Andrew Hennigan's Blog

Job interviews through Skype, Facetime and other Internet-based video call services have become very common for first meetings so that people can be screened quickly without the inconvenience of travel. This means that anyone who knows how to look better in a Skype call has an advantage over the candidates who don't realize that this is even possible or do not take the trouble to prepare. In an earlier post I described Ten Ways to Impress People in a Skype Interview , covering all the basic techniques. Today people are increasingly using smartphones and tablets for these interviews, so in these cases which tips are the most useful? Here are five that will make a visible difference. HAVE THE CAMERA FIXED AT EYE LEVEL . Probably the single most useful tip when using any device is to place the camera at eye level and fix it in some way. Don't lean over the device and don't try to hold it in your hand, like a video selfie. You will look much more professional when the ...

As a speaker coach one of the questions people ask most frequently is how to overcome shyness, nerves and fear to become a confident speaker. This is one of the first things to address because until you are confident speaking it will be difficult to speak effectively.  There are many techniques for overcoming speaking nerves, but there are three that I have tested personally both on myself and also on people who I have coached. By applying these methods you can not only overcome your fear of speaking, you will also grow to like it so much that you look forward to speaking in front of a large audience. Find some kind of space where you have to talk to people . There are many jobs, sports and hobbies that you can do entirely alone, and these do not help in any way to build confidence. You are more likely to become comfortable talking to strangers if you have a job or some other space where you speak regularly and often with other people. There are many customer-facing or empl...

In some ways networking is like asparagus farming, where the instruction book begins "dig a trench, two years ago". Occasionally you can go to a networking event, meet someone and the next day you benefit in some way from the connection. This is the exception rather than the rule. Most networking efforts pay back months or even years after you have done them -- another reason why I always teach people in networking workshops to start early and take a long-term view. Taking a long-term view sounds reasonable enough to most people, but the devil as always is in the details; how exactly do you build a long-term networking strategy? The short answer is to follow three general principles that will ensure that the tactical activities you are doing now will support your long term goals. 1. Meet a more diverse population. In many situations you are likely to meet mostly people who are all from similar backgrounds. If you are a doctor you probably know many other people in the...

After attending any event who is it that you remember? Is it Gary Greysuit who stood at the back silently, looking for someone they knew? Is it Brian Boredrone who recited his entire CV plus a list of every baked potato he had ever eaten? Or was it Suzy Speaker who delivered a short but memorable speech? It's always the speakers who get the most mileage from any event. They are the most visible people in the room, everyone knows who they are, many people want to talk to them,  most know what they are knowledgeable about. They are people who are in the program and promotion for the event and they are mentioned in any post-event posts and articles. If anyone is going to be remembered it is the speakers. Just attending an event is useful for networking, and with some preparation anyone can make meaningful connections, but by taking opportunities to speak you make it much more likely that the event will lead to interesting results. Any kind of talk will get you some attention,...

Face-to-face meetups are much more effective than online activity for discovering and creating a bond with other people. But it's not enough just to attend and hope for the best. To get the best results takes some effort and a little planning. There are many different ways you can make every meeting fruitful and even fun, but to get you started here are five secrets that are going to make a difference: 1. GET INVOLVED SOMEHOW . Just attending an event is better than staying at home, but the people who get the best results are the people who are actively involved in the event, helping the organizers or participating in some way. This gives you much more visibility and more opportunities for interacting with other people. It's also much easier for shy people. Be an active part of the event and more people will remember you, especially if you have a role in the organization or presentation of the event. And the people who benefit the most? The people who speak. 2. LISTEN...