After a wonderful weekend with the family and very little contact with the outside world, I decided to catch back up with the business world. I read through some articles and then came across one about Circuit City.
Specifically, they are letting some of their most experienced people go because they were making "too much" or earning over the "market rate"? They decided to let go almost 8 percent of their established sales force and where looking to replace them with less experienced, cheaper workers.
Read what I read here.
Not the best for morale and branding of the company for future employees, I would think.
However, I now need to track some of their folks down...got experienced sales folks looking for a new home...what a great prospect for my group.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
Knowing people makes a difference
Watch out world, here I am. I've been debating entering the realm of "The Blog" for a few months now, and I finally decided to just jump in...what a better topic to start out with than networking.
I was reading Jason Alba's blog post on Jibber Jobber (a great site to check out) today about networking and was reminded of the old adage..."it's not what you know, it's who you know".
I've been sporadic at networking over the last five years, some months being more diligent than others, but I've grown from nothing to a small and effective network of sorts.
Some folks have asked, has it been helpful? It depends on the context of the question. I can't say that I'm independently rich because of my efforts, but I've had a recent opportunity arise that has been most beneficial for me and my family. Let me tell you about it... (it's my blog, you knew that was coming!)
A little over a month ago, I got an unexpected e-mail from my brother saying he was out of work, he hadn't told his wife yet, and he was frantically seeking a job. Not the type of e-mail you expect to read from a man with his work ethic and educational background. Now how could I, living four hours away from him, help in his efforts to find a job? Being a recruiter, I could have easily said, "Well, sorry to hear that...send me your resume...I'll look it over and give you some advice, but I'm not really familiar with your industry". That doesn't put food on his table, and doesn't keep our mom from freaking out when she hears that her boy steps from skid row...okay not that bad, but it sure sounded dramatic.
Because I had a network of folks on ERE, I was able to help with a job search from long distance. I got his resume, fired off a few e-mails and presto, he had some interviews. A few weeks later, he is gainfully employed, our mom can sleep at night and I can feel great that I've helped, even from a long distance. It's not that he couldn't have found a job on his own...he could have. He was tapping his own network to find leads and get interviews. My point is, the power of networking can expand your reach exponentially.
I know it takes time and effort, but the farmer can't wait until the last minute to plant seeds and then expect a great harvest.
I think the next e-mail from my brother saying "thanks" for connecting him with his new employer was well worth my networking efforts over the last couple of years...don't you?
At least my mom does :)
I was reading Jason Alba's blog post on Jibber Jobber (a great site to check out) today about networking and was reminded of the old adage..."it's not what you know, it's who you know".
I've been sporadic at networking over the last five years, some months being more diligent than others, but I've grown from nothing to a small and effective network of sorts.
Some folks have asked, has it been helpful? It depends on the context of the question. I can't say that I'm independently rich because of my efforts, but I've had a recent opportunity arise that has been most beneficial for me and my family. Let me tell you about it... (it's my blog, you knew that was coming!)
A little over a month ago, I got an unexpected e-mail from my brother saying he was out of work, he hadn't told his wife yet, and he was frantically seeking a job. Not the type of e-mail you expect to read from a man with his work ethic and educational background. Now how could I, living four hours away from him, help in his efforts to find a job? Being a recruiter, I could have easily said, "Well, sorry to hear that...send me your resume...I'll look it over and give you some advice, but I'm not really familiar with your industry". That doesn't put food on his table, and doesn't keep our mom from freaking out when she hears that her boy steps from skid row...okay not that bad, but it sure sounded dramatic.
Because I had a network of folks on ERE, I was able to help with a job search from long distance. I got his resume, fired off a few e-mails and presto, he had some interviews. A few weeks later, he is gainfully employed, our mom can sleep at night and I can feel great that I've helped, even from a long distance. It's not that he couldn't have found a job on his own...he could have. He was tapping his own network to find leads and get interviews. My point is, the power of networking can expand your reach exponentially.
I know it takes time and effort, but the farmer can't wait until the last minute to plant seeds and then expect a great harvest.
I think the next e-mail from my brother saying "thanks" for connecting him with his new employer was well worth my networking efforts over the last couple of years...don't you?
At least my mom does :)
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