THE GUT

Hello Canada and neighboring countries,

The gut instinct is powerful!!! I tell my candidates and clients to go with your gut, the gut doesn’t lie.  It is strange and sometimes uncomfortable how your gut can start making strange sounds or form a life of its own when it doesn’t like what you are about to do. Can you relate to this?????

Well this week I made it back to the golf course after 3 years. It’s part of what’s been missing in my life. I always loved hitting the ball and chasing it, trying to be mentally and physically strong enough not to collapse during the 18 holes.  My gut was turning something fierce when I woke up  early Sunday morning to play, but then this funny thing happened….everything in my life seemed calmer and more clear. Like there was more purpose. Work work work, and no fun. Not anymore!
Take that GUT feeling and put it back in the office and magic starts to happen. My co-worker came to me thirty days ago with a candidate that she had a gut feeling about. On paper the candidate was good, on the phone amazing, interviewing even better and sure enough this candidate got the job!  This doesn’t happen all the time, but as my co-worker gets more confident and realizes that a good resume is important in the interview, she is also learning to trust and believe in her gut instinct with candidates. Congratulations to both of them, and especially proud to have such a strong teammate.

Where has trusting your gut taken you?

Learning from a Dr. Seuss Client

Good News I survived the end of the World and will live to find more jobs

THE RECRUITER VS’ THE HUNGRY JOB SEEKER

Should a job seeker use a recruiter?  That all depends what type of job seeker are you?  There are many different types of job seekers as well as various types of recruiters. The truth is a recruiter isn’t the best option for all job seekers.   In this post I will be referring to executive recruiters or headhunters. 

The job search has evolved over the last few years and job seekers can find numerous leads to jobs on internet job boards, and through social media outlets like Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook etc.  So who needs a recruiter when you can access so much information yourself?  There are many advantages to using a recruiter under the right circumstances.  Answer the following questions…

Is your time valuable?

Are you currently employed but seeking other job opportunities?

Are you targeting a particular position or career in a certain field or industry?

Are you looking to expand your career network for your job search?

If you answered yes to all the questions above then you should contact a recruiter. In fact you should send your resume to a few different recruiters that specialize in your field.  By reaching out to a recruiter you can tap into the hidden job market that you would otherwise not have access to. 

Why not all Job Seekers should use a recruiter?

If you are a job seeker looking for someone to coach you and guide your career path then a recruiter is probably not for you. A recruiter will not be holding your hand and will not be your personal assistant sending you job posts daily that you should apply for.  A recruiter is not finding a job for you… they are using you to fill a position. That being said there are outplacement firms that offer career counseling and can help prepare you for re-employment. 

Understanding how a recruiter works.

A recruiter is paid by the employer not by the job seeker.  I know what you’re thinking of course I should use a recruiter it’s free.  Remember because a recruiter is being paid by the employer they are working for the company not directly for you.  Companies that pay for recruiters use them to find employed people with a proven track record of success in a given field.  The already trained need only to apply…in other words you need to be a strong candidate.

If you’re hungry for your next career move and you fit the description of the job seeker in this post – find a recruiter today!

Change is Good

This week was marked by CHANGE.

Usually my clients tell me they are looking for a “CHANGE MANAGER”  someone who can CHANGE the culture, or CHANGE the systems or in some cases CHANGE the whole company and turn it around.

This week CHANGE for me was in the death of a friend. My friends Mom was diagnosed with a Brain Tumor that quickly and sadly resulted in finding cancer. In about 30 days she sadly passed away back up in my hometown of Buffalo, NY.  While back in Buffalo I spent a lot of time with friends and family, but I was still trying to keep up with my work.  What I realized during this visit is how much people CHANGE.  

Let me start by saying my Dad is my favorite person in the world.   With the current event that lead to my visit he and I got into some deep discussions.   During our talks I learned details about his childhood, and his views.   Some of the stories he told me were out right shocking. I also learned that my Mom and Dad made a very important decision and sacrifice for me when I was younger. Their decision to work more and spend money on a private high school education was the start of preparing me to be successful and start interacting with different people.  For me this was a time to start changing. Their commitment to me and believing in me sparked CHANGES that I am just learning now and truly starting to see. The CHANGE of having to make new friends, or CHANGE my study habits all CHANGED who I would become and want to be.

It was interesting to me to see how my friends from childhood have CHANGED. Remember the brainiac that everyone thought was going to go on to do great things?  Well he isn’t so interested in that anymore, instead he prefers to leave work 3 hours early and spend time with his new family everyday. He does just enough to get by.

 The change for a Teenager is different than the change a Corporation is trying to go thru. However, the lesson I learned is that the end result of the change might have a lasting and life long affect on your everyday life.