I just watched the Bourne Ultimatum (highly recommended if you're into action films). The movie brought back memories of my former life as a crusading reporter, and that, my friends, made me stop and think about the value of drawing on life experience outside the bounds of our official recruiting careers. I'd be interested in hearing from readers about what life experience informs your gut, your instincts, and your prowess in the human capital arena.
As a journalist, I've been shot at and tear-gassed and learned to "duck and cover" in high heels, which now occassionally comes in handy at the office. I've been to war zones where I've had a pilot fall asleep at the wheel of his plane, have had bombs detonate around me, and where I learned the secret not to having one's legs blown off by a landmine was to have a campesino show you where to walk. (A valuable lesson in the value of tapping experts.)
I learned the value of shock and awe when I had a knife held to my neck by an angel dust crazed fiend in Watts: I told him to put his -expletive deleted - knife down, which he did . . giving me the split-second I needed to slide out of harms way. I interviewed a multitude of politicians, royals, rapists, and Presidents, which now, when viewed with head tilted to the side and one eye closed, resembles the wild array of candidates marching through my recruiting practice over the years. I interviewed the heads of death squads in Brazil, which now resemble occassional hiring managers in Searches from Hell. I worked undercover, which today informs my sourcing work. I even had a hit put on me for an investigative series I did on cocaine smuggers. My take away? Always sit with your back to the wall facing the door. (I have no idea what that has to do with recruiting . . .)
I developed computer-assisted research skills in part through befriending geeks and famous hackers, whom shall remain nameless. (Now, I befriend Shally . . .) I've investigated the CIA, and as a result, had the distinct impression the CIA investigated me. This is all to say that if you've lived . . .really lived . . .you have likely have developed deep skills that serve you well in recruiting. What follows is a montage of those crazy years, which to this day serve me well. See if you can guess where the footage was shot . . .
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