Today marks the day when an African American man will take the oath of office: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." With those words, President-elect Obama, will become the 44th President of these great United States. That is exciting.WOW!
Today is one of those days that people will talk about as they get older. They will be able to tell people "where they were" when Barack Obama was sworn in …read more

There is much to say about this political season we have just witnessed but I will reserve my thoughts for now and just encourage you to go and exercise your rights as a citizen and VOTE! I began this particular category, Politcal Chat at Interview Chatter, to give me a forum to discuss the presidential election. I thought today in honor of Election Day, I would share the links to all of my posts under this category. Take some time and review, and then go VOTE!
1. Top 5 Reasons to Vote for Me As President – 2008
2. How to Hire …read more

We have 7 days until we go to the polls and my biggest concern is that many people have done little to no research on either of the two candidates. Obama and McCain are the only two people we can select as the next President of the United States. What have you done as a hiring manager to determine which candidate is the best person for the job as Commander-in-Chief?
This weekend I took the time to watch an old black and white movie, 12 Angry Men with Henry Fonda and Jack Glugman. This is an old movie about a group …read more

I was shocked last night when I heard that Senator McCain has suspended his Presidential Campaign. I truly need to know why he felt this was the best move for him. As a reminder, when I write these posts I am looking through the lens of a hiring manager. John McCain has been selected as one of the top two candidates in our hiring pool, and all of a sudden, the candidate says that some significant issues have come up and as a result he is “suspending his campaign for the position I am considering for. What is that? That …read more

As I have listened to all of the news sound bites and opinions on the Presidential campaign, I am actually disappointed in a process that I actually find exciting – The Elections. I am still attempting to understand how WE the PEOPLE allow men such as these two candidates (McCain and Obama) to be our potential representation not only in this nation but to the nations of this world. I am by no means wanting to disrespect them, but I am at a loss. I continue to hear about the various statements these candidates make about one another. I don’t …read more

Does experience matter when making a hiring decision? In a word "YES!" It better matter to you if you are the hiring manager. Why? Because the cost to onboard a new employee is in the thousands of dollars depending on your organization. Part of the cost for onboarding a new employee in is their training. Whether you provide training or not, it will cost you as an organization. If you bring a new employee into your organization without providing training, it will cost you as they learn through trial and error. There is a cost associated with mistakes that employees …read more

As the Republican National Convention comes to a close tonight, the thought the runs through my mind is how we as hiring managers (citizens of the United States), will determine the best candidate for the job of President/Vice President of the United States. Is it a popularity contest? I fear that we may be moving more in that direction, than truly evaluating the skills and abilities of each ticket and determining which one will truly move this country in a new direction.When I evaluate the transformation of this country since the first time I voted, back in the 80’s there …read more

With the presidential candidates campaigning in full force now, I’m becoming more and more irritated by the bitchy negative tone of their campaigns.  Darlene has pointed out before that the campaign and election process is our interview of the potential candidates.  Then why do we condone all this negativity?
In a job interview, speakng negatively about your previous boss or God forbid, other candidates (if you happen to know them) will probably guarantee you don’t get called for a second interview.  Yet, in the political campaign process, this negativity is well accepted and even expected from the candidates.  People rarely raise an eyebrow …read more

Before I get into my thoughts on Senator McCain’s choice for Vice President, I want to talk about the Vice Presidential job description. What does the Vice President of the United States get to do? Sarah Palin isn’t sure what the job requires, so I thought I would take a look.
Job Description courtesy of Wikipedia
The formal powers and role of the vice president are limited by the Constitution to becoming President in the event of the death or resignation of the President and acting as the presiding officer of the U.S. Senate. As President of the Senate, the Vice …read more

The Democratic Primary is coming to an end one way or another over the next week or so. Hillary Clinton is still in the race to beat Barak Obama. Both have had some verbal gaffs over the last few months. Hillary Clinton’s comment is simply over the top. One of her comments, “I find it curious” – She finds it curious that people want her out of the race and uses Bobby Kennedy’s assassination as a reason for why she shouldn’t get out of the race.
I find her comment curious. I am hearing all of the pundits give their two …read more