Search Results - merchandise

Comment for: Kurt Ronn: borers in the U.S. but I'm not talking about using the people that stand on the corner or in front of a home improvement store. I'm talking about: (these #s are from bls.gov) 1. 7.8 million unemployed in the U.S. "that would love to work." 2. 13.12 million youth in the labor force. ages 16-24 3. 6.1 million college students likely to work or look for work. That's at least 27 million people willing to work ! I recently meet with a distribution company that, every day, gets orders in which need to be pulled from stock, have orders that need to be delivered and inventory that needs to be stocked. Yes they have 2 full time employees but at the end of everyday they asses the work for the next day and pick up workers accordingly. I asked the owner, well where do you get workers like that ? He said "you know I could go to the corner and pick up as many workers as I needed but I have a really hard time communicating with them, some won't work for less then $15 per hour and, frankly, I can't support them because I see the stress they are putting on communities." "I have two sons who have a group of friends that I would, in the past, offer the work to but they have sense moved or found long term carriers. Then one day while I was talking to a friend of a friend who said he said he was going to find me a way to hire workers on an as needed basis without the idea of going to the corner. To make a long story short he started this free little community website called POSTaNEED where every day I can go an post work that I need done for the following day such as, " I need 1 worker to pull orders for a pay of $10 per hour." "I need one driver with their own pick up to make 5 deliveries for $15 per delivery plus gas." or, if I am getting merchandise in, I will post a need for a worker to put stock away." "The business owner said, "you know, now that I am about to retire, if there is one thing that I can recommend to the new generations that will start a company or for people that have their own company, is to take big advantage of the people out there that want to work. In my situation do you know how much I was able to say by doing this ? Put it in to prospective for your business !" "To tell you the truth I still use this resources because when I need my lawn moved, my house cleaned, painted or what ever I post it on the website and out of 27 million people, like you said, I will find someone that wants to work." My Own Notes on This: Further more, in my city, we have a day labor pick up site thats looks nicer then some parks and and to top it off it has cost the tax payers over $100,000 to maintain. Not to mention that in cities like Burbank CA The Home Depot was forced to build a day labor pick up site and pay $94,000 toward additional costs if they wanted to do business in the city. "Mountain View is considering a proposal to require Home Depot to pay $250,000 toward a permanent day labor center." - http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,286944,00.html I have seen places where day laborers are standing in front of a 7-Eleven, U-Haul, and etc. When are they going to be forced to build a pick up site ? From what I have seen, POSTaNEED is FREE to use ! If more people had the opportunity to pick up work from a safe and legal environment, I think we would see a lot more legal people picking up jobs. Imagine if the tax funding that cities and private money, that The Home Depot were putting in to build day labor sites, went to promoting a new, better, way of hiring workers. All it would take is for The Home Depot and other companies like 7-Eleven, U-Haul, etc. to say they will help the day laborer situation by encouraging them to use POSTaNEED and the positive effects would soon follow.…; Added by Tim Nealison at 5:26pm on May 6, 2008

Blog Post: 5 Recruiting and Training Tips To Maximize The Growth Of Your Plumbing Business: Like any other industry, plumbing business is associated with its fair share of challenges and rewards. Plumbing technicians need to be abreast of proper technicalities along with kits and stocks…; Added by Smith Willas at 7:20am on August 30, 2018

Blog Post: Be Prepared: Is It YOUR Motto?

It’s the…

Added by Kirk Baumann at 7:29am on September 7, 2010

Blog Post: How to Think Smart on Your Business’ Approach to Corporate Gifting: Gift-giving isn’t only reserved for people in your personal life; it can also be an effective tool to bring people closer in a professional setting. Whether you’re bridging a connection from one…; Added by Alicia Walker at 12:34pm on May 30, 2024

Blog Post: Meet Susan Burns, Industry Thought Leader at Talent Synchronicity: Thought Leadership

RecruitingBlogs.com…; Added by Dave Mendoza at 1:45am on September 15, 2008

Blog Post: The Three Steps of Candidate Attraction: Why is it easier to see other people’s mistakes?

by…; Added by Peter Rogers at 11:24am on April 5, 2016

Comment for: Aloha Marcano: bility to build lasting client relationships, willing to relocate, seeking high level management position where I can apply skills and continue to grow within the company. PROFILE • Experienced in human resources, operations management, sales, budget development, staffing, cost control, suppliers, international travel, visual merchandising, marketing, and property management. • Adept in communicating effectively with customers, vendors, and staff; Able to motivate employees to their maximum potential in a team - oriented environment. • Exceptional organizational and planning skills: highly adaptable; enjoys new challenges. • Successfully worked for many different retailers and shopping center developer including: Westfield, Cartier International, Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Loft, Banana Republic, GAP, Baby Gap and Gymboree. EXPERIENCE Westfield, LLC. ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER – CENTER MANAGEMENT San Diego, CA (August 2007 – Present) Summary • Transferred as an AGM from a General Manager position within the company, in order to work at a key property with over 150 stores that has the largest redevelopment project in the Westfield pipe-line. Essential Duties and Responsibilities • Ensured the Accounts Receivables for the property are up to date and balanced. • Responsible for the timely delivery of reports such as: sales, legal, Business Outlook. • Worked with several of the departments such as Marketing, Specialty Leasing, and Accounting in order to ensure that they are able to set and meet their own goals. • Ensured that Customer Service issues were addressed either by the center of the retailer. • Participated in Budgets, CAP EX Projects and assisted with specific areas such as Operations, Marketing, and Specialty Leasing. • Worked with onsite Security in order to ensure that the level of communication and follow up were always at the highest in regards to any incidents at the center. • Assisted in interviewing & hiring candidates for positions including: Operations Manager, Property Accountant, receptionist, concierge, and Specialty Leasing Manager. • Successfully communicated with all retailers in order to learn their thoughts on the business and to assist in driving their sales to ensure center sales goal growth. Westfield, LLC. GENERAL MANAGER – AIRPORT RETAIL Miami International Airport, Miami, FL (2004-2007) Summary • Responsible for the overall management, direction and coordination of the airport retail program. Location concepts included newsstands, food and beverage, apparel, jewelry & accessories, electronics, sundries and toy stores. Examples of tenants in the program are: Brookstone, Dunkin Donuts, Borders and Ron Jon. I was responsible for ensuring corporate objectives were achieved at the lowest cost consistent with corporate and Airport requirements. Also interacted with Airports or clients and their representatives to ensure their needs and objectives are satisfied. Essential Duties and Responsibilities • Ensured effective cost control and profitability for the program. Identified problem areas and proactively improved performance. Prepared annual operating budget. • Responsible for successful sales for the program of over $50 million. • Maintained communications in English and Spanish with tenants and client to improve performance. Hired, trained and supervised on-site management personnel. Set goals and objectives to evaluate performance • Responsible for the collection of monthly receivables and issuing of payables. • Contracted with outside vendors, prepared scope statements and obtained bids. • Monitored contractors performance and ensured timely completion of projects. • Evaluated the Airport retail program and executed a variety of improvements. • Drafted and executed all Temporary Retail Leasing Agreements. • Monitored on-site tenant construction for compliance with approved plans. Work proactively with tenant coordination and others to ensure minimal revenue loss from commencement dates. • Oversaw and managed the marketing program of over $220K. • Handled any tenant issues or questions in regards to their leases in order to insure leases were upheld. • Represented my company in local community outreach programs and was an active member on the Miami Dade Aviation Department Marketing Committee, and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. CARTIER VISUAL MERCHANDISING SUPERVISOR Richemont Latin America & Caribbean, Miami, Fl (2002-2004) Summary • Prepared, trained and implement themes in over 200 boutiques and wholesale points of sales merchandising displays and seasonal theme decorations. Assumed purchasing and stock management responsibility for all visual merchandising consumable references. Supervised and coordinated the upkeep of wholesale point of sales and fixtures in conjunction with customers and vendors. Prepared and installed decorations and displays from blueprints or drawings for trade expositions, conferences, and other special events. I traveled extensively to over 200 points of sales in Latin America and Caribbean. Essential Duties and Responsibilities • Set-up of seasonal window themes in Latin America and Caribbean: direct responsibility for design of external boutique display themes. Coordinated boutique merchandisers, staff and storeowners. • Followed up and initiated maintenance project for points of sales. • Display set-up for wholesale network (USDF, Caribbean, and Central America): Set-up of new campaigns/wholesale network. Introduced new display material throughout along with working with local suppliers and carpenters to maintain costs. • Performed training sessions for merchandisers (wholesale) POS on display and sales techniques in English and Spanish. • Followed-up on display material availability, including ordering of all necessary elements and shipping to the point of sale. • Display set-up (logistics) of special presentations and promotional events in countries such as Argentina, Aruba, Mexico, Chile, Grand Cayman, and St. Barth’s. • Set up company sales in office venues and executed the event to resemble an actual Cartier store. • Worked with bonded warehouses in order to ensure shipment of display materials and merchandise. SENIOR ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER Ann Taylor, Miami, Fl (1999 -2002) Summary • Successfully managed one of the top national high-end women’s retail stores in South Florida. Oversaw all aspects of business and assisted general manager. Additionally assisted in the opening of local stores in other areas and responsible for sales, conception of floor plan, visual displays, window dressing overall set up. Essential Duties and Responsibilities • Responsible for merchandising – establishing floor plans, setting up window displays and floor displays, adjusting windows and floors to seasons, local market trends and special events and to sales. • Operations responsibilities including: analyzing sales trends; inventory control, developing action plans to correct focus areas; decreasing loss and increasing profit; ensured that daily operations were up to standards. • Created new business through community involvement and active public relations programs. • Oversaw all human resource activities such as: recruiting, hiring, training, development; reviews, appraisals and schedule management for a staff of 35. Trained service staff in customer service and in suggestive selling. • Ensured that customer service was assured and up to standards. • Oversaw sales goals for sales staff by analyzing daily/weekly/monthly/ yearly figures. • Supervised the responsibilities of 3 other Assistant Managers. EDUCATION Florida International University, Miami, Florida: International Relations (1999) SKILLS • Fluent in English and Spanish. • Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point, Outlook • JD Edwards E1, Crystal, New Business Objects, Alchemy and Realm • Excellent team building skills • Highly adaptable to social/cultural differences…; Added by Aloha Marcano at 1:53pm on December 9, 2008

Blog Post: Meet Daniel Harris, Talent Researcher at VeriSign, Part 1: By Dave Mendoza, Master Cybersleuth, Affiliate Partner, JobMachine Inc.…; Added by Dave Mendoza at 1:33am on January 30, 2008

Topic: Meet Russ Moon, Sourcing Samurai: "Warrior in the War for Talent": eries please click here. “In the war for talent, characterizing recruiters as 'warriors' may be an apt metaphor but, it is still a metaphor. Russ Moon on the other hand is the real deal. He drives for excellence in his profession and, the intensity with which he hones his skills to produce outstanding staffing results has few peers. In the war for talent, I want to have Russ leading the campaign on my side.” Gerry Crispin "Tenacious and determined in his drive to succeed Russ applies his vast intellect and deep energy resources into efficiently solving problems. His curiosity, a natural born willingness to learn, propels him into the ranks of Master CyberSleuths while his propensity to share his knowledge makes him a trusted friend.” Shally Steckerl “Russ has channeled ex-military diligence into recruiting & quickly moved into the elite levels by networking with the recruiting research/sourcing industry's leaders & putting in the time to learn & incorporating best practices into his daily work. It's paying off in his results & those in his circle benefit from his sharing of fast-growing expertise in all aspects of full life-cycle recruiting.” Glenn Gutmacher • Russ Moon • Sourcing Consultant, Talent Find LLC • Richmond VA • RecruitingBlogs Profile • Linkedin • Facebook • Twitter • Website • Blog • Office: 804-643-8604 • Mobile: 804-402-2364 • Email If I were to be limited to a single sentence to describe Russ Moon - the professional, I would preface that he is a "seasoned, world-class, internet researcher possessing both an MBA and technically advanced sourcing skills." To be more verbose and genuine to his daily mission however, Russ is indeed a leading Sourcing Consultant for Fortune 500 companies; delivering his own brand of specialized content development and delivery for sourcing training programs. Market Research, Social Media - Analysis and strategic direction, Training - Recruiting and Sourcing, Sourcing Scorecards, Sourcing Programs, Job Board Training, Work Aid development, and Hiring Demographics. Russ, however, is a man of many titles and distinguishing characteristics. Let's start with the ones we tend to be less familar with: One the top, highest ranked cadets of the prestigious military academy, The Citadel; graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree. Recipient of the Renee Clark Memorial Scholarship Awardee, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (2 Citations), and President's Advisory Committee. A First Lieutenant and US Military Veteran of the United States Army and a Disabled Veteran with a Service Connected Disability. Russ earned his Senior Parachutist Wings (Jumpmaster), Air Assault Wings and Honduran Airborne Wings until he broke his ankle in three places jumping an experimental parachute. A renown Sourcing Tool Beta Tester; i.e., Broadlook Technologies, Zoominfo, Jigsaw, CareerBuilder, PureDiscovery, AutoSearch. Earned every AIRS Certification offered ACIR,CIR,CDR and the CSSR (Certified Social Sourcing Recruiter) The only non-employee Broadlook Technologies Black Belt A SourceCon veteran, Russ will be co-facilitating a unique Firefox lab March 15, 2pm in San Diego as part of SourceCon 2010. We will be sharing the best of best “add-ons” to maximize your browsing productivity and experience. This unique format will deliver real time results as well as an opportunities for attendees and blog supporters to continue their sharing via a select community to be announced at the conference. Post a suggested add-on at my blog and secure your invite. Gerry Crispin said it best, "In the war for talent, characterizing recruiters as 'warriors' may be an apt metaphor but, it is still a metaphor." Russ Moon is indeed a warrior, and for those who know him well his intensity is characterized interchangeably with "ferocity." He is the man whose booming voice laughs with the most savage wind instrument, he is the friend who calls out your name reminding you owe him a hug and does so with pronounced loyalty to the physical effects of a "Bear Hug." Breathe in deeply, my friends, as his stride breaks new ground - Russ Moon has brought UFC to the staffing world. It is an event to see him, to work with him, to share with him. In all things, the term warrior is more apt with a hyphen; he is the consummate warrior poet. A man with deeply held passions to each of his loves in life, be it his wife, his profession, his friendships, and to the world he calls his oyster. It is an open world, where knowledge is the battle cry. In all things, I am glad to call him a friend, an "inner circle" friend - and a colleague. It is an honor today to introduce one of our own, Russ Moon. Q& A with Russ Moon Six Degrees: Tell us of your home world, Russ. Russ: Married 2.5 years to Diane Sinnatamby Moon,MD Internal Medicine/Infectious Disease. I was in the middle of my MBA taking an advanced marketing class and thought “Why am I not using my internet skills to help identify my life partner? Why can’t I use some of this knowledge I am learning to help myself be happier in life? So I used my skills of research on Match.com and found Diane in less than 4 hours. After about 35 e-mails in which she asked me about everything from my family history to what I eat each day, she finally felt comfortable sharing her phone number. She was enroute to a medical meeting and I met her in the lobby of her hotel. I knew prior to meeting her that we had already learned a great deal about each other, but when I saw her I was pleasantly surprised to find as a bonus she was really attractive! I walked over and introduced myself, she suggested we go find somewhere quiet where we could sit down and talk …then reached out and held my hand. I literally almost cried. About a month later she said she thought I was “The One” and I felt the same way but was afraid to say the words because I didn’t want to frighten her or for her to think I was some type of weirdo. We decided to date another year and if our feelings were the same we would revisit those words. One year went by and our feelings for each other greatly deepened, we were engaged and now have been married 2.5 years. She had just taken an assignment about 1.5 hours from me to work in a medically under served area for three years to earn her green card so it was tough making that work, but I think it strengthened us in hindsight. We are very close, she is literally my best friend and I could not ask for a better partner. Never thought I would have wound up with someone like her but it just went to show that you can’t plan everything and it is important to recognize opportunity when it is staring you in the face. I have enjoyed learning about the Asian culture and Sri Lanka in particular. We have many common interest but the cultural and professional differences provide for a great deal of diverse viewpoints and experiences. As for hobbies, I have several I am passionate about: Kettlebells – I discovered them January of 2009, have immersed myself in learning more, lost 25 (lost the weight then gained some muscle) pounds in the process while dramatically increasing my strength and endurance. Largemouth Bass Fishing – I am on a “safari” to catch a VA State Citation size largemouth bass. Guitar – two Fender Stratocasters that I enjoy playing for myself - just like the way they sound. Biking – Love to ride my bike, just upgraded a year ago to a nice Lemond road bike and love it. Reading – I rotate several books and read them simultaneously. Something people might not associate with me. I sent two Bibles to my sister who just finished 6 months in Africa on a mission to give to people she trained to speak English so they can help carry on the work. Six Degrees: How many years have you been in the staffing industry? Russ: 9 years directly with other jobs where hiring was a big part of my role Six Degrees: How did you get started as a recruiter? Russ My start in recruiting was involuntary. I was serving as a Pharmaceutical District Sales Manager in Chicago and used zip code data to develop 12 new territories to generate more business from my assigned area. The VP of Sales smiled, signed off on my data after the Sales Information guy said “These numbers check out and would support additional reps.” Then the VP looked at me and said “Russ I want you to personally go select these people.” Total panic, but I would up making some strong choices including several diversity hires and a couple “mavericks”. We wound up ranked #2 in the nation for sales the next year in essentially a new district which was pretty significant. I later landed a role managing brokers serving the mass, grocery and general merchandise markets and recruited my broker team to sell our general merchandise line. Most of the reps had been with the owner a long time and were content to just cash their monthly commission checks without hunting for new business. So I called all the key accounts I wanted to sell and simply asked “Who is the best broker who calls on you for general merchandise?” Once the same name came up a couple times I then recruited them to join our team selling our product lines. My next job was a formal recruiting role where I led 4 business units serving the Power Generation industry on a global scope. We increased contract billings 356% in the first 6 months and I began to realize I liked recruiting and was good at it. Later I moved over into the sourcing side during my MBA because I didn’t think I could be on the phone at night with candidates and have enough time to study for my homework. So I learned Sourcing, realized that suited me even better and just kept honing my craft through intensive training, mentoring and increasing demanding practical experience. Six Degrees: What single event had the most impact on your sourcing/recruiting career? Russ I had a period about 6 years ago when I was very heavily engaged in both attending professional training sessions while simultaneously receiving mentoring from multiple sourcing thought leaders. The impact of that condensed learning and the subsequent impact on my career progression embedded “continuous learning” as a mantra. When I started to see what was possible it changed my mental outlook on sourcing and talent acquisition forever. Happy to say I am repeating that cycle again right now, on an even more intensified level. Do you have a mentor to whom you attribute your overall outlook on recruitment, capabilities, and/or model your career after? Russ There is no one person, my philosophy has been to scan the talent horizon and lean towards gleaning the most desirable attributes from a diverse group of talent acquisitions professionals. My end goal being to become an amalgamation of those attributes which then constitute my unique offering. A Retired Sergeant Major I met while at The Citadel, taught me to “Take the best from each person you meet, leave the rest, move on to grow and evolve.” It was truly sage advice. If I were to name someone specifically, Shally Steckerl (thinks big, pursues knowledge), Eric Jaquith (leverages technology, generates more speed than anyone I have personally observed), Glenn Gutmacher (Ivy League IQ scientifically explores and knows the logic behind what he is pursuing, Tim O’Connor, (willing to try new things and put himself out there ), John Turnberg (genius, another expert at leveraging tools and techniques), Rithesh Nair (fire, ready , aim a first adapter who jumps out there and discovers things well prior to the masses..knows how to couple sourcing and the recruiting pieces exceptionally well. Suzy Tonini – (deeply respect her, knows what she speaks about willing to step outside her comfort zone and does so on a regular basis. On the consulting side Gerry and Mark from CareerXRoads have consistently provided practical, actionable and candid feedback. I have had the opportunity to work on a couple projects with Dr. John Sullivan and deeply respect his intellect and ability to break down complex topics to the molecular level. Kevin Wheeler is someone I am getting to know better who I am impressed with and would like to learn more from. Phil Hendrickson at Starbucks, Kim Warne at GE....I tend to gravitate to people with ample intelligence who are leaders...that seems to be the common thread. I know this implicitly they all leave pieces of their DNA with me with every e-mail, phone call or personal visit and I would not be who I am without people like them in my professional sociosphere. Six Degrees: Tell us about your present professional endeavors: Russ: I just wrapped up three years at Wachovia as the lead internet researcher supporting all lines of business on a national scope. I am offering my services as a sourcer/consultant for short term gigs of (2-12wks) working remotely from my dedicated work studio located in the downtown of Richmond, Virginia outside my home known to my inner circle as ”The Hive”. Loads of computers, more tools than the Batcave I have everything I need to do some serious ”digging” and all those tools come with me at no extra charge. So you get me, the tools and someone who knows how to use them. Hence the Sourcing Samurai, theme to my shortly forthcoming podcast radio show, which I encourage people to tune into. Nothing like it out there, its going to break new ground and reveal learnings not previously available to the general public or for that matter to most anyone. My guests who have been exposed to the concept are stoked about it and the select ground of Senior Talent Acquisition leaders I have test marketed the concept with have said ”I want this like not just for me but for my entire recruiting organization.” No joke....and those comments literally took my breath away. Six Degrees: (A) What other companies' recruiting operations do you admire or have heard are best-practice examples? Russ Recruiting operations at Microsoft, Starbucks, and Dell are innovators, however, I am sure there are many others I am not intimately aware of. No one person can have a monopoly on information so no slight intended to the people out there bringing their best, these are just top of the mind groups I am aware of at the moment. Six Degrees: (B) In what aspects are they superior? Russ: They all share the common attribute of ‘common sense oriented’ sourcing model that is delivering valued product to their business groups. Microsoft – They “get it” and have amassed a solid team of people who can actually execute the strategy. “Get it” – my definition is they are consciously competent, they know what they are attempting to achieve and they have a solid common sense measurable process to track their progress towards the goals…all while innovating. Starbucks – forward thinking, aggressive, understand workforce planning. Dell – I have been following Kim Rutledge and her team for some time -- they deliver. Six Degrees: What recent general news story or industry trend do you feel will have an impact on your work in the future? Why? Russ: Social Media – not everyone has adopted, so much untapped potential, room for massive growth and utility. No secret the space has exploded and is continueing to explode. Where there is chaos (massive change) there is also opportunity. Six Degrees: Tell us about your broader involvement within the staffing industry: Russ: Yes. I intend to increase the frequency of my visibility in the future. In the last two years I have served in various capacities throughout the speaker circuit, including each of the following: Fall 2007 SourceCon Panel – “Internet vs Phone Sourcing” Spring 2008 Electronic Recruiting Exchange Expo – “Cultivating Your Organic Research Team” Fall 2008 Kennedy Recruiting Expo Panel – “Where the Corporate Sourcing Function is Headed: Expert Views from the Trenches” Spring 2009 CareerXRoads – Atlanta Colloquium – Diversity Sourcing Spring 2009 Kennedy Recruiting - “Becoming a Strategic Partner in Your Organization, Workforce Planning” I had made a mistake of spending too many long weeks head down at the desk churning the work out and not mingling enough to keep my name out there appropriately, to physically cultivate time with my ”inner circle” to feel the vibe....that was feedback from a mentor which I took to heart and I am correcting that error with vigor  Six Degrees: Aside from simply the generic term “Networking” what specific efforts have you made on your own behalf, or on behalf of colleagues to broaden your opportunities. Are there specific groups, both online and in-person that have proved fruitful in extending your personal brand and job seeking prospects? Russ: • ERE Expo is a winner, plug into the events you will have amply opportunity to learn just about anything you wish. • Kennedy – the after hours dinners are great to start building real relationships • CareerXRoads – you learn at the colloquium, but the relationships and the ability to pick up the phone and get near instant response from global talent acquisition superstars…still wows me. • My personal circle – humbling myself and saying “help teach me” has gone a long way • My webpage, homepage, blog and upcoming radio show. • Keeping my inner circle informed of my proposed marketing efforts and being open to collaborating with them to leverage their expertise. Realizing that where they know more it is wise to listen to the expert and it shows them the proper respect. • Perioidically ...try not to lose your breath laughing here but I recognize to those who really know me I constitute free entertainment...but pick that phone up even briefly to let people know you are thinking about them, ask them how you can help them, what’s changed since you last spoke etc....it doesn’t have to be a marathon conversation but I am rediscovering how fruitful it is to connect more frequently albeit more briefly. Six Degrees: Given your own Trial and Error experiences as a Networker, what advice do you have for your peers on what NOT to do? Russ: Networking for me has been about a consistent nurturing of relationships. To – Do’s: Find ways to add value to your network, be organized, do what you say you will do Not to Do’s: Our sense of urgency is not necessarily your networks, take that into account. Don’t overdraw your account balance (ie. Taking way more than you give back.) Don’t quit, just keep trying to grow your network and determine who you really want to share your personal journey with. Six Degrees: What is your next career goal? What do you need to do to get there? Russ: My next career goal is working as a consultant where I can leverage my ability to take in information, diagnose root causes and then develop/implement solutions. I want my clients to know they can count on me to deliver, to be knowledgeable and candid, to attempt to be the calm place they can anchor to know that in 2010 I am already on a pace that will allow me to reinvent myself to become more authentic, more informed, more productive and a better partner. One they will want to seek out. The technical, physical and mental program I am embarking on is the most strenuous one I have ever attempted and I am very interested to see what the lump of clay I am starting with this year will look like in 3,6,9 months. Not to mention what that person is going to be able to do...exciting. I have publically and privately committed myself to bringing my very best and believe my very best will be something I can be proud of. As humans we will never be perfect, I will never know it all, but I can tell you this I am going to really move my own needle in 2010 and the people I am drawing to me are seeing the front end of this program and the results already....did I say that I was excited about that ?  (1) Sourcing: To start putting to the test a host of new techniques that I am really excited about. Thrilled to be in a situation that will support my leveraging all this technical learning mode in a situation where I can bring more of those learnings to bear to add value. (2) Teaching: Seeking some opportunities to teach others as I travel the path, teaching is sharing, sharing is learning. What do I need to get there ? People who: 1. “Get it” – The people who understand the dynamics of talent acquisition and sourcing, what is realistically involved in achieving their objectives. For those who are playing catch up and that is not a criticism I myself am playing catch up in a couple areas, having the self-esteem and personal security to be able to say “I want/need to learn more, I know I don’t know, but I need you to help me.” People who do what they say they will do. Playing catch up is easier said than done, it can be intimidating or humbling to have to candidly say to someone “I don’t know but I want to learn.” I have felt that feeling and it is a tough mechanism to overcome, but it is truly empowering when you do. Given the number of times I have been in that position in the last two to three weeks I can say from my experience it becomes easier and certainly is empowering. 2. Senior Talent Acquisition leaders - it all starts at the top. So important for them to stay up to date even though the demands on their time are at all time peaks because ultimately they lead and to lead effectively you need to have enough personal understanding to weigh all your viable alternatives. Difficult to overestimate how important that is. 3. Reading a book now called “Lean Six Sigma for Service”- it is all about reviewing the processes to eliminate waste while delivering the value. Zeroing in on what truly adds value, how to identify the value and how to eliminate “waste” (non-value added activities) 4. Establish budgets which reflect their objectives with established leaders in their fields, be it talent attraction, sourcing, etc. to establish the appropriate scale and productivity level worthy of the task. Employing someone like myself, and fellow colleagues who share these objectives to attain their goals are a natural next step in the process. I see savvy leaders engaging someone like myself to reverse mentor them on sourcing, to privately share with them what they need to know to continue to lead from the front. I take my work very seriously, myself not so much, but those who know me know I guard my personal brand closely and do whatever it takes to get the work done.…; Added by Dave Mendoza at 2:47pm on January 3, 2010