Book Bag: The Charisma Myth

Do you have charisma? If so, think you were born with it? In The Charisma Myth, Olivia Fox Cabane breaks charisma down into its fundamental components, revealing the secrets to what charisma really is and how it works. Women For Hire talked to her.

So, charisma is not a God-given gift? How so? Long believed to be an innate, magical quality, charisma has come under the scrutiny of research scientists who have found that, far from being an innate, magical quality, charisma is simply the result of learned behaviors. In fact, in controlled laboratory experiments, researchers were able to raise and lower people’s levels of charisma as if they were turning a dial just by asking them to adopt specific (charismatic) behaviors.
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Book Bag: Are You A ‘Purple Squirrel?’

Mike Junge, Google’s senior recruiter and five time recruiter of the year-award winner, has written his first book, Purple Squirrel. The book covers topics including, strategic job searching, standing out and salary negotiations in this tough economy and digital age. Women For Hire talked to him.

Who or what is a purple squirrel?

According to Wikipedia, a purple squirrel is “an unlikely job candidate with precisely the right education, experience, and qualifications that perfectly fits a job’s multifaceted requirements.”

I like to expand the definition a bit and include people who stand out from the competition by being uncommonly magnetic or adept at demonstrating value via an online profile. To me, anyone who knows how to grab the attention of talent hunters, excel through the hiring process, and make a real on-the-job difference can be considered a purple squirrel.
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Newsroom: ‘Extreme’ Interviewing: Heard of It?

No longer satisfied with screening applicants the traditional way, some companies are using offbeat interview techniques to test job seekers. Zappos.com chief Tony Hsieh likes to ask potential hires, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how weird are you?” Skills, education and good references are still important, but firms increasingly want a real-time look at how prospects tackle problems, gin up new ideas, handle change and work as part of a team.

Newsroom: Bye Bye Corner Office?

If you ever dreamed of having your own office, you might want to put that on hold. A mobile, global, technology-driven workforce has prompted companies nationwide to rethink what offices mean. Welcome to wide-open office space, with natural light pouring in, few assigned work stations, plump and comfy couches, team rooms, cafes, stand-up meeting spots and community work areas where employees can plug in their laptops whenever they happen to be in the office.

How To Reinvent Yourself After 50

Updated on July 18, 2023

The very notion of reaching 50 often sparks thoughts of significant life milestones. Some may associate it with a sense of achievement and solidity, others may see it as a signal to reassess life goals. The dawn of this new decade can provide a moment to pause and evaluate, particularly given that 50-year-old American men have an average remaining life expectancy of 28 more years, and for women, it’s 32. These numbers show that there’s plenty of time left to craft new goals and pursuits.

Tips Jar: Cutting Distractions Working at Home

Working from home but finding that all those distractions are getting in your way?  This piece says the four best ways to increase your productivity are to 1) Prepare your week with a weekly schedule 2)  Inform friends and neighbors of your work hours 3) Limit your time on social networks and 4) Reschedule household tasks to do before or after working hours. What works best for you? Let us know.