Tesar-Reynes

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I don’t think most of us go out of our way to create enemies. But many people constantly poison their well for the future. Here are some recent stories that have been related to me.

“My boss is an idiot.”

Maybe these aren’t the exact words, but people email or text this to a trusted friend. The friend could forward it where it is benignly at the bottom of a forward to someone else. I also know of a lady who was out of the office and needed an address off her computer and asked her boss to find it for her. He found more that just the address.

“Let me tell you how bad my company is.”

On an interview situation, some people can’t shut up. When asked why they are leaving, they tee off on their current employer. …

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I swear my heart drops every time I read one of these articles. Wednesday the Times printed the results of a consumer confidence survey. The survey recorded its worst reading in 16 years.

And in the Tribune, Gail MarksJarvis wrote in article headlined, “Confidence in consumers on the wane”, citing results from a Redbook survey.

Does this make the marketer’s job harder? Of course. But how does it effect the job market in the …

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An article in today’s Wall Street Journal (Grad Tidings by Sue Shellenbarger) reminded me of some testing I did when I was part way through my career.

The reason I took the testing was because I had it with my current choice of jobs. In the …

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41% of NBA fans believe NBA games may be rigged, according to a YouGovPolimetrix Omnibus poll released to AdAge.

The poll was taking before accused referee Tim Donaghy made more allegations that the NBA was purposefully altering the outcomes of games. Imagine if the poll were taken today.

As the article indicates, NBA Commissioner David Stern has long held an advantage over the commissioners of the other three majors because he understands …

These 4 books have helped me find my way as a new marketing person. They’re easy reads and the kind of books you can absorb in a short amount of time.

I recommend them to you. They’re more about basic communication and people skills than marketing theory. I guess since I’m young, I thought it important to get the basic fundamental skills down first.

1. How to Talk to Anyone, by Leil Lowndes

This is one of my favorite books. The book’s cover reads, “92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships.” The book is just that, 92 little things you can do that will immediately improve the way you communicate and interact with people.

2. The Book on Writing, by Paula LaRocque

We all know …

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I just got off the phone with a person who is looking for a job. He asked some questions about on-line registration.

Many companies now require that when sending in a resume, a candidate will also fill out a company registration on their site. The company sees it as means to “time stamp” when a potential candidate contacted them.

This information can settle potential conflicts with search firms about the source of candidates and it can serve as a reservoir for new people. My experience is that in many companies it is a black hole: everything goes in and nothing comes out.

Back to his questions:

Q. Do I address my cover letter “To whom it …