Recruitment or Recruiting?

When did recruitment become a buzz word exactly? It seemed to show up one day and never disappear but I really don’t like it, not one little bit. Recruitment is a noun. A process for getting people in to your business. The first time I heard it used in a conference I could actually hear people’s eye glazing over (that’s not a pleasant experience, just in case you were wondering).

If you’re really interested in finding the right people to work with you and you are doing the varied, interesting, brow furrowing and sweaty work required to find those people, I say you are really recruiting. Hiring the right people requires action, and recruiting is a verb (an action word!). It’s much more than a process laid out in a flowchart; it's about dynamic people actively seeking the right candidates who will thrive in a new environment.

Recruiting or recruitment; what do you think?

Looking ahead

Today I spoke to a client who has been in the military for nearly 25 years. He has a couple of ideas about what he would like to do next, and he is preparing to move into the civilian job market within the next 18-24 months. He is in an ideal position of not having to rush into something he doesn’t want, and he hasn’t been laid off or downsized as an introduction to a job search. Yeah! I love working with this kind of client!

Since he lives in a different province from me and is planning to stay there, I figured I should check out some career information for his area. This was interesting because some regions have done a great job and others a less than great job when it comes to creating local career websites. Alberta – one of my favourite career sites at http://www.alis.gov.ab.ca, has over 500 occupational profiles, and Manitoba and British Columbia each have about 200. If you are looking at one of the profiled occupations, the benefit to going local is that the information is pertinent and current. They often also include a section about the future of those jobs in that particular market (a rough indication of how many folks they will hire in the next five years is a common example), provide information about where to take courses, as well as average salaries.

If you are looking for good, regional information about your area, search for any of these terms with the region that you live in. In my area I’d put in something like Nova Scotia labour market information. Other helpful terms are:

• occupational profiles
• job futures
• work info net

Check it out and let me know what you find. If you need help, let me know. Good luck!

Laurel and Hardy were a tough act to follow - until yesterday!

Why would I say something here, when someone else makes it so much better? I have been neglecting my blog a bit over the last few weeks, but if you check out this entry that my sister wrote you'll see why - enjoy, and have a good laugh while you're at it! Click here to check out Lynda's blog about our adventures!

On the Job

I get a kick out of asking people about different jobs. The range of opportunities available in the big wide world fascinates me. Asking also serves me as an ongoing reminder that there are way more opportunities out there than people realize. When I was working with a group of junior high school students several years ago I asked them to make a list of all the jobs that they could think of without stopping. Most of them could list about 15 or 20 jobs before they ran out of ideas, and understandably, many of them listed what their parents and family members did, or things related to their hobbies and interests.

When I ask adults to create a similar list, many of them can list up to 50 job titles before they run out of steam.

Those are pretty short lists. There are more than 20,000 different job titles around today, and new ones get added every year! If you are sick and tired of your job, want to look at options just for fun or have kids who are starting to think about what to do next, the internet is a good place to start. In Canada, the National Occupation Codes keep the titles organized and provides information about all kinds of related aspects of our careers. This site can help http://www.jobfutures.ca/noc/browse-occupations-noc.shtml. To get a handle on the options, those 20,000 titles are organized into more than 500 occupational categories where you can get a great idea of the range of work that makes the world go around. I love the resources available from Alberta at this site: http://www.alis.alberta.ca/.
If you prefer a book that can take you through the options, check out Richard Bolles’ What Color is Your Parachute? It’s in plenty of libraries, and there is also a workbook that you can purchase to really dig deep. Mr. Bolles’ website is here: http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/. You could be happily surprised at what you find about yourself, and your future!

Farmer's Market Delight!

My sister and I went to the Halifax Farmer’s Market this morning for the first time. Last summer when we wanted fresh locally grown produce, we’d drive an hour or so out in the country to the Annapolis Valley and check out the markets there. This summer time is a bit more precious, so we headed downtown. What an experience! This is a huge market, with vendors and shoppers tucked into every corner in, around and below the historic Keith’s brewery, just steps from the harbour.

We met a local meat producer who had a tremendous selection – including some of my favourites I didn’t even think we could get locally, like kielbasa. He also had some delicious sausage rolls! We stalked up on baby potatoes, young carrots, broccoli and more. There were fresh blueberries, strawberries, green and yellow beans, beets, squash – and the stalks of gladioli were beautiful.

Several years ago when I was really thinking about career moves of my own, one of the things that I seriously considered was purchasing a small farm and setting up a greenhouse or two, then supplying local restaurants and B & B’s with fresh herbs, greens, and perhaps a selection of preserves and compound butters. I talked myself out of it. Most people do not know that food producers make just seven cents of every food dollar that people spend, and it’s bloody hard work. But today, among the colours, smells and tastes mingling with the chatter of vendors and shoppers and a couple of guitar players, was a great day to celebrate farming.

We’re going back again next week.

Tips for Change on Blogtalk Radio Interview!

One of my jobs is to help people manage change. For some, the thought of change freaks them out and actually paralyzes them from getting through whatever is coming up. In fact, if we can help them to stand back a little bit they can actually get through those changes and thrive.

Other people look at change like it’s an opportunity to try something new, to do things better, or to bring ourselves out of chaos or mess, and that’s where I am coming from. We are pure forms of energy, and whether you look at it scientifically or theologically, both schools of thought support that idea. Any action causes an equal and opposite reaction. Sew and ye shall reap.

When it comes to change, we are really operating outside of our comfort zone and whether we are the ones implementing the change (maybe it’s time for some big changes in the family routine, or you are implementing a discipline program) or the change seems to come from something outside (being laid off from work or being ill) being ready to deal with what’s coming really helps. There are systems and processes for managing change that focus on business models, and sometimes we try to draw from them to apply them to our lives but they don’t always fit that well. In this article we’re actually going to focus on how an individual can manage change that is taking place around you personally, or that you are implementing in your family.

If you’d like to hear an interview that I did this week, click the link here.

You can also read the essence of those tips right here. And they might be just a little different than anything you've come across before.

1) Get into it

The more you get involved in the changes, the more you can do about what the end result is. Don’t be a bystander; get involved.

2) Gather the right people

Being the lone change agent can be necessary but is not as effective as having a team. Ask your family or friends for volunteers that have the strengths that you need. You might even be surprised at the results.

3) Be an original

Think differently than others when it comes to change. Not everything is about following all the rules; it’s about asking what’s possible here, and what is it that I really want?

4) Foster urgency

Change requires energy. Foster a sense of urgency to keep you and the people around you motivated, excited even about what is to come. Your goal is to create a level of energy that removes any thoughts of complacency or resistance.

5) Manage emotions

Resistance to change is not just natural; it can be very emotional. Don’t avoid the emotions that come with the change process; set the mood to keep on top of the emotions so they don’t overtake you. Keep communicating.

6) Talk it out

In times of change, people have an intense need for information. Communicate, check-in and be open to their feelings and feedback. It doesn’t mean that you have to change your mind nor stop the change process; just be open. Be compassionate.

7) Stop wishing

People often “wish” for things to be different, but they actually focus on negativity that’s surrounding them. Instead of working on getting to something – a goal, say – they actually focus on what they don’t want (I hate way I look, I hate this outfit, my spouse makes me crazy, I don’t have enough money). The trouble with that kind of thinking is that what we get the things that we focus on and so by focusing on those negative things, we actually attract them to us.

Change is really a process. We don’t have to be afraid of it, and having a plan means we have the tools to get through it without becoming overwhelmed or scared to death. I’ve moved 21 times in my 42 years, and worked in 7 different occupational classifications; that’s a lot of change, but I find now that when things get too quiet, I am just itching for SOMETHING to happen and I go looking for it. Not everyone’s cup of tea, I know, but change can bring some great things, new experiences and the things you want into your life. Just let it!

---

You can copy and print this complete article for your personal use, or pass it along to someone that you know might benefit. Just be sure to include the following information without altering anything please:

(c) 2008 Pam Robertson, MVPi. Pam is a Career and Life Success Consultant who helps people to create lives and work that are worth celebrating. She is based in Nova Scotia, Canada and can be reached at 902.222.9212 or by email to pam(at)mvpi(dot)org. For more information you can also visit her website.

COMPLETELY out of character

Instead of blogging about career and life happenings today I bring you something a little different.

I seize every chance to watch Nathan Fillon that I can find, and have done ever since seeing him in Firefly and Serenity. The fact that Nathan and I hearken from the same home town has nothing to do with it, well it might have a little to do with it, but I really do love to watch him in action.

Nathan Fillion and Neil Patrick Harris are arch enemies in a contemporary adventure that you can catch for a limited time right here online! Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog is funny, fresh and yes, musical (it is a sing along after all). The vocals are beautifully done, and indeed this entire episode is a refreshing change to the usual drivel on television. Fillion is looking very fit as the goofy Captain Hammer, constantly chalking one up on the Villain in training, Dr. Horrible. The evil doctor keeps a video blog of his exploits that is just hilarious – check it out now, because it’s only here for a short time…

http://www.hulu.com/dr-horribles-sing-along-blog