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Showing posts from December, 2016

Does Christmas Music Increase Sales?

I'm sitting in a restaurant on Sunday and the music playing over the speakers is a rather obnoxious blend of no name Christmas songs. Playing were knockoff versions of classic songs to deliver us into the spirit of the Holidays, but for myself, it made me want to leave. As I shoveled food into my mouth as quickly as I could, I contemplated that there are likely some people who absolutely hate Christmas and that they find themselves living in complete Hell for about two to three months out of every year. What might seem as blasphemy for those who live in North Pole, Alaska or Santa Clause, Indiana (yes they do exist), is likely Guantanamo style torture for my waitress. There's even a top ten most annoying Christmas song list with Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer topping the charts. I'll admit, perhaps moving Christmas to a leap year schedule would increase the nostalgia for myself. Christmas seems to come too soon these day and there's a reason I feel this way. Busin…

What is your greatest weakness?

I've had three job interviews this week and the one question you're eventually bound to be asked if you've been interviewing long enough is, "What is your greatest weakness?". It's an Onion Question designed to peel back the layers of your character. The easier version of this question is the reverse, "What is your greatest strength?". While my specialty is in communications (and this might be slightly off topic), I do hold certifications in human resources and recruiting. Therefore, I'm always surprised how difficult it is, even for myself, to bear my soul on the phone to a complete stranger.

It is these, honest self-truths, that are what hiring managers are generally looking for. That, and perhaps a little of humility. People lie all the time, they tend to give you the response that they think you want to hear. Early this week a friend of mine admitted that she landed her job by saying that her greatest strength was drinking beer (which I can…