Hero Worship: A Day in the Life Sunday

Don't strive to be a hero and don't worship them either.

Believing that someone (other than yourself) will make it all better, fix everything and chase your problems away is foolish and disempowering. It is time for all the heroes to go home, as the poet William Stafford wrote. It's time for some intellectual stimulation.

Real people don't have lives that sell magazines. Turn the TV off, put your People magazine down, step away from the internet and go read a book.

Photo Credit: files.nyu.edu500 × 326Search by image Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection.

I am not worshiping heroes (yeah!) but I am also not reading like I used to (boo!).

I'll be traveling in June for business and pleasure so I am seizing the opportunity to get more than a few books read. I asked what others were reading and here are some of the book suggestions I received:

• The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
• The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
• The 100-Year-Old-Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
• The Last Letter from Your Lover by JoJo Moyes
• The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
• Picture of Dorian Gray by S.P. Shearon
• Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
• Zelda by Nancy Milford
• Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
• The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

What ever happened to the book mobile? Remember when the three R's were reading, writing and arithmetic and not reduce, reuse and recycle? Those were the days of my youth, but I digress.

Be particular about who you let into your life. Know that you have a voice and are surrounded by people just like you who want to be useful to others and solve their own problems.

Be strong, yourself.

Mask and cape not required.

Contacting HR Pros through Social Media

Summer has finally come to Minnesota and I am finding it very difficult to think about anything HR/leadership-ish outside the workday. So, I looked back to this time last year to see what was on my mind then - and this is it. Enjoy this post from the archives and one take on contacting HR pros on social media.

iStockphoto

As second nature as social media is to some, it is still new territory for others.

HR professionals are on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook as individuals and on behalf of their organizations.  The job seeking public is developing profiles, joining groups and liking pages in an effort to connect with these HR pros and their companies in the hopes that the two will meet for a mutually beneficial outcome.

I was asked to comment on proper etiquette for contacting HR professionals through social media, all of my chatter came down to this: be respectful of yourself and others at all times. Some of the questions and quick-shot answers are below:

Is it acceptable to contact an HR professional through LinkedIn or Twitter? What about Facebook?

Yes. Take a look at their LinkedIn or Twitter profile. If their profile is private or they request not to be contacted, honor that. Many utilize Facebook for their recruitment efforts - others do not. Hot tip: do not weave a tangled web of friends to try to gain access to an HR professional with a private profile.

When contacting HR reps, ensure your state who you are, why you are contacting them and what information you are  seeking. Don't underestimate the value of this first  impression.

Is it wise to link your personal social media accounts or blogs to LinkedIn?

Importing your blog into LinkedIn is a powerful way to engage a wider audience. Think through the content  you are importing into LinkedIn. Do your personal social media accounts present a  professional image? Do they support your professional goals? What are your objectives?

I choose not to import the content  into LinkedIn profile on a regular basis. Facebook pictures of my  daughter swimming 50m fly would be of little  professional value to my network.

How should you manage your image on your blog to not offend potential employers

Be accountable for what you say and how you  say it. Some employers are looking up candidates on social networking sites and may think twice about hiring someone with something perceived as negative  in their profile. Why? Your on-line actions can say alot about how you conduct yourself in real life.

Highlight your skills, your experiences, your ideas and your challenges. Don't be afraid to offer points of view and challenge assumptions - professionally.

What would you add? What words of wisdom would you offer to someone looking to manage their online image to land a great job?