I'm a no excuses kind of guy, I really am. I love sports (die-hard Celtics fan, born and raised in So Cal), and I'm just not the kind of fan to blame losses on officiating or injuries as some fans do. Bad call at the end of the game cost you the W? Maybe you should've built up a bigger lead before the end of the 4th quarter. Your starting center goes down with a knee injury in Game 6 of the Finals (a la Kendrick…

As an agency recruiter, I make sure I personally talk to every new talented candidate I connect with before submitting them to my client. It's standard procedure, as I can learn much more about their communication skills and how they may fit in with the culture of my client in their voice than over an email.

It's rare that one of these conversations sends shivers down my spine, but when I brought up the issue of the standard background investigation that my client requires for their…