A few years back, I drove to the Outer Banks of North Carolina (OBX) and attempted to beat writer’s block and generate something interesting. Writing isn’t magic, although it can feel magical. It’s intentional and takes great effort, which is why I didn’t sit around waiting for lightning to strike. In my downtime, I took…
Hi. My name is Laurie Ruettimann. I was once addicted to Starbucks, but that’s all over now. Before I left for Cuba, last November, a friend joked that I might die without Starbucks. I thought, hey, that’s a little extreme. Cubans have good coffee. I’ll be just fine. Turns out, I did nearly die. My…
I’m missing a tweet-up in Raleigh, tonight. I’m bummed. I have to work. By working, I mean that I have to go to another town and talk about some stuff. Then I get to have dinner with friends that I initially met through the internet. Man, the internet is something else! Back in the day,…
Several years ago, my friends and I started a meme called #timsackettday to honor unsung heroes in the field of human resources who hustle but don’t receive any press. We’ve honored good folks like Tim Sackett, Paul Hebert, Kelly Dingee and Victorio Milian. Today’s winner is Recruiting Animal. That’s not his real name, of course. It’s his…
I work with a lot of recruiters, and many of them are complaining about job seekers who have inflated and unrealistic salary expectations. That’s not a new complaint. When people are in a position to negotiate for a new salary, they negotiate. If you don’t start strong, you end up weak. That’s just math. But…
Are you tired? Just about a month ago, I went to an all-day meeting with a bunch of people who are adults, parents and productive members of society. Everybody looked exhausted. I scanned the room and saw nothing but droopy eyelids. The thirty-eight-year-old creative director was pounding Red Bull Total Zero®. Most of the women…
I’m a big believer that life is incomplete without pets. I’m known for rescuing cats, but I also grew up with a dog. If I ever hit it big on the lottery (which clearly has not happened), I will go all Jon Stewart on everybody and open a rescue sanctuary. We will have goats, chickens,…
Here’s the model for monetizing your blog in 2016. First, you need to write. Under your name. With the dot com. Anything else is a waste of time. If your domain isn’t available, bribe the hell out of the person who owns it. Then you write. A lot. Like it’s your job. Then you ask…
Everybody is saying that 2016 is the year of the candidate experience. It means recruiters will treat people like human beings and will give feedback on resumes and after interviews. That’s a lie, of course. Giving feedback is hard. Conflict is difficult. Even people who say they don’t mind having uncomfortable conversations are liars. Most…
Hello, my friends. It’s my birthday. I’m 41 years old. Since 2013, I’ve come to you on my birthday and asked for donations to Hustle Up the Hancock. Each year more than 4,000 people climb to the top of John Hancock Center to raise funds for lung disease research, advocacy and education. It’s nearly 100…
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