So I figured I would come back out of hiding for a post or two...my scarcity around here is very directly due to my job, which has been kicking my ass in ways I never even thought possible. It's perhaps a little more than I realized I signed up for, likely the second-most demanding position in the company (after my boss, who is president & COO). I've found that I have to be a different version of myself in this job, in a way. In my previous role(s), my dominant mode was "this is stupid, why are we doing it this way", whether it was something technical, strategic, or organizational. But here, it's both much more wide-open structurally, and I just understand so much less. My old gig was sort of like swimming...water is the resistance, but it's also how you propel yourself forward; there is no progress without the resistance. But what I have to do no is probably more akin to flying...more freedom, more risk, fewer confinements, and much less to push against. It's actually been kind of exhausting, and probably will be for the foreseeable future..but at least I feel like I'm getting my footing and earning my keep a bit now.
So here is something I've seen in 4-5 interview presentations recently, and it annoys me to no end. People are spending the first half (or more!) of their presentation time either walking the audience through their CV (in powerpoint version), and/or treating as a "get to know me" with things like pictures of their favorite vacation spots and their pets. But really, I have your CV right in front of me and I DON"T FUCKING CARE ABOUT YOU DOGS DURING THE JOB INTERVIEW!!! You have 30 minutes for the presentation and Q&A, of course losing a few minutes to a late start, and you choose to spend that time not on showing us your communication skills or bringing some aspect of your experience to life, but on pictures OF THE FUCKING OCEAN?! It hasn't been a dealbreaker on otherwise good candidates, but it has caused some eye-rolls and it has raised questions about whether they really get how to prioritize. Given how much we've seen, it must be some new trend on interviewing advice...but it's terrible.
And great news, Chino & Tick!