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How to Anticipate Interview Questions

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This is part of the “Preparing for a Successful Higher Education Job Interview”  blog series that will equip you with the tools and techniques to feel confident and ready. Thanks to Sharon Justice, career and leadership expert, for putting together these helpful and practical tips.

To prepare for interview questions you may be asked, begin by going through the job description to see what qualifications and skills the employer is seeking. In the sample job description below, areas to look at include:

  • Facilitation of recruitment, yield, and transition programs
  • Recruiting students
  • Travel extensively
  • Working extended hours
  • Organizational and analytical skills
  • Oral and written communication skills
  • Communicating effectively with others
job-description-How to Anticipate Interview Questions

You’ll want to provide examples of these highlights, and perhaps look through your data and statistics for concrete examples. Once you have a list of anticipated questions, you can do your homework by creating STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) answers.

Other questions you might be asked:

Don’t forget about the basic interview questions. These serve as a foundation for the rest of your interview.

  • Tell me about yourself
  • Weakness/strength
  • Why do you want this job
  • Why you are the right candidate for this job
  • Tell me about a time when…

The art of answering a weakness question

Don’t think you can fool the interviewer by disguising your strength as a weakness. “I work too much” is not really a weakness because it can be interpreted as working too hard. You want to identify an actual weakness, like procrastination or pushing deadlines, then refer to it in a formula.

The weakness formula

  • What’s your weakness?
  • How did you identify your weakness?
  • What are you doing to work on it?
  • Why is it important for you to correct it?

Example: “My weakness is procrastination. I realized that when I was missing deadlines and feeling stressed about putting difficult things off to the last minute. I decided that I needed to be better about procrastination, so I created a calendar and decided that everyday I’d do my most difficult task. My team relies on me and I need to do my part. I don’t want to be the last one involved.”

Practice, Practice, Practice

There’s a fine line between practicing to be comfortable and memorizing answers. Memorization is only surface level and won’t help you during a brain freeze. It’s best to practice, prepare, and be comfortable.

How to practice

Use the STAR format. Write S-T-A-R along the side of a page, and for each of the experience factors on the job description, write out at least 10 scenarios or answers to 10 behavioral questions.

Be ready for the basic interview questions:

  • Why are you interested in this job?
  • If you’re employed, why do you want to leave your current job?
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses?
  • What do you bring to this job?
  • Why should you be hired?

Practice out loud and over. The more you say it, the better it will roll off the tongue. Your responses will sound more natural the more you practice.

Notes to Have Handy for the Interview (Virtual or In-Person)

  • Scenarios to prompt you — Use a few words to jog your memory when you freeze up. Also have a pen with you to take notes on multi-part questions. This will help you stay on track and give you time to think. It’s okay to pause for a few seconds to gather your thoughts before you answer. Interviewers prefer that over immediate answers that might miss the mark.
  • Questions to ask — Depending on the length of the interview, you might need a few or many questions. Be prepared either way.

About the Expert

Sharon Justice has worked for over 30 years in various industry sectors focused on strategically growing businesses while equipping leaders and individuals for success. She currently serves as a Leadership Faculty Member at East Carolina University.  She offers customized leadership development programs and strategic business consulting through Justice Leadership.

Be a STAR and Stand Out During the Interview

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This is part of the “Preparing for a Successful Higher Education Job Interview” blog series that will equip you with the tools and techniques to feel confident and ready. Thanks to Sharon Justice, career and leadership expert, for putting together these helpful and practical tips.

During your interview, you’ll likely be asked multiple behavioral questions. Interviewers ask these questions to predict how you’ll behave in the role. You can differentiate yourself from other candidates by using the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result.

Often interviewers will ask specific questions like: “Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision. What did you do, how did you handle it, and what was the outcome?”

Others might ask hypothetical questions like: “How would you make a difficult decision if faced with one?” Hypotheticals are usually asked by less experienced interviewers because you could make up whatever you want, and it lacks the details of an actual experience. When faced with hypotheticals, answer with a specific example in a STAR format.

How to use the STAR format:

Question: “Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision.”

Answer: “I had to give difficult feedback to an employee. My task was to determine how and when I’d give it. I scheduled a conference room, gathered the documentation, and decided to do it first thing tomorrow instead of waiting a week. I let the person know and prepared my remarks so I’d know exactly what to say. The result was a 30-minute conversation that covered x, y, and z points. The employee gave me their part of the story. We decided on an action plan, moved forward, and that situation didn’t happen again. I’m glad I took care of it immediately rather than dragging my feet.”

Don’t give too many details, especially when you’re describing the situation, or you’ll lose the interviewer. Give just enough detail to show the results. If you’re asked follow-up questions for details about what happened, what you did, or what you learned, that means you missed the Results part of STAR.

Use the word “I” and claim your work

Our society tends to mask our individual accomplishments as those of a collective. The employer wants to know what you, not your team did. Use “I” whenever appropriate.

Practice your answers

Print or save the job description and analyze it for possible questions. Match your experience with the requirements, then determine where you have skill gaps. You could say your answer out loud or write down examples for each experience factor or requirement.

Then consider likely challenges to doing the job. What ideas could you bring to the table?

About the Expert

Sharon Justice has worked for over 30 years in various industry sectors focused on strategically growing businesses while equipping leaders and individuals for success. She currently serves as a Leadership Faculty Member at East Carolina University.  She offers customized leadership development programs and strategic business consulting through Justice Leadership.

Know the Who, What, Where, and How of the Interview

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This is part of the “Preparing for a Successful Higher Education Job Interview” blog series that will equip you with the tools and techniques to feel confident and ready. Thanks to Sharon Justice, career and leadership expert, for putting together these helpful and practical tips.

If you’re working with a recruiter, scheduler, or assistant, you might not be given information beyond a location and time. Ask follow-up questions and use resources to dig into the interview’s details.

Who is interviewing you?

Ask who you’ll be speaking with. Are you meeting with one person or multiple people? Are you interviewing with other candidates? If you don’t know, ask your middle person for names.

Where is the interview?

Many institutions are difficult to navigate. You need to know your interview location, find parking, and make sense of the institution’s nomenclature, numbering, and lettering scheme. Get detailed instructions and arrive early to campus. You don’t want to be too early to your interview, so you can wait out the time by getting a feel for the environment.

If it’s a virtual interview, log into the video or call platform before your interview to make sure there are no issues with the login credentials or the link provided to you. Test your internet connection. Familiarize yourself with the technology to help avoid technical difficulties.

What are you wearing?

Always dress for the job you want, not the one you have, so dress up a level. It’s easier to take off a jacket, remove a tie, or roll up sleeves than try dressing up from a casual outfit. Even if you’re told to dress casually, dress up. Your first in-person impression can never be taken back.

How is the interview conducted?

Interview formats have changed from the last 30 years—and even the last year. There is more availability for interviews to be held virtually. In a virtual interview, you might answer questions read by an avatar. Your video and audio will be recorded while a countdown clock runs on the screen. Once you’re done, the video will be sent off to the interviewer to assess. More common today are virtual interviews conducted through videoconferencing tools like Zoom and Go-To-Meeting.

Interview Formats

You might find yourself in one of the below interviews:

Group interview

Group interviews are prevalent for entry-level and competitive jobs, and more common for administrative positions than faculty positions. In these interviews, a collective of candidates gathers at a meet-and-greet or roundtable. The candidates compete against each other while networking with the decision makers, a department of students, faculty, or others.

It can be challenging if you’re not prepared for ongoing conversations, especially if the group is asked a question and everyone is expected to contribute. In these cases, you shouldn’t take charge and be overbearing. You also shouldn’t be the last to answer, because you’ll have to be creative to stand out with your contribution. Try to find a middle ground.

Panel interview

Panel interviews are very common for faculty positions. You’ll be interviewed by at least three people. In some panels, you might find yourself in front of twelve people.

Simulation interview

In simulation interviews, you’ll demonstrate your skills in front of an audience. You might be asked to give a presentation to students or administrators.

Onsite / Visit-extended interview

Onsite or visit-extended interviews might consist of a single interview, multiple interviews, one-on-one interviews, meetings with students, panel interviews, or a combination of everything. Often one or two meals are involved, and you might need overnight accommodations.

There might be plenty of activities to get you in front of the community. Sometimes you’ll be given an itinerary for five or six hours of events. These interviews require you to have a lot of stamina.

About the Expert

Sharon Justice has worked for over 30 years in various industry sectors focused on strategically growing businesses while equipping leaders and individuals for success. She currently serves as a Leadership Faculty Member at East Carolina University.  She offers customized leadership development programs and strategic business consulting through Justice Leadership.

Do Your Homework: Tips for Interview Prep

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This post is part of the “Preparing for a Successful Higher Education Job Interview” blog series that will equip you with the tools and techniques to feel confident and ready. Thanks to Sharon Justice, career and leadership expert, for putting together these helpful and practical tips.

Before any interview, you should know the format. Who will be interviewing you? Will you be speaking with one interviewer or a panel? Will there be other interviewees present? Will the interview be virtual, on the phone, in person?

After you’ve figured out the format, research the questions you’ll likely be asked, and think about how to assess the institution’s culture. You’re being interviewed for a position, but you are also interviewing the organization to see how well you might fit into their culture and their job opportunity. Interviewing is a two-way street, and you need to be prepared for that.

Search the institution online

Look up the institution’s website and any online press releases. Set up job and news alerts for the institution you’ll be interviewing with and stay updated on its current events. The worst thing that could happen is drawing a blank during an interview when a major event is referenced. The best thing would be to demonstrate you’ve done your research.

Additionally, you should look up the institution’s LinkedIn page. If possible, try to find your interviewers and see if you can reverse engineer their profiles to learn more about the institution, department, and its people. Social media is a huge news stream for many universities, so study the institution’s other social accounts. Learn the hashtags, accounts, and be familiar with the latest happenings.

Know the answers to these questions before you interview:

  • What is the mission of the College/University?
  • What do they specialize in?
  • What makes them different from other institutions?
  • Have they been in the news lately?

Speak to these questions during your interview. This will demonstrate that you’ve done your homework, and there is great power and value in knowing the institution’s context.

Use Glassdoor and Vault to find crowd-sourced information

Most people are familiar with Indeed and Glassdoor, but many aren’t with Vault. Vault is a corporate-looking view of the organization. Not all institutions are listed or have plenty of information, but the one you’re interested in might be.

Glassdoor is useful for more than job postings. You can get crowd-sourced feedback from the community about the interview process, salary, benefits, and more. A major benefit of Glassdoor is that contributions don’t disappear, so you can access history.

Look at the interview insights on Glassdoor. These are personal accounts of the interview process, including whether offers were offered and accepted, if interviews were negative or positive experiences, and which questions were asked. Take the insights with a grain of salt, but they’re a mostly reliable source of information.

About the Expert

Sharon Justice has worked for over 30 years in various industry sectors focused on strategically growing businesses while equipping leaders and individuals for success. She currently serves as a Leadership Faculty Member at East Carolina University.  She offers customized leadership development programs and strategic business consulting through Justice Leadership.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Virtual Conferences

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This content was adapted with permission from a blog post for the upcoming National Postdoctoral Association’s virtual Annual Conference happening April 15-16, 2021. The NPA’s mission is to aid in the development of postdoctoral researchers nationally. Learn more and register for the conference (use promo code HERC2021AC to save $50).

To maximize your experience, consider what you want to get out of the virtual conference in advance. Following the tips below will help you focus, engage, and absorb information from the event.

BEFORE THE CONFERENCE

Confirm your contact information

Check and make sure your full name and contact information, including the email address and phone number associated with your registration are correct and that the registration information does not end up in your spam email folder. This ensures that you not only receive information about the event promptly but also opens possibilities for other participants to connect with you.

Mark your calendar and prepare a space in your home or office

Review the conference schedule and plan to attend sessions that align with your career goals. Download or print the materials for the sessions most attractive to you. Make sure to check for reminder emails before/during the week of the conference. Add dates and times for each interesting session to your calendar and set reminder alerts.

The selected speakers and panelists presenting at the conference are key experts in their fields. Reading about the speakers and formulating thoughtful questions in advance will help you to take advantage of any live sessions.

If you find that your originally selected sessions do not meet your expectations, it is easy to switch gears in a virtual conference and join a different session, so consider having a backup plan for other sessions.

To truly be present in the experience, add an “out of office” message to your work email so you can fully invest your time at the conference. Do not forget to inform your family and colleagues that you will be attending this conference and have a dedicated space to avoid possible distractions. Most importantly, finish any other obligations ahead of time so you can relax when it is time for the conference.

Share the conference on social media and connect with others on event-specific forums/apps

Thanks to digital connection platforms, such as LinkedIn and Twitter, you can take another step forward to enhance your virtual conference experience. Sharing your plans to attend the virtual conference helps you connect with individuals interested in attending the meeting. Also, check if the conference organizers created any event-specific forums for attendees and join them to help build your professional network during and after the conference.

Prepare your computer for the conference

It’s important to check in advance that you are equipped with the necessary computer settings and are ready for a video conference. Make sure to download any required software and double-check that your computer is up-to-date to avoid software updates or connectivity issues during the conference. Should there be any disruptions, have a backup plan such as connecting with another device.

DURING THE CONFERENCE

Be an active participant and avoid distractions

Prioritize the time to be truly present and engage in interactions and feedback. Avoid potential distractions from your furry friends or phone. Limit notifications that may pop up on your phone or computer and turn on your email autoresponder. Use interactive features, such as “raising your hand,” chats or polls during live sessions to stay engaged.

Although the session will most likely be recorded, make notes/highlights for future reference during the sessions to stay focused and remember key points. At the end of each day, take a few minutes to write down key takeaways and any follow-up questions that you may want to ask others or the speakers.

Virtual networking is possible

Be sure to check the social media channels and monitor any conference hashtags to find conversations and engage with other attendees. Also, check out any virtual exhibit halls/expo to learn about resources and new tools and services that may be relevant for your career development.

AFTER THE CONFERENCE

Take advantage of recorded sessions

Most conference organizers record the live sessions presented at the conference. If you missed a session, found that there were multiple sessions you were interested in occurring simultaneously, or would like to review one you have attended check the conference website to see if these sessions will be available to watch even after the conference ends.

Follow-up after the conference

You may send a thank you email to the organizers or speakers. If you have any questions regarding a session you have attended, you should take advantage of the opportunity to connect with speakers post-conference. In addition, make sure to fill out any evaluation surveys sent out after the end of the conference to provide feedback about what you liked or disliked.

We are sure that our tips will help you make the most out of any virtual conference!

The original National Postdoctoral Association blog post was written by Lalitha Kurada, PhD, co-chair of the communications subcommittee and postdoctoral researcher at the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (USUHS/DoD), Bethesda, MD.

Community Colleges May Be a Good Fit for You

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After working at two prestigious four-year institutions, Reginald Nichols has spent the past 15 years at Middlesex Community College in Lowell, Massachusetts, where he is currently the Assistant Director of HR Talent & Compliance/AAO/ADA/504/Deputy Title IX Coordinator.

Middlesex may not have the name recognition of his previous employers, but Nichols thinks that community colleges may actually be a better fit for many job seekers.

Here are some of the benefits and challenges of working at two-year institutions:

A broader variety of students

In his previous role as an academic counselor at Middlesex, Nichols worked with a wide range of students. Some come to campus straight out of high school, but others are well into adulthood. Many are already in the workforce and are juggling family responsibilities, including raising children.

In general, community college students are more reflective of the communities they’re situated in that four-year schools, and more likely to be the first in their families to attend college. In total, staff and faculty have a chance to interact with a more diverse student body.

More chances for advancement

After working in the banking industry, Nichols started at Middlesex in the admissions office before switching over to advising. Some of his colleagues started in teaching and then became deans. Education and work experience are important, but because community colleges are teaching and learning institutions, one of the advantages of working in one is that it prepares employees to take advantage of better opportunities.

Less susceptible to economic changes

Nichols started at Middlesex right before the Great Recession in 2008, and of course is working there during the current pandemic. Drops in enrollment and economic challenges during both periods led to layoffs and furloughs at many institutions of higher ed, but Nichols said community colleges weren’t as impacted. Commuter schools like Middlesex have much cheaper tuition and aren’t reliant on room and board, so financial instability and campus closures don’t hurt the bottom line as much as they would at many four-year schools.

Multitasking is critical

There are aspects of working at a community college that could be a challenge or an opportunity, depending on the individual. Nichols said that community colleges tend to be fast-paced organizations, and his day doesn’t always go according to plan. Many community colleges have smaller staffs than four-year institutions, so community college staff may have a larger assortment of duties (for example, re-read Nichols job title). Flexibility is key.

Keys for applying

If working at a community college sounds appealing, Nichols has some tips for job seekers. First, don’t be discouraged if you don’t have previous experience in higher ed – much like the students themselves, staff come from all kinds of backgrounds. Along with educational credentials, community college value real-world experience, so highlight previous professional opportunities and why those skills will transfer over.

While the specific skill sets required will vary by position, attention to detail, dedication, and communication skills will always be important. Take advantage of free trainings through sites like LinkedIn Learning or Coursera. And reach out to human resources employees like Nichols for informational interviews to learn more.

About the Author: Harold Gutmann is the director of brand and marketing strategy at Santa Clara University. He is a longtime writer and editor who is proud to work in higher education, and encourages all job seekers to consider it.

Take Control of Your Workload by Saying No

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Remote work, increased responsibilities, canceled recreation, and months of quarantine are testing the strengths of the best of us. Boundaries around personal time and space blur. Constant stress and uncertainty exhaust us physically, mentally, and emotionally.

You can manage your load by remembering there are times that you can say no. Learning to say no firmly and diplomatically can be a hard skill for some. But it is a necessary form of self-protection during these stressful times.

Here are some strategies that help avoid offending people when you have to say no:

Postpone the Decision

It’s okay to take your time to think before you respond to a request. This will help reduce the stress that an immediate answer activates. Buy yourself some time (even a few hours) to consider if yes is even possible, and/or how you can say no. By trying to buy some time you will reduce your stress reaction and its possible the person may decide the task is not necessary or that someone else can do it. They may even forget that they asked you. 

Seek the Protection of Your Supervisor (If Possible)

If the ask is work-based, you can get help from someone above you. For instance, your supervisor who is familiar with your current work load can be the one to provide you with a solid reason for saying no.

Ask the Person to Help Your Prioritize Tasks

If it’s one person that’s constantly asking you to do things and it feels like the work they’re asking you to do is piling up, then ask them to help you figure out which tasks really need to be done, which ones can be dropped or delayed, and which one is the priority.

Reduce the Scope of the Demand

If you’re in a situation where you can’t say no, such as to a supervisor or dean, then see if you can reduce the scope of work. Be transparent about your bandwidth and why the amount of work must decrease: “I would love to help you, but I can’t manage all of it. What on my list should we eliminate, delay or handoff if I take this new task?”

Say No to Yourself

Sometimes there are good opportunities that you really want to take on but could cause you more stress, which may bring the quality of your work down. It may be hard to do, but for the sake of your sanity and reputation, you might need to pass on an opportunity that sounds exciting or fun.

Saying no isn’t easy, especially if you want people to be happy and satisfied with your work. Practice saying no diplomatically to family, friends, and coworkers. People will always ask, but you can control how you respond.

Thanks to Amanda Shaffer, Shaffer Coaching, LLC, for providing the content that this blog post is based on!

HERC Launches New “Having Our Say: Black Voices on Working in Higher Education” Ebook

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) is pleased to announce the release of its fourth ebook, “Having Our Say: Black Voices on Working in Higher Education,” featuring stories from Black faculty and staff at different career stages and in a variety of roles at colleges and universities across the U.S. Written by Chanté Griffin and Leslie Taylor, the free ebook is for early to mid-career individuals considering careers in higher education. It also provides advice on how to navigate the systemic and cultural barriers to advancement facing Black professionals in academia.  Download the ebook here.

“We are proud to share these personal stories from Black higher education professionals and inspire others to pursue careers in academia,” said Eddie Freeman, HERC Advisory Board Chair and Executive Director and Deputy Title IX Coordinator at the University of Texas at Arlington. “HERC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education and this ebook continues our efforts to assist individuals of all backgrounds to find meaningful professional opportunities.”

Through real life stories, readers will learn how to survive and thrive in the academy, manage “cultural taxation,” prevent burnout, handle scrutiny around their credibility, and maintain their joy.

“I was the first person in my family to attend college, and my time at a PWI and HBCU transformed my view of the world,” said Chanté Griffin, ebook co-author. “I’m elated to release this project that features varied voices of Black professionals in academia whose work is shaping young minds throughout the U.S.”

HERC provides a job board and career resources at www.hercjobs.org. HERC has published three other ebooks, including “How to Apply for Higher Education Careers: A Guide for Job Seekers with Disabilities” and “Veterans Transitioning into Higher Ed.”

ABOUT THE HIGHER EDUCATION RECRUITMENT CONSORTIUM: The Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) catalyzes inclusive excellence in the academic workforce. HERC diversifies the pipeline of faculty, staff, and executives in academia through outreach, advertising, and by providing a job board and expert career advice. HERC also provides over 700 member institutions with resources and networks to bolster equitable, inclusive recruitment and retention practices.

CONTACT: Marcia Silva, Higher Education Recruitment Consortium, 650-417-3193, marcia@hercjobs.org

(Re)Starting Your Job Search on HERCJobs.org

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Job search button on keyboard

Just getting started with your job search on HERCJobs.org? Or maybe it’s been a while since you’ve used the website and it’s time for a refresher. You can always browse job listings and employer profiles, but HERCJobs.org is more than just a job board.

Here are some tools and resources that you may not know about:

Create (or Update!) Your Job Seeker Profile

Our job posters (i.e., colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher education) can search for candidates using our resume/CV database. To be included in our resume/CV database, you need to create a job seeker profile.

You can fill out our profile form or upload your resume/CV and our platform will convert it into our profile format (you’ll have the opportunity to edit and fix any formatting issues). You can upload other documents to your profile, such as a cover letter, writing samples, and portfolios.

This video tutorial walks you through the steps to set up a profile:

Set Up a Job Alert

There’s no need for you to return to the website every day to check if any new listings have been added. When you create a job alert, you’ll get an email notification whenever new jobs fitting your criteria are published on HERCJobs.org. You can set up multiple job alerts and you can change or delete them easily.

Check out this video tutorial on creating a job alert:

Conduct a Dual Career Search

Does your partner also have a career in higher ed? We offer a Dual Career Search tool to make it easier for couples to find jobs in the same area. The tool allows you to find jobs that meet both you and your partner’s job search criteria. You can also select the distance between jobs.

Watch our video tutorial on using our Dual Career Search tool:

Get Career Advice

From ebooks to webinars to blog posts, you can access career resources on a wide variety of topics, from creating resumes and cover letters to job searching and interviewing tips to achieving a work/life balance. Our career coaches and subject-matter experts also provide guidance on higher ed-specific topics, such as how to make a career change within higher ed and how underrepresented faculty and staff can manage ‘cultural taxation.’

We hope you’ve learned about at least one new way to leverage HERCJobs.org in your higher ed job search!

Managing Emails and Video Calls in Your “New Normal”

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If you’re having problems achieving a healthy work/home balance or getting work done because of home responsibilities, then think about a system of time management that you can put in place to reduce stress. Most of the time, we’re overwhelmed because we think we have to fix everything at once. Pick something as a starting point, like something you can change with little effort or something that really bothers you.

Managing your emails and video calls could be a good place to start.

Set Email Boundaries

Let people know when you’ll respond to emails. If you say, “I try to respond to email within 24 hours,” then you need to repeat that often to help people understand when you’re checking emails.

Don’t panic if you can’t respond to emails immediately. When it makes sense to, creating an auto-reply message can be helpful. It can say, “I’m not answering emails right now. I’m in a webinar.” People will know you’ve got something going on. Then, you can respond without panicking.

Quick Fixes

  • Clear subject lines get emails opened: For example, if you have a specific request, include it in the subject line (such as, “Need bio today”).
  • Write a focused message: A short message is a good message. If you send something longer than a few sentences, then consider putting it in a Word document and adding it as an attachment. This will alert the reader that your message will require more time to read.
  • Identify yourself: Be clear about who you are and how you can be contacted. Include an email signature line with your title, phone, email, and website.
  • Always assume your email is not private: For example, it’s easy to send an angry email. If you get to that place, then write that email and send it to yourself. This gives you a chance to try reading it from the intended recipient’s perspective, then you can decide if you really need to send that email.
  • Be polite, greet, and sign off as appropriate: Be judicious about your use of Reply All, CAPS, underlining, bolding, or emoticons.

Set Video Call Boundaries

Treat your video meetings like regular meetings. When using online platforms like Zoom, it’s easy for people to book back-to-back meetings and forget the need for breaks in between them. If you schedule a full hour for a meeting, keep the actual meeting agenda to 50 minutes so that people have 10 minutes to stretch, go to the restroom, or grab a drink.  

Quick Fixes

  • Don’t multitask: Stay focused and present. Video call participants will be able to tell if you’re distracted, which could ultimately impact meeting outcomes negatively.
  • Optimize your video camera presence: Set the video camera to view your face straight on. Avoid backlighting and reduce background stimuli if you can.
  • Do a phone conference call instead: For meetings with one or two people, consider using the phone, which can be a richer, more relationship-based medium.
  • Admit video fatigue: You’re not the only one feeling tired of being on camera. Turn off your camera. Ask for an alternative, such as a phone call or email.

Setting boundaries can be hard but investing the time to set them up can do a lot to make ourselves feel better.

Thanks to Amanda Shaffer, Shaffer Coaching, LLC, for providing the content that this blog post is based on!

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