Get Ready for Your Close-Up: Mastering the AI Industry’s Video Interview

In this digital age, it is no surprise that technology offers an alternative to in-person or face-to-face interviews. This alternative is the video interview, and many companies have embraced the video interview as a supplement to or even a full-blown replacement for the face-to-face interview. To help you do your best and give an impressive video interview, here are tips that will improve your interview techniques.

Make Yourself Easy to Identify

Although your interviewer may not know your face at this point in the hiring process, they should know your name, so your username on the video service you use (Skype or otherwise) should be simple, straightforward, and right on the nose. Going with a classic name by way of example, “jsmith” would work well – the simplicity of the first initial plus last name combo serves your purpose and gets right to the point.

Hearing Can Be Believing, Even on Video

The sound quality of your video interview will make a big impact on your overall interview efficacy, so taking the time to check how you sound is vital to your success. Check your immediate vicinity for background noise and other audio distractions, as you will want to remove these as soon as possible. Check your distance from the microphone you’ll be using to be sure your words come through loud and clear without being so loud that they frustrate your audience. Sounding great means interviewing great.

Don’t Be Afraid to Shine a Light on Yourself

Of course, you also want to be seen in a good light. It’s important to check the overall effect of your interview area’s lighting. Make sure there aren’t too many shadows cast across your face, and ensure the light looks as natural and inviting as you can make it.

The Eyes Have It

Many rules of thumb that apply to face-to-face conversation carry over to video interviews as well. This means that making eye contact with your interviewer is crucial to maintaining a good rapport and a strong, confident presence. To keep your eyes level with your interviewer’s eyes, you may need to place your computer and/or camera on top of something. Do what you must to ensure your eyes remain level in the video feed.

Maintain a Respectful Position

Just as you would in a face-to-face interview, avoid fidgeting and darting your eyes all around the room. Maintaining the aforementioned eye contact goes a long way toward keeping yourself still enough to focus, and if you need helpful reminders or notes, you may attach them to your computer with sticky notes or tape so they’re easy to read without breaking eye contact.

The Dress Code Still Applies

Although a video interview is a slightly different experience, dressing professionally and appropriately is still a key element of a great interview. Dress as well as the job requires, fix your hair in a nice and neat manner, and present yourself in a fashion that fits in a professional setting. If you take your video interview seriously and prepare for it, you will do well, and you’ll be well on your way to obtaining your dream job.

Visit www.PROPRIUS.com for more information on how to improve your team and career. PROPRIUS is an Artificial Intelligence Industry recruiting firm dedicated to projecting organizations to the next level.

If you are ready to accelerate your team, then schedule a 10-minute discovery call at https://PROPRIUS.as.me/Discovery. We have a dedicated search process designed to locate, connect with, and deliver the most talented candidates.

If you are looking to propel your career, then schedule a 30-minute intake call at https://PROPRIUS.as.me/Intake. We identify the top Engineers in the Artificial Intelligence Industry that generate results, create opportunity and inspire others to perform their best work.

Joshua Crawford | Managing Director | PROPRIUS

Mastering Technology: How to Become a Great CDO

The growing importance of data to businesses around the globe has pushed many companies to undergo digital transformations, and these companies are striving to update their business models while upgrading their technological prowess. A CDO can work wonders throughout these digital changes, and your company can benefit from the help of a competent CDO. Here are a few guidelines for pushing the CDO role to new heights and getting the best work from your CDO.

Putting the Digital in Business: Know the Technology That Works

When companies begin the push to digitize their business, a gear shift focuses more attention on the technological aspects of business. This means that many good CDOs know the technology they are working with and around; they must understand how the technology works so they may better transform the business practices associated with that technology. Going even further, a good CDO must figure out how to use technology to change business, and thereby increase the potential power of your company. Knowing the ins and outs of technology and the potential of it will help your CDO transform your business model and the ways you perceive work.

Business Acumen is Also Crucial

Naturally, having one aspect mastered is helpful, but it leaves an imbalance of knowledge. As a C-level employee, the CDO must understand business strategies and management skills as well as the aforementioned technology. A healthy balance of business and technology is necessary to bring your company forward into the digital age. Your CDO should be able to spearhead the ensuing digital transformation and see how your business will grow and enhance thanks to digitization. It is a strenuous, but not impossible feat.

A Good Team Makes All Tasks Possible

While a good CDO will have the skills necessary to implement digital transformation successfully, it is not entirely up to the CDO to make the change happen. Managers become managers for many reasons, and one of these reasons is the understanding that managing a competent team of workers can help achieve results with less stress and more efficiency. Your CDO should be able to work with the rest of your C-suite to move digital transformation and technological leaps forward; if the CDO doesn’t possess all the qualities necessary to propel things forward, they must recognize which C-suite members do and work with them in order to achieve results. Work need not rest on one person; a coordinated effort can be just as effective when the right players are involved.

Make Digital Initiatives a Daily Aspect of Business

Right now, many companies are in the midst of their digital transformations. This means that things are changing all around, and the CDO is there to make the transition to digitized business smooth. What happens when the digital transformation is over? The technology doesn’t go away, so people with knowledge of technology and the potential of digital business are important. Knowing the ins and outs of the digital era and the technology that makes it possible will be crucial in moving your company forward in the years ahead. A good CDO can make the leap easier for you and prepare your company for the digital future.

Visit www.PROPRIUS.com for more information on how to improve your team and career. PROPRIUS is an Artificial Intelligence Industry recruiting firm dedicated to projecting organizations to the next level.

If you are ready to accelerate your team, then schedule a 10-minute discovery call at https://PROPRIUS.as.me/Discovery. We have a dedicated search process designed to locate, connect with, and deliver the most talented candidates.

If you are looking to propel your career, then schedule a 30-minute intake call at https://PROPRIUS.as.me/Intake. We identify the top Engineers in the Artificial Intelligence Industry that generate results, create opportunity and inspire others to perform their best work.

Joshua Crawford | Managing Director | PROPRIUS

I Choose You: How to Recruit the Best AI Talent to Your Team

In the fast-developing world of machine learning and technology development in general, it can be difficult to find the best minds for your team. Using these tips to improve your company’s recruitment strategies will go a long way toward making sure you pick the best candidates for your crucial positions and projects.

Think Like a Job Candidate

One of the best ways to understand how a person operates is to get into the person’s role and think like they do. When searching for a person to take on a particular job, it can be immensely helpful to imagine how a recruiter would reach that ideal candidate. It is also helpful to think of which careers and positions may naturally transition into the job for which you are hiring. This stepping stone will help you find the recruits who are best suited for the job you need finished.

Make the Most of Your Colleagues

Naturally, your colleagues have been through the recruitment and interview process, so they can provide a wealth of insight into the hiring process. Ask your co-workers which questions to ask prospective candidates, and if it’s possible, have qualified co-workers participate in interviews and offer insight into each candidate’s interview performance. If necessary, you may extend your recruiting network through your colleagues as well, using their extended networks to find qualified candidates who may fit your company’s needs perfectly.

Take the Time to Find the Best People

While it may seem helpful to go through the recruitment process as quickly as possible, rushing the hiring process may result in less-than-favorable futures for both the candidates and your company. Take time to utilize tried-and-true recruitment teams and check their candidates for the traits you most desire in a new worker. This extra time and effort will pay off in the long run.

Give Less-Than-Ideal Candidates a Chance

Sometimes, it is nearly impossible to find a person who fits your company’s bill perfectly. In these cases, ask your colleagues and managers which qualities are required for the position and which ones are merely suggested. Finding the person who has mastered the required skills is important, but sometimes you can afford to be flexible with other skills. It is possible to train these skills and giving a candidate training opportunity shows that your company is interested in their long-term success.

Make the Most of Job Candidates

Certain candidates may not be ideal for the job you want done, but they might know people who are perfect for your company. Extend your network by including a candidate’s network, and you may find yourself with more prospective candidates than you thought possible.

Test a Candidate’s Drive

Sometimes, finding a great hire requires assigning a task to a candidate. This can be as simple as asking a potential hire to call your company at a specific time. If they manage to make that call, it shows they are serious about working for you.

Filling your team with great workers may seem difficult, but it doesn’t need to be impossible. These tips should help you recruit great workers who will improve your company’s performance exponentially.

Visit www.PROPRIUS.com for more information on how to improve your team and career. PROPRIUS is an Artificial Intelligence Industry recruiting firm dedicated to projecting organizations to the next level.

If you are ready to accelerate your team, then schedule a 10-minute discovery call at https://PROPRIUS.as.me/Discovery. We have a dedicated search process designed to locate, connect with, and deliver the most talented candidates.

If you are looking to propel your career, then schedule a 30-minute intake call at https://PROPRIUS.as.me/Intake. We identify the top Engineers in the Artificial Intelligence Industry that generate results, create opportunity and inspire others to perform their best work.

Joshua Crawford | Managing Director | PROPRIUS

Keeping the Tech Profession Professional

As the technology industries flourish, workers with tech careers increase their numbers and populate the workplace. A cultural shift has moved many engineers and tech firms away from traditionally professional attire and toward a more casual dress code. Although this decreases stress and makes working a more comfortable affair, respect for the hard work of engineering commands a degree of professionalism. Here is some advice on how you can maintain a professional attitude while working in a casual environment.

Professional and Casual Can Coexist in One Place

Although many tech workplaces are embracing the move toward casual dress, it is still possible to keep a professional attitude and a professional wardrobe. You do not need to stock a closet full of suit jackets and ties, but dedicated work clothes go a long way toward separating your casual at-home attire from your workaday clothes. Instead of wearing your favorite shirts or jeans to work, find attractive clothes that you won’t wear at home. These can become your work outfits, and they will allow you to look clean-cut and professional while staying comfortable and easy-going at work.

Embrace Social Media to Increase Your Professional Reach

Even though much of the work you do has an immediate effect on your co-workers, there are ways to expand the influence of your professional life. Using social media is a great way to do this, but as a professional in the tech industries, you must make sure you maintain a clear separation between your work social media persona and your home social media persona. If you only keep one social media profile, be sure to keep it clean and proper if you use it to network for your career. If maintaining a professional social media presence is not something you are interested in, it is wise to cultivate a dedicated LinkedIn profile for professional connections.

Use Clear Body Language to Stay Professional

When wearing clean clothing at work, it becomes too easy to think that clothing is all one needs to maintain a professional appearance. However, it is also important to convey professionalism through your body’s movements and positions. Slouching or moving frenetically cuts through your professional image, so be sure to sit up straight while working and use calm, measured movements to keep yourself focused and diligent. Furthermore, keeping eye contact with co-workers increases your self-confidence and their confidence in you, while using a firm handshake solidifies your professional persona.

Listen to Your Fellow Workers

It becomes easy to fall into bad habits and negative behaviors when you work in isolation, so it can be useful to seek advice from co-workers who work around you frequently. They are more likely to notice the pitfalls you encounter, and they can tell you how to avoid them and thereby improve your professional output. Any actions or habits that hold you back from your full professional potential will be pinpointed by your fellow engineers, and you may improve according to their helpful advice.

Visit www.PROPRIUS.com for more information on how to improve your team and career. PROPRIUS is an Artificial Intelligence Industry recruiting firm dedicated to projecting organizations to the next level.

If you are ready to accelerate your team, then schedule a 10-minute discovery call at https://PROPRIUS.as.me/Discovery. We have a dedicated search process designed to locate, connect with, and deliver the most talented candidates.

If you are looking to propel your career, then schedule a 30-minute intake call at https://PROPRIUS.as.me/Intake. We identify the top Engineers in the Artificial Intelligence Industry that generate results, create opportunity and inspire others to perform their best work.

Joshua Crawford | Managing Director | PROPRIUS

How To Ace Your Interview to Become a ML Engineer

Landing any job is a difficult undertaking and trying to earn your dream job as a machine learning engineer is no exception. Fear not, because planning and preparedness go a long way toward increasing your odds of acing your job interview. If you follow these tips, your chances of getting your dream job as a machine learning engineer will increase substantially.

Know the Company That Is Interviewing You

There is nothing more rewarding than getting to know someone, and this is no different for tech companies. When you go into your job interview with knowledge of the company that is recruiting you, you look dedicated and prepared. First, go to the company’s website and get to know their mission statement; most companies ask job candidates if they’ve done this surface-level research, and satisfactory answers to those questions go a long way toward separating you from the rest of the potential hires. Beyond this, read the company’s website, social media feeds, and/or job postings. Offering your thoughts about the business’s culture and past work show that you are interested in the company.

Be Ready to Ask All Your Burning Questions

When we attempt to know people better, we tend to ask questions. It is helpful to ask questions during your job interview to demonstrate that you are interested in the company and the potential job you may perform for them. You will want to explore outside the box a bit, too, to show that you are a creative thinker. This could mean asking about the company’s progression over the past few years, where the company is heading now, and how you may be able to help the company achieve its long-term goals. Demonstrate curiosity and interest in the company, and the company will be more interested in you, thus increasing your odds of landing your dream job.

Go All Out to Impress Your Interviewer(s)

Some days, we enjoy taking a step back from 100 percent; we skip breakfast or sleep in a little, or we throw on some of yesterday’s clothes. These are all actions you must avoid on interview day. Go to your job interview prepared to look fantastic. This means you should treat yourself to a full night’s sleep, and eat a full, substantial breakfast before the interview. Dress for the job you are seeking. If the company’s culture is professional, dress professionally. If they are more casual than other companies, follow suit and dress casually. Bring extra copies of your resume and business cards (if you have any). These little details may separate you from other interviewees and make you more impressive to your interviewers.

Above All, Know Yourself

Of course, your interview is about you and what you can do for the company. Be ready to answer questions about yourself, your skills, and your work history. Be confident but not arrogant and be prepared to own up to your weaknesses. Don’t let this stress you out; use discussions of strengths and weaknesses as an opportunity to discuss your plans for improvement, and the company may wish to help you improve. Discussing yourself with confidence will push you that much closer to your dream job as a machine learning engineer.

Visit www.PROPRIUS.com for more information on how to improve your team and career. PROPRIUS is an Artificial Intelligence Industry recruiting firm dedicated to projecting organizations to the next level.

If you are ready to accelerate your team, then schedule a 10-minute discovery call at https://PROPRIUS.as.me/Discovery. We have a dedicated search process designed to locate, connect with, and deliver the most talented candidates.

If you are looking to propel your career, then schedule a 30-minute intake call at https://PROPRIUS.as.me/Intake. We identify the top Engineers in the Artificial Intelligence Industry that generate results, create opportunity and inspire others to perform their best work.

Joshua Crawford | Managing Director | PROPRIUS

From the Ground Up: Designing Yourself into a Data Engineer

With the sheer amount of data produced in the world increasing exponentially every day, many companies are on the lookout for talented data engineers who can help them organize all that data and make sense of it. If you are interested in designing analytical tools and streamlining the machine learning processes to increase the efficiency of a company’s data analysis, the title “data engineer” may be just the right one for you. Read on to find helpful advice for nailing that interview and landing your new job as a data engineer.

From Top to Bottom, Know the Entire Product

In some cases, scientists and engineers are only responsible for one small part of a larger whole. They devote time and effort to making sure that one aspect of a project goes smoothly, and they don’t think or worry about the other parts of the project. This is not how things work for a data engineer. Every table, column, row, and piece of data is vital to the streamlined success of a tool or project; a skilled data engineer knows why each and every piece of the puzzle fits where it does, and this makes for a very effective end product. With every piece of the analytical tool working together with the other pieces, the whole process is smooth and strong. The most effective data engineers know how the entire product works and can therefore edit and improve small parts of it to improve the whole.

The Big Picture Can Be Updated in a Data Warehouse

One of the most important tools utilized by a data engineer is known as a data warehouse. In this document, tables are created to store relevant information. Typically, there are two types of tables called fact and dimension tables. The fact tables usually sit somewhere in the center, while dimension tables are set up to store and display categorical information that is relevant to the fact table. This method keeps data organized in a way that is logical to most people, and good data engineers know how to set up these data warehouses so they are efficient. As an aspiring data engineer, you must master the art of constructing a data warehouse that is efficient and elegant to boot. The kicker: data warehouses should ideally be amenable to updates. Data can change over time, so your data warehouse should be capable of changing as well.

Data Can Scale Tremendously, So Be Ready for It

The best data engineers can design and update ETLs to handle large sets of data, and this will be your new challenge as an aspiring data engineer. Organizing and analyzing large sets of data is the bread and butter of the data engineer, so designing efficient ETLs is crucial to your future as a successful data engineer. A good ETL is capable of extracting data from at least a few sources and merging it into one new document. Once you master the basics of this process, you will be on your way to your new job as a data engineer.

Visit www.PROPRIUS.com for more information on how to improve your team and career. PROPRIUS is an Artificial Intelligence Industry recruiting firm dedicated to projecting organizations to the next level.

If you are ready to accelerate your team, then schedule a 10-minute discovery call at https://PROPRIUS.as.me/Discovery. We have a dedicated search process designed to locate, connect with, and deliver the most talented candidates.

If you are looking to propel your career, then schedule a 30-minute intake call at https://PROPRIUS.as.me/Intake. We identify the top Engineers in the Artificial Intelligence Industry that generate results, create opportunity and inspire others to perform their best work.

Joshua Crawford | Managing Director | PROPRIUS