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- #5: The Halo Effect 😇
#5: The Halo Effect 😇
Shem Opolot
February 03, 2023
Happy Friday! 🎉 How was your week?
This week my wife left me.
Not for good, you hater.
She traveled for work and left me with our son, Zion. Unsupervised 😈 .
I hope she’s ready for all the pictures I’m going to share of him in precarious positions: dangling from our balcony by a thin bedsheet, standing on the edge of the dining table, playing with a knife (because sharp things are fun), rolling in the grass naked… The possibilities are endless.
Keep my wife in your prayers.
Let's get into it 🚀
🧹 But first, some housekeeping…
Last week’s post if you missed it.
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💡 1 thing I've learned this week
The next time you schedule a meeting, send the agenda ahead and insist people come up with talking points before the meeting.
Why?
For the same reason first impressions matter and attractive people are often perceived as nicer and more intelligent — the halo effect.
The halo effect makes us place a lot of weight on the first piece of information we get. Allow one person to speak first in a meeting and the rest of the input will be: “piggybacking off of….” and “mine is a comment, not a question”
How can you fight the halo effect?
It’s hard. But —
be aware of it
gather independent judgments before the “groupthink” gets you
try to push beyond your first impressions.
I hope this is the first newsletter you’ve ready today 😉.
🔌 Shameless plug
Everyone else is getting the best news except you. Be better.
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🙏🏾 1 thing I'm grateful for
Our nanny.
Zion is the most energetic child I know and our nanny does a fantastic job watching him, feeding him, and preventing him from breaking into my room while I type this newsletter.
I couldn’t work from home without her.
🚀 Pro-tip
The perfect CV doesn’t exi…
Here’s a template to get started (There are many formats but this one’s the most universally accepted)
Don’t include your age and ethnicity as these are opportunities for bias
Don’t add your LinkedIn if it isn’t updated
Update your LinkedIn
Don’t add your GPA if it wasn’t exceptional
Work experience section above the education section for everyone except students or fresh graduates
Begin bullet points with action words
Action words should mirror the action words in the job description
Your bullet points should contain: “I used [A] technique for [B] project to deliver [C] outcome. Try to quantify your impact as much as you can. Did you make money? Did it save money? Did it save time? How much?
Your CV should be 2 pages max unless you’re an academic. Exclude irrelevant experiences if you have to
Update your CV regularly (once a month); you’ll forget all the awesome things you did. Trust me
Don’t include references unless you’re explicitly told to add them to the CV
Give your references a heads-up
If you can, find an employee in the company you’re applying to and ask them for a referral. Not to manipulate the process, but to vouch for your qualifications
Follow this guy on Instagram and this guy on YouTube
Follow me everywhere
Good luck!
🧩 Riddle me this
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Reply to this email with your answer. No cheating 😉
🔥 What's hot
📽️ My YouTube video this week
✍️ The latest on the blog
💎 Gems from the internet
🌴 For your next vacation, where to eat and drink in 2023
🎼 Google created an AI that makes music. Don’t quit your day job
Longer but golden reads
🐦️ How social media platforms die
🙏 If we rebooted humanity, would we find God again?
Have a great weekend,
— Shem
PS: If you liked this issue, please reply to this email with your answer to the riddle.
🤝🏾 Let's connect
📞 Book a consultation for Excel or your CV
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