The Deal Is Going to Hell, But Im Enjoying the Ride

The Deal Is Going to Hell, But I’m Enjoying the Ride I was having a chat with one of the truly awesome agency sales/recruiters I know. I mentioned her banter wasn’t up to par, and she replied with (and I copied this straight from our text, by the way): My banter is worn out from being on the phone with [name removed to protect the guilty] today, hammering home the client/candidate control idea. I tell him that we dont have control, but we disagree. Having been on the phone with the same guilty party, having had the same discussion with the man, I knew just what she was saying. You might have the illusion of control, but it is a diaphanous as the most transparent negligée. What you can have, in fact, what you want, is an open honest relationship without any games! One of my problems with the current thing we call capitalism is that it doesn’t allow for the idea of a trade as opposed to a sale. Someone has to profit, which means someone has to lose. I am a big fan of the works of Robert Anton Wilson   he talks about it, via the guise of Hagbard Celine, in the Illuminati! Trilogy: In the same mathematically reciprocal way, profit implies loss. If you and I exchange equal goods, that is trade: neither of us profits and neither of us loses. But if we exchange unequal goods, one of us profits and the other loses. Mathematically. Certainly. So, first you’re saying, wait, didn’t this start out about Client/Candidate Control? Then, you’re saying are you some sort of Hippie Pinko Commie Socialist Liberal? The answer to both those questions is maybe. My point is we aren’t selling a product, we are offering a service. Our expert level skills are the “product” doing something someone else cannot. We get paid for the search, for the process management and for the delivery on the Start Date. (Oh, and 90 days after on average). Who profits? Ideally everyone, from the candidate who has a new opportunity, to the client who has someone to perform needed tasks, to you earning your commission and/or salary. There is nothing wrong with profit when a service is what’s for sale as there is nothing tangible, noting physical that we can define value by. There are many things wrong about how some people try and make a profit on services though. Which is how we get back to the idea of control, both client control and candidate control. If you are “losing control” of either side, well, you have already failed. You aren’t offering a service, you’re pimping a product. You aren’t giving equal value, you’re selling a lemon and calling it a Cadillac. We deal with Human Beings, not Automatons. With that in mind, what can we do as the middle person, to make sure everything goes smooth? Easy like Sunday morning is far different then CONTROL. Here are a few things I suggest: To Thine Ownself be True: With clients and candidates always be yourself. We all have different masks we wear, we are all our own Zelig, that’s is part of being someone who can live in society. However, try to be as close to who you REALLY are, as you can be. It won’t get everyone to be your friend but personal connections make the difference, not just in recruiting, but in all relationships. Plus, Bullshit Stinks and is very noticeable in mixed company O this learning, what a thing it is!: Listen and Learn, then look it up and come back with questions. You are hunting a skill set you have never touched before… Call someone whose resume matches and ASK. Admitting ignorance is the first step to gaining knowledge. Plus, who doesn’t like to talk about their specialty? Hell, I love it so much I write a monthly column for free! I have cause, and will, and strength, and means To dot.: This is a hard one for me, personally. It is something I struggle with on every call. Ask those tough questions where you are afraid of the answer. How does it stack up against what you have now? How do you feel about taking 10k less? How do you feel knowing that the entire board of directors was just indicted? How do you feel about adding 20 minutes to your commute? We all think we know the answers… We are all afraid of the answers…. Yet, get it out there. Get your red flags out early, they’ll be there if you ask or don’t ask. Ignorance of a problem doesn’t make it go away Knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven: That line about looking it up in number 2? Something I have noticed is that not everyone understands that everything is now out there… and that everything that isn’t will be out there someday. Just ask Brownie, Pippa Middleton or anyone left at News Corp. Be aware of all the negatives and positives of your openings, your clients and candidates. You can be sure everyone else involved will be googling it. If you address it upfront and clear the air, it is not going to pop up and bite you. Nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so Let us keep with the looking it up theme: Because you can find positive things to talk about as well… It’s a dual edged sword, friends. It’s also the best tool to help do the first thing on the list. I am lucky (or cursed, I don’t know anymore) with an insatiable curiosity, so I can always find a way to connect on a personal level. I am more than happy to go on in this vein for some time, but it really boils down to while you cannot control anything, you can try to have the best knowledge so you can confront any challenges when they raise their head. The best way to know these challenges is to make your relationships transparent, honest and clear. That will give you the answers you need to guide and steer, but never mistake it for the illusion of control. A Journey is like Marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it. John Steinbeck

How Staffing Firms Can Survive the Future of Recruitment

How Staffing Firms Can Survive the Future of Recruitment A few months ago I met a prospective client who is the recruitment manager for a major international consumer goods company. Naturally talk turned, as I’d hoped, to how, when and who they used as third-party recruitment agents? The answer did not make me feel well. In short the use of agents had over the last two years fallen off the end of a cliff. Not because of a downturn in company fortunes (far from it they’re going great guns) but because of a strategy to employ a skilled in-house recruitment team and furnish them with the right new media tools and recruitment software. The net result of all three of these steps (a triumvirate of in-house team, new media tools, and recruitment software) was that the need to rely upon an external recruiter to provide talent had simply faded away. More and more often I am hearing, reading and seeing similar storylines develop amongst the kinds of companies that I would ordinarily view as prospective clients. Luckily to date I’ve not had any of my current client base take me to one side and whisper apologetically: “Look Rob, it’s not you, it’s us … we’ve moved on and, well, the thing is … we think you should too”. But the day may well come and if it does it won’t surprise me. So what’s a third-party recruiter to do? Here’s a survival guide and field notes for those that want to carry on succeeding at being recruiters: Specialise: Choose a niche that you can call your own and be the go-to-guy/girl when an employer needs this specialist ingredient. The trick here is to be specialist enough so that your industry knowledge is valued and hard to replicate but not so specialist that the chances to actually do some work are few and far between. Diversify: Sounds counterintuitive given what I have written above but maybe you should look at offering other types of services or seeking supplementary income streams? Can you provide training services to other recruiters for instance? Or make some money from blogging or presenting? How about CV rewriting for one-fees? Just some quick suggestions to give you a picture of what else you could do. Get your thinking cap on. SMEs: In my experience often recruiters will gravitate towards the bigger fish in the pond â€" more vacancies, higher salaries, slicker processes, kudos etc. However, it’s these larger companies that have moved towards doing it for themselves as tools and strategies have got better. Why not turn your attention to the SMEs? You’ll need more of them as they won’t recruit often but they are more likely to buy-in a recruitment service as and when they need it rather than carry an in-situ team through lean times and good. Join a Big Un: On this point I’m taking a bit of a punt but I think that in general that big companies like dealing with big companies and will continue to do so ad infinitum. So although some hiring companies will take recruitment in-house others will seek to outsource lock, stock and barrel in an RPO deal and focus instead on their core business. If you can’t beat them, join them: If you’re a good recruiter and you know your market why not join your client’s payroll as a member of their recruitment team? For some this transition will be fairly easy, others less so. Reading my blog back I’m a bit concerned that I might be appearing to be sound the death knell of the third-party recruitment industry. Let’s be clear â€" I’m not. The industry continues to do well (particularly I hear in sectors where skills shortages create a fertile market for recruiters; e.g. engineering, scientific) and as the economy recovers I’m sure agents will thrive as job markets bounce back. The caveat is that more than ever clients will be asking for demonstrable value and not just CVs raked off job boards or search maps copied from Linkedin. I welcome such developments as ultimately I expect greater competition and more empowered clients will lead to improvements in the industry, a raising of the bar and a filtration of the less (ahem) desirable practitioners. Anyone who hasn’t noticed the big changes that have taken place so far within hiring companies and the quickening development of internet, mobile and software tools that enable these companies to do it for themselves are failing to identify the Os Ts in their most recent SWOT analysis. Good luck with that. Related: What Makes a Good Recruitment Trainer?

Are You Suffering from Entrepreneurial Perfectionism Syndrome

Are You Suffering from Entrepreneurial Perfectionism Syndrome With all the serious  blog posts  about resumes and  interviewing tips lately, today I decided to share a personal  story. I have a feeling many young entrepreneurs have experienced something similar. I had a bit of an emotional melt-down this week. It was one of those weird mid-twenties moments where you feel the need to evaluate your life from every aspect.   Your career.   Your relationship. Your financial situation. Not sure where the hell this came from, but it came and hit me hard. So I called  my two most influential  personal advisers: my parents.   And  I made them take me out to dinner because it is way cheaper than therapy.   My parents are very successful entrepreneurs.   Theyve worked together as a couple their whole career.   Somehow they are still very happily married after  27 years.   They are  the masters at making shit happen.   My Dad  provided me one very clear takeaway which was so simple, yet so huge: Stop getting so caught up in all the details. Huh?  ! So then Im like, Yeah whatever Dad.   Anyways, heres an idea I want to put into play in my business(enter detail, after detail, after detail). And he kept interrupting. And I was annoyed.    And then after interruption 179,  I started to see what he meant. He broke everything down into SIMPLE action steps.   Hed say, Write this down! and tell me  3 things to do this week, instead of the 50 on my list. My Dad was lucky enough to graduate high school.   Yet Id bet money that he is a better business man than most MBAs out there.   Why?   Because he keeps it simple.   Now I see why they say  that people who get Cs rule the world.   They dont overthink everything.   His advice? Not sure how much to charge for a product or service?   Pick a number and adjust from there. Want to start making freelance income?   Then do it, dont just  read about it. Not sure about all the details of what your clients might need?   Ask the 100s people that email you every week-   theyre right in front of you!  Then start taking on clients and adjust from there. You are already in business but youre too busy thinking about it to notice it. Perfectionism is an entrepreneurs death sentence.   Shit.    This must be why  Ive started several projects but rarely  finish them because I always find something to improve, analyze or change.    Um hello- have you ever heard of version 1?   You can always make version 2, 3 and 4 of your product or service later.   My entrepreneurial perfectionism syndrome  theory is seconded in  this awesome  post about perfectionsim on Zen Habits. What do you think? Are psychological barriers holding you back from your entrepreneurial aspirations?   Is it really a lack of education or is it a lack of simplicity?   Are you trying to re-invent the wheel rather than trying something simple  and seeing how it goes? One of my trusted advisors (@mattchevy) recently taught me, start small, think big.   What order are you thinking in? Big or small first?

Resume With no College Degree Example + Writing Tips

Resume With no College Degree Example + Writing Tips Resume With no College Degree Example + Writing Tips No degree? No problems. History knows plenty of highly successful college dropouts who banked on practical experience over formal education. Besides, enrolling in a university isnt the only way to obtain a great education today. As well discuss in this post, you have plenty of alternative options.  But you are still wondering: how to address your lack of a degree in a resume. Below are some tips for that, followed by a resume without a college degree example. Craft a Compelling Resume Summary Statement (or Resume Objective)Open your resume with a succinct and memorable resume summary statement pitching the value you can bring to the company. Think of it as a quick “punch line” that immediately grabs attention and brands you as an experienced and interesting candidate.  Here are a few tips to help you brainstorm a solid summary statement:Attempt to write it after the work experience section.  Create a quick list of 3-5 top achievements in your career based on what you wrote in the experience section.  Re-read the job posting once again to determine which ones will be the most relevant to the employer.  Don’t pitch what you “can do”. Instead tell, what you have already accomplished.  Avoid vague, generic statements like these will make you sound like every other candidate applying for the job.  Keep The Focus on Your Accomplishments and Experience  In the chronological resume format, the “Work Experience” section comes first. Thus, youll have plenty of room to make a solid impression before the HR scans to the bottom education part. Make this section the focal point of your resume. Speak to your accomplishments at every position you have held, quantifying them with relevant numbers whenever possible. Showcase that you have solid hard and soft skills, highly relevant to the announced position. Prove that you are a solid performer that can bring a tangible impact to the new organization.  Emphasize Alternative Education and Courses  Today formal ed ucation can be easily replaced with alternative training, offered by e-learning providers and MOOCs. In fact, prestigious universities like Harward, Stanford, Yale, and others offer free online courses and issue certificates of completion. Moreover, theres plenty of niche credentials you can obtain to complement your work experience and demonstrate that you have an up-to-date, hands-on skill set.   Add these to your education section to make it more authoritative. Also, you can list all the professional training you have obtained on the job, plus add masterclasses, conferences, industry certifications and so on.  Review Your Resume Carefully  Once you are done with the initial writing, change gears for a while and then sit down to review your resume once again. Specifically, look for any gaps or vagueness that may leave the employer wondering about your expertise.  Sprinkle in additional power words and keywords (taken from the job description). Beef up your accomplishments and duti es and re-check the texts for any grammar and formatting mistakes.  Resume Sample With no College Degree (Word version)Download resume example (.docx)Resume With no College Degree Example (text version) Terri J. Anderson terri@email.com 088 000 0000 1636 East Avenue Superstition, AZ  Creative growth manager in the SaaS domain, delivering user base growth of up to 35% YoY and churn reduction of 20%. Specializes in growth hacking, social media user acquisition, and PR.  Key Skills  Social Media Marketing|Paid Media|Influencer Outreach|Digital PR |Community Management  Work ExperienceSaaS Subscription Company,   Superstition, Arizona    Growth Manager (Nov. 2017 â€" Present)Worked with the data science team to gather and analyze customer sentiment around products in our niche and develop targeted social media campaigns.Secured 15 endorsements from industry thought leaders, resulting in reviews on blogs with 100K+ monthly audience.  Cultivated and established relationships with journal ists, resulting in product reviews on Forbes, Fast Company and Inc Magazine.  Increased the total user base by 35% within one year.  Food Mobile App, Phoenix, Arizona  Social Media Marketing Manager (July 2015 â€" October 2017)Developed a communication strategy for the company’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.  Created a regular publishing schedule, maintained high engagement with users. Follower account growth on Twitter +5,000 followers in 1 year; on Instagram +13,000 followers in 1 year.  Managed the collaborated with industry influencers on seasonal marketing campaigns. Reported on budgets and key KPIs.  Professional Certificates and Training  Certifications:  HubSpot Social Media Certification 2016-2019. Google Analytics Certification Facebook Ad CertificationCourses:Content Strategy for Professionals: Engaging Audiences completed in December 2017 at coursera.org. Offered by Northwestern University. Influencer Marketing Strategy completed in April 2018 at coursera.o rg. Offered by Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content completed in June 2018 at coursera.org. Offered by Wharton School of Business.  Final Tip: Apply Even if Your Feel Underqualified  A lot of job posts come with specific education requirements in terms of BA/MA. Dont skip on these if you feel that you are otherwise a strong fit. A lot of employers prefer candidates with strong hands-on experience to those with a less diverse background, but a standard degree.  Thus, emphasize your skills and career progression to showcase what results you can drive for this particular company. The best way to do so is by writing a strong resume summary/career statement and placing a stronger accent on your skills. previous article Career (Con)Quest #1: Have You Got Any Question For Me? next article Career (Con)Quest #2: Job Search Mode On you might also likeA Model Resume Example That Will Get Results

How to Write a Harrison Resume

How to Write a Harrison ResumeIf you are trying to find out how to write a Lee Hecht Harrison resume, there are a few things that you need to know. These resume writing tips may help you avoid being fooled by the many writers who are trying to sell their services as well as your resume on the Internet. Read on to find out what you need to know about how to write a Harrison resume.First of all, you need to consider the company and the position that you are applying for. This is very important as your resume will be used to decide whether or not you should be hired. The reason for this is because you need to show that you can be trusted and that you can handle the responsibilities that are associated with the job you are applying for. It is always a good idea to use a reputable company, but if you really need to get a copy of a Harrison resume that has been written by a non-proprietorial employee, there are plenty of online websites that offer them.Use professional-looking cover letter s and resumes. Many companies offer an extensive amount of resources that they make available to allow you to design your own cover letter and resume. When you use the internet, you can take advantage of these resources and put the information into practice.Career websites can be very useful when you are trying to determine what type of career you would like to pursue. They will list all of the careers that are available, including jobs in which you are perfect for. You should also go into any state or national government jobs boards and see what types of careers are offered. While most resume writers will probably tell you that you can't get any better than a government job, you will have a far better chance of finding one if you use these resources to determine which career would best suit you.Don't procrastinate. Once you have done all of the necessary research and have decided which job would best suit you, take the time to write your resume properly. You don't want to have a re sume that looks terrible and then be told to start over. Always follow the guidelines that the company has set up so that you don't end up with a badly written resume.Apply online. There are many companies that allow you to submit your resume online. This gives you an opportunity to apply for more than one job simultaneously. While there is nothing wrong with submitting multiple resumes, you will have to pay for each one that you send out.Search for jobs that you have in mind. Online resumes and job listings can help you identify the types of positions that you are interested in and the jobs that match those requirements. This makes it easier to narrow down your job search because you can focus on the positions that are right for you.There are a lot of resume writing tips that can help you produce a strong resume. With a little help from some of the information that you find on the internet, you should be able to achieve the results that you need.

How to get started on climbing the corporate ladder

How to get started on climbing the corporate ladder 11 Flares 11 Flares In the modern business world there is little need to stand still. With fast-tracked career progression available for the most effective business people, it pays to perform to a high standard in your work. Proficient and effective employees are invariably rewarded with greater responsibility, increased salaries and an elevated status in the workplace. With a determined attitude, a commitment to excel in all aspects of the job and a positive, can-do approach, sales executives can enjoy rapid promotion. Opportunities to climb the career ladder in sales are perhaps more varied and accessible than in many other occupations. Randstad are a company that have a wealth of content on this topic for candidates and are a great resource for advice. For the most ambitious and talented individuals, there is little at stop them progressing beyond sales executive level. A director of sales or marketing is a perfectly plausible ambition; even Managing Directors or CEOs are roles which are not out of reach and the years spent working in sales will prove to be indispensable in terms of developing and honing vital skills. Only a positive, determined attitude can help you to achieve this in a commercial world which is challenging, fast-paced and competitive. Thus the most important personal attribute is self-motivation: knowing your strengths but also your weakness is vital. Self-awareness will enable you to take positive action to set goals for your personal development. It is only natural to avoid the tasks which you know are your weaker areas but you will never improve them unless you tackle them head on. Self-belief is a key ingredient in achieving your targets. Of course it helps to have a supportive manager and a system of career development in the workplace that will work with you, hand-in-hand, and accelerate you on your journey to become a more proficient and effective sales executive. For this reason, involving your employer in your long-term goals is important to help to foster a sense of partnership. There’s much to be gained for your employer too; your improved performance will bring him benefits in the form of increased sales, healthier client relationships and lucrative contracts. If you’re seeking to advance your career, whatever area of business you work in, there is no formula with instant success. However following these tips will place you on the road to success more quickly: Establish your goals Whenever you enter a new career, it can be valuable to have an end-goal in mind. The question “Where do you intend to be in five years’ time?” is common at interview and not without good reason. Being self-aware means you recognise your strengths, your weaknesses, your interests and your contribution to the business; all of this can shape your vision for your future career. Also try to view your role from your manager’s viewpoint; a clear and realistic understanding of the intricacies of your job will make fast-tracked career progression more likely. Take responsibility for your development Wishing for career advancement, but never communicating it to those who have the power to help you achieve it, is unlikely to result in a positive outcome. Be open and honest with your manager and find out what opportunities are available. Your leaders will have their own views about what is needed to reach your goals and they might differ to yours. When you know what skills and competencies you need to demonstrate, you will be able to focus on improving them. Develop your transferable skills Take time to understand every branch of the business rather than remaining tunnel-visioned on your own job, as you will need an overarching view in a future management role. Recruiting from within may often be easier for a business but don’t presume that competitors from other industries or sectors will be overlooked. Being able to transfer your skills between roles â€" and knowing how to effectively demonstrate this â€" will only advance your cause. Establish a social media presence In the current technologically-driven world, the role of social media and maintaining a comprehensive online presence should not be underestimated. You may not be searching for a new role right now but creating a detailed profile online takes time. It also enables you to establish yourself as part of a network, presenting you with the opportunity to communicate with others in your area of work and, importantly, is an open advertisement to employers seeking fresh blood for their business. Never say never No-one is perfect but self-belief is a powerful tool. It overrides negative feelings, enabling you to perform more adeptly. As Richard Branson said, “Whatever you believe you can do, you will; and whatever you believe you can’t do you won’t.”

For love or money How to choose what to study. - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

For love or money How to choose what to study. - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Heres a fairly depressing post I found on College Confidential a forum about college matters: My parents talked to me today. They were very vague. They didnt help. They only confused me more. They said successful people do not do what they like. Like all the foreign nurses who do not really like nursing, but they are successful and enjoy their success. Note their definition of successful is money for themselves and families. Is this true? I told my dad that millionaires do what they like and he said its a lie. Im angry, sad, and confused, as usual. They are not going to approve of my studying abroad or joining advertising club. *sigh* How do you choose what to study? Do you go for what interests you or for something that guarantees you a job? Or do you just let someone else choose for you? It turns out that the best way to choose is to pick a study that lights your fire. A recent study asked 1000 college graduates in Denmark how they had chosen their studies and arrived at two very interesting findings. 1: Study what you like and youll get a job youll like It turns out that the people who chose studies they were interested in were much more likely to be happy with the jobs they then got. This is not surprising at all study something that interests you and youre more likely to end up working with something you like. 2: Study what you like and youll make more money! But interestingly, people who chose their studies based on interest were also more likely to be happy with their salaries than the people who had chosen their studies based on how much money they could make. And when you think of it, this is not surprising at all. If you study something that makes you happy you will: Be more productive because people who like what they do get more done Be more motivated and energetic because happy people have more energy Learn faster because happy people do just that Study better with others because happy people communicate and team-work more efficiently You will probably even have a better time socially while you study because happy people are more fun to be around than miserable bastards :o) All of this means you will get better grades and have a better chance of actually getting your degree. Which again elevates your chances of landing a job in your particular field AND of being successful in that job. Makes sense, no? Ive also gotta say that to me, choosing your studies based on potential later earnings seems hollow. Do you honestly want to spend your work life just chasing money instead of doing what makes you happy? Choosing based on money is also very far from a sure bet. Lots of people have chosen a field thats hot and in demand in the business world when they begin their studies only to find that things have changed once they graduate 4 or 5 years later. The world often changes too quickly for such a strategy to work. Btw: The initial post on College Confidential is a little sad in the way the posters parents emphasize the old work is hard, its supposed to be, nobody ever got anywhere by being happy attitude. But check out the replies: Balance what you like to do with what you need to get from it, but you dont need to find a career that inspires a passion within you in order to do it well. I always say follow your passion, rather than the money You have only one life to live. Why should you devote it to work that you dont like? A wise man once said do what you love and you will never have to work a day in your life. There are plenty of people who found what they love, who make a living out of it, and who therefore love what they do. I could not agree more and it just proves that more and more people are choosing happiness at work! And if you choose the studies that will make you happy, not only will you be happier at work, you will also make more money. Related: Do you really need a college degree to be happy at work? How to find a job youll love Happiness is the most! Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related