Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Mid-Week Reads: Recruitment and Harry Potter


Recruitment and Work

So many of the links this week are from the same blog that I could just point you to it and say, “Go, read everything.” But because I’m a good content curator I’ll share with you some of the posts from this blog that I’ve read and loved this week.

How to write a good cover letter. Also read the comment from "Skinny size me."


Confessing a mistake to your boss gives you instant credibility. And this is how you do it. This is something I follow myself, but here's a caveat: it only works if you have a nice boss (or at least not the boss from hell: with one of those, I'd say CYA, CYA, CYA).

I've been talking to some friends lately about figuring out what career is right for you, and this post has some great advice. I'm much like the writer in this case: I couldn't look at a document without wanting to correct it. I can't look at an ad (print or TV) without analyzing it. But some of this is practice: the longer I work in online marketing the more difficult it is to look at a marketing email, or a website without thinking of things I'd do differently.

I've had a couple of interns to manage in the last year, and I totally agree with this advice. My biggest surprise is when an intern, or a newly hired fresher, doesn't ask questions, even when I offer to answer them. That's an indicator of their interest in the field.

This is really great advice for managers. #2 and #3 are things everyone should follow (and are a sign of basic professionalism, not managerial competence). But those who practice the rest make for great managers. (My boss does dole out appreciation like cookies to a hungry child, and that's one of the reasons I love working with her. Not to say she won't point out a mistake, but if I've done something well today that I do as well every week, she'll still point it out and thank me for it.)


Harry Potter (Rather, Hermione Grainger)





5 comments:

R's Mom said...

Thanks so much for the hermione granger read ups..I so loved them..

I am a big fan of Harry Potter, but till I read what you linked up, I never thought of it this way as Hermione as the main character...but its true na..she is definitely something *Going back to re-read all the seven books again with this thought in mind*

thanks :)

Unmana said...

R's Mom: I love the Harry Potter books too, but I agree with what these writers say. And I think Ron's kind of useless and Hermione should have found someone better.

R's Mom said...

and oh! i forgot to mention, I loved the words 'content curator' dont ask me why, but I loved it :)

Err...I like Ron..I wanted Ron and Hermione to be together :)

Sumedha said...

Thanks for the Hermione links! I'm a huge fan of the HP books, but my sister and I have had this discussion a lot - Hermione is the star. She does everything, and Harry pretty much gets by because of his mother's sacrifice and twin cores in the wands. Deathly Hallows, I thought, was Hermione's crowning glory - where would the trio have been without her beaded bag, mastery over the protective charms, and her super-organised preparation which the other two didn't even think of doing?!

Unmana said...

Sumedha: Sorry for forgetting to reply. I pretty much agree with everything, though I do like Harry. But he goes through entire books (Order of the Phoenix, the Half-Blood Prince) doing what Hermione keeps telling not to do and gets into tremendous trouble. I guess the point is, if Hermione was in charge, the story would get over much more quickly.

And may I add how very selfish Ron is? He only seems to keep advancing the plot by being an ass. So what if Hermione made her parents forget her and emigrate to Australia and Harry has no family, how can they not be paying attention to me every single moment? Why are they smarter than me?

Oh well.