If you are an IT Professional in the DFW area, there has never been a better time to test the market. We are starving for good talent in IT. While there are more marketable skills sets than others, there has not been a better time in the last three years to see where you stand as an IT Professional. If you have read some of my earlier postings, I have consistently written about IT Staffing and Services firms that are having their best year in the last three or four years as…

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One of my best friends in High School was King Davis and his mom Shirley used to always tell us to “Act like ya been somewhere”. We never really understood what the she meant and it wouldn’t have made a difference, I mean, after all we were teenagers and we knew “EVERYTHING”. Well with age comes wisdom and, now that I’m old and busted, Shirley’s words…

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Anyone that has worked with me for a period of time knows that the Farm Animal vs Wildlife analogy is one of my favorites. I typically classify Recruiters and Business Development professionals in one of the two categories. My categorization is based upon the simple premise that there are some people that hunt for their food (you can use money if you prefer) and some that wait for the food to be delivered.





Instead of a long diatribe about what constitutes a Farm Animal and/or… Continue

I have recently heard from many DFW professionals in the IT Staffing and Solutions business that tell me their business is back in a big way and are seeing dramatic increases in Job Requisitions both on a contract and direct hire basis.

Recent…

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Most recruiters know when they have found the perfect candidate for a position. We typically have a checklist or there are requirements that the candidate meets in helping us determine their quality. While it may be clear to the recruiter or employer that a candidate is a fit, sometimes it’s not clear to the job seeker themselves. Here is a checklist for determining if you are in fact a fit for a position.







Your resume “reflects” the job description – You… Continue

Being a Native Texan, I have eaten my share of ribs and I can tell you that they are one of the more expensive items at your local BBQ establishment. So, when I order them, I make sure I get all the meat off of them. With that being said, there is no easy way to segue from a discussion of Ribs to Applicant…

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I’m sure that many of you Recruiters have worked in an organization that provides some type of referral program to encourage more qualified candidates. Unfortunately, most of these programs limit your ability to provide a flexible referral dollar or incentive to the referring party.…

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You've heard of tough love right? This is the kind of love that family members dispense to love one’s who either don't listen or refuse to follow the advice of their elders. Well, in response to all of the corporate generated schmaltz and fake romance from this previous Valentine weekend, I am inspired to dispense my own version of tough love. What is the object of my affection? Well.... writing resumes or, to be more specific, the people that use a resume to get IT positions in the DFW area -… Continue

I was having lunch with my good friend, and former business partner, Rex Kurzius* the other day. During lunch, he informed me that he is only looking to hire people from USC. I let the statement pass for a few moments because Rex has a tendency to throw out statements for shock value and sometimes it’s best to let it go; however, this time I had to ask him why he would only hire people from the University of Southern California. As it turns out he wasn’t referring to the University of…

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Are you currently an IT staffing vendor working through a VMS? What kind of results do you get? Have you measured your return on time? Do you feel like you “sling resumes” up against the wall and see if they stick like your homemade spaghetti?



If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you’re probably following the VMS process as it was laid out by procurement. You’ve heard it all before right? “Don’t contact the managers directly”, “Only submit resumes through the VMS… Continue

As I was watching the final play of the Saints/Vikings NFC Championship game last week (and, coincidentally, procrastinating on writing this article), I thought about all of the preparation and moments that must have led to the Saints being in position to win the game on one final play.



If you are an IT Job Seeker, hopefully you realize that you are in a competition and, let me tell you, there is no competition as fierce as getting a job through a VMS. For the uninitiated, VMS is an… Continue

Stop me if you’ve heard these statements from Corporate or Agency Staffing Professionals “I never use job boards”, “We only use direct sourcing to find the best candidates”, “We post our jobs and select the best candidates” or maybe you’ve heard candidates tell you “I only work with one recruiter” or “I don’t post my resume”.



While I can respect someone for taking a stance for what they believe, I can’t stand by and let Recruiters and Candidates continue to make a HUGE mistake. I can… Continue