I was listening to one of my favorite talk radio show hosts yesterday on XM radio - Larry Elder. Since anyone who is heavily bent to either side of the political dial will probably know who that is, I may have just lost 50percent of my audience, that's OK. The 50percent who stay around to read may find that they learn something, if they keep an open mind.

You see, Larry was discussing a new study that had just come out (and he compared it with an older study) about the disparity in pay between men and women. Of course the study was backed by scientific method and statistical analysis. I've always believed the old saying that there are lies, damned lies, then statistics. This report reminded me of that fact.

It is easy, if you are prone to victimhood, to get exercised when some study from a prestigious sounding group announces that your "group" is getting the shaft. I imagine that is how a lot of women who first heard the news that they were only making 80percent of the pay that men make felt. They were more than likely whipped up into a frenzy of anger because they weren't being treated fairly.

I'm all for fair treatment, and in my recruiting practice, we don't discriminate in anyway (other than skill set and experience) in our recruiting process. Men and women are treated equally, and paid equally for the same work with the same background and experience level. Because we live in a free market economy (well mostly free market, I lament the amount of government interference that we have now, but that is a topic for another time) it is impossible for the study to be correct.

As Mr. Elder points out, one needn't refute the methodology, which is obviously flawed. There is no need to point out that there are sufficient justification to pay people differently based upon background, education, skill set, and accomplishment, that one could not possibly pin the pay differences between men and women solely on their gender. Mr. Elder has a much easier theorem that doesn't involve knowing sample size, statistics, or sampling methodology. We just use simple logic of economic theory.
Here is how to easily disprove the irresponsible statement that women are only paid $.80 on the dollar compared to men. If you were a business owner, and women could be paid at only 80percent the level of men, wouldn't a business, one that was "for profit," stop hiring men and hire only women, thereby saving 20percent of its labor costs? Of course it would, but that doesn't happen. And it doesn't happen because it isn't real. Are there different salaries for workers based on what they know, what their education is, what they have accomplished in the work place, how long they have continuously worked, the skills that they bring to the job - absolutely. Are any of those things based upon gender, not really. Sometimes women choose to leave the workforce to raise a family, but sometimes men do as well. Those people will suffer a pay gap as compared with someone continuously in the workforce since leaving school.

So next time you are confronted with outrageously exaggerated "findings" of a study, use some common sense to filter what the 'authors' are telling you. No doubt if you utilize this methodology, you can save yourself some time trying to prove every instance where the authors have skewed the result.

-author: Carl Chapman. Carl is the founder of CEC Search - Executive Restaurant Recruiters. He has 20+ years of restaurant industry experience, spent 5 awarding winning years as an executive recruiter with a top 25 MRI franchise office. Carl graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1980. You can find Carl's bio on his blog "Confessions of an Executive Restaurant Recruiter" you can also review his LinkedIn profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/carlchapman

This article is courtesy of Recruiting Blogswap at
http://www.recruitingblogswap.com , a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com at http://www.collegerecruiter.com/, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching entry level jobs and other career opportunities

Posted by Shawn Augustson, CollegeRecruiter.com on April 30, 2007 at 11:51 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Every manager has white space in his or her day. Successful managers take advantage of their white space and use it as a time to brainstorm new ideas or work on things outside their normal job scope.

What exactly is "white space"? White space are those gaps in your calendar in between meetings and other planned activities. Many managers fill that time by replying to e-mail or making phone calls. And while keeping in communication with people is certainly important, it's not always the best use of white space. In fact, those managers who are truly successful and fulfilled use their white space to connect their personal passions with their professional goals.

For example, consider the story of Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computers. When Jobs was in college, he took a class in calligraphy and developed a passion for the artistic style of writing. Years later, when he was helping to design the first Apple computer, he questioned why users had only one font choice, especially considering that calligraphy and other font styles were so powerful for expressing ideas. As a result, Apple computers were the first to have multiple font choices, which in turn accelerated font availability in DOS based computers. That's just one example of how someone was able to connect their personal passion with something work related.

But not all white space activity has to connect to your passions or hobbies. Sometimes simply using your white space to think about things differently is enough to give your company the competitive edge it needs. In order to use your white space to create new opportunities for your company, consider the following suggestions.

1. Study the business of your passion.
No matter what your hobby or passion, there's an entire industry devoted to that one thing. So study the business of your passion and look for parallels that you can bring into your company. For example, suppose your work for a computer company, and your passion is NASCAR. If you were to study the business of NASCAR, you'd learn that NASCAR is able to take category exclusive sponsorships and cut them down to a granular level. Intrigued by that idea, you may start thinking how your company could duplicate something like that. Perhaps you come up with the idea to sell category exclusive sponsorships to computer software, utilities, and peripherals companies, where they get advertising space on your computer boxes. Not only does this idea help your company form relationships with other vendors, but it also helps increase the company's revenue.

The goal is to take aspects of your passion or hobby and see if you can apply it to your company in any way. Use your passions to "connect the dots"
at work by uncovering new solutions to challenges and unique opportunities for growth. If you're going to use this white space time to pursue some open ended projects, why not focus on projects where you have some kind of a passion? The things you love and know are ultimately going to give you ideas you can act upon.

2. Network outside of your industry.
Another option is to spend your white space time talking to your peers in other industries. Go to their events, trade shows, and conferences to get a feel for how the industry works and solves problems. Doing so enables you to get a completely different perspective on how to address challenges your company is facing.

Also, develop relationships with people who are at a similar level as you are or who have a similar scope of responsibility as you do, but who work in completely different industries. So if you're an accountant in a software company, for example, talk to accountants in manufacturing or professional services companies. Your standards and practices may be very different, but your peers have likely come up with some ideas and solutions that you can apply to your company.

3. Be your competitor for a day.
Use your white space time to write your competitor's sales pitch. This will help you understand what your competitors are saying about themselves and what the opportunities are for your company. For example, if you worked at Dell and had to write a sales pitch for Compaq, you would ask yourself what you could say about Compaq that only applied to them. Then you'd realize the true differences between your two companies and could figure out how to capitalize on those differences.

A variation is to use your white space time to think like your customer. If you were looking for the products or services your company offers, what would be important to you? Write out a list of the top ten things you would look for in a product or service provider. Then you can assess how well your company really meets the needs of your ideal prospect.

Make the Minutes Matter
We all have parts of our job that are not completely defined. We all also have time in our day that's unaccounted for-white space in our daily calendar that's prime for opportunity. So really look at what you're charged to do and then assess how much leeway for creativity and unconventional thinking you have.

Realize that outside of your core responsibilities there are wonderful things you can do for your company that can capitalize on who you are and what skills you have. In fact, many business success stories are of people who drew on their past and/or their interests and brought that into the business. So don't be afraid to explore your passions. Look at the business behind your passions. Keep an eye on the business landscape, talk to other people in various industries, and be open to different perspectives. When you have time to explore non-traditional things, carve out some time to do that in the white space of your week. You may only have a couple of hours to devote to this, but those few hours can make a world of difference.

About the Author:

Vince Thompson is the author of the new book, "Ignited: Managers, Light up Your Company and Career for More Power, More Purpose and More Success,"
available in book stores everywhere. He is a former executive for AOL and the principal at Middleshift, a consulting company focused on creating revenue for Internet businesses by empowering those in the middle and super-serving customers. His clients include Break.com, StarStyle.com and Napster. For more information on Vince's book or consulting, please contact:
www.beignited.com.

Posted by Shawn Augustson, CollegeRecruiter.com on April 30, 2007 at 11:12 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Interesting insight from Experience Inc's fifth annual College Graduate Survey.

More than 2,800 graduating seniors took Experience's online poll, and nearly 50% of those who had already started their job searches at the time of the survey were still looking. The results, released in early April, also showed that only 22% of these students had offers in hand. Another 15% planned to continue on to graduate school, and 10% had yet to begin searching.

So, college grad, where are you?

Dennis Smith
T-Mobile USA
Sr. Manager, Recruiting
WirelessJobs.com - blog

Posted by Dennis Smith, T-Mobile Recruiting on April 27, 2007 at 12:48 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Situation
Task
Action
Results

At your next interview consider the following:

When asked to give an example of a situation you have faced in the past you might want to consider using real life examples from your experiences. The STAR method, as described above, can be a good way to explain your experiences.

What was the situation you had to overcome?
What was the task at hand?
What action did you take to over come the situation?
What the results of your actions?

Answering a question in this manner might give your interviewer an opportunity to identify with your situation since everyone loves a good story.

The next time you go to answer an interview question make sure you answer it like a STAR!

By Justin Driscoll

This article was crossposted from Justin Driscoll , a member of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com

Posted by Shawn Augustson, CollegeRecruiter.com on April 26, 2007 at 12:41 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

In our Biz Growth Academy and Biz Growth Gym programmes one of the early stages of work that we take our clients through is defining their values.

Many organisations will define their values as a key element of their strategy and a point of differentiation when defining their corporate brand.

The objective is then defining and translating those values into action. In other words, what will your people, your clients, your business partners experience as those values are expressed?

However we do not often spend time defining our own personal values.

What I have noticed is that when we find ourselves challenged with decisions made by our employer, often we find ourselves stressed and out of kilter with the organisations needs and wants. This happens when our personal values are out of alignment with the corporate values.

Management Issues recently reported that research from a Minnesota leadership development firm, CO2 Partners, who identified that one in three workers reported that their employer’s core values were not always consistent with their own personal values.

This in turn will lead to a less engaged community and impact the performance of the business.

Of the 615 workers polled, 44 percent felt their core values were consistent with those of their employer.

More than 10 percent of the employees surveyed were unsure what the employers core values were but did not feel uncomfortable working for their employer.

When our personal values are not in alighment with the corporate values this can lead to silent sabotage or passive unproductive behaviours. and we certainly will not feel engaged, energised or prepared to go the extra mile.

As a business leader and owner of your professional services practice, the key is not to consider the defining of your corporate values at a superficial level.

As you define your corporate values, consider not only how these will be expressed in good times but also what the impact will be when the organisation is under stress to perform.

Then clearly communicate and allow your people to engage in what the corporate values mean for them in their own roles.

And as you make key decisions, communicate and share how the decision supports your corporate values.

Yes you may find there are some team members who find that their personal values are not in alignment with your corporate values. But isn’t it better that this is fully understood and you can then help that team member find a role in an organisation that is in alignment with their personal values.

Getting clear about your corporate values, expressing your corporate values in your employee communications materials and in your leadership actions, will create a point of differentiation and supports you building a distinctive employer brand. That in turn will mean that you attract talent who are more likely to aling with your corporate values.

Written by Krishna De of Biz Growth News

This article was crossposted from Biz Growth News a member of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com

Posted by Shawn Augustson, CollegeRecruiter.com on April 26, 2007 at 12:33 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

How many missed deadlines and mistakes-revealed-too-late have sucked profits out of your company? Does dysfunctional behavior, infighting, and politics sap your organization's vitality daily? Sure, you've hired the best consultants and trainers to address the problems, but for some strange reason they seem to resurrect themselves only months later; their chronic nature mystifying. If this sounds like your organization, you may be experiencing the common, yet unspeakable, threat that secretly sacrifices performance and profits in thousands of companies worldwide.

This threat resides in your organization's culture, and seduces managers to treat symptoms while avoiding the real problems, to confuse activity with results, and to burn cash faster than you can handle. It's an unspeakable threat because it wouldn't be polite to mention it. And in that fact it reveals itself - a culture of politeness.

Polite cultures do everything but tell the truth, unless it's very comfortable to do so. But being polite is a good thing, isn't it? After studying its effect in hundreds of companies one thing becomes clear:

Politeness eats truth. Lack of truth eats profits.

How do you know if this threatens your company? Easy. Is being "nice" more important than performing? Rather than reveal the truth about a situation do people often seek to be polite, thus avoiding the possible discomfort, anger, retribution, and other unpleasantries? Do employees hide and deny uncomfortable issues, burying them within closed groups hoping they will go away?

But if you're not in denial, there is a way out. Performance accelerates tremendously when people move past deceptions and verbalize real concerns, which can finally be addressed and moved out of the way. Yes, initially telling the truth will upset people and cause discomfort, but good employees love it and it drives accountability to new levels.
The collateral damage from keeping the truth at unspeakable levels can
include:

Dead Weight: Dead weight in management prevents great people from assuming leadership, and keeps mediocre performers on staff. But politeness ensures policies are in place that actually prevent marginal performers from being let go. For example, a company may require five written warnings before someone can even be terminated. Or when a manager wants to fire someone and HR checks the employee's file they find that the manager gave the employee stellar reviews. When asked why, the manager often replies, "I didn't want to hurt the employee's feelings."

Of course hurting feelings isn't polite, but neither is avoiding accountability. So, look at your policies and work to create fair systems, which enable you to effectively deal with the dead weight that stalls performance. Then train your managers on how to use the new policies and be authentic with their staff. Once you start removing dead weight, employees will be happier. Great people want to work with great people, and to know that management notices what they contribute.

Phantom Leadership: Who are the real leaders your people follow? Many programs get stalled because the managers on the organizational chart aren't who the employees are following. That's right…people are following phantom leaders! The formal leadership declares an initiative but the phantom leadership is who the people really listen to.

What if you cultivated the right talent by identifying the real champions in your company-those people who can really lead? These champions don't have to be technically competent but should be able to inspire others to follow them towards where the organization wants to go. Does your company know how to select those leaders, and do they invest the time and money to train them with the appropriate leadership skills? Companies who ignore phantom leadership get nowhere fast.

Doomed Projects: One study found that over half of employees surveyed felt they were involved with a doomed project. Sounds like a Dilbert comic, but unfortunately it's true. Of course, there are some projects which may appear doomed, but from a bigger picture they make sense. The problem is, with a culture of politeness you'll never find out. Are you capable of uncovering the really doomed projects?

Dissatisfied Customers: I left a hotel once and informed the desk clerk that there was a problem with the kitchen staff regarding room service. She looked shocked, not about the poor service but that I would be so impolite as to mention it. I suggested that she may want to mention it to management as I left. I knew she wouldn't. It wouldn't be polite. Does politeness stop invaluable reconnaissance of customer satisfaction data in your company? Are your employees empowered to surface customer issues without fear of retaliation, or appearing rude? Do you have a system in place for dealing with customer complaints?

Weak Management Teams: How much are your executives getting sucked into operations? If too much, they you can be sure they have a weak management team under them. Is anyone brave enough to mention this or to hear it about themselves? Sure, getting into operations is acceptable in small companies, turn-arounds, acquisitions, and emergencies but, unfortunately, executives get sucked into operations far too long; but at least everyone is polite in not mentioning it.

Great leaders find the weak links in their team and address the issue.
Perhaps the employee is in the wrong job, or the wrong company. Like the saying goes, you either change people or you change people.

Get Started
Performance trumps politeness every time. This doesn't mean that people have to be rude. But it does mean that respectful, authentic admission of the truth should not be sacrificed because of a culture of politeness.

Winning companies have a habit of getting used to doing things differently, even if the changes are discomforting. To drive profits higher, seek to speak the unspeakable. Strive to encourage authentic and honest communication in your staff. Unless, of course, it might be too impolite.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Don Schmincke is author of The Code of the Executive. He founded The SAGA Leadership Institute to help companies accelerate performance using methods which facilitate HR as a strategic resource. For more information, please
call: 1-866-LEAD-866 or visit: www.sagaleadership.com.

Darryl McCormick is Senior Vice President for Human Resources and Organization Development at Stamford Hospital in Stamford, CT. He also provides services to other healthcare organizations to assist them in transforming their cultures. You can reach him at: 203-425-9705.

Posted by Shawn Augustson, CollegeRecruiter.com on April 26, 2007 at 7:50 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

About 6 months before I graduated with a degree in CIS I was interviewing for a position at a company just a few blocks from my university.

After I got the job offer I kind of chuckled and said: "You know, you don't even know what my GPA is!"

The hiring manager simply replied "I don't care what your GPA is."

I was dumbfounded. How did I pull that off?

It was simple. I wasn't the sharpest kid in my class. I wasn't the most eloquent, nor was I very connected. But I proved my skills, and my ability to perform in a corporate environment. I had been an intern at a multi-billion dollar company for the last year and had worked on some awesome projects.

Fortunately my internship boss allowed me to bring the hiring manager into the office and show him the projects that I did, from start to finish, on the corporate intranet. And that was enough to impress him.

And I got the job.

Work on your GPA and be smart in school. But figure out ways to develop and quantify your personal brand outside of school. It will make a huge difference when you are interviewing against a dozen other students that don't have internship experience. And the hiring manager just might say to you, "I don't care what your GPA is."

Jason Alba
CEO - JibberJobber.com

Posted by JibberJobber.com on April 17, 2007 at 11:37 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

... Mr. Steven Rothberg, the King of College Recruiting!

Dennis
T-Mobile USA
WirelessJobs.com

*by the way...did you know you share the same birthday as David Cassady? You are one lucky man.

Posted by Dennis Smith, T-Mobile Recruiting on April 12, 2007 at 3:13 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Could this also say,

"How to Get Recruiters to Talk About You?"

See Job Search Lessons From American Idol.

Dennis Smith
Executive Recruiting Manager
T-Mobile USA
WirelessJobs.com

Posted by Dennis Smith, T-Mobile Recruiting on April 12, 2007 at 3:09 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Sarah E. Needleman (Associate editor for CareerJournal.com) posts a nice article in today's WSJ (subscription required) about blogging and how it can help you get a new job.

Here's a short excerpt:

Corporate recruiters have long surfed the Web to vet potential hires, but now they are also surfing blogs to unearth job candidates, expanding their talent pool and gaining insights they say they can't get from résumés and interviews.

If you are a recruiter and you aren't surfing the blogs, you are already behind the eight ball.

If you are surfing the blogs but aren't making hires, at a minimum, you are putting yourself in great networking stead.

And, personally, I'm finding no greater opportunity than blogs, for developing relationships with candidates for future opportunities.

One of my goals is to use the blogosphere to make new contacts every day (ok, at least one).
And for the most part, I consistently meet this goal.

As an example, it wasn't too long ago that I left a comment on the WirelessisFun.com site, and as a result, struck up a friendship with the guys behind the WirelessisFun firewall. We now have a pending podcast for sometime in the near future and an almost daily dialogue.

However, I'm really looking forward to talking my buddy Dan in to a new career with T-Mobile USA. It's a long relo to Bellevue, WA from Romania, but hey, anything's possible in the blogosphere.

Needleman also posted an article titled,

What Job Seekers Can Gain From Blogs about Recruiting

Without question, the blogosphere is the place to go for job hunters who are seeking advice (of course, I'm slightly biased to this point, but it's because I'm right). And modest.

Here's a few of the blogs noted in the article - great choices - I read every one of these blogs and believe that job-search savvy job seekers should be reading them too.

YourHRGuy.com

Cheezhead

Resume Hell: Dumb Stuff I Read on Resumes

JibberJobber.com

Brazen Careerist

Todd Raphael's World of Talent

Kaleidoblog

Guerilla Marketing for Job Hunters: The Blog
the CHAD

George's Employment Blawg

Go get 'em job seekers!

And don't forget, just one visit a day to WirelessJobs.com.

That's all I ask.

Dennis Smith
Executive Recruiting Manager
T-Mobile USA
WirelessJobs.com

Posted by Dennis Smith, T-Mobile Recruiting on April 10, 2007 at 3:00 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

C'mon, meet me @ EREexpo 2007 and we'll talk Recruiting and eat a coupla' Peanut Butter 'n Banana sandwiches, eh?

It doesn't get much better than that.

Dennis Smith
Sr. Manager, Recruiting
T-Mobile USA
WirelessJobs.com

Posted by Dennis Smith, T-Mobile Recruiting on April 7, 2007 at 1:01 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Chris Norton shows you 2 easy steps to get the job of your dreams.

In fact, Chris video-chronicles his job search from beginning to end, and I don't think I've ever seen a successful job search go down nearly as fast.

Big-time thanks to Chris.

This is going to revolutionize the job search industry.

Dennis Smith
T-Mobile USA
Sr. Manager, Recruiting
www.WirelessJobs.com

Posted by Dennis Smith, T-Mobile Recruiting on April 3, 2007 at 2:06 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

On an e-mail list that I'm on I saw a message that more or less said:

I'm in my last year of college and I already have a job (or internship) in my field. When I graduate I plan on moving to (wherever) and would like to know if I have a chance of working in my field considering I'm not from there. What do you suggest I do in order to stand a chance of getting a job?

Read on and I'll tell you what I think :)

Isn't this really the big question? After spending all this time at school and preparing to go into the real world, are you going to be able to land the job - no matter where it is, or what it is?

Let me put this person's question into perspective a little. She is writing from Europe and hoping to move to the United States. Does that make the question less relevant to you? I doubt it. So let me rephrase the question:

Can I make myself more employable, or stand out more to potential hiring managers that I haven't met? I only have one year to do it!

Here's my response. Sure it's myopic (I feel like a broken record player sometimes), but I believe in the power of this response:

Start a blog. Develop yourself as an industry expert, or at the very least, a very smart thinker. What are some of the ways to showcase your skills?

--- Your writing style - anyone that reads your blog will get a feel for how you write. Grammar, spelling, punctuation - its all there for them to see. Make sure to have conclusions, or prompt for discussion... if I finish one of your posts and have to say "huh?" you probably aren't going to impress any employers (yes, blog readers are generally forgiving on this but if it happens too much its enough to throw some red flags up)

--- Your topics - do you write about silly, meaningless things? Do you write about pop-culture, or things that are borderline-acceptable? Do you write about deep topics (like "the affects of Sarbanes-Oxley in non-profit sector")? Your choices in topics will support your online brand - so think about what this brand is (or should be) and write on things that will support it.

--- Your online network - employers are impressed when they see you are actively involved in outside things - clubs, associations, etc. Part of the reason is because it shows that you understand the power of people, and are more likely to be a relationship-builder than a recluse. You can also show this on your blog by developing a following, and encouraging people to participate. This can be done by writing so people leave comments, or by encouraging people to link back to your blog.

These are just some ideas on how to have an excellent blog to help you in your job search. If you want to see some blogs that I think are perfect examples check out the You Get It award winners here.

Notice I didn't say "journal your job search." Generally I don't care for job search journals as it makes me wonder if you understand issues surrounding confidentiality. But if you are inclined to journal parts of your job search take a lesson from Clint James who writes about his job search in an educational, smart way without making me feel like he is writing anything that he'll regret later.

Posted by JibberJobber.com on April 3, 2007 at 8:46 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Scott Ginsberg posted this morning about his beloved Cardinals.

Actually, the post isn't about the Cards so much, but he uses the Cards season opener as a platform to encourage us to be more like David Eckstein.

If you don't follow Baseball, you don't know Eck. But you should. He's the perfect example of a major-leaguer who, day in - day out, gives his absolute best on the field.

He doesn't coast. He doesn't save himself. He leaves it all on the field.

Here's why Scott loves Eck:

Because every grounder matters.
Because he gives it his all, every time.
Because he plays harder than anybody.
Because he actually sprints on and off the field, every inning.

Did Eck win the MVP last year because he's lucky?

Don't think so.

If Eck were asked to name the one game, in all his years of playing, that he believes to be his best, Scott believes Eck would say,

My last one.

Here's Scott's takeaway: Make your best one your last one.

The best sales call you ever made…was your last one.
The best speech you ever gave…was your last one.
The best report you ever handed in…was your last one.
The best meeting you ever had with your staff…was your last one.
The best customer service phone call…was your last one.

Now, let's make this even more relevant for my audience: the job seeker.

Are you looking for a job?

Are you currently engaged in job interviews?

Make your best interview your last one.

If so, it just might be your last one.

Dennis Smith
T-Mobile USA
Sr. Manager, Recruiting
WirelessJobs.com

Posted by Dennis Smith, T-Mobile Recruiting on April 2, 2007 at 2:22 PM | Leave a Comment (0)