December 22, 2009

Cameron-Brooks Alumni Partner to Make a Difference in a Patient’s Life

When I meet with junior military officers (JMOs) to discuss a possible transition from military to business, I often hear them express the concern of finding a career where they feel they will make a difference.  I understand this since these JMOs have been serving our country, fighting the war on terror, and defending our freedom.  When I was a JMO considering a transition, I remember Cameron-Brooks Recruiter Steve Sosland telling me that I would find new ways to serve others and have worthwhile work in my career.  Frequently, Cameron-Brooks Alumni share with me how they are making an impact in their careers and making a difference in people’s lives.  Yesterday, an alumnus called to tell me the difference that he and a Cameron-Brooks Alumna had made in a patient’s life that day.

Dan, the Cameron-Brooks Alumnus to whom I am referring, is a Clinical Specialist with a leading medical device company in their neuromodulation division in south Florida.  Neuromodulation is a therapy that uses microelectronic devices implanted in a patient’s back with leads (wires) that go into the spine.  The microelectronic device sends electricity through the leads into the spine and this electricity creates a tingling sensation that masks debilitating pain.  Dan was called into an emergency case last week where a patient with a heart pacemaker also needed a neuromodulation device for pain management.  A pacemaker uses similar technology to neuromodulation stimulation where a microelectronic device sends electricity through leads to the heart to synchronize an irregular heartbeat.  Pacemakers are cardiac rhythm management (CRM) devices and sold and supported by another division of the company.  Because the devices both use microelectronic stimulation they can interfere with one another if not implanted properly.  The procedure for the patient would require a representative from both divisions of the company to advise the physician.  It just so happens that the CRM Field Clinical Representative in south Florida, Laura, is a Cameron-Brooks Alumna.  (By coincidence, both alumni also attended the November 2008 Career Conference.)

In the procedure, the two Cameron-Brooks Alumni, Dan and Laura, guided the surgeon on implanting and synchronizing the devices, ensuring the patient had an effective and life saving pacemaker and a neuromodulation device.  When Dan and Laura completed the procedure, they shared with one another how much they enjoyed their careers and discussed how Cameron-Brooks facilitated their transition which ultimately played a part in this procedure, impacting the patient and physician.  Later that day, Dan called me to share the story. 

This story not only points to the fact that, yes, JMOs can find value in their work outside of the military, but also illustrates the Cameron-Brooks partnership of facilitating a win for our clients, a win for our candidates and ultimately a win for Cameron-Brooks.

Joel Junker

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December 15, 2009

Connecting with Others During the Holidays

Last week I traveled to El Paso , TX and Manhattan, KS to meet with JMO candidates enrolled in the Cameron-Brooks Development and Preparation Program (DPP), as well as other JMOs considering a business career.  I do not get to travel much, though I enjoy it.  One of the things I enjoy most about traveling is the various people I meet and get to know.  I am not referring to the JMOs in this instance, though I  find that thoroughly rewarding as well.  In this case I mean other travelers, hotel staff, and shuttle bus drivers. 

When I first started traveling for Cameron-Brooks, I found it lonely.  Then I started a competition with myself.  How many people can I help in a day?  I figured when I put less focus on myself, I would enjoy my travels more.  It doesn’t take much to earn a point.  It can be simple.  During this past trip, I wrote a letter to the General Manager of the Radisson Hotel in El Paso praising Ricardo and Marcus on their outstanding customer service in helping me set up my meeting room.  These two young men had no incentive to help.  The room had been set the way I had requested,  until I decided to change it before the meeting began.  With a lot of energy, a smile, and calling me Mr. Junker, they delivered more banquet chairs, brought a pitcher of water, and unearthed a door stop – from where I have no idea.  What could I do for them?  At most of these hotels, employees get a pay raise, bonus, or a day off when a customer writes a letter like this.  These guys deserve it.  Before I started my competition, I probably would have gone on about my business without taking time to give back to Marcus and Ricardo.

As I was walking to my flight in the El Paso airport , I saw an older gentleman whose bag of Christmas presents had ripped allowing all of the presents to fall on the floor.  This was late Friday afternoon, and the airport was crowded.  People walked by ignoring his plight, while the gentleman stood tying his bag back together.  When I reached him, there was one present left on the floor and I simply handed it to him. 

Finally, when I pulled out of the airport parking area to make a turn onto the highway there was an old mini-van with it’s emergency lights flashing, sitting at the intersection.  I pulled up behind the mini-van, and the older lady who was driving waved me to pass.  I had an hour and half drive ahead of me and I wanted to get home after being gone for a week. I pulled ahead, got ready to make the turn, and then thought , “How many other people like me will drive by leaving her in the middle of the road, instead of stopping and helping her move out of the way?”  In my head, I could hear one of my Notre Dame ROTC Instructors saying, “If not you, who?”  So I reluctantly pulled over and ran back.  There were three young children in the van along with the lady, and she told me she had no transmission fluid left.  I got behind the van and pushed her across the intersection and out of the way.  She reached her hand out and grabbed mine and said, “Thank you.”  That made it worth it.  So did driving by my favorite wine store in Austin on the way home and rewarding myself with a nice bottle of wine.

I do not share this with you to insinuate that I am a good person or to look for compliments, but rather to show that taking the  focus off myself and puting it on helping others, changed my attitude.  It helped me connect with other people whom I previously would have passed by and barely noticed.  This change has made my travels more enjoyable.  During the Holiday Season, many of you will travel or simply be busy with all of the tasks that come with this time of year.  It is easy to get self-absorbed when we are so busy.  When this happens, look for ways to help, and if that doesn’t motivate you, play a game with yourself and set a nice a reward for a certain number of points. 

 Joel Junker

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December 8, 2009

Cameron-Brooks JMO Attitude

Last week, a Cameron-Brooks client company recruiter reminded me that she not only prefers Cameron-Brooks JMOs because of their talent and potential but also because of their attitude.  The Cameron-Brooks JMO brings an attitude of “giving” to the organization, focusing on results, investing in self-development and being a team player. 

This recruiter is a manager at a medical device company and called because she has been trying to fill an opening since August.  Now, just think about that for a minute.  - Ready?  Unemployment has been around the 10% range; the highest since the early 1980’s. There are approximately six applicants for every single opening according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, yet this is a leading medical device company where numerous people want to have a career.  The recruiter explained she initially felt  as if this opening required previous medical device sales experience versus a JMO background because of the territory.  She received numerous resumes and conducted numerous interviews, though the candidates in her words brought “awful” attitudes to the process.

She explained to me that she identified talented sales professionals with a track record of success.  However, during the process and before she ever made an offer, candidates asked about how much time off they would have, if they could take Thursday afternoons off to coach a soccer team, and the possibilities of living two hours away from the territory.  The sales manager recruiter said to me, these questions are okay after a person has an offer AND has been a top performer in the position for at least a year.  She went on to explain that she has a great attitude about work /life balance issues with her top performers, but that’s just it, the person needs to demonstrate he/she can master the position, grow market share, deliver value to customers, and more, BEFORE taking time off to coach, living further away from the territory and expect ing additional time off. 

This recruiter may be giving me extreme examples to prove her point, though our conversation provided me with fodder for this blog.  Roger Cameron has said, “A candidate’s attitude is often more important in determining the outcome of the interview than any other factor. Specifically, it is the attitude of giving versus taking.”  Too often, candidates go into an interview wanting to know what’s in it for them. While attitude is far from the only factor in determining interview success, it is one of the most important.

Recruiters are looking for things such as: work ethic, adaptability, significant accomplishments, understanding of business concepts (Lean Six Sigma, Project Management, Participative Leadership), interpersonal skills, promotable potential, short and long term goals that match the position, and more.  Whereas, candidates with a “taking” attitude will be concerned with issues such as: location, benefits, time off, next promotion, travel, etc.  When this happens, the interview process ends up being an “apples and oranges” conversation because the recruiter who owns the interview has one agenda and the candidate has another.  This typically results in a recruiter ruling out the candidate, as happened with our client company in question.

For those Junior Military Officers (JMOs) preparing for a military to business transition, whether you use a JMO headhunter, JMO recruiter, or conduct your own career search - remember – you must first give, in order to receive.  My advice is to enter every interview with the thoughts, “What can I give this company? How can I convince this recruiter that I am the person to do the job? What proof and evidence can I give?” 

Every candidate has a want list.  You have in your mind the ideal salary, location, benefit package, and other factors that define your perfect career opportunity.  Most everyone has their own list.  Successful candidates,  however, address their list later in the interview process while they are evaluating offers.  Average candidates make the mistake of taking the list with them into the interview.  This want list should be deployed only when you have an offer in hand.  And, some issues are better not brought up in the interview or offer process at all.  They are topics that can be discussed after you have proven your value to a company.

You first must give, in order to receive.

 Joel Junker

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December 2, 2009

Obstacles Build Character

As I head into the final month of 2009, I am reflecting on the challenges of the past year.  While doing this I read Roger Cameron’s Tip of the Month from January 2002.   2001, like 2009, was a challenging year with a recession and the September 11 terrorist attacks.  Roger’s Tip impacted me on the importance of perseverance and overcoming obstacles to build character.  I rewrote Roger’s Tip from January 2002 to apply to 2009.  I hope it helps you as much as it is helping me.

As a junior military officer (JMO) recruiting firm, we have the opportunity of working with clients from a variety of industries as well as JMOs from all military branches.  With a recession and two wars, Cameron-Brooks, our clients, and JMO candidate partners have had numerous obstacles to overcome and many of them unexpected and new.  Through personal experience as well as listening to Cameron-Brooks Alumni, our client recruiters and JMO candidates, I have learned the road to success is filled with pitfalls and challenges.  I have always known that there is no such thing as overnight success and that work can become increasingly frustrating when nothing comes easily.  However, this year has taught me perseverance by overcoming my own difficulties and achieving success while learning from others who have done the same.

Going all the way back to playing little league, I remember a phrase indicating the true test of character as being what you do when you are faced with (or buried under) obstacles, while staring failure and hardship right in the face.  2009 provided opportunities to experience and learn this again, and I am quite sure I will have more opportunity in the future. 

Anyone can feel good when standing on a peak in life.  Anyone can be happy being part of a winning team.  Character is shown in how you respond when you are in one of the valleys between the peaks, or what you do when your organization is struggling.  What we do in difficult times is what defines us.  The people who use inner strength to fight their way out of the lows, will rise above others and emerge as leaders in an organization.  The people who become the change they want in their organization regardless of how hard it is, are the leaders of tomorrow.  They simply refuse to quit, and instead continue persevering to find a way to win. 

I ask you to reflect on 2009 with me.  Ask yourself if your character was tested in a tough situation(s) when the deck was stacked against you.  In these situations, how did you respond?  Did you dig in and find a way to win regardless?  Did you roll up your sleeves and put in the extra time required for success?  Did you get to work early and stay late?  Did you go above and beyond for a customer?  Did you practice and prepare and prepare and prepare, etc.?  Did you take time to read motivational material?  Was your self-talk positive or negative?  Did you lead and set the example?  Did you continue the struggle toward the goal despite the roadblocks?  If you didn’t do things like this but instead used statements such as “should have, could have, would have” you might be headed to the club called mediocrity.  Cultivating habits of overcoming obstacles early in your career (military or business) will guarantee that you will achieve your potential, help your organization and its people reach theirs, and ensure that both avoid mediocrity. 

 As you look forward to 2010 and setting goals, remember that tribulations are tests that can be overcome with perseverance.  Demonstrating perseverance leads to proven character.  Proven character determines who you are. And who you are, more than any other thing, determines what you will achieve in your professional and personal life.

 Joel Junker

(Adapted from Roger Cameron’s January 2002 Tip of the Month)

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November 25, 2009

Thanksgiving Thoughts

This Thanksgiving week I am taking extra time to be more grateful for what I have in my life and career.  I am also working on improving positivity and being conscious of any type of cynical attitude or approach I may have.  Last week I became more aware of cynicism and its negative effects through reading a post called The Scourge of Cynicism in Michael Hyat’s Blog, Leading With a Purpose.  He begins the blog with, “It (cynicism) is like cancer to the human soul.  It is especially deadly when it affects an organization.”  Hyatt goes on to define cynic and cynical as well as pointing out three symptoms of being infected – 1) Distrust of others’ motives, 2) Commenting  negatively about others, and 3) Pessimism about the future.  You can read the full blog post here http://michaelhyatt.com/2007/04/the-scourge-of-cynicism.html.

Hyat says we all have some cynic in us. We need to be conscious of it and also help others who exhibit the symptoms.  After reading his post and heading into this week focused on giving thanks, I determined to evaluate any of my behaviors that may be symptomatic and then set the example for others.  My focus areas lie in the last two symptoms  –  being more positive about others, and the future.  I encourage you to take time to evaluate any areas of cynicism in your life and then spend time during the next couple of days being conscious of your behaviors.  Do you engage in negative conversations about others?  Do you just stand by when someone else speaks negatively of another person?  Do you believe in the good of people and their motives?  When you talk to others about the future, is it mostly positive or negative?  Then, take a couple of days to listen to other people.  You will likely notice some cynicism.  Hopefully it will be less apparent this week, so maybe the listening should begin next week.  It’s good to perform this exercise because it heightens your awareness.  As a leader, you can make a difference by first setting the example, and then later coaching others.  But remember, you can’t ask others to do something you will not do yourself.

Finally, be appreciative each day.   Every day my alma mater, Notre Dame, sends me a motivational tip.  Recently, the tip suggested taking time at the end of each day to write 10 things for which I am thankful.  The tip went on to contend that by doing this, I would naturally become  more positive and grateful for all that I have in my life and career.

Here is my list for today and Thanksgiving.  Since this is a work blog, I am gearing this somewhat towards work related thoughts.

1.  My family – spouse and 4 children as well as extended family.

2.  The entire Cameron-Brooks team.  They might as well be up there with family since I spend so much time with them.

3.  Cameron-Brooks client companies who value the Junior Military Officer (JMO) candidate, Cameron-Brooks and our services.

4.  The wonderful and talented JMO candidates who partner with Cameron-Brooks and put their trust and faith in our services and team.

5.  For the men and women who have served, and those who serve today in our Armed Forces defending our freedom and democracy.  Remember, “Freedom is not free.”

6.  For spouses who put their careers and lives on hold while their military spouses deploy,  and provide outstanding support for their family and other military families.

7.  The opportunity to work in a career where I truly enjoy my work and see the value of what I contribute.

8.  The ability and desire to learn.

9.  Friends, mentors and co-workers who genuinely care about my career and provide me with counsel and guidance.

10.  Short work week this week, and a four-day weekend coming up!

Leaders are optimists. Be aware of cynicism, find time to be thankful, and have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Joel Junker

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November 19, 2009

Integrity Selling Quotes – Part 2

On October 30th, I wrote a blog post on my favorite quotes from the first half of Integrity Selling for the 21st Century by Ron Willingham.  I finished reading the book yesterday (for the third time) and found more insightful quotes about motivation and overcoming obstacles, as well as selling, working and leading with integrity.   In my conversations with junior military officers (JMOs) considering or questioning a sales career, I hear many pre-conceived negative impressions about sales.  After reading Integrity Selling, most JMOs find the book valuable in improving their ability to lead change, “sell” ideas and concepts to bosses and peers AND  in shattering their previous impressions of a career.

Here are my favorite quotes from the last half of Integrity Selling, with some commentary.

“Salespeople with the healthiest and highest self-esteem don’t have overblown egos.  These highly successful salespeople view their job as creating value for customers.  This is a very healthy view of selling.  Serving.  Helping.  Focusing on solutions.  Salespeople who focus on making sales will never enjoy the long-term success, client respect, or self-esteem of those who focus on creating more and better value for customers.”  Some people are turned off by sales because they think that all sales people have huge egos and push products and services on people.  Certainly there are sales professionals out there who are like that.  Those that achieve true success have a healthy confidence and “help” and “serve” their clients.  They do not have overblown egos.

“People who give into their negative feelings often fail because they mis-interpret the truth about themselves.  The truth is that your negative feelings don’t determine who you are; your actions reveal who you are.  Few people escape having negative thoughts or feelings.  But people who transcend the control or grip of negative emotions have learned the difference.  When encountering negative circumstances or emotions, they say: ‘You will not determine my success.  I will determine it!’”  Roger Cameron calls this “self-talk”.  We talk to ourselves a lot, consciously and subconsciously, and we cannot avoid negative talk.  Those who refuse to give into the false negative talk and make a decision to change their thoughts, overcome their fears, challenges and obstacles.

“Emotional intelligence grows within us as we do things that we fear or dislike.  People who give in to their emotions and take the easy, undisciplined course in life’s events have low emotional control…Go where you’re afraid to go, do what you’re afraid to do, and ask when you’re afraid to ask.”  We fail to challenge and push ourselves when we give into negative self-talk.

“Every salesperson experiences disappointments and difficult times.  Success is usually determined by a commitment to working through these tough times.”  True for any career.

“When you view selling as creating value for people, and believe that you’ll be rewarded to the degree that you help people, you’ll also believe that you should be highly rewarded.”  I call this karma.

“People are more apt to listen and understand your point of view when you listen to and understand theirs.”  So easy to understand, yet we all mess  up this concept so often.

“Asking questions and listening to opinions is a powerful method to persuasion.”  This just supports the quote above.  Again, this is about sales but true in relationships, leading change and more.

“Prosperity consciousness is a state of mind that expects good things to happen in the future.  It’s filled with faith, hope, joy, optimism, forgiveness, and gratitude.”   You become what you think about all day long.  Do you think scarcity?  Or do you think about cornucopia?  Scarcity means limited, not enough for everyone.  Cornucopia means plenty, but there are opportunities and rewards for you as well.

“What you feed your mind you’ll become…”  “Your actions, responses, and behaviors spring forth from this, influencing your long-term sales success more than your knowledge, sales skills, products or services, or market conditions.”  Take out the word sales in this quote and it is true for any endeavor.  What are you feeding your mind?  What are you reading?  Who are your friends and acquaintances?  Are they building you up, or are they cynics and bringing you down?  Do you surround yourself with positive images?  Do you take care of yourself physically?  You can control so much of who you are by how you feed your mind and take care of your body.

“After all, people aren’t always logical.”  No comment.

Last quote - one of the most important  and therefore the last sentence of the book - “Success will come to you as you practice, practice, practice.”

Joel Junker

 

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November 17, 2009

Begin Reading Early in Your Career as a JMO

One of the most frequent questions I am asked by Junior Military Officers who are early in their careers is, “What can I do now to keep my doors open?”  What they are telling me is they don’t know whether they will stay in the military for a 20-30 year career or separate and apply their leadership in another career.  They want to learn about business, but not at the risk of the important military duties in front of them.  I love the proactive nature of the question.  These are exactly the type of officers we love to bring into the Cameron-Brooks Development & Preparation Program©. Our program is specifucally designed to teach principles and practices that are effective in both business and military organizations. 

I want to share an example with you from a Cameron-Brooks candidate currently serving as an Army Infantry Company Commander in Iraq. Matt Burch is an Army captain  and has been a very active reader even while deployed.  He has been reading with a mission of finding key points to make his unit more effective and efficient. The following comments are based on lessons he learned from reading books like Good to Great, by Jim Collins; The Goal, by Eliyahu Goldratt; and Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni.  I think it is important to note that Matt is a liberal arts major who will likely beat out candidates with more relevant business degrees because he is working very hard to build his knowledge of current business principles and then applying them to improve his unit. Here is what he wrote to Alysha Metzger one of our Recruting Team Leaders:

“Interestingly enough, since I have been deep into the C-B reading list and was taking copious notes I have incorporated much of what I have learned into being a company commander. The initial counseling sessions for my platoon leaders and first sergeant went very well. It was like I put common sense into words and onto paper for them to understand. I have been in command for not even a full month yet and we have stopped calling this “My” company, or “My” platoon, but “Our” company and “Our” unit. We have our own separate Core values. We have established our Goal. We have identified what we can be the best at and set ourselves in that direction. In that small amount of time I have already had numerous people come up to me and tell me how much better the company looks. Alysha, we are truly going from good, to great! It’s so much fun. Thank you for letting me in on these little secrets. By the way, the lieutenants have a required reading list, a lot of the C-B books are on the top of the list!” (Printed with Matt Burch’s permission).

 For additional reading suggestions, I encourage you to read Joel Junker’s blog post from March 12, 2009:

http://blog.cameron-brooks.com/2009/03/12/suggested-reading-for-military-to-corporate-transition../

Steve Sosland

ssosland@cameron-brooks.com

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November 12, 2009

Department of Labor September Report on Job Openings

The U.S. Labor Department announced yesterday that domestic  job openings rose by 57,000 in September to 2.48 million. A 3-month high.  While this is a positive sign that there are more job openings in the market, the report also stated that an average of 6.1 unemployed workers are competing for each job opening.  This is why the jobless rate hit a 26-year high of 10.2% in October and is expected to edge higher in the coming months.   It’s very competitive on the open job market where a glut of candidates are going after a smaller number of jobs.
 
The numbers look completely different at 2009 Cameron-Brooks Conferences.  Our November candidates averaged 9.5 interviews each, and we estimate that there were over 2 jobs open for every candidate at the Conference.  This means the chances of landing a job are 10 times higher at a Cameron-Brooks Conference compared to the open market (according to the statistics in the Department of Labor report), which is why 100% of C-B November candidates received company pursuits from the Conference and why our 2009 candidates have averaged 1.5 offers each over the last 12 months despite this economic recession. 
 
The proof is in the proverbial pudding.  Our decades of successful experience helping great candidates connect with great companies provides an oasis from the economic storm for Cameron-Brooks candidates.  Our Development and Preparation Program allows our candidates to end up at the top of every company interviewing schedule, even with a glut of candidates on the open market.  We are able to attract enough job openings for our candidates, help them prepare, and shield them from the masses in the open market.
 
There are many recruiting firms out in the market that have claimed to provide world-class recruiting services, but have been cancelling Conferences all year-long.  Cameron-Brooks has not only executed on every one of our Conferences, but we have continued to recruit talented JMOs across all military bases. 

As Warren Buffet likes to say, “it’s only when the tide goes out that you learn who’s been swimming naked,” and in this latest economic downturn, it’s not a pretty site out there in the sea of “recruiting” firms.    For Cameron-Brooks, we believe the hotter the fire, the stronger the steel.

Chuck Alvarez

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November 9, 2009

Videos from Cameron-Brooks November 2009 Conference

You can visit our Facebook website and watch videos of  JMOs who attended our November 2009 Conference.  They provide advice on how to approach the Cameron-Brooks Reading Program, and Development and Preparation Program, and timing for starting your evaluation and preparation.  They also share insights about the Conference and the companies with which they interviewed.  We have received comments from candidates and spouses/signficant others that they found the videos insightful and valuable.

Go to:  http://tinyurl.com/dfqoq4

Joel Junker

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November 6, 2009

Cameron-Brooks November 2009 Career Conference

We have completed our last Career Conference for 2009 in Austin, TX.  Our candidates averaged 9.6 interviews each, continuing the trend of opportunities increasing as the economy heads into recovery.  17 support team members helped the candidates convert initial interviews into over 5.5 company pursuits.  We’ll continue to provide you access to the results of our November candidates through Facebook (http://tinyurl.com/ylztw96) and our discussion forums (http://cameron-brooks.yourwebforum.com/).  We encourage you to use these resources to gain confidence about your transition and get excited about your ability to find a great business career.

At each Conference, we take time to listen to our client companies.  Their perspective should help you understand why the combination of military leadership experience and effective preparation results in success.  We’d like to share with you some of their comments and how you can use them to impact your transition process.

“The tough times are the new normal.  We need leaders with a track record of working through adversity.”  You have served in the military during one of the most challenging periods in several decades.  Your leadership is forged in an environment that is constantly changing and testing your resolve.  While it hasn’t been easy, it has developed your ability to overcome obstacles, focus on success and innovate.  As businesses drive forward into the economic recovery, they expect to face continued headwinds from changing markets and intense competition.  At the Conference, candidates who stepped up to show their ability to get results in tough situations impressed the recruiters during the interviews.

“Markets are changing and we need change agents who can lead us through the transformation.”  Even the news has started to change.  After many months of negative reporting, you are likely seeing the positive signs as economists and business leaders comment on the recovery.  News articles like this one in U.S. News from September http://tiny.cc/H80c8 and this “Opinion” article from The Wall Street Journal in October http://tiny.cc/nT6VL highlight the changes that businesses are facing.  While it is good to see evidence of the turnaround, this means that businesses that have focused on streamlining operations and cutting back must now prepare their organizations for growth.  Several Cameron-Brooks client companies noted how impressed they were with the ability of our candidates to lead through change.  One company at the November Conference that created a new business initiative targeted Cameron-Brooks candidates as their only source for filling the new position.

“We are hiring leaders who can develop other leaders.”  By hiring leaders who can develop others, companies are able to multiply their success.  As a junior military officer, you have the opportunity to work with a wide range of military personnel and help them move their careers forward.  Few people in your age group have had the opportunity to impact others in this way.  For a business that faces the retirement of the baby-boomers, hiring a leader that can mentor, coach and develop others is a step toward meeting today’s and tomorrow’s leadership needs.  We continue to hear about businesses that are working to develop their leadership “bench strength” and they are working on it now.

We recently released the Candidate Resource Center (https://cas.cameron-brooks.com/CandidatePortal/), our new online access to the Development and Preparation Program© (DPP©).  We feel this is an important step in making career information available to you, wherever you are.  DPP© has been updated based on the feedback we have received from you on how we can best help you prepare.  As always, we appreciate our relationship with the great men and women of our Armed Forces.  Our best wishes to all as you head into the end of 2009 and the holiday season.  Steve Sosland and Scott LePage will continue to visit military bases worldwide to bring you the most current information on the economy and business careers for junior military officers.  Please visit our updated website for information on a base trip near you or our next webcast where you can gather information to help with your decisions and your preparation.

One final note, visit our Facebook page  http://tinyurl.com/dfqoq4 and watch videos of November Conference candidates explain their experience and lessons learned in preparation, reading and timing.

Roger Cameron and the Cameron-Brooks Team

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