Why am I Nervous?

The funny thing about interviewing someone is that I shouldn’t be the one who is nervous. This is the second time I have gone through an interview process where I was the interviewer as opposed to the interviewee.

The first time was almost a year and a half ago now, and it went terribly. It wasn’t that I was ill prepared, because I rarely go into anything unprepared. It was more the fact that I did not have a clear objective. I knew I needed some assistance in my department, and I was allowed to find an intern.

Great! I’ll take two! …or maybe not.

I had no idea what I expected from the new intern. I didn’t even know where my authority lay, or if my boss was in charge of them. It was a total mess, and totally unfair for that person. Granted, it was a poorly chosen candidate to begin with, I still won’t take all of the blame for the failed first attempt at hiring.

Now it’s time for some redemption. This intern won’t go home crying.

This time around, I not only looked closely at updating my job description, I also identified more fully, the projects I will be expecting the candidate complete. I recommend having a full list of projects you are willing to part with if you are looking to hire an assistant or intern.

This may be because of the first failed attempt, but I definitely have a better idea what skills the ideal candidate should possess. I may not be able to identify the personality traits to avoid, but I certainly know how to look for each candidate’s strengths. If you prioritize those key projects and figure out what skills will be needed to complete them, it will be so much easier to know if someone will fit the position and save yourself a lot of heartache.

My game plan went like this:
1.    Figure out what projects I needed the most help with, or projects that I was neglecting or behind in completing.

2.    Put this list in order of priority.

3.    Present the list to my boss, and convince them that no human could complete these tasks in addition to the other items in my workload. (I’m a department of one.)

4.    Identify the skills needed to complete the tasks.

5.    Base a detailed job description on the tasks and skills that a student might reasonably have, or quickly learn.

6.    I wanted a test of ability to help weed out the weakest candidates, and I chose to have each applicant create a sample marketing email from one of our products.

(This helps me on a few levels. I get to see a sample of their writing, and also their creativity and research aptitude. Most interns do not bring previous work samples even if they happen to have any.)

7.    If the job is an internship like this one was, I needed to have an evaluative plan in place in order to set realistic goals.

(Project time lines and learning objectives that the hired intern will have should be determined at the start of employment, but it’s always good to have some objectives ready before you hire someone.)

8.    This one is KEY. Post the job in as many appropriate places as possible.

(Besides the obvious places like Monster.com, college career centers, the state’s job employment services and the people in your own office are often very good ways of getting the word out about the job opening. If people can’t find the job listing, then your pool of candidates are going to be very slim indeed. I even used Twitter and Facebook, but this might not always be appropriate.)

I have found that lately, the people referred to us by our current employees have been particularly strong candidates, and are often the ones who are eventually hired.

I also learned that no matter how much prep work I put into each interview (an I didn’t even do the scheduling!) I am still a tiny bit nervous before each new person walks in the door.  I can read and select the perfect questions, but experience is the only way to strengthen that interviewing muscle. Ironically, I was equally nervous on the other side of the interview.

I wonder if that is true for all new interviewers or just people who are more on the shy side? I would be interested to hear other points of view, and also other tips or personal experiences on hiring.

As before, feel free to leave me your comments or drop me a line, just be sure to keep it clean!

My Baby is SICK!!!

I would like to preface this entry with the fact that I am not a parent, I have no human baby, this is NOT a mommy blog. I don’t even have a pet.

What I do have is 2002 Ford Focus SE (Comfort Edition) that was my first grown-up purchase. The first, credit building purchase I made (and paid off I might add), and I call her “Little Silver” and sometimes the “Silver Bullet.” She has been with me through my move to college, my move back after graduation, and the many, many miles I have accumulated driving to work for the last three years since graduation.

We have had some really great adventures. I remember a specific spring break road trip down the 101 highway on the Oregon Coast with my best friend. We barely even looked at the map, but we took lots of lovely pictures, and ate terrible road trip foods. I also bought my first fillet mignon that trip, but only thanks to my best friend’s mother, who had pity on us and paid for an extra night in a hotel for us. We used our extra cash to treat ourselves to a gourmet dinner.

It wasn’t all sunshine and roses. We’ve had our fender benders, but I am totally honest in saying that the two incidents I am referring to, were entirely not my fault. (It’s true, check my records!) I was rear-ended at a stop light one time, and in hindsight (pun intended) I think the guy may have been drunk. But I digress.

I have tried to be good to Little Silver, took her for her check-ups, oil changes, and filled her tank when she was thirsty. We’ve gone on leisurely drives, exciting unplanned adventures, and been through some wicked and wild weather. She even has her winter shoes! (Studded Tires)

But I can’t stop the inevitable, and I realize she is getting older. I mean, eight people years is like 80 in car years. She should be in retirement and relaxing in my driveway. But no, she is my service car, and I need her to get to my place of employment.

And now, she is sick.

She sputters like she is choking on phlegm, and I can only imagine she has some incurable car pneumonia. Cars don’t always survive car pneumonia. This breaks my heart.

I know some people would like to say, “Hey, it’s just a friggin’ Focus, it’s not even a very good year!” But to them I say, “Go to H, E double hockey sticks!" because she’s still my first new car I ever owned. There is some kind of connection we make to our first car, well, at least the first one we buy ourselves.


So tomorrow I am taking her in to the doctor, and getting a diagnosis. There will be talk of mileage I am sure, and even possibly replacement parts, but I am not ready to send her down the river. She is just a little sick. But if you let a little symptom go, it might turn into a cancer. An no car is worth saving if it comes to that. So I will say a little prayer tonight, and leave her in trusted hands. I can only hope the remedy is a cheap one… I promise I will wash you more if you make it through this!

As per your requests.....

So Tex Mex Lasagna is not my recipe per say, but I have played around with it a little. The original recipe was taken from Dinners Done Right, which I am a total advocate for, but that's not what this entry is about. I may have also stumbled upon a similar recipe on the Cooking Light website in my quest for an image...

I am about to share how I make my award winning... ok, maybe not award winning, but relatively popular Tex Mex Lasagna recipe and an adaptation for crock pot. WooT for the Crock Pot Mod!  Also, this recipe can be made as a meatless meal... Not how I prefer it, but still quite tasty.

WHAT YOU"LL NEED:

1 can Tomato Sauce

1 can Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 can Stewed Tomatoes (I use the kind with Chilies in them)

1 jar of Pace Chunky Salsa (here you can also choose your own flavor of salsa, but for liquid content, I stick with this brand)

1 small bag of Frozen Corn

1 bag (2 cups) Shredded Cheese (usually use Mexican Blend, but here again, plain cheddar or Monterrey Jack would be good as well)

Box of Lasagna Noodles (I use the Oven Ready or No Boil noodles from Barilla for obvious reasons)

-----HERE IS WHERE YOU STOP if you don't want MEAT----- (see also, boring)

Approximately 2 cups of Diced Chicken  (Now I get all Sandra Lee: Semi-Homemade here and use the grilled frozen strips because they only need a little chopping and they are ready to go into the dish. They are also precooked, which means I can worry less about contamination and more about preparation.)

TO PREPARE:

Ok since you probably know how to build a lasagna, I will only share this: There apparently IS a right and wrong way to stack the noodles.

So you'll be layering a little bit of everything in each layer. But make sure you put a little sauce in the bottom, and you can even grease/ spray you baking dish for (hopefully) easier clean up.

Bake this bad boy for about 30-45 minutes, depending on size and depth of the dish @ 450° F (Look for bubbly sauce and tender noodles.)

Should be perfect with a dollop of sour cream!

---- CROCK POT MOD -----

I use a 6 Quart Oval Crock Pot so four hours on low is enough for me. Should be enough for anyone assuming you do no more than three layers. If your crock pot is smaller, you may want to adjust the time.

Now I wish I had a beautiful image of a delectible layered lasagna to share here... alas, I don't BUT it would (and sorta does on a good day) look like this:

If you have tried this recipe with modification such as corn tortillas or added things like olives or chillies or green onions, I am sure it was great! Please let me know about it, I'd love to try your recipe. Thanks!