Texas Jobing Community Blogs

  (For more information, read my new book, Unlock the Hidden Job Market: 6 Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times Are Tough. And visit the book's official website!  )

You know that a letter to an advice columnist is going to be good when it’s signed, “Anonymous.” Personally, I’m thinking that if you feel you must hide your identity, you pretty much already know the right answer. You just want to go the other way.

A couple of weeks ago I was reading the Ethicist’s column in the Sunday New York Times magazine and was dismayed by the question: Is it okay to discriminate against otherwise fabulously qualified applicants who clearly disagree with you politically? The questioner was hiring summer interns for a law firm that is completely politics neutral. So there wasn’t really an issue about a skills – or even affinity – fit with the firm. This person, though, is decidedly not politics neutral, and he/she just couldn’t abide the idea of working with someone who wouldn’t agree on the matter of world affairs. The assumption was that anyone with such opposing politics would be definitely unlikeable. In fact, the headline of the column actually used the word, “unlikeable.”

To Ethicist’s credit, he advised the recruiter that it wouldn’t be right to discriminate on that basis. And he advised him/her to set aside the mini-McCarthyism. But in an updated note, Ethicist informed the readers that the recruiter went ahead chose only the applicants who didn’t leave any clues about opposing political affiliation. What’s interesting here is that the recruiter could have hired Hitler, just as long as he was qualified for the job and didn’t put his political point of view on his CV – leaving some really terrific, qualified, public-minded citizens in the big heap of the unemployed, unlikeable pile.

For several years now we’ve been talking about the inadvisability of posting pix of you wearing a lampshade on your head on social media sites. And one young woman actually lost a job because she posted on her Twitter account that it was such a bummer to have to go to work on a daily basis. (Problem solved!) You’d think that these choices would be obvious – and most of them are (although I’m still trying to convince a friend of mine that “calling in drunk” is not a smart thing to say on his Facebook page. He’s finally told me, nicely, to back off, so I guess I will. He’s a big boy, I respect him, and I value his friendship.)

But little, seemingly inoccuous, things can sneak into your public profile, resume, and applications. And even though they might be perfectly innocent, and actually indicate that you’re an active participant in life, they will slam the door on opportunities for you just as assuredly as if you had put “heroin addict” on your Profile. And what’s really too bad here is that you would never know. If you’re being screened out on the basis of your resume alone, you would have no way of tracking the reasons why you were being eliminated from the short list. Many biases (like your political inclinations) aren’t legally prohibited. And even if they were, why set yourself up for unfair exclusion?

Am I suggesting that you create a politically correct resume? Maybe I am. It’s killing me to do so, because freedom of expression is important to me – especially these days. And the way our society is becoming increasingly polarized is breaking my heart. But still, right now we’re talking about improving your chances of getting hired. Or at least getting the interview. And if you can tolerate the possibility of working with people who might disagree with you on the headlines, why destroy your chances of a great job?

So here are some details that you might want to scan your public image for. That means your resume, your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles, any public description of who you are that you have control over.

How you vote. Some activities are political hot-buttons that could spit you out of consideration on sight. PETA. NARAL. Planned Parenthood, any committee to elect, re-elect, or impeach anyone. Anything having to do with saving endangered but not especially attractive fish or reptiles. Anything having anything to do with polar bears. Pro or con. Sorry. I’m not saying you stop caring about the polar bear situation. I’m just saying that you might not want to go bragging about it for a while.

What you believe. Yes, it’s definitely illegal to discriminate on the basis of religion. So are you going to be there to tell the screener who is sifting through the plentiful resumes that the applicant tracking system managed to cull from the thousands? I’m thinking probably not. It’s not right. It’s not legal. But it is. So you might as well deal with it. Places of worship are wonderful, enriching and powerful community support systems. No doubt about it. And the fact that you can carve aside precious time in your life to actively care for others is a sign that you would be a credit to any company. Again…not telling you not to devote your time to these things but while you’re looking for a job, you might want to consider stripping the description of your activities of anything that would indicate your religion – or lack thereof.

What you read. If you like to read books or blogs that set other people’s hair on fire, you might want to take down your lists for a while.

If I were in your shoes right now, this is what I’d be thinking: This is bogus. I wouldn’t want to work for an organization that was so ideologically rigid as to not accept me for who I am. Well, here’s the thing: The person who is screening your resume is most likely not the person you would be working with directly. And you can’t be absolutely certain that the resume screener who stands between you and your ideal job (complete with ideal boss and wonderful company) won’t take advantage of the position of power to populate his/her company with “only the correct kinds of people.”

This isn’t to indict recruiters and HR (I love HR, as my long-time readers will tell you). It’s just that there are some people out there who take advantage of the power of their position (as we’ve already seen in the Sunday Times magazine). And neither you nor the company that needs you deserves to lose the opportunity of the two of you finding each other. So why take the risk?

Now it could be that you might also be thinking: I can’t working with or for someone who doesn’t think just like me. So if I get spat out at the early stage of the game, well, saves us both some heartache. Okay, fair enough. But, just to reiterate, remember that the resume screener isn’t likely going to be your manager. And there may be your perfect boss waiting for you, and wondering how it is that the screeners keep sending in such politically extreme weirdos.

You’ll have a chance to see how simpatico you will feel with the company and boss. Just get that interview first.

  (For more information, read my new book, Unlock the Hidden Job Market: 6 Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times Are Tough. And visit the book's official website!  )

You know that a letter to an advice columnist is going to be good when it’s signed, “Anonymous.” Personally, I’m thinking that if you feel you must hide your identity, you pretty much already know the right answer. You just want to go the other way.

A couple of weeks ago I was reading the Ethicist’s column in the Sunday New York Times magazine and was dismayed by the question: Is it okay to discriminate against otherwise fabulously qualified applicants who clearly disagree with you politically? The questioner was hiring summer interns for a law firm that is completely politics neutral. So there wasn’t really an issue about a skills – or even affinity – fit with the firm. This person, though, is decidedly not politics neutral, and he/she just couldn’t abide the idea of working with someone who wouldn’t agree on the matter of world affairs. The assumption was that anyone with such opposing politics would be definitely unlikeable. In fact, the headline of the column actually used the word, “unlikeable.”

To Ethicist’s credit, he advised the recruiter that it wouldn’t be right to discriminate on that basis. And he advised him/her to set aside the mini-McCarthyism. But in an updated note, Ethicist informed the readers that the recruiter went ahead chose only the applicants who didn’t leave any clues about opposing political affiliation. What’s interesting here is that the recruiter could have hired Hitler, just as long as he was qualified for the job and didn’t put his political point of view on his CV – leaving some really terrific, qualified, public-minded citizens in the big heap of the unemployed, unlikeable pile.

For several years now we’ve been talking about the inadvisability of posting pix of you wearing a lampshade on your head on social media sites. And one young woman actually lost a job because she posted on her Twitter account that it was such a bummer to have to go to work on a daily basis. (Problem solved!) You’d think that these choices would be obvious – and most of them are (although I’m still trying to convince a friend of mine that “calling in drunk” is not a smart thing to say on his Facebook page. He’s finally told me, nicely, to back off, so I guess I will. He’s a big boy, I respect him, and I value his friendship.)

But little, seemingly inoccuous, things can sneak into your public profile, resume, and applications. And even though they might be perfectly innocent, and actually indicate that you’re an active participant in life, they will slam the door on opportunities for you just as assuredly as if you had put “heroin addict” on your Profile. And what’s really too bad here is that you would never know. If you’re being screened out on the basis of your resume alone, you would have no way of tracking the reasons why you were being eliminated from the short list. Many biases (like your political inclinations) aren’t legally prohibited. And even if they were, why set yourself up for unfair exclusion?

Am I suggesting that you create a politically correct resume? Maybe I am. It’s killing me to do so, because freedom of expression is important to me – especially these days. And the way our society is becoming increasingly polarized is breaking my heart. But still, right now we’re talking about improving your chances of getting hired. Or at least getting the interview. And if you can tolerate the possibility of working with people who might disagree with you on the headlines, why destroy your chances of a great job?

So here are some details that you might want to scan your public image for. That means your resume, your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles, any public description of who you are that you have control over.

How you vote. Some activities are political hot-buttons that could spit you out of consideration on sight. PETA. NARAL. Planned Parenthood, any committee to elect, re-elect, or impeach anyone. Anything having to do with saving endangered but not especially attractive fish or reptiles. Anything having anything to do with polar bears. Pro or con. Sorry. I’m not saying you stop caring about the polar bear situation. I’m just saying that you might not want to go bragging about it for a while.

What you believe. Yes, it’s definitely illegal to discriminate on the basis of religion. So are you going to be there to tell the screener who is sifting through the plentiful resumes that the applicant tracking system managed to cull from the thousands? I’m thinking probably not. It’s not right. It’s not legal. But it is. So you might as well deal with it. Places of worship are wonderful, enriching and powerful community support systems. No doubt about it. And the fact that you can carve aside precious time in your life to actively care for others is a sign that you would be a credit to any company. Again…not telling you not to devote your time to these things but while you’re looking for a job, you might want to consider stripping the description of your activities of anything that would indicate your religion – or lack thereof.

What you read. If you like to read books or blogs that set other people’s hair on fire, you might want to take down your lists for a while.

If I were in your shoes right now, this is what I’d be thinking: This is bogus. I wouldn’t want to work for an organization that was so ideologically rigid as to not accept me for who I am. Well, here’s the thing: The person who is screening your resume is most likely not the person you would be working with directly. And you can’t be absolutely certain that the resume screener who stands between you and your ideal job (complete with ideal boss and wonderful company) won’t take advantage of the position of power to populate his/her company with “only the correct kinds of people.”

This isn’t to indict recruiters and HR (I love HR, as my long-time readers will tell you). It’s just that there are some people out there who take advantage of the power of their position (as we’ve already seen in the Sunday Times magazine). And neither you nor the company that needs you deserves to lose the opportunity of the two of you finding each other. So why take the risk?

Now it could be that you might also be thinking: I can’t working with or for someone who doesn’t think just like me. So if I get spat out at the early stage of the game, well, saves us both some heartache. Okay, fair enough. But, just to reiterate, remember that the resume screener isn’t likely going to be your manager. And there may be your perfect boss waiting for you, and wondering how it is that the screeners keep sending in such politically extreme weirdos.

You’ll have a chance to see how simpatico you will feel with the company and boss. Just get that interview first.

  (For more information, read my new book, Unlock the Hidden Job Market: 6 Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times Are Tough. And visit the book's official website!  )

You know that a letter to an advice columnist is going to be good when it’s signed, “Anonymous.” Personally, I’m thinking that if you feel you must hide your identity, you pretty much already know the right answer. You just want to go the other way.

A couple of weeks ago I was reading the Ethicist’s column in the Sunday New York Times magazine and was dismayed by the question: Is it okay to discriminate against otherwise fabulously qualified applicants who clearly disagree with you politically? The questioner was hiring summer interns for a law firm that is completely politics neutral. So there wasn’t really an issue about a skills – or even affinity – fit with the firm. This person, though, is decidedly not politics neutral, and he/she just couldn’t abide the idea of working with someone who wouldn’t agree on the matter of world affairs. The assumption was that anyone with such opposing politics would be definitely unlikeable. In fact, the headline of the column actually used the word, “unlikeable.”

To Ethicist’s credit, he advised the recruiter that it wouldn’t be right to discriminate on that basis. And he advised him/her to set aside the mini-McCarthyism. But in an updated note, Ethicist informed the readers that the recruiter went ahead chose only the applicants who didn’t leave any clues about opposing political affiliation. What’s interesting here is that the recruiter could have hired Hitler, just as long as he was qualified for the job and didn’t put his political point of view on his CV – leaving some really terrific, qualified, public-minded citizens in the big heap of the unemployed, unlikeable pile.

For several years now we’ve been talking about the inadvisability of posting pix of you wearing a lampshade on your head on social media sites. And one young woman actually lost a job because she posted on her Twitter account that it was such a bummer to have to go to work on a daily basis. (Problem solved!) You’d think that these choices would be obvious – and most of them are (although I’m still trying to convince a friend of mine that “calling in drunk” is not a smart thing to say on his Facebook page. He’s finally told me, nicely, to back off, so I guess I will. He’s a big boy, I respect him, and I value his friendship.)

But little, seemingly inoccuous, things can sneak into your public profile, resume, and applications. And even though they might be perfectly innocent, and actually indicate that you’re an active participant in life, they will slam the door on opportunities for you just as assuredly as if you had put “heroin addict” on your Profile. And what’s really too bad here is that you would never know. If you’re being screened out on the basis of your resume alone, you would have no way of tracking the reasons why you were being eliminated from the short list. Many biases (like your political inclinations) aren’t legally prohibited. And even if they were, why set yourself up for unfair exclusion?

Am I suggesting that you create a politically correct resume? Maybe I am. It’s killing me to do so, because freedom of expression is important to me – especially these days. And the way our society is becoming increasingly polarized is breaking my heart. But still, right now we’re talking about improving your chances of getting hired. Or at least getting the interview. And if you can tolerate the possibility of working with people who might disagree with you on the headlines, why destroy your chances of a great job?

So here are some details that you might want to scan your public image for. That means your resume, your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles, any public description of who you are that you have control over.

How you vote. Some activities are political hot-buttons that could spit you out of consideration on sight. PETA. NARAL. Planned Parenthood, any committee to elect, re-elect, or impeach anyone. Anything having to do with saving endangered but not especially attractive fish or reptiles. Anything having anything to do with polar bears. Pro or con. Sorry. I’m not saying you stop caring about the polar bear situation. I’m just saying that you might not want to go bragging about it for a while.

What you believe. Yes, it’s definitely illegal to discriminate on the basis of religion. So are you going to be there to tell the screener who is sifting through the plentiful resumes that the applicant tracking system managed to cull from the thousands? I’m thinking probably not. It’s not right. It’s not legal. But it is. So you might as well deal with it. Places of worship are wonderful, enriching and powerful community support systems. No doubt about it. And the fact that you can carve aside precious time in your life to actively care for others is a sign that you would be a credit to any company. Again…not telling you not to devote your time to these things but while you’re looking for a job, you might want to consider stripping the description of your activities of anything that would indicate your religion – or lack thereof.

What you read. If you like to read books or blogs that set other people’s hair on fire, you might want to take down your lists for a while.

If I were in your shoes right now, this is what I’d be thinking: This is bogus. I wouldn’t want to work for an organization that was so ideologically rigid as to not accept me for who I am. Well, here’s the thing: The person who is screening your resume is most likely not the person you would be working with directly. And you can’t be absolutely certain that the resume screener who stands between you and your ideal job (complete with ideal boss and wonderful company) won’t take advantage of the position of power to populate his/her company with “only the correct kinds of people.”

This isn’t to indict recruiters and HR (I love HR, as my long-time readers will tell you). It’s just that there are some people out there who take advantage of the power of their position (as we’ve already seen in the Sunday Times magazine). And neither you nor the company that needs you deserves to lose the opportunity of the two of you finding each other. So why take the risk?

Now it could be that you might also be thinking: I can’t working with or for someone who doesn’t think just like me. So if I get spat out at the early stage of the game, well, saves us both some heartache. Okay, fair enough. But, just to reiterate, remember that the resume screener isn’t likely going to be your manager. And there may be your perfect boss waiting for you, and wondering how it is that the screeners keep sending in such politically extreme weirdos.

You’ll have a chance to see how simpatico you will feel with the company and boss. Just get that interview first.

You may have seen the movie.  The Bucket List starred Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as two aging men who meet in a hospital while each is dealing with the shock of learning they are terminally ill.  They decide to devote their remaining time before they “kick the bucket” to experiencing a list of dreams—some modest, some not—that they had never found the time or the opportunity to realize while they were raising families and earning a living.

The movie is a poignant treatise on friendship in unlikely places, and perhaps more importantly, a powerful lesson about how best to live our lives (and our careers).  It offers an admittedly old truism, but one worth remembering: we should never put our dreams off because we don’t know how long we will have to see them come true.

With that thought in mind, I offer my bucket list for recruiters—the things we should strive to get to while we can.  It’s an abbreviated list, so is not meant to identify everything that we might hope to accomplish in the course of our careers.  In addition, some of the goals may be beyond our reach—at least without some outside cooperation—while others are much more susceptible to our own efforts.  However, all of the goals—be they large or small—are worthy aspirations.  By reaching for them, we improve our experience as recruiters.

How should you read the list?  Simply insert the following p hrase in front of each item: “At some point in my career—and the sooner, th e better—I would like .to …”

1.  Work for a CEO who gets it.   We know they can say it—“Our employees are our most important asset” is the siren song of every CEO worth his or her salt in corporate America—what we seldom experience is one who does it.  Indeed, the limit of what many executives seem willing to invest in their workforce (and the recruiting team that brings it in the door) is just that—verbal capital or what you and I call “hot air.”  If they really believe they can’t get by without great talent, they will have to open their wallets in a much bigger way.  And those that do are the organizations for which we should seek to work.

2.  Work with hiring managers who get it.   Too many of today’s managers think that it’s still 1952 and there’s an unlimited supply of top talent just salivating at the chance to work for them.  They are too busy to write a decent requisition, get involved with sourcing candidates or learn how to prepare for and conduct an effective interview, but they always have enough time to wail about what they perceive to be inadequate recruiting support.  If they want to see more high caliber applicants for their openings, however, they will have to get more involved in filling them.  And those that do are the business partners to whom we should devote our best efforts.

3.  Wor k with coworkers who get it.   While recruiters are formally charged with acquiring talent for the organization, it is clearly in everybody’s best interest to ensure that their coworkers are as capable as possible.  Especially in these days and times, there’s no better form of security than an organization brimming with high caliber workers.  Which begs the question: why is it so difficult to get people involved in their organization’s employee referral program?  If our coworkers want to get more satisfaction and security out of their work, they will have to work harder at searching out and selling top talent.  And those who do are the employees we should celebrate and support.

4.  Work with an applicant tracking system that gets it.   Recruiters may be responsible for processing a lot of information, but that is by no means their most important accountability.  In addition to acquiring top talent, they also have a fiduciary responsibility—they must ensure that they invest their employer’s money wisely.  To do that, they need accurate data on the source of their applicants, and they rely on their ATS to get it.  Unfortunately, however, the rudimentary technology offered by many ATS vendors is simply not up to the task.  If these vendors want to help recruiters get smarter about where to spend their recruitment budget, they will have to upgrade their source identification capability.  And those that do should be the vendors from which we buy our systems.

5.  Work wit h applicants who get it.   Unfortunately, a lot of applicants today think that the question we want them to answer is “What have they done?”  And, of course, the insight for which we’re really looking is “What can they do?”  For us?  Right now and in the future?  The fact that they’ve been in the workforce for twenty or thirty years doesn’t mean a thing if their skills and knowledge are that old, as well.  If they want to get considered by us, therefore, they will have to bring themselves up-to-date.  And those who do are the prospects we should pursue most aggressively.

The notion of a bucket list, I suppose, can be off-putting at first.  It can seem … well, a bit pessimistic.  On the other hand, if we see it as our horizon, as the future toward which we would like to journey, then it is as hopeful an outlook as one can have.  It affirms our ability to better our condition, to reach for the richest and fullest experience we can have in the one-third of our lives that we spend at work.

Thanks for reading,

Peter

Visit my blog at Weddles.com/WorkStrong

Peter Weddle is the author of over two dozen employm ent-related books, including Recognizing Richard Rabbit , a fable of self-discovery for working adults, and Work Strong, Your Personal Career Fitness System .

© Copyright 2009 WEDD LE’s LLC.  All Rights Reserved.

Every year SHRM awards seven Pinnacle Awards. The awards recognize an innovative activity, program or initiative that transcends normal affiliate operations. Along with a monetary grant of $1,000, the prestigious award brings tremendous honor to a chapter. As a point of reference, there are over 500 SHRM chapters internationally.  Click here to read more about the SHRM Pinnacle Award Program.

Many of you are familiar with AHRMA’s volunteer leadership development program, Stepping Stones to Enhanced Leadership, that was piloted last year and is now in Series 2. The mission of this program is to develop future leaders within the HR profession. Earlier this year, your Executive Committee voted to submit Stepping Stones for consideration and – drum roll please…

WE WON!!!

Click here to see the video!

Being a member of the DFW SMA helps keep recruiting and staffing professionals up to date on our profession and provides valuable networking opportunities.

We are doing a membership drive to increase our membership.  Therefore, we are providing you with some incentives to join our association and for you to bring some friends to the team.

Who says there isn't such a thing as a "free lunch?"  If you join or renew your membership at the November luncheon (or on line at www.dfwsma.org anytime on 11/18), you will be provided a free bi-monthly Luncheon Meeting certificate to be used anytime in 2010 (a $25 value).

Cost of DFW SMA membership:  $50 for SHRM members and $75 for non-SHRM members.  Membership is annualized.  If you sign up this December, your membership will be active until December 2010!

Membership Referral Program
We are launching our new membership referral program
All members that refer a new or renewal member will be included in a drawing for $50 cash

How to participate:  Have the new/renewal member go to www.dfwsma.org and sign up.  Make sure they fill out the  referral Information section and tell us who referred them.

The $50 drawing will take place at every bi-monthly luncheon (anyone who referred someone from the last luncheon will be included in the drawing).

See the website (www.dfwsma.org) for more details on the program.

If you have any questions, please contact Diana Meisenhelter, VP of Membership  at Diana@RivieraAdvisors.com or 972-307-5637.  We hope to see you soon!

 

If you want to learn how to keep hope alive, maintain enthusiasm, and retain a positive mental attitude during your job search:

Tune in to JobRadioUSA’s special 90 minute episode: “Layoffs & Hope – Advice & Inspiration for Your Job Search, Life, & Career,” Tuesday December 15th at 8PM CST

Bruce Razban – career and life inspirational author - will discuss or provide:

 

How to successfully deal with the emotional ups and downs of layoffs or unemployment

How to keep enthusiasm and a positive mental attitude throughout your job search

How to keep hope alive during a daunting job search

Advice, self help, and encouragement for individuals currently (or in the future) unhappy with their work lives

How to become a CEO of your own life, job search, and/or career

 

You can access the show by either dialing 347-838-9326 or visiting http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thecareercatalyst.

Since anyone can participate, feel free to share this info with other employed, underemployed, and unemployed job seekers.

 During the listener Q&A session, Bruce will reveal:

 

How you can identify opportunities instead of focusing on adversity due to a temporary setback

Why you should not internalize a layoff or displacement

Stories of how individuals successfully dealt with and overcame work-related setbacks

How you can create a career and life that you love

 

I look forward to your live participation Tuesday night. Feel free to ask questions during the Q&A segment.

Meanwhile, visithttp://www.blogtalkradio.com/thecareercatalyst and listen to any of the previous 25 career shows you may have missed.

 

You are going to experience both ups and downs during your job search. No matter how tough your current search is, it’s important not to lose your drive. Below are five methods you can use to keep or increase your enthusiasm.

1. Focus on the Positive: You should spend time identifying the positive aspects of a difficult job market. This could entail a decline in monthly net job losses, future incentives to entice small businesses to hire, and the upcoming end of the “worst decade ever.” Next bury the past, move forward with a clean slate, and anticipate the success you will experience during the next decade.

2. Try New Things: If you have not done so, create a list of up to 150 additional companies (predominantly small and mid-size) within a 30-50 mile radius of your home. Next contact the companies’ hiring managers (before the end of year) and request face-to-face meetings. During these meetings, discuss how you can help solve their current problems and create value. The more meetings you have, the more opportunities to generate subsequent interviews and job offers. If your current job search is stalled, you now have a new technique to execute. As a result, your enthusiasm and motivation should increase, since you have something new to look forward to.

3. Cover Your Bases: Make sure you are performing every efficient activity possible to successfully tap into the hidden and advertised job markets. Likewise, you will minimize guilt or regret since the difficulties of your current job search is not because of your actions; or due to you not taking all of the necessary actions required to end your job search. As long as you continue doing what it takes to end your job search, you will eventually achieve your desired outcome.

4. Learn From Others: You should read and/or listen to personal development books, articles, CDs, and podcasts that cover enthusiasm. You should also associate with enthusiastic individuals (including job seekers) and ask them how they consistently maintain their enthusiasm.

5. Reward Yourself: You should exercise, eat well, acquire an adequate amount of sleep, and give back. Also reward yourself for working diligently during your job search. On a weekly basis participate in activities that you love to do, that make you smile, and that make you laugh. Likewise, you will keep your energy level up which will help keep you devoted to accomplishing your job search goals.

Feel free to visit http://tiny.cc/sOADI to read How to Use LinkedIn and Twitter Simultaneously During Your Job Search.

You may have seen the movie.  The Bucket List starred Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as two aging men who meet in a hospital while each is dealing with the shock of learning they are terminally ill.  They decide to devote their remaining time before they “kick the bucket” to experiencing a list of dreams—some modest, some not—that they had never found the time or the opportunity to realize while they were raising families and earning a living.

 

The movie is a poignant treatise on friendship in unlikely places, and perhaps more importantly, a powerful lesson about how best to live our lives (and our careers).  It offers an admittedly old truism, but one worth remembering: we should never put our dreams off because we don’t know how long we will have to see them come true.

 

With that thought in mind, I offer my bucket list for recruiters—the things we should strive to get to while we can.  It’s an abbreviated list, so is not meant to identify everything that we might hope to accomplish in the course of our careers.  In addition, some of the goals may be beyond our reach—at least without some outside cooperation—while others are much more susceptible to our own efforts.  However, all of the goals—be they large or small—are worthy aspirations.  By reaching for them, we improve our experience as recruiters.

 

How should you read the list?  Simply insert the following p hrase in front of each item: “At some point in my career—and the sooner, th e better—I would like .to …”

 

1.  Work for a CEO who gets it.   We know they can say it—“Our employees are our most important asset” is the siren song of every CEO worth his or her salt in corporate America—what we seldom experience is one who does it.  Indeed, the limit of what many executives seem willing to invest in their workforce (and the recruiting team that brings it in the door) is just that—verbal capital or what you and I call “hot air.”  If they really believe they can’t get by without great talent, they will have to open their wallets in a much bigger way.  And those that do are the organizations for which we should seek to work.

 

2.  Work with hiring managers who get it.   Too many of today’s managers think that it’s still 1952 and there’s an unlimited supply of top talent just salivating at the chance to work for them.  They are too busy to write a decent requisition, get involved with sourcing candidates or learn how to prepare for and conduct an effective interview, but they always have enough time to wail about what they perceive to be inadequate recruiting support.  If they want to see more high caliber applicants for their openings, however, they will have to get more involved in filling them.  And those that do are the business partners to whom we should devote our best efforts.

 

3.  Wor k with coworkers who get it.   While recruiters are formally charged with acquiring talent for the organization, it is clearly in everybody’s best interest to ensure that their coworkers are as capable as possible.  Especially in these days and times, there’s no better form of security than an organization brimming with high caliber workers.  Which begs the question: why is it so difficult to get people involved in their organization’s employee referral program?  If our coworkers want to get more satisfaction and security out of their work, they will have to work harder at searching out and selling top talent.  And those who do are the employees we should celebrate and support.

 

4.  Work with an applicant tracking system that gets it.   Recruiters may be responsible for processing a lot of information, but that is by no means their most important accountability.  In addition to acquiring top talent, they also have a fiduciary responsibility—they must ensure that they invest their employer’s money wisely.  To do that, they need accurate data on the source of their applicants, and they rely on their ATS to get it.  Unfortunately, however, the rudimentary technology offered by many ATS vendors is simply not up to the task.  If these vendors want to help recruiters get smarter about where to spend their recruitment budget, they will have to upgrade their source identification capability.  And those that do should be the vendors from which we buy our systems.

 

5.  Work wit h applicants who get it.   Unfortunately, a lot of applicants today think that the question we want them to answer is “What have they done?”  And, of course, the insight for which we’re really looking is “What can they do?”  For us?  Right now and in the future?  The fact that they’ve been in the workforce for twenty or thirty years doesn’t mean a thing if their skills and knowledge are that old, as well.  If they want to get considered by us, therefore, they will have to bring themselves up-to-date.  And those who do are the prospects we should pursue most aggressively.

 

The notion of a bucket list, I suppose, can be off-putting at first.  It can seem … well, a bit pessimistic.  On the other hand, if we see it as our horizon, as the future toward which we would like to journey, then it is as hopeful an outlook as one can have.  It affirms our ability to better our condition, to reach for the richest and fullest experience we can have in the one-third of our lives that we spend at work.

 

Thanks for reading,

Peter

The American Dream.  While it is a quintessentially American aspiration, each of us has a unique vision of just what it is.  For some, the dream is a chance to build a successful business.  For others, it’s a home of their own.  And for still others, it’s the opportunity to shop until they drop.  As alluring as all of these visions are, however, I would respectfully suggest that they are outcomes of the dream and not the dream, itself.  The American Dream is actually a state of mind.

We all know, of course, that the American Dream exists because we live in a nation founded on certain extraordinary principles.  Much as we take them for granted, deep down inside, every American knows that they are especially fortunate to live in a land where they are accorded an enduring right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.  While most of us are very clear about what Life and Liberty mean, however, there is some confusion about the pursuit of Happiness.  And it’s that misunderstanding which causes us to misperceive the American Dream.

The founding fathers, themselves, inadvertently provoked this situation with their capitalization choices.  They used initial caps on Life, Liberty and Happiness, when what they really meant to enshrine was a commitment to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness.  In other words, what the American Dream promises is not a right to happiness, but a right to Achieve it on our own.

What does that mean for those of us in the workforce?

Over the past decade or so, social scientists have been trying to figure out just what happiness is and where it comes from.  While many of us think the answers to such questions are intuitively obvious, it turns out that we may be selling ourselves short.  Humans have the capacity not only to experience happiness, but to experience joy, as well.  And those two states are very different.

Joy is an emotional state.  It is derived from our relationships with family and friends.  When those interactions engage and satisfy us, when they enable us to be the best of ourselves with the others in our Life, we experience joy—one of the human species’ greatest gifts.

Happiness, on the other hand, is a cognitive state.  It occurs when we are tested by meaningful challenges that stimulate us to express and experience our fullest natural potential, our talent.  These challenges can occur anywhere, but they are most prevalent in the workplace.  In other words, our best shot at Achieving happiness occurs when we put ourselves in a position to excel at what we love to do.

That is the essence of the American Dream.  It is a personal commitment, a determination to devote our Life and exercise our Liberty to the accomplishment of two tasks:

· To discovering our natural talent or what we love to do and do best.

and

· To working only where we can use that talent to achieve satisfying goals.

The outcome of those tasks will be unique to each of us, but the tasks themselves are the same for all of us.  They represent our right to the Pursuit of happiness.

Those two tasks are also the key to a successful job search and a rewarding career.  Whether we’re in transition or currently employed, they enable and empower us to control our destiny, to shape it to an end that is important and fulfilling to us.  It is our right, to be sure, but it is also our responsibility.  For only we can take the first step, only we can decide to set off on our own personal Pursuit of happiness.

Why should we bother?  Because as wonderful as the joy is in our relationships, we deserve more.  We spend at least one-third of our lives at work, and that experience should offer more than frustration, anxiety and despair.  It should be, it can be a source of profound fulfillment.  Or what the founding fathers called Happiness.

Thanks for reading,

Peter

Visit my blog at Weddles.com/WorkStrong

Peter Weddle is the author of over two dozen employment-related books, including Recognizing Richard Rabbit, a fable of self-discovery for working adults, and Work Strong, Your Personal Career Fitness System.

© Copyright 2009 WEDDLE’s LLC.  All Rights Reserved.

Ok- so I still hear a majority of people that I encounter each and every day tell me that they hate their job; don't like their boss; don't like their co-workers; start counting the days until the weekend on Monday! Unfortunately research studies still show that 70% of people in the work place hate their jobs. This drives me crazy!

Instead of complaining about it- let's do something about it! Here is the deal, you don't have to 'love' each and every minute of your day but you can choose to spend your time doing the absolute best you can do. Focus on the value that you bring to your work and be the best you can be. In today's economy most of us don't have the option of changing jobs so why not change your perspective. Bring positive energy to your job, make a difference where you are.

Don't whine; don't complain; don't check out. Make the most of your current situation. Do the little things in your job like they were big things. Keep a good attitude. If your job isn't exciting, bring some excitement to the job. Somewhere down the road the doors of opportunity will be open for you because someone will have noticed. How do I know that? Because I have seen it happen time and time again.

The average person will spend approximately half his waking hours at work. Over the course of a lifetime, that is about a hundred thousand hours on the job. Even if you are currently not enjoying the 'dream job' you had hoped for, turn the job you have now into a stepping stone instead of a destination.

My very wise daughter was sharing with me her decision to 'choose' to make her day at work a positive one, even in the midst of negativity, stress and a very demanding work load. She began to remind herself that she just needed to be positive and helpful and focus on doing her very best each moment and everything else was simply unnecessary noise. It did not take long before several of her co-workers were asking her "what's wrong with you, are you taking medication?" She explained that she was simply changing her perspective. Why not try changing yours? I love that kid, at 26 she is finally paying attention to what I say!

Remember: Change of Attitude + change of pace = change of perspective

Doctor B

The SHRM Student Games is coming to the metroplex! Scheduled for Saturday, February 20th at the University of Texas Arlington. Student teams from universities and colleges all across the state will come to compete in a game show style competition to earn the top spot. Students study all year long for this event.  

Volunteers are needed to help in many areas. You don't have to you don't have to live in the DFW area or be an HR Professional to volunteer! And besides, the volunteers get the answers!

So make plans to join us for this all day event on Saturday, February 20th at UT Arlington. It is an event you will definately remember!

For more information contact Matt McKinney at mmckinne@gmail.com or Patty Revis at patty.revis@jobing.com.

“Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces” Franklin D Roosevelt (December 8, 1941)

The world has changed a lot in the 68 years since Pearl Harbor. It is hard to imagine the achievements, events, inventions, and ups/downs that America’s “greatest generation” has seen.  Even harder to imagine how much we must change in order to meet their needs as they age.

Our current system rewards treating conditions not prevention. Medicare will pay for therapy if a certain number are needed but won’t if less would suffice.  The impact is that preventable treatments may not be received. Insurance companies want patients discharged from the hospitals as soon as possible. In some cases drugs may not be fully regulated. These short-term solutions to save money leave gaps that increase the likelihood of higher long-term costs.

For 15 years, Cardiovascular Home Care has bridged these gaps for our patients. We work to address short-term issues but also see the long-term needs.  Patients receive a therapy and fall-risk evaluation to prevent common injuries. Medication management is given a primary focus so that patients receive the maximum benefit from their drugs. When additional resources are needed our social work team will help locate them.

By focusing on the preventative side we see dramatic decreases in hospitalizations. While you cannot eliminate all hospitalizations for chronic diseases, you can ensure a longer period of time between them.  You can also eliminate the unnecessary, unrelated hospitalizations that often accompany them. By reducing hospitalizations, our patients have a higher quality of life, dramatically lower costs and live longer.

The “greatest generation” deserves the greatest care. They went to war, rebuilt nations, developed our economy, desegregated our communities, and sustained our nation through good times and bad. If each generation’s promise is to do better than the previous then surely we are lacking.

If you are interested in referring a patient to our agency, please call 817.847.8888 or check us out online at www.cardiachomecare.com. We are available on ECIN under Cardiovascular Home Care.

If you are interested in joining our team, you can apply online here at Jobing.Com. For more information about our agency, you can go to www.happynurses.info.

It's no secret that a job search can be a little stressful, especially when you are balancing your search with holiday stress. It's important to keep as organized and stress-free as possible to help you have a successful job search. Here are a few tips on how to keep your cool while searching for jobs this holiday season.

Incorporate personal goals with Professional ones - we have talked about having a job search plan to keep you organized and on track. It is important to put your personal goals and obligations in that plan. Sometime job seekers create a great plan, but come to find out it's not realistic based on their other obligations.

Allow flexibility - There are few things more frustrating than creating a plan only to have an unexpected event interrupt the process. It's okay! Things are going to come up that may require you to change your plan. This does not mean your plan is ruined. Be flexible and amend your process when necessary. 

Track your progress - Whether it be daily or weekly, track the progress you are making. Celebrate small wins and look for ways to improve. Remember to ask for feedback, encouragement and accountability when necessary.

Take a breather - This is a busy time of year. Don't put your job search on hold, but don't be afraid to take a breather when you are feeling overwhelmed. Regroup and recharge to stay motivated. We all need a "cheat day" sometimes. 
 

Patty Revis is the Fort Worth Community Relations Director for Jobing.com and the Employment Expert for TXA21. She works with Associations, Non-Profits and Professional Organizations in the metroplex as well as job seeker groups in the area. Contact her at patty.revis@jobing.com for more information on Jobing.com, Job Seeking Advice or other opportunities that just sound fun. Also, you can follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fortworthjobs or on Twitter @jobingfortworth. 

When you’re in the market for a federal job, having the knowledge of the hiring process is essential for success.  After all, it’s your resume and KSA’s that will determine whether or not you are invited to interview for the jobs you want.  Without a well-written resume that highlights your skills in a manner that will appeal to federal Human Resource Staffs, you aren’t likely to get a chance to sell yourself to prospective employers.  Before you apply for another federal job, make sure that your federal resume is sending the right message to prospective employers.

Let Mr. Washington and his team of career development professional’s work with you to craft a winning federal resume. With years of experience in employee recruiting and human resource training, Mr. Washington knows what Human Resources Staffs are looking for. If you’re ready to take your federal job search to the next level, plan to attend our next seminar, December 19, 2009, 8am to 12pm, at Springhill Suite by Marriott, 2363 Stemmon Trail, Dallas, Texas 75220, or call 682-560-9142 for more Information. Registration is required. Start 2010 off right with a federal job. To register go to www.theresumeshop.vpweb.com