Tonight I return home with some thoughtfulness and perspective. It would seem I have had a lot of opportunity to do this lately, think, ponder and deliver. I recently sat down to review a few things on my recent list of career goals, revisiting my perspective on what I really, really wanted out of where I was going and where I had come thus far. It is a lively action to do this, I think every time I do, I remember very clearly what brought me to these new days.

I am satisfied, happy to be where I am at these days. I think at times perspective is trully needed when you turn on the fire in your belly to get back on the phone and keep making those calls.

In my dual role as HR Consultant and Recruiting Consultant it takes that much more commitment to balance my duties to meet my client's needs. On the one hand I am on the phone giving HR advice, on the other I am reconciling a client's benefits invoices, on the other I may be prepping an employee handbook or trying to make a good recruiting match.

It means that I must be that much more focused, constantly reevaluating my approaches to see if I can change something. In a matter of a couple weeks my business as usual approach with something that worked 2 weeks ago may need some tinkering. Something that may have worked last week may need a distinct change.

I am not trully satisfied with myself until I have made a recruiting match, one that propels me to the goal that meets revenue and budgetary requirements. Every fill means a new opportunity to build business, and results in new perspectives about what I can do better in the next go around.

Somewhere deep down I have made a thorough commitment that I will not give up until I have found success. Success can be defined in multiple ways, sometimes in my desire to get a distinct match I need to remember what the source of true success is, it is enjoying your day to day, it is finding the inward resolve to do better than the day before, and trully leaving a legacy behind to be proud of.

There are so many voices in this world of ours, pulling us this way and that. What does it take to unlock the doors of success, when there are so many things that can eat up your time every day?

Clearly, there is a need for a hopeful tone, an inward drive that propels you forward. I remember a few years back a great professor challenged us as students in college to write down our goals, and think long and hard about what delivered success to our door. He called this time "quiet time".

Every minute of every day is so critical. It means digging deep to find that inward fire, that inward resolve to do better than you did the day before. The most successful individuals are those who have a clearly defined goal that puts you on a path for outright passion building resolve to get that goal acheived irregardless of the voices saying "no" in your head.

My Dale Carnegie instructor spoke of quieting an inward voice inside all of us called the "inner critic". I thought long and hard about the comment he made, realizing that if anyone has an inward critic it is I. I am always judging myself more harshly than others in my network. This helps me succeed as I am always trying to make myself a better person. His point was, that the inner critic seeks to tear us down. I have been working on silencing the inner critic, that says you can't do this, that your ideas are not as good as the next guy, and so on.

Being a younger member of any team is always a balancing act, it is always a reminder that someone, somewhere knows more than you, and as such you have to delve deep down to find what it is to be humble, to be teachable and to be confident and speak up when your ideas are needed. When you are in an environment where multiple folks have multiple years of experience on you, it is quite a task to learn all you can, eagerly chomping on every bit of information leading to your perspective changing.

I firmly believe that anyone who feasts on knowledege will be rewarded. It is a challenge to find the best practice that propels you to a new opportunity for growth.

Dale Carnegie taught that the most important sound to other people is their own name. I have been trying to remember names, another Dale Carnegie principle is to live in Day Tight Compartments, putting your efforts on the day and task at hand, yes Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, Use the Gift of Now, my mom used to say.

I think that reaching out to others means acknowledging them and listening intentively before passing judgment, I can't know what causes one person to think the way they do. It is better for the candidate to do the talking after all, they propel the best answers and lead to the best outcomes when you are patient with your candidate and build a relationship that will unlock the door to future placements. I think so key to nurture existing relationships and build new ones.

We possess deep down a distinct natural instinct to do what's right by other people. Do you sincerely try to undestand your candidates desired career goal? Do you listen carefully, attentively for details to help your candidate have success in their interview and prep them for career satisfaction? This is the earmark and hallmark of a good recruiter.

Long term relationships, with passive candidates, being well networked with a deep rolodex. Not giving up when someone says no and making 2 or 3 more phone calls to compensate for every no. The more you call, the more you cast your net wide, the more your legacy is built, the more your reputation grows.

Everywhere the world is full of judgment. What will be your lasting legacy on our profession? What will be your reputation in the days ahead and days to come? Will you be the one who made a definitive difference, can you build lasting trust that results in incredible returns for you? Decide today to make a difference, for a difference can be made when your attitude is headed in the right direction, and you keep your energy levels strong and prepped for success. One can get there, it takes commitment, drive, and fortitude. It is these traits which will seal your legacy for time to come. What matters more? Your reputation is your greatest calling card. Who will the candidate reach out to first? Who will be the recruiter that plucks the best of the best, and leads them to the opportunity of a lifetime. We can all be that recruiter, and that is the role I love more than anything.