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Blog Post: WARNING: Profession Undergoing Maintenance: “Competing for tech talent never gets easier, nor is it a perfect mathematical equation. Instead…; Added by Raj Sheth at 4:01pm on September 23, 2014

Blog Post: Top Tweets of the #SourcingChat - How to Attract More Applicants to your Job Opportunity?: We’ve spoken about online Employee and Employer Branding extensively and with everything getting digitalised, using Social Media to capture Talent and fill positions faster makes…; Added by Sourcing Adda at 3:43am on March 16, 2016

Blog Post: Dream Job Blueprint: Effective Strategies for Securing Your Ideal Career: In today's competitive job market, securing your dream job requires more than just qualifications; it demands a strategic approach and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Here are some…; Added by Blake Davies at 7:53am on March 14, 2024

Topic: Meet Mark Berger, Sourcing Guru, Adjunct Faculty at JobMachine: Invite Mark! An $800 fee in 1979 bought a lifetime of confidence to share with others .... Meet our friend and fellow RecruitingBlogs.com enthusiast, Mark E. Berger. Since 1979 he has been a driving force within the staffing community and his accomplishments have been widely recognized. "Mark has been one of my longest standing heroes and influencers in the business of sourcing. His quiet and humble demeanor exudes an unmatched confidence, while at the same time makes him extremely approachable. From when we first virtually “met” before the turn of the millennium, I have remained a loyal and devoted fan of his work. I can offer no stronger endorsement than the fact that I trust him completely and strive to find more ways in which we can do business together regularly.” December 31, 2007" Shally Steckerl, Chief CyberSleuth & Founder, JobMachine, Inc, (JobMachine.net) I should preface my featured article by letting our audience know that Mark and I are fellow travelers within the sourcing community and that we share mutual admiration of our colleagues Shally Steckerl and Glenn Gutmacher. That said, Mark established himself long ago and independently with his SwatRecriting Techniques - so good that it caught the eye of JobMachine and has since joined us as an Adjunct Faculty member since September 2008. In his role as Adjunct Faculty, Mark conducts online workshops for Swat Recruiting and JobMachine customers, covering many of the topics in the JobMachine curriculum. His specialties inclued demonstrating how to maximize searches on Google, Windows Live and LinkedIn, advanced techniques for finding resumes online, and specialized search engine syntax such as the site: command, intitle: and inurl:. Mark has been in recruiting and staffing since 1979. He is currently the proprietor of Swat Recruiting (www.swatrecruiting.com), a firm supporting the technology needs of the recruiting and staffing industry. He has been heavily involved in Internet recruiting ever since there was such a thing and has become an expert on recruiting and sourcing products and services available to the recruiting industry. Mark started utilizing the Internet for candidate sourcing back in the early 1990s by first running classified ads on the text versions or AOL and Compuserve. Then he was an early user of some of the very first online resume databases including Career Mosaic, Headhunter.net, and Online Career Center. In the latter part of the 90s Mark learned advanced techniques to source passive candidates from the Internet using the search engines, primarily utilizing Alta Vista and Northern Lights in the beginning and is now an advanced user of today's popular search engines including Google, Live, and Yahoo. Mark also has a high level of expertise in recruiter databases (ATS’s), including how these products add to the bottom line. Mark has authored the Internet Recruiting column appearing monthly in The Fordyce Letter since 1998 and is a frequent contributor to other recruiting industry publications. He is also an often requested speaker at many local, regional, and national recruiting industry events. Mark is also on the board of directors for the Mid-America Association of Personnel Services Q&A with Mark Berger Six Degrees: Tell us about your home world Mark. Mark: To date, my personal life has been fairly private. I am a simple man with simple needs and tastes that leads a fairly uncomplicated yet enjoyable life. I am lucky to have a great job that I love, get to travel fairly regularly, a wonderful family including three great school-aged kids that I am very close with. In whatever free time I do have I enjoy going to yard sales and estate sales, usually on the weekends. You just never know what treasure you will stumble on next. Six Degrees: How many years have you been in the staffing industry? Mark: I started in the early days of IT recruiting, 9/17/79. Back then it was nothing more than recruiting COBOL and Assembler programmers on IBM, Honeywell, Univac, and Burroughs “mainframes”. There was a little Fortran on DEC/PDP’s as well. How things have changed… I was at it pretty much full time for many years, close to 28 or so, until I went into recruiter technology training full time back in 2006. Six Degrees: How did you get started as a recruiter? Mark: I wish my story could be more dramatic but back in the late 1970s nobody even knew what a “recruiter” was. Most of the time people thought I worked for the military. I remember being doing some shopping one day and bumped into a friend I had worked with in a prior job. He just happened to mention I should come and interview with his boss, who was looking to hire a couple of people. I agreed and although I had no idea what I was walking into nor the impact it would have on the rest of my life, I was offered and accepted the job. After my initial 60 minute training session my boss had me make out a bunch of index cards (pre-computer/pre-database) with all the company names I could find, then started to call those companies to solicit job orders. I made my first placement in my third week…and the rest is history. Six Degrees: What single event had the most impact on your sourcing/recruiting career? Mark: Probably that first placement, back in 1979. In this new job of mine, not knowing what I was doing, I did wonder if I was cut out for the task. That first placement, I think for an $800 fee, gave me the confidence I needed to go forward and turn this job into the career that it has been for me. Do you have a mentor to whom you attribute your overall outlook on recruitment, capabilities, and/or model your career after? Mark: In my early days, I never had a mentor. I was always jealous of those recruiters who worked for the very few other recruiting companies at the time that actually had big billers on staff to learn from. The company I worked for didn’t really have anyone like that. I always used to tell people back then that the reason I knew what to do at any given time was because I had done it wrong in the past and was able to learn from my mistakes. Later in my career, I’d have to say Paul Hawkinson, long-time editor and publisher of the venerable Fordyce Letter, nurtured my early role as his Internet Recruiting columnist, starting in 1998. His early vision that an Internet column in his newsletter is only one indication of his broadminded outlook on this industry. These days, if I had to pick a mentor it would be Shally, whom I have known for many, many years. Before his name because a household word in our industry. I saw his JobMachine grow from a small, part-time endeavor to become a national influence in the recruitment/sourcing industry. Every time I listen to him speak, I learn something new. Six Degrees: Tell us about your staffing industry contributions, Mark: Mark: Currently, I am owner of Swat Recruiting (www.swatrecruiting.com). I actually started Swat many years ago but never really had the time to do what I wanted to do with it. In late 2005 I made the decision to change the focus of my career from placements to training, and have never been happier. Although I do miss the placements from time to time, I feel very fulfilled and actually love my job now. Swat is involved in all types of recruiter technology. Anything computer, Internet, software related. We try and assist recruiting organizations integrate technology into their work environment. There are so many choices out there it is overwhelming for some. Swat Recruiting offers many training sessions, mainly on sourcing passive candidates on the Internet, and most have been very well received by the recruiting community. We also work on marketing plans from time to time with recruiting industry vendors, and have a small ATS consulting practice. Six Degrees: What other companies' recruiting operations do you admire or have heard are best-practice examples? Mark: Well…I don’t know about companies, but I do have a few “heroes” I suppose. A couple I already mentioned. Paul Hawkinson, who just received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the most recent NAPS conference, has always been someone I have looked up to, and I am very privileged to have been able to get to know him in my ten-year association with him prior to his retirement. Shally Steckerl is another already mentioned. This man is a true visionary in our chosen field and one that is well-respected throughout. It is my honor and pleasure to be as closely associated with him as I am. Donato Diorio is another. This man is a tireless supporter of our industry, and now only develops some of the finest recruitment software via his Broadlook company, he is also very knowledgeable about the inner workings of our industry. I have had the pleasure of knowing him since the early days of Broadlook. Six Degrees: What recent general news story or industry trend do you feel will have an impact on your work in the future? Why? Mark: Lucky for me…the prevailing industry trend is locating passive candidate resources on the Internet, my specialty. As far as this aspect of the recruiting industry has come, I feel like in many ways we are still in its infancy. I think over the next few years networking for candidates will become more and more an accepted way to get those elusive A+ candidates as the pricey resume databases will become less influential. Six Degrees: I know you have been active on the speaking circuit over the years, Mark can you elaborate on where our colleagues can have an opportunity to see you in action? Mark: One thing I really enjoy about my career as an industry trainer is that I do get to travel from time to time for public speaking engagements. I have been to Fordyce Forum, the National Association of Personnel Services national conference, MRI, Top Echelon, and IPA regionals. I have also had the pleasure of working with these groups and others including Kennedy Information, NPA, ASA, and many state and local recruiter associations to get the word out about this technology. For many years I have been a Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC) and a Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR). I am also very proud to say I am not an Adjunct Faculty member at JobMachine.net and will be participating on a regular basis in the Webinar Series and be a regular blog contributor. Six Degrees: What is your next career goal? What do you need to do to get there? Mark: My career goals are simple. Not only to learn as much as I can about recruiter technology…to stay abreast of everything new and exciting, but to be able to teach what I learn to others, so they can make effective use of these new trends to make more hires or placements. PART II: “HOW DOES MARK DO IT?” Six Degrees: What recruitment software tools do you use in your day to day recruitment activities & do they translate effectively within all of the different countries where you recruit? Mark: In my role as the Internet Recruiting columnist for the Fordyce Letter and industry technology trainer I maintain relations with surely the vast majority of the recruiting industry vendors, ATS, Data/Resume Capture, Contact Databases, etc. People often ask me for my recommendations or favorites, and although I do have them I always encourage people to make their selection based on their own needs, not what I happen to like. Six Degrees: What tools did you first encounter early in your recruitment career? Mark: When I first started in the business back in 1979, we used index cards to sort our companies/clients and hard copy resumes for our candidates. This was way before computers, much less the Internet. This was even before fax machines as we had to make copies of resumes and actually mail them (yes, USPS…with a stamp) to our clients. We had file drawers with folders and tabs for different programming languages and/or job titles and/or hardware. Our job was made much more difficult by the fact that if a person had more than one skill, you either had to make a duplicate copy of his resume and file it in a second folder, or, more often forget that he or she was there. We had to rely a lot more on our memories that we do today. Those were the reasons I was a very early proponent of automation/computerization in the recruiting office in the 1980s, as soon as the PC came onto the market. Then in the early nineties, we tried running classified ads for programmers on the text versions of America Online and Compuserve. Snagged a few here and there. The middle nineties brought the early iterations of resume databases including Headhunter.net, Career Mosaic, Online Career Center, etc. All those have since been gobbled up by today’s big services. Then, in the latter part of the nineties, the term “passive candidate” was first coined, and we learned how to use Internet search engines, back then mainly AltaVista and NorthernLights, to search for resumes. Since then it has been a learning process and then a teaching process the last few years. Six Degrees: How do you personally expect to facilitate change within our industry, and/or at your place of work? If you started that process, outline the problem, your solutions, and the vision. Mark: The problem, if there is one, depends on the audience. If you talk about HR, this is a group of people not typically trained in sales. You can teach them all about sourcing techniques but once they have sourced a few candidates, they may be unsure as to how to make the connection, how to lure that resource into the fold. The solution here is to give that audience a simple, yet reliable way to make contact and get their foot in the door. Most big companies have this problem licked by dedicating teams of people, however, many smaller and medium sized organizations do not have the financial resources or manpower to do this. They have to be more creative. If you look at the third-party group, the problem differs a bit. This is a group that is typically highly skilled in sales, however, lack the patience and/or inclination to follow a thorough sourcing process. This needs to be taken into account when presenting to this group. They need some very easy ways to perform this task. Six Degrees: “Best practice” you are most proud of developing (now or in the past) in your recruiting career? Mark: Probably preaching a process-oriented approach to sourcing. Technique is one thing. You can get techniques from the Google help pages, but it is only when those techniques are integrated with a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach can one expect to say they have done a thorough job of sourcing their next applicant. So many I talk to run one string in one search engine, grab a few resources and call it a day. Little do they know how much they are leaving on the table for those more thorough competitors. Six Degrees: Considering all of the frustrations you have experienced in your career as a recruiter, -- what inspires you as you continue in your career? Mark: One thing that helps is to try hard not to become frustrated. What goes up goes down but conversely, what goes down goes up. There are always good times and bad times in any business. Ride the wave either way it goes and be in it for the long haul. Six Degrees: What one thing do you ideally hope to accomplish in 2009? Mark: Next year, one of my professional goals is for my training to become more appealing to an international audience. I have had a couple classes to Australians, Asians, and the English. I want to do more of that. I also want to expand my training to include more of the network available to recruiters. There are so many now it is hard for one to know the good from the great. Six Degrees: Anything you want to plug? Mark: Check the JobMachine.net calendar regularly for my webinars. Better yet, sign up to be on the mailing list so you won’t miss the announcements. Six Degrees: How Are You Going To Change The Recruitment Industry? Mark: Simple…learn more…teach more. Listen to Mark in action this Thursday: Free Webinar, Register HERE for "Turbocharged Passive Candidate Sourcing: Best of Telephone, Google & Online Database Research Techniques" with Co-Presenter, Sheila Greco RECOMMENDATIONS “I highly recommend anyone to work with Mark. I've trained with him a couple times. He had a wonderful rapport with trainees at all levels. He is always very responsive to questions, feedback, or simple explanations to my issues. His ability to connect with superiors, clients, vendors, and subordinates is what sets Mark apart from other trainers; he had the balance of truly listening and then approaching issues with candid yet insightful knowledge. Mark has excellent written and verbal communication skills, is extremely organized, reliable and a whiz with any sourcing technology. I have emailed him questions and despite her busy schedule he gets back to me immediately and always with a very positive attitude. I recommend Mark without reservation."” May 27, 2008 Teresa Bustamante PHR, CPC, Research Analyst, Avery Dennison “Mark's down-to-earth writing and seminar teaching style is easy to follow and his strategies are simple to execute. Mark really cares about helping his colleagues and client/students become more efficient and more effective recruiters.” November 25, 2008 Top qualities: Expert, Good Value, High Integrity Ronald Siegel “I had the good fortune of attending Mark's Linked-In webinar. Up until this point, I hadn't done much with Linked-In. However, Mark taught many options one could investigate to help in sourcing passive candidates. While I'm just starting out using Linked-In, I'm hopeful that it will be a big help in my building a solid network & provide another alternative to traditional sourcing.” November 3, 2008 Michael Klass, Search Consultant, Joan Leslie Search Group was with another company when working with Mark E. at Swat Recruiting “I have taken 2 courses from Mark and look forward to taking more. He knows his stuff and is a great teacher.” October 30, 2008 Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, Good Value Bill Zajac PE hired Mark E. as a Business Consultant in 2008, and hired Mark E. more than once “Mark is truly an expert in the area of recruiting technology analysis. He breaks down the process to even the most minute detail, and is quick to understand the impact technology has on the recruiting process. While I may not always agree with what Mark has to say, I certainly respect his viewpoint, and it makes for great conversation. Thanks for your commitment to our industry, Mark.” August 19, 2008 Mike Tischer, Channel Manager and Sr. Sales Representative, Broadlook Technologies was with another company when working with Mark E. at Swat Recruiting “I have worked with Mark on a number of Kennedy Information sponsored seminars. He is a joy to work with because he is a true professional who updates his content on a regular basis and has a great ability to reach his audience. Post report analysis prove that he is popular talent. I look forward to working with Mark in the future.” August 15, 2008 Hillary Kyle Holian, Associate Producer, Kennedy Information, Career Management Alliance, IOMA “I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Mark Berger for several years. Mr. Berger is a top notch recruiter and an expert in the application of technology to the recruitment process. He provides a much needed resource to the staffing and recruiting industries through his training programs and leadership. Mark is also a tireless supporter and board member of the Mid America Association of Personnel and Staffing Services. His input and insights have had a tremendous impact on both that organization but also on the many members of that organization.” June 18, 2008 Roger Aistrup, General Manager, Allan James Associates LLC “I've taken 2 classes from Mark and find his work to be very meaningful and thorough on the subject. He not only has a pleasant manner, you can tell he enjoys what he does. He is extremely knowledgeable and detailed in his presentations and materials. I highly recommend his classes!” March 21, 2008.. Top qualities: Expert, Good Value, Creative Marney Reed “WAPS invited Mark Berger to speak to our local membership on February 20th 2008. Mark came prepared to engage our membership on finding passive candidates on the internet. WAPS emphatically endorses Mark Berger for any seminars or webinars in your area. Mark knows his subject very well and the content of his presentations enabled our members to take several ideas and suggestions back to our desk. Mark is very patient and was willing to answer any question our membership had. Also, Mark is very much open to continue answering questions if our members are struggling with one of his techniques. WAPS is happy to endorse Mark Berger for your passive candidate recruiting needs on the internet. February 21, 2008, Terry Rohde, CPC, Engineering Recruiter, DES LLC “From Day 1, Mark has demonstrated his tremendous knowledge of the universe in which he works --- the recruiting and sourcing world. His experience and keen assessment capabilities make him one of the best sources for guidance, especially when it comes to the myriad of tools and methods available on the market today. He is a true professional, and a pleasure to work with!” February 11, 2008 Anne Scofield, Vice President, Business Development, SGA “Mark E. Berger has a very influential and charismatic personality and his online seminars have been a great help for me to do things better that I do every day. I am very impressed with his abilities and grasp of the subject within his domain and I would strongly recommend Mark E. Berger to everyone.” January 11, 2008 Asif Akhtar Nizami, Technical Recruiter, FSD Solutions “Mark has written several articles on my blog (jimstroud.com) and worked with me on multiple projects. I respect his expertise in online recruiting and appreciate the value he brings to the industry.” January 11, 2008 Top qualities: Personable, Expert, Good Value Jim Stroud is a Social Media Development Manager “I have had the pleasure of working with Mark on numerous occasions. He has a comprehensive understanding of the keys to successful recruiting. Mark's clients clearly benefit from his experience and knowledge of the recruiting industry. I enjoy working with the clients he refers because they are focused, informed, and have a clear understanding of why technology is critical to their success.” November 13, 2007 Tammy Wirths, Account Executive, Sendouts was with another company when working with Mark E. at Swat Recruiting “I was introduced to Mark through a management seminar that our owner went to. He showed us all ways to gain access to information that is otherwise not for public eyes-- invaluable in our business! I think it is wonderful that he shares his technical knowledge with those of us who are less savvy in those areas.” November 13, 2007 Denise Gabbard, Search Consultant, GRN Brookpark was with another company when working with Mark E. at Swat Recruiting “In the volatile recruiting software industry, many customers are confused by all the choices & need help to assess their requirements and understand vendor options in a crowded market. I refer people who need assistance to Mark with confidence that he can provide unbiased, professional, and valuable guidance throughout the software evaluation process.” September 21, 2007 Sylvia Dahlby, Chief Executive Instigator, SmartSearch Online “Mark is a consumate professional who is a very knowledgable recruiter, honest and forthright. Then as an owner of Berger-Nowlin, you were fair to all that worked for you, supported and tried to assist the team in anyway you could. It is a natural progression that Mark is in recruiter training. All new and struggling recruiters would only benefit and improve their success by working with Mark.” June 11, 2008 Kevin Fox, Site/Project Manager, Unisys / Berger Nowlin, Inc. “Mark is a kind, capable and caring business owner and manager. I worked directly for Mark and have always respected him and his many abilities. Mark's AIRS knowledge and certification gave him some skills very few recruiters or business owners have. He has always been willing to mentor/train others to be more productive and to lead by example. I would gladly work for Mark again in the future.” March 5, 2008 Jane Bullington, recruiter, berger nowlin “I have known Mark for pretty close to thirty years . Mark has truly made the leap from running a desk to running a company and finally to becoming the "go to guy" for the latest web techniques. The many years Mark has spent on the desk has given him a keen insight as to what recruiters are looking for in tools to make their job mre efficient. I look forward to reading Mark's comments and opinions in the Fordyce Letter as I know they are always right on and I highly recommend attending one of Marks webinars or in person sessions .” November 2, 2008 Ron Sunshine, Owner, ron sunshine associates…; Added by Dave Mendoza at 1:10am on December 8, 2008

Topic: Meet Simon Meth, A Contract Recruiter SittingXlegged in San Diego: egged • 619-303-7094 • simon.meth@sdcorprecruiter.com When I was first introduced to Recruitment Blogging, I entered through ERE blogs, venturing into Simon Meth's musings about contract recruitment, in addition to Shally's Cybersleuthing and then viewing outwards into Dennis Smith's Wirelessjobs.com. Simon has brought insights into the value proposition of contract recruitment consultants for several years now. We first met in person at ERE, San Diego in 2006 and I was fortunate to meet him again much to my delight at ERE San Diego a few weeks ago. After all these years reading one another I am honored to finally have the opportunity to tell the tale of this Australian expatriate who is passionate about our profession and has so consistently paid it forward since the blogosphere introduced us as fellow travelers. Simon was educated at The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia where he earned a B.S. (Honors) degree in Physical Geography. He began his professional career as a physical geographer writing environmental impact statements. He then started his technical sales career selling machines for Canon Copier Australia. He joined Triad Software in 1984 as a salesman where he developed a nationwide distribution company specializing in the Pick database operating system and related hardware and software. Triad Software achieved international recognition as one of the top Pick resellers in the world. Simon moved to the United States in 1987 where he provided coaching and consulting services in business management, technical sales, and marketing to Triad Software and several other clients. He sold his share in Triad to his business partner in 1995. Simon continued to develop his expertise in staffing, career counseling, and coaching. He has worked with industry leading companies including ViaSat, ENCAD a Division of Kodak, Bond International Software, Adecco , Stac now known as Altiris and Symantec, and Source Services now known as Kforce Professional Staffing. He is a Certified Independent Trainer for Competency Based Interviewing®. SittingXlegged is his blog on ere.net about Corporate Recruitment: what works and what doesn't plus other musings. Simon is an accomplished author of technical articles, a monthly news column, press releases, and company newsletters. He has been published internationally in print and on the Web. Simon lives in San Diego, California with his wife and two children. He is a passionate golfer who asserts that most of life’s lessons are available on the golf course. Q&A with Simon Meth Six Degrees: Tell us of your home world. SIMON: The four of us live in sunny San Diego. Our daughter is off to college in the fall and then we’ll be three at home. Our son is a champion junior golfer and much of our lives revolve around golf. Fortunately I’m a golf tragic and hanging out at the golf course is just about the most fun thing I know to do. Life has been a little odd lately with my wife traveling to golf tournaments or to colleges with our kids. I’ve had more time alone than I’m used to or really quite enjoy. I’m very outgoing and prefer to be with others than keeping my own company. However, time alone at home gives me a chance to take care of a myriad of things and to exercise my obsessive compulsive tendencies. I’m pretty hopeless at goofing off and have always been that way. Doing nothing usually evolves into being productive and working on something. I do love watching golf on TV. Some of my favorite shows are House, Law and Order Criminal Intent, Mythbusters and Deadliest Catch. My guilty pleasures are Doctor 90210 and Nip/Tuck which I watch on Hulu. I listen to most kinds of music and usually do that on Pandora. When I’m driving I almost always listen to a book on CD and usually it is fiction. I just love Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck. I’m also the resident PC Tech so when anything goes wrong with something on the network I get a call. Come to think of it that’s one of the few times when my daughter initiates conversation with me . Aren’t 18 year old girls just so much fun? Six Degrees: How many years have you been in the staffing industry? SIMON: Well it depends how you count it. I’d say since I started with Source in ’95. That would be about 14 years. Six Degrees: How did you get started as a recruiter? SIMON: Funny you should ask. I started as a recruiter way back in my native Australia before I realized that was what I was doing! I was a partner in a software company and we sometimes placed Prime Information consultants at our client sites. Only the very seasoned readers will have ever heard of Prime Information. If you don’t count that then I got into recruiting in the U.S. by accident. After I sold the Australian company I was looking for something to do. There was a recruiter at Source Services Corporation, now Kforce, who had sourced Pick programmers through me for a couple of years so I called her. I figured that she could help me find a job. She did. Working for Source! Funny how often that happens. She made a nice little commission after I started. Six Degrees: What single event had the most impact on your sourcing/recruiting career? SIMON: I was consulting with a company called Stac that later became Previo and then went out of business. We worked with an industrial psychologist to evaluate candidates above a certain functional level. I got really interested in what he was doing and eventually read a lot of the technical literature and even became certified to teach his Competency Based Interviewing course. Doing that enhanced my innate ability to assess what people are good at and to predict their future success. Time and time again I’ve had clients tell me that that ability is something that distinguishes me from others. I’m always surprised by that because it seems so obvious to me. Do you have a mentor to whom you attribute your overall outlook on recruitment, capabilities, and/or model your career after? SIMON: Not really. I’m a great gatherer and processor of information. I observe and study everyone and every process and choose what works for me and what I think will make me and those who work with me more productive and efficient. Sometimes the best teachers are those who are failing and aren’t great at what they do. Six Degrees: Tell us about your position: SIMON: I typically work as an independent consultant. Currently I’m at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. Before that I spent 5 years at ViaSat. I work a full desk with typically 35 to 50 requisitions. Often it’s a mix of technical and non-technical positions. I’m an Applicant Tracking System nut and I love to learn everything that the tool can do and I do mean everything. I also document the heck out of everything I do. I look at every resume for everyone who applies and love to get lots of things going. One of my first managers always stressed the importance of activity. I find if I do lots of the right kind of activity then everything works out well. As I mentioned earlier, I’m pretty hopeless at goofing off so you’ll almost always find me doing something productive. Of course you can easily engage me in conversation and I’m likely to tell you more than you want to hear. I know this about myself and am never offended if people cut me off. In fact, with folks I work with a lot, I actually ask them to cut me off if I ever run on too long. Oh, and another thing, I return every voice mail I receive. Six Degrees: What other companies' recruiting operations do you admire or have heard are best-practice examples? SIMON: There are so many different ways to do it. I know one international company where the recruiters don’t review resumes. The hiring managers are responsible for identifying people of interest and the recruiters screen and work them through the process. I’m sure it works for them but that’s not how I’d do it. I’ve heard horror stories about how long it takes to get hired at some industry leading companies. I’ve worked at places where hiring by consensus is the way they do it. Everyone who interviews a candidate has an equal vote. I could never see the sense in that. Everyone should be listened to but some people will or should have a clearer idea about who fits the position best. I admire companies that treat applicants with respect, that have a fast and efficient hiring process, and that get back to applicants every time. I admire companies that have recruitment teams that are passionate about the company they work for and about their craft. I admire companies that embrace technology and that have recruitment systems that make sense and that work well. Six Degrees: What recent general news story or industry trend do you feel will have an impact on your work in the future? Why? SIMON: It’s old news now but the whole area of social networking is absolutely where it’s at! I can’t predict where we’ll end up in the next few years but I see more and more transparency of information, I see everything linked to everything else, I see a time when we’ll be able to really understand a candidate and their background. Candidates will know what it’s like to work at your company before they start work. They will have the tools to accomplish that. If they don’t use those tools then don’t hire them. Six Degrees: Tell us about your broader involvement within the staffing industry: SIMON: I recently attended ere expo in San Diego. It was great catching up with industry colleagues both new and old. That’s an easy conference for me to attend since it’s in my home town. I haven’t ventured to other conferences but ere expo really piqued my interest. I’d certainly love to attend more. I started writing my blog, SittingXlegged, January 9, 2006. That’s been loads of fun. While I don’t get a ton of comments I do get the occasional reader who lets me know that they appreciate my writing. I’ve started cross-posting to several other sites to expand my readership. I’ve gotten the best results on RecruitingBlogs.com. RecruiterSpace San Diego is a local social networking site for recruiters that I started to help connect recruiters both agency and corporate. I post local opportunities and lots of folks have used the site as a tool to connect. Six Degrees: Can you detail how the recession has affected your particular industry niche? SIMON: I’ve been affected directly by the recession. After 5 years working as an independent consultant at ViaSat I could see that my requisition load was dwindling. I remember thinking that I wouldn’t pay me what they were paying me to carry that load. I talked with my Director and Vice President and worked out a separation. I feel very fortunate to have found General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc where I consult today. The economy seems to have been improving but I was getting lots of calls and emails from industry colleagues who were looking for work. I’ve also noticed that agency recruiters are more or less desperate for work. I get lots of calls from them too. There has been lots of downsizing of both staff and office space. Of course the strong will survive and will grow again when the economy turns around. 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? SIMON: That’s a great question! What NOT to do? My best advice is don’t delay in trying out any networking opportunity. Early adopters have a huge advantage. If the particular site takes off then their own network will grow much more quickly than those who engage later on. Of course you may spend some time on some duds but that’s OK too. Learn what you learn and delete your account. Six Degrees: What is your next career goal? What do you need to do to get there? SIMON: I don’t have one or at least I don’t have a goal to do anything differently to what I’m doing now. I love to recruit. I’m passionate about it and I’m always looking for ways to be more efficient and productive. So more of that! I’ve held management positions in the past and they can be extremely rewarding. I’d do that again if I could lead a team and continue to work a desk. I have limited interest in playing the corporate game and dealing with all the stuff that corporate managers deal with. I’m not saying that stuff isn’t important I’m just saying that I have limited interest in it. I can imagine working for a very well funded start-up where there is no process in place and there is a huge need to hire highly talented people quickly. I could build that and have fun doing it. “HOW DOES SIMON THEY DO IT?” Six Degrees: What recruitment software tools do you use in your day to day recruitment activities & do they translate effectively within all of the different countries where you recruit? SIMON: The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that I use every day is smartsearch. I really like the user interface (UI) and have learned to be really quick and efficient with it. I used Kenexa Recruiter BrassRing at my last gig. I liked it too and it’s probably more capable for really large international companies. I also use TalentHook for sourcing. It’s a solid tool that is well worth the time investment to learn to use efficiently. I think that I have the advantage of having the computer “geek” gene that makes me really dig into any tool I use to get the most out of it. Other than that I use my various networks most days. Six Degrees: What tools (technology or old school file folder, for example) did you first encounter early in your recruitment career? SIMON: I remember wondering how to keep track of so many discrete events and all the paperwork. I talked with every recruiter in the office and found that everyone used some form of day planner. This was before Franklin and Covey merged and I used the Covey planner. Of course I’m almost 100% digital today but the lessons learned are still valuable and in use each and every day. Six Degrees: How did your expectations of being a recruiter compare to the actual, first time you got on the phone or in the cubicle? In your opinion, how do people's assumptions about our vocation differ from reality? SIMON: I don’t remember having any expectations. I didn’t know enough to have any! I also don’t know about people’s assumptions about our vocation. I do know that when someone is looking for work that we are all their best friends. Six Degrees: Worst mistake, biggest goof, lousiest practice you thought would fly but didn’t…and how that was a learning experience? SIMON: Ah! The million dollar question! The one that distinguishes the strong candidate from the exceptional candidate. I’d better answer it then . My first recruitment manager drove me absolutely nuts. I didn’t care for her and I amassed lots of evidence about why that was. I also gossiped about her with my colleagues. And despite all that I was successful there. I have no doubt that if my production had been lower I’d have been given an opportunity to work elsewhere. What I learned from the experience is that we all have different styles of working. I do my best to work in situations that are a good fit for me. If I work with someone who I find challenging I look for ways to work well together. Mostly that’s just finding things about them that I admire or that work well rather than focusing on the things that I don’t care for. Six Degrees: Considering all of the frustrations you have experienced in your career as a recruiter, -- what inspires you as you continue in your career? SIMON: I just love it! That is all. Six Degrees: Anything you want to plug? SIMON: Not so much a plug as a request for everyone who has read this far to find a way today to give back to our industry. Find someone you can help and help them for no reason. Recommendations For Simon “Simon reviews every candidate we hire. His insights often point to attributes that we missed during the normal interview process. More importantly, Simon has uncanny knack for understanding how new employees will fit into the team. People are our most important asset -- thus Simon's services are a critical component to our ability to sustain growth at the superlative levels we have achieved under the leadership of our new CEO.” February 23, 2007. Top qualities: Great Results, Good Value, High Integrity Olin Hyde “Simon is a very savvy and experienced career coach and recruiter. I worked with him multiple times to help with my job search. Each time he provided me with invaluable knowledge that tremendously improved the response rate to my resume submissions and lead to successful employment.” November 26, 2006. Top qualities: Expert, High Integrity, Creative Ron Santschi “I've worked with Simon on a variety of web, marketing and staffing projects and have always found his input and/or direction of far higher quality and clarity than most top level executives. Simon's ability to look through the surface of a situation, to focus on the most important aspects and goals of an activity, promotes results that retain an enduring luminence.” June 9, 2006 James Metzger, Owner, Video Diamonds “I've worked with Simon several times since we first met in 1996. Each time he added exactly what was needed, and our busy employees interviewed just a few highly qualified candidates before we filled the postion. Simon adds a lot of value to the hiring process, from management to hands-on interviewing, screening, and making the offer -- and he's very focused on getting the positions filled.” June 2, 2006 Tom Dilatush, CTO, FutureTrade “I worked with Simon in 2003 when I quit my job at FotoNation and was looking at new opportunities. Simon developed a special program for me, flexible in direction, intensity and duration. He was listening to me, helping me to discover and tackle issues I was suffering from. His help really made a difference in my life and my attitude. I would highly recommend Simon to those in need of coaching.” May 30, 2006 Boris Berkman, CTO and Senior Systems Architect, FutureTrade Technologies “I have known Simon almost 25 years. We have been business partners, played golf, and had many conversations. Simon has earned the title of my most trusted friend. I have found his counsel to be insightful, clear, and useful, time after time. I recommend Simon as a coach, consultant, recruiter, and friend. He's a pretty good golfer, too. " May 30, 2006 Steve Alexander, President, ENG Resources, Inc. “Simon is the only recruitment consultant we've worked with at Integrant since 1999. We always use him to evaluate potential hires and value his take on candidates highly. We have, on a few occasions, gone against his recommendations and we've always regretted it. I highly recommend him to you.” May 31, 2006 Ben Lacomble, Practice Manager, Integrant “Simon is a professional recruiter who has ensured the companies staffing requirements are met in all dimensions of qualifications, corporate culture and financial contraints. He was always an honest source of advice and coaching in building a high performance team in a challenging San Diego market.” May 30, 2006 Al Haddad, CEO, Indyme “Simon is a very thorough Staffing Consultant. I have worked with Simon for over two years now and he has brought a level of insight when considering potential candidates I would have thought difficult if not impossible to obtain in a 1 hour interview. Simon is a straightforward and direct person who can understand our business needs and help us qualify prospective candidates.” May 30, 2006 Jeromy Giacosa, Director of IT, Integrant, Inc “Simon is one of the best recruiters I've ever worked with. He stays on top of things. Reminds the team of what each has to do. He also has outstanding team skills. In a competitive and stressful environment like we're in it's paramount to have team leadership skills. My thinking is that strong recruiting skills is necessary but not sufficient. An outstanding recruiter must have those skills but must also have strong team leadership skills. Simon has those as well and that's why I consider him an outstanding recruiter. He's an excellent 'face' of the company for prospective candidates.” December 15, 2008 Chris Wren, Director, ViaSat “Simon is someone who is very knowledgeable in corporate recruiting, from screening applicants to selecting only those people with the right skills and personality to fit our high standards at ViaSat. He worked at ViaSat for years in a very fast paced, competitive time in the technology industry and produced great results. Sharing time in the same hall I can say he is very dedicated and put in the hours he needed to make things happen.” October 27, 2008 Bruce Rowe, Director, Marketing Projects, ViaSat Inc “I have worked with Simon at ViaSat, Inc. for almost one year. Simon was very helpful when I first started in getting me up to speed and answering all my questions in a thoughtful way. Simon is an outstanding recruiter, he thinks things through and understands the implications of his actions. He can read people extremely well and knows how to communicate effectively. He knows intuitively when to be assertive with candidates and managers and when to be more receptive. He has an excellent grasp on technology and his organizational and time management skills are some of the best I have ever seen. He prides himself on always being prompt. Simon is a strong, independent thinker and yet is amenable to constructive feedback. I have learned a lot from Simon during the time we have worked together and hope I have the pleasure of working with him again in the future.” October 24, 2008 Alana Martyns, Technical Recruiter, ViaSat, Inc. “Simon handled all the recruiting for the Corporate Accounting Group. Over the last couple of years we have doubled the size of the Corporate Accounting Department. Though this intensive hiring Simon played a key roll and only brought us the top candidates. Simon has a great understanding of what is needed in great Corporate Accountant and will not deviate from our needs. He has excellent organization skills, very professional and a great team player. He always did a great job and was great to work with. He will be missed.” October 23, 2008 Ann Grant, Corp Actg Mgr, ViaSat “Simon was a member of our Recruiting team for many years and in that time he brought a dedication to efficiency and excellence that's seldom seen. He brings a consistent methodology to the table that leads to finding precisely the type of candidate you're looking for, and he's is very good at reading the subtle "red flags" that less experienced and perhaps less perceptive recruiters may miss. Simon's personality and wit are icing on the cake!” October 15, 2008 Melinda Del Toro, Director of People Development & Employee Relations, ViaSat, Inc. “Simon supported our entire sales organization. He cut through the red tape and found ways to help us hire some great people who contributed significantly to the bottom line. He was always up-beat and positive. I'd characterize his style as consultative customer service. Highly recommended!” June 29, 2006 Tony Espinoza, VP, Operations, Kodak/Encad, Inc. “We had challenges recruiting and retaining key employees. Simon was constantly striving to understand the needs of the hiring manager and find people who would be the best fit. He was able to work at all levels. With his help, we were able to retain key people. In executive staff, he often provided key insight. Charles Sharp, Former VP Supplies, ENCAD President, Digital Image Technology” June 2, 2006 Chuck Sharp, Owner, Digital Image Technology, managed Simon indirectly at Eastman Kodak formerly ENCAD “Simon worked in my branch office for the direct placement division of Adecco. Simon's core strength and attribute was his ability to bring a consultative approach to our recruiting team that resulted in a more effective and streamlined recruitment process, better candidate screening, and higher returns on placement activity.” November 16, 2007 Eric Scott Hensley, Owner, Technology Search Group “Simon Meth is one of the best recruiters I have come across in my 28 year career. He single handedly helped me build up my 8 person marketing team while I was VP of Marketing at Stac, Inc. His pre-screening of candidates alone saved me a considerable amount of time and meant that I only interviewed top-notch candidates. John Bromhead, Former Vice President Marketing, STAC” May 31, 2006 “Simon was very dilligent, organized and exceeded his sales quota as a Sr. Technology recruiter at Source Services (now Kforce). Simon was a pleasure to work with and became a great working partner.” May 30, 2006 Rick Raimondi, Managing Director, Netsoft…; Added by Dave Mendoza at 2:36am on April 20, 2009

Blog Post: International Staffing Perspectives: PASCALE COGNARD, Staffing Specialist, Freescale Semiconductor - France: By Dave Mendoza, Master Cybersleuth, A JobMachine Affilate Partner…; Added by Dave Mendoza at 10:21am on July 30, 2007

Blog Post: Corporate Recruiting: Action Steps During a Recession Things that recruiting and HR can do to protect the budget: Corporate Recruiting: Action Steps During a Recession

Things that recruiting and HR can do to protect the budget

Monday, April 14, 2008 | by Dr. John Sullivan

Anyone…; Added by 01. Lonnie McRorey at 12:29pm on May 7, 2008

Blog Post: 4 Ways HR Practitioners Can Continue to Grow: Added by Sean Pomeroy at 9:39am on September 29, 2015

Blog Post: Drive your career with a business from a van: Has your current career route hit a roadblock? Are you tired of your typical 9-5 job and looking for a new career adventure? If you have your own van, then you’ll be excited to hear that there are…; Added by Jake Holyoak at 4:26am on September 28, 2017

Topic: Meet Doug Kerken, RecruitingBlogs Activist - "The Tropical Feeling of Falling Three Floors Down A World Trade Center Elevator": ld rescue all the dogs that aren’t cared for properly. Homer wouldn’t dig that too much but he would sure have lots of friends and butts to sniff ... He’s our kid, he’s my little rescue, and our million-dollar baby" "... one of my colleagues and they had to find a bathroom, switch pants and clean the wet ones. I’m not kidding. This all happened in a 30 minute span. All I remember is pants under the hand dryer. That single event told me I have to source better, and ask better interview questions. " • RecruitingBlogs Profile • Linkedin • Facebook • Twitter • Website • Personal Causes: http://www.aspca.org/ • Location: Point Pleasant Beach NJ • Office: 732.903.6923 • Cell: 732.300.5159 • Personal Email Doug Kerken has been in the "Internet Recruiting" space going for over a decade. He has been through mergers, acquisitions, and total liquidations. What Doug refers to, as "The stuff that makes your skin thick and your eyes a bit keener." Doug began his career selling resume database access and job postings on a website called InfoWorksUSA in the late 90's. He recruited and sourced for a CMM and Function Point Analysis firm in New Jersey. He has worked at JobCircle.com, HireHealth.com, and BioSpace.com learning, selling, consulting, and schmoozing alongside "some of the best and most animated salespeople and colleagues ever." Doug loves working with HR professionals, "we are humans too, and for the most part we are a pretty cool bunch." Doug's Specialties include Job Marketing, Employment Branding, Employment Marketing Strategies, Career Fairs, Search Engine Optimization, Job Descriptions, Lead Generation, Forecasting, Cold-Calling, Negotiating, and Closing. Q & A with Doug Kerken Six Degrees: Tell us of your home world. DOUG: I’m lovingly attached to my girlfriend, my one and only, Amber Forbes. 2 years ago she moved all the way from beautiful, sunny, San Diego to Point Pleasant New Jersey to live with…me. We met at a Career Fair I was hosting while I was working the West Coast region for BioSpace.com. We don’t have any children but we do have a very needy mush of a Black Labrador retriever, Homer. He’s our kid, he’s my little rescue, and our million-dollar baby. He was rescued from a puppy mill and has had major reconstructive surgeries to correct lots of joint problems. He’s in great heath now and pretty much just wants to be on you, all the time. I’m a HUGE car and music guy, HUGE! I have an old Land Cruiser and a retired Police Mustang which I have now turned into a pretty nasty (but legal) race car. I love the science of space, planets, stars, nebulas, galaxies, random space dust, wormholes, you name it. I’m utterly astonished that we’re really so insignificant in this place we call space and I really do wish I was some type of scientist or engineer or astronaut. Mostly so I could take a trip to the dark side of the moon and break out a telescope. How cool would that be? I’m an animal lover, but dogs are my thing. Nothing against cats, but I’m allergic to them, so I stay away. Dogs on the other hand, love ‘em. I love big ones, little ones, hairy ones, crazy ones and even drooly ones too. My little man Homer is a rescue and I really wish I could rescue all the dogs that aren’t cared for properly. Homer wouldn’t dig that too much but he would sure have lots of friends and butts to sniff. I donate to the ASPCA regularly, and also random charities and walks, I also play in charity softball tourney’s that people ask me to donate to. Softball is a big part of my life as well. I play from April through November and It’s great, but I’m getting older and things are starting to hurt in places I never knew I had things. Six Degrees: How many years have you been in the staffing industry? DOUG: I’ve been in different parts of the staffing and recruiting the staffing industry since 1999. Worked for job boards, staffing agencies, hosted career fairs, SEO’s pay-per-click aggregators and I’ve even had a hand in publishing a magazine. Yep. Six Degrees: How did you get started as a recruiter? DOUG: I actually got started in the industry selling resume database access and job postings to recruiters at a company called TheWorksUSA.com. About a year after starting there, I then made my debut as a recruiter at an IT staffing firm called Software Management Solutions (SMS). It was a very specialized shop focused on Function Point Analysis and the Capability Maturity Model (CMM). I was in charge of locating any and all Function Point professionals as well as their support staff, which would have included system admins, developers and project managers. It only lasted about half a year, but it was worth it and I learned so much. Six Degrees: What single event had the most impact on your sourcing/recruiting career? DOUG: The single most shocking event that changed my recruiting career was actually twofold. One of my admin candidates was on his way to an interview in the World Trade Center in May of 2001. He was a jittery guy to begin with, then an elevator cable broke and the elevator seemed to fall 3 floors in an instant. His bladder couldn’t handle it, his pants got wet, and it was our responsibility to clean him up before his interview. He was basically the same size as one of my colleagues and they had to find a bathroom, switch pants and clean the wet ones. I’m not kidding. This all happened in a 30 minute span. All I remember is pants under the hand dryer. That single event told me I have to source better, and ask better interview questions. Second part is, the next day, while at local New Jersey Technical Recruiters Association meeting, I was approached by one of the founders of JobCircle.com about selling their products to recruiters and HR. Based on what had just happened, I thought, maybe sourcing and recruiting isn’t my game right now, I should try my hand at the job board game again. The economy wasn’t great, and so were job boards weren’t killing it. So, I got fired for not selling enough in the 4 months that I was there. Never had a chance, but it was the best thing that could have ever happened. Do you have a mentor to whom you attribute your overall outlook on recruitment, capabilities, and/or model your career after? DOUG: That’s a great question, I have a few. The first is Matt Zeto. We worked together at TheWorksUSA , SMS, and JobCircle. He taught me how to sell and more importantly, how to sell to HR. He’s also the guy who fired me which gave me a chance to meet the guy that I’d attribute overall outlook to, Chris Amato. We’ve worked together since late 2001 at HireHealth.com, BioSpace.com, GetTheJob.com and OptiJob. He’s a clear thinker that knows what the industry wants and he’s great at adapting to the environment. He’s taught me how to think quickly and roll with the punches. Working with Chris, we’ve seen the recruitment landscape change and technologies come and go. We’ve survived the highs and lows and we’re still out there making a difference. Six Degrees: Tell us about your organization, OptiJob : DOUG: Our organization, OptiJob isn’t a huge company but each one of us has specific roles in the OptiJob machine and we all get along very well with each other because we’ve been together so long. Currently, my title is Business Development Director. That means on any given day I can be the sales manager, reseller contact, partner manager, tech guy, resident auto mechanic, happy hour location manager, driver, breakfast order guy, and also business development director. I’m sure most people who read this interview can relate to that. Six Degrees: (A) What other companies' recruiting operations do you admire or have heard are best-practice examples? DOUG: I admire large companies like Hyatt and Microsoft that are using their established brands to pump out great, engaging content to their millions of potential applicants every day. Organizations like ARINC, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and Gulfstream Aerospace are doing great things as well. I also admire the companies in our space like Jobs2Web and Arbita who, like OptiJob, have great ideas and technologies that will undoubtedly help companies solidify their position in the changing web 2.0 environments. (B) In what aspects are they superior? DOUG: I think the bigger companies have a name that goes a long way and they’re using it to their advantage. The smaller companies don’t necessarily have the huge name recognition the big guys do so it’s their content and their message that drives their applicant traffic. We’re always working together on great ideas to attract candidates in places they never thought of. It’s not easy, trust me. Six Degrees: What recent general news story or industry trend do you feel will have an impact on your work in the future? Why? DOUG: Well, I think the whole Ashton Kutcher vs. CNN Twitter thing has really helped put the social media/social news scene in the spotlight. Now it’s pretty hard to avoid it, the Web 2.0 revolution. It’s all around us. Everything we do is centered around a Facebook page or a tweet, a Digg page or a YouTube video. Our favorite actors, politicians, sports stars, even random people who we didn’t know existed 2 years ago are now influencing us in ways we never thought imaginable. My work is constantly impacted by someone’s blog post, or website, or a tweet that can radically change the way we think or recruit. Companies are racing to get on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, even to the top of the Google listings. It’s making us think harder and faster than ever to come up with more innovative things to make it easier for companies get there. Six Degrees: Tell us about your broader involvement within the staffing industry: DOUG: I try to attend as many conferences, meetups, and industry events as possible. I’ve been and still go to events like Search Engine Strategies, SHRM, ERE, BIO, AAPS, DIA, you name the acronym, and I’ve been there. This year has been tough though. You see, I’ve just turned 30 and this seems to be the time where all of my friends want to get married, but they hesitated to check the schedule of some of these events. I’m slated to miss pretty much everything this year, but watch out, I’ll be back in 2010. I haven’t done much speaking at said events, although I’d love to. I think I have a unique ability to relate with lots of different types of people and I also have a great way of conveying my ideas and opinions. If you want, I’m ready to go. Sign me up to speak at your next event. Six Degrees: Can you detail how the recession has affected your particular industry niche? DOUG: The recession has definitely affected the staffing/recruiting industry as a whole, from job boards, to SEO’s, to advertising and staffing agencies, you name the industry niche, it’s taken it’s hit. The recruiters and sales people, who haven’t produced, have been the ones that have felt it the most. Every company has had to make some kind of cuts. In most cases I’m close to, people are given a new lease on life and a unique opportunity to re-brand and network themselves and really learn a lot about what they’re capable of. I have also found that this particular recession has enabled me to get back in contact and even do business with some of the greatest minds I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. 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? DOUG: For the most part, I’ve been trying to practice what I preach. Becoming involved in all the social and professional networks where not only my peers are, but also places and networks where my clients also want to be seen and heard. I’ve attended local Meetup groups and other networking groups that I never thought I’d be going to. But, to get ahead and make the right friends, you have to go outside the box. A great example is RecruitingBlogs.com. I always had a profile, but I wasn’t active. I found myself reading everything I could and even commenting and chatting with my peers and colleagues. I’ve since joined all kinds of different communities and networks and it’s really given me the opportunity not only to learn, but also sell my ideas to a broader audience. I’m not much of a blogger yet. Mostly because I’m not sure if I want to blog about the last concert I saw, the awesome steak I had or the wild conversation about user-generated content I had with my client this morning. Maybe I’ll just start blogging about all three. But, if I do start, will anyone even read it? 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? DOUG: Be passionate. It’s easy to connect with someone who’s passionate about what they’re selling or their abilities as a recruiter. It makes you want to learn from this person and absorb everything they’re saying. I know for sure that I’ve been boring and I’ve looked like I’m just going through the motions, and I’ve blown it. I’ve also tried to be too slick and also blown it, quicker. Also, don’t be someone you’re not. Be genuine, don’t over promise, and don’t make outrageous claims that just can’t be backed up. When I go to networking events there are people you want to network with and then there’s others who can come across as totally unbelievable. But, no matter what you’re doing, you want to get people to trust you and enjoy talking with you. If not, they’ll see right through you. Then word spreads and you’re doomed. Six Degrees: What is your next career goal? What do you need to do to get there? DOUG: My next career goal, that’s a great question. Well, besides honing my skills and helping grow OptiJob to take it to the next level; I guess my ultimate goal is join my peers as a thought leader in this industry. Our industry is chock full of outstanding talent and great thinkers that the road ahead won’t be easy. I know it will take a lot of hard work, a lot of blogging, great feedback, results, and most importantly, respect. It’s not easy getting people to trust you and what you think. Maybe this interview will help. But like I said, it’s going to take a ton of work on my end to stay relevant and come up with great content and opinions that others will not only trust, but pass along and maybe implement in their lives or at their organizations.…; Added by Dave Mendoza at 4:38pm on October 11, 2009