Mark Bayer

You need to open the channel of communication before you actually develop the content that communicates it. So what does that mean? It means just trying to interact in a human to human way with your audience or with your interviewer.

You need to open the channel of communication before you actually develop the content that communicates it. So what does that mean? It means just trying to interact in a human to human way with your audience or with your interviewer.

Someone telling me saw a story about a woman who was interviewing for an engineering job, and they spent like all the big part of the interview talking about how they both love to play classical guitar. And you might say, oh, that has nothing to do. It's just small talk. But see, I would say that's a misconception and a mindset that's not helpful to you because...

Someone telling me saw a story about a woman who was interviewing for an engineering job, and they spent like all the big part of the interview talking about how they both love to play classical guitar. And you might say, oh, that has nothing to do. It's just small talk. But see, I would say that's a misconception and a mindset that's not helpful to you because...

I want to be different and differentiate myself from all the other people who are looking for that job, for example. And sometimes that comes by understanding just the human aspects of the person you're talking about and where there are overlaps, you have a similar someone in common.

I want to be different and differentiate myself from all the other people who are looking for that job, for example. And sometimes that comes by understanding just the human aspects of the person you're talking about and where there are overlaps, you have a similar someone in common.

You think about how you get, whether you open an email or whether you connect with somebody you don't know personally on LinkedIn. If the subject line of an email says referred by and inserted a person that you're probably going to open that email, right? Even if you don't know the sender coming from somebody whose name you don't recognize. And why do you do that?

You think about how you get, whether you open an email or whether you connect with somebody you don't know personally on LinkedIn. If the subject line of an email says referred by and inserted a person that you're probably going to open that email, right? Even if you don't know the sender coming from somebody whose name you don't recognize. And why do you do that?

It's because some of that familiarity with the mutual contact is leading you to do that. And I sometimes call it the transitive property of relationship building. It's I don't know you, but we both know the same person. So therefore, I know you in enough of a way for you to give me a chance to communicate something important to you.

It's because some of that familiarity with the mutual contact is leading you to do that. And I sometimes call it the transitive property of relationship building. It's I don't know you, but we both know the same person. So therefore, I know you in enough of a way for you to give me a chance to communicate something important to you.

It absolutely does. It absolutely does. And I think it's overlooked. And part of it is this focus on technical skills. And you could argue that in many ways, and you're suggesting this, I think, in your example too, Vince, that those technical skills are a commodity. This person either knows how to do it well or they don't know how to do it well.

It absolutely does. It absolutely does. And I think it's overlooked. And part of it is this focus on technical skills. And you could argue that in many ways, and you're suggesting this, I think, in your example too, Vince, that those technical skills are a commodity. This person either knows how to do it well or they don't know how to do it well.

And if you're recruiting from these best business schools, they're all going to know how to do it well. So what differentiates one from the other? And it's the types of things you're talking about, 100%.

And if you're recruiting from these best business schools, they're all going to know how to do it well. So what differentiates one from the other? And it's the types of things you're talking about, 100%.

Absolutely. And it's funny because this idea of soft skills versus hard skills. And I think oftentimes people denigrate soft skills. They're fluffy. The first thing I would just say on that is I was curious as to how this whole terminology came about.

Absolutely. And it's funny because this idea of soft skills versus hard skills. And I think oftentimes people denigrate soft skills. They're fluffy. The first thing I would just say on that is I was curious as to how this whole terminology came about.

and it turns out and i've got research that was cited by someone that i was actually talking to through a podcast and they basically the reason why things are called hard skills and soft skills is because the united states military at one point needed to classify the jobs that people had and they decided that anyone who worked on a machine which was made of metal most likely

and it turns out and i've got research that was cited by someone that i was actually talking to through a podcast and they basically the reason why things are called hard skills and soft skills is because the united states military at one point needed to classify the jobs that people had and they decided that anyone who worked on a machine which was made of metal most likely

That was a hard skill because it was a hard metal. And so that person had a hard skill, meaning they could work on a machine. Now, if you didn't work on a machine, you just didn't have a hard skill. So therefore you had a soft skill. I think over time, so there was no judgment. There was... Soft skill was not a pejorative. It was not something that was a nice to have.

That was a hard skill because it was a hard metal. And so that person had a hard skill, meaning they could work on a machine. Now, if you didn't work on a machine, you just didn't have a hard skill. So therefore you had a soft skill. I think over time, so there was no judgment. There was... Soft skill was not a pejorative. It was not something that was a nice to have.