The chocolates sit all over my desk. Not just mine, but on every desk in this office. Boxes of chocolates or baskets full of Twix bars or bowls of M& Ms. While I can appreciate the sweetness all around me, it doesn’t really fit in with one of my resolutions which was to eat more raw foods. Unless, of course, I am mistaken, I don’t believe chocolate falls into that category. Mind you, I would be happy to be mistaken on this point.

It is amazing how easy it is to be persuaded or tempted to fall off the wagon, even when you feel so resolute and ready to conquer. I read the other day that the best way to conquer temptation is to just give in to it. When you resist, the temptation becomes stronger and takes over your mind and prevents you from moving forward. Now, I don’t necessarily believe this to be true, nor do I condone reckless behavior. But there does seem to ring some truth in it, somewhere in the belfry.

When I first went in-house, my boss pulled me aside and said that he didn’t want me to direct recruit. “No plucking from our neighbors’ trees.” I had just left an executive recruiting environment where I managed a full-desk that did not include using a job board or an application process. Every call was a cold call or referral and every candidate worked somewhere else, every offer was accompanied with the potential of a counter offer and our CRM grew every day.

The “no plucking” rule put me in a bind, especially when my recruiting budget was my salary. It wasn’t until four months into my search for an organic chemist that the CEO walked into my office and asked why it was taking so long. My reply? “There aren’t many organic chemists cruising through the free job boards.” Then I asked for some posting dollars. He, then and there, rescinded his previous decree and gave me the green light to direct recruit.

Tempted by the fruit of another. Job Boards still continue to be an active battle ground for jobs and resumes. Too many exist and thrive to be deceived by the line, “Job boards are dead.” Nor should you buy into the deceit that, “Cold calling is dead.” Look, if you are tempted to call, call. If you are tempted to post, post. Give in. Go back. Old School is back in session. And the bell has been rung.

© by rayannethorn