A sign that the Mayan prediction is near

The Mayan calendar predicts that the world will end in 2012.  While there are some believers and some skeptics out there, we may have just witnessed a true and telling sign that the end of the world as we know it is very near...

Rutgers University paid Nicole Polizzi aka "Snookie" from the cast of MTV's The Jersey Shore, a whopping $32,000 for an on campus speaking engagement.  Not only can I not think of one intelligent thing she would have to say, the real surprise is that she was paid more money to speak than Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winning author Toni Morrison who is scheduled to speak at the schools upcoming graduation ceremony in May. 

I guess this goes to show us as a country where our priorities are and why college tuition is so expensive. 

Can’t Talk Now. I’ll Be in Meetings All Day

Reprinted with permission of ERE Media - www.ere.net


Caller: “Hi, can I please speak to John?”

Secretary: “Sir, John is not available right now. He is in a meeting. Can I take a message?”

Caller: “Do you know when he will be in?”

Secretary: “He is in meetings all day.” … click.

Bummer. I missed John again. That is one hard guy to get a hold of.

Wait! John just tweeted: “At work, is it Friday yet? Leaving early for H-Hour with the crew”"

What the &*()&)(?  What kind of meeting? What’s going on here?

Yes, John has left his window open, again.

It is true, social media has changed the way the world now communicates.

And it will probably get better … or worse, depending on your viewpoint.

But one thing is for sure, and it’s something that many people forget about: social media acts as a window into each of our lives. Sometimes we forget that the window is left open — wide open — and the world is watching. And what do we see when the window is open? Everything! We have seen employees fired for bad mouthing their bosses. We have seen prominent law students lose high profile job offers due to personal misconduct. We have seen friendships destroyed because of trash-talking and sadly we have seen cyberbullying and harassment.

The point is, I am not wronging John for saying he is in meetings all day and avoiding his phone; rather, I am advising John to be careful of what he says and when he says it.

Furthermore, the Internet is now becoming a large part of one’s resume as well — perhaps an electronic version, if you will. Yes, you have your paper copy which details your professional background and accomplishments and then you have your Internet resume which details perhaps your personal life, what others think about you, what you think about others, and so on. And regardless of what is said, who said it, and whether there is truth behind it or not — the fact remains that it is out there and people can see it.

With all these social media tools, you never know who is watching and you surely don’t want to look like a fool. Remember: the Internet never forgets.



Go Spurs Go!

Congratulations to the incredible San Antonio Spurs on their 50th win of the season last night over the Cleveland Cavs.  It's a great accomplishment and there is no finer franchise in all of professional sports!

Keep it up Spurs and thanks for always representing the great city of San Antonio in a respectable and professional manner!

Pre Friday old school dance off

This is a clip of the first movie I ever saw on that thing they call a VCR back in the day...enjoy

Have skills...will travel

 

We moved to the great state of Texas from Florida a little over 4 years ago with nothing more than a U-Haul of my house hold goods.  Being from California originally, it was a little bit different for me although I was used to moving around during my time in the military.  What brought me here you ask?  Well the San Antonio Spurs did; in fact I had been a David Robinson fan since the team drafted him right out of the Naval Academy.  I am not recommending you pick up and move to Pittsburg because you are a Steelers fan, for me it just happened to work out.  But low and behold did my career take off when I made the move to Texas; I found a new opportunity and it provided me the knowledge, experience, and training to take my career to the next level.

Moral of the story – don’t be afraid to branch out of your comfort zone and relocate.  We are in a tough economy and there are several good reasons to relocate.  Whether you are employed and looking to enhance your career or if you are in the market looking for opportunities – relocation can be right for you.  You may need a simple change of scenery to recharge the batteries or you may just want to take a jump and experience something new. 

For whatever your reason, it is imperative to look at any potential relocation scenario with a clear and broad picture as there are multiple things to consider.  Most of the time when I speak to individuals interested in relocating, they are all gung ho and ready to move.  Then as we proceed through the “relocation checklist” I usually get the, “Oh gosh, I didn’t think about that” answer.  So in order to help your relocation process go easier, think about the following items:

1.      Is your spouse or significant other on board? Needs to be a collective decision

2.      Are your children in/out of school? Teens can be hard to pull out of high school

3.      Do you own or rent? If you own, you better know if you can sell your house in this market

4.      What are the cost of living adjustments? Ex: $100k in Texas goes much further than $100k in NY

5.      Where will I/we live? Need to know the area, schools, resources – perhaps locate and work with reputable realtor

6.      Whether employed or not - consider the industries, economy, and market conditions in the area you are considering.

7.      Moving expenses – most employers are not paying relocation costs.  Take into consideration expenses such as: travel, start up utilities, rent deposits, etc.

8.      Weather/climate – different parts of the country have various weather patterns. If you like the cold and cool of the North East, you may not like the 100+ degree days in Phoenix, AZ. 

9.      Family – of course you will miss them but you can be accessible and visit when you can.  Technology such as Facebook and Skype allow us all to keep family and friends close.

What are you waiting for – take a look and take a chance!

Lessons from your pet

    

For all those dog & cat lovers out there - our pets can teach us great lessons of life.  In particular, it has always amazed me how dogs love the simple things in life.  They are happy when their owner comes home, each walk is like a new journey and every meal is full of excitement.  We as people can look at this and learn to appreciate the small things in life no matter how small or routine they may seem.

Back to the basics

Just as professional baseball players do every spring, it is time to look at the year ahead and tune up our recruiting skills.  This simple tune up is relevant to every recruiter including the most seasoned.  As most recruiters know, the life of a recruiter is up and down throughout the year.  The highs are HIGH and the lows are LOW.  The best recruiters in the industry consistently examine their processes throughout the year and when they find themselves off track, will revert back to the basics.    

As a pilot uses a checklist to take off and fly his aircraft; a recruiter needs to operate with the same basic process.  Establish a checklist, make sure everything is accomplished correctly in order, ensure no stone is left unturned and that all needed and relevant information from the candidate and the client are in your hands.

Here are a few important basics to review:

1.      Plan – ensure you have a detailed daily plan of who you will market to and who you will recruit. This will save time while maximizing productivity.

2.      Treat everyone with dignity and respect – I have worked alongside “candidate recruiters” and also “client recruiters”.  Treat everyone with respect and provide them some direct or indirect value as this will be sure to set you apart in your local recruiting world.

3.      Write a thorough and detailed job order – take your time, ask the right questions.  Don’t try and recruit off a job description.  If you are not using some type of job order form – time to build one.  

4.      Don’t be a “yes” man or woman – provide your clients value.  Don’t be an order taker - rather a trusted advisor and advise your clients on the individuals they should hire and those to pass on.

5.      Document – it is crucial that you document conversation, notes, emails, phone calls, etc.  In a game of he said/she said; you want to make sure you have what was said.

6.      Follow up – it is of utmost importance that you have a follow up plan for each and every prospect.  This will help bridge the communication process and develop your prospects into long term clients.

7.      Marketing – this is the lifeblood of a recruiter.  Planned, consistent and targeted marketing activities will ensure consistent communication and the more dials one makes; will hopefully result in more quality job orders to work.

8.      Interviewing – leverage a continuous flow of candidates to interview, regardless of passive or active status, to assist you in building a pipeline of leads, referrals and candidates.  In the interview, be sure to find out where each has applied or been presented, ensure you have discussed counteroffers and close the interview by asking for referrals.

9.      White boards – keep yourself organized, categorize your job orders into classes (A, B, C) with notes, brag a little and document your placement fees and manage your send outs.  Hang the board where it’s visible to your desk for quick reference.  

10.  Candidate prep – ensure you are prepping each and every send out thoroughly regardless of experience and level.  A better prepared candidate will have a leg up on the competition and will ensure that you stand out to your client. 

11.  Attitude – last but not least – smile, have fun, and be positive!