I have two cars - one that I'm passionate about (1981 Fiat Spider Turbo - MINT) and a SUV. The Italian love affair only comes out of the garage on special occasions (under 100k miles on original engine) and the SUV is the daily driver. As a result the SUV needed new tires recently and I wanted some time with my youngest daughter - so on Saturday we made a day of it, dropping off the car and sporting our backpacks down the street to grab some ice cream and hang out at the local book franchise.

After some time spent roaming the aisles in the bookstore we spent an hour or so hanging out in the back and reading while sipping on our sophisticated beverages of choice. As we got ready to leave we ran into Kristine Kahanek who has apparently just released a new children's book called 'Katie and the Magic Umbrella." Ms. Kahanek is the Chief Meteorologist with KTVT-TV, a CBS affiliate here in the Dallas area. What surprised me was that Mini-me recognized Ms. Kahanek right away and wanted to listen to the book reading that was about to start. So we sat. We listened. And it was good.

The quick read told of two siblings that were afraid of thunderstorms until visited by their guardian angel - who used her magical umbrella to take them on an educational adventure through one. The brother and sister team learned (as did the readers/listeners) about lightning, thunder, hail and tornadoes and are safely returned to their beds with an understanding of the weather and great new vocabulary words like cumulonimbus.

The point? Mini-me was mesmerized. But she wasn't mesmerized by the book - no, she was glued to the story teller. The real live action figure that was explaining things that had until that moment been a bit of a mystery. The passion that Ms. Kahanek has for her craft was literally seeping from her pores and being shared with anyone will to absorb it. Whether she knew it or not, Kristine Kahanek was recruiting for her industry - because she loves it.

Asking for a picture with her (which is pretty rare as she's very shy) we spoke briefly with our newly met celebrity and my daughter said "thank you" for the story telling. What followed for the remainder of the day was question after question pertaining to the weather and how someone might become a meteorologist.

My Saturday afternoon reinforced a simple thought that I've had for some time. Anyone that is excited or passionate about what they do communicates this in their every action or interaction with others - 24/7. Of course, on the flipside, anyone that isn't happy with where they are communicates this even more strongly without trying at all.

If you're a Recruiter by profession, are you passionate about the jobs you're filling? Are you excited about the opportunities that you're presenting? As a Recruiter it can sometimes be tough to be motivated about a particular job you're working to fill - but it should never be a challenge to be motivated about the opportunity we're presenting a candidate.

I'm a strong believer in Cloud Recruiting and in using technology to make us more successful - but the single thing that comes before this - the item that trumps it all - is passion about what you do. Whether you're a Recruiter by title or not - without passion and belief in what you're doing, you're only half of your potential.

It's plain to see upon meeting her that Kristine Kahanek is passionate about what she does and as such, she's probably one of the better "recruiters" I've had the pleasure of meeting in recent months.

originally posted here...