Most people have either interviewed someone for a job or been on the receiving end of an interview themselves. Neither experience ranks highly on anyone’s “favorite things I’ve done this week” list.

If you are the candidate, your mission is basically: “I am uniquely brilliant; ignore the fact that I panic when printers jam.” If you are the interviewer, your mission is the opposite: “Please reveal the hidden chaos before I accidentally hire it.”

I recently came across a headline that stopped my scrolling: “This Is the Best Job Interview Question.” Naturally, I clicked. The article pointed to a question: “What are the open tabs in your internet browser right now?” The idea is that browser tabs are basically your brain’s browser history in real time with unfiltered curiosity, half-finished intentions and at least one tab you opened three days ago and are now emotionally committed to finishing “later.”

According to the article, it is useful because it reveals what people are actually interested in rather than what they think sounds impressive in a suit under fluorescent lighting.

I asked our management team the question. The answers ranged from “about 10 tabs, all essential” (a lie), to “just a few for focus” (also a lie, but calmer), to my own honest admission that I keep one tab open at a time like I’m living in 2004 and afraid of emotional overwhelm.

The article then helpfully notes that the “right” number of tabs depends. Too many might signal curiosity and digital fluency. Or it might signal the person has lost control of his or her life and is now just hosting a small, chaotic browser convention.

That explanation, and the question itself, felt incomplete. A better question, I think, is this: “If I looked inside your vehicle right now, what would I find?” People react immediately. There is laughter, nervous deflection and the sudden realization that their car is a rolling autobiography of snack choices, optimism and unresolved errands.

As much as we want hiring to be precise and data-driven, it often comes down to something closer to weather forecasting with vibes, especially when you only have two candidates to choose from.

Job seekers aren’t off the hook either. You can optimize your resume, rehearse your answers and still have your future determined by whether your browser tabs suggest “strategic thinker” or your car says “mobile evidence of a long week.”

Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading. 

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

As graduation season rolls around again, advice is everywhere. It’s handed out like free cake — and just as eagerly avoided by the people it is meant for. Most new graduates don’t want to hear it. Not yet, anyway.

But, eventually, things don’t go exactly as planned. At that point, every graduate faces a choice to blame everyone else or ask for advice. If we are being honest, most of us tried both — usually in that order. Sometimes the difficult way is the only way that sticks.

Graduation matters for a lot of reasons, but one of the biggest is that it proves you can finish something. That turns out to be a pretty useful skill. With that in mind, here are a few tips:

Get a full-time job. Yes, an actual one. The kind with a schedule, responsibilities and, ideally, benefits. Jobs are out there, and many are paying more than ever. Take advantage. Part-time gigs and “figuring things out” are not long-term financial strategies. And once you land a job, try not to treat it like a trial subscription. Staying put for a few years won’t hurt you. It might even help.

Learn to adapt. You have been told to stand out, be different and embrace what makes you unique. That’s great — sometimes. But the workplace is not a talent show. Being able to adapt, fit in and work with others (even when it feels unnatural) is a skill that pays off far more often than standing out for the wrong reasons.

Don’t announce generational differences. Yes, they exist. And, yes, at some point you will be absolutely certain that older people just don’t get it. Even so, saying, “My generation doesn’t…” rarely improves the situation. It mostly guarantees eye rolls — and not in your favor.

Be on time. This one sounds simple because it is. Deadlines, meetings and responsibilities don’t adjust themselves around your schedule. If you are consistently late, people will notice — and not in a good way. Show up on time. Better yet, show up early. It is one of the easiest ways to look like you have your act together, even if you are still working on that part.

Dress for success. You don’t need a runway wardrobe, but you do need to look like you understand where you are. A good rule is to dress like the successful people around you. Early in my career, a very honest customer told me I was an adult and needed to start dressing like one. He also meant I should start acting like one. It was annoying advice at the time but proved to be accurate advice in hindsight.

Soon-to-be graduates, you will make mistakes. Plenty of them. That is expected. Just try not to make the same ones over and over — and maybe listen to a little advice along the way. Even if you pretend you are not.

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

If you haven’t noticed yet, the Best of Guthrie County poll is back. If you have already voted, you are a rock star. If not, what are you waiting for? Yes, the poll will be open for a few more weeks — but we all know how that goes. “I’ll do it later” turns into “Oh no, it’s over.”

People love knowing who and what are the “best.” That’s why they scroll reviews and search online. Unfortunately, those results are often cluttered with scammers and companies polishing reputations like a used car on a sunny day.

So how do you really know what is best around here? Simple. You ask the people who live here. That is exactly what our Best of Guthrie County poll does, and we are bringing it back for round three.

And just to be clear (because someone always asks), the winners are not picked by us. No smoke-filled back rooms. No secret handshakes. Just votes from readers like you. It is a detail the occasional naysayer somehow misses.

We have trimmed a few categories, added some new ones and landed at 91 total. Best pizza. Best pastor. Best park. You get the idea. Vote in one category or go for glory and tackle all 91.

We are spreading the word everywhere — print, email, social media, mailboxes — basically, if you can see it, we are probably there. In Year No. 1, we had 471 votes. Year No. 2 jumped to 642. This year? We are already at 343 and climbing. A record is within reach.

Voting is easy. Really easy. You can answer one question or all 91. Just remember that once you hit submit, that’s it. No do-overs. And for the would-be ballot stuffers — we see you. We catch you. We delete your extra votes. Save yourself the trouble.

So go ahead — cast your votes, share the link with your friends, family, neighbors and that one coworker who has very strong opinions about pizza. Help us celebrate the people, places and businesses that make Guthrie County such a great place to call home. Click here for the poll rules and the link to vote.

Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading. 

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

Being in the right place at the right time can make or break careers — and companies. Or, if you are really lucky, it can turn you into a national adviser despite having the intellectual range of a houseplant.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter made this point in her 2013 article, “The First Secret of Success Is Showing Up.” She references the comedy film “Being There,” starring Peter Sellers. Sellers plays Chance the gardener, a man whose primary skill set involves watering things and not saying much of anything useful. Through a series of misunderstandings — including his name being heard as “Chauncey Gardiner” — he stumbles into elite circles. His vague comments about plants are mistaken for profound wisdom, and before long, he is advising national leaders. All because he showed up. No résumé. No LinkedIn endorsements. Just vibes and good timing.

I share Kanter’s insight not because I think we should all aspire to accidentally fail upward, but because nothing — ideas, innovation, growth — happens if we don’t actually get together and talk to each other in person. This applies everywhere: clubs, teams, businesses, families. Yes, even families. Especially families. (Try brainstorming Thanksgiving plans exclusively over email and see how that goes.)

Now, before anyone fires off a strongly worded message from a home office — possibly while still in pajama bottoms — let me say this: Video conferencing is great. It is convenient. It has saved us all from commutes, bad coffee and that one coworker who reheats fish in the break room. But it is not the same.

There’s something about being in the same room that sparks ideas in a way a Brady Bunch-style grid of faces just can’t. You might be more productive at home individually. Fantastic. But is the company better? Are new ideas actually happening? Or are we all just becoming extremely efficient at maintaining the status quo?

Kanter argues that for companies, “being there” means having a presence on the ground where important things are happening. She points to Kodak, which once dominated photography but missed the digital wave. Imagine if the company had planted itself in Silicon Valley, soaking up ideas, hiring fresh talent and bumping into entrepreneurs building the future. Instead, it stayed rooted in Rochester, New York — comfortable, familiar and increasingly outdated. Kodak didn’t fall apart because of too many Zoom calls, of course. But a lack of fresh thinking was partially to blame. And fresh thinking rarely shows up uninvited. It tends to appear when people do.

So yes, being in the right place at the right time matters. But here is the catch: You don’t get to be in the right place if you never leave your current one. This brings us back to the big secret of success: Show up. Worst-case scenario, nothing happens. Best case? You accidentally become “Chauncey Gardiner” and end up advising world leaders.

Stranger things have happened.

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707

The $2 bill is the unicorn of American currency. Everyone has heard of it, few people actually see it, and when one appears, you are not quite sure if you should spend it or frame it.

As a kid, getting a $2 bill in a birthday card felt like hitting the financial jackpot. Forget savings bonds. This was cold, spendable cash with flair.

I used to save every $2 bill I got. Hoarded them, really. Treated them like tiny green heirlooms. Today? I struggle to find any. They have apparently joined the witness protection program with my missing socks, Tupperware lids and the one house key that actually worked.

So what’s a $2 bill worth? At the gas station, the answer is two bucks. To collectors, some rare ones go for $4,500 or more. The most valuable bills date back to the 1800s, but even some newer ones can be worth hundreds — emphasis on can. This is important, because hope is free, but disappointment is also very affordable.

The $2 bill first showed up in 1862. Others are still in circulation today, quietly doing their thing, confusing cashiers nationwide. They feature Thomas Jefferson now, though Alexander Hamilton had a brief cameo before the redesign in 1869.

Collectors say anything printed before 1976 might be worth more than face value. They will also tell you, with great enthusiasm, about paper quality, serial numbers and ink variations, at which point you will nod politely and slowly back away.

Honestly, the best use for a $2 bill might be pure joy. Slip it into a birthday card. Watch someone’s face light up like you just handed them a winning lottery ticket from 1997. Or, if you are like me, weaponize it.

I like to send birthday cards with a $2 bill inside and sign them from people like Burt and Helen or Frank and Ethyl, names that sound like they come with hard candy and strong opinions about lawn care. Then I add something unsettlingly wholesome: “You are such a good kid. Tell your parents hello for us.” It keeps people guessing, with just enough mystery, if Burt and Helen are real — and possibly watching.

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com