Interview with Paul Petrone of VoiceGlance

Paul Petrone is consistently the most viewed of my 500+ connections on LinkedIn. He is the Communications Manager at VoiceGlance. I asked him 5 questions. His unedited answers are posted below.

1. How do you get so many views on Linkedin?

Well, I think it is all about writing something that has some real value to the viewer.

For example, I write a lot of case studies on how certain companies hire, and those seem to be very popular. Why? Because along with being interesting, they are insightful – people can learn from it.

Also, I do my best to avoid every possible platitude and replace it with real, actual facts. For example, I hate when someone says something like “we are going to have a truly collaborative process” or something vague. What does that mean?

I believe fundamentally in just discovering and telling the real truth. I think people are interested in that.

2. What percentage of your work relies on social media?

The vast majority of my blogs’ readers now come from LinkedIn. So tremendously.

Before, in other places I worked, it was all about Facebook or Twitter.

But those are just vehicles. We live in a great time today – if you produce great content, no matter who you are, it can get picked up and shared and read by thousands of people. The key is still producing great content, that should be the main focus of any writer, artist, whatever.

If your content isn’t getting much attention, ask yourself this – is it really that good? How can I make it more relevant to my readers? Am I being fully honest in my writing?

Be hard on yourself. Work to improve and things will work out.

3. As an expert on the hiring process, what do you think companies tend to be overlooking the most?

The key is to go beyond the resume and try to find real insight about each applicant.

That’s why I’m so excited to be at VoiceGlance. I feel like it does an amazing job of matching companies and people. After all, it has to be both a great fit for both the candidate and the organization for the hire to work, and I think VoiceGlance does that better than any tool on the market.

Additionally, most other tools make for a bad experience for candidates. VoiceGlance is easy to use for both hiring managers and candidates, so both win.

4. What single piece of advice would you give to people seeking work in the current hiring atmosphere?

Be yourself. Just like companies are searching for the right fit, candidates should be searching for the right fit. Don’t worry so much about money – money will come if you find something you like.

5. What makes a good communicator?

Honesty. Obviously, you can’t say whatever is on your mind whenever you want to say it. But if you are having a problem with someone, take them aside and hash it out.

A big thing I always push for is to demand to talk about the root cause of the problem. Often, fights happen over other issues than what really is the root problem, and if that root problem isn’t fixed, they’ll continue.

So be honest and discuss the problem with the person, and generally it can be resolved. Again, though, it should happen one-on-one, so both people can talk freely.

Abominable: A Light-Hearted Look at French-American Relations

Merriam-Webster describes the word “abominable” in the following way: worthy of or causing disgust or hatred: detestable. Interestingly enough, the word is spelled the same way and means the same thing in French. If I had to give abominable a face, it would look like the face of my 2nd grade classmate, Stacey Johnson, when I told her at the swing set one day that my parents and I ate snails for dinner the previous night. It was not that dissimilar from the look my father gave me when he bit into his first chili cheese dog with extra onions from 7-Eleven. I’ve always been a big fan of liquid orange cheese dispensed from a pump. My dad not so much.

What’s complicated about how the French and Americans find each other mutually abominable is how the feeling comes and goes. In the early days of U.S. History, during the American Revolution and its afterglow, many Americans looked to the French for enlightenment. 

One of the leaders of this francophilia was none other than Thomas Jefferson who served as Minister to France from 1785 to 1789 and urged support for France, even during the unsavory Reign of Terror. It’s been well documented that Jefferson was a lover of all things French, including French food. In 1802, Jefferson may have inadvertently launched the single most important culinary adaptation in U.S. history when he had “potatoes served in the French manner” at a White House dinner. Jump forward 200 years, and the tables are completely turned when U.S. Congress officially changes the name “French Fries” in Congressional cafeterias to “Freedom Fries” to contradict France because of its distaste for the invasion of Iraq.

When I contemplated the food of my childhood, there was no doubt that I had loved some of my father’s dishes: Cassoulet, Quenelles, Beef Bourguignon, Ratatouille, Moules Marinieres. These are just some of the legendary French classics he served that you’ll find in the great French cookbooks by Escoffier, Bocuse, Ducasse and which were later replayed by francophiles such as Julia Child.

Frenchie's Financials

Hey,
So I'm not a Wall Street guy or anything like that, but I take an interest in the stock market. Here is a short list of some stocks that I observe. Don't take my word for any it.

TAKE IT TO THE BANK

Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA)

- CEO Elon Musk is a genius. In the not-so-far-off future, his car company will rule the automobile industry.

SAFE PLAY

Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL)

- They’re not going bankrupt anytime soon.

A WILD RIDE

GoPro Inc (NASDAQ:GPRO)

- Hot tech company that sells wearable cameras. On a huge roll recently. Extremely volatile. Buckle up.

DEFINITE MAYBE

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA)

- Another very hot tech company. Recent IPO was huge. Has fallen slightly since the IPO but will most likely rise over the next 6 months to 1 year.

BUY LOW, SELL HIGH

Gordmans Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:GMAN)

- Midwestern department store that will soon celebrate its 100^th anniversary. The stock is in the toilet, but if it ever turns itself around, you’ll be able to retire.