Category: work

Devon Berry is a healthcare professional living in the Pacific Northwest. He has over 20 years of executive leadership experience, most recently served as executive associate dean at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing.

Having held multiple management positions in higher education, Devon Berry is well-acquainted with the hiring process. In a job interview, it’s easy to be so focused on answering questions that by the end, when the interviewer asks “do you have any questions for me?” you come up blank. By thinking of what you’d like to ask ahead of time, you’ll be able to leave a memorable impression and walk away from the interview more informed. Below are thoughtful questions to ask at a job interview.

About the job: What are challenges you expect the person in this position to face?

This will give you a sense of the unforeseen aspects of the job that you may not have gotten from the listing description. It can also give you a chance to speak to similar challenges you’ve dealt with in the past.

About your success: What do you hope this person accomplishes within the first year of the job?

If the employer has certain goals or pace of work, this question will help reveal their expectations and give insight on the learning curve you might experience.

About the company: What do you like most about working here?

Asking a question the interviewer can answer personally gives them a chance to show their energy and disposition regarding the company and give you a practical idea of what it’s like to work there.

Devon Berry has spent over 20 years in higher education, most recently serving as the executive associate dean at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing. He received his MBA from Western Governors University and has held leadership positions at Wright State University, University of Cincinnati, and Cedarville University. Devon Berry resides in Happy Valley, Oregon with his family.

With years of academic leadership experience, Devon Berry is familiar with networking. Networking is often associated with being performative and transactional, as if the only point of being friendly with another is to get a job lead out of them. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are ways to get to know other people in your field (or the field you want to be in) without being pushy, calculating, or disingenuous. All in all, networking is simply about making genuine connections with others. Below are two important ways to build a strong career network.

Make Yourself Open

You don’t have to go to a designated networking event in order to meet other professionals in your area of interest. Joining an industry club or even sports league can introduce you to more people. You can also forge relationships with your built-in network at work—if there is a group coffee break or outing, participate. Conferences can also be a good setting to get your face out there and learn industry insights along the way.

Focus on Others

A study by Harvard Business Review found that people who focus on how they can help others instead of how others can help themselves enjoy networking more. Another way to improve your mindset is to adjust expectations—don’t plan to meet someone in order to get a job or connect you to someone they know. Look for those you have something in common with and would genuinely like to know. Then stay in touch, maybe asking them questions that show respect for their expertise and congratulating them on LinkedIn when they hit career milestones—that way when you do ask for a recommendation letter or job help, it won’t seem forced.

An experienced academic nursing leader, Devon Berry most recently served as the executive associate dean at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing. He received his MBA from Western Governors University and resides in Happy Valley, Oregon with his family.

With more than 20 years of consulting and academic leadership experience, Devon Berry, PhD, RN, is familiar with the job interview process. Many jobs require a preliminary video call via Zoom or Skype before meeting in person. When talking virtually, it can be hard to pick up on body language and establish a conversational cadence—with the potential for the video to cut out or end unexpectedly. Below are three tips for a video job interview so you can come prepared and leave a good impression.

Create a Quiet and Neutral Environment

Remove anything that may distract the interviewer. That can be visual—a dirty plate of food or fan within the camera shot, as well as auditory such as a dog or kids. Hire a sitter if you can, or put them in another part of the house.

Test the Equipment

Download the software you’ll be interviewed on ahead of time, both on your phone and computer in case one device fails. Make sure to do a test run a day before and the day of to make sure audio and video are working properly.

Look Forward

Though uncomfortable, look at the camera when talking, not at the video image of your interviewer. It will appear more like eye-contact, whereas looking at the screen will appear as if you are looking elsewhere. It’s also useful to make a cheat sheet of questions you want to ask or points you want to make on a sticky note or notes app on your screen, taking advantage of what the interviewer can’t see and help keep you focused.

Devon Berry, RN, PhD, is a nursing leader in Portland, Oregon, who has served in multiple academic nursing executive positions across the U.S. Most recently, Dr. Berry served as the Executive Associate Dean for the Oregon Health and Science University’s School of Nursing. He has also held director and senior consultant level positions at other universities including Cedarville University, Wright State University, and University of Cincinnati.

With over a decade of leadership experience, Devon Berry is well-versed in the hiring process and what makes a good candidate. The cover letter is a crucial aspect of an application because unlike a resume, it gives employers a big-picture view of your communication skills, personal traits, and enthusiasm for the job. While there are many approaches that vary by industry, there are three elements of a good cover letter each must have:

Show Your Skills

Saying you are detail-oriented and proactive doesn’t only prove little, but also isn’t very interesting to read. Instead, give an example of when you demonstrated those skills at one of your jobs.

Provide Context

If there’s anything that may confuse a hiring manager when looking at your resume, address it in the cover letter. For instance, if you are overqualified for the job but really want it regardless or if you are underqualified and think you could excel—state your case up front.

Make it Personal

When applying for very similar jobs in the same field, there are parts of your cover letter you can reuse, but for the most part the letter should be tailored to the nuances of the position and place you are applying. A good question to ask yourself is if another applicant could send the same letter. If so, make it more specific to you.

Oregon Health and Sciences University’s (OHSU) former Executive Associate Dean of Nursing, Devon Berry, RN, PhD has over a decade of leadership and nursing experience. He has held executive positions at academic centers of higher education across the country including Cedarville University, Wright State University, and University of Cincinnati.

Devon Berry has years of experience working on a team and understands the importance of social interaction, especially when working from home. As the pandemic has required many to work from home, fitting in social time can be tricky, but there are a few creative ways to engage with others to keep morale up through uncertain times. Read on for tips on how to socialize while working remotely.

Lunch Break Together

Many have gotten used to working through lunch and eating at their desk. Now is a great time to give that habit a rest—was it very productive anyway? Whether with your immediate family, housemates, or virtually with a colleague, eating with others on your lunch break gets your eyes off a screen and gives your mind a break from tasks at hand. You may even return to work refreshed.

Walk and Talk

If you go for a walk or coffee break, schedule a short call with a friend or catch up with a colleague via cell. Making your break social can be a better alternative than scrolling through your phone and adding more screen time.

Take Things Offline

Social media promises connection, but often gives the opposite. Though counterintuitive, research has found that social media can be linked to loneliness. If you want to connect with others, try scheduling distanced in-person meetings or at least video calls. Those interactions are more likely to give you a sense of belonging than virtually liking a photo.