The Miracle Of The Oil

In good times and bad there is a unique karma in the air that brings out the best in people. These moments stir up folk tales of: The Good Guys vs. The Bad Guys, David vs. Goliath, and the underdog who steals the thunder and leads there team into a moral, spiritual, and ethical victory.Moments like these are when people’s true character shines through, “A Zebra never changes its stripes”.

Leaders and heroes are born during these very sacred and life-changing events. Most people wait their whole lives for ability to act on one of these moments, moments of epic proportion that will be talked about long after your paths have crossed in your journey in life.

Coming from a sports oriented family I dreamed of these moments as a player; few and far between I can give you a play by play description of these events as a child, re-lived and played back, forever etched in your memory. As a coach you dream of the ability to outwit, outsmart, another coach, leading your team to victory. You become a coach to mentor your students, soon realizing that it will take many years to be in a similar situation. Then the day comes, the intensity, leadership, and athletic ability wrapped in the perfect storm. I never thought I would say this but to relive a moment like this as a coach puts you in another world.


In your career you will hit many highs and lows, I call it the bi-polar/manic curve. People will love you, love to hate you, and some people will despise you from day one, never being able to see eye-to-eye, always ready to rev up the engine and throw you hard underneath that bus. So be it; can’t be loved by everyone. When you hit these successful and well-deserved epic moments in your career you hit the career “Rock Star Profile”.


Career Rock Star Profile: Credibility, trust, “Circle Of Influence”, your own brand, given the benefit of the doubt, people becoming of fan, and most importantly the ability to laugh and joke about the times when people absolutely hated you!!!




-The Warrior

Do You Buy Into The Program?

This concept has been on my mind for the last couple of weeks. It is an idea/philosophy that can be addressed in every aspect of ones life. Why has this come up for me? Thought you would never ask, let me explain.

In your career or personal life the constant theme of credibility, responsibility, and likeability is required. Earned first, understood secondly, and last but not least, bought into and  sold to all players involved. In my career people forget very easily, “you’re as good as your last fill”, as good as how you handled your last transaction, and only as good or successful as people let you be.
You could be great, have excellent references, be one of the highest performers within your organization, but if the new team that you are working with does not buy into your program, you are toast!! The constant need to re-invent your credibility and your ability to tap into other organizations/teams will allow you to have a successful career wherever you land.

I call this area that lays in between you and your newfound success the combat zone. This area relies on a battle of wits, tenacity and the ability to “FIGHT THE FIGHT”. You need to learn that you can’t take anything to heart. People by nature are skeptical and by all means do not like change, especially when the change is mandated.
The combat zone has many casualties; people who hold a grudge, people who do not have the stamina to win the war. It takes a lot of soul searching at times to get to the other side. I have realized that those who get there have certain traits/skill sets that give them the confidence to battle through.
 Intensity: A core belief systems that is not and will not be compromised. The work ethic of a bull. The ability to develop chemistry amongst strangers. The ability to not get caught up in the hype, politics, and BS that can spread like a virus.

-The Warrior

Moments Etched in Stone

Have you ever looked back in your career, personal life, and athletics career when you were over looked or told that you wouldn’t be able to compete? Even if you are confident in your ability to produce there will be many times in your existence where your strength has to come within. Everyone has been in the rookie seat (“even if you claim never to be a rookie”). Everyone has gone into a situation where you were the underdog, out matched, and told to not even bother.

You will hit this at least once in your professional career; the people that pull it off are the ones that have gained the confidence and respect within friendships and athletics. People full of passion, piss and vinegar, and the ones who have tasted victory before will have the confidence to compete. Whether you believe it or not everything is a competition, everything counts (especially how you handle victory and defeat).

Flaunting your spoils will lead you to a one-time transaction. On the flip side your inability to lick your wounds and congratulate your opponent will lead your voice unheard and overlooked.


As I look back on my 12 years of recruiting I have realized that you have to be confident and cocky to be successful (let’s face it, this industry is brutal!!!).

You will succeed as long as you follow the golden rules of the Recruiters Bible:

• Never withhold information

• If you are questioning whether you think you are following protocol your not

• Never assume or expect things are a lock because there is always one factor that is uncontrollable and unpredictable: Human Beings!!



-The Warrior

TGIF VIDEO: Meet Bizket The Sleep Walking Dog

Hello All,

Every now and then you hit a week where you are on fumes by Weds. and have the Ren & Stimpy eyes by the time lunch time hits on Friday. My week was full of up & downs, drama, victory, defeats, etc., etc., etc.


As 4:00 hits my clock this Friday afternoon I have received a very small and brief second wind. My second wind quickly becomes a dream as I am to coach my daughter’s softball game. I have very quickly remembered that I rather be at work this weekend with the amount of stuff I have going on!!


I introduce you to Bizket, "The Sleep Walking Dog". After viewing his sleep walking nightmare I quickly caught a very inspiring Doc Rivers third wind.

Happy Friday!!!
GO CELTICS!!!

Here Comes The Pitch!!!

Curve ball, strike 1. I wasn’t looking for a curve ball, thought the slider was going to be the first pitch for sure. Man, now he throws the slider!!! Strike 2!! Down to my last strike, I have gone through the scenario in my head several times. I have utilized the feedback from the team, asked detailed probing questions, interpreted the feedback that I received from the candidates, and have the  perfect picture in my head of this manager’s rockstar for the role.

So many factors go into the process of finding the right person for an organization, As you develop your relationships and credibility with a manager you are no longer perceived as the necessary evil that he has to engage with. You are viewed as a key commodity that shares the responsibility of the success of the organization and the fait of the managers career path.

Different strokes for different folks. The recruiters ability to have a Sr. Manager/Director/VP spend the time and effort to disclose his gut feelings about a candidate, perception that each candidate left with him, and for the manager to unlock the untold secrets of his agenda will lead you to victory. It is a partnership, one that consists of business objectives, rules of engagement, and the ability to establish friendships and loyalty that is worth its weight in gold.
You can not always hit this sweet spot with everyone you work with but when you do your drive and passion kick in to full gear. You are motivated, inspired, and willing to go the extra mile(s) to hit victory lane. Why? Because you been their before and there is nothing like it. When you forfill your task, you are given legendary status, you are looked at as your own brand and not the brand that you work for.

Full count, you had a couple of close calls as you need to straighten the bat (Foul Ball!!) Alright I am ready here it comes, my homework tells me that this is going to be a screaming fast ball high and to the left. Time it right, choke up the bat, and don’t second guess yourself. You wipe of the sweat that is pouring down your head, step into you swing and..........................BOOOOOM!!!!
- The Warrior

Video Of The Day: Tough Times = Creative Measures For Hiring

During these tough times let's make sure that we don't put yourself in a grey area and cross the ethical line between cost effectiveness and illegal activity.


Keeping a sense a humor in my mind will keep you sane and rejuvenate your battery.


-The Warrior

Friends, Allies, Archrivals, Enemies

These terms come to mind as I reflect on the past several months in my recruiting world. There is always a basic protocol or rules of engagement when you are involved with a transaction, process or initiative. Personal or professional, there is a right way to approach something, a wrong way, and a way that will automatically trigger an explosion.


There are some people that you will connect with right away, others will rub you the wrong way in a matter of 30 seconds, and some people that are so insecure about their selves and their livelihood that the opportunity to relate and collaborate does not exist.

Over time I have come across just about every situation possible in the recruiting world, my thought process and interpretation have remained constant, my delivery, approach, and perception have changed dramatically. Being aggressive and passionate is one of my best traits as a recruiter but at times has got me in trouble. It is not always about being right or wrong at the end of the day. It is about the way you handling the situation and the impression that you have left.

Whether you have to “kid glove a situation”, add a little finesse or realize that you need to agree to disagree, make sure that you avoid any behavior that will lead you down the wrong path. Even in mind-numbing situations where the solution is so obvious that my three-year-old daughter could figure it out, you must keep your composure.


The one thing that you must not compromise is your belief system, your character and your loyalty to your friends and allies.
-The Warrior

Cross Roads In Life

Unfortunately in life you have to make unpopular decisions that go against the grain of popularity but are true to your belief systems. Each individual has their own agenda, ideas and concepts that they are apart of that separate themselves from others. This identity blueprint steers in you in the right direction and sends a lightning bolt down your spine when you go against your own judgment.

So the journey doesn’t end (never ends), it continues down another path, hopefully the path that can morally and ethically sit well with you. The hope is that through learning from your mistakes and poor decisions you have come in sync with yourself while you are in the process of making life-changing decisions. The people’s majority is not always viewed and the correct path to take, it revolves around the popularity amongst the decision makers.

Good leaders will do what is best for the whole, having the ability to separate their own game plan. Poor leaders will do what is easiest and make judgments based on their belief systems, which is never good for the whole.

As we part ways and move forward on our journeys, you realize that their day in court will come. The spotlight will shine on them as they move around, fear will hit their soul and change there thought process for ever.


Happy Friday to all!!

-The Warrior

Clean Up Your Act Online, It Could Lead To Your Next Opportunity!!!

Hello All
The activity is up, candidates are interviews, positions are getting filled. I have been so busy that my blog entries have been minimal over the past couple of weeks. As the activity floods the market it is important to realize that recruiters (myself included) are getting savier in the social media world. Recruiter are checking linkedIN profiles, facebook, and googling your name to see what your online presence/appearance looks like.
The initial phone conversations have a lot more meat to them, especially if there are different topics that can connect and influence a candidate in a positive direction. That being said, if you do not have an online presence you need to get one, if you are currently online make sure your appearance is fit for an interview.

,Below are some recent articles that discuss how to give your online presence a facelift.

HOW TO: Clean Up Your Facebook Profile
http://mashable.com/2010/04/08/clean-up-facebook/
3 Tips for Managing Your Online Reputation
http://mashable.com/2010/04/08/managing-online-reputation/

6 Ways Brands are Using Social Media For Real-World Action
http://mashable.com/2010/04/08/social-media-real-world-action/

5 Ways Mega Charity Events Can Harness the Power of Social Media
http://mashable.com/2010/04/09/charity-events-social-media/

- The Warrior

Winners Never Cheat, Cheaters Never Win!!

On occasion you will get involved with individuals that hold certain titles and influence within and organization where you will quickly ask yourself HOW??? How the heck did this individual climb the ladders, move from title to title, and function within the world they live in.

I chalk it up to the enablers within the group, very similar to someone with an addiction, people will shadow the individual, fulfilling each request, in fear that this individual could make their life miserable. The workload for one becomes the workload of many, the credibility and respect dwindles as your good deed does not get recognized. In fear of looking inferior to their superiors the individual will take full credit for the work you did. This starts the beginning of a tension in the air that can not overturned without admitting their wrongdoing.

 Rather than create peace and admit their faults, the so called leader starts to get defensive closing the door on their inability to reason and communicate effectively. The co-workers get disgruntled, uneasy and uptight as the individual that represents them no longer shares the ideas and values of the group.The only thing that keeps the workers sane is that they know that some day their day will come. Everybody has been in a situation where they had an unbelievable job that they loved. You go into work knowing that there are many people who would die for your job. All good things come to an end, just like all bad things are never overlooked.

 The bottom line is that wherever you work or whoever you work for you need to realize that your career is in your hands. Your professionalism, your style, your ability to network and develop key relationships, your focus on your career as a professional (not just your current job).
Just remember when your day comes lead by example and understand that credibility and trust is far more valuable than a title with a window view.
-The Warrior
Happy Passover & Easter to all!!!

Start Spreading The News!!

Below is another inspiring success story from one of the networking groups that I belong to (Acton Networking Group (one of my favorites)). As we all have been the grind and find it difficult to stay the course I believe it is important to get the success stories out.
Some on the content (names, companies, etc...) have been removed to protect their privacy.
-The Warrior


Hi All,Some thoughts: I had been out of work since September, though I knew in July. I took the lazy summer approach. I now think that perhaps I should have jumped into high gear immediately, keeping in a productive daily routine.


Speaking of time management, in general I found job fairs to be an unproductive use of my time. The exception was the Dice job fair in Burlington in December where technically savvy hiring managers were on hand and ready to talk. There’s always the question of which job board to focus on. Craigslist worked best for me, by far. More real people responding in seemingly real time. And then there’s the subject of recruiters. I submitted to a firm through a recruiter, but then later found a much better avenue into the company. The recruiter hurt my chances in that case. Other times their relationships with the firms got me in the door. You’ve got to estimate their value add but still take the good with the bad I suppose. But do they call back with other opportunities if something doesn’t work out – as if they were working for you (which they are not)?


As a software developer I found user’s groups to be a useful way of keeping up on technology and keeping in contact with other developers. I think the Chelmsford Skills Share group is useful. The Java User’s group – nejug.org – has great monthly talks at Sun (err, Oracle), though now I find myself working in a Microsoft shop. The Google Technology User’s group, if you want to venture into Cambridge, is a good group of smart folks too. The Virtualization Users group – virtg.com – is not writing code, but it’s interesting IT stuff and helpful networking. And of course there is this group. I found morning meetings with fellow networker’s very useful.


And thanks to those who forwarded my resume to their contacts, too many to name. Former co-workers were great too. A guy I worked with in the early 90’s had very useful contacts and was very helpful. My takeaway from that – go way back in your connections. I feel I owe time back to the community. Let me know if there’s a way I can help out. If you find a LinkedIn connection of mine that may be useful, let me know and I’ll see what I can do


I’ll continue to monitor the mailing list, for a while anyway, to see how I can help. Good luck to all!
Sincerely,


Employed worker

References Here!! Get’um While They're Hot!!

References were always looked at as the necessary evil in the recruiting industry. Always apart of the process, historically difficult to connect with. Times have changed!!! In this economy verifying dates of employment and getting the old “ Per company policy I can not give out references” will put your resume at the bottom of the list.

It is always a tight race to the finish for the interviewee’s, nothing is guaranteed until there is an offer at hand. If you are in the final stretch and your peers and former managers will not return phone calls the red flags start to wave and the disqualification process begins.
More than ever people can relate to the process of finding a position. The character witnesses of individuals truly understand this and are eager to call back recruiters to help their friends and allies out. Although the responses and return calls have been better we have to be careful not to overstep our boundaries.
Both recruiters and people offering references to candidates have been more strategic in their approach. Each party has been more engaged as there is a high interest to network and discuss possible opportunities within their own inner-circles.
Long story short, make sure that you have your references ready to go earlier on in the process. Be selective as you pick the individuals that will speak highly of your confidence, capabilities, and the ability to over achieve.


These people just might be the icing on the cake that lands you the job!!






-The Warrior

When in Rome!! How To Celebrate With The Irish

Top of the morning to ya ladies and lads,


Today's video is in celebration of. ST. Paddy's Day, everyone is Irish today, cornbeef and cabbage for all!!

-The Warrior

My Advice To All: Speak Up Or Shut Up!!

 

I have been labeled as a passionate and somewhat controversial character throughout my career and social life. Here is my two cents on the subject for what it’s worth: be a leader, stand up for your cause, don’t be that person that does not speak up and allows your anger and frustration to build within. Always keep an internal pulse check with your moral and ethical values. Being assertive will not always lead to end result that you were looking for but it will lead to a black and white understanding on the stance that you take.

Make sure that you add a little finesse while presenting your assertive and passionate feelings towards your cause. Adding a professional polish (learned and delivered by few) will allow you to get your point across effectively. Your objective is to have the other side either left backpedaling, apologetic, or hung out to dry. Be selective in the causes that you fight for, the success lies in picking the ones that dig deep into the inner core of your values and are well supported by peers, friends, and allies.

The best man does not always win; it is the one with the most support, influence, and best presentation. Hopefully everyone is a winner  in these situations that we have all faced at one point in our lives. The goal should be to come up with a proposal that is agreeable to all, incorporating bits and pieces of all agendas. After all is said and done if the parties are at a standstill, the one with the most influence will win the battle; the others either accept the decision or depart. In the Aftermath, win or lose make sure that your decision is not done in spite.

-The Warrior