• Junior Recruiter - Full Time Job - Buffalo Wild Wings

• Recruiting Coordinator - Full Time Job - UnitedHealth Group

• Staffing Specialist - Part Time Job - Allina Hospitals & Clinics

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“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.” - Peter F. Drucker

Books, movies, TV shows and a computer game, the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" has many forms.

Not to disappoint, but my guide is not so bold or interesting. Unless, of course, you are looking for a job and don't have a clue (meant in only the nicest way).

Even for those who have looked for jobs in the recent past, job search can seem daunting at best and lifestyle threatening at worst. Overwhelming as it may seem, your approach will be most influenced by the driver (do you have a job and are looking to make a change or are you already unemployed).

First and foremost, you are not alone. But most importantly, a structured approach to your search will provide the best chance for finding your new job more quickly.

The basics have not changed. You will need:

A Job Search Plan: Simple as it may sound, sitting down and writing your plan can be time consuming. It does not have to (and should not) be "War and Peace", but it should be comprehensive and well thought out.

• Job search planning – steps, tips and tricks

A Job Search Marketing Toolkit: Your job search marketing toolkit includes: your resume, Cover letters, References, Thank you letters, Target market, Elevator speech, Network and Your experience.

• Job Search Marketing Toolkit
• Modern Tools for Modern Job Search

• Quintcareers.com has a free follow-up log – Sample Job Lead Follow-up Log and their article “Follow Up All Job Leads: Don’t Wait by the Phone (or Computer)” is definitely worth a read.
• The University of North Dakota’s Career Site has an article and tracking tool – Job Search Tracking as well.
• Tracking your search - CareerAlley Website Tracking Tool.

Good luck in your search.

Author: CareerAlley

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

 
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• Senior IT Helpdesk Specialist - Full Time Job - Greater Twin Cities United Way

• Information Services Manager - Full Time Job - Metropolitan Center for Independent Living

• Web Developer - Full Time Job - St Thomas University

• Unix Systems Administrator - Full Time Job - Hamline University

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All I can do is remind them of what I said March of 2010 when the IT jobs market came off the bottom... I told you so. I told them this was coming and very few planned for it.

No, I am not complaining... this is good for me.

No links today but a few short topics:

Code42 receives funding

Great news broke in the Minnesota IT community the past 14 hours that Code 42 (creator of CrashPlan) has received $52.5M in venture funding from Accel Partners and Split Rock Partners.

I have been a huge fan of the company and their CEO Matthew Dornquast who has been firm in his commitment to build his company and stay in Minneapolis. More than that they are a huge supporter of the local tech community.

I am looking forward to seeing them tonight at MinneDemo.

Here are some links for more Code 42 info:

• Web site: Code 42

• Twitter: @code42

• Twitter: @CrashPlan

• Twitter: @dornquast

• Jobs:

  Code 42 Careers

Articles covering the funding announcement:

• Code 42 Software Closes $52.5 Million in First Round of Funding Led By Accel Partners (CrashPlan Blog)

• Minneapolis software firm gets $52.5M in venture capital (Mpls StarTribune)

• Minneapolis software company scores $52 million in venture funding (St Paul Pioneer Press)

• Accel Leads $52.5M Round In Cloud-Based Data Storage And Backup Company Code 42 (TechCrunch)

SOPA

For the few of you who are wondering what this hoopla is about today and why some web sites “have gone black” for the day here are a few reasonable explanations without the hype:

• End Piracy, Not Liberty (Google)

• Don't Break the Internet (Stanford Law Review)

• Web Piracy: What's at Stake? (CNBC)

I think we all can agree that this piracy thing needs to be fixed but this legislation is one big pile of (Bleep).

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So far it seems just a few hospitals are doing this.

Their reasons range from wanting to cut healthcare costs to promoting a healthier lifestyle.

Critics ask about a slippery slope like beer drinkers and those who eat meat.

I don’t know what to think about this. On the one hand I get the cost of covering employees healthcare and on the other it seems like we are getting into their behavior.

Is this business doing their best to handle out of control costs or an intrusion into (potential) employees lives?

A few articles and video:

At More U.S. Workplaces, Smokers Need Not Apply (Newsday)

Hospital: Smokers need not apply (CNN)

Inquirer Editorial: Smokers should quit, but they also need to work (Philadelphia Enquirer)

And from a few months ago a video on FOX News about the Baylor Health Care System

 
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At the six-figure level, you’ve probably used some level of marketing to sell aspects of your business to clients—or even sell a prospective employee on why they should join a company.  But have you thought about using these same marketing techniques to sell yourself as an executive candidate?  If you haven’t, now’s the time to consider some tips on ways to get this done.

Create an Amazing Who-What-Why Job Target

As you likely know, the first piece of information that any hiring manager will see when reading your resume is the headline/job target.  This is your chance to create an amazing one-sentence summary that will entice the reader to learn more about you.

Your target should not only address who you are (e.g., top accounting executive), but also what makes you highly qualified (e.g., you’ve won awards, have 20 years of experience, etc.).  Finally, this target should address why the manager should hire you for the job (e.g., you are targeting an accounting executive position).

Sell the Reader on Qualifications in Your Career Summary

A career summary is a fabulous addition to a six-figure resume in that it allows you to choose 3-5 of your greatest career highlights that showcase why they make you the best person for the position.  The career summary typically takes the form of a bullet-point list, making it easier to read.

Similar to selling a product or service, you want to use this section to elaborate on your headline/job target.  By aligning your achievements with the requirements of the position and the role the company wants you to play in helping it excel, you are sure to build a great case for why you’re the best one for the job.

Move Your Greatest Qualities to the Top

Also consider moving the best information about yourself to the top of the resume, as well as within each section of the resume.  For instance, your headline and career summary should rest at the top of the resume.  Within your career summary, you want to list the best highlights at the top as well.

Within each of your job summaries, it’s good to follow the same rules.  Doing so works wonders in ensuring that the busy hiring manager who has time to only skim your document can still find your greatest qualities.

Earning a six-figure salary is not easy.  It requires hard work while on the job, and of course, even harder work to obtain the job.  This is why it’s great to treat your resume like a marketing piece—using yourself as the product.  You’d be surprised by just how well this approach works in getting you the callback.

For additional tips and advice on resumes and cover letters, follow us on Twitter @GreatResume or visit our blog.

Author: Global resume authority Jessica Hernandez of http://www.greatresumesfast.com is a former HR Manager who partners with professional- and executive-level candidates to create authentic, branded resumes and cover letters.

 
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Has this very warm winter made us so soft we forgot how to drive?

Silly me. Of course it has.

Wait until next week… many of the forecast models are predicting a “significant weather event” in the Upper Midwest.

A quick self promotional item… I had a feature on StaffingTalk.com last week. Click Five Question Friday: Paul DeBettignies

MinneDemo Winter 2012

Tomorrow night a few hundred tech folk (and a few wannabe’s like me) will be getting together for MinneDemo (one part tech, one part beer and one part networking event) at the University of St Thomas.

How popular is this event? it “sold out” in one hour. That’s right… 500 attendees in one hour.

This time we have the following companies and coders showing off their work: CrashPlan Mobile, fitparel.com, Team Digest, Brahmageddon, Red Stamp, Wahooly, FitBolt, Migration+, LeagueSafe

Minnesota Recruiter Jobs

This is more of a me thinking out loud and frankly I am not sure it means anything yet as it is still early in the year…

I have seen very few corporate recruiting jobs being posted. This follows 2011 where many, most companies ramped up big time. So I wonder if they are taking a pause. Or maybe they have the recruiting staff they need.

I am seeing a surge on the search, consulting, staffing firm side of things which is a good sign that they expect their business to be strong again this year.

Links:

Recruiter & HR:

• Recruiters: Do You Suck? (Hint: No) (ERE.net)

• Big data: we have the technology, but do we have the people? (ZDNet)

• Employers fail to build talent pipelines for critical roles, survey of 500 HR directors reveals (HR Magazine)

• White Knight Rescue (HR Examiner)

• 2012 Recruitment: What’s Behind the Buzzwords (Recruiter.com)

• Love Trumps Influence (The Recruiting Inferno)
  

Career:

• 5 Things I Look for In a Great Job Interview (Inc)

• The Emotional Fear of Accepting a New Job (The Quantitative Portfolio)
  

Startups, VC and Tech stuff

• The Management Team - While Building The Business (A VC)

• Why Startups Shouldn’t Hire PR Firms (blog maverick)

• Want To Build A Startup? Entrepreneurs & App Developers Are Going B2B (TechCrunch)

• What Makes A Good Venture Capitalist? Don’t Be Afraid To Look Into The Abyss (Venture Capital Dispatch)
  

Minnesota Business:

• Minnov8 Gang #152 – Mr. Happy *Loves* 2012 (Minnov8)

• Best Buy realigns leadership team (MSP Business Journal)

• The Twin Cities Housing Market Has Bottomed (Twin Cities Real Estate Blog)
  

General Business:

• Facebook advertising costs increasing in the US (report) (ZDNet)
• This Is Generation Flux: Meet The Pioneers Of The New (And Chaotic) Frontier Of Business (Fast Company)

Photos:

In the hours leading up to a small snow fall last week the courtyard erupted in activity from the birds and squirrels. A few photos from the activity:

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• Recruitment Coordinator - Full Time Job - Valspar

• Senior Recruiter - Full Time Job - Valspar

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So the heck with it…

Today’s Quote:

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today’s Links:

Recruiting & HR

• Five Predictions About The Future Of Careers and Workplace in 2012 (TLNT)

• 10 Things LinkedIn Did in 2011 to Help You Recruit Better (LinkedIn)

• Why Recruiting Looks Easy (Recruiter.com)

• You’re Hired! But Not With That Credit Score (TLNT)

Career:

• Inside the Recruiter’s Head: What He’s Really Asking You During the Interview (Mashable)

• Job Prospects For Women Improve From ‘Shit’ to ‘Crap’ (Jezebel)

• can I apply for jobs now if I’m not available for many months? (Ask A Manager)

• Give Your Employees Unlimited Vacation Days (Inc)

• Time to Hire of 105 Days Better Than 135, But Fed Govt Should Still Be Ashamed (CollegeRecruiter.com)

Minnesota Business:

• Local tech startup jumps into ABC’s Shark Tank (TECHdotMN)

• What Best Buy and newspapers have in common (MinnPost)

• Minnesota Made: A Search Engine for Education (KSTP)

• Starkey Labs Becomes Starkey Hearing Technologies (Twin Cities Business)

• Cargill Reports Worst Quarter in a Decade (Twin Cities Business)

• Minnesota's exports climb in third quarter of 2011 (MPR)

General Business:

• A Doctor in Your Pocket (Wall Street Journal)

• Programming prodigy passes away at 16: Hear her philosophy of life (MSNBC)

• The New Way Twitter Will Dominate Online Journalism (Forbes)

• RIP–the social media influencer. (Technobabble 2.0)

• Infographic: 50 Mistakes Dudes Make While Getting Dressed (Complex)

• Cadillac Turns To A 28-Year-Old To Reinvent The 'Standard Of The World' (FastCompany)

• E-mail after work hours? That's overtime, says law (CNET)

• Pollen newsletter Volume 44 (MinnPost)

• Planning for Twitter Brand Pages (Gage Marketing)

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LinkedIn has become the go-to site for individuals who want to display all aspects of their professional life in one place.  By setting up a profile you can showcase your resume, display your professional websites and blogs, garner recommendations, catch up with former associates, and acquire new networking contacts.

There’s currently no better online “catch all” for professionals hoping to gain exposure with recruiters and hiring managers.  This is why, as a C-level executive, it’s a good idea that you jump on the bandwagon with everyone else.

What is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is a business-related social networking site, connecting millions of individuals throughout the professional world.  Founded in 2002 and officially launched in May 2003, the site reports having more than 135 million registered users in more than 200 countries and territories as of September 2011.

The site is the central location for companies and individuals to conduct online searches for other professionals.  In 2010 the company reported that there were nearly two billion people searches on its site.  As of the end of the third quarter 2011, LinkedIn said professionals were signing up to join the site at a rate faster than two new members per second.

Benefits of Using LinkedIn

There are a number of inherent benefits of using LinkedIn as a resource for conducting your job search.  The first benefit is that it is absolutely free.  Simply sign up and begin developing your profile.  But there are other great benefits to consider as well:

    * Post your resume: LinkedIn allows you to post a copy of your resume on the site for others to see.  You can also create a resume through the site.  Some professionals utilize both options.
    * Research companies: Hundreds of thousands of companies have created profiles on LinkedIn.  Signing up allows you to conduct research on organizational culture, employee statistics, and more.
    * Build your networking pool: Networking is a major benefit of LinkedIn as it allows you to connect with former associates while meeting new connections.
    * Acquire recommendations: Once you begin making connections with professionals you’ve worked for or with, or have supervised, you can ask them for recommendations to help others determine how qualified you are in your role.
    * Attract recruiter attention: There’s nothing better than having a recruiter or hiring manager seek you for a position.  With so many browsing the site every day for new leads, setting up an information-rich profile makes it much easier for them to find you.

The pros of signing up for a LinkedIn profile far outweigh any cons.  Take time to explore the site for yourself.  You’re sure to find that it’s a good match for you.

For additional tips and advice on resumes and cover letters, follow us on Twitter @GreatResume or visit our blog.

Author: Global resume authority Jessica Hernandez of Great Resumes Fast is a former HR Manager who partners with professional- and executive-level candidates to create authentic, branded resumes and cover letters.

 
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The numbers affirm most of what I see as LInkedIn users behaviors although I think the 35% access LinkedIn daily number is a bit high.

I also wonder if maybe the numbers are a bit high because this likely came from LinkedIn users and not from those who have a profile.

The difference being the number of folks who never use or have an orphaned profile. I am assuming they are not part of the survey.

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Funny though how fast the enthusiasm of a “new year” can change in a moment.

I said that to one of my friends who was waiting on a test result and he said, “Dude, just because these first days have been rocky does not signal how the new year will be. It’s life, stuff happens anytime of the year. Who won the football game?”

And just like that things were back to normal...
 

Best Buy

Friday I wrote Is Best Buy In Trouble? and I received a number of DM’s on Twitter and email. Response was about 70-30 in support of the company and about 40/60 in support of senior management.

So far I do not see/hear any mass exodus from Best Buy but I do think there are some turbulent waters.

Since my post there is this article from the Minneapolis Star/Tribune What analysts are saying: Best Buy a good buy? and this from Forbes How Best Buy Can Wake Up And Whip Amazon.

And this from Larry Downes at Forbes as a follow up to his article that started all of this The People vs. Best Buy, Round Two
 

Economy

Last week was jobs report week with numbers that were better than most predicted and I will write a recap of that tonight.

Also last week we had other reports:

ISM Index: better than last month and better than the consensus

Construction Spending: better than last month and better than the consensus

Factory Orders: better than last month but did not meet the consensus

ISM Services: better than last month but did not meet the consensus

Big picture: the U.S. economy continues to move forward at a slow pace.
 

LSU vs Alabama

Tonight ends the 2011 college football season (always a sad time for me) with a game that I am conflicted about.

I have been an Alabama Crimson Tide fan for years but I do not believe they belong there. They did not want the SEC. If I had it my way the Oklahoma State Cowboys would have been playing tonight.

I have been consistent with this as we almost had this issue a few years ago with Michigan and Ohio State. I just don’t think a #2 in a conference, or in this case a #3, should play for being #1 in the country.

I am picking the LSU Tigers to win. Not because of what I just said but because I think they are the better team. I am a SEC fan (much to the frustration of my Big Ten friends) so I guess I win either way.

My bowl picking record took a big hit this past week. I picked correctly with Arkansas and Northern Illinois but missed in not picking Michigan, West Virginia and SMU.

That brings my bowl season record to 28-6.

Which gets me to tonight prediction of LSU to beat Alabama in the BCS Championship game.

Quick side note… interested in how this is big business? Check out this article BCS National Championship Game: LSU and Alabama ride money train to title matchup on the profits some college football programs are making.

 
Today’s Links

Recruiting:

• 5 Reasons Your Hiring Process Stinks (Inc)

• 5 Predictions for Recruitment 2012 (ERE)

• 10 Predictions for Recruitment & Staffing in 2012 (Social Talent)

Career:

• Did Joining LinkedIn Cost This Guy His Job? (Forbes)
  

General:

• How Much Does Social Media Cost Companies in 2012? (Mack Collier)

• IT, Marketing More Critical to Business Strategy in 2012 (MarketingProfs)

• London Olympics volunteers told not to share on social media (The Wall Blog)

Photos

Full Moon photo from last night and one from a near Full Moon over Downtown Minneapolis

 
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• Technical Recruiter - Full Time Job - National Engineering Resources

• Recruiter - Full Time Job - University of Minnesota Physicians

• Recruiting Manager - Full Time Job - MetLife

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• Network Administrator - Full Time Job - Walker Art Center

• EMR Application Specialist - Full Time Job - West Side Community Health Services

• Content Database Specialist - Full Time Job - Minneapolis Institute of Arts

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No two interviews are alike so it is difficult to be prepared for the unexpected. You can however focus on your presentation skills that can be more important than what you say.

1. Poor non-verbal communication image

•    Stand straight, and make good eye contact.
•    Connect with a good, firm, enthusiastic handshake.
•    Sit erect, learning forward to appear interested and attentive.

2. Poor verbal communication skills

•    Good communication skills include listening and letting the person know you heard what they said.
•    Observe your interviewer’s style and pace, and then match that style.
•    Use appropriate language. Beware of using slang words or references to age, race, religion, politics, or sexual preferences.

3. Not asking questions

•    When asked, “Do you have any questions?” if your answer is “No,” it is the WRONG answer!
•    Asking questions shows your interest. The best questions come from listening to what is said during the interview.
•    Asking questions assists you in finding out if this is the right place for you.

Being aware of your verbal and non-verbal performance and the messages you are sending could make the difference between getting a job offer or not.

Author: Carole Martin, The Interview Coach

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

 
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• I am not an analyst.

• I have no inside info (although I was at Best Buy HQ’s yesterday)

• Best Buy is a frequent host of the Minnesota Recruiters group

Minnesota based Best Buy has been in the news the past two weeks and it is has not been pretty.

It started with the pre 2011 Christmas debacle of customers who placed orders online as early as Black Friday were notified that their gifts would not be shipped in time for the holiday.

Worse, they were not told until days before.

Today is the report of December 2011 same store sales being down. There was some good news in the report too but many headlines I have seen are focusing on the negative.

Earlier this week (and what has spread online very fast) is this article from Forbes Why Best Buy is Going out of Business...Gradually

Larry Downes starts the article with this:

“Electronics retailer Best Buy is headed for the exits.  I can’t say when exactly, but my guess is that it’s only a matter of time, maybe a few more years.”

Yikes…

He takes the company to task on a number of topics from customer service to business model to online vs brick and mortar to their handling of the Christmas shipping issue.

As I post this there are more than 800 comments on the story with thousands of Tweets and Facebook “shares” pointing to it.

Today Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn has a post on his blog My Thoughts on Best Buy’s Recent Media Coverage where he responds to the holiday issue and the Forbes article.

I have many, many friends who work in the Best Buy corporate offices and I know them to be very smart and motivated folks.

I don’t know if Best Buy is in trouble but I do know they have a talented group and if senior management gives them the tools and freedom to do what is needed they can make this one of those “do you remember when” moments and things will be good.

If not…this will be a different kind of one of those “do you remember when” moments.

 
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I might put myself into that category. I had hoped to get more done during the “slow” days of the end of December but I spent some time charging the personal batteries. So I will be using these next days to get to full speed by next Monday.

Economy

With the beginning of the month and year the next days are busy with some economic statistics coming out and mostly about jobs.

I am seeing analysts predicting +200K jobs on the ADP numbers (Thursday) and non farm jobs +150K to +170K and non farm private jobs around +200K (Friday).

If those numbers hold and can be sustained the U.S. economy will finally slowly start to make a real dent with the unemployment situation.

A very unscientific job indicator I will be looking for over the next ten days is the number of Minnesota Recruiter Jobs I will post. Last year at this time it was as if a light switch was turned on. This year given the growth we have had in recent months I am expecting more of a light turning on but more of a dimmer switch that will gradually become brighter.

Iowa Caucuses

They are today. Thankfully. Finally. I am tired of hearing about them. Tomorrow will be a better day.

Super Bowl Ads

30 second Super Bowl ads sold for around $3.5M and were sold out by Thanksgiving. There are approximately 70 ads in a game not including pre game, halftime and post game. Yikes... that’s a lot of dollars.

Wisconsin Fans In Minnesota

I need to be careful with this one and will start with a disclaimer... I was born in Minnesota and am a hometown sports fan. Some teams I support more than others. The Gophers (all sports) clearly have my attention followed by the Wild/Twins, Timberwolves and lastly the Vikings.

I hate the Wisconsin Badgers. Read hate as in a rivalry sense. I have much respect for the University of Wisconsin. It is a fantastic school. But Bucky Badger, yeah... not so much.

Being a casual Vikings fan I am not as emotional about the Green Bay Packers. They have such a great history that deserves respect.

Here goes... (many) Wisconsin fans in Minnesota are whiners. When the Packers lost a couple of weeks ago ruining their undefeated season (many) Vikings fans were trash talking. Ironic given the horrible season Minnesota had. But given all the Packer glory we have been forced to listen to from the folks to the east the past 18 months I get why Vikings fans did some talking.

Same goes for the Badger fans here. When they lost those two games on final plays of the game some Gopher fans smiled and many celebrated.

Last night when they lost the Rose Bowl many Gopher fans were talking trash. And Badger fans are whining.

News flash... you live in Minnesota. What kind of response do you expect?

Wisconsin fans will reply that Minnesota fans are jealous. No doubt there is some truth to that but not the whole answer. Maybe if some of them were better winners the toleration level would increase. And maybe if they knew/remembered their history a bit more, specifically the Badger fans, they would remember what it was like to suck. Because they did for a long time prior to Donna Shalala and Barry Alvarez arriving in Madison.

Yeah, I went on too long with that one but I had to get it out and I also need a reference point for the next time this conversation comes up which I guess will be before lunch time today.

Links

No links today. I posted a bunch with yesterday’s Minnesota Morning post and with the holiday weekend there was less stuff to read.

 
Bowl Games

I went 6-0 yesterday and am 26-3 overall. I am not going by the point spread and no money is being bet. This is just me being a fan and making a prediction.

One game tonight:

Michigan Wolverines vs Virginia Tech Hokies - Sugar Bowl

I am completely conflicted about this game and expect it to be close. I am going with Virginia Tech.

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“The one requirement for success in our business lives is effort”

Marc Cuban (entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks) has written an ebook “How To Win At The Sport Of Business: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It.”

Business Insider has There's Only One Thing In Life You Can Control: Your Own Effort with an excerpt with a link to some more.

This quote hits home:

“In sports, the only thing a player can truly control is effort. The same applies to business. The only thing any entrepreneur, salesperson or anyone in any position can control is their effort.”

While I enjoy sports and politics in part because I can look in the paper and see how won and who lost I have always looked at my business and life as more of a golf scenario.

Yes there are others playing but I need to play the course as best I can. What others do I cannot control but I need to do the best I can. Maybe that’s too simple but it works for me.

Transplants

I mentioned in Minnesota Morning: Welcome Back, Transplants, Bowl Games Edition a story about how one Minnesota neighbor donated a kidney to another. Here is the story from WCCO TV

Human Capital

I wrote this post Wondering: What do non HR folks think of the phrase "Human Capital" a couple of weeks ago and was not surprised with the response I received.

I also was not surprised at the number of email I received from HR practitioners who did not want their comments in public but they too are not a fan of the phrase.

The email I received is similar in tone and in number for/against the phrase found in the LinkedIn question I asked Wondering: What do non HR folks think of the phrase "Human Capital"

So I wonder… why use a phrase that one should be aware would have a negative connotation?

Today’s Links (from the past couple of weeks)…

Recruiter & HR:

• This is a bit self promotional but check out the article I wrote last year… The Best of The Fordyce Letter 2011, #2 — Get Out From Behind the Desk and Network (Fordyce Letter)

• Here's How Mobile Technology Will Revolutionize Hiring (Business Insider)

• Job boards must evolve or die (CollegeRecruiter.com)

• Talent On the Move (Wall Street Journal)

• The Secrets to Recruiting Top Talent with Relationships (SmartRecruiting.com)

• 10 Earth-shattering, Mind-blowing Things That Happened in Online Recruiting During 2011 (ERE.net)

Minnesota Business:

• Minnesota: The land of 10,000 ideas (Mpls StarTribune)

• Best Buy boldly leaping into managed IT services for small business (ZDNet)

• 2012 Salary Survey: Who Makes What (Minnesota Monthly)

• Maverick Software sees record growth, wins award (The Mankato Free Press)

• 11 predictions for the Minnesota Tech Industry in 2012 (TECHdotMN)

• Minn.'s frigid climate a selling point for data storage industry (MPR)

General Business:

• Tweet away: Finra backs off social-media posting regs (Investment News)

• Social Media Usage Increases Cyber Risks – A Competing Point of View? (netWORKed Lawyers)

• If I Were a Social Media Guru… (KaneCo Conversations)

• When an entrepreneur fails from lack of nerve (Venture Beat)

• You Can’t Schedule Community (Kommein)

• 50 Economic Numbers From 2011 That Are Almost Too Crazy To Believe (Business Insider)

• Economic recovery slow for U.S. nonprofits (MPR)

Bowl Games:

Well, it is sort of New Year’s Day in the college football world. With the NFL season running long they played on Sunday so the traditional New Year’s Day bowl games were pushed to today

So far I am 20 - 3 in my predictions (I always do better when I don’t really care who wins) but I am going to go down in flames today I am sure.

Today’s games are:

Houston Cougars vs Penn State Nittany Lions - TicketCity Bowl

Michigan State Spartans vs Georgia Bulldogs - Outback Bowl

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs South Carolina Gamecocks - Capital One Bowl

Ohio State Buckeyes vs Florida Gators - Gator Bowl

Wisconsin Badgers vs Oregon Ducks - Rose Bowl

Stanford Cardinal vs Oklahoma State Cowboys - Fiesta Bowl

I am going with Houston, Michigan State, South Carolina, Florida, Oregon, Oklahoma State. No, I do not think the Big Ten will have a good day today. Yes, I think Oklahoma State should be playing LSU to see who is #1.

Minnesota Vikings:

Just a foot note which is all they should really get. They finished 3-13 and for the first time in the 51 years failed to beat a conference team. That’s right… the Vikings lost both games to the Packers, Bears and Lions.

Jim Kleinsasser announced his retirement a couple of weeks ago. What a great guy he has been in the community and so cool that he played his whole career in Minnesota.

Jared Allen (@JaredAllen69) now has the most sacks in Vikings history and finished .5 sacks behind the single season NFL record of Michael Strahan. Remember the flop Brett Favre took for him so that he could pass Mark Gastineau as the single season leader? If not for that, Allen would be tied with Gastineau.

Finally there is this funny pic that Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) Tweeted out:

“My time bringing in the New Year was great! Thanks to family & a lil Blue Bell country ice cream”

 

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We get more time this year as 2012 is a Leap Year so we have 366 Days | 8,784 Hours | 527,040 Minutes | 31,622,400 Seconds

13.5 hours in and I do not (yet) feel I am behind. Well… maybe a little. I had hoped to get more done the past two weeks and will take some of the advice I have below.

While I am not one to make resolutions I try to find a few things that remind me of the mood I start a year with and what I will likely need for the year.

Two new quotes:

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.” - Edith Lovejoy Pierce

"To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

A few (of the many) that I always have around:

Lukewarm won't do. Halfhearted holding back, well-enough getting by? Not here. – Rumi

The cavalry ain’t coming. You’ve got to do this yourself. - Chris Gardner

Be kind to your shadow. - Rebecca Lawless

Hark, now hear the sailors cry, Smell the sea and feel the sky, Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic - Van Morrison

Drag your thoughts away from your troubles... by the ears, by the heels, or any other way you can manage it. - Mark Twain

Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers and me. - Kermit the Frog

These 2 words:

Full Throttle

I saw this on Facebook the other day:

This is the song I am going with:

Best Wishes and Happy New Year

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You’re right, it’s been a long time I know.

Yes I know, I have sucked.

And I have said this many times over the 6 years since I started you and rarely followed through, I want to do better.

We have a lot… A LOT to catch up on.

Give me another chance?

Thanks. I will do better. It can only get better, right?

So where to start…

For those of you getting the RSS feed or posts via email you are going to see a bunch of blog posts in the coming week. It could be 3-4 a day and it might be annoying.

I have posts recapping events I have attended, conferences I have spoken at and some specific posts about hiring, job statistics and Minnesota news items that I do not want to dump in one big blog post link fest.

I am also going to try and get back to doing the Minnesota Morning posts like this one where I will link to what I am reading (could be anything from recruiter stuff to sports), post a pic or two, highlight some upcoming events, etc.

It will also have some opinions (we know I have a large supply of them) and with this being an election year I am sure I will find things to rant about.

So hang in here with me as I try to get some things updated.

Today is just a couple of quick items as I start to get back in the swing of things...

Transplants

Yesterday the first thing I read in the morning was this blog post from Robyn Flach (@justrobyn) Can I borrow a cup of sugar? Thanks! How 'bout one of your Kidneys? and I was stopped in my tracks.

I followed Robin’s updates about the surgery and hear today that Jamie Yuccas (@jamieyuccas) of WCCO TV visited with everyone at the hospital today and will have a story tonight at 6 PM.

I will for sure post the video tomorrow.

Bowl Games

What do college football bowl games have to do with “Minnesota Headhunter”? Absolutely nothing other than college football is my addiction.

I don’t smoke, gamble, drink much or often. But I can watch 13 hours of college football and still want more.

And while my Golden Gophers are not in a bowl (again) this year I still pick teams to cheer for and in some cases have a team to cheer against.

Before getting to some of the games I am going to take a moment to take a shot at a couple of rivals.

First up… Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz gave an interview leading up to their bowl game and he clearly is not happy about the onside kick Minnesota put on his team that ultimately led to the Gophers keeping Floyd of Rosedale.

Here is the article “Steps in the dance” from The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)

Memo to Kirk Ferentz: read the rule book. Specifically:

Free Kick Formation
ARTICLE 2
a. Each Team A player, except the holder and kicker of a place kick, must be behind the ball (A.R. 6-1-2-V) [S18]

Coach Ferentz… get over it.

Next up… Wisconsin Badgers

I saw this posted on the Gopher Illustrated site (click to enlarge):

That’s right… the captains of the Wisconsin Badgers football team are reminding their fans to be classy at the Rose Bowl.

They need reminding to not chant “Eat (Bleep) … (Bleep) You)”

Do a search on YouTube for it. Real classy.

So far by my count there have been 14 bowl games played. Some have been good, some not so good.

But last night the Alamo Bowl became a video game that folks my age would call TecmoBowl.

#12 Baylor Bears and Washington Huskies put up numbers only duplicated in video games. Baylor won 67-56. Click Baylor vs Washington for the crazy stats.

Today we have 4 games:

BYU Cougars vs Tulsa Golden Hurricane in Armed Forces Bowl

Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs Iowa St Cyclones in Pinstripe Bowl

Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Music City Bowl

Iowa Hawkeyes vs #14 Oklahoma Sooners in Insight Bowl

My teams today are BYU, Iowa St, Mississippi St and Oklahoma

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