Just a Brief Update Today

I didn’t hit my target goal today so I’m a bit bummed about that but some days are better than others. Not an overly exciting day but I did get lunch at the café on the lots today and the cashier was pretty cute! Tomorrow night we’re going to a DocStoc talk after work so it’ll be a shorter day. I’ll be sure to give you updates but tonight is going to be an early night for me. Sweet dreams!

The Secret Sauce of Great Recruiters

I came across this article on LinkedIn today and I found it highly relevant to what I’m doing and applicable to other jobs as well. Recruiters should be compassionate, intuitive data smarts, a great salesman, and, in my opinion, amazing communicators. But not just recruiters, everyone should have these skills!

With an ever present emphasis in “well-roundedness” and being an “all-around” candidate, I think it’s important that every person, whether you’re recruiting or being recruited, work on this skill set. It’s not just the secret sauce of great recruiters, but the secret sauce of a great human being!

LinkedIn articles are great and they really put into perspective the hiring process, from all ends. It's becoming some of my favorite reading material. What are some of your work reads?

Working Tunes

Almost 100% of my workday is spent on the computer. It will change as I get on the phone and start talking to candidates but as of now, I spend a lot of time inputting candidates into the computer. As a result, my mind is often craving more stimulation than just computer image processing. I’ve been listening to a bunch of different things on my phone and I thought I’d share some of my working tunes with you!

Spotify: This is literally the best and most-used app on my phone. I don’t know how I survived without it before. I guess I had iTunes but Spotify really gives you that instant gratification when you want to listen to a specific song. I pay the $9.99 a month to get ad-free streaming and also so that I can get my playlists on my phone. Totally worth it.

Comedy albums: Who doesn’t love a good laugh in the middle of the day? When I’m feeling a bit down or my eyes start to glaze from the computer screen, I put on a comedy album or even the comedy radio station on either Spotify or Pandora. The radio station is great but sometimes I prefer listening to a whole album so I can get the flow of the comedian and his jokes run smoother. I just listened to Donald Glover’s album, Weirdo, and it was hilarious. His joke style is anecdotal and stems a lot from his unconventional upbringing. He grew up with adopted children and foster kids in his family and so there were a lot of children passing in and out of his home. As a result, he has some pretty hilarious stories!

Podcasts: Since I’ve gotten into audiobooks, I really like listening to people talk. But because I associate my audiobooks with sleeping, I have to find a different way to listen to talking: enter, podcasts! The first podcast I’ve started subscribing to is “Freakonomics Radio.” Hosted by one of the authors of the popular Freakonomics book, Stephen Dubner, he discusses different topics like whether burgers could be the nutritious, cheap meal for the masses or if Jane Austen was the original game theorist. It’s all really interesting and great to listen to. Look here for some awesome podcasts!

thetechblock.com

Those are my work tunes! What about you?

Studying for the SAT?!

To pick up a little extra cash on the side, I’ve decided to apply for a tutoring job as a SAT prep tutor. While I’m not exactly living paycheck to paycheck, I’m not an executive recruiter yet so I’m not rolling in the dough. I didn’t score terribly on my SAT tests so I figured maybe I could help to inspire some high schoolers to do well on their tests as well. Little did I know that I’d actually have to take a quiz to make sure I’m a competent test taker! Terrifying. I haven’t even looked at an SAT test for about 5 years! So tonight will be spent on collegeboard.com going over SAT prep questions and lots of vocabulary I probably don’t remember.

I can’t believe my first week of work is almost over! The week has gone by so quickly and I’ve been learning so much. It’s true what they say about work not being work when you love what you’re doing. The people in my office are just great people to be around and I’m so lucky I get to sit in and listen in on their recruiting calls so I can learn what to do when I start getting on the phone. We laugh and chat and it just feels right to be there.

Project Runway is on again and I’m in the middle of making dinner. Just wanted to drop in and give you a quick update on today and I’ll be back tomorrow with more!

A Few Work Updates

I find that with most of my day spent at work, catching up with Tumblr and all my blogs is a great way to wind down. Though it seems like a lot of information to be taking in at the end of the day, I actually find it really relaxing that I can just mindlessly go through some photos, read things interest me but I don’t need to memorize and pay too much attention to the details.

I’ve been having a lot of fun at work and learning so so much. It doesn’t feel like work, it feels more like high profile stalking. Today we had a potluck at lunch and all the different companies that work at the office building we’re in all brought food. It was a FEAST. It reminded me of the potlucks we used to have at our old dance studio. Our company brought Indian food and it was a hit. I loved it too and luckily, the Indian restaurant does delivery! I have a feeling I’ll be ordering that in the near future.

The other cool thing about working where I do is that we’re actually located in the midst of some studio lots which means there’s actual studio filming that goes on. Right now they’re filming Reven8e and the second Captain America. I JUST WANT TO SEE SOME FAMOUS PEOPLE. It doesn’t help that I sit right next to the window and there’s limos and cars that drive by on their way to the lots. I’m keeping my eyes peeled for some actors and actresses.

First Day of Work!

I just finished dinner and am finally taking a break and sitting down after my first day of work. I can’t believe I’m at work and I’m starting to build my career and job path! I got in around 9:45 since that was when my boss had told me to arrive. I jumped straight into setting up my email and the various different recruiting sites that I needed to register with. (PS: I’m a tech recruiting associate for those of you that don’t know.) Then I got a crash course in the recruiting database we use. Even though I ate this morning, my stomach kept growling and I was still hungry.

My warm welcome!

Luckily, we got an early lunch at 11:30 at a place called Houston’s. We ordered a bunch of small plates and rolls and shared. My favorite was definitely the French Dip Roast Beef sandwich. I could definitely eat one of those by myself!

After lunch, my boss gave me a quick history lesson on software and operating systems and coding and developing. It was a lot of information but she put it in a way that was easily understandable. And I took a lot of notes so I can at least review it on my own if needed. I’ll probably do a little research on my own. I want to take advantage of Codecademy and learn a new language.

I spent the rest of the day inputting potential candidates into our database. My goal this week is to put in 200 candidates and I got to about 45+ or so today. After this week, I’m going to get up to 75 a day. I really want to push myself and do more. I’ve already thought of a side project that I want to do that I’m going to run by my boss tomorrow!

After work, I came home and wanted to make dinner and go for a run. Why not both! I wanted to try making these potatoes but they take a bit of time in the kitchen so I put the potatoes in the oven and then went out on my run. The hills around here are killer! I find myself panting for breath and getting stitches in my side when I’m running up those hills. But I’m slowly working toward my 100 mile goal and training for a future half marathon.

So good! I can't wait to make them again!

I have to say, I’m exhausted. It might be from the run, it might be from my first day of work but I haven’t felt this accomplished in a while. It’s a great feeling knowing that your time and work is being put to good use and I can’t wait to have more productive days. Here’s to a wonderful year: of work, of living in LA, of being 22!