Glenn Gutmacher, Vice President of Arbita ACES recently detailed that a braintrust of over a dozen of the world’s top cybersleuths will be available at not cost, sharing their expertise as they do online mini-presentations to share their hands-on insights on the latest, most productive methods and tools in many sourcing topic areas via live webinar.

It will be an honor to join and share with the sourcing expertise of Amybeth Hale, Dan Harris, Glenn Gutmacher, Jim Stroud, Josh Kahn, Laurie DesAutels, Russ Moon, Shally Steckerl, Steve Rath, Teresa Bustamante, Tim O’Connor, as well as previous SourceCon Grand Master Champion, Mike Notaro and Eric Jaquith.

This is happening only once in 2010, and it’s called the Arbita Sourcing Lab, held in person and online in conjunction with SourceCon on Sunday, March 14 and Monday, March 15. SourceCon is in its first year under ERE’s ownership, with Shally and Glenn also more heavily involved, but you couldn’t swing the travel, cost, etc. So this is your answer!

IT COULDN’T BE EASIER

1) Register ASAP at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/724031464

2) Login at any point(s) during the hours listed there, on either Sunday (3/14) or Monday (3/15), whenever it’s convenient for you.

3) Check out the expert presentations on various Internet and phone sourcing topics, recruiter/sourcer productivity tips, etc. (times listed at

There will be someone and something new presenter every 15-30 minutes!

4) Ask any sourcing question you like (even if it doesn’t relate to the mini-presentation happening at that moment).

We look forward to seeing you online or on-site in just a few days! If you can’t make Sourcecon BUT you are attending ERE next week, we can likewise have another opportunity to meet in person. Look forward to seeing you or shaking your hands, virtually my friends!

SixDegreesfromDave was renown for passing it forward with it’s Top Ten Linkedin Features. At one point, nearly 1,000 invites per person featured were sent in a single 24 hour period! In today’s ever changing social media world, we make changes to reflect that evolution with emerging technologies. As of today we now start the ever more viral means of sharing best practices with a series of TOP TEN TWITTER for the staffing industry. We will feature people I know first hand, respect, and genuinely believe are making a difference in our industry as practitioners, innovators and Thought Leaders. This is by NO means a random listing series. Our listings are always carefully reviewed and vetted by prior contributions. We begin our first in a series featuring the Sourcing Apprentice program made famous by Shally Steckerl’s Mentor Program.

1) Set up a Twitter Account. It takes 2 minutes, tops. Fast & Easy. Login
2) Click each of the names listed ABOVE in the top ten and click “Follow”
3) Done!

You can follow the endorsement ethic similar to Linkedin by recommending Twitter accounts For example, here is a common format to consider:

@davemendoza strongly recommends @carolmahoney #mrtweet as the leading corporate #staffing #talent acquisition expert. To infinity & Beyond
OR
@davemendoza strongly recommends @shally for his genuine passion for community, #recruiter leadership contributions, brotherhood & hands-on mentorship.

We have three very special features to share, Two former corporate Talent Acquisition Executives at Yahoo! and the other by a fellow recruiter who understands relationship skills is not a single transaction. In the Twitter spirit feel free to ReTweet each of the following articles: RT @davemendoza (!)

SixDegreesfromDave Reflections: #recruiter Brian Kevin Johnston is Hands-on Client Relationships http://tinyurl.com/y8lqbvh

Thought Leader, Carol Mahoney ‘Is’ Talent Acquisition On Demand
http://tinyurl.com/ykuol5u

Libby Sartain, Chief People Officer Yahoo Interview – http://bit.ly/b8cOCg

Who is Dave Mendoza? A Reminder with my BIO

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On February 22, We featured Brian Levin Johnston. In the past 4 years we have pursued our series of interviews highlighting the unsung heroes of our staffing industry detailing professional and personal life and industry perspectives. In that time, I have had the pleasure of a few and rare surprise in my mailbox with a hand written card of appreciation and thoughtful packages; I am guessing at most five or so. It’s not that it is expected, necessarily desired – but it speaks volumes about the sincerity of recruiters understanding the people skills that motivate their success. With this back drop in mind, Brian K. Johnston has surprised me not only once, but twice with a thoughtful card. Yesterday – believing it was a package for my wife, I learned today that in fact he had sent a care package full of gourmet brownies.

This is not an advertisement for brownies or other concoctions, though I will say I especially appreciated the buffalo meat package Shally once sent me lol. In all seriousness, what I have to say is that as recruiters we are in the people business. When we run the Top Ten networking listings or the interview series we do it to bring genuine pass-it-forward moxy to the table as a showcase for the phrase that should mean something. In doing so, I can say that a phone call confirming acknowledgment is a rare pleasure. In this case, Brian exemplifies that he puts forth an understanding why he is so successful developing clients and developing trust with his relationship building skills. Not only has he had the US Postal Service at work to bring a smile – he regularly tweets to promote all those we have featured in interviews since his own. He comments and asks questions of those featured interviewees. Simple? Yes, but uncommon and meaningful. I cannot say anyone has been as consistent to share the limelight with others as promotes the realization of the experience that it is to share best practices as he has. Not a one.

We need more Brian Kevin Johnston’s in our business. Not because of care packages, but because he cares about building relationships. In our business you would think it was the norm, but rather, the self promotion aspect becomes a single transaction. Brian sincerely understood the ‘experience’ of what it is to have their understanding of the industry shared, the motivation of being in the “People Business” and abides by my mantra “It’s all about the love.” Yes it is a corny mantra, but one that evokes a genuine heart felt warmth within me to assist others because I sincerely believe that others have a story to share and worth being promoted by their peers. It’s not about the biggest billers or the innovation alone – it is about reminding us every once in a while why we prevail through upturns and downturns in the economy. I know that Brian smiles and shares at the dinner table with his family the stories of the lives he changes with a hiring offer. He understands he is putting food on someone’s elses dinner table. He reminded me of the passionate, if not odd dedication to bring that adrenaline rush to my chemistry every time I felt or wanted to feel I made in impact in someone else’s lives.

Many times, like a soldier coming home from the battlefield we forget to share what we experienced, as if duty alone compelled us, if not the cause. We do something special. We serve mankind. Grandiose statement you may say, but look at Brian – he knows his skill sets helps an unemployed person pack his grocery cart a little more full or means a tricycle for someone’s daughter. It’s the little things to the grand we impact – if we really care.

We need more Brian K. Johnston’s but for now I can happily state that I have my own experience with this singularity in an industry that could use many more.

Six Degrees: What types of training in sourcing/recruitment are available to you and have you taken advantage of?

CAROL: I am a trained facilitator and major proponent of Best Year Yet™, a process used to drive maximum team performance through planning.

In a nutshell, the process includes creating a vision for success that is compelling and, usually, nearly unattainable. The behaviors, practices and goals then follow from that vision. Then on a monthly basis, the team comes together to measure it’s progress against the behaviors, practices and goals they set up for themselves. Sounds simple…but having a facilitator outside the team keeps the derailers and excuses from getting in the way of success. Also, in my experience, at the end of the year the team is motivated by how closely it has come to achieving the nirvana state thought so unachievable the year before. It then propels the team to “ratchet it up” even more the following year.

In my past, I co-developed and facilitated a 2-day intensive training for companies called “Guerrilla Recruiting”. The tenets and foundation of Guerrilla Recruiting have shaped my philosophy about Talent Acquisition to this day. Central to an organization’s talent acquisition success is: an engaged executive and management team; a creative, competent and accountable recruiting organization; and a relentless focus on the candidate as the customer.

Six Degrees: What tools (technology or old school file folder, for example) did you first encounter early in your recruitment career?

Carol: Under my direction, I have implemented several software systems aimed at tracking talent and automating the talent acquisition process (Skillset Software, Restrac, Home-grown Filemaker Pro system, Icarian, Resumix, Vurv). In addition, I’ve tried at least as many solutions for tracking candidates, leads, etc. What I’ve found is that the technology is never as good as it looks and that human adoption is more important than anything. My observations:

A red-wagon can be a decent candidate delivery solution. At Synopsys while we were choosing an ATS solution, our req. load increased so we needed to do something. Enter…a red flyer wagon that we used to cart around the applicant flow to all recruiters. I don’t recommend it. And, yes, it was clumsy. But it was fast and every resume was seen by every recruiter.

It doesn’t matter how good the technology is, if the recruiter or sourcer doesn’t perceive that a tool adds value, the tool is ineffective.

A good 85% of recruiters hate a structured process imposed on them. If your tool also imposes a process, the likelihood of universal adoption is low. You can beat them mercilessly but they will evade you at every turn.

It’s not always “user error” or poor configuration decisions that make a tool bad. Sometimes the tool is slow; or the search capability is uneven; or it simply does not work.

It’s not a matter of install, deploy and go. A tool must be constantly tended, maintained and improved. A company that neglects this usually hates their ATS.

A Talent Acquisition manager can’t be successful without the reporting that tools allow. Excel spreadsheets won’t do it for a mid-sized function or larger.

Six Degrees: How did your expectations of being a recruiter compare to the actual, first time you got on the phone or in the cubicle? In your opinion, how do people’s assumptions about our vocation differ from reality?

CAROL: When I started at AMD, it was a great training ground because we worked in cubicles and could listen to the recruiters on the phone and even in interviews. I had a pretty realistic expectation of what it meant to do recruiting and it was actually easier than it sounded. I got a “high” when I was talking with candidates and in the pursuit of a hire. I had no idea, though, how hard it was to serve the “other” client: the hiring manager. I vacillated between being a pleaser and being, frankly, a little arrogant and difficult to work with. It took a few years and a foray into the consultant world to really understand: the client is “king”. Yes, the candidate is important too. But no client, no candidate.

Six Degrees: Worst mistake, biggest goof, lousiest practice you thought would fly but didn’t…and how that was a learning experience?

CAROL: Looking at lousy management practices, one emerges as the winner. It’s assuming that what worked at one company will work at another. Best practices are great. I spend a healthy percentage of my time looking outward and understanding what’s working in my field. In my experience, however, one can make a huge mistake simply forcing what worked before (even at the same company) on your clients.

Conversely, it is critical to continually pulse your client organization to understand their needs. You can pick and choose from past approaches and other best practices; but then you must customize your solution, strategy, programs, etc. to fit the needs of your client.

Six Degrees: How do you personally expect to facilitate change within our industry, and/or at your place of work? If you started that process, outline the problem, your solutions, and the vision.

CAROL: If I could facilitate only one change to the Talent Acquisition management world it would be to nurture, inspire and develop career Talent Acquisition leaders. I am positive that focusing on leadership rather than deep recruiting expertise would strengthen the talent acquisition function and its influence on the organizations we serve.

Recruiting tools and best practices evolve constantly. And recruiting experts who understand the trends are critical to the function. But developing the leaders who know how to conduct the orchestra of recruiting experts will help the “music” sound better and, more important, ensure that the music is heard.

Six Degrees: “Best practice” you are most proud of developing (now or in the past) in your recruiting career?

Carol: In 2008 I introduced Best Year Yet™ to my direct report team. We set our vision and goals for the year using that approach and it was a backbone to successfully navigating one of the most difficult years at Yahoo! – the year Microsoft made the offer to buy it. I used it again in 2009 and again was able to align the team and move the organization toward achieving very aggressive goals. Though I didn’t innovate the approach, I introduced it to the team and now consider it a “best practice” for running a large organization.

Another best practice that I’m proud of developing for Yahoo! was its talent pipeline pods. The goal was to create pods of sourcers and recruiters who would fill the pipeline with qualified talent possessing key skills in advance of open positions. The pipelines were successful and are still producing results for Yahoo!

Six Degrees: What are some of the frustrating aspects/obstacles to your day to day as a staffing professional and in general?

CAROL: The most common obstacle to any recruiting organization is limited funding. A well-funded and highly accountable talent acquisition team can be the secret sauce of a successful business. Recruiters are happy, management is happy, candidates are happy, customers are happy and, eventually, shareholders are happy. A poorly funded talent acquisition team may be able to work miracles but not on a sustained basis. Recruiters love to do great work – so being put in a no-win situation where they can’t perform for their hiring managers makes recruiters crabby. And managing unhappy recruiters is worse than nails on a chalkboard.

That being said, I have NEVER worked for an organization that was flush with cash. So the trick is getting enough money in advance of the need to create results

Six Degrees: What are the most common themes of strategic and/or tactical mishaps involving past or present HR/Staffing org?

CAROL: Strategic blunders: In the haste of delivering recruiting services during a hiring spike, it is critical to ensure that you are crystal clear with executives about what deliverables they can expect as you ramp-up hiring. It sounds like a tactical blunder. However, failing to do so results in a credibility gap that is hard to repair! Executives must be clear about what they can expect from their recruiting organization IN ADVANCE of any needs. Under-promise and over-deliver. And keep the organization informed of progress regularly because of “selective memory syndrome”.

Six Degrees: Considering all of the frustrations you have experienced in your career as a recruiter, — what inspires you as you continue in your career?

I also love the transparency of the recruiting business. It is enough of a numbers game to predict results and then bask in the success. Likewise, the accountability keeps the team on their toes.

Six Degrees: What one thing do you ideally hope to accomplish in 2008?

CAROL: I am in the business to solve Talent Acquisition management problems. This year I would like to emerge as the go-to person when high-technology HR and TA managers have a problem that they need to solve. I may not solve it myself, but I know that I will be able to help by bringing my network, my experience and my creativity to bear.

Six Degrees: Tell me something others may not know about you.

CAROL: I am an avid reader. Although I’m very social and love people, my favorite pastime is reading. I usually have 2-3 going at a time: 1 business or non-fiction book, and 2 purely entertainment books – 1 which I read and another which I listen to on my IPOD.

Six Degrees: How Are You Going To Change The Recruitment Industry?

CAROL: I see my company working arm-and-arm with clients to evolve the recruiting organization into a highly accountable, well-resourced effort of companies that depend on knowledge workers to win in the marketplace. Many companies are overly-fixated on cost and ignore the “art” of attracting and landing the very best talent. Likewise, other companies throw money at the problem with little result. I want to help develop the next generation of career talent acquisition leaders who drive outstanding results by: crafting a tailored and flexible TA strategy, developing MEANINGFUL metrics, and cultivating innovative teams that are a chapter ahead of the market.

Founded by Carol Mahoney, TA on Demand was launched to deliver recruiting management solutions to organizations that rely on talent to create competitive advantage. Most recently VP of Talent Acquisition at Yahoo, Inc. from 2003 through 2009, Carol has enjoyed a successful HR career, with a focus on Talent Acquisition. She is now leveraging her expertise to create a consulting practice focused on delivering Talent Acquisition Management solutions.

Past Clients & Employers:

Consulting

• Using structured methodology, assess Talent Acquisition capability and approach, outlining strengths and gaps.
• Create client plan to strengthen Talent Acquisition function.
• Coaching/Mentoring of TA Leaders
• Talent Acquisition program work
  such as…
  • Sourcing and talent pipeline program development
  • Employer Brand
  • Candidate Assessment & Selection

Team building

• Customize and facilitate Best Year Yet, a team building and
  goal setting process
• Assist in building a TA organization including
  • Assemble SWAT team to meet needs of unanticipated hiring demand
  • Identify and select top TA contributors, vendors & employees

Recruitment Process Outsourcing

• Staff and manage outsourced teams of recruiting resources

By Katheryn Rivas

With unemployment at high levels in many places around the nation, finding a job is difficult for many. Of course, those just emerging with their college degrees and who don’t have a large amount of experience may find an even more daunting job market out there. Young job hunters shouldn’t lose hope, however, as these blog posts offer advice and inspiration created just for people in your situation who have a lifetime of career potential ahead of them.

General Advice

Here you’ll find all kinds of job hunting and career advice to get you started.

1. The Job Seeker of the Future: Learn what skills and attributes employers will be looking for in the coming years through the advice found on this blog.
2. Young Job Seekers Need 20-20 Vision: This blog post will help you forge the right direction for a career with staying power.
3. Career Advice for College Grads: Find all kinds of helpful advice from other college grads in this post.
4. 5 Things College Teaches You About Work (and 5 things it doesn’t): See what your college education taught you in terms of work and things you’ll have to learn on your own.
5. From Ivy League to Unemployed: How College Grads Should Approach the Job Hunt: Even those at the top of the educational ladder aren’t secured jobs at graduation. Learn what you can do to help make that battle a little easier from this post.
6. Meeting Employers Through Job Fairs: Job fairs can be great places to network and potentially even meet future employers, so check out this post for some advice on making the most of them.
7. Non-obvious guide to finding a great job: Not everything about job hunting is immediately evident, as this post points out.
8. 3 Golden Keys to Job Hunting for New Grads: Learn some ways that you can increase your chances of success in your job hunt through this post.
9. How to Successfully Search for a Job: Check out this article to learn how to make your job hunt a little easier.
10. College Grad Job Search – Are You Prepared?: Whether you’re graduating soon or have already graduated, chances are you’re not quite prepared for the harsh realities of the job market. Not to worry, this post offers some solid advice to get you started.
11. 7 Ways to Kick-Start Your Job Search: Get your job search up and running with a few pointers found on this site.
12. The 15-Point College Grad Job-Hunting Study Guide: Use these job hunting crib notes to make it a little easier to search for and find your first real job.

Resumes

Make sure your resume is up to snuff by reading through some of these helpful posts.

13. Students and Grads: Resume Boot Camp: This post will show you how to give your resume a total makeover.
14. The Purpose of a Resume- for New Grads: Here, learn what the true purpose of a resume is and discover how you can tweak yours to meet it.
15. 12 Eye-Catching Resume Tips: Read through this post to learn how to make your resume into one that will stand out in sea of other applicants.
16. The Power of a Well-Written Resume: This post will show you the true benefits of creating a resume that wows.
17. Resume writing for recent grads: a mini-how-to: Geared towards people your age, this post aims to show you how to write a good resume.
18. Sometimes Even New Grads Need More Than One Page: While in the world of resumes, shorter is often better, learn why going over a page can sometimes help you.
19. Resume Tips: How to deal with a low GPA: If you didn’t do as well as you’d have liked in college, learn how to make up for it on your resume here.
20. The benefits of getting a second (or third) opinion on your resumé: Here you’ll learn why you shouldn’t just create a resume and send it off without getting someone else to look at it first.
21. Drafting the Perfect Resume and Cover Letter: Get free advice on creating a stellar resume from this post.
22. Reducing Resume Clutter: If your resume looks something like your bedroom floor during finals week, then learn how to tidy it up here.
23. Powerful New Grad Resumes and Cover Letters: 10 Things They Have in Common: This post will show you what the best resumes are doing right and how you can adjust your own to compete.

Job Search

These bloggers offer some tips on how to make the job search process a little less painful and a lot more productive.

24. How New Grads Can Take Charge of Job Search Rejection: Hearing "no" is never fun, but this post will show you how to put rejections to good use.
25. Job Hunting 101 For New Grads: Learn the basics of job hunting from this post.
26. Tales of a Disgruntled Graduate: A View from the Front Lines of the Post-College Job Hunt: Get some perspective from the job searching world from another grad who’s already been there and done that.
27. Nine practical tips for graduate job seekers: This blog post is full of helpful advice for new grads on the hunt for work.
28. Job Seekers: Where and How to Find Jobs: Use this post to direct your job hunting energy in the right direction.
29. Five tips for young job-seekers during a recession: Recessions aren’t the ideal times to be searching for jobs, but this post offers some ways to make the best of the situation.
30. How to Organize Your Job Hunt: As this post will show you, keeping yourself organized during a job search can make the process a lot easier and smoother.
31. Mary Jeanne Vincent: In job hunt, sell what you have: Get some tips on getting the jobs you can from experts in the working world.
32. Who’s Hiring Recent College Grads: Resources for Entry-Level Job Seekers: Find out where you can access the greatest number of jobs right now from this post.
33. 7 Job Hunting Mistakes New Grads Make: We’re all human and we all make mistakes, but this blog post will help you try to avoid some of the big ones that can cost you a job.

Interviewing

If you’re lucky enough to make it to the interview, make sure you don’t blow it by reading these blog posts ahead of time.

34. 7 Common Interview Questions for the New Graduate: If you’re not sure what to expect at your first interview, review your answers to these common questions to prepare.
35. When Job Hunting, Dress for Success: This post explains what you should wear to your first interview.
36. Answer Strategies to Common Interview Questions: Learn how to answer interview questions with ease using this post.
37. On a Job Interview, Tips for Handling Tough Questions: When you’re asked a difficult answer at an interview, you don’t want to just freeze up, so use this post to teach yourself methods for navigating the worst and hardest questions out there.
38. Interview tips for grads: Get some basic interview tips to use through this post.
39. Interview Tips: How to Captivate and Impress a Hiring Manager: Here you’ll find great advice on making a memorable first impression.
40. Job Interview Cues that Say "Hire Me": Make sure you’re sending out the right kind of vibes at the interview with advice from this post.
41. Get Hired with These 7 Interviewing Tips: Use this post to give you some help navigating the interviewing process.
42. Tips for a Successful Phone Interview: Those finding work out of state may find themselves subject to a phone interview. If you’ve never done one before, make sure to read this post for advice.
43. How to Perform Well on a Job Interview: Get a few tips on making your first job interview your last for awhile in this post.
44. Prepare for Job Interview: Avoid the mistakes most applicants make!: Don’t make major blunders your first time through. Use the helpful advice found on this post instead.

Motivation

Finding a job can be a long and sometimes frustrating process but these posts offer hope and motivation to weary job hunters.

45. College grads finding job search tough, but not impossible: Get some hope for your job search in this post.
46. A Simple Job Search Motivator: This post aims to get you motivated to keep on searching for jobs.
47. 20 Motivational Songs for Your Job Search: Few things can get you pepped up quicker than good music, so check out these selections for motivated job hunting.
48. How to Stay Motivated During a Daunting Job Search: Job searching isn’t always fun, but this post offers some advice on keeping motivated even while facing big obstacles.
49. Open Letter to College Seniors and Recent Grads: Stop Whining: Some people need a little harsher take on motivation, and this blog post is just that.
50. Welcome to the Real World: My Best Advice for New Graduates: Get some advice to keep you going in this post.
51. 5 Reasons Why Doing What You Love Can Optimize Your Life: Learn why you should stick to finding a job doing something you love, even with all the obstacles, with help from this post.

Choosing a Career

Not sure where to even begin applying for jobs? These blog posts will help you choose a career direction after graduation.

52. Many college grads find work outside line of study: If you’re having a tough time finding a job in your major, consider another field. As this post will show you, it’s not at all uncommon.
53. 10 Tips for Successful Career Planning: Get some advice on planning out your career from this post.
54. One Strategy to Find Out What You Want to Do: Not sure how you want to progress with your post-college career? This post will give you some ideas on how to discover your passions.
55. Career Planning Advice: This post offers some great tips on planning your career over the next five, ten, or twenty years.
56. How to Make the Most Money With your College Degree: If money is your objective, then consider the career moves suggested in this post.
57. The Emerging Professional: Finding Your Passion: This post will help guide you towards your true career passions.
58. How to Doggedly Pursue Your Dreams in the Face of Naysayers: Here you’ll find inspiration to pursue the job and career you love no matter what others around you say.
59. Backing Your Career Passion: This post explains that many people are unhappy at their jobs, but offers solutions to find a job that truly meets your desires.
60. Writing a Career Action Plan: Why You Need One: If you don’t have one of these plans, learn more about what they do and why they’re important here.
61. College grads hit the road to find their dream jobs: Read this post to find out one way young grads are following their career dreams.

Using Technology

As part of a generation who has grown up using computers and technology, the opportunities the web has to offer should be part of your arsenal of job hunting tools. These posts will show you the way.

62. A Dozen Online Job Hunting Tips: Learn how to best scour the web for job opportunities with a little help from this post.
63. Build A Brand For Yourself to Make Your Job Hunt Easier: Don’t know what that entails? This post will explain in detail what you should be doing to create a personal brand.
64. How to Use Facebook for Job Search: Facebook is a great place to keep in touch with friends, but you can also use it to find work, as this post discusses.
65. Top 10 Benefits of Using Twitter during a Job Search: Make Twitter a valuable job hunting tool with advice found here.
66. How I Found My Job Using LinkedIn — A Windmill Networking Success Story: Online business networking may be new to you, but this post gives you a pretty good reason to consider diving in.
67. How To Go About Finding A Job Online: Check out this post for ideas on how to make the most of the millions of jobs listed online.
68. Leveraging Technology for your Job Search: If you know how to use technology, why not use it, as this post suggests, to help you find work?
69. Don’t Screw Up Your Job Hunt: Manage Your Online Reputation!: When you were in college, posting photos online of your drunken revelries seemed like a good idea, but now that you’re looking for work, they could come back to haunt you. Learn how to manage your online reputation here.
70. In the job hunt, beware of scams: Unfortunately, the online world is full of job scams. This post will teach you what to watch out for.
71. Social Media Job Search: Try using social media as a job hunting tool with help from this post.

First Jobs

Many students will be finding their first real job after graduation, and these posts offer some advice on doing it right.

72. 5 Tips to Prepare for that First "Real" Job Interview: If you’ve never applied for a serious job before, this post can help you get ready for success.
73. How to get your first job (as a recent graduate): Learn some tricks on getting that first job after college with this post.
74. Job for Pending College Graduate: Those who are graduating soon can plan ahead for job hunting with this post.
75. College Students: Finding Your First Job: Read through this site to find out how to best navigate the search for your first big job.
76. Making a First Impression: Starting a new job or looking for one can be nerve wracking, but you’ll learn some ways to make a good impression here.
77. Your First Days Working at a New Job: 20 Tips to Help You Make a Great Impression: This post will teach you how to wow your employers in your first few weeks of employment.
78. How To Behave At Your First Job: If you’ve never held a job anywhere but in fast food, this blog post can help you learn the rules of the workplace.
79. Interview Tips for the First Time Job Seekers: Make your first interviewing experience a pleasant one with tips from this blog.
80. Starting Your First Job: You got your degree, you got a job, now what? This post offers a little help for those new to the working world.
81. 5 Tips for Your First "Real" Job: Learn what you should be doing to get and keep post-college jobs.

Experience Boosters

You may not have a lot of work experience, but check out these posts for advice on finding other opportunities to bulk up your resume.

82. Internships Lead To Full Time Jobs: If you’ve never done an internship, this post can give you a pretty good reason why you might want to consider it.
83. Good College Student Resume Experience: Learn some great ways you can add experience to your resume from this post.
84. 3 Ways Unpaid Internships Pay: You might not make money, but here you can learn why unpaid work could pay big in the end.
85. Top Part-Time Jobs: Use Your Degree to Make Ends Meet: Even if you can’t get a full-time job, this post shows how you may be able to find some part-time work to hold you over.
86. Developing Leadership Skills: Read through this post to find some interesting and valuable ways to boost your leadership skills.
87. Tips for Every College Grad on Non-Profit Jobs: The tips on this site are geared towards students hoping to work in the non-profit sector, but many could apply just as easily to those in a wide range of other fields.
88. I don’t need an internship.: If you’ve ever found yourself uttering this phrase you may need to read this blog post.
89. 5 Steps to Achieving Maximum Benefit from Your Degree: Learn how to make the most of that big investment in college with help from this post.

Inspiration and Help

These posts offer young job hunters advice on de-stressing, making the most of their time and successful self-marketing–among other topics.

90. College Grad Job Prospects – A Little Good News: While the economy may be in a downturn, this post shows why it’s not all bad for young job seekers.
91. The 49 Best Ways To Find A Job In Today’s Horrible Economy: Get some pointers on making a go of it even when competition is tough.
92. Should You Always Accept "No" In Your Job Search?: Rejection in a job search is inevitable, but this post discusses whether or not you should always accept it as the final word.
93. 4 Tips for De-Stressing Your Job Search: Having a job is important, but this post will show you that lowering your stress and finding time for fun is as well.
94. Don’t Burn Bridges in Your Job Search: You never know where life will bring you, and this post will stress the importance of leaving doors open for yourself.
95. Inspiration: Go from Unemployed to Entrepreneur: Get inspired through this post to take matters into your own hands and start your own business.
96. Success Stories: Check out this post for some great job hunting and career success stories.
97. 10 Inspirational Online Business Stories: Coming from a generation brought up with technology, why not use that built-in expertise to start your own online business like the people in this article?
98. Inspiration for your job search: This post offers some advice and inspiration to help you keep your head up while job hunting.
99. Ten Ways to Market Your Liberal Arts Degree: Liberal arts degrees can be notoriously hard to find work with, but this post will show you some tricks on how to sell your knowledge to employers.
100. Use your qualification: Don’t waste all those years at college when you’re applying for jobs. This post will explain how to make the most of your qualifications.

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• New Blog Post: Meet Holly Lee, Engineering Staffing Consultant at Google http://bit.ly/9W4D1f #
• Meet Holly Lee, Engineering Staffing Consultant at Google http://bit.ly/dhPmKU #
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• @carolmahoney Following you via @MrTweet. Looking forward to your tweets! #
• Recommended @carolmahoney:'@davemendoza strongly recommends @carolmahoney #mrtweet as… ' http://bit.ly/aewktw #mrtweet #
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My friend and fellow recruiter, Brian K. Johnston reviews a product that is revolutionizing the selling process. I highly recommend this program for anyone seeking tools to influence people for the greater good of humanity, and there own personal bank accounts. ZERO EFFORT SELLING is the very best program on the market!

by Dave Mendoza

Holly Quotables:

I think hiring executives at times don’t give the staffing team enough credit for the work that we do. When a manager needs to meet their project deadlines, they would look at recruiters to get the job done with a magic wand, instead of educating us on what type of skill sets/person is needed to fit into their team. The reality is, it takes a recruiter time to earn credibility from any manager/employer.

At the end of the day, I still have to compete with fellow recruiters on meeting the numbers—yes, the numbers are still there!

• Holly Lee
• Front End Engineer Recruiter at Google
• RecruitingBlogs Profile
• Linkedin
• Facebook
• Favorite TV Shows: Grey’s Anatomy & Food Network
• Fan of the following: Lakers!
• Admirer of : Shally Steckerl and JobMachine Cheatsheets
• Quote: “Never letting the competition define you. Instead, you have to define yourself based on a point of view you care deeply about. –Tom Chappel”
• Community Volunteering: SGI Buddhist community in Silicon Valley
• Email
• Phone: 510-754-2401
** Currently recruiting top Software Engineers in Test**

Holly inhales adventure, be it as a global traveler or diving from planes. Before joining Google in January of 2010, she took a month off to see her family in Vietnam. Traveling helps rejuvenate her energy from becoming one of the top producers in her industry. She is also involved in the women’s basketball league, tennis, an expert hiker, and her next vacation destination is to tour Europe.

Six Degrees: Tell us of your home world.

Holly: I am lucky enough to still own a nice and quiet place in the Silicon Valley. Aside from being a workaholic, I LOVE food! I have tried all of Google’s chefs specialties, as well as venturing out to new restaurants in this beautiful Bay Area, CA. I am a people person inside out of work—I like to host dinner parties just to have an excuse to eat. My family are in the East Coast, which I keep a close relationship with. My new family addition will soon be a cat (calico).

If I have spare time, I enjoy reading up on my Nichiren Buddhism practice, meditation, yoga, and hiking to keep my body and mind healthy. I am also doing volunteer work in helping technical and non-technical professionals with their resumes and to be a guidance for them to seek employment opportunities. One of my to-do things is to volunteer in a community kitchen to serve the homeless.

The staffing industry has a high caliber and it is a very competitive environment. I have keep a daily workout and eating routine in order to stay ahead of the game. We are still under a recession—no need to stress, just network or I would recommend SKY DIVE—this would really take your mind off your worries!

Six Degrees: How many years have you been in the staffing industry?

Holly: I started recruiting in an agency back in Portland, OR in 2002. I placed help desk support, CRM, office admins, R&D, and infrastructure positions. I have a combine of 7 years in agency staffing full cycle recruiting and business development, and 5 years of in-house (tehcnical and healthcare). Some of my clients in the technology verticals includes: Siemens, SAP, GM, Tyco Electronic, Juniper Networks, and Otis Spunkmeyer. My passion is to help hiring executive to execute their projects by hiring top engineers for the specific skill sets. I also enjoy putting a recruiting strategy in place and leading a team of sourcers/recruiter to meet hiring demands.

As much as I enjoyed working for agency staffing, I have learned that my passion is more towards building great relationships with all the hiring committees. Recruiting for an in-house environment has taught me to become even more detailed, efficient, and still have to be on top of my game. At the end of the day, I still have to compete with fellow recruiters on meeting the numbers—yes, the numbers are still there!

My ultimate career goal is to become a staffing executive for a software company, and to learn what it takes to be a good leader. At this point, I was fortunate to have a project at Google and the opportunity to know what it takes for a company to raise to very top, like Google. I am where I should be in my career at this time.

Six Degrees: What single event had the most impact on your sourcing/recruiting career?

Holly: Every company I’ve worked for has their own ways of recruiting, and I have learned the different styles throughout each employment. For example, in the agency world, I really like the aggressive cold calling in hitting the numbers, yet finding quality in the middle of the madness. We also attended career fairs and connect with local Universities for to market our open opportunities. The in-house sourcing/recruiting is also affective, as they also have their systematic ways to find the best candidates. What I like most about in-house is that we have more time to focus on the quality hiring vs focusing on hitting our numbers in the agency world. One of my favorite tools to source for engineers would be LinkedIn or LinkedInRecruiter for best results.

Six Degrees: Do you have a mentor to whom you attribute your overall outlook on recruitment, capabilities, and/or model your career after?

Holly: I am currently seeking a mentor—any takers? Most of my jobs has been “pick up and roll with it”.

Six Degrees: Tell us about your most recent gig as a front end recruiter at Google, Holly.

Holly: I am based out of our Mountain View office, but am supporting hiring managers in the Western Region, as well as our New York office. My focus is recruiting for all levels of software engineer in test. Meaning, I am looking for software engineer that is an expert in coding C, C++, Java being the main requirements, and those engineers should have experience in development software test tools: automation

Six Degrees: What talent niche groups do you target and are these particular talent areas specialized under your review?

Holly: My current niche would be top engineers/scientist. Again, LinkedIn is very user-friendly when it comes to locating any groups in the recruiting arena. I make myself marketable in all the SE groups and keep a closer eye on experience engineers.

Six Degrees: What types of training in sourcing/ recruitment are available to you and have you taken advantage of?

Holly: In the past I have taken a few of Shally Steckerl and Dave Mendoza’s sourcing tips/training. I have also attended AIRS training classes.

Six Degrees: What recruitment software tools do you use in your day to day recruitment activities & do they translate effectively within all of the different countries where you recruit?

Holly: Google and LinkedIn search engines for Boolean searches. I also utilize internal ATS and sourcing systems.

Six Degrees: How did your expectations of being a recruiter compare to the actual, first time you got on the phone or in the cubicle? In your opinion, how do people’s assumptions about our vocation differ from reality?

Holly: My first impression of being a recruiter was frightening! I was nervous to get on the phone, as it was in a call center type environment back in the agency world. Especially recruiting for technology, which was not as easy as healthcare since my background was a chemistry tech prior to my staffing career. The reality is—if you have done a full cycle recruiting job in an agency setting, you can do any sales or recruiting job!

Six Degrees: Have you been involved in broader industry events as of yet?

Holly: No, but my favorite event would be the Web 2.0 in San Francisco.

Six Degrees: What are the most common themes of strategic and/or tactical mishaps involving past or present HR/Staffing org?

Holly: I think hiring executives at times don’t give the staffing team enough credit for the work that we do. When a manager needs to meet their project deadlines, they would look at recruiters to get the job done with a magic wand, instead of educating us on what type of skill sets/person is needed to fit into their team. The reality is, it takes a recruiter time to earn credibility from any manager/employer.

“Holly’s work and personality is a pure example of efficient energy. Holly and I are working together to bring top level expertise to Microsoft and Holly’s energy, enthusiasm and ideas are boundless. She is always willing to step up and take on tasks as well as to be there as a mentor for those around her. Holly also has her eye on delivery. Because she is goal oriented all her efforts are pointed in the direction of the end result whether that be cheering up a co-worker or closing a top level recruit. It has been a pleasure working with Holly and I highly recommend you get to know her.”
Christine (Crane) Barrow, former Vice President, TalentBridge International

“I have worked with Holly Lee for the few months at the Nokia Research Center in Palo Alto, CA. Holly is very personable…able to get along with everyone. I was amazed at how quickly she was able learn all of the Nokia processes. Holly helped with all of our intern recruiting and she always kept me in the loop of everything that was going on. She is very knowledgeable and is always willing to go the extra mile. I would definitely recommend Holly!”
Sonia Kim, University Relations Specialist, Nokia

Dave Mendoza is an award winning blogger, global speaker and sourcing consultant. He served as an Adjunct Faculty member at JobMachine.net, and is a corporate partner to RecruitingBlogs.com

Few in the recruiting business take “networking” more seriously or pursue it more passionately. Dave has been spotlighting the stories of staffing thought leaders and practitioners in the trenches for several years to highlight achievement and innovation. Read more at SixDegreesfromDave.com

I’ve read many a blog article suggesting a more upbeat assessment of the economic landscape, to some extent as if believing made it so. If 2009 taught us anything, you do not wait for the rising tide to lift all boats – you create your own fortune through the brunt force of tenacity. 2010 proceeds precisely as you navigate it and the product of due diligence on behalf of your client and overall career pursuits. Fate is what you make it.

I understand, it’s difficult in a very personal, emotional way that takes a toll on you and those you love. What we are witnessing is an overwhelming issue of uncertainty in the macro economy. Businesses don’t know what their tax rates are going to be this year. They know in 2011 they are going up. Should Federal Healthcare Reform prevail, we are seeing the combined top tax rate for small businesses in Wisconsin for example, at 54.27%. We have huge regulatory uncertainty in 2010. Costs inherent in Cap & Trade, will be just as easily supplemented by EPA regulatory fiat, should it fail to pass. . So what is a hiring manager going to think about the future? Projecting headcount at Fortune 500 companies is done within a landscape in flux. Corporations factor the ability to attract capital, corporate market share, inventories, GDP and unemployment as a whole. Moreover, weakness in labor markets and the sharp fall in labor income ensures a self fulfilling, weak recovery due to weak consumer confidence; increasing the risk of a double dip recession. A few important factors to take into account if you wait for economic bell weathers to determine your next step:

• While the official unemployment rate is already 10%, when you include discouraged workers and partially employed workers the figure is a whopping 17.5%.
• Many firms are telling their workers to cut hours, take furloughs and accept lower wages. Specifically, that fall in hours worked is equivalent to another 3 million full time jobs lost on top of the 7.5 million jobs formally lost.
• The average length of unemployment is at an all time high; the ratio of job applicants to vacancies is 6 to 1.

The ratio of job applicants to vacancies is particularly relevant to recruiters competing for finite openings. To illustrate: When I featured a key technology company’s call for over 200 staffing openings, over 1,000 applied to my post. In this particular scenario and ongoing to date, Senior level contract recruiters and sourcers long accustomed to the luxury of being virtual and corp-to-corp faced increasing rejection due to on-site and w-2 requirements. The W-2 issue alone plays a factor that previous capital expenditures as write-offs are endangered, which exacerbate the amount of time to recoup losses in business savings that weathered 2009. Even the recent news of a positive 5.7% quarter of economic growth offers only part of the story. Businesses eventually have no other choice but to increase inventories and make obligatory investments they have otherwise put off.

As you gasp and sigh, I am determined to breakdown the obstacles, to remind you that it is not in the macro-economic data that determines your fate, it is in the specificity of your hunt, – the micro is your personal approach. The question posed is not simply “what is going to be the shape of tan eventual recovery,” but rather, how are you as a recruiter going to ensure risks are identified and your game plan managed? First things first, stop praying in front of a job board after each Boolean Search; i.e., (Recruiter OR Talent OR Sourcer OR Recruitment OR Staffing). Due diligence takes a broader approach to identify opportunity. I propose each of the following exercises as part of a broader strategic effort to add value to the fundamentals of both job search and career success:

1) Understand your target industry(s): Navigate your job search and career advancement as you would if you were a day trader – watch as many cable news economic panelists as possible and do so regularly. Various corporate Quarterly reports and stock patterns provide a glimpse into what industries are flat, in growth mode, or projecting sustained growth. Company by Company, industry by industry – forgo setting your expectations on the broader economic news. Target specifically and efficiently.

2) Avoid one size, fits all in the manner you distribute your resume or view advertised jobs: Too often senior recruiters make the same mistakes as the unemployed candidates they have hired or passed on. They apply the old fashioned way, by looking at known openings rather then assessing that fiscal year budgetary assumptions change head counts. Imagine your success looking the pre-digital way; be it the classified newspaper or on a job center wall. You couldn’t compete in today’s information autobahn. Rather, you apply for jobs yet unknown and unannounced. You don’t apply to an impersonal, careers email address, you seek the department or business group staffing executive if not a senior recruiter within the group. As in all things, go to the source of hire, by sourcing their contact info as specifically as possible. Find a name and title of a key decision-maker at “BigCompany” but don’t know their email? If you need to proceed further than Jigsaw or Zoominfo, Google FirstName.LastName mailto:*@company.com

3) Research, database your targets, and invite … Repeat. Where do you start? The low hanging fruit suggests Recruitingblogs and ERE.net, Linkedin recruiter groups, Google/Yahoo recruiter based groups are a few mentionables as the direct way to identify fellow peers. Moreover, lead databases such as Jigsaw, Zoominfo are quick ways to identify staffing executives and jumpstart your efforts to building corporate staffing org charts. For those who take great joy in peer searches, I like to try this string. Create search strings on various search engines to broaden your knowledge of direct reports. Given that recruiters are blog and website savvy, try various search tools like IceRocket, Tweepz, Gigablast, pipl, and Whois.domaintools.com – to name a few.

4) Peer-to-Peer Open Networking: Connect to other recruiters, staffing executives and thought leaders. It’s not who you know, but who knows you. You can drink the Koolaid of “doesn’t know” and click delete, or you can realize that who you know is already in your Outlook contacts. Yes it’s true. Why wouldn’t it be? I assume by being unemployed you will have eventually exhausted your Outlook by now.

5) Social media is most effective when its observed as part of a broader strategy: It’s a process within a new solution, not a one step road to success. It’s the yellow brick road in the introduction journey: Linkedin is your next step to introducing yourself to them, becoming their Twitter followers as a means to then directly message them, moreover phase three onward to a Facebook invite with your prior recent connections mentioned as a point of origin to reintroduce yourself with your contact info and resume.

6) Don’t be “That Person”: The person who only contacts pertinent decision makers when he/she needs something. Who receives but rarely gives. Who says thank you that ‘one time.’ Keep in touch every few months and offer your assistance routinely and sincerely. Don’t be the person who people mock when they read “Contact me by cell if I can be of help” on the bottom of your Linkedin or Facebook Profile and yet you don’t include your actual number. Complete that profile as thoroughly as possible with as many links to track you down as feasible so that a layoff doesn’t cut off your tracks to being found. (Yes I have seen that one too many times.)

7) Spreadsheeting or Databasing Updates don’t Start and End with a job Search: Regularly update and inquire on new contacts to add as if your position is never secure. In most instances it isn’t. 9/11 and Bank Sector crises happen when you least expect it. Assume the next crisis is a day-to-day game changer. Be ahead of the game.

Know what Questions need to be asked rather than simply seeking answers: The Staffing Industry profession Requires Us to be life long students. Technology and best practices dictate we adopt and assimilate, if not also innovate. You never stop learning. You never presume to know what you need is enough. Never resist an offer to be taught and always invite a Mentor in your life. Never assume the most junior member amongst you doesn’t have information you can use. You are as good as the mentors you keep in your inner circle and the contributions you make within it.

9) Try to understand your detractors as you would your friends and colleagues: Misunderstandings can be extremely superficial as they are repairable.

10) The worth of your various social relationships are not simply accounted for in the form of present monetary value. Don’t treat colleagues as assets according to who they know and can introduce you to as a means to an end. Knowledge gained from your contemporaries is its own reward as it is to extend sincere kindness. Learn to relish kindness as much as you embrace it to keep you warm on those cold and sullen days. Kindness makes you more productive and valuable as a coworker and as a human being. Be remembered for all the right reasons. Prove who you are in both the worst and best of times and serve as an example in your own right. Moreover, humble yourself in asking others the secrets to their success. To be succinct, ask of others and diligently follow through in assembling your circle of mentors and keep them close regardless of economic situations.

Know your world, the economy that affects our broader industry, and understand the business sector your niche is within. Above all, for you it’s not a spectator sport. Consider this analogy: It’s deeply personal, your horse is in the race. The jockey rides to victory on the horse he came on. Your search strings and how you relate within your industry, both virtually and, in person, will be the horse your job search success depends upon. Your due diligence in your job search and in meeting your long term career goals will likewise be reflected. It’s your destiny – start to respect it with a certain standard of care.

Join me in making a toast to a year wiser, and moving forward regardless of the broader economic landscape.

By Dave Mendoza

Libby Sartain Quotables:
“Today’s candidate, today’s worker is not the compliant applicant who used to apply for a job. The consumer of work looks for a work experience not a job. That means he or she isn’t looking for a “job” but for an overall experience that includes meaningful work, a career enhancing role, …”

“While the early adopters of this new mindset are members of Generation Y, the change is too complex to attribute to any one demographic group. The patterns of change are as true of people in their twenties as they are of people in their fifties.”

“The billboard was a math problem on a white background with no other information: {first 10-digit prime found in consecutive digits of e}.com … few would be capable of solving that problem on their morning commute, but many software engineers quickly devised codes and programs to solve the problem, which gave them the ten digits that led to a URL linked to the website. The site congratulated their brilliance and invited them to complete more quizzes and jump more hurdles to apply for a job.”

After 30 years in corporate HR/Talent Management, Libby Sartain is now an active business advisor, Board Member, and HR thought leader. She is the former CHRO of both Yahoo! Inc. and Southwest Airlines and serves on the Board of Directors of Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Inc., (Nasdaq: PEET).

She is an active advisor to several start ups including Alumrise, Jobvite, Reputationdefender.com and consultant on HR, Employer Branding and Talent Management. A frequent speaker and is often quoted as a thought leader in human resources. She was recently listed in John Sumser’s Top 100 Influencers in the HR/Staffing Industry.

Libby served as chairman of the board of the Society for Human Resource Management in 2001 and was named fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources in 1998. Human Resources Executive named her as one of the 25 most powerful women in HR in 2005. She holds an MBA from the University of North Texas and a BBA from Southern Methodist University.
Sartain is the co-author of HR from the Heart: Inspiring Stories and Strategies for Building the People Side of Great Business, AMACOM and Brand from the Inside: Eight Essentials to Connect Your Employees to Your Business. And her newest book, “Brand for Talent: Eight Essentials to Make Your Talent As Famous As Your Brand” was published in early April 2009.

Six Degrees: Tell us of your home world, Libby.

Libby: My husband, David Sartain, and I have been married 32 years. He had a very busy career as a Technical Account Manager for several software companies over the years. Now we live about 30 miles outside of Austin, TX and are dedicated to maintaining a semi-retired lifestyle, staying active in our community. And, I want to stay part of the vibrant world of HR.


We were brought to this life through seeking a connection with my heritage. In 2004 we bought a ranch that was once a cotton plantation built by my ancestors who were early Texas settlers in 1856. We have been restoring the house ever since and are slated to move in this year. We have been living full time in our guesthouse since August 2008.

This place has spawned many hobbies, such as; genealogy , mid-nineteenth century antiques, obsession with Texas history and the Civil War, and home restoration. I have met many distant relatives and befriended the descendants of the slaves who once worked here. They wrote a book about their experience and I wrote the foreword. I have a blog on all of this for my family and friends.

I grew up in New Orleans, and that culture shaped my outlook on life. I love a great party, friends, food and fun! I went to college in Dallas and lived there more than 30 years, where I have many family and friends. I spent 7 years in the Silicon Valley.

We are huge Dallas Cowboys fans and have season tickets, but I was very proud to see the New Orleans Saints win the Super Bowl—finally!

We now live on a ranch about 25 minutes from the Austin airport. That gives me the opportunity to get out in the real world as often as I would like. I have one grown daughter who is an M.D. doing her residency at Boston Children’s. I am very proud of her accomplishments. We have two adorable dogs, Hugs and Oreo that are poodle/Shih Tzu and Poodle/Lhasa Apso mixes. Our newest addition is Ink the barn cat, who spends most of her time inside bugging me while I try to write.

Six Degrees from Dave: I understand you have been active in Community Volunteering and historical preservation efforts. Can you share your experiences with us?


Libby: I have generally been active in the communities I lived in, except the Silicon Valley…where all we did was work! In the past in Dallas I worked with the Shakespeare Festival, Family Place, Wesley-Rankin Center. Currently, I live outside of a very small town, which is the most historic town in Texas. I serve as a trustee for the Bastrop County Historical Society and am leading the Community Fundraising initiative as part of our efforts to raise $1.25 million to build a new Museum and Visitors’ Center in the heart of downtown on Main Street.

National Trust for Historic Preservation named Bastrop, Texas, one of its 2010 Dozen Distinctive Destinations. We are very proud because of our work with the Main Street revitalization program, the museum, and because we were able to keep one of the jewels of downtown alive.

My husband and I own the town café on Main Street. We didn’t intend to own a restaurant, but to be a landlord of various investment properties. Unfortunately, our tenant—the café operator—passed away suddenly and we had to take over the restaurant. It is more of a hobby than a business, but it is the heart and soul of the town, the place where everyone meets for breakfast, including the good ole boys. Thanks to a lot of work and an excellent workforce, we were named one of the “Top 40 Small-Town Cafes in Texas” by Texas Monthly Magazine.

Six Degrees from Dave: Tell us about Your Consulting efforts since your Yahoo Days:


Libby: I am my own company and my own brand as the sole proprietor and investor in Libby Sartain, LLC, founded in 2008. I am working hard at maintaining a semi-retired lifestyle.

I bill myself as an HR advisor. That means I divide my time between public speaking, writing, and “advising”. I have a couple of good consulting clients. I advise several start-ups: JobVite, Reputation Defender, and Alumrise. (And, a couple who have gone kaput—not because of my advice.) I also serve on the Board of Directors of Peet’s Coffee and Tea (NASDAQ) where I am head of the compensation committee.

I market my work as a blogger and via my website, but I am pretty picky about what I say “yes” to. For me at this phase of my life, I only want to do what I enjoy.

To inquire further about my speaking engagements availability, and speaking topics, you can contact my agent at GDA Spotlight, Julie O’Keefe.

Six Degrees: How did you get started in the Humam Resources/ Staffing industry?


Libby:I made an early decision to go into HR at age 19. Back then it was called Personnel Administration. From my student days, both undergrad and graduate, I was active in SHRM (formerly ASPA) and I attribute a lot of my success to that involvement. I spent only a couple of years working as a recruiter in the 1980’s at Mary Kay Cosmetics. From there, I went into Comp and Benefits where I thought I would do a short stint, but turned out spending more than a decade in this complex field.. I worked in corporate HR for 30+ years at publicly traded companies with 15 years as CHRO at both Southwest Airlines and Yahoo! Inc. Besides being a CHRO, I possess a strong area of expertise in Compensation and Benefits and Employer branding.

As Executive Vice President of Human Resources for Yahoo, where I oversaw recruiting in intense marketplaces for talent. I learned the importance of establishing a best employer brand and a talent brand that acts as a magnet for the right talent.

Six Degrees: Can you provide Insight on the significance of Employer Branding for Recruiters

Libby: Many recruiters who espouse a strong advocacy for employer branding are really focused on selling the organization to prospects versus creating an experience inside an organization for workers that supports the deliver of the consumer brand promise. To compete in the talent marketplace today and organization needs three brands:

Six Degrees: I have read about your emphasis on the concept, “The Consumer of Work” – can you elaborate?


Libby: Today’s candidate, today’s worker is not the compliant applicant who used to apply for a job. The consumer of work looks for a work experience not a job. That means he or she isn’t looking for a “job” but for an overall experience that includes meaningful work, a career enhancing role, and an organization or group that is socially responsible and works toward a sustainable world. And, if the experience isn’t what is promised, then the consumer seeks to find a better work experience, or plans to as soon as the economy gets better.

The generation entering the workforce today was born a consumer. And while still a consumer, he or she brings new habits and values to their behavior as a consumer. The new consumer of work treats finding work just like ordering a product or service. This consumer is educated, discerning and in control. This consumer checks to confirm his or her values are in line with the values of the place where he or she looks for work.

While the early adopters of this new mindset are members of Generation Y, the change is too complex to attribute to any one demographic group. The patterns of change are as true of people in their twenties as they are of people in their fifties.

This hungry, insightful, savvy consumer quickly looks at what a brand represents. The worker looks at the CEO and leadership team, and what they have done to create something in the business. They look not just to see if the organization has met its stated objectives, but how it treats workers all over the world, and how it treats our environment.


The new consumer will quickly compare the opportunities of Business #A and Business #B using the consumer skills learned at the mall and online. And brand will be an easy and familiar way to compare places to work just as it is to compare places to buy.

The Baby Boomer will be as much of a consumer of work as their younger counterparts. They will look for meaningful experiences and if they can’t find it in a corporate setting, they will start their own small businesses.

Now is a great time to get ready for this new worker. Can you craft the kind of work that will appeal? Can you develop a brand that will reach out? Can you hang on to some of your institutional knowledge by allowing baby boomers to work the way they would like to work?

Six Degrees from Dave: What single event had the most impact on your sourcing/recruiting career?

Libby: Two times come to mind. The first was during the mid to late 90’s when Southwest Airlines went from having a pool of screened candidates waiting for a job to open up to a dry creek bed with no candidates during the dot com boom. We had to learn how to plan “just in time” to have a worker ready as the opening came available. I learned how critical and volatile strategic workforce planning could be. It was a tough time for those of us trying to deliver, but it also gave rise our work in employer branding.


The second is the day we discovered Google was directing its recruiting efforts at our workforce at Yahoo. We had been in an enviable position. We had a recognizable brand in the world and we were one of the top employer brands in the world too—in the top most desired for MBA’s, Engineers, across the world.

In the summer of 2004, that position was put into jeopardy when a mysterious billboard appeared on Highway 101 in the Silicon Valley near Yahoo headquarters (and another showed up near Microsoft headquarters in Washington State). The billboard was a math problem on a white background with no other information: {first 10-digit prime found in consecutive digits of e}.com. From what I understand, few would be capable of solving that problem on their morning commute, but many software engineers quickly devised codes and programs to solve the problem, which gave them the ten digits that led to a URL linked to the Google website. The site congratulated their brilliance and invited them to complete more quizzes and jump more hurdles to apply for a job at Google. I had to admit that it was a clever way to recruit talent. Within a few hours bloggers were blogging and business writers were writing about Google’s hiring needs and the very smart people they targeted for hire.


That was the beginning of my education as to how to compete in one of the most intense talent marketplaces of all time. And, through collaborative efforts with our Marketing, Communications, and Technology teams we held our own by establishing our own talent brand. We didn’t want people who were just smart enough to solve a math problem. We wanted people who could solve real problems for the biggest audience in the world. Experience told us that was true, but it was validated when I read in the Wall Street Journal a quote from the head of recruiting at Google who said that when they competed against Yahoo, they won 50% of the time.

Six Degrees from Dave: Tell us about the mentors who helped develop your overall outlook within our industry.

Libby: I had many wonderful mentors along the way. Bill Moore, my CEO at an early job took a strong interest in my career and taught me a lot about working as an executive. He established a group of fast trackers in the organization and taught us about time management, working with assistants, about how to think and act like a sales person since everyone in the organizations sells the product and expected us to know about the business first before we even started working in our fields.

At Southwest I worked closely with Ann Rhoades, now President of People Ink, who taught me to look beyond the nuts and bolt of HR to what HR delivers and how to sell the HR Agenda to the organization and leaders.


Colleen Barrett gave me my big break by promoting me to V.P. of People. When I was at Southwest Airlines, Colleen served in the role of “Executive Vice President of Customers”. Colleen created the Culture Committee, the Proactive Customer Service Group, and many other innovative programs to insure that Customers, inside and outside are served as specified in our brand promise. Employees or “internal customers” were Customer #1. This philosophy led to the creation of and success of this unique role. And, since I reported to Colleen, I learned a lot about marketing and customer relations along the way.

Due to Colleen’s leadership, Southwest considered Customers, with a capital “C”, to be anyone inside or outside the company who we serve or who provides service to us. That includes Employees, with a capitol “E”, Customers, Vendors, Business Partners. Reporting to the EVP of Customers were: Marketing, Sales, HR (People Department), Customer Relations, Frequent Flier Program, Governmental Affairs, and other functions that served primarily internal and external customers.

At Yahoo, I learned so much from my co-workers and leaders. Terry Semel, former CEO at Yahoo, was a levelheaded leader who had the patience to take his time to make decisions during our turnaround. Sue Decker, EVP, Advertiser and Publisher Group at Yahoo, was brilliant when it came to financial matters. When she was my bossed, I learned to think about HR as a business driver. Jerry Yang, our founder, and later my boss was the heart and soul of the organization and never let me forget what we stood for.


Outside of the organization many people have helped me along the way. I always find it helpful to be part of a small group of peers to serve as advisors and friends. In Dallas, I was part of a “Hole in the Wall” gang and in the Silicon Valley, “the HR Divas”. I couldn’t have survived without either.