Wednesday, 6 February 2008
Now that's a question!
What is the strangest interview question you have been asked?

I think mine was many years ago when I was applying for job in a tribunal that meted out the law on things like workplace fairness - I was asked by the male head of the tribunal (in total seriousness) - "What will happen when you fall pregnant and want to leave and have babies." Scared me right off having kids for another 10 years!

Today I was checking out a blog post by my favourite internet teacher - Ed Dale when I came upon this ad

We have a couple of openings in Melbourne and Manchester for Interns to assist in running our Internet business.

You will be paid!

You will not be paid much...;

We are looking for people who have a lot of enthusiasm and really want to make it marketing online.

It might surprise you to know that I have been an intern! It might surprise you more that I was a multi-millionaire at the time!

I really wanted to know the information marketing business from the ground up - so I took a commission only position with an organization so I could learn the ropes from the inside. I did it for a year and it was invaluable.

I also went and lived with Gary Halbert in Miami for a month. That was one hell of an experience!

Lets be clear - you won’t be doing glamourous work BUT you will see how everything hangs together and be on the inside working with Dan, I and the rest of the team. There will be a lot of admin type work and you will need to know your way around a Mac (notice that I said Mac) if your applying for the position and want to work remotely - a mac with leopard is a must - we live on iChat!

Dan, Rob and I spent about six hours yesterday working on forward plans for our business and we did it all on iChat

The way I see it you will be with us for about a year - I would of hoped by then you would be raring to go out and start making info-products of your own.

While I’m happy to consider “virtual intern” arrangements - in truth, we are both going to get a lot more out of it if you are living near-by, if i need you to help me with a location shoot holding the camera - it’s going to be a bit hard doing that from Boston.

For the Melbourne position, there is an option for us to provide accommodation, internet, computer etc as part of the deal. In Manchester you’ll need to talk to Dan!

For the right person this is a golden opportunity. You will need to be a go-getter (duh!) and if you have seen/read “the devil wears prada” - you’ll have a great idea about the level of direction you will get (I’m kidding - mostly...;)

Interviews will be conducted via iChat and in person at Melbourne and Manchester

You can send your application to eddale@mac.com

(now here’s a tip - think about your application, I barely passed high school, attended two classes at collage and as evidenced by the seven deliberate spelling mistakes above can hardly string two words together. CV’s make me sleepy - who you are, and what your prepared to do, what you love and what get’s you up in the morning (apart from the alarm clock!!) is far more interesting. In Fact, what you HATE doing and can’t stand is even more useful - a great job application is just like a good sales letter (or video...;.))

One final thing - In your application answer at least this one question

Think back to when you were little and you wanted to be a ballerina, fireman, six million dollar man, eric estrada on CHiPs (careful, we all have dreams...;.) what did your parent of the opposite sex say to you about your dream??

Have at it - Quick Movers get bonus points

Don't you love that last question (and the ad)! It truly reflects the company, the people you will be working with and doesn't pull any punches. A great example of an employment ad.

So what did you want to be when you were little. Apparently I wanted to be a teacher when I was very very little (and have 6 kids. Done that one, 2 of my own and 4 I raised for a few years with a previous partner).

What did my father say about that dream? "Hey the holidays are good, you are paid well and you always have a job." As he was a uni lecturer at the time I think the answer was more of a reflection of where his mind was at in the middle of yet another school year!

So - over to you. What did you want to be when you were little and what did your parent of the opposite sex say to you about your dream?

Oh - and the job's still open with Ed - just get in quick!

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff
Heart Harmony

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Wednesday, 5 December 2007
HR Tips - Position or Job Descriptions
HR Managers know that clearly written position descriptions are vital in creating a shared understanding of the expectation of any role.

Here are some key tips for writing PDs:
  • Keep the language simple and conversational
  • Include the context in which the role operates - for example is it part of a team or a sole position
  • Explain how the role fits into the big picture - what it contributes to the overall mission
  • Cover the basics such as hours of work and rostered days
  • List the tasks
  • Include any other requirements you may have (such as able to drive a manual car or travel overnight on business)
  • List the core skills, knowledge and abilities needed to be successful in the role
  • Include key selection criteria to help you decide on the suitability of a person to be chosen for the role
  • Review them at least annually - roles change as people change and grow.
  • Keep the the PD current.

If you would like to know more about how to manage your team go to http://www.heartharmony.com.au/hr-manual.html

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff

Heart Harmony

www.heartharmony.com.au

Business development for small to medium businesses ... through human resources

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