Nelson Mandela: Leadership Qualities To Follow

Freedom Fighter, Magnanimous Leader, Revolutionary, Triumphant Conqueror for the Good of Humanity…

Nelson Mandela who embodied the hopes and the dreams of South Africa, died at the age of 95. Surviving 27 years in prison ( 27 years!) and rising, 4 years after his release from prison, to become the president of a unified South Africa in common goals and reconciliation and not revenge. The era of the Apartheid in which racial segregation was enforced by legislation ended with Mandela and while it could have caused a civil war in South Africa, a new era of progressive and coexistence society was formed. Now that he is gone, South Africans are left by themselves to embody those ideals and coexistence.

He was persistent and never gave up on what he knew was right. Great leaders, be it a world leader or a business leader, know that behind greatness comes great sacrifice and risk. Building great partnerships and gaining trust amongst his constituents and populace allowed Mandela to be beyond great.

Leadership Skills Inspired By Nelson Mandela:

• Lead by Example: This one might seem like a no-brainer, but most people in leadership struggle with actually adhering to this principle. Gaining the trust of your employees and colleagues comes most from your actions, not your words. Words are great, we love words, but your actions need to match what you say.
• Be Insightful: Mandela once said, ‘Know your enemy, and learn his favorite sport.’ Having insight into what makes your ‘enemies’,or competition, tick can give you incredible power in negotiation and leadership. Same goes for people you work with in your office that seem to be cutting into your productivity or employees who seem to be wasting your time. Connect with that employee or business partner in a new way to resolve issues and prevent further trouble.
• Set Goals: Many people fail miserably when attempting to resolve an issue or become a better leader if they do not set any goals for themselves. Organize your thoughts, write out a plan, give yourself an attainable deadline, and implement your plan.
• Build Real Relationships: Nelson Mandela was a dynamic and lovable person. He could bypass boundaries and reach past prejudices and varying backgrounds to reach people. His goal wasn’t world domination, it was to heal the broken society that was South Africa, and he succeeded. Making your goals as a leader not about your success, but the success of those around you, will indeed make you a success. It’s a cycle of success.

Nelson Mandela was brilliant and kind, a great leader and motivator, he listened to the concerns of those in need, and resolved decades of strife and sorrow. He will be missed in this world, but his legacy lives on in those whose lives he changed forever.

 

Ashley Goldberg: Bringing Tenacity and Passion back to Sales

Ashley Goldberg might be the most tenacious and witty person you will ever meet in your whole entire existence on this planet. Not only is she persistent in her work, she is goal oriented and successful outside of work at Search Solution Group. Ashley can smoke anyone in a bowling match and isn’t afraid to say so.

Ashley started her career doing phone sales and liked the relationship building aspect of that job. She liked working with clients, but felt limited only doing sales over the phone. It always felt like a quick sale and she wanted more interaction face to face.

Connecting with Jeremy through LinkedIn led her to where she is now, The National Sales Manager at Search Solution Group. At only 25 years old, this is an impressive feat and a strong indication that she will only continue to achieve greatness in her career.

The hunt and excitement of sales is what gives her the drive and tenacity to continue day-to-day, besides the occasional ‘no’ being thrown at her. Every day is something new and every day she has a new great candidate to market to the millions of companies out there in the world. If you are a hiring manager, you better believe that you will one day receive a call from Ashley Goldberg and when you do, it’s going to be awesome!

According to Ashley, the most exciting thing is when her persistence and tenacity pays off in a job order that evolves into a long-term relationship with a happy client. Ashley’s work ethic goes above and beyond the average woman in business. She works hard, is sassy, and is assertive, and it pays off. People love working with her because they know that she will get the job done quicker and more effectively than anyone else. Ashley believes in SSG and believes that Search Solution Group can fill any job quicker and better than any other firm in the Nation.

If Ashley could be anywhere doing anything she would be at Search Solution Group working with everyone, in Tahiti tanning on a floating hut, or on a shopping spree. If you are looking to make a career change or looking to build a long-lasting professional relationship, contact Ashley at (704) 332-8702 x 216

Therapy Dogs Make A Difference In Buffalo, NY

When we see a heartwarming story relating to our roots in Buffalo,NY, we love to share (especially if it has to do with dogs)!

At Hospice Buffalo, Therapy Dogs ( and sometimes cats) are making a huge difference in the lives of patients and the lives of the volunteers. Each visit from the therapy dogs makes it easier each day for patients to get through their treatments. Family members visiting their loved ones in their last moments are comforted by these special and loving dogs who are there for them. Dogs can sense when a person is in need of a friend.

Being around death every day can also be draining on the Hospice Staff. Seeing their patients comforted in a manner they themselves can not supply must be such a huge relief. If you have a pet that you think would be a great therapy dog, check out this list of organizations in the U.S. that you can get involved with. Most organizations have connections where your pet can get certified. http://www.therapydogorganizations.net/

You can read the full article here: hospice article 

 

New Year, New Career!

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and before we know it, December will be here!  During the holidays we start to think about those who are oppressed, struggling financially, or have had their live turn upside down by a devastating Typhoon.

Search Solution Group is fundraising for Oxfam America and their relief efforts for the Survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in The Philippines. You can help the millions of displaced and hurting people by giving a secure donation at http://my.oxfamamerica.org/SearchSolutionGroup .

Devastation in The Philippines

As the holidays and the new year are only around the corner, it’s time to start reflecting on the past year’s accomplishments and learning from whatever setbacks or failures that may have occurred. It is also the time to think about your future and what should be accomplished in the next year.

Lets say that you have been thinking about switching jobs but don’t know where to start, the New Year is the perfect time to lay out a plan for your New Year New Career search!

1. Develop A Goal:  Start by writing down a realistic and timely Employment Goal. Having a set date of accomplishment will allow you to set your other goals within the timeline.
2. Resume Makeover: Start small by having a timeframe for re-working your resume. You can then move on to finding a recruiter to work with, decide if you are willing to re-located, have a new salary goal, etc.
3. Say Yes: If you have been dragging your feet for a long time on switching your career, your life might be needing some shaking up. A recruiter may bring you a job opportunity that is across the country. You don’t need to accept the job, but at least say yes to interviewing. You never know, the job might turn out to be your dream job!
4. Network: Your recruiter might be able to give you some insight into some great networking events or groups that you should attend. Professional network groups are great not only in the job hunt, but throughout your professional career.

Don’t wait for the New Year to roll around to start your New Year New Career planning. Get a jump ahead of everyone else and contact Search Solution Group!  We can help you plan out what your next career move should be! In fact, Search Solution Group is currently hiring a recruiter to join our team in Charlotte,NC! You can find out more information about the job HERE!

 

Aaron Curley: The Most American Recruiter

It’s not too often that you meet a man like Aaron Curley. His mustache alone could bring an empire to its knees, let alone the amount of knowledge he possesses. Ask him about any historical event and you’ll be given a whole year’s worth of history class all within a five-minute mind-expanding explanation.

Besides his mustache and history knowledge, Aaron is a congenial and extremely intelligent recruiter. It may have to do with his love for history, but he loves talking to people from different regions of the Nation and picking up the quirks and differences between people from different backgrounds.

Initially, Aaron played his hand at a number of jobs before coming to Search Solution Group. He was a YMCA camp counselor, was involved in landscaping and pumpkin sales, became a substitute teacher, and eventually started his professional career as a sales coordinator for a manufacturing and distribution company. After many road trips and an endless amount of paperwork, Aaron came to Search Solution Group and has found a career and a company that both challenges and rewards him for his efforts.

Besides talking with a wide range of people, Aaron enjoys the hunt for the best candidate out there. Recruiting was such a high energy and exciting switch from his previous role that at first Aaron would go home and attempt to turn his brain off. It definitely took an adjustment period of a month before Aaron can say he was fully immersed into the rhythm of recruiting.

One thing that most people do not know about Aaron is that he has a favorite belt from Kmart that is emblazoned with eagles and pure American spirit. In fact, it was Kmart’s wide selection of ‘Merica t-shirts that got Aaron hooked on his special eagle belt.

The American spirit continues in Aaron’s love for curing his own meats and then eating said cured meat. Just sitting in a room with Aaron, you start to feel instantly more patriotic. If Aaron could do one thing for the rest of his life, he would open his own deli, cure salamis and sausages because it is fun and delicious.

Why You Aren’t Successful (And Never Will Be)

Whoa whoa, calm down!  We were just kidding.. sort of. The whole ‘You won’t be successful thing’ is actually contingent on whether or not you follow these pieces of advice that are often disregarded, but are straight from the Search Solution Group recruiters and are not to be ignored.

On your road to success, you’ll get advice from your mother, your sister, your neighbor, and anyone who has a mouth and a brain. People love to give advice (and not all of it’s good), but here are 10 pieces of career adviceyou should actually follow!

1. Read Everything You Can Find: Not only does reading give your grey matter a good work out, reading is the easiest and most fruitful way to gather new ideas and relevant career advice ( like this blog)!  Reading autobiographies of successful people is a good place to start and can seriously elevate your success by giving you inspiration and new ideas.
2. Get Organized: No one is going to want to work with you if you are disorganized. Getting yourself into the habit of writing lists and organizing those lists based on priority is the first place to start. You list style can be  based on color coding, actual coding, a smart phone App, or a million sticky notes. Finding a system to keep you organized will show in your work and home life.
3. Find A GOOD Mentor: In order to be successful, you never ever EVER want to work for someone who is not going to encourage you to be the best. Finding good mentors that won’t let you fail are important to find. If you aren’t getting that type of mentor at work, look towards professional and social groups. It’s a matter of finding someone who you respect that would be proud of your successes and pick you up when you fail. A good place to start in your mentor search is within LinkedIn groups specific to your industry.
4. Prove Your Worth:  In order to be successful you need to be able to show that you aren’t afraid of doing anything to get results. You need to make yourself DO something instead of just talking about your dreams all day. Look at all the movers and shakers of the world.  Gary Veynerchuck took his father’s liquor store and turned it into a successful online wine store by thinking out of the box and actually DOING it!   You can’t be too afraid to fail and not take risks because taking risks often pay off the most.
5. Don’t Burn Bridges: Keep every solid contact that you have ever made. Burning bridges when leaving a job or not working with a company can be detrimental to your future success. You never know when you may need advice or help from a person, so the best advice is to always be professionally cordial  to everyone you ever work with ( or don’t work with).
6. Follow Up: Making initial contact with a company you’re interested in, or a group you would love to talk with might seem hard, but it’s actually the easiest part of contacting a person. You’ve introduced yourself and given your pitch, but now is not the time to sit idly by. Follow up! Email them and call them and make them see why it is beneficial to them to work with you. You may get shot down, but it’s better to try then to wonder what could have been.
7.  Ask For Help: If you have a problem and need help, just ask for it! The most successful people have failed in their lifetimes and had to ask for help. Don’t let your pride get in your way.
8. Get Some Sleep: The Human brain needs sleep. No one really knows why the body snoozes for a portion of each day, but science shows that without sleep, illness follows. Achieving a good sleep schedule will do wonders for you during the day.
9. Work/Life Balance: There comes a time when a little bit of relaxation is necessary to your success. Just make sure that you aren’t going out drinking every night. That won’t leave you with a fresh mind in the morning.
10. Look to Other People’s Needs: Be a problem solver for others and you will become wildly successful. Henry Ford needed to solve a supply and demand problem for his cars so he invented the assembly line making him wildly successful and a household name for the past 100 years.

Just remember this quote attributed to Karen Lamb, “A year ago you may wish you had started today”, and get out there and do something today to  make yourself successful!

Be sure to Like Search Solution Group on Facebook, Connect on LinkedIn, and Follow on Twitter!

Golden Post-Interview Steps To Take

After an interview, as soon as you can get back to your computer, send a quick and thoughtful email thanking the interviewers for their time.

The age-old suggestion to send a thank you note after an interview is still the best step to take. It doesn’t take long to write a simple note and it’s a good way to reiterate your interest in the position. Plus, any extra time that the interviewer is thinking of you positively is a huge plus.

A good tip to remember when writing your thank you email and note is to KISS ( Keep It Simple Stupid ) !

Sample Layout of a successful thank you note:

Paragraph one: A few quick sentences on your appreciation for the interview and their time. Remind them why you are writing.. to thank them! 

Paragraph two: This is the part where you remind the interviewer of how you are a great fit for the position and how you will be an asset to their company. If you felt you need to improve or add to any question that occurred in the interview, now is your time.

Paragraph three: Emphasize your enthusiasm and appreciation again, thank them, and if you had discussed the follow up process, mention how you are looking forward to following up with them soon. 

After you have squared away the important pleasantries, get down to business taking notes on your impression of the company, how you think you did in the interview, and ways to improve your next interview with the company.

Unless the company asked you to get back in touch with them if you have heard from them in a designated time-frame, only reach out to your recruiter if a week has passed and you haven’t heard any response.

Search Solution Group Recruiters are always willing to help with any step of your interview process!