Hire Opportunities

Be Proactive, Personal Vision

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Habit 1:
Proactivity means that, as human beings, we are responsible for our own lives. Our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions.

There are three central values in life: the experiential (that which happens to us), the creative (that which we bring into existence), and the attitudinal (our response to difficult circumstances). What matters most is how we respond to what we experience in life.

Proactivity is grounded in facing reality but also understanding we have the power to choose a positive response to our circumstances.

We need to understand how we focus our time and energy to be effective. The things we are concerned about could be described as our "Circle of Concern". There are things we can really do something about, that can be described as our "Circle of Influence". When we focus our time and energy in our Circle of Concern, but outside our Circle of Influence, we are not being effective. However, we find that being proactive helps us expand our Circle of Influence. (Work on things you can do something about.)

Reactive people focus their efforts on the Circle of Concern, over things they can't control. Their negative energy causes their Circle of Influence to shrink.

Sometimes we make choices with negative consequences, called mistakes. We can't recall or undo past mistakes. The proactive approach to a mistake is to acknowledge it instantly, correct and learn from it. Success is the far side of failure.

At the heart of our Circle of Influence is our ability to make and keep commitments and promises. Our integrity in keeping commitments and the ability to make commitments are the clearest manifestations of proactivity.

From the book: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

Leslie Forbes
January 17, 2012

www.HireOpportunities.com

2012-01-05T08:51:00.000-08:00

Written career goals are hugely important tools for preparing for a successful job search campaign. Well thought out written goals provide unwavering direction and create a natural “organizing” factor to your search efforts. By committing to a journey or career path you will find yourself advancing faster and your accomplishments steadier than “the competition”.

Ask yourself if the time and effort involved in preparing written goals really matters. Check this out: Our consulting staff estimates that approximately 90% of “A” players come to their initial interview in our office with written goals, without any prompting on our part. At the other end of the scale we have found in the bottom 40% of talent we assess, or the “C” players, fewer than 10% will have any goals committed to paper. Any surprise the most frequent “reasons” offered by the “C’s” is they want to “remain open” and “not limit my search”?

This reveals a very important question to the second tier of candidates making up the 50% group of “B” players; could the “difference maker” of a successful career be something as small as written goals instead of undefined hopes? Educational background and results of “B’s” are often very consistent with the Top 10% or “A” players; many times we have actually found GPA to be indistinguishable between these 2 groups. Years of work experience on the job has also proven to be an ineffective tool for measuring success. Size of company worked in is also a poor area to measure success.

Many of the “A” players we represent honed their skills in smaller, more challenging environments than their big company peers. Fewer than 20% of evaluated “B” candidates were able to produce written career goals on their first meeting with our consultants. Take note of this groups most frequent “reasons” for not keeping written goals; “my goals are whatever the company needs me to do” leads with “wanting to remain open” as the second most frequent. What a classic example of sitting on the fence ready to fall either way.

Let’s review the math and you decide: “A” players in any given discipline make up 10% the talent pool and 90% keep updated, written career goals. The “B” player category represents 50% of the talent and less than 20% can produce written career goals. At the bottom of the talent pool the “C” players, representing a full 40% of total employees, we find fewer than 10% utilizing this powerful tool.

Coincidence or could written goals actually be a powerful tool for career success? What is the real cost of not “having enough time” to organize a written career plan for your future?

In future issues we will look at a simple 1-2-3 for creating compelling career goals.

www.HireOpportunities.com is a career resource written by Rick Marshall, president of Marshall Career Service, Inc. located in Fort Worth, Texas. Marshall and his staff are recognized as one of the leaders in the placement and recruiting profession specializing in career opportunities located in the North Texas area. Client companies and qualified candidates working with Marshall Career Service enjoy a true level of personal service not found in today’s resume driven times. To learn more about our areas of expertise please follow this link to our website. www.marshallcareerservice.com

Effectiveness Checklist

2011-12-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons New Year’s Resolutions seldom work is there is no plan put in place to assure you accomplish your goals; most of the time those resolutions are just “pie in the sky” wishes.

If you are serious about improving and have a desire to learn, grow, and be a more effective and productive leader, contact Leslie Forbes at Marshall Career Service and request a copy of the Effectiveness Checklist to be emailed directly to you.

Then simply institute this checklist and have the commitment to consistently follow-until-through on these things. It is highly recommended that you customize this list and create your personal Work Effectiveness Checklist that will improve your level of Productivity by removing those little distractions that stay in the back of your mind and allow you to be “on top of your game” while at work.

Leslie Forbes
Research Specialist
(817) 737-2645
lforbes@marshallcareerservice.com

Best Practice

2011-11-29T15:07:00.000-08:00

It is the time of year to get yourself ready for year-end review, self evaluation and an honest look at where you are currently at on your career path in relation to your stated goals.

We all know it is easy to get off-track with how busy things are day-to-day and week-to-week within our jobs. Now is the time to sit down with a pen and paper to review the highlights of last year. And I stress “highlights”.

Sit down, take a few deep breaths and clear your mind. Now, write down what you’ve Achieved, Accomplished and Contributed over the past year – whether you were recognized for it or not.

All too often we fill ourselves with things we are unhappy with. We allow ourselves to get off-track; to focus on things we don’t have - instead of things we do.

Have you considered that your boss and the others you work with are just as human as you are? And that they are just as sensitive to their own shortcomings and just as challenged to come up with their highlights for the year?

“A best practice” in career self management is to recognize and acknowledge yourself, recognize and acknowledge those who work for you, and recognize the contributions and acknowledge the people who you report to.

Never forget rule #1 of self management: “We are always doing the best we can based on what we have to work with.”

Rick Marshall
President of Marshall Career Service

November 29, 2011

Change Agent

2011-11-17T13:42:00.001-08:00

“I am personally convinced that one person can be a change catalyst, a "transformer" in any situation, any organization. Such an individual is yeast that can leaven an entire loaf. It requires vision, initiative, patience, respect, persistence, courage, and faith to be a transforming leader.”
― Stephen R. Covey

Leslie Forbes
November 17, 2011

Conditioning

2011-11-17T13:40:00.000-08:00

"From the first catch-phrases flung at a child to the last, it is like a series of shocks to freeze his motor, to undercut the power of his consciousness. 'Don't ask so many questions, children should be seen and not heard!'–'Who are you to think? It's so, because I say so!'–'Don't argue, obey!'–'Don't try to understand, believe!'–'Don't rebel, adjust!–'Don't stand out, belong!'–'Don't struggle, compromise!'–'Your heart is more important than your mind!'–'Who are you to know? Your parents know best!'–'Who are you to know? Society knows best!'–'Who are you to know? The bureaucrats know best!'–'Who are you to object? All values are relative!'–'Who are you to want to escape a thug's bullet? That's only a personal prejudice!'"
-Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, Part 3, Ch. 6

Leslie Forbes
November 17, 2011

First Things First

2011-11-10T13:27:00.000-08:00

“The first step to getting the things you want out of this life is this:
Decide what you want.”
- Ben Stein

Leslie Forbes

Act

2011-10-24T11:47:00.001-07:00

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.”
- Theodore Roosevelt

Leslie Forbes
October 24, 2011

On Your Working Life

2011-10-11T08:49:00.000-07:00

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”
- Steve Jobs
- [Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]

Leslie Forbes
October 11, 2011

Quite

2011-09-28T14:57:00.001-07:00

“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal – a commitment to excellence – that will enable you to attain the success you seek.”
- Mario Andretti

Leslie Forbes
September 28, 2011

Excellence

2011-09-13T07:31:00.001-07:00

“We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
- Aristotle
Leslie Forbes
September 13

Quote

2011-09-08T06:36:00.000-07:00

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing.
Motivation determines what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it.”
- Lou Holtz

Leslie Forbes
September 8, 2011

Quote

2011-08-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

“The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you’re willing to pay the price.”

- Vince Lombardi

Leslie Forbes August 27, 2011

Speaking Effectively the Quick and Easy Way

2011-08-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

Speak about something you have earned the right to talk about through experience or study.
* Tell us what life has taught you.
* Look for topics in your background.
Be sure you are excited about your subject.
Be eager to share your talk with your listeners.

Directly from Dale Carnegie’s The Quick And Easy Way To Effective Speaking
Leslie Forbes
August 19, 2011

5 Tips for Shaking Off a Mistake

2011-08-10T12:17:00.000-07:00

Legendary Basketball Coach John Wooden once said, "Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." The obvious point he was trying to convey is that everyone makes mistakes and fails. It is what you do after the mistake or failure that makes all the difference. Here are 5 ways to shake off your mistakes and move forward to success.

1.) Brush it off
No one is perfect. Once in awhile everyone makes mistakes, it's going to happen. Don't spend time worrying about it, cooperate with the inevitable and focus on what you are doing.

2.) Don't fuss about trifles
Forget the small stuff. If you let go of the smaller mistakes, you'll be more focused and catch the larger ones before they happen.

3.) Don't worry about the past
Shake off your mistakes and move on. Forget about what happened, no matter how silly or embarrassing. By letting go of the past it will help you focus on your current task.

4.) Profit from your mistakes
So you've made a mistake, now figure out why you made the mistake, make a note and move on. Making even a mental note will help remind you to be more careful next time the situation comes up.

5.) Rest before you get tired
Many times silly mistakes are made simply because you are tired. Make sure that you get enough sleep.

- Dale Carnegie Training, www.DaleCarnegie.com

Leslie Forbes
August 10, 2011

No More Excuses - Consistently Hit Your Goals

2011-07-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

There is a proven process when it comes to setting and attaining goals.

Be Decisive -
The difference between what one person and another person achieves depends more on goal CHOICES than on ability. The direction of your life and the level of your success is determined by the goals you choose to pursue. Each decision affects what you become.

Focus-
Our lives are filled with distractions that compete for your time and focus. Every action you take throughout your day either moves you closer or drives you further from your goal.

Write and Post Your Goals-
Be clear on WHAT goals you are trying to achieve, WHY you want to achieve them and by WHEN. Write them down. Post them where you see them every day. Create a Visualization Board.

Plan-
Formulate a plan of the steps needed to accomplish your goal. Keep track of your progress as you work toward the desired end result.

Expect Setbacks-
Setbacks test your character, courage and level of personal commitment to hitting your goals. You will become more successful when you view setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow - and a better leader when you take these setbacks as opportunities to train, develop and mentor your team.

Take Action-
Without purposeful action, the only guarantee is failure. Attaining your goals is totally dependent upon the actions you take each day.

Reward Yourself-
Recognize and reward yourself every day for the actions and decisions you’ve made to guarantee attainment of your goals. Conduct a weekly review and make any necessary adjustments to avoid missing the target. Celebrate your successes. Give yourself a pat on the back. Personal rewards are reminders of your potential to achieve any goal you choose to set.

Leslie Forbes
July 27, 2011

Win People to Your way of Thinking - Dale Carnegie

2011-07-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

PRINCIPLE 1
The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.

PRINCIPLE 2
Show respect for the other person’s opinions. Never say “You’re wrong.”

PRINCIPLE 3
If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.

PRINCIPLE 4
Begin in a friendly way.

PRINCIPLE 5
Get the other person saying “yes, yes” immediately.

PRINCIPLE 6
Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.

PRINCIPLE 7
Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.

PRINCIPLE 8
Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view.

PRINCIPLE 9
Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires.

PRINCIPLE 10
Appeal to the nobler motives.

PRINCIPLE 11
Dramatize your ideas.

PRINCIPLE 12
Throw down a challenge.

- Dale Carnegie’s Lifetime Plan for Success

Leslie Forbes
July 19, 2011

Agreements – a Conscious Pointing of Intention

2011-07-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

“Your life works exactly to the degree that you keep your agreements. An agreement has integrity because you made it, and for no other reason.”
- Winning Through Enlightenment by Ron Smothermon, M.D.

Leslie Forbes
July 12, 2011

Need to Succeed

2011-06-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

3 simple principles needed for success:

1. Accountability (on a daily basis)
2. Clarity of Goals
3. Deadline

Leslie Forbes
June 25, 2011

Thought Provoking Quotes From The Four Agreements

2011-06-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

Here are a few quotes from a great little book The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.

“The First Agreement: Be Impeccable with Your Word”
“The Second Agreement: Don’t Take Anything Personally”
“The Third Agreement: Don’t Make Assumptions”
“The Fourth Agreement: Always Do Your Best” – Don Miguel Ruiz from The Four Agreements

“The first agreement is the most important one and also the most difficult one to honor. It is so important that with just this first agreement you will be able to transcend to the level of existence I call heaven on earth. The first agreement is to be impeccable with your word. It sounds very simple, but it is very, very powerful.” – Don Miguel Ruiz from The Four Agreements

“Under any circumstance, always do your best, no more and no less. But keep in mind that your best is never going to be the same from one moment to the next. Everything is alive and changing all the time, so your best will sometimes be high quality, and other times it will not be as good.” – Don Miguel Ruiz from The Four Agreements

“Who stops us from being free? We blame the government, we blame the weather, we blame our parents, we blame religion, we blame God. Who really stops us from being free? We stop ourselves.” – Don Miguel Ruiz from The Four Agreements

“Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive—the risk to be alive and express what we really are.” – Don Miguel Ruiz from The Four Agreements

Leslie Forbes
June 15, 2011

How to Become an “A” Player

2011-05-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

In every company there are employees who are more valuable to the success of the business than others. I’m sure most of you have heard the 80/20 rule that 20% of the people will produce 80% of the output. I believe this to be true based on the countless conversations I have had with employers and the thousands of interviews I have conducted with candidates. For the purposes of this discussion we will be looking at the traits of an even smaller number of employees – The “A” Players or those in the top 10%. These are the employees who are the most important to the team. They are compensated the highest for their position, and they are given the largest amount of responsibilities.

The book “Topgrading” by Bradford Smart, PhD. divides employees into 3 different groups – A, B, and C players. “A” players are the Top 10 percentile, “B” players are the 65th-89th percentile, and “C” players are below the 65th percentile. Dr. Smart conducted thousands of hours of research into hiring and developed these categories of people in each profession. Most notably, his firm was hired to shape the hiring strategy for GE by then-CEO Jack Welch. At Marshall Career Service we evaluate candidates based on the traits of each of these groups to determine the level of individual we are dealing with. Below are the traits of each group as noted by Dr. Smart:

• “A” Players: “Facilitates the creation and communication of a compelling and strategically sound vision; High IQ, a “quick study” able too rapidly perform complex analysis; Initiates needed change; highly adaptive and able to “sell” the organization on change; Passionate, extremely high-energy level, fast paced, 55+ hour work week; Impressive ability to find ways over, under, around, and through barriers, invents new paradigms. Paradigm is defined as a pattern, example or model. New themes, standards, examples; Extremely sensitive and adaptive to both stated and unstated customer needs; Hires “A” players and employees with “A” potential, has the “edge” to make the tough calls and remove chronic “C” players; Successfully counsels, mentors and teaches each team member to turbo-boost performance and personal career growth; Ironclad integrity; Excellent oral and written skills.”

• “B” Players: “Vision lacks credibility, is somewhat unrealistic or strategically flawed; Smart, but not as insightful as an “A” player; Favors modes, incremental change, so there is lukewarm followership; Motivated, energetic at times, 50-54 hour work weeks; Open-minded and will occasionally find a new solution; Knows that “Customer is King” but does not act on it as often as “A” player; Hires mostly “B” and an occasional costly “C” player, accepts less than top performance; Performs annual performance reviews and some additional feedback, is “spotty,” inconsistent in coaching; May want teamwork but does not make it happen; Meets key constituency expectations; Generally honest; Average oral and written skills.”

• “C” Players: “Embraces tradition over forward thinking; Has difficulty coping with new, complex situations; Prefers the status quo, lacks credibility so people are hesitant to follow; Dedicated, inconsistent pace, 40-49 hour work week; Requires specific direction; Too inwardly focused, misjudge the inelasticity of demand of the firm’s products and services; Hires mostly “C” players, crises occur due to low talent level, tolerates mediocrity; Inaccessible, hypercritical, stingy with praise and late/shallow with feedback, avoids career discussions; Drains energy from others, actions prevent synergy; Sporadically meets expectations; Bends the rules; Mediocre skills.”

When looking at the traits of these groups, you will notice that none of them will be found on a resume. They are purely attitude driven. None of these say anything about the most years of experience, a certain type of College Degree, etc. The way an individual goes about his or her business will place them into one of these categories. In every facet of business we have A, B and C players. There are “A” player file clerks, “C” player Vice Presidents, and so on. It is an absolute fact that we as employees can choose to make ourselves better employees or worse employees. Notice I used the word “choose.” If I “choose” to complain, push away change, do the bare minimum to keep my job – I’ve decided to be a “C” player. I could just as easily make a choice to do the opposite. Think about your work environment. Who are the people that embody these characteristics? What group do you belong to? Be honest with yourself.

For those of you who have an interest in being an “A” player in the Top 10% of employees here are some action items that will get you on your way:

• Set personal goals and commit to accomplishing them. Make sure they are aligned with the organization’s goals. Create a plan for hitting these goals and deadlines. Communicate the goals to your boss, peers and subordinates. This immediately creates personal accountability and sets you apart from the rest of the crowd. Goals always bring opportunities and obstacles. Embrace the obstacles and keep moving.

• Focus on task completion rather than clock punching. The “A” player is described as working 55+ hours per week, but to them it’s not about hours – it’s about what they achieved that day. For the “A” player working harder is working smarter. Since they are counted on to produce a much larger output of work than 90% of the others in the organization it is logical that this wouldn’t be done in a 40-hr work week.

• See compensation being equal to the level of service provided. People pay for quality. I don’t believe that people really are “over-paid” or “under-paid.” We all set a value for ourselves based on the quality of job we do. Customers are internal and external. Work to provide the highest level of service to all of them.

• Stay “neutral” emotionally. “A” players don’t get their feelings hurt when people are direct with them. They also don’t complain or make excuses about why something can’t get done. There is a job to be done, a customer expecting a product, and a company needing to make a profit. It’s that simple.

• Surround yourself with good people. This is true whether you are hiring someone or looking for whom to go to lunch with. We all seek out like minded people. If you associate yourself with the “water-cooler” crowd, that makes you a part of the crowd. People who can’t get the job done don’t want to hang around with people that can, and the opposite is also true. Seek out the people who are the best that the organization has to offer.

These are just a few things to improve your standing within your organization. In the end, committing to be an “A” player is a major commitment. For many, it’s a complete 180 from what they’re doing today. Compensation, promotions, and recognition are some of the rewards that await. However, a much increased level of responsibility awaits as well. It’s your choice.

By Tony Morris, CPC

Something to Think About

2011-05-02T14:27:00.000-07:00

“The world we have made as a result of the level of thinking we have done thus far creates problems we cannot solve at the same level we created them.”

-Albert Einstein

Are Your Goals Challenging Enough?

2011-04-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

Edwin Locke and Gary Latham, psychology professors and pioneers of goal-setting theory, produced conclusive validation that “people who set or are given difficult goals achieve much greater performance levels than do people who set or are given weaker goals that send a message of ‘Just do your best’.”

Why - Because difficult goals demand our attention and engage the brain.

The challenge is in finding your personal “sweet spot” of difficulty when setting goals. You don’t want your goals to create fear and be too difficult – you will give up and not succeed in achieving them. However, you also don’t want the goals to be too easy – you will to feel so unchallenged & unmotivated that you stop trying, learning and growing.

Here’s a quick way to test whether your goals are challenging enough to inspire optimal performance. Write down a goal and determine whether the following three statements apply:

• I’m really going to have to learn new skills before I’ll be able to accomplish this goal.
• My goal is pushing me outside my comfort zone; I’m not frozen with terror, but I’m definitely on “pins and needles” and wide-awake for this goal.
• When I think about the biggest and most significant accomplishments throughout my life, this current goal is as difficult as those were.

Leslie Forbes
April 26, 2011

TOP 100 LIST

2011-04-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

My organized list of 100 things that I am willing* to be, do, have in my life:

* will, n. [ ME. wille; AS. willa, will.]
1. the act or process of volition; specifically, (a) wish; desire; longing; (b) inclination; disposition; pleasure; (c) [Obs] appetitie; lust.
2. something wished by a person, especially by one with power or authority; specifically, buy one with power or authority; specifically (a) a request; as, it is his will that you appear; (b) a command; decree; as, His will be done.
3. strong purpose, intention, or determination; as, where there’s a will there’s a way.
4. energy or enthusiasm; as, he works with a will.
5. the power of self-direction or self-control; as, he has no strong will.
6. the power of conscious an deliberate action or choice; as, freedom of the will.

The Process:

• 45 minutes of uninterrupted time
• Write down what comes to mind (considerations later)
• Move Quickly
• Stop at 100

What to do next

• Review your list daily
• As you accomplish something on your list REPLACE it immediately with another be, do, or have

In the first thirty days you will notice two very significant insights if you review your list daily. The first insight will be the number of things on your list that have been accomplished. Secondly, and most amazingly, will be the level of effortlessness that it took to accomplish these goals. Ease, effortlessness, and results are the key motivator to long-term success.

Leslie Forbes
April 14, 2011

How to Stand Out as a Candidate

2011-04-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

Recently we tabulated the total number of candidate interviews I have conducted in my twenty year career at Marshall Career Service. The total was 20,642; face to face in my office interviews. You can imagine I have seen just about everything! Interestingly, the number of A, B, and C players I have evaluated are pretty darn close to the percentages you read about. The top 10% or the “A Players” have very distinct habits, mannerisms and attitudes that allow them to clearly stand out from the crowd. Follow along as I share with you a few “A Player” qualities that if you habituate, can make a dramatic difference in your first impression.

First Responders
Back in the old days when we ran newspaper ads, the calls we got at 8:01 am on Monday morning were always the better candidates, serious about going to work, and we knew we needed to get them in right away. Conversely, the calls we received late on Friday afternoon were rarely worth taking. The early bird gets the worm applies. Even now, when we post a position on the internet, the responses that come in right away are really the best.

Follow Instructions Impeccably
Whether it is filling out a data sheet, application or completing our online registration process the candidate is complete and thorough. Years of checking employer references also indicate this attention to detail is normal and standard for “A Player”. Is attention to detail a skill or an attitude?

Consistently on Time and Well Dressed
The on time part would seem a given, however I’ve noticed our best candidates are consistently 10-15 minutes early. It also gets noticed when the candidate is dressed well consistently without being told they need to do so. First impressions do matter.

Organized and Prepared
Those who have already gone to the effort to have and bring written career goals will always be a step ahead. It then becomes easy to understand where this candidate would fit and how to place them.

Amazingly Positive Attitudes
These candidates are “can do”! They are highly cooperative, responsive and have a do what it takes approach to success. You can see this in their pace, energy level and body language. There is a general graciousness to the way they conduct themselves in our office; how they treat the receptionist, how rapidly they respond to requests for information and complete assigned tasks. We want to help them land a great position.

They Can Explain Their Skills
Having the expected skills for a key position is requisite to consideration. Shockingly the majority of candidates truly struggle with being able to explain what they are able to do. The “A Players” have thought this through and are well prepared with relevant examples of their skills and accomplishments. Being able to articulate the things you are good at is essential to being a candidate who can get hired.

Speak to Their Accomplishments
What they have done that truly made a difference for their current and previous employers. Almost anyone can describe their duties and responsibilities. Those candidates can articulate the things they have done that make them stand out; how they made their employer money, improved a process, captured an opportunity or turned an operation around. Accomplishments are how to get the employers attention.

I look forward to the opportunity to help move you along in your career. Keep your eye on our website as we provide regular updates of exciting opportunities we are working on. You are welcome to give me a call or to register as a candidate on our website. My team mates and I work with many of DFW’s top employers and candidates.

Steve Francisco, CPC

Beginning his 21st year with Marshall Career Service, Steve is the group leader of our manufacturing and operations practice. He is recognized in the placement and recruiting profession as one of the industry top producers. Steve is a Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC), is active in his church and community and enjoys singing, dancing and the occasional round of golf.

How to Guarantee You Won’t Be Hired

2011-01-26T14:57:00.000-08:00

Arrive late.

Don’t remember the name of the person who you are going to interview with.

Inappropriately groomed and/or dressed.

Be rude to the receptionist – treat him/her like an insignificant person.

Flirt with the interviewer and/or the receptionist.

Poor body language – lack of eye contact and/or a fishy handshake.

Don’t smile.

Not prepared - don’t know anything about the company and/or position you are interviewing for.

Not in the moment - always thinking of what you are going to say next - don’t listen to or answer what the interviewer actually asks.

Bad mouthing - spend the majority of your time talking about what you hated about your last position/boss/company.

Talk too much.

Be meek and mild – answer everything with a “yes” or “no”.

Ask about vacations, number of sick days and paid time off instead of asking about the job responsibilities and explaining how you fit into the role.

Falsify your resume - pretend you have a degree, when you don’t.

Don’t follow directions and/or bring the requested paperwork.

Be selective in the information you provide on the company’s application/registration.

At the end of the interview, don’t have any questions to ask the employer – just say “No, you’ve covered it.”

Uncover Your Strengths

2010-12-08T08:40:00.000-08:00

"Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?"
-- Benjamin Franklin

“Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?
Chances are, you don't. All too often, our natural talents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths.” -- Gallup, Inc.

A great way to uncover your top five talents, and to develop strategies to more effectively manage and work with others in your organization is to utilize "StrengthsFinder 2.0" as well as "Strengths Based Leadership" by Tom Rath.

“To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, "StrengthsFinder", in the 2001 management book "Now, Discover Your Strengths". The book spent more than five years on the bestseller lists and ignited a global conversation, while "StrengthsFinder" helped millions to discover their top five talents.

In "StrengthsFinder 2.0" Gallup unveiled the new and improved version of its popular assessment, language of 34 themes, and much more. While you can read this book in one sitting, you'll use it as a reference for decades.

Loaded with hundreds of strategies for applying your strengths, this Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and USA Today bestseller will change the way you look at yourself -- and the world around you -- forever.” -- Gallup, Inc.

www.strengthsfinder.com

Successful Project Management

2010-09-28T15:17:00.001-07:00

There’s a lot to be learned from how top performers manage their projects. When “A players” plan out their day, they are committed to achieving all their goals and meeting expectations. For “C players” or poor performers, hope is running the ship–nothing is committed to paper; it’s all kept in their heads.

The difference is that “A players” can quickly visualize what a completed project looks like. Planning then becomes disassembling a project into pieces or steps and committing to completing X number of those steps in Y number of days. “C players” will count on hope to deliver results. Without a clear plan, they end up with zero items on their daily list, which means they will often take care of zero of their responsibilities.

If you are striving to become an “A player” learning to work faster and smarter is key. Ask your manager to help determine the project’s timetable for the week; outlining the key elements and assigning due dates/times. Every day, determine which pieces of the project are most important to accomplish and get them done so you don’t get behind. By following this simple process, you will finish your project on time. Ultimately, you will begin developing your own plan of attack and boost productivity in your department.

Needing Feedback?

2010-09-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

Are you a top performer who is feeling ignored, neglected or taken for granted in your company?

Most likely, your manager is too busy dealing with the problems in the department, instead of recognizing you. He or she may really depend and rely on you; they just aren’t recognizing how valuable you are to their team

Take the initiative and ask for a few minutes from your superior.

The key is to begin positive. Show appreciation for the opportunity to shine and excel in the department. Remind him/her of your recent contributions and successes.

Then, discuss how to reach the next level by distinguishing areas for improvement. Be sure to focus on the future rather than dwell on the past, and emphasize how making improvements and taking on more responsibility will help you reach your career goals.

How Bright Is Your Future?

2010-08-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

Remember those New Years Resolutions you wrote at the end of the year? How much of your “To Do List” have you accomplished?

Are you where you want to be? Does your future with your current employer look bright? Or, are you thinking about a more fulfilling position?

When is the last time you updated your profile and skill set with Marshall Career Service? Is your resume current?

You never know when a better opportunity may come along!

Are You Really an “A Player”?

2010-07-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

Which Advertisement Best Represents You and Your Career Path? Be Honest…

HELP WANTED:
Mid-level manager who embraces tradition over innovation, has difficulty coping with new, complex situations, prefers the status quo, lacks credibility with employees, requires specific direction, hires weak people, is inaccessible, is hypercritical of others, sporadically meets expectations, bends the rules and is willing to give only minimal commitment to the job.

Crazy… you say? You would NEVER think of yourself as a “C Player” employee with mediocre ability, or would you?

---VERSUS---

HELP WANTED:
Facilitates a compelling and strategically sound vision, is a quick study, performs complex analysis, initiates needed change, is highly adaptable, motivates and “sells” needed change, is passionate, has extremely high energy, possesses an impressive ability to find ways over, under, around and through barriers, has “Ironclad integrity”, is extremely sensitive and adaptive to customer needs, maintains commitment to upgrading employee skill level and has excellent oral, written and presentation skills.

Can You Fail a Personality Test?

2010-07-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

The answer is yes… but then again, no. You see, in our 28 years of being in business in Dallas-Fort Worth, we have seen countless instances of candidates passing or failing personality and aptitude tests. How is this possible? Well, as HR managers strive to find the “right fit” for their company, they unfortunately often rely on inexpensive tools to offset their insufficient interview skills.

With results in hand, they look over the candidate’s scores, gaining a scantily limited look into his or her strengths and weaknesses, and decide if the potential new employee passes or fails. So, yes, it is possible to fail a personality test. But then again, is a personality test really meant to make that distinct of a judgment? No, it’s a “get what you pay for” proposition.

The fact is, even sophisticated assessment tools are at the mercy of the person receiving the results. One firm that has used personality testing successfully in their consulting practice for the past 34 years is the Rose Porterfield Group. Robyn Porterfield, PhD, and Bob Rose, PhD, caution that behavioral-level analysis requires assistance from experts who have studied your firm’s culture.

“The person who enjoys working with others in a group can be painfully shy one-on-one,” according to Robyn and Bob of the Rose Porterfield Group. “There can be two people with the same personality type, one of whom loves public speaking and the other who finds it impossibly frightening.”

Companies will come closer to meeting their goals of adding qualified productive people if they spend their money initially to hire someone to teach and train interviewing skills to their managers, including HR. Personality testing is not an alternative to or a better tool than an in-depth, well-prepared interview. And no, you can’t fail a personality test.

Interruptions

2010-06-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

The average person gets one interruption every eight minutes. The average interruption takes five minutes, totaling about four hours. Of those interruptions, 80% are typically rated as “little value,” creating approximately 3 hours of wasted time per day.

The Player Paradox

2010-04-02T06:11:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, there are some things "C players" are better at than "A players." Take, for example, job hunting. "A players" are remarkably inept at it. They go through an average of 1 or 2 interviews per hire, giving them little practice. "C players," however, can go through 20-30 interviews per hire, giving them plenty of opportunities to perfect their skills.
What’s worse, the majority of the job market is saturated with "C players." A small percentage of job seekers are true "A players." Most are successfully employed and retained through thick and thin. Companies would much rather pinch pennies elsewhere than lose their top performers.
The few "A players" who are in the market almost exclusively conduct job searches through a trusted network of advisors. Their next job is often months in the works before it’s ever announced, which is exactly what makes Marshall Career Service so valuable to our clients. We are constantly conducting interviews and know many happily employed "A players" who will make a move if it’s the right one and advances their career. It’s not unusual for us to form a relationship 2-3 years before the right career move comes along.

HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF INDISPENSABLE IN ANY ECONOMY

2009-03-31T09:24:00.000-07:00

We are in a competitive market. It always has been. It becomes profoundly so in tough economic times. With layoffs in vogue, it is wise to consider your role in the company, the importance it has to the company’s ability to be profitable, and the likelihood of being retained when your company determines who they must keep, and who will go. The real indispensable people are those who consistently deliver win/win solutions for their customers and profits for their businesses. So how do we make ourselves indispensable?

First of all, it would make sense to be the one making the decision about who stays and who goes wouldn’t it? Rarely does the person responsible for that decision choose to part with themselves. Naturally we all answer to someone, whether boss, customer or shareholder, and must perform to be rewarded and retained. Positioning oneself where your personal contribution to the company’s financial health is overwhelming is essential to indispensability.

The definition of indispensable is “not to be dispensed with; essential, necessary”. Just as there are foods indispensable to good nutrition; funds essential to completing a project; necessary tools and materials; there are people that a company cannot do without. This implies that they are counted and relied upon. Relied on for what? Results that produce profits.

The Pareto principle applies here. Known as the 80/20 rule, in this instance, we find that 80% of the work is actually done by 20% of the people—often closer to 10%. Now, all of the people are “busy” and working on the duties and responsibilities assigned to them, but in terms of the results that truly matter for the company, a minority of employees in the firm will create those results which produce profits through their own accomplishment. We want to make sure we are in this minority.

To do so, it is important to have a relationship in place with your boss where you know what she expects of you and what you are doing to meet these expectations; making sure you are meeting with your boss frequently enough to insure neither of you have surprises down the line. The importance of this cannot be overlooked; you initiate.

It is also important to be able to outline your accomplishments, to know what you have done that impacts profits in a measurable and positive way. It’s an interesting thing, after seeing many thousands of resumes, that most staff level people, up to the lower side of mid-management have resumes that focus on their duties. While people from the higher side of mid-management up to executive level have resumes that focus almost exclusively on accomplishments. Adding value in specific measurable accomplishments and being able to communicate these effectively, will do more to make you indispensable than simply getting done the list of duties you have been asked to do.

By the way, it is your responsibility to make yourself indispensable. This cannot be done by others. Indispensable people will always spend their time working from cause where those “struggling” spend their life in effect. True indispensability transcends employment with one company. You should position yourself within your industry as a “go to” specialist, with earned credibility and respect. You make yourself known through your accomplishments. You get yourself involved.

Finally, an attitude of continuous personal and professional development is vital to becoming indispensable. Those who do the most at work are often those who are doing the most away from work to improve their performance at work. Top Producers in business and any endeavor are constantly working to improve their knowledge and skills and thus their performance.

So how do I make myself indispensable in this market?

Position yourself where your personal contribution to the company’s financial health is overwhelming.
Communicate with your boss; outline your objectives clearly.
Know what it is that you do that produces profits and then produce.
Be able to outline and communicate your accomplishments.
Take personal responsibility for your career success—cause vs. effect.
Attitude of a lifelong learner—commitment to continuous personal and professional development.

“Keep interested in your own career, however humble, for it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.” --Max Ehrmann, Desiderata

Steve Francisco is a senior consultant with Marshall Career Service, joining our company in 1990. Steve is consistently one of the top producers in our profession; specializing in operations management positions for our client companies. Steve would welcome the opportunity to assist you in your career.

Steve Francisco, CPC can be reached at:
Marshall Career Service, Inc.
6500 West Freeway, Suite 200
Fort Worth, TX 76116
(817) 737-2645
sfrancisco@marshallcareerservice.com

http://www.hireopportunities.com/ is a career resource written by Rick Marshall, president of Marshall Career Service, Inc. located in Fort Worth, Texas. Marshall and his staff are recognized as one of the leaders in the placement and recruiting profession specializing in career opportunities located in the North Texas area. Client companies and qualified candidates working with Marshall Career Service enjoy a true level of personal service not found in today’s resume driven times. To learn more about our areas of expertise please follow this link to our website. http://www.marshallcareerservice.com/

Creating Compelling Career Goals- Part 2

2009-03-06T09:23:00.000-08:00

You have often heard that timing is everything; well, I can’t think of a better time to get yourself tuned into a solid plan for your career. As I have shared with you in the past, a surprising number of seemingly well educated, experienced professionals allow themselves to go through long periods of time without the benefit of clear and compelling career goals. What effect do you think the current “bad economy drumbeat” is having on people in the workforce? Do you think there will be more people taking action like you are to get a solid plan pulled together, or do you think more will take a “wait and see” approach to their career? My work experience at Marshall Career Service tells me that in times of concern and worry, many people do exactly the opposite of what logic and common sense would tell them to do. Taking a “wait and see” approach is clearly not a good idea when employers get concerned about the economy and their workforce. Who do you think is most likely to stay in good graces at work; those who are well planned and goal oriented or the employee waiting to see what “might” happen?

Each of us has areas of responsibility for which we are paid to successfully complete. These responsibilities also support directly the responsibilities of those we report to and those reporting to us. An analogy of what you want to do in Part 2 of “Creating Compelling Career Goals” is to completely understand where you are now in order to best determine where it is you want to go in the future. Now is the time to breakdown in detail on paper all of the responsibilities making up your job. It becomes habit to lump multiple responsibilities into broad categories such as “production forecasting and budgeting”. The truth is that this one “responsibility” actually has numerous other essential “responsibilities” that must first be completed successfully. Think of this task as doing inventory; you want to look at everything you do down to the individual part or component level. What are the individual steps you take to accomplish each of your responsibilities? Build a detailed look at every aspect of your job.

As you to look at these responsibilities you can more clearly see what you are best at and what areas need some work. Continuing with the example of production forecasting and budgeting; you may see that you are really skilled at accurately predicting changes in raw material costs on the overall budget. What are the “sub skills” that you must also exercise successfully in order to consistently make solid predictions? Pretty good chance you are skilled in sitting down with the purchasing department and gaining their buy in and cooperation. Does this mean you are a good listener? Does it show skill in communicating needs and expectations? Are you beginning to see your skill in asking questioning to get to the heart of the matter? Does it demonstrate a clear ability to make and keep agreements? I know you can think of your own examples of sub skills you take for granted yet are a critical component to your overall success. You want to look at the details making up the broad tasks of each of your responsibilities. This is how to best understand your areas of responsibility.

Much of our success at Marshall Career Service can be attributed to our approach to understanding the depth of the position we are being hired to fill for our client. Our consultants are well skilled at building the level of trust and rapport needed to help our customers think of their needs at the “component level”. Continuing with our previous example; who would we recommend for hire if our client asks us to fill the position responsible for production forecasting and budgeting? Is this a job for a “numbers guy”, a crusty old manufacturing type or an agile rapport builder clear of purpose? It is a guessing game at best until our staff spends time exercising our skills with our clients. What I am telling you is that companies know what they are looking for, but have no idea what that looks like. Make sense?

Now let’s put this exercise back in the context of creating career goals. Within the company you currently work for, or for that matter any company you will ever work with, there are numerous sets of unique “sub skills” needed to succeed. Whether your company has 150 people or 15000 worldwide, the products you sell, the inherent nature of the business, the attitudes and belief systems of your leaders along with the background, experience and thought processes of each and every person shape the “sub skills” you utilize to get things done. No two companies and no two positions within them function the same way. Every position within every company is unique to that company. This is what makes successful hiring or conducting a successful job search so dog gone difficult. All of you accountants carry the same titles and job descriptions, yet none of you utilize the same set of “sub skills” to get your job done. If you will make the investment of time in yourself to “inventory” each of your responsibilities you will be taking an enormous step forward in positioning yourself for long term career success.

Remember “timing is everything”? Think within your current company; how many of your co-workers do you think will actually exercise the self discipline needed to accomplish this task? Who do you think will be best prepared for the upcoming evaluation or review? Who will be most likely to sell themselves in the next interview? And finally, who do you think will feel a huge shot of enthusiasm and self confidence that comes from inventorying your skills and successes? I will also just bet that your family and friends will also appreciate your “well timed” lighter attitude and smile on your face.

In a few weeks I will update this site with Part 3 of “Creating Compelling Career Goals”. In the meantime, do your homework, lighten up and focus just a little more clearly everyday on what you want and where you want your life to take you. You have a much better grip on the steering wheel than what you might think!

www.HireOpportunities.com is a career resource written by Rick Marshall, president of Marshall Career Service, Inc. located in Fort Worth, Texas. Marshall and his staff are recognized as one of the leaders in the placement and recruiting profession specializing in career opportunities located in the North Texas area. Client companies and qualified candidates working with Marshall Career Service enjoy a true level of personal service not found in today’s resume driven times. To learn more about our areas of expertise please follow this link to our website. www.marshallcareerservice

IT CAN'T BE THIS EASY...ISN'T WORK SUPPOSED TO BE HARD?

2008-12-18T15:01:00.000-08:00

Let’s continue with our discussion of the benefits of having written career goals. Thank you for the great feedback from our first edition of http://www.hireopportunities.com/. As promised I will begin to share with you 3 easy, fun and yet very powerful tools for building your set of compelling goals to help direct your career.

Regardless of your current age, work experience or gender as long as you have been alive you have been dreaming of the future. Dreaming while awake is such a normal and automatic function of human life we have often long ago forgotten its tremendous value. Getting started with step 1 of writing career goals will require you to intentionally put the day dreaming skill to work. This is not work! Please don’t turn it into something hard and difficult; this is easy and natural. Just follow the instructions and as they say, “take what you get”. No forcing….just allow it to happen.

Let’s put a name on this exercise; how about we call it “My Top 100 List”? Here is what you will need to get started. A legal pad or notebook, a blue or black ink pen and most importantly 45 minutes of uninterrupted time alone to day dream and write down what you see. The three categories you will contemplate are “The 100 things I am willing to BE, DO or HAVE”. Give yourself 45 minutes of uninterrupted time to write down everything that comes to mind. Your mission is to make a list NOT a “perfect list”. You owe it to yourself to find out all of the things that you have wanted to be, do or have and have yet to action on. Have fun with it BUT you must come away with a Top 100 list!

Do nothing with your completed list for 2 days. You will surprise yourself when you then review your list; many people will have already accomplished 6-10 entries without any awareness of effort to do so. Pretty interesting exercise! Your new mission is to update your list back to 100 and to recognize the ease of these accomplishments. Going forward you will want to review and update your Top 100 list every other day for the first month. If you have an insight to see it, you are actually “exercising” the very muscle you will need in order to write and reach compelling career goals. The Top 100 list is a great tool to for your career tool box. Enjoy “day dreaming” your way to Step 1 of successful career goal setting.

Over the last 15 years I have shared this exercise with thousands of people in workshops and seminars I have conducted around the country. I have received hundreds of thank you notes and emails. If you have anything to share you are welcome to post a comment on our website http://www.marshallcareerservice.com/. You may just inspire someone else to invest 45 minutes in their own best future.

If you enjoy what we have to offer, I would appreciate you taking a minute to point your friends and co-workers to this blog. Our goal is to provide practical career advice that is easy to put into action. In a few weeks I will continue with Steps 2 and 3 of “Creating Compelling Career Goals”.

http://www.hireopportunities.com/ is a career resource written by Rick Marshall, President of Marshall Career Service, Inc. located in Fort Worth, Texas. Marshall and his staff are recognized as one of the leaders in the placement and recruiting profession specializing in career opportunities located in the North Texas area. Client companies and qualified candidates working with Marshall Career Service enjoy a true level of personal service not found in today’s resume driven times. To learn more about our areas of expertise please follow this link to our website. http://www.marshallcareerservice.com/

The Importance of Written Career Goals

2008-10-30T15:56:00.000-07:00

Written career goals are hugely important tools for preparing for a successful job search campaign. Well thought out written goals provide unwavering direction and create a natural “organizing” factor to your search efforts. By committing to a journey or career path you will find yourself advancing faster and your accomplishments steadier than “the competition”.
Ask yourself if the time and effort involved in preparing written goals really matters. Check this out: Our consulting staff estimates that approximately 90% of “A” players come to their initial interview in our office with written goals, without any prompting on our part. At the other end of the scale we have found in the bottom 40% of talent we assess, or the “C” players, fewer than 10% will have any goals committed to paper. Any surprise the most frequent “reasons” offered by the “C’s” is they want to “remain open” and “not limit my search”?
This reveals a very important question to the second tier of candidates making up the 50% group of “B” players; could the “difference maker” of a successful career be something as small as written goals instead of undefined hopes? Educational background and results of “B’s” are often very consistent with the Top 10% or “A” players; many times we have actually found GPA to be indistinguishable between these 2 groups. Years of work experience on the job has also proven to be an ineffective tool for measuring success. Size of company worked in is also a poor area to measure success. Many of the “A” players we represent honed their skills in smaller, more challenging environments than their big company peers. Fewer than 20% of evaluated “B” candidates were able to produce written career goals on their first meeting with our consultants. Take note of this groups most frequent “reasons” for not keeping written goals; “my goals are whatever the company needs me to do” leads with “wanting to remain open” as the second most frequent. What a classic example of sitting on the fence ready to fall either way.
Let’s review the math and you decide: “A” players in any given discipline make up 10% the talent pool and 90% keep updated, written career goals. The “B” player category represents 50% of the talent and less than 20% can produce written career goals. At the bottom of the talent pool the “C” players, representing a full 40% of total employees, we find fewer than 10% utilizing this powerful tool.
Coincidence or could written goals actually be a powerful tool for career success? What is the real cost of not “having enough time” to organize a written career plan for your future?

In future issues we will look at a simple 1-2-3 for creating compelling career goals.

www.HireOpportunities.com is a career resource written by Rick Marshall, president of Marshall Career Service, Inc. located in Fort Worth, Texas. Marshall and his staff are recognized as one of the leaders in the placement and recruiting profession specializing in career opportunities located in the North Texas area. Client companies and qualified candidates working with Marshall Career Service enjoy a true level of personal service not found in today’s resume driven times. To learn more about our areas of expertise please follow this link to our website. www.marshallcareerservice.com