Thursday, July 30, 2020

How To Write a Thank You Letter To Your Interviewer An Email Template

The most effective method to Write a Thank You Letter To Your Interviewer An Email Template The most effective method to Write A Thank You Letter To Your Interviewer: An Email TemplatePosted November 21, 2016, by Vivien Luu About an hour or so after your meeting, youll need to convey a brisk Thanks! message to your questioner. Its not on the grounds that your mum showed you habits and you value their time. You need to give them how energetic you are about the position, repeat how youre the ideal fit, and show that youre ready to go that additional mile for the activity. Utilize this email format to make a definitive thank you email for each prospective employee meeting. Title Thank you, [interviewers name]! Email body Hi Amanda, Thanks such a great amount for your time prior today. It was incredible gathering you and becoming familiar with [company name], and getting an off camera take a gander at an organization Ive respected for such a long time. It was especially energizing for me to catch wind of the [X,Y,Z] ventures your group has been chipping away at. As you most lik ely are aware, I have practical experience in [X,Y,Z], and gratitude to my involvement in [A,B,C] Im certain Id have the option to get down to business with these activities! Heres the [insert explicit information] you requested. Don't hesitate to get in touch with me on the off chance that you need whatever else from me. I truly value the open door for a meeting, which has strengthened my enthusiasm for turning into a piece of your team.[Insert something individual here if conceivable, for example I trust you make the most of your outing to Melbourne if youre an espresso savage like me, make certain to look at The Hardware Societe!] Looking forward to got notification from you. Best respects, [Your name] Struggling with other difficult to word work messages? Weve got a format for each situation. ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health and FitnessInterested in turning out to be a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral Ma nagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPopular Career Searchesjob notices on human resourcestax bookkeeper work descriptioncover letter for matured consideration laborer with no experiencepublic area occupations advantagescase chief introductory letter no experience CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire Online Vivien LuuViv is an essayist who appreciates investigating and expounding on innovativeness, how the human brain works, and neuro forms. She esteems inventiveness to the exclusion of everything else and respects individuals who seek after their vocation dreams, regardless of the penance. In her extra time, she gorges on HBO shows and epic dream novels.Related ArticlesBrowse moreHabitsWork decorum What Does Your Body Language Say About You At Work?What is y our non-verbal communication saying about you at work? Would it be able to keep you down? Here are a couple of moves that can give an inappropriate expert vibe and what to do. We've included explicit non-verbal communication tips to assist you with shaking the meeting too!Career counsellorVET/TAFEVocational Education and Training at the center of attention [infographic]In 2013, almost 2 million Australians decided to learn at a VET foundation. Molly throws a focus on this well known method of study to get familiar with the current condition of play, and what we can do to keep professional instruction and preparing battling fit.Career changeDressing for workHow to Make an Awesome Impression on Your First Day of WorkNow that you've figured out how to get the activity you had always wanted, it's an ideal opportunity to begin contemplating your job in the work environment. How might you like your partners to see you? Here's the manner by which to establish an exceptional first connectio n with your first day!

Thursday, July 23, 2020

How to switch off (and encourage your teams to do the same) - Viewpoint - careers advice blog Viewpoint careers advice blog

How to switch off (and encourage your teams to do the same) - Viewpoint - careers advice blog Whether it’s just for the evening, the weekend or you’re taking a well-deserved break on holiday, it can be hard to stop the never-ending to-do list whizzing through your mind, especially when there are more things to do at work than there are people to do them. If you find it hard to relax and let go of work when you leave the office, you’re not on your own. We’re ever more connected these days and, with mobile work phones, the ability to check email from anywhere and the temptation to remotely access the company network from home, it can be hard to feel like you’re truly away from the office and able to unwind. But it’s not only vital that you switch off for your own well-being; but, as a manager it’s equally important  that you encourage  your team to switch off and revitalise when they’re not in work. So, why is it important to switch off? A good rest can make all the difference to your productivity, and that of your team. It’s not a coincidence that some of the best ideas occur to people in the shower. Your mind needs the chance to day dream to solve problems, to organise thoughts and to process all the input from the day. Getting away from it all on holiday can also have massive benefits in terms of resting the mind and body, but also by introducing new experiences, places, people and cultures, which can lead to new ideas and bring solutions to problems which might not have been thought of without the break. On the other hand, if you can’t switch off and take a proper break, this can affect your ability to sleep through the night, leading to health problems caused by stress and being over tired. And you’ll be less productive, not only because of the lack of sleep, but simply because the human brain needs the down time to be able to focus better the next day. So, how can you switch off and encourage your teams to do the same? 1. Guilt-free breaks Most important of all, stop feeling guilty about taking time off. Also, encourage your team to feel that they are allowed to have holidays, to relax at night and at the weekends, and that they have no need to feel guilty for it. It’s equally important that this is encouraged from the top of the business down, and that everyone from the CEO and the directors to the office junior is seen to enjoy taking guilt-free holidays and breaks. 2. Your to-do list Write lists and set goals for yourself for what you want to get done each day, and encourage your team to do the same. Not only is there something very satisfying about ticking off all the items on your to-do list, but you’ll feel more productive, be more productive and, more importantly, be able to stop thinking about everything work-related once you leave for the day. If you’re the type that can’t let go if you have unfinished work, try planning large tasks for earlier in the day so you know they won’t be left incomplete overnight, or break them down into smaller tasks that you know you can get done in a day. 3. Set and enforce boundaries Set a great example for your staff by leaving them to enjoy their personal time without sending them emails or texts. Let them have their nights and weekends off and do the same for yourself. Make sure your team knows that they are not expected to pick up calls unless it’s during work time and they’ll thank you for it, with a whole lot more productivity when they are in the office. You’ll all benefit from the chance to recharge and spend time with friends and family. 4. Mobile phones There’s nothing worse than drifting gently off to sleep under fresh sheets on a comfortable bed but then being constantly awakened by message notifications and a ringing work phone all night. Your time is your time. If you must leave it on, don’t take your work phone into the bedroom with you. For preference, turn your phone off altogether. Cataclysmic events will not occur just because you didn’t check your phone at midnight to see that one last message. Unless you’re on call, whatever it is will still be there in the morning, and you’ll be much more refreshed and ready to deal with it if you’ve had a good night’s sleep. 5. Handovers If you or someone from your team is about to leave for a holiday, a comprehensive handover is the best possible thing for everyone. Not only does everyone in the office know what is coming up and what’s left to do during the holiday period, but the lucky escapee can leave the office and relax on their holiday, secure in the knowledge that they don’t have to wonder or worry about work. 6. Time to yourself It’s so important that you take time to do the things that feed your soul when you’re away from work. Whether it’s exercising for an endorphin boost, or getting a full body massage and a facial, seeing friends, having dinner, or even just relaxing with a good book, do what you need to do to get your mind off the office and to recharge. 7. Staffing levels If everyone is running around fire-fighting, you have a massive backlog and no-one has time for breaks or the chance to leave on time, it’s time to look at staffing levels and new recruitment. While you and your team are probably happy to do extra hours outside of work for a short period of time, perhaps to launch a new product, long term this can have a very bad effect on staff morale and productivity. If you know it will only be for a short time, temporary recruitment can be a great way to get through a backlog or the yearly peak without everyone having to do ridiculous hours and get over stressed, or more long term, you may need to sit down with those job descriptions and interview questions again. It’s clear that there is an awful lot to be gained both on a personal and a professional level by taking time for yourself away from work and making sure your teams and the rest of the business feel comfortable enough to do the same. Maintaining a work-life balance can be tough our tips and advice will help you keep that balance in check How to handle an employees pay rise request Successful people create their own luck 5 ways to make an instant impact in your new managerial role Know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em How to lead from afar Prioritising personality in your hiring process Work-life Balance and Flexibility Tips from Hays

Thursday, July 16, 2020

One resume to rule them all

One resume to run them all One resume to run them all In the event that I ripped off the top third of your resume and gave it to a total outsider… … would they have the option to mention to me what you needed to do with the remainder of your life?If the appropriate response is no, at that point you ought to consider refreshing your resume strategy.You see, the best 1/3 of your resume ought to be an expert synopsis that communicates rapidly and compactly what you're hoping to do next by displaying the capacities that will get you there.HR experts, employing chiefs, official scouts: they're completely in a hurry nowadays and they can't attempt to think about what no doubt about it proficient summary  at the highest point of your resume records the significant achievements, capabilities and proficiencies for the activity you might want to get, and is a significant piece of helping individuals get you and what job they ought to consider recruiting you for.The greatest allurement is to list all your past achievements. Maintain a strateg ic distance from it.Nobody needs to peruse your ingredients  name - the complete posting of everything and anything that you contain.Would you advertise Coke Zero by putting Phosphoric Acid, Potassium Benzoate and Potassium Citrate in a similar size text style on the mark as incredible Coke taste, zero calories? No, in light of the fact that you'd need to underline the most significant things, instead of occupy individuals with unimportant information.So don't make it intense on your crowd. Utilize the top-third of your resume to list the aptitudes, abilities and gifts pertinent to your next job.You likewise need to adhere to only one resume. This has been the best guidance for quite a while, however it's considerably more so in our carefully associated online networking world.I know all the contentions for various resumes. You need to tailor each to the position. You need to focus on a specific firm. You need to underline this  here and that there.My experience in the course of t he most recent decade recommends: They're not giving that much consideration. As our own examination has appeared, little changes in word accentuation are lost on the run of the mill continue analyst. They go through 6 seconds doing a first audit of your resume. Get the 10,000 foot view right, and beneficial things follow. Sit around wordsmithing and you'll baffle yourself. You're not that acceptable of an essayist. Maybe an incredible essayist could convey these unpretentious subtleties, in the event that she had enough involvement in the crowd, the material, and the planned impact. That extraordinary author is likely not you. Concentrate your endeavors on where you can have the most effect. Regardless of whether you are a decent author, you're excessively near yourself, and excessively far from understanding the market for experts like you, to create the correct message. Your intended interest group has surveyed many resumes for this very position. Subsequently, your crowd has a considerably more nuanced and unpretentious feel for what the market resembles and which encounters and foundations are enormous focal points. It's essentially far-fetched that even an incredible essayist will figure accurately what every specific commentator needs to see most. You are far superior off getting a solitary resume for the most part rightand contributing the remainder of your pursuit of employment time somewhere else. Lastly, your online nearness needs to back up your paper continue and be reliable with your disconnected activity Goals.you have interpersonal organization profiles, results about you that appear in Google look, and an internet based life nearness that appears to be identical to your crowd paying little mind to which continue you give them. It is significant that your on the web and disconnected existences give one predictable story.If the two look disparate, or, far more detestable, clash in little or significant ways, you set yourself apart as an unserious, or conceivably untruthful, competitor. Nothing will get you not employed quicker than untruths.It is exceptionally far-fetched that you're a capable enough essayist and editorial manager to make one social nearness bolster at least two contending resumes. So you have to have one resume.One nearness, one subject, one outline, one rational vocation objective… One resume to govern them all.Have an extraordinary week!

Thursday, July 9, 2020

Intro to the CIRCLES Methodâ„¢ Product Design Framework

Intro to the CIRCLES Methodâ„¢ Product Design Framework Intro to the CIRCLES Methodâ„¢ Product Design Framework I  just released a new book, The Product Manager Interview. Its my 2nd  product management interview book  after my  Amazon bestseller, Decode and Conquer. You may be curious: what is  the  CIRCLES Methodâ„¢ product design framework? To help demystify, Ive explained it below, using excerpts from Decode and Conquer. Introduction to CIRCLES Methodâ„¢ Product Design Framework What are product design questions? Product design questions test your product design ability. Interviewers are assessing your ability to: Define an objective for the product improvement Choose and identify the most appropriate target customer Empathize with the target customer Articulate use cases (aka pain points) Prioritize those use cases Brainstorm creative ideas Make a logical recommendation Examples of product design questions include: Redesign the Facebook Newsfeed for the Web. How would you improve Pinterest? Create an experience around Disney theme parks using your phone. Design the next product that Nest will offer, focusing on mobile app design. If you were the CEO of LEGO, what new product line would you come up with to increase revenues? Why? Who is the target customer? How do you reach them? How does the product function and what does it look like (UI/UX)? Whats the potential market size? Note: Many of the above  questions are featured in The Product Manager Interview with an accompanying sample answer. What are interviewers looking for? The interviewers are looking for six key elements in a strong response: Goals and metrics. Did the candidate define objectives before answering? Were the candidates selections reasonable? Target Persona Pain Points. Did the candidate choose a target persona? Did the candidate explain the persona’s pain points to the extent that demonstrated true consumer insight? Prioritization. Did the candidate demonstrate ability to prioritize competing use cases or pain points in a compelling way? Creativity. Did the candidate demonstrate sufficient creativity? Or were the ideas copycats of competitive features and products? Development Leadership. When asked, did the candidate have a reasonable explanation of how a proposed feature would be implemented? Summary and Next Steps. Did the candidate summarize their main argument at the end, including clear next steps? What is the CIRCLES Methodâ„¢? CIRCLES Methodâ„¢ is a framework on what makes a complete, thoughtful response to any design question. It’s a memory aid that prevents us from forgetting a step in the interview. You can also think of it as a checklist or guideline. Use it for questions on how you would design a new desktop, website, or mobile application. You can even use it to design new consumer products like a car, camera or can opener. In case you forget, remember that designers love circles. Therefore the CIRCLES Methodâ„¢ is perfect for design questions. Comprehend the Situation Not too long ago, I asked a candidate, “Pretend you are a Windows 10 product manager. How would you improve it?” I stopped her 45 seconds into her response. She rambled and used nonsense phrases like “Windows 10 deepens customer empowerment.” I asked her, “Have you used Windows 10?” She sheepishly replied, “Never. I use a MacBook Air.” Sigh. If you don’t know the product, speak up. It’s not fair for you to discuss a product you don’t know. You’re entitled to ask the interviewer clarifying questions. What can or should you ask the interviewer? Here’s a list:            What is it?            Who is it for?            Why do they need it?            When is it available?            Where is it available?            How does it work? This list of basic questions is frequently called the “5 W’s and H.” However, the interviewer may not have patience for you to ask 101 questions about the product. To start the interview, you really just need answers for the four bolded questions: what is it, who is it for, why do they need it, and how does it work? So we’ll call our version the “3 W’s and H.” If the interviewer refuses to answer your clarifying questions, make an assumption based on what you know. Then, give the interviewer an opportunity to correct you, in the event he thinks differently about whom it is for or how the product works. I also recommend that you pull up the website, mobile app or application. A visual improves communication. And who knows, since we live in the world of rapid experimentation, the website that you saw yesterday may have changed today. Or if you’re talking about a product that the interviewer is working on, it’s possible they use a beta version internally, which is completely different from what you use. It would be lethal if you and the interviewer were thinking of different things. Identify the Customer There’s no magical device that does everything for everyone. But that hasn’t stopped companies from trying to build all-in-one devices. As sexy as they sound, all-in-ones aren’t very good. During the interview, you want to propose an amazing product, not a mediocre one. To do so, focus and empathize with a single customer segment or persona. By putting yourself in the customer’s shoes, you will more likely design a solution that resolves their specific needs. Start the second step of the CIRCLES Methodâ„¢ by listing potential customer personas. Here are some examples:            Food lovers            Soccer moms            College students            Small business owners Time is limited, so choose one persona to focus on. The interviewer may not be familiar with your chosen persona; help them comprehend whom you are talking about. A 2 x 2 matrix is a powerful way to visualize it. Kat, the traveling reader Behaviors Goes on vacations with books Travels four times a year Carries four books per trip Demographics 55 year old, single female Lives in Hoquiam, Washington Income: $70,000 USD Needs Goals Discover new books Discuss books with others Write a book one day Report the Customer’s Needs The third step of the CIRCLES Methodâ„¢ is reporting the customer’s needs. You can call it user needs, user requirements, or use cases. In modern product development, the use case format is a popular way to capture user needs. A user story conveys what the end user wants to do in normal everyday language. It does not describe how the solution works. Here’s the user story template: As a role, I want goal/desire so that benefit. Here are two examples based on our persona, Kat, our traveling reader: Book discovery As a traveling reader, I want to get recommendations so that I read books that are either well-written or are good examples of my favorite genres. Write a book As a traveling reader, I want to write 500 words a day so that I can publish my memoir. User stories have become popular because they are concise, complete and casual. In a single sentence, we know the user, the user’s needs and the intended benefit. It’s important to explore customer needs deeply, especially if there are hidden needs or constraints. Why? Here’s a classic anecdote from one of my students: During her product management interview with a top 5 technology company, she was asked to, “Design the perfect airport.” She plunged into the exercise, detailing what the airport of the future would look like, including numerous runways to eliminate delays and a sprawling food court that would satisfy any palate. As she concluded her answer, the interviewer revealed that the airport would have to fit into 100 square feet. Needless to say, she did not get the job. But it reinforces the power digging deeper and asking the simple yet powerful question, “Why?” Cut, Through Prioritization Looking at our “book discovery” and “write a book” use cases above, each one screams for completely different solutions. Step four of the CIRCLES Methodâ„¢ is to cut, through prioritization. The prioritization step mimics the real world development process. You’ll have a big backlog of use cases, but you’re limited by time, money, and labor. Which one do you do first? In the interview, you don’t have time to discuss all use cases. So you’ll have to pick one. When you make your choice, it’s an opportunity to showcase your ability to make prioritize, assess tradeoffs and make decisions. User Story Revenue Customer Satisfaction Ease of Implementation Overall Write a book A A A A Book discovery C C C C The prioritization matrix example above shows how a product manager can be thoughtful about choosing priorities. Real world prioritization is not that different from the matrix above. That is, it’s based on subjective criteria, weights and grades. Despite some flaws, I feel the matrix is effective. I’d rather have an imperfect process than no process at all. The matrix method forces the decision maker to think and articulate what’s important. Is revenue more important? Or is customer satisfaction? Ultimately, the true arbiter of go versus no-go for a particular feature should be A/B testing. If you’re looking for an even more thoughtful and quantitative approach to prioritization, you could estimate the revenue impact and investment, measured in engineering effort. From there, you can calculate a ROI-like metric, which I call revenue per point of effort. User Story Revenue impact Story size Revenue per point of effort Priority Write a book $500,000 8 $62,500 1 Book discovery $20,000 2 $10,000 2 Note: “Story size” is a metric to estimate the engineering effort necessary to complete a story. List Solutions Step five of the CIRCLES Methodâ„¢ is to list solutions. For instance, if we wanted a solution to help consumers to reduce their junk mail, we could offer the following solutions: Global do not mail list. Consumers can sign-up for the mailing list, and responsible companies can periodically check the list and opt-out consumers.  Opt out Camera App. Create a mobile app that allows consumers to opt-out of junk mail by taking a picture of the junk mail they receive.  SMS Opt Out. Allow consumers to opt out of junk mail by texting a special code to a SMS number.  Third Party Review. Send all your mail to a third-party who will review your mail, discard your junk mail and forward the rest.  Junk Mail Warning Application. Before you submit your personal information to a website, a sweepstakes, or a product warranty registration site, this application will warn you on whether or not you’re likely to receive junk mail when sharing your personal information to the site. Most candidates freeze when they have a design problem without a solution on the tip of their tongue. Brainstorming frameworks can help overcome designer’s block. Here are my favorites: Reversal method. Reversing the situation helps uncover new possibilities. Example: Create a new car buying experience. Need: Buyers don’t have time to travel to the car dealership. Solution based on reversal: Dealership should deliver test drives to the buyer’s home. Attribute method. List all the product attributes. Mix and match to get interesting new combinations. Example: Design a new laundry hamper. Material Shape Finish Position Wicker Square Natural Sits on floor Plastic Cylindrical Painted On ceiling Paper Rectangle Clear On wall Metal Hexagonal Luminous Basement chute Net material Cube Neon On door Solution based on attributes: I suggest we build a rectangle, plastic hamper with a natural finish that can be mounted on the door. Why? Method. Challenge the status quo. Example: Design a new coffee cup. Start by challenging the status quo: Why should coffee cups have handles? Cups are too hot to hold directly. Solution based on Why? Method: Create a coffee mug with an insulation layer. I have two more tips when listing potential product solutions. Tip #1: Think big Your typical candidate usually list solutions that fall into one of two categories: Me too ideas. For example, “As the Google+ product manager, I would create a new feature that’s similar to Facebook’s groups feature.” Yawn. Integration ideas. For instance, “As the Google product manager, I would integrate YouTube with Android.” Yawn. As part of the interview, most employers are evaluating your creativity or product vision. They’re looking for product managers that can see future trends, both in technology and customer behavior. They expect those product managers to plot and execute a plan that exploits that trend, for the company’s benefit. To help spur your thinking, consider the following big bets from the tech industry leaders: In 2008, Google made a $4.6 billion bid for wireless spectrum. How did Google have the gravitas to make a multi-billion dollar bid when Google had no experience as a wireless operator? Google had guts. In the end, it was one of the biggest bluffs in business history. Google didn’t win the bid, but they didn’t want to. They got the FCC to adopt open access rules that would force the winner to allow any Google device or application to connect to this new spectrum. That privilege was worth billions to Google. And they got it for free. That same year, Facebook launched Facebook Connect. Facebook encouraged developers to use Facebook as their sign-in service. Facebook positioned the feature as trustworthy and easy-to-use. Developers could now devote time that would have gone into building proprietary sign-up and sign-on systems for something else. And web and mobile applications would have access to a user’s valuable Facebook data. But Facebook had the biggest win. Facebook Connect allowed Facebook to track user behavior around the web. They knew which websites a user visited and what mobile apps they used. They could use this data to build better products, and more importantly, deliver more targeted ads. Facebook makes billions from advertising. Better ad targeting can easily lead to a 500 percent increase in revenue. Tip #2: Have at least three ideas Great innovators know that your first idea is rarely the best. Why? Innovation is an iterative process. As you learn more about customer needs and competitive products, your proposed solutions will be more precise and focused. You’ll avoid ideas that have failed in the marketplace. At the interview, brainstorm at least three ideas. It’s hard but it’ll be worth it. You’ll find that idea number 2 or 3 will usually be the best of the bunch. Also, it will help you from being defensive during the interview. The interviewer will critique your idea. If you have only one idea, you’ll take it personally. If you have multiple ideas, you’ll be more comfortable because you’ll have other solutions to prove your self-worth. Evaluate Tradeoffs The sixth step of the CIRCLES Methodâ„¢ is to evaluate tradeoffs. The first part is optional: define your tradeoff criteria. Criteria could include customer satisfaction, implementation difficulty, and revenue potential. It’s not necessary, but it’ll keep your response organized and easier to follow. The next part is analyzing the solution. A pro and cons list is a good way to do this. By evaluating tradeoffs of each solution, you come across as thoughtful and analytical. You’ll also be perceived as objective. You’ll also protect yourself from being defensive. If you’ve taken the initiative to critique your own solutions, the interviewer has fewer things to criticize. You’ll also mentally prepare yourself for criticism by critiquing yourself. Summarize Your Recommendation The seventh step of the CIRCLES Methodâ„¢ is to summarize your recommendation. This is an optional step; sometimes the interviewer is satisfied with a brainstorm and the pro and con analysis. But others want to test your communication and decision making skills. That is, can you present a short 20 to 30 second summary of your product proposal? And can you make the hard decision to suggest just one solution? Summarize with this three-step approach:        Tell the interviewer which product or feature you’d recommend.        Recap on what it is and why it’s beneficial to the user and/or company.        Explain why you preferred this solution vs. others. Tip on using the CIRCLES Methodâ„¢ My clients often struggle with design questions because they’re uncomfortable exploring customers and needs without a solution. If that’s the case, it’s okay to have a solution in mind and lead your CIRCLES Methodâ„¢ discussion toward it. It’s important for you to exude confidence during the design discussion, and if this is what makes you feel better, fantastic. I also find that having a solution in mind can help constrain the realm of potential personas, needs, and solutions, which can improve the quality of your responses. Ultimately, I would love for you to embrace the great unknown and enjoy a design problem without having a solution in mind.

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Silver Screen Career Advice Moneyball

Silver Screen Career Advice Moneyball 2011s Moneyball was a film that follows Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane. Beane had an  uncanny ability to build a team that could compete with a unique approach. His new way of thinking changed baseball forever. The film was most popular with a sports audience, but the film  holds many important business lessons applicable to almost any industry. Read on to find out what can be learned from a viewing! The Moneyball Approach Early on in the film, Beane (Brad Pitt) sits at a table with other baseball recruiters for the Oakland As. The recruiters get caught up in  personalities and profiles. Beane finds this incredibly frustrating and responds, Youve got to think differently. In Moneyball, what this means is focusing on numbers and statistics vs contract price to find the most efficient baseball team. However this theory is highly applicable. Apples Think Different is a similar mantra. Its incredibly important to always be on the forefront of innovation. Staying ahead of the curve will give you an advantage. Sitting down and thinking about a different way to look at something can do a surprising amount for an employee in almost any position. While employees may not realize it, there is almost always a smarter and faster way of accomplishing a task. Finding ways to be more efficient will not only lighten your workload and  let you focus elsewhere, but it will also make you popular with your boss. The movie also provides some great insight on dealing with competition. Every industry has its competitors, and its very easy to want to simply mirror your most successful competition. In  the film Beane stresses they not rely on other teams strategies,  If we try to play like the Yankees in here, we will lose to the Yankees out there. What this means is they cant pretend to be someone else, because they are inherently different. Setting Yourself Apart If you begin to behave as your competition does, you lose everything unique to your company that is advantageous. Just because a recipe for success is working elsewhere doesnt mean it will work for you; you just might not have the right ingredients. Knowing how your competitors operate is great knowledge to have, but trying to imitate them will not lead to success. Since Beane is dealing with a small budget comparative to other Major League Baseball teams, he has to go to different sources for talent. A large part of this means seeking out young players fresh out of school. Beane is able to pick out undervalued  baseball  players who perform extremely well when given a chance. He  learns all this simply  from looking over statistics. The same philosophy can be applied to  hiring. Finding undervalued talent, or giving someone without a lot of experience a chance can go a long way. While there is the chance that they arent  hard-working, getting a sense of someones drive and ambition may help you find the right candidate. Given the correct opportunity, someone in this position may develop and become extremely successful, and paying their salary will be a bargain. Ultimately, the end lesson of Moneyball is that there is always a different way of thinking, and it may be right for your organization. Never stop innovating and trying to look at things from a different angle. You may just hit it out of the park.