Ask An Expert Archives - Building Careers

How To Hire the Right Candidate

Ask An Expert, Blog, Employers, Interview Tips

Is the candidate sitting in front of you right for this job? How do you know if you are going to hire the right candidate? How do you know when market conditions are so volatile, it’s hard to predict all the qualifications and attributes you’re going to need six months or one year down the road?

As the world of work is changing — constantly reorganizing, fragmenting, and requiring market reconceptualization – you’ve got to ask the right interview questions as well as internal questions to see if the candidate has the attributes you need to grow your business and adapt to constant change.

Tips To Hire The Right Candidate

Old command and control work environments didn’t demand the kind of flexibility, adaptability, and broad business knowledge that new dynamic work environments do. Desirable candidates, even ones who have the right qualifications, must be flexible, rapid, and eager learners. Here are some questions you need to ask.

Are They Highly Adaptive?

You want someone who is fleet on their feet in adapting to changes in the work environment, since right now change is the only constant in most organizational systems. Can the candidate offer you examples of how they were able to grow, shift, and evolve to workplace change in their last position? Adaptability, the capacity to take on new roles and embrace new ways of thinking, are critical when the winds of the economy swirl.

Do They Ask Worthy Questions?

Everyone knows you need to come to a job interview having researched the position. But once they’re in the interview, what do they “hear” about the business or your work? Are they able to listen, synthesize and ask thoughtful questions about the heart of your business? Great interview questions from the candidate can tell you a lot about how a candidate thinks and whether they will be able to diagnose a market problem as it is occurring, and respond to it.

Are They Curious?

What else do they want to know? Are they lit up with questions? In a new book about curiosity, Todd Kashdan notes that curiosity is about “appreciating and seeking out the new. Instead of desperately seeking certainty, it is about embracing uncertainty.” Because a great employee now needs to be a great learner, being voraciously curious is key to high productivity and breakthrough thinking.

How To Hire the Right Candidate Read More »

Feeling Stuck In Your Career? Let’s Change That.

Ask An Expert, Blog, Set Yourself Up For Success

According to a study by Oracle, more than 75% of people feel “stuck” personally and professionally. There are a wide variety of reasons you might feel stuck in your career. Maybe you’ve worked in the technology industry for years when you don’t even have a passion for it. Or you’ve remained at the same company for decades because the pay and benefits are great, yet the work doesn’t energize you. As time goes on, those “golden handcuffs” slowly tighten. You may even feel like something is missing or holding you back from having greater satisfaction. If you’ve been struggling with the feeling of being stuck in your career for a while, it’s a sign that it’s time to do something about it.

Yet, change is always difficult, even if it’s for the better. That’s because humans don’t like uncertainty. We’re hardwired for survival and prefer to know what’s coming next. Over time, too much uncertainty causes anxiety and eventually turns into full-blown fear. But uncertainty can be redefined to work in your favor. As Eckhart Tolle wrote in his book, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, “If uncertainty is unacceptable to you, it turns into fear. If it is perfectly acceptable, it turns into increased aliveness, alertness, and creativity.”

Stop Feeling Stuck in Your Career

You need to make a critical decision. Do you want to settle for the life you have now or take action to create the life you deserve? If you’re ready to break free, here are some ways to stop feeling stuck in your career.

Gain Some Perspective

One of the first things you should do is determine why you feel stuck in your career. Is it because you always seem to be passed over for a promotion? Or maybe your salary and benefits are so attractive that you find it hard to leave—even though you don’t feel challenged. Whatever the case, do some soul-searching, so you understand what is potentially lacking in your life.

Understand Your Values

People are happier when their value system aligns with their careers. In fact, job satisfaction is determined more by how your values align with your work environment than by any other factor. Therefore, it is important to analyze your work values to clarify your priorities.

Feeling Stuck In Your Career? Let’s Change That. Read More »

How To Explain Your Career Change in an Interview

Ask An Expert, Blog, Interview Tips, Set Yourself Up For Success

There’s a pervasive and convincing lie circulating through colleges and workplaces everywhere: You get an education in a certain field (formal or otherwise) and then work in that field until you retire or collapse on your desk one day. A career change is not an option.

Unfortunately, this belief causes a lot of distress for people who desire a career change. They believe they’ve invested their resources in a certain area, and shifting to a new field means starting from scratch. Yes, this process often does mean backtracking at least a bit. But it’s not like you revert to being a newborn. Making a change simply means applying your knowledge and experience to a new area and filling in the gaps as needed.

How to Positively Explain Your Career Change

Thankfully, landing an interview means you succeeded in selling your experience on paper, so you’re well on your way in the career-changing transition process. Now, your job is to help an employer see the value that your experience will bring to the team. Read on to see how you can do exactly that.

1. Know Your Worth

If you’re going to convince a new employer you’re the best candidate for a job, you have to believe it yourself first. When you value yourself, you start to describe your work history and experience in another language. Start by writing out everything you do, in detail. Include all of your tasks and your accomplishments. This will help you to see your experience in a fluid way that can apply to many settings. You weren’t a “customer service representative for Caris’ Cupcake Emporium;” you were someone who “assisted customers with orders, promoted new products and services, and addressed customer complaints professionally.” Learn to spin your past positions in this way, and you’ll find it much easier to explain how your work history lends itself to the transition you’re seeking.

Examples paint a picture of your experience and abilities for an employer, versus answering questions with a hypothetical, “Well in that situation, I think I would…” With a career change in particular, examples help an employer understand how your experience fits into a new role.

So when asked about working with customers, for example, incorporate an anecdote about your interactions with people from your current or previous jobs, even if those people weren’t customers, per se. Then, explain how you would put that experience to work in your new role. The skills you used to manage conflict with a co-worker or to explain a difficult concept to management are the same ones you would use with customers, after all. If asked about problem-solving, talk about a time you actually worked through a conundrum or came up with an innovative solution. Even if the industry was entirely different, the ability to think critically and problem-solve speaks volumes of your competence level. When you provide examples, an employer knows you’ve actually done the things you’re claiming, and that ought to give you a leg up in the interview process.

2. Provide Evidence of Experience

Go out of your way to show an employer—literally—that you’re capable of taking on this new role by bringing evidence with you. This might include sample work, training certificates, or a mock grant proposal, marketing plan, or something else that makes your abilities concrete. Are you shifting into a writing-heavy field like communications or journalism? Bring writing samples. It’s OK if you haven’t written a news story; a well-written annual report still demonstrates your mastery of language and ability to weave complex details into a coherent whole.

How To Explain Your Career Change in an Interview Read More »

Uncertain CRE Job Market ‘Like A Middle School Dance’ — And No One Is Making The First Move

Leave a Comment / Ask An Expert, Blog, Building Careers, Industry Insights

In a recent feature, Carly Glova, founder of Building Careers, provided insights into the 2024 Commercial Real Estate (CRE) job market. Initially poised for a rebound, the industry now grapples with uncertainty as both job seekers and employers exhibit hesitancy amid financial and transactional ambiguity. Despite expectations of a subdued year with limited hiring and lower raises, the sector hasn’t witnessed the anticipated massive layoffs, despite a 50% decrease in transaction volume. Firms seem to be adopting a cautious approach, choosing to weather the storm and maintain a holding pattern instead of implementing significant headcount changes or expansion plans. The prevailing tight labor market and concerns about rising costs in an inflationary environment contribute to an overall reluctance to adhere to traditional hiring practices, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of the aftermath of the Great Financial Crisis.

For more details, check out the article here.

Uncertain CRE Job Market ‘Like A Middle School Dance’ — And No One Is Making The First Move Read More »

Tell Me About Yourself

This question seems simple, so many people fail to prepare for it, but it’s crucial and one of the most popular interview questions out there. Here’s the deal: Don’t give your complete employment (or personal) history. Instead, give a pitch—one that’s concise and compelling and that shows exactly why you’re the right fit for the job. Talk a little bit about your current role (including the scope and perhaps one big accomplishment), then give some background as to how you got there and experience you have that’s relevant. Finally, segue into why you want—and would be perfect for—this role.

Possible answer to “Tell me about yourself.”

“Well, I’m currently an account executive at Smith, where I handle our top-performing client. Before that, I worked at an agency where I was on three different major national healthcare brands. And while I really enjoyed the work that I did, I’d love the chance to dig in much deeper with one specific healthcare company, which is why I’m so excited about this opportunity with Metro Health Center.”

Tell Me About A Time You Made A Mistake

You’re probably not too eager to dig into past blunders when you’re trying to impress an interviewer and land a job. But talking about a mistake and winning someone over aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, if you do it right, it can help you. The key is to be honest without placing blame on other people, then explain what you learned from your mistake and what actions you took to ensure it didn’t happen again. At the end of the day, employers are looking for folks who are self-aware, can take feedback, and care about doing better.

Possible answer to “Tell me about a time you made a mistake.”

“Early in my career, I missed a deadline that ended up costing us a really big account. There were a lot of factors that contributed to this, but ultimately, I was the one who dropped the ball. From that experience, I went back and thought really hard about what I could’ve controlled and what I would’ve changed. It turns out that I was not nearly as organized as I thought I was. I sat down with my boss, asked for suggestions on how to improve my organizational skills, and a few months later I was able to score an even bigger account for the department.”

What Is A Bonus And Why Do We Like Them?

Ask An Expert, Blog, Set Yourself Up For Success

Think about the last time a checkout clerk offered you a bonus discount on an item or you came across a bonus feature in a movie. You probably felt pretty great, right?

People love the idea of bonuses because “extra” or “free” stuff is hard to pass up. It’s why we get excited as consumers, and also why they intrigue us when considering a job offer.

But bonuses come with a lot of caveats, too. Understanding how a bonus works and why they’re provided in the workplace can help you choose between a job with poor compensation and one where you’re set financially. We’ll break them down so you come out feeling like a pro.

Define Bonus

A bonus is “a form of compensation that’s not guaranteed and that is usually paid after the completion of a certain event,” says Adi Dehejia, The Muse’s Chief Financial Officer.

Bonuses come in many shapes and sizes (all of which we’ll explain later), but generally speaking they’re performance-based, meaning a company distributes them based on how an employee or group of employees contributes to team or company goals—typically revenue-based ones.

That said, a lot of bonuses are discretionary, meaning rather than the bonus being tied to a specific quota, your level, or your performance, a manager simply gets to decide who is and isn’t worthy of one, as well as how much the bonus is.

As you can imagine, this makes bonuses a pretty complicated subject for companies and employees alike.

What Motivates Companies To Offer Bonuses?

Often bonuses are provided because that’s what the market tells companies to do. If other organizations of similar size, industry, or geography are offering their employees bonuses, a company may feel obligated to do the same to compete for good talent. This is why you’ll rarely find a sales role without a bonus structure.

They also want to hire people who they know are going to perform, and when there’s a reward for output you’ll attract a certain kind of person.

But the main reason employers are drawn to bonuses is because they encourage employees to work hard to help the company succeed. “They want to align incentives—like, ‘You do well if the company does well,’” says Dehejia. And it tends to pay off—people who know they can make more money by bringing in more revenue, whether directly (like sales) or indirectly (like marketing or executive leadership) are going to be highly motivated to do so.

What Is A Bonus And Why Do We Like Them? Read More »

How to Build Rapport in the CRE Workplace

Leave a Comment / Ask An Expert, Blog, Interview Tips, Job Search

Regardless of what role you have in the CRE field, the ability to build rapport among your colleagues is crucial. Not only does it help propel your career, but it also lubricates and strengthens team connections and interaction.

However, while this is a skill that comes naturally for some, others must learn how to build these strong connections and affinity. Fortunately, with just a few simple tricks up your sleeve, virtually anyone can build rapport with fellow CRE professionals and co-workers.

What Is Rapport?

One of the cornerstone skills needed in commercial real estate is business communication. And workplace rapport is the technique of opening up more effective communication through relationships and understanding.

Sometimes referred to as a connection or spark, rapport is what makes people more likely to listen to you and give your idea a chance. In this reciprocal relationship, your colleagues better understand your point of view, are more inclined to trust and like you, and will generally feel at ease around you.

This matters so much in a workplace environment, because our own success in business is often dependent upon others. And the success of the company or organization as a whole is dependent upon our ability to collaborate and work together.

Rapport in the office makes these collaborations and interactions more effective and productive. This vital interpersonal communication and business asset allows us to more effectively exchange thoughts and ideas in many aspects of our job. Whether it’s selling, negotiating, interviewing, or any other form of interaction, our ability to build rapport and foster eager cooperation is vital in many scenarios.

Secrets to Workplace Rapport

If you want to improve your ability to build rapport, internalize these techniques. Practice them. Develop them. And then begin implementing them across your workplace interactions as you see your success in communication improve.

1. Actively Listen

Active listening is a powerful communication hack that allows you to better understand those around you so you may better relate to them. By being present in the conversation, looking people in the eye, listening to understand rather than respond, and noticing non-verbal cues, you will become a better listener. In turn, you will better understand the intent behind the words as well as the kind of person you are dealing with.

And here’s the secret: when others feel you have truly heard them, they will like you more.

2. Don’t Overlook Casual Conversation

Especially in a workplace environment, it can be tempting to overlook casual chit chat. After all, this is business. And you don’t want to waste time, yours or theirs. But casual conversation is a powerful lubricator and rapport builder.

If you are interviewing for a job and the interviewer starts with some casual small talk, this is your chance to find commonalities and better relate. If your co-worker drops by to check on a project, mention what you did over the weekend or bring up the game their favorite team just played. If not carried to extremes, these little moments of casual banter are the building blocks of strong relationships and rapport.

3. Spend Quality Time

When appropriate, schedule quality time with workplace contacts. Going to lunch or having a genuine talk in the lunch room can take your casual connections to the next level.

4. Ask Good Questions

Especially early in a relationship or at networking events, your ability to ask creative questions will help you shortcut the relationship building process. Here are some helpful questions to bring up:

What subject would you most like to be an expert in?
If someone were to say you had a superpower, what would it be?
What kind of books do you like reading?
What are some skills you learned as a child that you continue to use today?
What’s your personality type?
What’s your proudest accomplishment?

5. Be Genuine

Nothing can put a damper on a relationship like inauthenticity. If there is a hint of being fake or trying to present yourself in the best light, it will hamper your rapport. Above all, be authentic.

If you can’t find common ground that you are truly interested in, then learn more about an interest of theirs to become genuinely interested in it. Don’t pretend to be the expert, but open yourself up to learning about their passion.

This sets you up for some great questions. And you’ll both learn more about each other in the process.

How to Build Rapport in the CRE Workplace Read More »

How To Effectively Delegate Tasks

Leave a Comment / Ask An Expert, Blog, Employers, Set Yourself Up For Success

All managers and leaders must master the art to effectively delegate tasks. Understanding how and when to allocate responsibility to others is essential in maintaining a high level of productivity, both on a personal and organizational level. Delegating tasks is also essential for effective leadership.

To learn how to effectively delegate tasks is to build a cohesive and effective team that can meet deadlines. Moreover, knowing when and how to delegate work will reduce your workload, thus improving your well-being at work and boosting your job satisfaction. Unfortunately, many leaders are unsure how to delegate properly or are hesitant to do so.

In this guide, you will discover what delegation really entails, how delegating tasks benefits your team, and how to assign tasks effectively.

The Significance Of Delegating Tasks

A good leader knows how to delegate. When you delegate some of your work, you free up your time and achieve more on a daily basis.

Effective delegation also promotes productivity and good time management within a team by drawing on the existing skill set of its members and allowing them to develop new knowledge and competencies along the way. The result is a more flexible team that can share roles when the need arises.

When you are willing to delegate, you promote an atmosphere of confidence and trust. Your actions send a clear signal: as a leader, you trust your subordinates to achieve desired outcomes. As a result, they will come to think of you as a likeable and effective leader who respects their skills and needs.

Delegation isn’t about barking orders and hoping that your staff falls in line. A manager’s job is to get the very best from those under their supervision and, in doing so, maximize productivity and profit.

Careful delegation helps to identify and capitalize on the unique strengths and weaknesses of the team members. Delegation also boosts employees’ engagement as it proves that the managers are interested in drawing on their talents.

Why Are People Afraid Of Delegating Tasks?

Delegation boosts productivity, but not all managers are willing or able to delegate.[4] Why? Here’re some common reasons:

They resent the idea that someone else may get the credit for a project.
They are willing to delegate in principle but are afraid their team won’t be able to handle more responsibility.
They suspect that their staff is already overworked and feel reluctant to increase their burden.
They suspect that it’s simpler and quicker just to do a task themselves.
They dislike the idea of letting go of tasks they enjoy doing.
They fear that if they delegate responsibility, their manager will conclude that they can’t handle their workload.

How To Effectively Delegate Tasks Read More »

7 Tips for Career Success in CRE

Leave a Comment / Ask An Expert, Blog, Building Careers, Set Yourself Up For Success

So, you’ve chosen a career in commercial real estate and want to make the most of it. How do you climb that ladder and become the best in your league? How do you ensure career success in your current CRE field?

Regardless of what specialty or focus your career path is in, commercial real estate is a demanding field that requires dedication, commitment, and growth. It is crucial for CRE professionals to be ever-learning, ever-advancing, and ever-evolving for maximum career success and advancement.

Some of these principles hold true for whatever career path you take. Others are especially important in CRE. If you’ve made a commitment to succeed, here are seven tips to help you get the most out of your career.

1. Come Prepared to Learn

Like most professions, working in CRE means learning a variety of skills, information sets, and best practices. But much of what makes you successful now might change in coming years. Therefore, it is imperative that you are prepared to learn on the job, even after you have become well-established in your field.

Continuous learning has been directly tied to success on the job. It enables you to adapt and become multifunctional, engaged, and prepared for the unexpected. In the long run, it positions you to excel in your career and be promoted in time.

2. Cultivate Better Communication

One of the keys to career success in any field is effective business communication. Proactively and effectively communicating with your direct reports and superiors facilitates a more functional workplace and healthier relationships. These in turn directly contribute to your success. Some keys to improving your communication include:

Use clarity
Err on the side of over communication
Be open and honest
Emphasize a communication culture

3. Achieve Specific Goals

Especially in the world of commercial real estate, you are not paid just to clock in and clock out. Your career advancement hinges on your ability to identify and achieve goals central to your company’s mission. Your employer will recognize your profitability if you focus on achieving these goals, both long term and short term. And your career will benefit from it.

4. Demonstrate Initiative

If you want to actually go places in your career, take initiative. Your growth, adaptability, work relationships, and overall success depend on you. It’s up to you then to demonstrate initiative to succeed in your career. Some ways to do this include:

Ask for guidance
Offer help
Volunteer
Educate yourself
Be a cost saver

5. Manage Up

When you manage your boss instead of waiting to be managed, you will become far more valuable and likely to succeed in your career. Really impress your boss by getting to know him or her, avoiding office politics, and bringing solutions rather than just problems to the table. When you are detailed and proactive in solving problems for your managers, your career success will be inevitable.

6. Evaluate Yourself

Rather than waiting for your annual evaluation, be your own evaluator! Identify objectives and goals, and then create a task list to achieve them. At the end of each week, fill out a form or work diary to rate your progress on each of these tasks and overall goals.

You might even consider showing these work logs to your supervisors to see if they agree with your real-time self-evaluations. And doing so will also impress upon them your dedication to progressing and improving in your career.

7. Act

Talk comes cheap. There’s a saying managers used once upon a time: “Show me the baby, don’t tell me about the labor pains.” While this antiquated quip may sound cold, what’s beneath it is an inherent valuation on putting feet to your plans and ideas. When you do what you say, it goes a long way towards building your credibility and long-term prospects for success. When you put in the effort to make real gains, it translates into respect and meaningful contributions at work.

Generating real and tangible career success in CRE has so much more to do with being proactive than being lucky. By following these basic principles and tips, you can climb the ladder and achieve your career goals. It doesn’t matter where you start or what adversity you encounter. You can find fulfillment at work and create the career trajectory you want.

It’s entirely up to you!

7 Tips for Career Success in CRE Read More »

Workplace Conflict: How To Deal With It

Leave a Comment / Ask An Expert, Blog, Employers, Interview Tips

A recent study of remote workers found that 80% of respondents experienced conflict in a remote environment. If you broaden the focus to all types of workplaces, another study found that 85% of employees at all levels have experienced workplace conflict to some degree.

That means that most of us have dealt with our fair share of workplace drama.

Conflict at work is inevitable, but even though we can’t entirely avoid it, we can become better at resolving our disputes. How well you and your team handle conflict can make a world of difference to your organization, even when there are intimidating situations to address.

Have no fear because we’re diving into workplace conflicts — including what they are, how to spot them, and how to help resolve them.

What Is Workplace Conflict?

Workplace conflict occurs when there’s a disagreement amongst employees due to opposing interests, personalities, beliefs, or ideas. Conflict in the workplace is natural and bound to occur when you have people of different backgrounds and perspectives working side-by-side.

Conflict can be expressed in various ways, including lack of cooperation, verbal insults, bullying, anger, poor quality or delayed work, project failure, and more.

You don’t have to fear workplace conflict in your organization. It’s natural and can even be healthy when dealt with appropriately. Let’s explore the types of conflict in the workplace, signs of conflict, and tips for conflict resolution to help you tackle disputes in your organization.

Types Of Conflict In The Workplace?

Yes, not all conflicts are the same — there are different types of conflict in the workplace. Let’s take a look at some of the most common types to watch out for:

1. Personality Conflicts

Clashes due to different personality types are some of the most common types of workplace conflicts. These conflicts are impossible to avoid because we all have our own personalities and won’t get along with every person we meet. Personality-based conflicts can be challenging and frustrating, but it’s beneficial to learn how to work with individuals whose approaches and perspectives are different from your own.

2. Interdependent Task-Based Conflicts

Think about the processes that help your organization stay afloat. Often, there are a lot of cross-functional processes that take place within interdependent workstreams. For example, your IT department may be responsible for setting up accounts and technology for new hires once HR informs them of the new hire’s start date. But what if HR forgets to tell IT about a new hire and the new employee arrives on their first day and isn’t set up and ready to work? These types of interdependencies can be frustrating and cause conflict, particularly amongst departments.

Workplace Conflict: How To Deal With It Read More »