Nassim Nicholas Taleb: Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets
Nassim Nicholas Taleb: The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
Charles C. Mann: 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
Lou Adler: Hire With Your Head: Using POWER Hiring to Build Great Teams, 2nd Edition
Robert Coram: Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War
I'm not too big on wacky self-promotion myself, but I love it when others do it. Especially when they do it well!
One of my fav bloggers, Communicatrix, has entered a contest put on by SouthWest Airlines. And, to win, she needs 'thumbs-up' votes. Her video is wacky, and fun. Go vote for her already! C'mon, there's nobody at work this week anyway!
It's been almost 8 full months since I started this blog, and it has been a lot of fun to write for you.
One of the challenges is in putting myself in your shoes and then writing what you want or need to hear. Some days, this is really easy, and other days not so much.
I was reading Copyblogger today, and Liz had a great post that caused a 'duh' moment for me. You know, those times when someone makes a recommendation and you think, "DUH, I should have done that long ago..."
The suggestion is to have your readers contact you and even suggest things for you to write (duh).
With that, let's open things up. If you want me to write about something related to recruiting, send me an email, write a comment, get in touch w/me about it. I'll take your base suggestion, and assuming it's recruiting, or technology related, I'll write about it, confidentially of course. Shoot, I'll even write about stuff off these topics if they are fun or funny (but beware my sense of humor, it's definitely not mainstream)!
I've been waiting patiently for this moment to arrive, and I'm pleased to announce that my two recruiting partners, Gina Peckman and Chris Englin have started their blog, Seattle Executive Recruiting.
Pretty exciting stuff!
Gina and Chris are VERY experienced recruiters, and they are danged good at what they do. I will not mention anything about how long they've been at this, but suffice it to say they are highly experienced. And effective.
Looking forward to see their posts - should be more than a few gems in there!
One of the things I truly love about my work as a tech recruiter is meeting technologists and hearing what they have to say about their work.
Today, a recent introduction of mine sent me a link to a blog that really rocks: CTO/CIO Perspectives. This blog is written by Peter Kretzman. I read through several of the posts, and said, "Wow. This guy is good, he speaks the truth. My readers need to know about this one." So, I've added CTO/CIO Perspectives to my blogrole.
So, Peter, thanks for the blog. And John, thanks for the intro!
I've long been a fan of Tom's writing, and it's pleasing to see him agree with one of my book selections!
One of the things that's great about this book is that the author talks about both negative and positive versions of The Black Swan. Thought provoking!
I love reading Geekdad. I'm fairly certain that were I ever to meet him, I might well see my twin! And today, he has a pretty good post about Camping Gadgets, a topic I have about as much difficulty reigning myself in on as Politics, or what makes for a good resume.
One of the age-old questions around the campfire is, "Which knife should one carry into the woods?" It's actually a very complex question, combining variables such as how you intend to cook your meals, what you intend to use for shelter, how long you'll be out, etc, etc. I have to say that I've probably considered this question for more time and with more intensity than some other weightier topics in life, like Batman v. Superman, or How many Angels can dance on the Head of Pin, or why Classical Musicians have to wear Tuxes, or How to achieve Peace in the Middle East.
The biggest question of late is Leatherman v. Swiss Army Knife. Many, many people now go w/the a Leatherman tool when they go into the woods. And, there's a lot to commend about them, especially when you have mechanical devices around that may need attention. But when you're hiking in the woods, there just aren't that many things around that need the attention of your pliers. And, they weigh a LOT more than a Swiss Army Knife, which is a big deal when you're hiking more than a mile or so, and they cost 2x or 3x more than a Swiss Army knife. I keep a Leatherman in my car at the trailhead, and I carry the Swiss Army knife on the trail.
Of all the Swiss Army Knives out there, the one that makes the most sense to me is the Huntsman model by Victorinox. It has all of the tools that you really need on the trail these days,including two that I've really come to value in utility: A hook so you can use the knife as a carrying handle for heavy loads; A saw.
A saw? On a Swiss Army knife? What would one use this for? To cut smallish branches.
Why would one want to cut smallish branches? First, you might need them for building a fire. Second, you might need to create stakes, say for an emergency shelter, or to kill vampires (you never know in the woods; Be Prepared!). In both cases, the saw is MUCH faster than using the main blade, and it saves your main blade for other uses, like making dinner.
In the end, it's very important to carefully consider what you will be doing so you understand fully the requirements before you buy your tool(s).
One of the things I like about blogging is exploring other people's blogs, seeing who they have on the blog roll, and then check them out.
Recently, I've been thinking about one or two of the entries on my blog roll, and have been asking myself, "Do they really belong?"
For example, Heather Hamilton's blog. I've been reading Heather's blog for 3 years now, and recently I find myself reading her posts and asking, "This has to do with recruiting how?", and "If someone reading this were outside Microsoft would they get it?" For these reasons, and her recent posts on her trip to Australia that just don't speak to me, I'm taking her off my blogroll. Not worth the time for my readers. I wish her well, of course, just need to stay focused on building out a list that's helpful!
So, expect to see some changes to the old blog roll in the next week. I've been scouting around, and I think you'll like what you see!
Heather Hamilton has a great post on career management.
After reading it, and noting that it's mainly a backward view on a career, the thought occurs: Juxtapose this on coming employment trends in your chosen field. Important points for both the careerist, as well as the organization as they plan for their futures.
