world's soul

The poetics of life have been abundant in my life recently.

I have been applying for an array of employment positions since my arrival in the Philippines. Looking to do what many people my age are looking for, an opportunity to find a job that will pay my bills, allow me to live a reasonable life, perhaps even start a savings account and perhaps most importantly find a way to creating direction and meaning in our lives.

Less than inspiring results have come from the 100's of applications I have done.

Until today,

Around a week ago, I decided that I would send out a handful of applications to NGO's in Asia. Much to my delight I got an intimidate response from a capacity building NGO in Mumbai, India. I exchanged several e-mails with the founder of the organization, allowing us both an opportunity to know more about each-other. At the end of the e-mail based exchange we arrange a Skype interview. The morning of our Skype interview I checked my e-mail box to find 5 e-mails thanking me for my application to various positions throughout the US and informing me that I would not be considered as a final candidate for the position.  India began to look better and better.

My Skype interview went quite well and second than a third were arranged.

As the world become more and more digital there have been an increasing number of interviews done via Skype.  I have used Skype very intermittently and only for personal conversations. Following my first video interview I realized that demonstrating professionalism over Skype is different than in a face to face or even phone interviews.

• If you are using a head set you need to arrange your hair so that it complements your overall appearance with the head set on.
• Likewise you need to select a location for your computer where the lighting is adequate and reflects well on you appearance. 
• Other important things to have in mind prior to your Skype video interview is what type of background you will have. 
• A blank white wall will most likely look bad, find an alternate background.  
• Keep the distance between your computer set up and the background wall fairly small, if it is too far away it will distort your image. 
• If you have a detached camera ensure that it is located in such a way that your screen or camera will not move because of the location of the camera. 
• All traditional interview techniques should additionally be applied to Skype video interviews.

With that crash course in learning's I did not fare too badly and was offered the job. So once again being open to life, I am moving, but poetically its back to India almost exactly a year after I departed the US for India the 1st time!