Abhijit Bhaduri’s Blog

I write about careers, skills and the world of work. The cartoons and sketches are mine.

What is the best use of your mentor's time

What is the best use of your mentor's time

Knowing what you want will help you to articulate what you’re seeking advice on. Going in to meet your mentor without knowing what you want to meet for can be a waste of time for you and your mentor. Think of the meeting like a conversation—not a question-and-answer session. Make it a free-flowing and spontaneous dialogue. If you have a doubt or apprehension, or if you wish to seek a clarification, do it in the moment.

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How to Build Rapport with Your Team When You’re a New Manager

How to Build Rapport with Your Team When You’re a New Manager

People advise you to spend time understanding the key challenges of the role. What they forget to tell you is how important it is to first build a rapport with the team that you will lead. This becomes all the more important when you’re managing a team you haven’t worked with before. How do you break the ice and get the relationship going? Here are some ideas ...

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9 Must Ask Follow-up Questions in Interviews

9 Must Ask Follow-up Questions in Interviews

According to a new research by Harvard Business School professors Alison Wood Brooks, Karen Huang, Michael Yeomans, Julia Minson, and Francesca Gino, people who ask follow-up questions are perceived as higher in responsiveness, an interpersonal construct that captures listening, understanding, validation, and care. Here are 9 follow-up questions you can ask.

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How Office Politics Corrupts the Search for High-Potential Employees

How Office Politics Corrupts the Search for High-Potential Employees

Few topics have captivated talent management discussions more intensely than potential. But how good are we at evaluating human potential? The answer is, it’s mixed. In the real world of work, organizational practices lag behind, with 40% of designated “HiPos” — high-potential employees — not doing well in the future and at least one in two leaders disappointing, derailing, or failing to drive high levels of engagement and team performance. Despite the tools being available, political processes derail how talent is identified in organizations.

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Acing a Video Interview

Acing a Video Interview

Congratulations! Your resume passed the six-seconds test. Now, you’ve been asked for your availability for a video interview. Unless you are a YouTube star, facing a camera and appearing comfortable answering questions is a stressful situation. If the video interview is a step towards finding your dream job, the stakes are even higher. Here are some tips for avoiding the potential awkwardness of this increasingly common practice and letting your best self has a chance to shine through.

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Make Sure Your Resume Survives The Six Seconds Test

Make Sure Your Resume Survives The Six Seconds Test

Just as headlines act as filters that help us make quick decisions about which news items to spend time on, the summary of your resumé should catch the attention of a recruiter almost instantly. Recruiters must scan quickly through hundreds of resumes every day. So if your summary isn’t powerful, chances are you won’t make it into the Yes basket. You have to survive the crucial six seconds test.

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