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24 Questions and Answers for Interview Practice

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Got a big interview coming up?

Has it been a while since you have had to use your interview skills? Here are 24 questions and answers for interview practice.

First off, be sure to practice for your interview several times. Practice:

  • Wearing your interview clothes
  • Seated at a table with a notepad and pen, along with a couple of copies of your resume
  • Sit straight, hands on table or la
  • Shoulders back, chin up, slight smi

I know this is not the actual interview, but it will help your body know what to do in the real thing!

Here are 24 common interview questions along with tips for answering them

Tell me about yourself.

Tell a story about a job or experience you had, why you chose what you chose.

What is your greatest weakness.

Pick something honest and how you have learned to overcome it.

What is your greatest strength.

Tell a story as an example, especially if you can find one that pertains to the organization you are interested in.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Tell about your dreams and things you are interested in and people you like to work with.

Why should we hire you?

Think of this as a way to mention something that was not addressed before. Have an extra story.

How did you hear about this job?

Answer in a way that shows you want to work for this organization.

What is your biggest professional achievement?

Choose a story that is relevant to the job you are interviewing for.

Tell about a time where there was conflict with a colleague. How did you handle it?

Tell a story that shows problem solving skills. (Do not blame-shift.)

Why do you want to leave your current job?

Try not to talk ugly about your current job, instead, focus on what you would like to see happen next.

What kind of work environment do you prefer?

Find out what you can about the organization’s values and culture. Bring that into your answer.

How do you deal with pressure?

Share a story where you had a stressful situation at work and how you handled it.

How do you stay organized when you are working on several projects at once?

If you have your own system, describe it. It might be a good time now to learn some organizing tools and strategies if you don’t already have them down.

How would you describe your work style?

Concisely describe your work-style strengths and the way you manage priorities.

How do you handle stress?

Give an example of a stressful work situation where you managed the stress well, include some specific tips on how you do stress management.

What kind of personality do you work best with?

Give and example from where you have worked before about the variety of personalities you have enjoyed working with. You do not need to describe specific personalities. Rather, you are letting the interviewer know you have flexibility to handle different kinds of people.

What attracted you to this company?

Make sure you have done your research, discuss something from the organization’s mission and values that you like.

What do you know about this industry?

Again, do your research. Be able to discuss the basic goals, strategies and challenges that the industry holds.

What do you know about our company?

Be sure that you have read the “about us” and “history” from the company’s website. Also, do an internet search to see if they have been in the news lately.

What salary are you seeking?

Check job title and description and find salary ranges on several of these websites: 

  • Glassdoor
  • LinkedIn Salary
  • Salary.com
  • Payscale
  • Indeed

If selected for this position, what would be your strategy for the first 90 days?

Put in your own words these points. You will:

  • Start by reviewing the position and the organization’s goals and mission
  • Work diligently on any training you need
  • Learn the organization’s culture 
  • Get to know your team and other colleagues
  • Develop strategies for accomplishing the goals for your position

What is your salary history?

Some states or cities do not allow questions about salary history. However, many states allow this question. You may answer this question in several ways:

  • Give a history of your salary at your current job: “I started my last position in the $50,000s and am now earning $65,000, plus bonuses.”
  • Only share general information: “My salary right now is in the $60s.”
  • Or you can simply share exactly what you are earning now: “I earn $65,000, plus bonuses.”

Do you have any questions for me?

Take some time and ask a question or two that show you have interest in the organization and/or specific job. For instance:

  • Will this position be hybrid or solely at the office?
  • Are there opportunities for growth in the organization?
  • What other departments or organizations will this position be working with?
  • How is success measured in this position?
  • What attracted you (the interviewer) to this organization?
  • What do you (the interviewer) like about working here?

How do you handle the goofy/creative questions some interviewers ask, such as:

“How do you bake a cake?” “How do you measure an office desk if you have no ruler?”

Do not get rattled at these questions. The interviewer is not looking for the actual answer to their question. Rather, they are watching you handle stress creatively so have fun with it. They want to see that you can stay calm, do teamwork and can communicate.

You can plan ahead for these questions in one of these ways:

  • Say something like, “Hmmm. That reminds me of the time my team had to plan for the____. I sent a Slack message to everyone, then got them together. We developed a strategy and pulled the ___off. We all got accolades!”
  • Or use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result): “The situation is that I was asked to bake a cake. The task is to pull it off asap. For the action, I will assemble my most creative colleagues and we will divvy up the supplies and creation process. The result will be a cake you could take to the CEO.”

End with a thanks for the interview and ask about next steps.

Remember, it may feel cheesy but practicing answers will help boost your confidence. Not only that, but practicing will make it easy to adapt your memorized answers to unexpected questions. You can get help with your job hunting skills. Schedule a coaching appointment.

Handling Anxiety During This LONG Pandemic

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Handling Anxiety During This LONG Pandemic

This has been a LONG pandemic. Who would have thought in March 2020, when many of us went on a “two-week lockdown”, that many of us would still be impacted a year later.

Some folks have returned to working at their workplaces and other aspects of normal lives, thanks to vaccines and lifted restrictions. However, many Americans are still facing daily isolation: working from home and loss of in-person support systems and activities.

A number of the folks I work with have expressed experiencing anxiety as they continue to work-and socialize-from-home. Here are some of the anxiety triggers they have shared and suggestions for handling them so they don’t defeat you (have you notice any of these?):

Technology glitches: The internet goes down and other glitches that are out of our control.

What to do? Try to avoid catastrophic thinking such as “This is a disaster!” or “I can’t handle this!”. Instead, take a deep breath and say something with a positive but realistic expectation, “I don’t like this but we’ll get through it.”

Zoom fatigue: So many digital meetings! Zoom fatigue is a real thing.

What to do? Try these tips to help: Give your eyes a break frequently (screen time strains and dries the eyes), turn off your camera when you can (looking at yourself is exhausting), remind yourself NOT to compare yourself to your colleagues (the Zoom equivalent of Pinterest-perfection envy).

Work/life imbalance: When your office is in your bedroom (or anywhere else in your home), it’s easy to be on call 24/7.

What to do? Remember that you can’t have the most of all worlds, all the time. Adjust expectations and set times when you are off-duty.

Single person, living alone: SO much isolation! Long-term isolation is definitely a trigger for anxiety.

What to do? Get outside for a walk (if you have a friend you can social-distance walk with, that’s even better). Find museums or other institutions that have Covid-safety protocols in place and visit. Check meetups online for Covid-safe activities. Increase your mindfulness activities to keep anxiety under control.

Kids at home for their education: How do you manage hybrid or full-time school situations PLUS get your work done responsibly?

What to do? Work on lowering current expectations and remember that kids are resilient (they will recover from a less-than-optimal situation). Work on 3R’s: Routines, reassurance, regulation. (Create gentle routines to reduce household anxiety, reassure your kids of your love and protection, help them learn self-regulation with deep breathing and 3Ws.)

More on what to do: Avoid “Mom Guilt”! Motherhood is all about guilt but doesn’t have to be. Remember: There is NO perfect mom. We just need to be good enough!

Friend and family division on how to handle COVID: Many people have experienced stress (and even, strife) with friends and family on different ways to handle the pandemic. I’ve heard about arguments over wearing masks, getting vaccines, and attending large family events.

What to do? Remember you are not alone: Many people have experienced stress with friends and family on different ways to handle the pandemic. ALSO remember: It’s not your job to make anyone agree with you (even when you are right), so it’s okay to just refuse to argue.

More on what to do: Remember that it’s okay to make space between you and them for now. You will also need to move on from some people (especially those who are more casual “friends” on social media).

Too much same-same-same: Our brains work best will good care (hydration, healthy food, stimulation). Through the pandemic many of us have had way too much of the same old, same old. Same four walls, same activities.

What to do: Get outside (and if you can’t get outside, at least spend a while looking out the window), take up a new hobby or learn something new, contact old friends, find an online volunteer opportunity.

Too much time social media causing mental health issues: Americans have been spending more time on social media throughout the pandemic. It helps people feel less lonely and more connected to something. BUT have you noticed that the social media algorithms tend to serve you things that will get you riled up? Scary or anxiety producing posts tend to draw us in and keep us on that medium’s platform longer. We can get addicted to the anxiety inducing posts, thus creating our own anxiety and feelings of helplessness.

What to do: Be your own scientist. Experiment with noticing which platforms and posts cause the most anxiety then refuse to engage those posts. Spend more time on posts that bring you joy. This will change the algorithm for you. Know when to get off a platform altogether by watching how much stress that platform causes you.

Working from home or working under pandemic stress has caused some people to reevaluate their lives and careers. If you are at that place and are ready for life or career coaching, contact me: https://vickitillmancoaching.com/contact/

How to Manage Anxiety during Quarantine

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Quarantine is getting old for lots of folks, especially for those who are living alone or are apart from significant loved ones. Here are some healthy ways to manage anxiety during quarantine.

Give yourself a break

Since we are all stuck at home, we should be more productive, right? You WILL feel better when you are productive, but you will also find there are days you need to sit and read or binge Netfix. This is normal and okay.

But not for too long

What you will find is: If there are too many days where you are sitting, doing nothing, you may begin to feel more anxious and depressed. This may be because your mind and body need stimulation. The anxiety and depression may be one way your mind and body tells you to feed it with something to do. (In a similar way, your stomach growls and makes you uncomfortable when it needs some food to digest.)

How can you handle the long-time quarantine?

Create new routines

Quarantines require new routines. Write yourself a schedule for the week (or each evening for the next day). Try making it a gentle schedule (rather than hour-by-hour, write:

When I get up, I will do these things:

Before lunch, I will do these things:

Before dinner, I will do these things:

After dinner, I will do these things:

When you have your ideas for the upcoming day already written out, your brain doesn’t waste any time when you wake up in the morning on decision fatigue. You are also less likely to spend the entire morning scrolling through social media.

Add something new each day to the routine

The sameness is paralyzing. People keep joking that life feels like Groundhog Day because we are stuck in our four walls all day, every day, doing the same things over and over. This causes anxiety, for sure!

It doesn’t matter what the new thing is, but do something new each day. (It doesn’t even need to be interesting, just new) :

Cook a new recipe.

Go out for a walk in a different park.

Try out a new craft you found on YouTube.

Try a new yoga exercise.

Take a class on Edx, Udemy, Coursera, etc.

REALLY. It doesn’t need to be interesting, it just needs to be new. You will find it makes you feel better!

Do a good deed daily

If you make a point of adding a daily good deed to your routines during quarantine, you will feel better. Doing good deeds helps things feel more under control because it is something YOU choose to do. Research has found that doing good deeds also improves health and well-being.

It doesn’t matter about the significance of the good deed. It doesn’t need to be interesting. It just needs to be something that you don’t expect a return from. You could:

Write your old grandma a real letter and mail it.

Bake some cookies and do a social distancing drop off to friends or the old lady down the street.

Smile at the grocery store checkout team and tell them, “Thanks”.

Send your pcp or other favorite doctors a thank you note.

Marie Kondo your closet and do a dropoff at Goodwill or call Purple Heart.

Become a digital volunteer for your favorite political campaign, cause or charity. Google it. There is plenty of information on how-to.

Do something creative daily

Give your body and soul some art and/or music opportunities. Research has shown that creativity is a way of improving our health.

Color. (Download some freebie coloring pages from my resources tab.)

Paint, sew (even sewing masks is creative), sculpt, watch Bob Ross reruns.

Learn to sing or play an instrument (you can watch how-to’s on YouTube), listen to new kinds of music or old favorites.

Make sure your self-care is part of your routine

One thing that contributes to anxiety is dehydration, so drink your water.

Eat enough healthy foods (fruits, vegetables and proteins are the building blocks for neurotransmitter production). Healthy neurotransmitter levels help manage or mitigate anxiety and depression.

Exercise burns off stress hormones, increases dopamine production – which improves the mood and energy levels.

Practice good sleep hygiene. (Limit naps in the daytime, do calming and happy things close to bedtime, do breathing exercises when you go to bed.) Download this freebie on progressive relaxation/deep breathing.

Have a daily dose of laugher

When the Bible said (Proverbs 17:22) that a merry heart does good like a medicine, it was right! Laughter causes the release of endorphins which improve well being and reduce pain. Find ways to make laughter happen.

Watch a silly YouTube channel or favorite Netflix series.

Go online to clean jokes or dad jokes site and read till you laugh.

Practice gratitude daily

You might be surprised how much better you feel body and soul when you practice gratitude. Start a gratitude journal. It’s easy.

Get outside daily

Sunlight provides Vitamin D which enhances mood and immune system. Try to get outside, even for five minutes.

Spending a little time around trees can improve your health. Being near trees could boost your mood, immune system, focus, sleep quality and energy levels.

Find ways to connect reasonably often

Loneliness is bad for your health. During quarantine you have to actively work against loneliness. Be creative. Anything healthy counts.

Take a social distancing walk with friends or family around the neighborhood or a park.

Experiment with phone calls, text threads, Marco Polos, FaceTimes, Voxers with positive friends and family.

Try digital events with friends and family like cooking, games, puzzles, read- alouds, movie nights.

Zoom lunches with friends.

If you feel overwhelmed with anxiety or depression, reach out

Please do not simply wait for the feelings to pass. There is help and hope. Phone a trusted friend, family member or pastor. If you have a counselor, schedule an appointment.

If you are having feelings or thoughts of self harm or suicidal thoughts:

Text a Crisis Line

Call a Crisis Line

This quarantine won’t last forever. Invest in yourself and others while it does last.

How to Increase Motivation to do the Things You Don’t Want to do!

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Whenever tax season rolls around, many of us feel a wave of anxiety followed by a fit of procrastination!

How to Increase Motivation to do the Things You Don't Want to do! Here are some tried and true ways to get started on unwanted tasks.

How to Increase Motivation to do the Things You Don’t Want to do!

Life is full of doing stuff we don’t want to do: dishes, taxes, paperwork, laundry… Who wants to do those things?

It’s easy to get stuck waiting for motivation to strike us, like a muse or bolt of lightening. It’s easy to decide to wait until you feel like doing it…but *feel like* rarely comes!

How can you increase motivation to do all that stuff you don’t want to do? Here are 3 things to try:

Examine the secret lie:

We all have lies we subconsciously tell ourselves. We don’t necessarily know that the lies are there, but they are, running like a computer in the back of your brain. These lies can run our lives:

I can’t do anything I don’t want to do.

If I don’t feel like it, I can’t do it.

Correct the lie with a do-able truth:

I don’t want to do this, but I can, and I’ll feel better when it’s done. So I’ll get started now.

Face with overwhelm and write out a task list:

It’s hard to get started if you feel overwhelmed. Make a task list. Tell yourself a positive truth about it. Then write out the steps you’re going to take to conquer the most important task on that list. Now get started and cross off each step as you get it done.

Lack of motivation isn’t really a thing most of the time. It’s just our subconscious lies or feeling overwhelmed. Do your self-talk and chunk out your tasks. You’ll soon find that being unmotivated has nothing to do with you!

Bonus way to INCREASE motivation: Get coaching. Life or Career Coaching can be a powerful way to help you accomplish your unwanted tasks in life…and help you build your confidence so you accomplish all the WANTED tasks, too! Schedule an appointment! You’ll be surprised how great you feel when you are in sync with your own motivation!

3 Important First Steps When You Want to Change Careers

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Feeling the need for a change? Here are 3 important first steps when you want to change careers.

3 Important First Steps When You Want to Change Careers #CareerCoaching This photo shows a business woman giving a presentation to a group in a well-lit office.

3 Important First Steps When You Want to Change Careers

It’s not unusual to hit a place in life where you think, “I need a do-over with my career.”

Many of the coachees I work with start out feeling overwhelmed by the thought of changing careers. They know they need a change, they want a change…but they have no idea what it is that they do want.

That’s why coaching is so helpful. As a career coach, I can walk with you through the process.

Everyone is different, but here are 3 basics that help many people when starting off the career-change process.

Re-discover, re-define and re-brand

The first thing you need to do if you’re thinking about a career change is to re-discover yourself: Who you are and why you are! Everyone changes over time…or maybe a lousy job or an obnoxious boss gets you so distracted or stressed that you forget who you really are. The first step in career change needs to be re-discovering yourself. No kidding. When’s the last time you took a personality test? Let’s start with remembering YOU.

Download these freebie links to personality tests. You’ll be glad you did.

Personal Discovery Links VickiTillmanCoaching.com Photo of a journal, cup of coffee and earbuds to set the atmosphere for personal discovery.

Download this freebie.

Don’t just take your tests! Read the results and write notes to yourself about the things that most resonate with you. (Start a self-discovery journal!)

Next, on your journey of self-discovery, redefine yourself by writing a fresh personal mission statement. Download this guide to take you step-by-step through the process.

Trail Guide to Writing Your Personal Mission Statement VickiTillmanCoaching.com Photo of a hiker which represents the journey of self-discovery and re-definition of writing personal mission statements.

Download this helpful guide.

 

Now, you’re ready to re-brand. Is there anything you need to update in your skill set, your networking, your lifestyle? Get to it!

It helps to know who you are, why you are and that you are creating yourself well!  Now, you’re ready for the next step.

Define your network

Networking is key to job hunting in this interconnected world. Who you know matters and will help (if you’ve been a pleasant person- if you haven’t, get busy re-branding yourself). Make a list of influencers and connecters in your world. Look at:

  • Your email list
  • Your LinkedIn and other online professional/social connecters
  • Your organizations
  • Your immediate and extended family and friends

Update your LinkedIn profile

LinkedIn is always updating. Check to see if you’ve made yourself optimally available. Here’s a post on spiffing up your LinkedIn profile.

5 Ways to Spiff up Your LinkedIn Profile VickiTillmanCoaching.com Recruiters really do use LinkedIn to find new hires. Make yourself find-able. Here are 5 easy tips.

Click image to read post.

Got these 3 important steps under control? You’re ready to start the career change. It helps to work with a coach through this process. Schedule an appointment with me to help you make life-changing career changes.

3 Important First Steps When You Want to Change Careers

How to Ask for a Favor and Not Leave a Terrible Impression

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Take my word for it, this is important: How to ask for a favor and not leave a terrible impression.

How to Ask for a Favor and Not Leave a Terrible Impression

How to Ask for a Favor and Not Leave a Terrible Impression

Have you ever been asked to do someone a favor, you do it and then feel like you’ve totally been taken advantage of, disrespected or devalued? It certainly doesn’t make you want to do that person a favor next time they ask.

If you know someone who is inclined to do an asinine job of receiving favors that they ask for, tell them this:

Do me a favor, next time you need to ask someone a favor, read this post first.

Here’s how to ask for a favor and not leave a terrible impression:

*Ask. 

Don’t say, “I need you to do something for me…”

Try this instead:

  • “Could I ask you a favor? Would you do…,please?”
  • “Would you mind doing something for me? Would you…, please?”
  • “Could I impose on you to…, please?”

Notice: Each of the asks ends with the word, “Please”. Please is not optional when asking for favors if you don’t want to leave a terrible impression.

*Make it easy on the person to do the favor for you.

If they need information, don’t make them do a google search or dig through 10 years of past records. If you have access to what the person who is doing you a favor needs, give it to them. Examples of this:

  • If you need a referral or recommendation: Write examples of the work you and the referrer have done together in order to jog their memories. Give them a list of accomplishments.
  • If you need a review: Give the person the materials you want reviewed.
  • If you need them to stop by the store on the way home: Text them a list. A verbal list is too hard to remember.
  • If you need tutoring: Bring your textbook and course materials.

Making it easy to do the favor is not an option if you don’t want to leave a terrible impression.

*Say ‘Thank you’ when the favor is done.

In my experience, it not common to receive thanks when a favor is complete. The favor-asker often moves right on with life. It is also my experience that when I am not thanked for doing a favor:

  • I feel taken advantage of
  • I am less inclined to do another favor if that person wants something else done
  • The favor asker has left a bad impression

*Return the favor.

Remember: the person who did you a favor gave something up to do you that favor. They gave time or money or resources. The favor cost them something. So, it is thoughtful to return the favor.

Returning a favor is simply doing something nice for the person who did you the favor. It’s kind of like a human version of karma: favors are given, favors come back around. This creates goodwill and an atmosphere of giving.

There are lots of ways to return a favor. Here are a few ideas:

  • Write a thank you note. (This is above and beyond the verbal ‘thank you’.) Snail-mail it. Don’t email it.
  • Give some social media love.
  • Send some flowers.
  • Ask, “What can I do for you?”
  • Occasionally, the situation will not ethically allow the favor-giver to receive a repay. In this case, simply talk well about the favor-giver when you have the opportunity.

People who do not return the favors appear ungrateful and leave a bad impression.

A little bit of thoughtfulness from a favor-asker is all that’s needed to prevent creating bad impressions!

If you need a little coaching to build your confidence on favor-asking, contact me or schedule an appointment now. Coaching will help you become the kind of person who people LOVE to do favors for.

How to Ask for a Favor and Not Leave a Terrible Impression

7 Mindfulness Choices for People Who Aren’t Naturally Mindful

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Here are 7 mindfulness choices for people who aren’t naturally mindful.

7 Mindfulness Choices for People Who Aren't Naturally Mindful VickiTillmanCoaching.com

7 Mindfulness Choices for People Who Aren’t Naturally Mindful

Let’s face it. Most of us aren’t born meditators. We don’t get out of bed in the morning excited to sit still and quiet. Unfortunately, that’s what many folks imagine when they think of mindfulness.

I’ve got good news: Even non-mindful, distracted, busy people can learn mindfulness. Here are some what’s, why’s and how’s.

What is mindfulness?

It is a practice that helps you be calm, aware and criticism-free.

Why is mindfulness important? 

Our crazy American lifestyle promotes busyness, multi-tasking and self-criticalness. The outcome of this is a society where many people feel exhausted, anxious, distracted and irritable.

Mindfulness is really GOOD for you. Here are 6 benefits:

*Mindfulness helps you calm down. This calming is not only emotional calming but also biological calming. Mindfulness can help strengthen the parts of the brain that promote *calm down* and reduce the stress hormones that make you feel anxious.

*Mindfulness can help increase positive mood. The more you practice mindfulness, the more you may notice that your general mood is improving. A pleasant mood is way better for you than a grouchy, distracted mood.

*Mindfulness can reduce rumination. When you ruminate, you find yourself thinking over and over about something without solving it. This is often what we do when we are criticizing ourselves. We just criticize but never come to a way of making it better. Mindfulness often helps the brain move past the stuck neural circuits that cause rumination.

Distracted? Forgetful? Mindfulness could help! VickiTillmanCoaching.com

*Mindfulness can improve working memory. Have you ever noticed that the more stressed you get, the more you forget all that stuff you need to remember? Stress makes it hard to store and retrieve information. Mindfulness, in contrast, helps your brain to stay sharp (or even improve) the ability to store and retrieve all that important stuff.

*Mindfulness can help you manage your temper. People who practice mindfulness often find that they experience less *emotional reactivity* (angry outbursts, temper, meltdowns).

*Mindfulness can improve your immune system. Some people report fewer sick visits to the doctor because, over time, mindfulness has reduced the stress hormones that suppress the immune system.

There are interesting posts about mindfulness research at Greater Good Science and APA Monitor.

With so many benefits, what stops people from adopting some mindfulness practices? Because it sounds boring, they feel too busy or they simply don’t know how.

The good news is that there are ENDLESS ways to practice mindfulness. You can find one or more that actually fit your personality- EVEN if you aren’t a naturally mindful person. Here are 7 mindfulness choices for people who aren’t naturally mindful.

*Deep breathing. Take 2-3 minutes at bedtime to breathe. Stressed people tend to breath shallowly, not good for reducing the daily stress hormones. Oxygen from deep breathing will help you feel calmer and sleep better. Try it nightly for 2 weeks and see if you don’t notice a difference. Here is a freebie download on how to do a mindfulness deep breathing exercise at bedtime.

Progressive Relaxation

Click here for this freebie to help you with deep breathing.

*Mindful walking. Take a 15 minute or longer walk but leave your headphones and hassles at home. On this walk, don’t do any problem-solving but keep bringing your mind back to noticing three things:

  • How your body is feeling
  • What you see, hear and smell
  • What is beautiful

Mindful walking can be even better if you can walk in the woods. (Korean and Japanese cultures call this *Forest Bathing*.) Did you know that trees produce phytoncides that boost our body’s health. Just looking at trees reduces your stress hormones? If you don’t have woods, but can be near a few trees you’ll have an even better calming response than simple mindful walking.

*Laughter. Relieves stress, releases happy hormone. Find something to laugh about in normal life. (Not sarcasm or self-criticism, just fun.) For mindful laughing:

  • Stay in the moment
  • Notice the fun
  • Notice how laughing makes you feel

*Prayer. There are lots of different kinds of prayer. Some prayer is not meant to be calming. (Intercessory prayer, for instance, often requires lots of big feelings.) However, there are some very cool and calming kinds of being-with-God prayer. Here are a few:

*Coloring. I can’t tell you how many of my clients love mindful coloring! When you color mindfully, pick something to color that requires some focus, but not too much. Then, while you color, calmly keep your mind on:

  • How your body is feeling
  • What you are enjoying about the activity, stay in the moment
  • What is beautiful
  • Being judgement free. NO criticism allowed.

(Other forms of art can be mindful, too.)

There are freebie coloring pages at my resources tab.

Spring Mindfulness Coloring Pages Free from VickiTillmanCoaching.com

Click here for free Spring Mindfulness Coloring Pages.

*Gratitude Lists. Take a few minutes each day to create a written list of things you are thankful for. If you keep it up for a month, I’ll bet you notice the difference! This is my favorite daily mindfulness practice. Here’s a post on how-to.

*Puzzles. Jigsaw, sudoku and other puzzles can be wonderful mindful activities. When you mindfully puzzle:

  • Keep your mind on what you doing
  • Concentrate on the things you are enjoying about the puzzle
  • NO self-criticism about your performance
  • Avoid time-pressure

I promised 7 mindfulness choices for people who aren’t naturally mindful. Here’s an 8th choice for a bonus!

*Gardening. People who love gardening will tell you that they feel most calm and happy when they are outside working with their plants. 

  • Keep your mind on the garden
  • Notice the sensory things around you:
    • How the soil feels and smells
    • The progress of the plants
    • The sounds of birds and insects
  • Refrain from judgements or predictions (especially avoid *What-ifs*)

Want some help learning to be mindful? Would you like some mindfulness training for your organization? I’d love to help. I’d love for you to contact me or schedule an appointment.

7 Mindfulness Choices for People Who Aren’t Naturally Mindful

10 Time-Management Tips for Feeling Good about Your Day

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Need to get your time under control? Here are 10 time-management tips for feeling good about your day.

10 Time-Management Tips for Feeling Good about Your Day VickiTillmanCoaching.com Get time under control with a few doable steps.

10 Time-Management Tips for Feeling Good about Your Day

Would you like to go to bed at the end of the day feeling good about what you’ve accomplished?

There’s no need to change who you are. If you’re TypeA personality, that’s good, but sometimes you spin your wheels too much of the time. If you’re NOT TypeA that’s good, too, but sometimes you just can’t get or stay in motion. TypeA or not, here are some basic doable strategies for managing your time.

Digital Stuff You Can Start Now

  • Turn off notifications. Just.Do.It.
  • Close unnecessary tabs (and most of the open windows are unnecessary). If having lots of tabs causes you to switch activities back and forth, you’re loosing time. Finish one tab’s task, then go on to the next.
  • Pick 3 times per day to check social media and stick to it (and these time should NOT be during productive hours). It’s addictive and time sucking (see Time Audit below).
  • Set a timer for freetime. Give yourself permission for guilt-free “wasted” time each day. Just time limit it and do it in the non-producing hours of the day (as in AFTER work).

Stuff to do NOW for a Well-Managed Future

Time Audit: Get Life Balance VickiTillmanCoaching.com

  • Prioritize. There’s no way we can ever fit everything we need to do or want to do in a single day. What are your priorities? What is on mission for you?
  • Use a scheduler (paper or electronic). Check it daily.
  • Schedule time for the things that are meaningful to you
  • Schedule healthy transition times at the end of the day
  • Schedule time for mindfulness and gratitude
  • BONUS Tip: Use Scheduling Backwards to get projects under control. It’s freebie that’s really helped me organize my time.
  • ANOTHER BONUS Tip: Coaching helps at each step of the way. When you feel overwhelmed, stuck or just want accountability for your time management, contact me.

10 Time-Management Tips for Feeling Good about Your Day

Maybe the Number One Tip for Relationship Success: Be Nice!

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Maybe the Number One tip for relationship success: Be nice!

Maybe the Number One Tip for Relationship Success: Be Nice! VickiTillmanCoaching.com

Maybe the Number One Tip for Relationship Success: Be Nice!

I’m not being trite here. This may be the #1 way to make a relationship more successful. Listen to my reasoning:

What *nice* is:

  • Speaking in a respectful tone of voice
  • Perspective taking
  • Daily noticing your partner (deeds, personality, ideas, values). Harvard psychologist and researcher, Ellen Langer, suggests that daily naming 5 things about your parter will significantly improve your relationship.
  • Refusing to show contempt. Daniel Gottman, marriage expert, says the #1 predictor of divorce is a couple that shows contempt. Contempt looks like one or more of these things:
    • mocking
    • sarcasm
    • disrespect
    • name-calling
    • eye-rolling
    • sneering
  • Avoiding criticism. Gottman also warns against being critical. Criticism is not meant to help, it is simply a discharge of your own personal frustrations. Rather than criticize, share *I feel, when…* statements (said calmly and politely) and leave some quiet space for your partner to respond and respect your needs.
  • Stopping stonewalling behavior. Stonewalling is another of what Gottman calls the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse (destroyers of relationships). Stonewalling looks like:
    • Refusing to have a conversation on a difficult topic
    • Silent treatment
    • Stubbornness/refusal to change or adapt

What *nice* is not:

  • Denial (Just because you are being polite, doesn’t mean that your partner isn’t an idiot sometimes. Face the things that are wrong, decide what YOU need to do in relation to those things and then talk about it.)
  • Codependence (Is your identity swallowed up in your significant other? Are you only okay if he/she is happy? That’s toxic to you and to the relationship.)
  • Being a doormat (Healthy people set boundaries for themselves and what they will do with or put up from their partner.)
  • Never having your own opinion (Healthy couples have 2 individuals who bring their individual thoughts to the table. This creates a rich relationship.)
  • Agreeing with everything your significant other says or does
  • Avoiding healthy confrontation

This sounds like wise advice, right? But it is not so easy once you are past the honeymoon phase in a relationship. After those first *fall-in-love* hormones dissipate, being nice can often be an act of your will. A choice.

A good choice.

Good relationships are good for you and for the world around you.

Are you ready to do some great personal growth? Contact me for life-changing Life Coaching.

Maybe the Number One Tip for Relationship Success: Be Nice!

5 Simple Steps to Prepare for Phone Interviews

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Here are 5 simple steps to prepare for phone interviews.

5 Simple Steps to Prepare for Phone Interviews VickiTillmanCoaching.com

5 Simple Steps to Prepare for Phone Interviews

Phone interviews are intimidating to many people. They cannot see the person they are talking with, cannot read non-verbals or sense the environment.

However, is not uncommon for my Career Coaching to have phone interviews as Step 1 in the potential company’s hiring process.

Don’t worry! There are some simple steps for preparing for phone interviews that will relieve some of the stress.

Step 1: Make sure you are on-brand

Make sure you are presenting yourself consistently and professionally anywhere you can be seen in the digital world.

  • Is your LinkedIn profile updated and presenting you at your best?
  • Is your social media cleaned up?

Step 2: Do your research

Know as much as you can about the organization you will be interviewing for.

  • Make sure that you read up on the company. Know its mission, its history, and interesting factoids. Their website is a good place to start. See if they have a Facebook page.
  • Do you know the name of the person who will be interviewing you? Can you find that person on LinkedIn? If you, at least you’ll know what they look like, and get a glimpse into what they think is important about their work.

Step 3: Practice phone interview questions

There are a few common phone interview questions. Ask yourself and answer them. Say them in the mirror or have a friend *interview* you. You can even write out the answers, in case you think you will forget.

Here are some of the more common questions:

  • What is your job history?
  • What has been your salaries? (There are some states that do not allow that question to be asked.)
  • What are your salary expectations for a new job?
  • What are some challenges you have overcome in your current job?
  • What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses?
  • What experiences have you had at your current job that may be helpful at this new job?
  • What do you hope to contribute to the organization?
  • Would you be willing to travel? relocate?
  • Why do you want to work for this organization?

Step 4: Be professional

  • Keep your resume in front of you
  • Keep a note pad and pencil with you, take notes as you go
  • Dress professionally (even if only you see you, it makes a difference)
  • During the interview either stand up straight or sit up straight
  • Smile
  • Don’t multitask. Concentrate on the interview
  • Say *thank you* at the end of the interview
  • Be sure to have a question or two on hand in case they ask: Do you have any questions for us?
    • Can you describe the day-to-day routines of this position?
    • Can you describe the team I will be working with if I am hired?
    • What are some specific things you are looking for in new-hires?
    • What are you most proud of about working for this corporation?

Confidence-Building Skills for Meeting New People VickiTillmanCoaching.com

Click here for some confidence-building skills.

Step 5: Send a *thank you* email

Send a quick email after the interview thanking the interviewer for his time and attention.

  • You may also reiterate why you think you’ll be a good fit for the job
  • Be sure to check spelling and grammar. (Read the email outloud before you send it.)
  • Include the word *internew* and the job title in the subject line

Time to get some coaching to get ready for your career change? Contact me.

5 Simple Steps to Prepare for Phone Interviews