Also: TalkSourcing, The Telephone Sourcing Show
Maureen Sharib and Pam Simon answer callers' questions about telephone sourcing.
Hi everyone. It's me. Recruiting Animal. Action packed show again today. At 12.30 Telephone sourcing show with Maureen and Pam. So if you're here for the chicks, buzz off and come back later because right now, you've got to listen to me. And what do I want to talk about?
Issue # 1: Networking.
I broke a record this week. Some bozo on LinkedIn who has over 2000 connections and boasts that he never turns away any invitations turned me away. Here's how he describes himself in his profile:
"Firm believer in open networking, happy to connect with anyone, will forward all requests for contact."
And here's what he wrote to me:
"There's no WAY I'll connect with The "Recruiting Animal". Come on, let's have a little professionalism here."
What a bozo. Guess how he promotes his company? He says it's going to revolutionize the recruiting industry. Let me ask you this. Is there anyone on the internet who isn't a revolutionary or a visionary or thought-leader? I swear, there's a billion of them.
That's the problem with the internet. Everyone is a visionary. Now, that's online networking. Let's move to the face-to-face variety.
Issue # 2: How to work a room.
Yesterday, Maureen Sharib linked to an article about how to be successful at networking events. It started with off with something good. It said If you come late, everyone but the losers are already talking to eachother and you'll have to try and wedge your way in. But if you come early, anyone who comes in has to talk to you because there's nobody else there.
That's smart isn't it? But the rest was unbelievable. First we're told to break the ice with funny remarks like “Don’t these desserts look decadent? Hi, my name is George, I'm a chocoholic.”
Here's some better advice. Bland people sholdn't try to be funny. It just makes you look more pathetic than you already are. Sorry, but it's true. Also, a man should never admit that he's a chocoholic. Isnt' that a lady's disease. That's not sexist. That's just the way it is.
Then there's this winner: “The people who are the most successful at working a room are those who genuinely like, respect and trust other people.” Please, Is there any evidence for that? Because I think the opposite is true. The people who are most successful at working a room are the most glib and shallow people there. Backslappers and glad-handers every one.
And here's my proof: the next bit of advice recommends that you scan the newspaper before the event to make sure that you've got something to talk about. It sounds like the assumption is that you don't read the paper regularly. And then they warn you to stay away politics because it's too controversial. So what are you reading the paper for? The health articles? I don't get it.
There's a lot more but it just gets dumber and dumber and I know you'd love to hear it anyway but I don't have time. Because Dave Mendoza is waiting for me. That's right, he's the big guest for today and he wants to tell us about recruiting in Europe. Which brings me to...
Issue # 3: Europe
Someone I know said this to me when she heard that Dave was coming on the show. "Is Europe really all its cracked up to be? I mean over the last four hundred years all the Europeans who had some get up and go got up and came over here didn't they? And what's left? A bunch of backward countries who still think they're better than us."
Gee, that's pretty rough isn't it? I mean, I know they've had a few problems with democracy over there but, still, I don't know if that's one hundred per cent fair. So I'm going to ask David Bull Doza Mendoza what he thinks. Because I'm The Recruiting Animal. And this is The Recruiting Animal Show!
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