Three Ears’ Three Best of 2019
It’s the time of year where we ponder resolutions and resolve to evolve. I find that my motivation to change comes both from within and watching others. I feel the ideas stir. I tend to spend more time pondering than pursuing significant changes in my life, but seeing others who have lived the change inspires me to get up. To be what I see.
That’s my favorite part about social media – it delivers inspirational stories from people I’d never meet in real life. But with changes in algorithms, discovery is limited. The “friends of friends” sharing models are built on introducing very little that’s not shared in our community. It turns out, change isn’t so appealing for tech users, but especially when they’re scrolling a feed.
This year, instead of kicking off with a resolution, how-to or help post, I want to introduce you to the websites, writers, podcasters and creators who make me think. People I’ve discovered, or rediscovered, in 2019. People who inspire me. I’m calling it the Three Ears’ Three Best, but let’s get real. This is my blog. I’ll put as many things as I want on this list.
To the people featured on the list, thank you. I know it’s not easy to write and be vulnerable in your stories, but I’m so thankful you have. You have made room for writers and aspiring storytellers to remember the human side of our work. You’ve made it safer for people to be who they are and share hard realities. You’ve written the truths that need to be heard to both inspire and jerk us back to reality and done the work to make work and life a better place.
Cheers to more of your compelling stories and the pursuit of change in 2020.
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Three Great/Important Books
Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark – Fans of the podcast will love learning more about Karen and Georgia. Those of you not into true crime will love their stories of overcoming life-threatening adversities while learning to love and value themselves above politeness and others’ expectations.
Building A StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller. Clarity is king and if you struggle to get a message, a job post, whatever from 1000 words to 100 – this is the book to read.
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert – I will make every person who I hire to work at Three Ears Media read this.
BEST OF BLOGS
Sarah Morgan’s writing makes me feel, think, research, and re-read. Her annual #BlackBlogsMatter Challenge is something I look forward to reading, and learning from, every year.
Alyssa brings vulnerability and honesty to hard HR stories. Her posts on mental health are some of the best I’ve read. Also, don’t Google “high on hr.” Weird search results.
I love reading Jazmine’s writing because I can almost hear her saying it. Her writing is real, authentic, and smart. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with in 2020.
This is a great site for truly understanding the why behind recruiter rage. All that anger comes from somewhere after all. I’m so glad Amy is blogging, finally.
The first time I heard about Mike Kim was on Jennifer McClure’s podcast and I remember thinking “wow, I want to know more.” There was so much more. I admire Mike’s stories – not only for how he writes them, but for the meaning he is able to filter from the moments. I feel really lucky to call him a mentor and friend after this year.
BEST OF Career Sites
These sites are awesome because they tell the real behind the scenes story of what it means to work at these companies, with their own flair.
Spotify – This site will totally make you want to join their band.
HubSpot – I love that HubSpot took all of their inbound principles and built a badass career site.
Three Ears’ Three BEST OF Blog Posts of 2019
What I Learned Writing 60 Job Posts in 60 Days
These are the lessons I learned by speaking with hundreds of recruiting practitioners about job postings.
Manels are panels made up entirely of men, usually white dudes. I’m tired of them.
The 6 Scariest Job Postings I’ve Ever Read
I present the 6 worst job postings I’ve ever seen…with a little snarky commentary from me, of course.
BEST OF Podcasts
The HR Social Hour Podcast with Jon Thurmond and Wendy Dailey
My favorite part of this podcast is that both Jon and Wendy ask great questions. They love their work and it shows.
Laurie Ruettimann talks to people about work and I love it. As people who live in the world of recruiting, we have to remember that these things that feel like “just jobs” to us are parts of a person’s story forever.
If you want to learn recruiting tech without the vendor-sponsored small talk and BS, Chad Sowash and Joel Cheesman have the podcast for you.
Ironically, listening to this podcast has in fact made an impact on my life. The stories are thoughtful and inspiring. Thanks for that, Jennifer McClure.
This is not about recruiting, but how to take care of yourself in real life. I’m also a huge fan of his Instagram account @creathelove.
BEst of Twitter Accounts
Look, I’m not going to even start itemizing Twitter accounts one by one. Check out my list of favorite Twitter accounts.
Job Postings recruiting job postings recruiting recruiting advice
Kat Kibben View All →
Kat Kibben [they/them] is a keynote speaker, writing expert, and LGBTQIA+ advocate who teaches hiring teams how to write inclusive job postings that will get the right person to apply faster.
Before founding Three Ears Media, Katrina was a CMO, Technical Copywriter, and Managing Editor for leading companies like Monster, Care.com, and Randstad Worldwide. With 15+ years of recruitment marketing and training experience, Katrina knows how to turn talented recruiting teams into talented writers who write for people, not about work.
Today, Katrina is frequently featured as an HR and recruiting expert in publications like The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Forbes. They’ve been named to numerous lists, including LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Job Search & Careers. When not speaking, writing, or training, you’ll find Katrina traveling the country in their van or spending some much needed downtime with the dogs that inspired the name Three Ears Media.