, setting “being the best” as your sole aim in your life and career is a surefire way to drive yourself straight into the ground. So, use these four steps to help you stop obsessing over being the best of everybody, and instead focus on being the best version of yourself. Take it from me- being the second cutest tap dancer on the stage really doesn’t end that poorly.