Tesar-Reynes

I just watched a very funny poignant movie: “You, Me, and Dupree.” In the movie, Owen Wilson plays the role of someone who is never able to synch up with the world as it now exists. He is smart (probably a Mensa), charming, honest, true to his beliefs, and able to relate to everybody. He also has two other qualities. The first is a child-like ability to see the world as new and wonderful everyday. The second is a rock-solid faith that everyone has a unique place in the universe where they will blossom and succeed. It takes the entire movie for him to find his own place in the solar system.

I am reminded of my journey through life and my need to reinvent myself. I was handicapped by not having Owen Wilson’s character’s beliefs in his unique Karma. Mine …

Every morning when I get into the office, about 85-100 emails are sitting there eagerly awaiting my attention. About half are resume solicitations either directly or through LinkedIn. I only read and respond to 10% of them.

What about the other 90%? They go right into the discard pile with no more than a quick 5 second scan. You are probably sitting there going, “This guy is a heartless bastard.” The fact of the matter is that I am not heartless, just realistic. All of the 90% have something in common. They either are part of a mass mailing where my name (and address) does not appear in the heading or the cover letter starts out “I am sure one of your clients could use my skills.”

Somehow people don’t get it. I am in the …

I had breakfast today with a good friend. Whenever we get together, my brain simmers for a good time after. Our conversation today covered the oil spill, commercial real estate, the attraction of the Catholic Church, the immigrants in Arizona, the Medici’s, Thorstein Veblen and the restructuring of global business. I’ll talk about the last subject and not bore you with the rest.

Starting in late 2008, businesses stopped spending money. The phrase “Cash is King” resounded everywhere. As the corporate sales charts went into free fall, the only actionable strategy left for business was to cut cost. Reduction in staff was the name of the game. People were not necessarily cut selectively: whole departments were vaporized. As an HR director told me, when she walked down the halls, she could hear people humming the theme from “Jaws” or mimicking the …

LinkedIn has become the fourth most important asset for your merchandisability. It nestles in right behind your actual performance, your brand and reputation, and your resume. In general I find that most people gravitate to one of two ways to handle this online asset. They either see it as another wall on which to tack their resume, or they see it as a limitless billboard that is a Facebook sidebar.

Here is my take on LinkedIn. At the barest minimum it must show your business background, what people think of you (references) and a little about your life outside of work. This is a great place to put links to what you are passionate about; articles written about you, pieces that show your best thinking, your creative book and any write-ups about your activities in the community.

Who looks at your …

I was talking to a president of a medium-sized Midwest marketing services company the other day. We got on the subject of entry level hiring. His face got red and the temperature of the room went up about 20 degrees. He stated: “I get over 100 resumes every week of the year. I throw out at least 99 without even looking at the resume. I would never want any of them to work for me. They are all f’ing idiots!”

After the smoke cleared, I asked him why. The response made me laugh. He said, “I am in the branding and communications business. Anyone who works here does the same thing. Successful branding requires hard research work to find out who the customer is and what their needs are. Do you think any of these people who send me resumes do that? …

I talked to someone the other week that was told that “he had been relieved of duty” as a CMO. I was one of the people he called after he took some time off to get his head on straight. He was fortunate that the news still had not reached the press. Before discussing the steps for his next job, I asked him these questions:

- Had he gone through most of the stages of grieving?
- Was he thinking straight and were his emotions under control?
- Was there any negotiations left on his separation package, and, was he centered enough to do it?
- Was there agreement with his old company as to the rationale of his leaving the company?
- Did he know what was being said about him by his peers and subordinates at the old company?
- Had he done a personal P&L on how long he …

We just got a job from a local agency and he needed help fast. Bob and I decided to post and tweet the position as well as do a search through the database. I was shocked by the number of ill-qualified responses! A couple of people were not even in advertising. On goes my judgment hat and I want to “correct” all the miscreants.

My suggestion for all of you who answer ads you are not qualified for is to stop. You are hurting yourself in more ways than you think. You are creating a self-fulfilling downward spiral. Here is the potential negative-feedback logic thread:

• I am a terrific employee for someone
• This is the start to my new life
• Getting a new job is my new job
• I need to get my resume out
• I will send a specific cover letter that shows …
  
  [ More ] January 20th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Getting a Job, Tough Times |

During a whirlwind first few weeks at my new job, I’ve kept one adage in my mind to stay on an even-keel:

It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon.

On some days, I’ve felt like a chicken with my head cut off. So much information is stored on my company’s shared drive. We have clients in industries I’ve never heard of. Thankfully, my superiors have given me time to learn about the work. At this point, I certainly have a decent understanding and thorough appreciation for the businesses and diverse industries my clients endeavor at.

Looking back on the past month, I realize now that if I had organized my first few weeks with some objectives in mind, I might have had an easier time compartmentalizing all the information I …

When times get tough the resume tends to become plastic. We see titles being changed, jobs being dropped out, graduation dates erased and the early part of careers completely excised.

In my eyes, each of the above has a different penalty. If a person does not include early career information or grad date, there is no harm done. They have not really misrepresented themselves and I can ask them to fill in the information.

The people that get nailed are those who willingly alter their past by creating new job titles/responsibilities and leave out entire pieces of their job history. The resume reads well, but if we catch it, the person will never be presented by us to a client. …

I’m happy to reports some good news. Last week I signed an offer letter for a Social Media Specialist position with a local BtoB firm. A strange sense of accomplishment and duty came over me while I read the letter. My mind kept wandering to thoughts of the next few years of my career.

I pictured the office I’d be working at and what it would feel like to walk through its doors in the morning. I could see myself saying hello to new co-workers as I made my way towards my desk. I imagined logging into my computer, checking emails, and corresponding with account executives and other contacts.

I could see myself knocking on our president’s door. My head would gesture towards her with a friendly nod as she talked busily on the phone …