In mid-July, from 13 July to 21 July, we made a trip by car to the Tatra Mountains on the Polish side. Despite the fact that the weather did not spoil us, we can now look back fondly on the time spent together away from everyday work. It looks like there will be several articles, as there are quite a few impressions and photographs. This time: about the drive, Polish roads, and accommodation.
Thanks to my lovely colleague Aiga, this year we were able to take on a new challenge - not to drive along the coastline, as we had done many years before, but to simply walk part of it. Moreover, it was not only a significant challenge for desk-dwellers' muscles, but also a discovery of the nature and history of Latvia's western coast.
The first forum for active women, 18 speakers, more than 600 attendees in person and even more online - that is the billing and the official statistics. There was indeed quite a bustle and an overwhelmingly female crowd on Friday, 18 May, at Splendid Palace in Riga. All in pink, purple, lilac, white, and orange. Lots of artificial magnolia and rose bouquets.
There is one question with which, in 99% of cases (perhaps I'm exaggerating a little, but still), any conversation about job opportunities at a company or a job interview begins. The candidate is asked to briefly tell something about themselves, to introduce themselves to those present.
An interview with a 22-year-old young woman, Lūsija, who tried working once before for nine months but didn't really enjoy it, as she didn't feel respect from management. Now she is studying and applying for a vacancy that matches her chosen speciality.
Consider it professional cretinism, but a recruiter begins assessing a candidate from the very first, even initially accidental or insignificant, moment of contact - how an email is written, grammar, familiarity or excessive stiffness, a resonant or expressionless voice on the phone, entering through the door, nimbleness or clumsiness, body language, eye contact and... the handshake.
Today, together with a colleague, I worked in another coworking space in Riga, trying out the Hot Desk - unfixed workstation - option. Work proceeded as usual: Monday meeting, activity plan for the week, correspondence and calls with potential clients and candidates, and one in-person meeting. The only difference was that we were not in our usual VEF quarter office, but in a workspace freely accessible to all interested parties. I decided to compile my experience of four out of the thirteen coworking spaces currently available in Riga.
A job interview. I ask questions, listen, observe, make notes, ask questions again, listen, observe, make notes. I gradually begin to notice that I am developing a habit of involuntarily identifying identical phrases or words which the candidate repeats several times during the interview, while talking about themselves, their work, their strengths or weaknesses.
Whatever happened to the times when one went to Saaremaa on a school-rented bus and stayed in a campsite?! Everyone was obediently taken around the traditional most popular spots of Muhu Island and Saaremaa - the meteorite crater, wooden windmills, Kuressaare Fortress, the rocky cliff. Incidentally, it was right from the Panga cliff that some good years back I brought home a stone with a pasty's soul (I have this quirk of looking for special stones).
I open Facebook Business Manager to assess the return on sponsored vacancy results, look at the "likes" statistics and comments. Replies must be given to the latter, and I also need to understand whether the vacancy layout and text are positioned correctly.
