Tesar-Reynes

I was asked a really strange question the other day. Do I prefer to receive an unsolicited resume from a candidate I don’t know by snail mail or by e-mail. My response was simple: e-mail. She laughed and said that is a pretty black and white response.

My answer was definitely yes. There is very little I can do with a paper copy of a resume other than to request an electronic one. The perception, at least with me, is that if someone sends me a hard copy they’re not very much up on the world and don’t have an electronic one. It sort of creates a bad first impression.

On more than one occasion, a candidate has brought up to me their concern about giving personal information on corporate websites. They have felt, whether it is true or not, that they were asked to give permission to the company to investigate private information before they’d even had an interview. They felt uncomfortable answering questions about things like traffic violations and health care. This also included the release of their Social Security number.

In this age, I believe that these people have a perfect right to be concerned. When I asked them whether the corporate site promised to protect their information, none could recall such.

I honestly don’t know whether very many corporate sites do this but if it’s a perception then it’s a partial reality. If it is a reality then I can flat guarantee that certain companies …

If you’re unemployed like me, you might find yourself wondering what the next step in your career should be. I sure am.

Sometimes, it helps to get your thoughts down on paper. Tony and I are huge advocates of journal writing, especially the type of writing where you just write with no purpose. Interesting thoughts come out when you let your subconscious mind roam freely.

The other night, I made a huge pot of coffee and started writing. My journal entry started with a simple question – Who Am I?

I wrote about how two years ago, I had one role. I was a student. That responsibility came with a simple goal: Get A’s in all my classes. I did well, scoring a decent GPA. I hit the books during the …

Yesterday at the grocery store, I accidentally bumped my cart into a 50-year old looking lady in the checkout line. Rudely, she pushed my cart back into my midsection. A sharp pain ran through my waist as the lady shot a look back at me saying, “How dare you!”

I apologized, then looked down at my cart to survey my purchase. Eggs, steak, salmon, chicken, bread. “Hope it all adds up to $40,” I thought.

An angry voice appeared out of nowhere in my head. “Well, if this stupid baby-boomer in front of me hadn’t screwed up the economy, maybe I’d have the grocery budget to afford some milk!”

I laughed to myself and chalked up my rage to frustrations I share with this years graduating class. On Sunday, the front page of the …

In a recent meeting, where I was the keynote speaker, an individual asked me “Why don’t you guys get back to me?” She was frustrated by the fact that recruiters had called her on assignments, presented her to clients, and then there was no follow-up. She said that this had happened to her on multiple occasions in the last year.

My response was that many a client in the last year had started a search and then ended it by leaving things up in the air. We have had more than one retained search, where the client has paid front money and then just clammed up after a couple of months, and the search was never filled. It sort of just faded away. In other cases, the client would make no decision on a …

It’s a strange time for college graduates. Those who just finished school should be ecstatic that step of their lives is over. Instead, I run into former classmates and hear two reoccurring themes. One, they can’t find work. Two, it’s beginning to affect their self-esteem.

If you’re one of these people, then you may find yourself shooting for an internship rather than an account executive position. My six-month internship with Carolyn Grisko & Associates, for example, just ended last week.

Unfortunately, the timing was not right for me to translate that internship into a full-time position. Others are luckier. A good associate of mine has interned at Ketchum for a year and will soon be hired on. There’s still hope for those of you seeking …

In a recent gathering I was asked my opinion on the subject of age and the job market. After the conversation progressed for a while, the issue broke down into two pieces: chronological age versus perceptual age and naive preemptive cutting of the candidacy due to age.

I fully believe that chronological age is a poor qualifier for an individual’s candidacy. I have known people in their teens that acted like they were in their 50’s, conversely I have known people in their 80′s that acted like they were in their 40’s.

Perceptual age, how one acts, is all about enthusiasm, flexibility, curiosity and the ability to relate. As a search company we are much less concerned by someone’s age, and more how than by how they act and think.

There was a general consensus in the room that …

The social media director at my internship e-mailed these two e-books to the office last week.

• About Face by The Advanced Guard
• How to Use Facebook for Business by Hubspot

I have to say, they are two of the best basic, yet comprehensive, guides on Facebook for businesses I’ve seen. You can link to Jason Baer’s post for a detailed analysis, but if you have an hour, give them a read.

Here are some numbers on Facebook you can’t ignore.

• Over 275 million users worldwide (60 million in the U.S.)
• 1.2 billion monthly visits
• 3.5 billion minutes are spent on Facebook a day
• 4 million people become fans of …

I get a call about once a week from someone who has just seen our blog. Typically, the conversation centers around something they read and how it helped them out. After I thank them profusely for their comments, I ask them if they have subscribed to the site or left a comment. The answer is invariably “no”.

Roland and I would really appreciate two favors from you: first, please give us feedback on what you would like us to discuss……or whether you even agree with us. Next, we have watched our RSS feed numbers grow, but not as rapidly as we would like. I know this sounds like a plea for subscription money, but would you be kind enough to pass this blog on to a friend? We are not selling anything at this site except …

I had the good fortune on the second of June to speak at the Chicago chapter of the Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG). Check them out. There were about 60 or 70 people in the room, and I was impressed by their level of commitment to help one another.

As I understand it, about one third of the group worked for local companies, one third were consultants, and one third were in transition to a new job. The leadership of the group was enthusiastic, helpful, and offered a great deal of resources. The members reflected the leadership’s emotions and seemed genuinely concerned about helping fellow members. They have branches all over the country.