Give a Gift. Hold on to your paper.
Another President Bush F-up; are you surprised?
That’s a fact. This time he managed to eclipse a major issue in society- the homeowner mortgage crisis- by reciting the wrong phone number for homeowners worrying about their rising mortgage payments. Instead of directing citizens to call 1-888-995-HOPE, for the Homeownership Preservation Foundation, Mr. President told Americans to dial 1-800-995-HOPE. This number belongs to the
The Saggy Baggy of it All
While checking out the Complex.com blog I came across what Neil Richards, first amendment expert of
Is this another attack on current hip-hop culture or is it the kick in the butt this young generation needs? Who knows but I will tell you this: if any of these guys’ mothers is like mine she ain’t dropping one penny or spending a second in jail for some below the butt cheeks, can’t barely walk, showing all of your ass nonsense.
I’m just saying. Check out the rest of the article from the AP.
Keyshia Cole: The Way She Is
I have a confession to make. I’m in love with Keyshia Cole. Not in THAT way you pervs. I’m saying that I admire her for her talent, hustle and patience dealing with her fam. Now don’t get me wrong because my family ain’t perfect, by any means, but then again we {my father’s side anyway} ain’t showcasing our coo-coo bananas family behavior all over television.
This is the second season of Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is... on BET and I have to say that I’m late to the show. I admit that I slept on the first season but I’m hooked on the second season. This show is a great story about passion, determination, family, unconditional love and humanity. Keyshia’s dealing with an ex-con and ex addict mother, a sister who is anything but ready for suburban life and a full time career. I don’t know how she does it.
For someone who doesn’t watch too much of BET at all I can say that if you aren’t watching this TV show then you should. It’s all about Keyshia’s struggle…and that’s the way it is. The season finale aired December 11, 2007 but I’m absolutely positive BET will be airing repeats in the near future. They do what they want to on that channel.
Interviewing 101
Looking good on paper is one thing but being great in person is something totally different. I meet a lot of people who ask me how to do the right things in an interview. I give them the best advice I can but all I end up doing is telling them what works for me which may not translate well to their personality. I decided to devote this 101 Session to the skill of interviewing and how to prepare for and have a successful one. Today's Guest Genius is Lynda Wicker (Lynda isn't in the picture to the right by the way...come on people), the director of Human Resources at JWT Atlanta in Atlanta, GA. Lynda has over 10 years experience in Human Resources. She is a great interviewer and totally knows the in's, out's, do's and don'ts of the interview. If you ever wanted insider information about the essentials of interviewing you're in luck.
T.G.S: How long have you been working in Human Resources?
Lynda: I've been in Human Resources for 12 years. I really have to thank my sister-in-law for introducing me to this field. Early in my career I was an office manager but I was always trying to help people. Before I knew it I was pursuing a career in HR and started at PBA Atlanta as a Human Resources Assistant. I just love helping people find the right career and realize their career options.
T.G.S: What are some of the biggest myths/misconceptions people have about interviewing?
Lynda: This is why I think my next career move will be career counseling. I really think people should stop with the manufactured behavior. It's okay to be nervous but that's not reason to be so cliched. I want to have a conversation with the person I'm interviewing. The one-word answers or the cliche' responses, {I'm a people person...my weakness is that I try to hard} don't impress me. I really wish people would stop saying those in interviews. Have a resume in hand and be ready to talk about your experience. Truly understand that the job is about results and not how hard you tried. Work is about results so give examples of how you showed initiative and have key points of view {i.e. your style of work, what you like about the company and you're personal goals}.Be articulate. Be able to clearly express your thoughts in a concise and thorough way. One thing I've noticed with the millennial workforce is they, sometimes, come to an interview too casual. I know this is the age of casual but you have to be smart about it. I've had some people come in t-shirts and jeans. It's such an easy thing not to screw up. If you are unsure about a company's culture wear a suit. You can't go wrong.
T.G.S: Are there common mistakes young professionals make during interviews?
Lynda: Not preparing enough: a lot of young professionals don't do their homework before coming in. There's is no excuse for no preparation. During interviews I notice that a lot of young professionals feel they should come across as if they know everything and that's wrong. If you're interviewing for an entry-level position you can't know everything there is to know about the position you want or the company you hope to work for. Although the seasoned professionals think they know everything too. It's important that interviewees have questions for the interviewer. This is the interviewee's chance to get conversational and learn a lot about the company and please don't just ask the "company culture" question. Do your research and come up with good questions.
T.G.S: We've already touched on this but what are some of you're interviewer pet-peeves?
Lynda: The stock answers. Rehearsed answers. I like it best when people are comfortable so, this is such a cliche, but BE YOURSELF and be honest. Dress nice but not to the point where you come across as a perfectionist. That's a big one for me. Believe it or not "I'm a people person" is still a big problem.
TGS: What are some of the commonalties of your better interviews?
Lynda: Well, for me, first interviews are usually phone interviews and they are sometimes awkward when you aren't talking with a natural conversationalist. I like experienced people, people who really listen to questions and answer them thoroughly and honestly. I like when people have good eye contact and they are honest about their capabilities. You can tell when some one is genuinely interested and not treating HR as an invaluable gatekeeper.
T.G.S: How about the mysterious follow-up time. How do you advise people do handle that?
Lynda: I'm definitely a believer in sending a thank you note or thank you email within 24 to 48 hours of the interview. There are some people who don't like thank you emails but I don't think they are a problem. Follow-up is good period. During the interview ask the interviewer about the follow-up process. If someone promises to follow-up with you and they don't fulfill their promise don't panic. There are a number of things that are going on within a company that can side-track the HR director and hiring efforts. Some companies have strict interviewing cycles and its good to ask about the interviewing process during your interview so that can give you a follow-up strategy. Now if you realize that 4 to 6 weeks have gone by just send another note expressing your interest in the position if you're still interested. I like to call them gentle reminders. If its been more than 6 weeks and you haven't heard anything then that means you probably didn't get it.
Thanks to Lynda Wicker for being today's Guest Genius.
Quote of the Day
"Exceptional people have exceptional battles, they go through exceptional problems, they go through exceptional chaos and they have exceptional deliverances. Be careful about putting your foot on an exceptional person."
No comments:
Post a Comment