Different Level of “Pursuits”

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Dear Readers,

Thank you for coming here! 

I watched the movie “Munich: The Edge of War” and was really impressed by the two Oxford young men, who took the ultimate risk for the slightest chance to avoid the catastrophe of Man Kind.

One returned to Germany with the hope that Hitler would make Germany great again. After he realized who Hitler really was, he joined the opposition.

He risked his life to pass the secret document that would prove Hitler’s lies to his old classmate in Oxford and tried everything, including meeting and arguing with the British PM, to stop the fate of Man-Kind from slipping into abyss.

He was so saddened by the signing of the agreement that he almost was crying.

He took care of his friend who were victims of Nazi rule.

He even attempted to kill Hitler.

And he said “It is my responsibility!”. He refused to wait. He said “Hoping is waiting for someone else to do it and we will all be much better off without it.”

He would continue his efforts!

…

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The other one worked diligently in the service to his country, putting his family behind.

He took the dangerous “espionage” task, which he was not trained for, when asked.

He fought bravely with the Body Guard of Hitler. 

He put his career on the line to pass the document to the PM and fight for the opportunity for his classmate to meet the PM.

When it became clear that war would be inevitable, he chose to join the RAF, to do something, instead of talking.

He, too, would continue his efforts!

…

We know both of them would mostly likely be dead before the war was over. They most likely knew that too! They decided to go on!

What brilliant young man they were! They demonstrated the best of humanity.

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But they were too powerless to make any difference, even though they were involved in the whole thing from a pretty high level.

As for the old men who could have made a difference, many of them could not pull themselves out of their own illusion. Even though they were also committed, the risks they took were nothing close to what the two young man did.

And others seemed to be more concerned about the “good kitchen” Hitler prepared for them.

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“War is old men talking and young man dying”.

They absolutely have different level of “Pursuits”.

And I feel ashamed too, comparing to them.

They were 6 years out of college. So they were probably younger than I am now.

I do not only lack their capacity to work with top leaders, but also their “Pursuits” of interests for the whole Man-Kind and their courage of making the future of man-kind their own responsibility.

I just try to make more money and retire as early as possible.

“Life is not about the number of breath you take. It is about those moments that take your breath away”!

The depth and broadness of lives can be millions of levels apart.

Shame! Shame! Shame!

Till next time!

Have you ever wondered what the interviewers are thinking?

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Dear Readers,

Thank you for coming here!

If you have attended job interviews before, have you ever wondered what people who sit on the opposite side of the table or camera are thinking, while you show off your experiences and smart responses?

I conducted 15 interviews in the past 4 working days.

I have conducted interviews before, but never of this scale or intensity. 

And I have something to share with you.

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1.It is freaking hard-work

Interviewing candidates and trying to pick the right one is hard work.

First of all, you have to write the JDs and fix the title, grade, pay range…

Then, you have to go through several dozens of resumes to pick the candidates for interviews.

Then, you have to prepare the questions for the interviews so that you give the candidates opportunities to showcase their qualities and fit.

Then, you have to make yourself available, which could mean a lot of rescheduling and over time.

During the interviews, you have to explain the role and your expectations to the candidates, 15 times of the same conversation.

You have to ask candidates questions and listen to their responses and observe their behaviors. 

Then you have to tailor the subsequent questions and try to have a conversation.

Then you ask them whether they have any questions and answer them.

All the while, you are trying to have a good read on his/her fit, and form your opinion and fill in the evaluation form.

Meanwhile, you try to make the interview a good experience for the candidates, so that they do not feel frustrated or a waste of time afterwards.

After the interview, you have to compare notes with other interviewers and see whether you miss any important points and seek confirmation on points you are unsure about.

If there are written cases, you have to prepare, distribute and grade them…

Of course, HR will always come with admin procedures you have to follow.

…

It is freaking hard work.

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2.It is big responsibility

When you interview the candidates, you have the power to grant or deny them the opportunity.

Of course, you have to try your best to be fair to each candidate, no matter how impossible it is and how cracked your brain is already.

And sometimes, you really struggle between the best fit and the one you really want to help.

Inevitably, you will encounter candidates who are innocent and in the position of needing help. 

You can be sure that he/she will be grateful for the opportunity and he/she will try his best to do well.

At the same time, you know well that another candidate is more capable.

On paper it is easy. You pick the one who you believe will be the best for the company.

In reality, it is less straightforward. 

How can you know that the commitment would not bridge the gap of skills and eventually perform better?

How can you measure the value of a grateful employee?

This usually leads to heated debate among the interviewers.

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3.They really want you to succeed 

Interviewers go through all the hard work and struggles to select the right candidate for the position.

So they really want you to succeed. That means their job is done.

So do yourself a favor and come ready to show your best qualities for this job.

And sometimes, just showing your commitment is enough.

After the first two days, we were so frustrated as we could not see any good candidate.

One of the directors said:

• If any of the internal candidates went to the database (they all have access to) and came with a simple analysis telling me this was how I saw your area, the job would be his.
• If any of the external candidates told me I had been doing nothing but reading about your company and role and this was what I found out so far, the job would be his.

Unfortunately, no one did.

And the process had to go on.

I really feel bad for the three internal candidates. The role is a promotion for them and they could just grab it with some initiative on their end.

Therefore, prepare, show your commitment and help the interviewers select you and end the process.

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In the end, maybe we can conclude with a random question.

What do you think is the job that is very easy to get but very hard to perform and most people love the interviews?

Leave your comment below :)

Till next time!