Tesar-Reynes

I was gone the other week for an outing with 12 other photographers in Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. As many of you know, I am an avid shooter. (I invite you to view my photography site here or visit me on Flickr.) As many of you also know, this economy has not produced a super abundance of searches in our industry recently. Getting out of the office was wonderful! I was able to leave behind most of the frustration and disappointments that the last few months have generated. But, in those locations and attitudes, I did not get away from Chicago-like weather.

My expectations for the trip were just about perfectly realized: the fetters of the work place and the household faded away and the real me was able to …

Roland brings up a good point about sleep on his last post. I used to be terrified about not getting enough sleep. I had the perception that when I allowed myself to be overtired I couldn’t think right, I could put in real long hours and I was always getting sick. Invariably I would get into a cycle where I either couldn’t go to sleep or would awake at 1 or 2 am. I would then torque myself up to believe that I couldn’t go back to sleep……and that, of course, was self-fulfilling.

About 10 years ago I developed a new strategy. I figured out the minimum sleep I required to function at work the next day. It was 4.5 hours. I am an early riser, …

A recent article from the Huffington Post by Ph. D. Michael Gervais talks of the correlation between the high performance of Olympic athletes and sleep. I couldn’t help but think of thousands of us that hack it at a weekly 8-6+ and can never seem to get enough sleep in our lives. The four sleep strategies of elite athletes, which Mr. Gervais highlights in his article, apply to us just as much as they do a Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt.

1. Allow for pre-sleep readiness.
2. Be consistent with sleep patterns.
3. Clear your mind.
4. Account for jet-lag.

I’ll add one more to the list, which is:

5. Prepare for tomorrow at the end of today.

Rather than waking up in a panic, rushed mode in the …

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 …

After being out of work for a while, the idea of any money versus no money becomes pretty clear. The problem lies in negotiating with a potential employer for a lower salary. When working with a search firm, a person has a sense of perimeters. When going into a job negotiation solo, there is a sense of flying blind.

Two questions you may have are:

1. If I ask for too much, will I price myself out of the job?

2. If I price myself too low, do I come off as damaged merchandise or desperate?

There is no good answer. Two suggestions:

1. Bounce the question off a trusted recruiter you know.

2. Ask the interviewer what the salary range is for the job spec.

…

This list is mainly compiled from my personal experience. Believe it or not, I had three W-2’s in the worst career year of my life. But it was great prep to go into the search business!

Preparation is key they say. After my midpoint internship review last week, I thought of a few tips that may help you better prepare for your annual review. Following are recommendations to maximize your yearly review, particularly flavored for agency work.