cmcsource

Salesforce.com & Cast Iron Systems Integration Analyst - Chicago

2010-01-25T21:07:00.002-06:00

Salesforce.com & Cast Iron Systems Integration Analyst - Chicago

The easiest thing to do is slap together a job description, state the technical requirements and hope that an ethereal light comes down from heaven as the right candidate just happens to run across the job description.

That's taking the easy way out, and isn't fair to the client or candidate who really wants to push themselves.

Your excellent track record of performance demands something better. Top performers make decisions differently. They evaluate the levels of challenges involved, empowerment, mastery and purpose before anything else. I'm going to focus on the opportunities and challenges rather than a list of "must-haves" and open up the dialogue with you.

Our client has engaged Salesforce.com, Cast Iron and one of their preferred vendors to implement the CRM solution across the enterprise. You will work intimately with the client, Cast Iron and Salesforce.com to synchronize the master list of customers, products, prices, previous order histories, and more, between Salesforce.com and the existing corporate systems. You will need to have systems integration experience as well as SQL, systems integration, XML, and ETL tool experience from Salesforce into Oracle based staging systems.

What does the person in this job need to do to be considered successful in the first few months?

1) This is a high-profile project and everything is at stake. Your will work directly with Salesforce systems, Cast Iron systems, and be the liason for the external consulting firm learning and translating everything possible about the solution. When they roll off the project you will own this. First and foremost you must have a passion for learning and love being challenged.

2) Change is rarely comfortable. While you will not be responsible for change management, you will be the catalyst of change. As you always hear, "business owns this project , not the IT department", yet you will be the "go-to" Expert with all configuration issues.

3) No implementation goes off without a hitch. You will begin fixing the proverbial ‘broken windows on the house’ before moving forward on the project. Your success will require data profiling and statistical analysis aiming to maintain data quality first. In the same vein of consistent success and growth, their corporate IT employees have created organic growth and legacy systems that need review for design and architecture.

4) Modeling the master list of customers, products, prices, previous order history archive, between Salesforce.com and the corporate ERP systems in Data Warehousing environments.

Obviously this type of position requires an enthusiastic, energetic, passionate, motivated and experienced individual, giving you Greenfield opportunity to introduce experience with cutting (if not bleeding) edge enterprise cloud computing experience within a Global company. You will be required to speak to the latest industry news and technology trends. At the end of the day, our solution will drive revenue, give insight into the business through Business Intelligence and providing near to real-time integration. It's the technology that drives results, and you’ll be respected for enabling individuals to feel empowered!

This is a long-term, full-time position for Chicago candidates. No form of sponsorship or corp-to-corp will be considered either, and calls/emails will not be returned. For further information please contact us at info@ips-beintegral.com.

QC Specialist-Chicago (Integral People Solutions)

2009-12-21T12:14:00.000-06:00

QC Specialist-Chicago (Integral People Solutions)

eCommerce IT Project Manager Contract in Sedona, AZ

2009-11-20T09:16:00.000-06:00

Contract Position for 2 months: IT Project Manager in Sedona, AZ

Job Qualifications:
* Minimum 8 - 10 years project management experience with complex IT initiatives
* Experience with program management and portfolio management
* Web project experience preferred, projects to have included integration with legacy or other systems
* Firsthand experience with all phases of a web project delivery lifecycle
* Expert-level communication skills within a technical environment
* Strong experience in client relationship management
* Broad-based knowledge of information technology
* Strong customer focus with a demonstrated ability to work seamlessly with business sponsors and technologists, in a highly collaborative manner
* Must have experience with MS Project and Visio.
* Understands the connections and relationships across functions and entities for both internal and external constituencies; thinks appropriately into the future.

Required Skills and Experience:

eCommerce Subject Matter Expert
Effective communication and analysis skills
Online Retailing Knowledge
Senior Level PM
Strong BA skills
Process Improvement Experience

Specific Deliverables:
Software selection study
Assist the technical management team in completing the roadmap for implementation of a new large application
Build initial requirements list, review with client management
Perform a fit-gap analysis against existing application, custom build and vendor offerings
Assist in attending and documenting findings from demonstrations
Develop/adjust the project budget based on the proposed solutions
Present proposal to senior executive management
Develop cost/benefit/justification for proposed budget

For consideration, please submit your resume to info@ips-beintegral.com

"Ignite Your Passion" is now available for sale online!

2009-11-12T20:04:00.004-06:00

Those of you closest to me know how honored I was when April Williams asked me to participate in her "Passion" project. It's finally published and ready for download here! Congratulations to anyone who is putting it all out there and living with passion, energy and enthusiasm! If you are interested in purchasing the product let me know, I have a discount code I can share with you.

What were you put on earth to do?

Once you know the answer to that question, nothing can stop you!

16 authors—including famous entrepreneur Wally Amos and 15 writers who are experts in their fields—put you in touch with the strongest, smartest, most courageous part of yourself—the part of you that is on fire when you’re at your best.

Download a free chapter and Introduction of Ignite Your Passion.

Coffee, Croissant and Chris this Tuesday! What can Women in Technology do to further leverage opportunities in today's market? Find out on Tues 11/3 8 AM

2009-11-01T14:19:00.002-06:00

Announcing First Thing Tuesday @ ING Direct Café Downtown Chicago

What: WITI IT Recruiter Panel Discussion @ ING Direct Café Downtown Chicago

When: November 3^rd, 2009 8:00 AM

Where:
ING Direct Café - Chicago
21 E Chestnut St
Chicago, IL 60611

phone: 312.981.1236

Come hear Christopher McCann of Integral People Solutions discuss strategies and tactics for IT Opportunities in today’s job market. Our meeting will be at the Chicago ING Direct Café. ING specializes in offering new approaches for consumers with online banking and financial services (http://home.ingdirect.com/).

Time: 7:30 am Networking @ the Café (ING café has morning beverages and pastries)

8:00 am Introduction of Panel and ING Direct

8:20 am Panel Discussion

8:40 am Formal Q &A with panel members

9:00 am Open Networking with attendees

Cost : Members free, non-members $10.00

For more information or questions contact Bettina Davey via email (bdavey@yahoo.com).

Learn more about the WITI Virtual Social Media Summit, November 2-6, 2009.

It’s the place for interactive, just in time teaching and learning …

http://www.witi.com/center/conferences/2009/virtualsummit/

Java Script Front End Developer-Contract

2009-10-24T16:10:00.000-05:00

Our client is looking for a contractor (1-3 months) with Java Script, HTML, CSS development and performance optimization experience to their staff.
Ideal Candidate Profile: Has experience in optimizing front end web performance. Including technologies such as Java Script, CSS, caching strategy, compressing technologies, Tag strategy (analytics, HTML) and 3rd party marketing Java Scripts. Also has experience in J2EE how front end development interacts with back end java code such as Droplets.
In addition, candidate will have experience in conducting performance analysis of web pages and using tools to analyze the individual technology components of the web page.
This is a contract role in the north suburbs of Chicago, IL. Local candidates will be considered a priority. US Citizens or Green Card/EAD holders only, we are unable to transfer visa's or provide sponsorship at this time. For consideration, we may be contacted at info@ips-beintegral.com or at www.ips-beintegral.com.

This world class Adobe Flex training (FREE) is the gift that'll keep giving the WHOLE year-and get paid for it!

2009-10-22T21:56:00.002-05:00

This is not your "Jelly of the Month" club nor is it a typical offer from a Recruiter. This deal would give Clark Griswold the "hap-hap-happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby danced with Danny !@#$%^& Kaye". Let me explain....

1) They were a referral to me from an existing client (gift)

2) My first placement was here last week, and the candidate is one of my friend's husbands (another referral and gift).

I want to pay it back and offer you an opportunity to benefit directly as well while helping someone grow further in their career. One of my clients principals is a world-renown Author and Flex expert and he is going to teach the newbie how to "take Flex apart, put it back together and make Flex bend to their will". From an economy of scale perspective they want to train 2-3 people simultaneously. Makes sense to me and it was music to my ears!

Here's the deal. If you know of anyone who is stuck, not learning, not living up to their potential or you know is capable of so much more...I will line your pockets once they pass the guarantee period (right around the holidays). We can keep it in the strictist of confidence or handle it however you'd like. I don't do this often, but they'd like to make an offer tomorrow and I think all of us can benefit somehow. I'm not greedy and we can put some money in the Karmic bank too. The description is below:

Our client doesn't merely work with Flex, they take it apart and put it back together again so that it bends to their will! They are the team that companies turn to as the "experts expert". They are looking to add a couple of Full Time members to their team, in Chicago. All they require is some custom component creation experience. How you approach coding and communicate your ideas is as important as any other requirement they might have.

Long-term they're interested in people that can lead internal teams as well as client teams, someone who can ascend to one of the mentorship roles they serve for their clients. This is absolutely a requirement.

You must be able to walk the fine line between being too quick or too late to consult with your colleagues or one of their senior consultants when faced with a new problem. Too quick would mean you're asking for help on even basic concerns instead of just getting things done, too late means you’ve spent hours or days fighting a problem that would take someone who knows how to solve it minutes to fix and explain. It’s a difficult balance to strike, but something they find important.

You'll also expected to form your own opinions about how to best architect a solution in code and argue for them effectively. Their senior consultants and team leads are opinionated but not close-minded, so the best argument usually wins the day. However, if the team lead says “I hear you, but do it my way,” you’ve got to be able to put your concerns aside and do as you’ve been told.

Your professionalism has to be on par with your technical proficiency. This is NOT a typical job description, but its far from a typical role. If you are interested and would like to learn more, please visit us at www.ips-beintegral.com. Our email address is info@ips-beintegral.com. No sponsorship or relocation is available for this position.

Attention: Smart, motivated, evolving guys who are ready to truly explore what is possible...

2009-10-14T23:35:00.001-05:00

I HAVE HAD THE LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH JAYSON GADDIS, CEO OFREVOLUTIONARY MAN THROUGH HIS 'PAY IT FORWARD" PROGRAM. THIS MAN HELPED WAKE ME FROM A LONG, SLOW MALAISE THAT HAD TAKEN HOLD OF ME PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY. HE IS NOT A RELATIONSHIP COACH, OR BUSINESS COACH...HE IS A BLESSING. THERE'S NOTHING IN IT FOR ME OTHER THAN HOPING THAT I CAN HELP SOMEONE BECOME A BETTER MAN.

THE REVOLUTIONARY MAN LEADERSHIP TRAINING IS A PROGRAM THAT WILL PUT YOU ON YOUR “EDGE,” WHERE ALL TRUE
LEARNING TAKES PLACE OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. YOU’LL BE CHALLENGED, CONFRONTED, CELEBRATED AND SEEN.
PREPARE TO LIVE: REALLY LIVE. WITHOUT RISK – THE GUTS, THERE IS NO REWARD – THE GLORY. JAYSON HELPS YOU GET THERE.
----JEFFREY WOLFE, 45, COLLEGE PROFESSOR/ORIENTAL MEDICAL DOCTOR

ATTENTION: SMART, MOTIVATED, EVOLVING GUYS WHO ARE READY TO TRULY EXPLORE WHAT IS POSSIBLE…

Revolutionary Man Leadership
Training

Get On It & Apply!! 16 Spots Now Open
Price Goes Up November 1, 2009

“Are You Ready To Man Up
And Take Your Life To The Next Level
By Going Through An Intense Rite of Passage
That Will Kick Your Ass, Wake You Up, And Inspire You
To Live Into Your Full Potential As a Man?”

Leave your name & email to get the application
and training details.

*Required
Privacy: We will never sell you out and share your email with anyone, period.

This is the One and Only men’s leadership training seminar in the world. There is simply no other personal development training for Men Only anywhere else.

This is not a reality show---but it should be.

Most workshops are 3 days long. While you can experience a powerful workshop and get close to total strangers, there are a few limitations with this approach.

The old way--The rubber band effect. It goes something like this:

Cram in as much value as possible in as little time as possible (often 1 weekend) with no integration time. A few days or weeks after the training, men have forgotten what they learned and have no accountability to support them. Men go back to their old habitual patterns and the workshop becomes a memory.

The new way—Treat the experience as an initiation or rite of passage.

In this experience you will have the opportunity to stay in the fire and practice everything you are learning in an ongoing way. Structure it as a rite-of-passage, a hero’s journey that takes months to accomplish. Provide structure, feedback loops, and ongoing support

What are we doing? The new way. You Get:

3 live, in person 3-day weekends in Boulder, Colorado
Group-coaching calls every other week for 6 months
Accountability partner pairings throughout the training
Practice coaching each other on specific goals, commitments & intentions
Rotating coaches from a high caliber team
Hidden trials and tribulations designed to test each man to rise to the occasion and draw upon resources he didn’t know were possible
A live, in-person conversation about sex and relationship with powerful, conscious women
Rotating leadership of both staff and participants to maximize experiential learning

The Revolutionary Man personal development training is one of the truest forms of masculine initiation available in the 21st Century. It is not a quick fix or a silver bullet. You will get the most out of it if you are ready to do whatever it takes to break through social conditioning to the core of your masculine power. Not only is Jayson an extraordinary leader, the men he attracts to his program are incredibly bright and powerful. The depth of connection you will experience on your journey to authenticity and transformation will leave you wishing you had done this work decades ago.

Craig Filek, 33, Serial Entrepreneur

When is this thing?

The training begins on Janurary 22nd in Boulder, Colorado and ends July 25th, 2010.

The three weekend intensives in 2010 are:

January 22-24
April 23-25
July 23-25

It’s time to move beyond the weekend workshop model. Weekend workshops are great, but how often do you bounce back to your old way of being?

The purpose of this training is 6 fold:

Initiation: That’s right. First and foremost this is an initiation into becoming the man you are capable of being through powerful personal development and psychology tools.
Develop Yourself: Help you commit more fully and more fearlessly to your own personal path/journey and take an honest look at what’s in the way.
Leadership: As the world around you gets more uncertain, this training is designed to give you tools to adapt, overcome and improvise. It will teach you how to respond (not react) to life’s challenges and help others do the same. You will be the man that takes people to higher ground in difficult times.
Community & Relationships: Provide a tribe (a community of men) where you can get feedback, challenge, support and accountability. We are much more powerful together than we are alone.
Service: Remind you of your innate ability to help others and give you practical tools to do so.
Celebrate, party and have a great time.

During these six months, you will---

Deepen your understanding of your inner psychology which will open up more possibilities in your life

Expand your understanding and awareness in the following areas of your life: Money. Sex. Relationships. Leadership. Purpose. Family. Community. And of course, Self-knowledge.

Learn how to take charge of your life

Be a part of a powerful tribe that will have your back

Learn how to adapt, overcome and improvise during adversity and challenge

Discover, Clarify, and Live your life purpose fearlessly

Get clear on what is holding you back and specifics on how to tackle each obstacle

Gain practical leadership skills that will have others motivated to follow you

Get one-on-one coaching from Jayson and his team for six months

Be initiated into an select group of men that will go through an incredibly intense rite-of-passage together

How to live in alignment with your highest and deepest truth

Learn practical tools such as meditation that will help you live your life in a new way

And of course, much more…

Get ready to unleash the powerhouse within you.

This will be the most intense, fun, adventurous rite-of-passage you’ll ever experience as a man!

The Revolutionary Man personal development training is priceless ! Every human being deserves the love, the power, the gentleness and tenderness I’ve accessed through Jayson Gaddis, The Revolutionary Man Training, all 20 or so men involved and the radiant and giving women that participated.

Joshua Gribschaw-Beck, Intentional Musician/Entrepreneur , 30

What am I paying for?

Private Coaching from Jayson Gaddis and his team of samurai coaches.
Three 3-day Weekend Intensives In Boulder Colorado
Lodging in a mountain home for entire group! (A savings of nearly $1000 over staying in Boulder hotels at $100/night for 9 nights!)
12 Group-coaching calls led by our team and recordings of each call.
16 group calls led by a participant
“Guest” facilitators
Facilitation and Coaching from our women’s community
Confidential Online Facebook Forum
Ongoing Community Support

Once you enter your info, you’ll receive a detailed description of the Training, and the application details.

Remember, there are only 16 spots open for this training. 16 spots!

What does this thing cost?

If I billed this program at my hourly rate, it breaks down to $13,800 per man.

WTF?, you might ask.

Here’s the breakdown:

12 group-coaching sessions at $150/hr = $1800
8 Individual coaching sessions x $150/hr= $1200
One weekend (3 days) at 8 hrs per day at $150/hr = $3600 x 3 (weekends) = $10,800
Total? $13,800 per person
NOTE: this does not even include what I will be paying my staff for their valuable time and contribution. So really, the number is much higher.

But that’s ridiculous to charge that much, right?

Right.

So, considering out-of-staters will have travel costs, I’m charging each man
$3500 for an early bird price. If you apply and get accepted by November 1st.

Don’t miss the early bird Tuition of $3500. $500 off if you apply (and get accepted) now

If you miss the early bird deadline, the price will go up to $4000 after November 1st, 2009.

Remember, your lodging is paid for!

Are there any scholarships? Yes, one.

One man will receive $1000 off his tuition. Make sure you apply immediately. First come, first serve. The scholarship details are in the training details on the next page.

The Revolutionary Man personal development training is…. an opportunity to learn all the things that I didn't learn as a child. An opportunity to grow and discover. The most important and valuable training I have ever done.

Alex Szyleyko, 27

Remember, there are only 16 spots open for this training. 16 spots! This training is going to fill up fast.

I can guarantee you that you will be pushed, big time. It will challenge you in ways you didn’t think were possible. And, you’ll have a blast doing it.

My team and I are good at finding your edge. Trust me. And, that is where we’ll be hanging out!

You see, you each have a role to play. If you’ve read and watched this far, you’re not a by-stander type of guy who sits on the sidelines and waits for somebody to do something.

You’re the only one that can fulfill the role that you need to play. How much longer are you going to wait?

The world needs you, bro! Believe it.

Here’s to waking up,

p.s. One last thing, if you don’t apply for whatever reason, do the world a favor and Stop Holding Back who you are.

Other testimonials:

The Revolutionary Man personal development training was an extraordinary journey. With an unbridled sense of truth, Jayson Gaddis lead me on a path of self-discovery that challenged who I was and who I wanted to be. The unique aspects of this program helped me in ways that I am sure I have yet to fully comprehend or realize. I feel more confident, centered, and aware of who I am and where I am headed in life than ever before thanks to the Revolutionary Man program. I wholeheartedly encourage you to place your trust in Jayson to help you discover what is possible in your life.

Marc Mores, Age 37, Insurance executive, Fairfield, Ohio

Revolutionary Man
2825 Marine Street
Suite 201
Boulder, Co 80302
720.242.6316

The Generation M Manifesto

2009-10-10T12:34:00.000-05:00

Jayson Gaddis had brought this article to my attention this morning. It is one Integral Man's treatise on autheniticity in business. The landing page on the Integral People Solutions website begins with the following statement : "There is something of an "integral revolution" occurring around the world, as all the old and partial approaches are being questioned, and new and more integral responses are being explored." Umair Haques' blog posting takes our statement one step further and composes a manifesto. Congratulations Umair, you are our "Integral Person" of the week!

The Generation M Manifesto

8:01 AM Wednesday July 8, 2009

Dear Old People Who Run the World,

My generation would like to break up with you.

Everyday, I see a widening gap in how you and we understand the world — and what we want from it. I think we have irreconcilable differences.

You wanted big, fat, lazy "business." We want small, responsive, micro-scale commerce.

You turned politics into a dirty word. We want authentic, deep democracy — everywhere.

You wanted financial fundamentalism. We want an economics that makes sense for people — not just banks.

You wanted shareholder value — built by tough-guy CEOs. We want real value, built by people with character, dignity, and courage.

You wanted an invisible hand — it became a digital hand. Today's markets are those where the majority of trades are done literally robotically. We want a visible handshake: to trust and to be trusted.

You wanted growth — faster. We want to slow down — so we can become better.

You didn't care which communities were capsized, or which lives were sunk. We want a rising tide that lifts all boats.

You wanted to biggie size life: McMansions, Hummers, and McFood. We want to humanize life.

You wanted exurbs, sprawl, and gated anti-communities. We want a society built on authentic community.

You wanted more money, credit and leverage — to consume ravenously. We want to be great at doing stuff thatmatters.

You sacrificed the meaningful for the material: you sold out the very things that made us great for trivial gewgaws, trinkets, and gadgets. We're not for sale: we're learning to once again do what is meaningful.

There's a tectonic shift rocking the social, political, and economic landscape. The last two points above are what express it most concisely. I hate labels, but I'm going to employ a flawed, imperfect one: Generation "M."

What do the "M"s in Generation M stand for? The first is for a movement. It's a little bit about age — but mostly about a growing number of people who are acting very differently. They are doing meaningful stuff that matters the most. Those are the second, third, and fourth "M"s.

Gen M is about passion, responsibility, authenticity, and challenging yesterday's way of everything. Everywhere I look, I see an explosion of Gen M businesses, NGOs, open-source communities, local initiatives, government. Who's Gen M?Obama, kind of. Larry and Sergey. The Threadless, Etsy, and Flickr guys. Ev, Biz and the Twitter crew. Tehran 2.0. The folks at Kiva, Talking Points Memo, and FindtheFarmer. Shigeru Miyamoto, Steve Jobs, Muhammad Yunus, and Jeff Sachs are like the grandpas of Gen M. There are tons where these innovators came from.

Gen M isn't just kind of awesome — it's vitally necessary. If you think the "M"s sound idealistic, think again.

The great crisis isn't going away, changing, or "morphing." It's the same old crisis — and it's growing.

You've failed to recognize it for what it really is. It is, as I've repeatedly pointed out, in our institutions: the rules by which our economy is organized.

But they're your institutions, not ours. You made them — and they're broken. Here's what I mean:

"... For example, the auto industry has cut back production so far that inventories have begun to shrink — even in the face of historically weak demand for motor vehicles. As the economy stabilizes, just slowing the pace of this inventory shrinkage will boost gross domestic product, or GDP, which is the nation's total output of goods and services."

Clearing the backlog of SUVs built on 30-year-old technology is going to pump up GDP? So what? There couldn't be a clearer example of why GDP is a totally flawed concept, an obsolete institution. We don't need more land yachts clogging our roads: we need a 21st Century auto industry.

I was (kind of) kidding about seceding before. Here's what it looks like to me: every generation has a challenge, and this, I think, is ours: to foot the bill for yesterday's profligacy — and to create, instead, an authentically, sustainably shared prosperity.

Anyone — young or old — can answer it. Generation M is more about what you do and who you are than when you were born. So the question is this: do you still belong to the 20th century - or the 21st?

Love,

Umair and the Edge Economy Community

PS - Fire away in the comments with thoughts, questions, or — because I've left a ton of awesomeness out of this post — more examples of Gen M people and organizations.

Umair Haque is Director of the Havas Media Lab, a new kind of strategic advisor that helps investors, entrepreneurs, and firms experiment with, craft, and drive radical management, business model, and strategic innovation.

Prior to Havas, Umair founded Bubblegeneration, an agenda-setting advisory boutique that helped shape the strategies of investors, entrepreneurs, and blue chip companies across media and consumer industries. Bubblegeneration’s work has been recognized by publications like Wired, The Red Herring, Business 2.0, and BusinessWeek, and in Chris Anderson’s Long Tail, to which Umair was a contributor.

Umair's videos are here and his speaking schedule is here. Follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/umairh.

Systems Engineer Full Time in Chicago

2009-10-09T11:54:00.000-05:00

Systems Engineer

This one is all about putting more money in the karmic piggy bank. A friend of ours is looking for a Systems Engineer on a permanent basis. Technology of course is important, but you can't teach personality. Thus, customer service and interpersonal skills are extremely important for this role! I don't even know who their client is!

Here is the description:

Systems Engineer Job Description

Based on experience, the Systems Engineer will be part of a team responsible for the design, planning, and execution of server deployments, server migrations, system upgrades, and research and development at our clients headquartered in the Chicagoland and Southern Wisconsin areas. Day to day duties will include solution design, as well as project planning and management; high-level technical assistance in production IT environments; technical consultation with senior management; and the writing of documentation and project plans.

We offer competitive salary, bonuses and training opportunities. We are looking for driven professionals wishing to advance their career who enjoy working in a fast-paced, team oriented environment.

Requirements

· Minimum 3 years of server and LAN management experience working in corporate IT environment.

· Experience working with Microsoft “back office” products, including production experience with Windows 2003, Exchange Server 2003, SQL 2000, and Active Directory

· Experience working in internetworking environments, including configuration and management of Cisco switches, routers and PIX firewalls

· Excellent interpersonal verbal and written skills

· Excellent organizational skills

· Extensive experience working with non-technical end-users in a project

· The ability to interface with corporate management

Desired Qualities Include

· 2 years experience working as a technical consultant

· Project management experience

· A broad understanding of local- and wide-area networking technologies

· MSCE+I certification preferred

· CCNA or CCNP certification

· Undergraduate degree in four-year college

· The ability to write detailed design and installation documents

Projects

· This candidate will be involved in the following projects:

· Rapid deployments of Windows 2003 Server and Windows XP

· Design and deployment of SMS 2003

· Design and deployment of file, print, messaging and other applications and solutions

· Design and deployment of Citrix MetaFrame servers

· Design and deployment of local- and wide-area networks

· Design and deployment of VoIP networks and systems

All inquiries should be directed to christopher.m.mccann@gmail.com, and I'll pass them on to the appropriate person.

Balancing Practicality with Passion

2009-10-04T21:40:00.000-05:00

I had an interesting conversation today with one of my clients. Over the last seven years I have been witness to Marks' setbacks and successes, his layoffs and his promotions. I've met his wife, his kids, and he has met my sons. Our relationship is truly of "trusted advisor" nature.

This past Friday he was laid off from a software firm that had difficulty securing an additional line of credit. At best, the firm has another 6-8 weeks before they close up shop. Mark called me this afternoon, lamenting the job loss, his children's' tuition bills, his career prospects, and the economy itself. Unfortunately I've had quite a few conversations like this recently. I'm sure those of you reading this know someone who has been affected personally by this recession (if not yourself) and realize this has become a familiar refrain.

Part of my recruitment process and responsibility is to help bring clarity to an individuals short and long term goals. Those of you who know me have been asked "where do you see yourself a year from now? Three years from now? Why is that important to you? How do you plan on achieving that?" more times than you can shake a stick at! I've kept copious notes over the last 10 years of my conversations, and enjoy revisiting these very items and helping them remember who they are.

I asked these very questions of Mark (again, for the umpteenth time) when he had finished dumping on me. I don't know that he was in the right frame of mind to be contemplative, but I owed it to him to look down the rabbit hole a little bit. What I wanted Mark to bring to the surface were those things that energized him, excited him and get him juiced to the point that he loses track of time. What follows is the part of our conversation that I had recorded.

"Yeah, you lost your job. Okay, I get that. But you haven't lost your skills, your talent, your expertise, or anything between your ears. That is your intellectual property! We've seen this movie before; we know how it plays out. It's not the first time you've lost your job, and every time, without question, you have always told me how it was the best thing that could've happened because you've ended up in a killer role! It may have taken a few weeks, but you've always landed on your feet, Mark. Think about this, though; aren't you tired of having to go through this every 24-30 months? Can this time be different? What if you created an opportunity where the skill, the talent and the expertise are transferable?"

"What I mean is that creating an opportunity and looking for a job are two very different things. This could absolutely be the right time for you to consider creating your button rather than pushing the same one you've pushed over and over again. What if it could be different this time? Rather than making a decision based on desperation, why not put some thought into it? Mark, I want you to think about the one thing you'd love to do so much that you'd roll out of bed in the morning and do it for free."

"This is your time to find something where the sun can't come up soon enough because you want to go do your thing. This is your time in life to really show up."

Over the years I've talked to people all over the country, and they've shared their stories of struggle and triumph. I love what I do for a living, and really enjoy helping people create better visions and better versions of themselves. Nothing makes me feel better than knowing I've impacted someones life positively.

The last thing I had mentioned to him was this: "At some point we have to determine if it's a higher priority to abandon our soul, ourselves...or to actually have the life we want."

Internet Marketing Manager Northern Chicago Suburbs

2009-08-19T14:06:00.002-05:00

In less than two years, my clients workforce grew 300%. When the CEO was asked what the biggest challenge was to his organizations growth, he replied "people. The market for high quality IT professionals has been tightening. In order to sustain the growth rates we have enjoyed thus far requires a fivefold increase in staff over the next three to five years. Finding the right balance of talent, skills, and cultural fit will be our greatest challenge."

Here we are, on the back end of a recession representing a company that still needs to increase their staff by 40% over the next 2-3 quarters. How different is that from your current situation? I'm certainly not suggesting you pack up your desk and leave where you are; that's way ahead of where I am. Yet wouldn't it make sense to listen? The only time you'd say "yes" to my client is if it were clearly better than where you are. If it's not, you simply keep what you have!

They are looking for someone to lead and direct their internet marketing services, executing various programs to drive web site traffic and sales, manage relationships between them and their clients and oversee the Internet Marketing team. This position will work closely with their clients and teams in the

and in

India

. Approximately 5-10% travel to client locations is expected.

Functional Responsibilities:

Direct the internet marketing team to meet customer’s business objectives
Schedule and coordinate regular meetings with clients to develop an effective internet marketing plan to drive key business objectives, leveraging the client's website(s) while maintain the strong relationship with the client
Work with team to implement and streamline analysis of site traffic, performance and effectiveness in relation to advertising campaigns
Coordinate efforts with development team to discuss progress of work, resolve problems, and ensure that standards for quality and quantity of work are met
Establish and manage key metrics and reporting systems which will enable company to track and understand online activities and define future strategic planning
Analyze reports for organic search traffic and the sites position in the various search engines, ad word campaigns, and other SEM strategies and campaigns
Assist team in developing and analyzing key words, descriptions, bidding strategies and landing page URLs to maximize results, drive volume and reach targets for eCommerce sales
Assist in implementation and optimization of e-mail campaigns to maximize deliverability, open rates and response rates.
Research, analyze, and monitor financial, technological, and demographic factors to capitalize on market opportunities and minimize the effects of competitive activity
Evaluate market reactions to advertising programs to ensure the timely adjustment of marketing strategy and plans to meet changing market and competitive conditions.
Drive strategic development and execution of eCommerce marketing programs including acquisition and retention programs.
Responsible for creation, coordination, and implementation of search engine strategies for the websites
Ensure execution of paid/natural search traffic and order conversion, while meeting cost per acquisition targets.
Ensure effective execution of affiliate programs/publisher management activities to achieve customer’s business development goals.
Ensure effective tracking of online advertising programs; design test strategies and creative to optimize results.
Stay abreast of search engine marketing trends and approaches - be able to quickly integrate new methodologies into our online marketing mix
Participate in recommendations, acquisitions, and integration of new tools and technologies to support continuous process improvement.
Improves existing techniques/methodologies or creates new techniques requiring the development of processes, technologies, and/or methods.

Requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communication or equivalent
5+ years experience with internet based marketing, 2+ years in a managerial role
Solid understanding of eCommerce technology and experience maintaining and optimizing large, dynamically generated eCommerce sites
Experience in web site design and usability, html, search engine positioning and e-mail marketing is desired.
Direct experience with Search Engine Optimization and Marketing, both organic and pay-per-click, and the ability to perform cost-effective results from major search engines
Hands-on optimization work, including page construction, site architecture, content, keyword research and SEO copy writing
Ability to recognize the different knowledge levels in clients and be able to communicate with them in a way that creates confidence
Ability to adapt and evolve with strategic and technological changes
Strong experience with Google analytics, Excel, and data analysis is required.
Excellent project management and problem solving skills
Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to multi-task; detail oriented

Give me 5 minutes of your time, and it very well may change your life! For more information, contact Christopher McCann .

Chris Gardner (Pursuit of Happyness) Chicago Book Signing Wednesday August 12

2009-08-11T16:31:00.001-05:00

"I’d like to invite my friends in Chicago to join me for a discussion and book signing for Start Where You Are. The book signing will be at Borders Books and Music, 150 N State Street in downtown Chicago at 12:30 PM, August 12. I look forward to seeing you there!"

http://www.chrisgardnermedia.com/blog/chicago_book_signing_august_12/

Are your scissors dull from having to cut through all the red tape?

2009-08-05T13:56:00.001-05:00

Are your scissors dull from having to cut through all the red tape?

Shared via AddThis

Senior Search Engine Marketing Analyst Full Time in Chicago

2009-07-27T22:15:00.003-05:00

Responsibilities: Senior SEM Analyst will be responsible for developing, managing, and evaluating paid search programs to include managing point-per-click (PPC) keyword campaigns, implementing new media campaigns, analyzing return on investments (ROI), reporting performance, education, and program planning. Responsible for utilizing Search Engine Marketing (SEM) methodologies and best practices to increase Company profits associated with all SEM programs and initiatives.
Required:
3 years related SEM and E-Commerce experience. Knowledge of website optimization techniques for major search engines. Proficiency using web analytics tools (e.g. Omniture, Coremetrics, DART, Webtrends, etc.) and PPC ad systems (e.g. Google AdWords, Yahoo, MSN, etc.). Experience collecting, analyzing and summarizing complex data into reports. SEM account management experience. Position requires that candidates must be able to work for any USA employer without sponsorship. For further information please contact Christopher McCann.

Search Engine Optimization Analyst Full Time in Chicago

2009-07-27T22:03:00.004-05:00

Responsibilities:

You will be responsible for supporting the Online Marketing department in activities that involve generating traffic to internet brand websites. Responsible for managing SEO projects and initiatives, marketing campaign alignment, analyzing return on investments (ROI), and reporting activity oversight. Responsible for utilizing SEO methodologies and best practices to increase Company profits associated with all SEO programs and initiatives.

Required:

SEO and E-Commerce experience.
Advanced knowledge of website optimization techniques for major search engines.
Understanding of search engine ranking algorithms.
Web-savvy and proficiency using web analytics tools (e.g. Omniture, Google Analytics, etc.) and PPC ad systems (e.g. Google webmaster tools, Yahoo, MSN, etc.).
Experience collecting, analyzing and summarizing data into meaningful reports.

Position requires that candidates must be able to work for any USA employer without sponsorship. For further information please contact Christopher McCann.

Okay, so you lost your job...how could you be jumping up and down on the couch?

2009-07-21T19:54:00.004-05:00

I had an interesting conversation today with one of my clients. Over the last seven years I have been witness to Marks setbacks and successes, his layoffs and his promotions. I've met his wife, his kids, and he has met my sons. I consider him a friend.

This past Friday he was laid off from a software firm that had difficulty securing an additional line of credit. At best, the firm has another 6-8 weeks before they close up shop. Mark called me this afternoon, lamenting the job loss, the tuition bills, his prospects, and the economy itself. Unfortunately I've had quite a few conversations like this recently. I'm sure those of you reading this know someone who has been affected personally by this recession (if not yourself) and realize this has become a familiar refrain.

Part of my recruitment process and responsibility is to help bring clarity to an individual’s short and long term goals. Those of you who know me have been asked "where do you see yourself a year from now? Three years from now? Why is that important to you? How do you plan on achieving that?" more times than you can shake a stick at! I've kept copious notes over the last 10 years of my conversations, and enjoy revisiting these very items and helping them remember who they are.

I asked these very questions of Mark (again, for the umpteenth time) when he had finished dumping on me. I don't know that he was in the right frame of mind to be contmeplative, but I owed it to him to look down the rabbit hole a little bit. What I wanted Mark to bring to the surface were those things that energized him, excited him and get him juiced to the point that he loses track of time. What follows is the part of our conversation that I had recorded.

"Yeah, you lost your job. Okay, I get that. But you haven't lost your skills, your talent, your expertise, or anything between your ears. That is your intellectual property! We've seen this movie before; we know how it plays out. It's not the first time you've lost your job, and every time, without question, you have always told me how it was the best thing that could've happened because you've ended up in a killer role! It may have taken a few weeks, but you've always landed on your feet, Mark. Think about this, though; aren't you tired of having to go through this every 24-30 months? Can this time be different? What if you created an opportunity where the skill, the talent and the expertise are transferable?"

"What I mean is that creating an opportunity and looking for a job are two very different things. This could absolutely be the right time for you to consider creating your button rather than pushing the same one you've pushed over and over again. What if it could be different this time? Rather than making a decision based on desperation, why not put some thought into it? Mark, I want you to think about the one thing you'd love to do so much that you'd roll out of bed in the morning and do it for free."

"This is your time to find something where the sun can't come up soon enough because you want to go do your thing. This is your time in life to really show up."

Over the years I've talked to people all over the country, and they've shared their stories of struggle and triumph. I love what I do for a living, and really enjoy helping people create better visions and better versions of themselves. Nothing makes me feel better than knowing I've impacted someone’s life positively.

The last thing I had mentioned to him was this: "At some point we have to determine if it's a higher priority to abandon our soul, ourselves...or to actually have the life we want."

Deployment Coordinator Contract in Chicago

2009-06-01T11:13:00.002-05:00

DUTIES: You will be responsible for: (1) Coordinating the various offshore and onsite code check-in; (2) Making daily builds; (3) Coordinating the distribution of release notes; (4) Creating reports out of SVN Source Control and troubleshooting build scripts.

REQUIRED:

Must have excellent communication skills (verbal and written) and be able to be articulate with a diverse audience of technical and non technical staff, including clients.

Must have 2 years of SOLID/CURRENT experience creating reports out of SVN Source Control.

Must have 2 years experience writing ANT build scripts

Must have experience with JBOSS and Java development

Must have understanding of the eCommerce software stack, ideally retail.

Candidates local to Chicagoland only. Client will not provide sponsorship. For more information Christopher McCann.

JBOSS Middleware Contract in Chicago-Immediate Need!!

2009-06-01T10:54:00.011-05:00

This opening is with a large retailer in the north suburbs of Chicago that is completely revamping their eCommerce strategy. It’s a great opportunity to shine and enhance your reputation! Here’s what we are looking for:

DUTIES: You will be responsible for: (1) Installation and configuration of JBOSS Application Server; (2) Utilizing tools to monitor the health and performance of the system; (3) Sharp shooting issues as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) with the client; (4) Troubleshooting problems and making suggestions for improved performance tuning and system integrity; (5) Implement an open source performance monitoring tool as it relates to the middleware.

REQUIRED:

Must have 3 years of SOLID/CURRENT JBOSS middleware installation and configuration.

Must have experience with Solaris.

Must have experience with Apache.

Must have understanding of the eCommerce software stack.

Must have understanding of object-oriented development, Java/J2EE concepts, instantiating, what causes memory leaks, etc...

Candidates local to Chicagoland only. Client will not provide sponsorship. For more information contact Christopher McCann.

Stop Falling Down in 3 Easy Steps: Turn Job Loss into Opportunity!

2009-05-05T09:55:00.008-05:00

Are you playing it safe, but feeling trapped in the life you have created for yourself? How do you know when it's time to move on from a job, a relationship, or even the town you live in? Often times the best strategy to achieve victory in life's battles is to "burn the boats behind us." Times may be a bit lean right now but the truth is, this is a great opportunity to grow. Before you write me off as crazy, listen to what I have to say about job loss, income issues, and any of life's major challenges.

Step 1: If you are not dead, this challenge will make you stronger.

Step 2: This is your opportunity to think about what you really want in life.

Step 3: Ask yourself what kind of goals inspire you right now. If you move towards you inspiration fully, learn from your passion, and share it with the world, you can't fail!

Is the reason you don't reach your goals because you don't care anymore? You may not have a clear vision of where you want to go, but you may know that you need to leave where you are right now. When I first got into the habit of setting goals, people told me they should set S.M.A.R.T goals (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely). It was very methodical, but it didn't work well for me. I wanted to achieve my S.M.A.R.T goals, but they never consistently got my butt in motion to do anything about them. What did work for me was scrapping that whole process by looking at the goals I had already achieved and the goals that I hadn't. What I found was that the goals I achieved weren't usually the S.M.A.R.T ones. They were the goals that inspired me and they drove me to action the minute I thought about them. Now when I set a goal, if it doesn't change the way I feel or my state immediately, then I know it's a bad goal, I won't bother with it.

How do I know when I'm inspired? Not too long ago I made a decision to "burn the boats" with my career and begin, again. You know how people suggest to you that the things you did as a child are what you should do for a living? What I really enjoyed was coaching youth sports teams (even though I was a kid myself) and creating art. I would immerse myself so deeply in those projects, and would lose track of time. I love how it felt to help people grow, seeing that "A-ha" moment in people's eyes. That has always been something I got off on. How could I get back in touch with wanting to inspire people, have fun helping and connecting with people? The more work I've done towards that as a recruiter, the more the goals themselves totally inspired me. The funny thing is that somewhere along the line I've begun to achieve it; it inspired me, drove me to action and created a result. I am no longer was adopting socially conditioned goals, where you set them, start working on them then realize deep down you just don't care. My goals were always about what other people wanted, not what inspired me.

So I thought I would try to set inspiring goals. The question is; how do you tease out that motivation by connecting what you want in your life? One of the first steps is disconnecting what you don't want. You may find yourself in a trap where your life is filled with things you don't want, or don't feel connected to. They leave you feeling uninspired. Maybe you're in a city you don't want to live in, or a job you don't like, maybe a relationship where you feel stuck. It's counter-intuitive to shed what you don't want in order to create space for what you do want. Now at this point you may be asking yourself "Who is this guy and is he serious? It’s a crappy job market and I'm going to leave what do have, behind? It’s better than nothing!" As Steven Covey says, go for win-win or no deal. Too many of us think that compromise is the best solution. Personally, I'd rather be homeless than be in a situation I don't enjoy. Did I burn the boats? Absolutely. You have to burn the ships that got you there when you land on the new shore. However, you don't want to burn the food and supplies! I'm guilty of this and had to learn the hard way a few times... Make a careful distinction between what you need (food and supplies) vs. the escape route that's keeping you tied to that ship. It's no different that going through a divorce, you've got leave, but DAMN you wish you had grabbed that end table...

After burning the ships, you've taken it far enough to where you are committed. If you have to quit your job to move forward (and a lot of people do) the job isn't only the food and supplies, it’s the ship as well! That's what may very well be keeping you in the wrong harbor. In my parents and grandparents generation, the idea was that you picked a job and did that for life. We've inherited the ability to not question our circumstances or choices we made years ago. It's not that I woke up one morning and turned the corner; it was a gradual malaise, a long slow curve, that developed over time. I t took me years to realize what was happening to me, no matter how many times I had heard it from others. I couldn't mute my feelings any longer, and made the choice to recreate myself. Rather than mute my feelings, I made the choice to follow inspiration. There's a part of me that wants to shake the hell out of the people I interact with, rip the heart out of my chest and stick it in theirs! By heart I mean courage. The definition of courage is “the state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.” It is derived from the Middle English corage, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *corāticum, from Latin cor, heart. The root of the word courage is heart. Ask yourself, does this path I’m on have a heart?

How do you know if the path has heart? You feel it in your chest, it excites you, and you have an emotional reaction to it. At the same time it scares you, you have this feeling of "wow, that would be awesome but I don't know if I can pull it off..." These are the goals that should really inspire you. Excitement is part inspiration and part terror. I have to be somewhat scared about the path I'm on because that's the path that is building courage. It’s scary out there and so many of us are playing it safe. Find that edge, that thing you feel in your chest that both scares and excites you. Safe is an adjective and a noun, it means both free from harm and an enclosed locked container. If you’re living the noun you’re living the adjective as well. The need for security is restricting your freedom. If the basis of your of your self esteem is your need for security, a safe relationship or a steady paycheck, you're living in a cage.

What does it look like to take a step outside of that? Initially it’s terrifying. At the same time it’s thrilling. From a pretty early age, I made a conscious decision to create difficulty in my life as a means of creating growth. It’s been long, progressive training, no different than using dumbbells to strength train. For someone who has been stuck, changing jobs is a huge weight to lift. It’s like a "newbie" looking at a 100 pound dumbbell, thinking that's too much weight to curl. Yet everyone is at a different level of courage, only able to tolerate a level of uncertainty. You need to have a vision of where you are going when it comes to the application of courage. Ask yourself "where do I want to be? What shore am I sailing to" THEN burn the ship! How important is that vision of where you want to be? It depends on if you’re in more of a training or destination mindset. There are times when I have goals that are just about training. Maybe there something I'm afraid of where I need to build my courage. a fear I need to get over, then I’ll go do it. Maybe after that the vision is more about competition so it’s more of performance mode than practice. Performance mode is applying the strength I’ve already built. As any athlete knows, there’s a big difference between practice and games. If all they did was play games, they wouldn't be a great athlete because practice puts you in as many potential scenarios as possible.

Now to the meaty part. Are you worried about your job and the possibility of losing it? Wondering what to do if you've already lost your job? How can you turn that job loss into a positive opportunity? How can focusing on your passion, rather than paying your bills actually help build a more satisfying life? We all have been at the "oh shit, what am I gonna do" part. Some of us will look at the glass being half empty and some half full. This path I'm sharing with you of courage and inspiration seems like the high, unrealistic and impractical road. There is a hidden benefit to losing your job. It is GOING to make you stronger. It's very true that whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger. You may be running deeper and deeper into debt, even on the verge of bankruptcy. You know what? You will still be here. Your life won't end, it'll only make you stronger and wiser. You' have plenty of time to relax when you're six feet under. You should be building skills that may have never developed if you hadn't gone through that experience. To reiterate, the first step is;

1: If you lost your job, that's a wonderful thing because it's going to make you stronger. People will come to me and tell me they quit their job, lost it, or got laid off. Invariably my response is congratulations! That's awesome! I can say that because I know they are about to go through a monstrous growth experience. There are lots of people who lose their jobs and feel a sense of relief, as if some enormous burden has been lifted. It's all in your mind and depends entirely on your perspective, how you react is under your control. You can see it as a huge opportunity, or not. Your goal shouldn't be to live a cozy, secure and safe life-you'll have plenty of opportunity to do that when you're 6 feet under, in a nice little box. No one will bug you then.

2: Start thinking about what you really want to do. Maybe you're not strong enough to lift that weight yet, but you can start developing your courage and skills in that direction. What kind of goals inspire you right now? Don't look at the easy ones, but the ones that will lift you up. Re-frame it from "Oh my God, holy sh*t" into "here we go, this is a gift, it'll make me stronger". Now we need to get clear about what we really want and what starts moving us towards that, what gets us fired up.

3: Ask yourself what kind of goals inspire you right now. If you move towards your inspiration fully, learn from your passion, and share it with the world, you can't fail! There's a balance between being freaked out. What's a simple way of finding the balance between challenge and being freaked out? Grow a pair! Helen Keller said life is a daring adventure or nothing. There is no in between. The challenge is what makes you you stronger. It's the equivalent of going to the gym and lifting the same weight day after day. Whats the point? You're not gonna get any stronger? How long are you going to stick with the 10 pound dumbbells? Progress! Get stronger! Of course its harder to lift the heavy weights, you'd be bored and frustrated by a lack of growth. There's no need to fear it or resist it, even though it's called resistance training. Let the resistance come from life itself, not from whats within you.

When people lose their jobs, they really start thinking hard about their lives, maybe for the first time in quite awhile. You may be feeling a mixture of panic and relief. Almost always they're losing a job they didn't really want (which is often the reason why they lost it). They were expendable. They were fired or laid off because they weren't really needed. They weren't doing work that they were passionate about. It's not very common that people who are passionate are fired or laid off. They are usually awesome to be around and management is going to let that person go last and only if they absolutely have to. That person is probably doing more work than anyone else and they're creating a ton of value. Knowing those things to be true, turn inward, determine what you're really passionate about, what you'd really like to do and how can you create that.

Don't focus too much on the "how" right away..its the why. Ask yourself, what would that kind of life be like, and start feeling that passion once again. That passion and excitement is what's going to get you into action! Job security is finding that passion, adding energy, and contributing. That's what people want to be around. You are adding energy-you're a contributor. A manager of 10 employees that has to lay off two is NOT going to lay off those that have the energy, passion and contribute. They're going to lay off those that are miserable, unproductive, that don't really fit, those that aren't easy get along with and that don't want to be there. The manager is actually doing them a favor by laying them off! Those are the individuals that really DO need that wake up call! If I've been laid off, and I'm sitting here reading this trying to shift my perspective, there is incentive for me to dig deep and find out what I'm inspired by because that's going to make me more attractive. Take the time and find out what fires you up because THAT is going to make you more marketable and relevant. Inspiration is absolutely critical. I've worked for a time without it and a great deal of time with it. After experiencing both sides of that fence I could never go back to working without it. When you're passionate, filled with energy, happy and contributing, you find yourself inspiring people in ways that you can't even imagine!

When I truly became successful in this business, it wasn't when I started billing x amount of dollars, it was when I made the decision to start helping and inspiring people. People say do what you love and the money will follow. I find that it's somewhat accurate, but you have to understand why that is the case. See, when you do what you love, you do it often and you get good at it. Eventually. Hopefully. If you keep working at it, for 10,000 hours (according to Outliers) you're going to become great! I imagine this is only true if you work at it intelligently and passionately, rather than making the same mistakes over and over. Eventually you'll create some value for other people. Now you have some talent that you can share, use and teach other people how to do what you're doing. Then you can create income by exchanging value with others. It started for me with awareness of finding my passion, really focusing on it, developing it and sharing it with others.

Just because you made your bed doesn't mean you have to lie in it. I no longer believe that I have to live with my past decisions, choices, and actions. Thank God. The past is past and has nothing to do with me. It has nothing to do with Now. Do not let anything from your past inhibit you as you go about re-creating yourself. Start over. Start Fresh. Each day. Each hour. Each minute. Just get going. Just do it. Just say it. With passion. All else will take care of itself.

From "Good to Great": How a roadside epiphany is transforming this Executive Recruiter

2009-04-28T09:41:00.004-05:00

The word “should” implies responsibility. It connotes demand, and that's just not the case. Life has a rhythm, it ebbs and flows. My failures haven't been failures so to speak, I just haven't been as good as I needed to be. I may not have specific control over my situation, but I have a choice about how I view it.

If I continue to do things the way I've always done them, I am not going to generate as much revenue this year as I did in 2007 and 2008. My kids, my family, my boss, my bills...they're not going away. I'm still responsible to and for them, yet...I've carried this enormous sense of guilt that I wasn't doing enough. Shouldn't I be inspired by those most important to me? I was beating myself up thinking that I was less of a person because they weren't ample inspiration for me to get off my butt and deliver. I'd feed my head with all of these positive mental vitamins on the way into the office, yet drive home feeling like I'd let everyone of them down. I got caught up in the blame game, though I wasn't pointing the finger at anyone but myself.

I was driving into work a few days later and listened to a podcast of The New Man, hosted by Tripp Lanier. His guest was Shawn Phillips, author of Strength for Life. The following question was brought up by Shawn when discussing motivation: "How do you feel the ground when the world is turned upside down?" Tripp and Shawn went on for a moment discussing Jim Collins' book From Good to Great, and how it fit into personal transformation. I'm a big believer in how God communicates to me, so when I heard Shawn say that I can't hate myself forward, I knew I better pull over and start taking notes.

Now, negative reinforcement, discipline and will-power will get you ten to fourteen days of motivation at best. This number applies to both external and internal motivating forces. It's possible to "hate" yourself into action, but impossible to sustain that momentum for any period of time longer than that. A great example is someone who may take pictures of themselves before beginning a strength training regimen. Those brutally honest moments of being naked with yourself often stir up negative emotions, dwelling on everything that is wrong with you. I knew that I'd have to take the foot off my own throat a little bit if I were to capitalize on my frustration.

Rather than hating myself forward, embrace what gets me moving. What is it that I do daily that allows me to feel strong? When it comes to real transformation I need to get rid of the "have-to's", the "shoulda's" and focus on the "want-to's". What activities in my career are in service of that thought?

I was trying to obligate myself into being properly motivated, when I needed to find the joy and pleasure in my career again. It wasn't going to matter what got me started, but the idea that I could guilt myself into “great” couldn’t carry me for long. What's joyful or pleasurable in my life (career) and what am I merely tolerating? I wrote the following words down: Mastery, control, confidence, clarity and began focusing on what activities are in service of that thought.

I revisited the book "Good to Great", and while Collin's focus is on what drives corporations to transform, stagnate, or regress, I wanted to individualize it. What points did he make that I can draw on in my transformation from a good recruiter to a great one? I found the following seven points to be extremely valuable in my ongoing transformation from good-to-great:

1-Ten out of eleven good-to-great company leaders or CEOs came from the inside. They were not outsiders hired in to ‘save' the company. They were either people who worked many years at the company or were members of the family that owned the company.

Outstanding! This means no one is going to save my ass but myself. The good news is that I have almost 10 years with the same organization, which happens to be a family-owned company. I've determined I am in the right place.

2-Good-to-great companies focus on what not to do and what they should stop doing.

Isn't this exactly what Shawn and Tripp were referring to? I know what my personal metrics are supposed to be. I know what has worked for me in the past. But how much time have I spent reflecting on things that take away from my strengths? In Marcus Buckingham's "The Truth About You ", he makes the point that trying to fix my weaknesses will only take me from mediocre to serviceable. I know what I'm good at, stop spending time doing things that are taking away from my strengths! Now we're getting somewhere.

3-Good-to-great companies paid little attention to managing change or motivating people. Under the right conditions, these problems naturally go away. Greatness is not a function of circumstance; it is clearly a matter of conscious choice.

You mean I get to decide to be great? That market timing, serendipity or DFL (all things that a strong economy seemingly provides) didn't make me great? Hmm....rather than acting like a cheerleader at work, maybe the right game plan, one that I can execute, will get me there. A plan that removes things that are not in service of my core values.

4-Every good-to-great company had “Level 5” leadership during pivotal transition years (and I believe this is one for ours). Level 5 is the Executive who builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. Level 5 leaders display a compelling modesty, are self-effacing and understated. In contrast, two thirds of the comparison companies had leaders (Levels 1-4) with gargantuan personal egos that contributed to the demise or continued mediocrity of the company.

This point really hit home. Do I see myself in a situation where I have level 5 leadership available to me, or that capability within myself? If I'm frustrated by my current leadership, can I be the change that I seek? Do I have the professional will to drive myself into the greatest vision I can create, or will I let my ego contribute to my own mediocrity? Sounded like I better infuse a little humility into my good to great transformation. I needed to get clear about what actions are in service of mastery, control, confidence and clarity.

5- Good-to-great management teams consist of people who debate vigorously in search of the best answers, yet who unify behind decisions, regardless of parochial interests.

Am I thoroughly thinking through what the best solutions are, or am I merely settling for what has worked for me in the past? Desperate times require desperate measures, where everything on the table is to be scrutinized.

6-Whether someone is the right person has more to do with character and innate capabilities than specific knowledge, skills or experience. This, Collins' refers to the Hedgehog Concept. It is a concept that flows from the deep understanding about the intersection of the following three circles:

What you can be best in the world at, realistically, and what you cannot be best in the world at? For me the answer is that I can be the best at helping my clients hire "top employees" rather than vetting top candidates. I can be the best at partnering with my client base, determining what their real job needs are. I cannot be the best at spending the most time in the office as that takes away from me as an integral person.

What drives your economic engine? What drives my economic engine is performing activities that are in service of business development. I need more time out in the field rather than administrative duties.

What you are deeply passionate about? I am deeply passionate about helping people grow further, not only in their career, but as individuals. I like coaching people, even since I was a kid coaching recreation league teams; I get off on that "A-ha" moment in peoples faces.

The author then states to discover your core values and purpose beyond simply making money (where's my next deal coming from) and combine this with the dynamic of preserving the core values to stimulate progress. Collins uses Disney as an example. They have evolved from making short animated films, to feature length films, to theme parks, to cruises, but their core values of providing happiness to young and old remains strong.

7-Enduring, great companies don't exist merely to deliver returns to shareholders. In a truly great company, profits and cash flow are absolutely essential for life, but they are not the very point of life.

I discussed this in a blog two weeks ago, using money to help people, rather than using people to make money. Enduring, great recruiters don't exist merely to deliver top employees to organizations. In a truly great recruiter, commissions are absolutely essential for life, but they are not the very point of life-your core values and purpose are.

"If you're doing something you care deeply about and if you believe in it, it's impossible to imagine not trying to make it great."-Jim Collins

RecruitingBrains.com: Recruiting Brains StayUp!

2009-04-24T21:10:00.000-05:00

RecruitingBrains.com: Recruiting Brains StayUp!

Stay Up! Or how Kanye's ego has saved this Executive Recruiter

2009-04-20T21:34:00.200-05:00

According to the Urban Dictionary, "stay up" originates in the graffiti subculture. The phrase refers to the hope that one's tag, throw up, piece, or burner will "stay up" and not be buffed. Of course, in the song of the same title, Kanye may have been alluding to something else.

How cool would it be if life cruised along with no problems, no upsets, no drama? The reality is that these things happen. I haven't run across anyone immune to personal problems ranging from relationships to kids to the new person in the office or even your health. Every seasoned, emotionally-stable recruiter is susceptible to slumping in times like these.

Given that a bad attitude will affect production, and that poor production solves no problems, what steps should be taken to maintain production even during traumatic circumstances? As we in sales know, attitude is everything. Below are a few steps which have worked for me.

1) Focus on the future by living in the now

In a goal driven profession, it's easy to become idealistic rather than living in the now. Believe me, no one is more guilty of having their head in the clouds than I am. Living in the "now" is certainly an area of my life that demands more attention and I'm very conscious of it. I've had to realize that if part or all of my funk is due to a slow market, it's okay! Historically, our industry has always followed a pattern of strong growth followed by short severe busts. We have had no less than ten post-War II Recessions and another will occur. Yet after every recession, our industry has come back stronger and it will again. Regardless of the market, personal slumps will happen as well. There are clear solutions to this that I'll cover below. As Eckhart Tolle said in The Power of Now, "If you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place."

2) Plan as if your life and everyone important to you depends on it

A depressed attitude leads to fewer business calls. Fewer calls will lead to less production and a more despondent attitude. It is a circle that has sunk many recruiters I've worked with over the years. The only answer is to keep “hitting the numbers” and that begins with a thoroughly filled-out daily plan.

Under the stress of depression, the tendency is to drift through the day. Maybe grab an extra cup of coffee, a “short” conversation with a friendly face, checking out Facebook or a pointless call to take up time. Before you know it, half the day is gone. A daily plan completed the night before is a significant part of the answer.

3) When good things happen to bad thoughts

It is frequently said that a good attitude is a must to making a good call. In fact, it may have been rammed down your throats by sales managers or trainers. In new people, this may be true because of their lack of skill. After all, lacking basic sales skills, what else do they have? I don't believe this is usually the case with an experienced recruiter. A well-trained recruiter has developed reflexes and patterns over many years. Moreover, your pride will force you to do a good job when you're on the phone. The problem usually is not doing well on the phone; it is getting on the phone to begin with!

This is where good things can happen to bad thoughts. Essentially this involves agreeing with your expectations of crappy results. Go ahead and tell yourself that it will be a bad, boring and non-productive day. But…just so you don’t feel guilty... have all the negative attitude you wish…and then push the stupid buttons on the phone! It's this very statement I have taped to my forehead from time to time.

Only a well thought-out daily plan will allow me to do this, to mindlessly get through my day. But the reality is that by call ten or twelve, I'm not only getting results, but sound damn good on the phone! And that will improve your day enormously too. Good things can happen to you too…from negative or bad thoughts!

4) Eating the elephant one bite at a time

The concept of breaking things down to individual bite-sized portions is a well-established methodology. Maybe you can’t run a mile…but you can run around the block. How about doing it again? Can you do that? Sure you can. Pretty soon you’ve knocked off a mile. For a former smoker, hiring a personal trainer and working out at 5AM six days a week wasn't necessarily the easiest thing for me to do. Sometimes I settled for driving to the gym and sitting in the parking lot. That was easy…and it almost always led to a good training session, even when he didn’t feel I could get myself moving. Once there, it is another easy step to just walk in the door.

Same with you. Are you depressed? OK. But just get up, take a shower, have breakfast. Is business bad? Fine. Just drive to work. Do you expect poor results? No problem. That’s the way it goes. But when you get there, just push the stupid buttons on the phone. Will it be a bad day tomorrow? Probably. But put together a daily plan tonight before you go home. By breaking things down to small steps and accomplishing those one by one, you’ll find discipline almost by accident.

5) Rules of success

Many people think that success is simply a matter of hard work and, perhaps, education. Nope. There are plenty who utilize both and do not succeed. I love Malcom Gladwells' Outliers on this very subject. I quote: "The biggest misconception about success is that we do it solely on our smarts, ambition, hustle and hard work. There's an awful lot more that goes into it than we admit." Gladwell explains later his theory on the 10,000 hour rule, which implies that "greatness requires enormous time. This explains why The Beatles were the best rock group and Bill Gates is a billionaire. From 1960 to 1964, The Beatles played live 1,200 times and racked up more than 10,0000 hours of playing time! Bill Gates had written 10,000 hours worth of code by the time he was dropped out of Harvard to start Microsoft!
The reality is that there really are specific rules and a specific roadmap to success, and the formula can work for you. There is no better time to study and learn that formula than when you are in an emotional funk. For these not familiar with these logical concepts, we are not speaking of what Zig Ziglar has referred to as “Positive Thinking Snake-Oil Salesmen”. I don't need anymore Positive Mental Attitude vitamins if I'm stuck, they don't settle well on an empty stomach or false enthusiasm. Rather, those who have studied the hard principles of success could enhance your life on a permanent basis.

6) Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs

The reality is that emotional downturns can become habits. The market is slow; worried, you take on a new search and it is the wrong search. Because it is the wrong search, nothing results from it. Now you're even more frustrated, leading to even more mistakes and lost time. This is a vicious circle that has to be broken, and one way to do it is the use of signs and posters in your office. It is one thing to improve your attitude and motivation, but if a habit of depression exists, on-going reminders will be needed to correct the problem. Hard-hitting signs, not warm and fuzzy cliches. These less than gentle reminders must be accomplishment-oriented. If you have a favorite quote you get your support staff laminate it. For example, over my computer, a laminated sheet bearing the words “Keep Moving Forward" from one of my son's favorite movies, "Meet the Robinsons" is posted. The movie and phrase have a strong emotional component for me, leading to my next point.

7) Emotional motivators

Posters and quotes apply mainly to the intellect. However, emotions, if brought into your day intelligently, can alos be a huge benefit. Your best bet is not pictures of a spouse, kids, or even your dog, but rather someone who is no longer with you. The purpose of these emotional jolts is just that—to give you an unaccustomed kick in the pants, and remind you to pick up the phone in the face of emotional turmoil.

My son's pitching coach passed away recently from a heart attack at the age of 45 years old. He left behind a 5 year old son. What makes matters worse is that he was found slumped over in his chair through the window. You can bet I have a picture of Fletch displayed prominently in my office. I also remember a recruiter who kept a picture of his ex-wife in a drawer. When he felt himself taking his foot off the gas pedal, he pulls it out, sneers, and starts hitting the buttons on his phone—with passion!

8) Metrics

What is the #1 enemy of production when under emotional stress? Less activity. What is the trap leading to less activity? The fact that it sneaks up on you. Fewer and fewer calls with more and more “recovery time” between calls leads to poor results…leading to more emotional stress. Now there’s a downward spiral for you! So what’s the answer? Measurement! As former President Bush said regarding annual testing of children in school, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it!” Feel free to insert your snicker here...

The same applies to working a desk in an emotional or economic downturn. Keeping track of and analyzing your metrics/numbers is critical to success in our industry. However, with your results declining, the tendency is simply to make fewer and fewer calls. This cannot be allowed to happen. Without a daily quantitative summary of the number of calls made, and more importantly, calls returned, there in simply no measurable way of maintaining call volume.

So what sort of scorecard is needed? First of all, keeping track of the calls out, i.e. the number of times you push the buttons on the phone, is pointless. What counts is not button-pushing, but solid business conversations. How many business conversations? Minimally, 20 per day. Short 1-minute calls or messages left do not count. And there should be at least 10 presentations of either your services or a specific candidate to new prospective clients. Anything less than 50% call backs demands immediate attention.

It may be necessary to plan and make 60 calls per day to get in your 20 substantive conversations. Accumulatively, when combined with improving skills, this number will yield the results needed to break through your slump. Just keep track of your substantive business conversations, by means of “hash marks” on your daily plan. But don’t quit doing this. Otherwise, your activity will spiral down while you remain in a slump. After all, “If you can’t measure it…you can’t improve it!”

9) Strength

Down times, regardless of the reason, mean frustration and irritation. Perhaps the market has you down. Or perhaps it is a relationship, family illness, loss of a pet. Anything that generates anger is counter-productive to doing well in business. The best way is get rid of that anger is to find a socially-acceptable outlet for it. That means exercise, or what I now refer to as strength training. It is well-known that better-conditioned people handle stress more effectively. Shawn Phillips has written a book called Strength for Life. He has captured an integral approach to strength training, where "energy is the real currency of life...an abundance of energy. When' you're living with strength you have a resource of mental, physical, emotional and spiritual energy...the capacity to make an impacty". Check it out!

10) Keep Moving Forward

If your slow work pace comes from non-business circumstances, you’ll find the above points to be highly beneficial. But if your problems are due to market conditions, there is one additional critical element to improve your attitude. Get better! Improve your selling skills! The same thing over and over, the same ideas, the same techniques, will lead to no improvement. It’s boring. It generates no hope. And sitting around just waiting for the market to turn isn’t exactly conducive to better results.

How long since you’ve read a book on industry-specific selling? On classical selling? On time management? Do you listen to forward-moving CD's or MP3's on the way to work? Does your firm have any videos or DVDs? Have you watched them recently? A few of my new favorites are the aforementioned Outliers, Strength for Life, The Power of Now, Marcus Buckinghams' First, Break All the Rules and The Truth About You. Improvement, learning, forward movement gives you a great sense of destiny, of zeal, drive, confidence. You are taking control by using your mind. If you are in a funk, get better. Get renewed!

Staying Up

So where are we, in terms of keeping your attitude “up” in down times? First of all, realize that a sense of depression is normal under some circumstances. A temporary slump, a poor market or personal problems makes it unreasonable to be cheerful at all times. This does not have to result in a slow work pace. While you may not sparkle with joy throughout the day, you can still remain productive.

You don’t, however, have to just sit around and wait. Even in an emotionally disturbed state ( for whatever reason), you can still get decent production. You will just have to be a little “mechanical” about it. But that’s OK. Plan. Plan. Plan at the end of the day. Even if you don’t want to, take one step at a time. Just do your planning before you go home. Don’t worry about production. Just plan.

The next morning, hit the phones early and don’t worry about your attitude. Just push the stupid buttons on the phone. Don’t even worry about results. Push the stupid buttons on the phone!

Along the way, gain some knowledge. Learn. This is an ideal time to do it. When the market comes back, you won’t have time to improve. You’ll be too busy with business. So use this time to read some good selling and personal development books. Don’t just read. Underline. Re-read. Implement. Watch videos. Role-play. Distract yourself by learning, and you will improve attitude, skills, and income. Nothing lasts forever. That includes both business and personal problems. This too shall pass—faster than you think. And when it does, you’ll be well-positioned to take full advantage of the romping, stomping, roaring bull market that most certainly lies ahead!

It's like Kanye said: "Stay Up...this a contact sport".

Einstein as an Executive Recruiter

2009-04-13T20:43:00.001-05:00

A classic definition of insanity is attributed to Albert Einstein. It was also attributed to Ben Franklin, and the author Rita Mae Brown. I'm paraphrasing, but odds are you've heard it before. The classic definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result.

In a market like this, it's easy to attribute a lack of results to the economy. No matter how many "Positive Mental Attitude" pills (metaphorically speaking, of course) you pop, its easy to feel nauseous because we take them on empty stomachs.

I have been in the recruiting industry for the better part of ten years. Some years have been enormously successful, others have caused me to tend bar(self medicate) on weekends. Yet I always come back to the one thing the President of my firm has preached: we should use money to help people, rather than using people to make money. What an incredible responsibility we have, not just helping our clients find the best talent, but helping candidates grow further personally and in their own careers.

Sometimes people have difficulty getting their heads around what I do for a living, and how it truly benefits people. Their arguments may be that we are merely making the rich "richer". How could anyone possibly know the rush, the excitement, the incredible level of fulfillment I feel everytime I help someone to do things a little bit differently than they had in the past, to give them that little nudge. Not a push over the cliff, but grabbing someone by the hand and jumping with them. Letting them know, "hey, it's scary, but I've done this thousands of times and haven't lost one yet...".

On a good day, I meet one person that is top 10%. They may not know it, but with a little help, a little coaching, I can get them there.

Now its time to help ourselves. We have spent the last four to six months in a state of flux. Not overtly blaming the economy for a lack of results, but somewhere deep, it's turned into a crutch. "They're laying off" or "not paying fees" or "we're not adding to the vendor list"... Same question, always a variation of the same answer. It's time to self-author. You don't like the results you're getting? Do a little regression testing. Is it because we're doing the same things over and over again?

We are Executive Recruiters by trade. We are coaches by nature. We love helping people. We love the thrill of the hunt. We love doing things that people think are impossible. We love it when people tell us no. We may even be a little narcissistic...

Alright, Einstein. Get to it. As Steve Finkel said, "...just push the stupid buttons on the phone..."