Wendy Weber on Executive Recruiting

I believe in keeping it simple.  Let’s not use two words when one will do.

But apparently a lot of people don’t.

One of the recruiters here just spoke called a candidate.  She asked if he could speak freely, and he replied that he “was just getting himself digitally organized”.  Hmmn…does that mean he was going through his email inbox?

Sometimes I read a resume filled with so much jargon that after reading it I still don’t know what the person actually does for a living.  The phrase “solutions provider” is terribly overused.  What solution do you provide?  Do you maintain databases?  Sell lists?  Am I a solutions provider?  I find new employees for my clients…..providing a solution for their open position.  I prefer to simply say that.

 I think it is important to be able to clearly articulate what you do in terms that others can understand.  I’m a headhunter.  Or perhaps I should tell people that I am “instrumental in the attainment of sublime career enhancement for my candidates, and that I am provide extraordinary candidates and an unparalleled level service and counsel to my clients?”

Almost everyone has been fired at one time in a professional career.  Some can admit it; some never can.  But many who admit to being fired say it ultimately contributed to success in their career in direct marketing.

As a direct marketing recruiter, I’ve listened to many accounts of top-notch professionals who have been fired.  Some of the firings, they confess, were justified.  And some were not.  But those who went on to succeed did not let a temporary adversity set them back

Being discharged represents one of the most traumatic experiences an individual faces in our work-oriented society.  But oddly, the words “you’re fired” have led to dramatic growths in many careers.

In the words of one executive, “Maybe it was the seven-year-itch, but after seven years with the company, I became edgy.  I respected the boss but disagreed with him.  The disagreement led to a dispute and eventually to heated words.  I was fired”.

The dismissal nearly destroyed him.

But after composing himself and accepting the situation as a new challenge, he took an inventory of his skills and began looking for a new job.  The search brought him to his current employer, a place where he feels fulfilled.

In a sign of the times, we talked with someone else that was laid off from an advertising agency this past December, who posted a tweet on Twitter saying that he had been laid off, and would appreciate any leads, and by the next day had received personal introductions to 10 potential employers!

 As another direct marketer said, “It’s proper to mourn the loss of your job.  After all, it’s more than a paycheck.  It becomes part of your identity.  Yet it’s necessary to turn the page and open the next chapter in your life.  You may find the next pages “blank” but all you need to fill them in one day at a time.”

For more stories, see www.crandallassociates.com/success.html

The last 2 weeks have been our busiest all year.  Unusual amount of recruiting activity for the month of July, but a happy change for the better.  Since this is my first blog entry, can someone please comment so that I know that I am being seen?  Many thanks.