July 14, 2010

Interviewing and Preparation Lesson for JMO Military to Business Transition

If you are Junior Military Officer (JMO) and about to make your transition to business, whether you use a JMO headhunter or set up interviews on your own, most recruiters will want to know what you have been doing to prepare for your transition.  However, instead of asking this directly, they may ask you questions such as, “What’s the last book you read?”  “Tell me about an interesting business article you read?  What did you learn?” 

A Cameron-Brooks Alumnus who attended the June 2010 Conference as a recruiter for his company, reminded me of this.  He and I discussed a couple of JMO candidates who did not meet his expectations.  He said to me, “Joel, when you recruited me in 2003, you only had to tell me to do something once and I did it.  I read and underlined PCS to Corporate America (Cameron) 3 times.  I formed a preparation study group with 3 other Cameron-Brooks JMO candidates.  I read all 10 of the required books.  I called and e-mailed Cameron-Brooks Alumni to learn more about business careers and how to be successful in the transition.  I didn’t wing it.” 

This Cameron-Brooks Alumnus works for one of the fastest growing and most innovative medical device companies today.  This company is the leader in robotic surgery.  He said his company is growing so quickly that they need leaders who have the capacity to learn the technology and can grow with the company.  He went on to explain that he ruled out several candidates who could not communicate specifically what they did to prepare for the Conference and transition.  He said, “If the candidates demonstrate intelligence, capacity and willingness to learn, my company and I will teach them.  But, when they can’t describe the specific books they read, or they did not read the sales book Integrity Selling for the 21st Century (Willingham) from the C-B Reading List, and it’s apparent they have not invested the time to prepare to answer interview questions, I can only assume they do not have the desire to learn and I can’t assume I can teach them robotic surgical sales.  It is disappointing because they have great resumes.”

In this blog and on our Facebook and YouTube pages we have been emphasizing the point that the economy is good at the Cameron-Brooks Conference.  We have numerous companies, positions and openings.  The Cameron-Brooks candidates at the January through June Conferences this year have averaged between 11 and 13 interviews.  This is up from approximately 8 to 9 in 2009.  However, the companies are selective, and though military officers are busy today, the Alumnus’ comments above demonstrate they will not make exceptions.  If you want to step out of the military and get on board with an industry leader, in a position with future promotional opportunities that is well matched for your background, you need to earn it through preparation.  Diligent preparation demonstrates your intelligence, your ability to learn and the company’s opportunity to develop you, and your potential to be promoted to positions of increased responsibility.

What can you do now to apply this lesson?  The same things we have been advocating in this blog for the last 15 months. 

1)      Read.  (A few recommendations:  PCS to Corporate America (Cameron), Good to Great (Collins), Integrity Selling for the 21st Century (Willingham), Financial Intelligence (Berman and Knight).

2)      Subscribe to and read FORTUNE Magazine and read the daily business section of the newspaper/online news service.

3)      Study business concepts such as Six Sigma, Lean, Project Management, Strategic Selling, Total Productive Maintenance, etc.

4)      If you are a Cameron-Brooks candidate preparing for a Conference, talk to Cameron-Brooks Alumni to learn more about their business experience.  To get names and contact information of Cameron-Brooks Alumni, please e-mail or call your Recruiting Team Leader.

5)      Prepare and practice answers to commonly asked interview questions well in advance of your first interview.  Too many candidates develop answers in their head but never write them down or practice them out loud.  Fact – an answer always sounds better in your head than it will out loud.

 Be proactive.  What will you do to prepare for your transition?

 Joel Junker

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July 2, 2010

Millenials Part Three – Discovering Meaning in Life and Work

Junior Military Officers come to my firm, Cameron-Brooks, to seek help in finding their next careers after transitioning from active service. They often tell me their goal is to find meaningful and worthwhile work. This search criterion has increased with the coming of age of the Millennial Generation (born after 1980) in the workplace. The frequency of this request has caused me to explore the ideas around “meaningful work.”

In his book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, Alex Pattakos writes about the application of Viktor Frankl’s principles for discovering meaning in our daily life and work.  The foreword is written by Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and one of the most frequently-read books on the Cameron-Brooks recommended reading list. Covey writes in the introduction about how deeply Frankl’s work and book, Man’s Search for Meaning impacted his life. Covey also writes about something that is a fundamental part of Frankl’s philosophy of finding meaning in our life and work. There is a moment in time that is uniquely human. It is that space that lies between stimulus and response. “In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our happiness.”  Although I may have no control over the stimuli that enter my life (my recent canceled business flight for example),  I do have total control over my response and my attitude. Sometimes finding meaning in our work requires a shift in attitude. Like the young shepherd in Paul Coelho’s book, The Alchemist, sometimes we find the destination of our journey close to home - perhaps, even within ourselves. My challenge to you is to look at your current work and find the meaning in what you do. Remind those with whom you work of the meaning they bring to you, themselves and others.

When you look for a new career opportunity, place more emphasis on the intrinsic meaning of the work than extrinsic considerations like starting salary and location. Make a list of the factors that bring meaning to you and allow you to live your life within the values that define you. Use the list as a guide in the journey towards your new career, and your destination will be meaningful and worthwhile work.

Steve Sosland

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June 29, 2010

Leadership Enthusiasm

I want to follow-up on Scott LePage’s recent post about the June Career Conference where he quoted legendary basketball coach John Wooden http://blog.cameron-brooks.com/2010/06/22/cameron-brooks-june-2010-career-conference/.  

Several years ago Investor’s Business Daily interviewed John Wooden for the Management section of their newspaper.  They reprinted the article after Wooden’s recent passing.  You can read the full article at http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=536929.  What struck me most about the article was a quote from Coach Wooden  in the last paragraph, ”Regardless of whether you’re leading as a teacher, coach, parent or businessperson, you must have enthusiasm…Without it, you cannot be industrious to the full level of your ability. With it, you stimulate others to higher and higher levels of achievement.” 

Through reading this, Coach Wooden provided me a better way to communicate to Junior Military Officer (JMO) candidates why it is so important to demonstrate enthusiasm during an interview.  Leadership is about “stimulating” others or as Roger Cameron says, “Catalyzing actions in others.”  In my opinion, from the feedback I receive from our client companies, the number one reason JMO candidates get ruled out of an interview is due to a lack of energy or the failure to communicate in an enthusiastic manner.  I was guilty of this when I first interviewed to be a candidate in the Cameron-Brooks program in 1998 prior to my transition in 1999.  I interviewed with Steve Sosland in San Antonio and  during the interview I spoke in short abrupt sentences, rarely smiled and did not modulate my voice.  Although I was excited to be in the interview and wanted to be accepted into the Cameron-Brooks program, I showed zero enthusiasm.  After interviewing me for 25 minutes, Steve finally put his pen and paper down and said, “You have great credentials but you are low-key.  It will hurt you in interviewing.”  He should have added that it would also hurt me in my career as a business leader.  Thankfully, Steve gave me that feedback. 

I cannot honestly peg the root cause of  JMOs having difficulty speaking with enthusiasm in an interview, or for that matter having enthusiasm at all.  Possibly, because not all military assignments, responsibilities or promotions require an enthusiastic communication style.  One might be able to motivate others by other means in the military.  Regardless of the cause, I would argue that one’s ability to communicate enthusiastically could put a “lid” one one’s potential.   I borrow the phrase “lid” from John Maxwell’s book 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership where Law 1 is “Law of the Lid.”  The reason enthusiastic communication can be a limiting factor and a rule in an interview is because a leader in business must be able to communicate with a variety of types of people  from many different levels of an organization.   Our client companies look for candidates who can easily communicate with customers, team members, company executives, suppliers, etc.  The ability to communicate with this many different types of people may not be required in the initial position for which the candidate is interviewing, but our clients evaluate the Cameron-Brooks JMO candidate’s ability with a view to promoting at least two levels where this level of communication will be required.  Hence enthusiasm and communication become the “lid”.

Communicating enthusiastically is not the same as charisma.  In fact, renowned business author Jim Collins points out in Chapter 2 “Level 5 Leadership” in the book Good to Great that charisma has nothing to cause and effect or correlate with business success.   I have read some interviews and watched old video of Coach Wooden.  It’s obvious he had a lot of enthusiasm and passion for life, coaching, leading and success.  He did not appear to me to be charismatic.  He seemed genuine, disciplined, focused and energetic. 

To view the entire John Wooden Pyramid of Success go to http://www.erhoops.org/pdfs/John%20Woodens%20pyramid%20of%20success.pdf.

Joel Junker

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June 22, 2010

Cameron-Brooks June 2010 Career Conference

At our June 2010 Career Conference in Austin, Texas,  Cameron-Brooks candidates converted over 60% of their initial interviews to pursuits and every candidate came away with multiple opportunities for the follow-up process.  13 support team members came with the candidates and contributed significantly to their success.  We had a lot of opportunities resulting in one of the highest average number of interviews we’ve seen in several years: 13 per candidate!

It became clear to our team, as we were adding companies to attend the Conference, that there continues to be a significant positive shift in Corporate America.  The number of opportunities for well-prepared Junior Military Officers is growing rapidly. Among the 78 corporate recruiters who conducted interviews at the Conference, 24 were Cameron-Brooks alumni who told us how exciting it is to be working through the turnaround of the U.S. economy.  Senior executives came to Austin to recruit development talent into their organizations because of how important it is for them to find the right leaders.  They do not delegate this responsibility. Hiring the best talent is key to their growth.

It was great to see the energetic response of our June candidates to the company opportunities.  One recruiter commented that enthusiasm is a critical part of what he looks for in a development candidate because it propels that person forward in their career.  This recruiter said “yes” to candidates who showed the enthusiasm to make it through the next 2 promotions and establish their career momentum in the right direction – UP!  Great companies hire people into leadership roles with the expectation of promoting those new leaders.  Candidates want to see company recruiters who are excited about the products and services their company provides.  Recruiters want to see candidates who are excited about using their skills and experiences to advance their careers within their companies.

Enthusiasm is more than just an attitude; it is part of a leader’s commitment to success.  In his book, Pyramid of Success, John Wooden, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach, described the pyramid, “One cornerstone is industriousness and the other one is enthusiasm.”  John Wooden passed away in June of this year at the age of 99 after a storied career as a coach and as a leader.  His ideas are founded on a history of successful coaching and mentoring leaders.  Your accomplishments as a military officer can be a great indicator of your industriousness. It is up to you to communicate and demonstrate your enthusiasm for leadership so that recruiters know you are excited about success.

We are proud to be part of the careers of the junior military officers in our program who partner with us, both at the Conference and as alumni.  For our June candidates, we know the hurdles they had to clear along the way in order to achieve  the success they had at Conference.  The average amount of time these candidates spent in the Development and Preparation Program © (DPP©) was 10 months.   Think back 10 months to August 2009, and consider the outlook on the economy.  They faced questions about their decisions from people who were not as confident about stepping into a development career.  We know this because we walked alongside them, helping them understand that their success is founded in their industriousness and their enthusiasm.  The June Conference candidates were able to look ahead, maintain their confidence, and focus on executing a successful plan.  Their determination, foresight and preparation paid off with the great opportunities and results that they achieved.  We hope you get the chance to read about their enthusiasm for their careers on the candidate forums over the next several weeks.

As Corporate America continues to charge ahead, we are seeing an increased focus on meeting the challenges of filling the “Leadership Gap” caused by the retirement of baby boomers.  We shared information with you earlier this year about one of our alumni making the cover of FORTUNE magazine.  There is continued interest in the success of junior military officers as development candidates in business in other areas.  A recent NPR interview also included René Brooks in “Corporations Increasingly Turn to Veterans” and you can connect to the transcript here http://tiny.cc/ripsv.   We look forward to our continued work together as your career partner.

Scott

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June 8, 2010

John Finn- Medal of Honor

Two weeks ago, John Finn, the oldest living U.S. Medal of Honor winner, died at the age of 100.  The Cameron-Brooks Team had the great honor of hosting John at the 67th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor in Fredericksburg, TX in December 2008.  We flew out to his home near San Diego to get him, spent several days with him in Fredericksburg and returned him home at the end of the events.

Over the course of our time together, we got to know this special man and national treasure.   It’s worth it to read his Medal of Honor story which is well documented on line (Google: John Finn). 

We want to write about the pieces of advice that John imparted to us during his stay.  These are the pearls of wisdom that will stay with us for many years, and the main reason we were so fortunate to get to know him over his brief visit.

He never saw himself as a hero and could not really understand why people “fussed” so much over him.  He said several times, “I’m just an old, uneducated man, who was only doing his duty and the job the Navy paid me to do” on the morning the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.  He said it with a level of authentic humility that is hard to find today.  His acts of heroism and resulting fame were never about John Finn.  He was incapable of seeing it that way.

He loved telling stories of the past, and John could remember details from his childhood forward with amazing accuracy.  He would never answer a question without telling a good story.  They were always humorous, and interwoven in the narrative were many rich lessons.  Perhaps there is some irony that we are writing about the lost art of story telling in an electronic blog, but John is a good reminder of the importance of telling stories to the next generation the old fashion way (no texting or e-mails).

When asked what he missed the most about the past, he thought about it for several minutes and said that he missed having a beer after work with his shipmates.  Friendships become more and more important as we get older, and we will never regret the time invested in important relationships.  Given the thousands of friends he had, this was obviously something he had known for a long time.  

When asked to share his advice for living until the age of 100, John paused for a long time and finally said, “I guess it helps not taking it all so seriously.”  He saw several of his friends die in anger, sadness or fear.  He was perpetually optimistic, loved to laugh and tell stories, enjoyed meeting new friends and visiting with old ones, took lots of naps, and worked every day for at least a few hours in his salvage yard.  A good recipe for a long and happy life.

When John ate meals, he always ate everything on his plate; or if he became full, he would quietly wrap up the remaining food in a napkin and put it in his coat pocket.  He really took his time and never wasted anything.  We learned to never rush him through a meal. We also learned to check his pockets at the end of every day because there was no telling what was in there :)

No matter how much his 100 year old legs hurt, he always walked up to the podium by himself using his canes.  It was very hard to get him in a wheel chair.  He even climbed up and down the stairs of our airplane by himself despite his age.  John never said it, but I think he was an inspiration to other elderly veterans.  If a 100 year old man can walk, so could they.  While I was sitting in the audience around many Pearl Harbor survivors, I heard them all pause and say, “Hey look, there’s John Finn.” He was a celebrity, and no matter how bad he felt, he would never miss the many gatherings celebrating America’s military efforts in WW2.  Until the last couple of weeks of his life, he dedicated himself to giving back to the country that had been so good to him. 

A lot of people sent John gifts- so many that he had trouble finding space for them (a natural consequence of being a National Treasure).  We asked him to remember his favorite gift.  He quickly said how much he appreciated the Marines at Camp Pendleton sending over a detachment of young Marines to chop wood for him every couple of months.  At 100 years old, there is nothing more enjoyable and appreciated than a good warm fire.

It’s fitting that John died around Memorial Day, when we honor all the men and women who have sacrificed so much out of love for this great country.  John Finn was a heroic man who loved his country and spent the twilight of his life honoring the memory of those who served.  He will be missed by many.  Attached is a link to one of our favorite pictures with him.  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cameron-Brooks-Junior-Military-Officer-Recruiting-to-Corporate-America/46847108365#!/photo.php?pid=4264672&id=46847108365

Chuck Alvarez

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June 3, 2010

Describing Your Ideal Job in an Interview

The reason it can be so challenging to describe an ideal job in an interview is because, for most people, there are different sides to you that want different things.  The personal side wants high pay and rewarding work,  the family side would like time off and good benefits, while the career side wants fast promotion and lots of opportunity.  There are times in any career when these “ideals” will conflict. So, which side of you should speak up?  In a development career, the answer is very clear – the leadership side.

Every recruiter knows that you have personal goals and desires.  They understand your life is not likely dedicated 100% to your work.  When they ask you about an ideal job, they are listening for what part of you speaks up.  Since the interview is your opportunity to prove that you have a strong desire to be a business leader, their expectation is that you are prepared to discuss your goals and interests from that point of view.  If you address it from another point of view, in other words if you focus on non-leadership priorities, you are making it clear that you are not there to prove your leadership and they have to interpret that as a lack of interest and commitment.  Joel Junker blogged on this point in December 2009 – http://wp.me/psTE6-aD.

What is the business leadership side of an ideal job?  It is really up to you to come up with how you would like to use your leadership within an organization.  Taking a look at the description of Level 5 leaders that Jim Collins and his team evaluated in Good To Great may help you come up with some of the leadership interests that you share with those top performers.  Think about how the leaders who helped those companies become great focused their time, and how they would answer a question about an ideal job.  Internalize those ideas and use them to develop a description of your own  ideal job.

Sometimes I am asked if this means you should tell recruiters what they want to hear.  I don’t feel that what I am describing is the same as just saying what you think will get you hired.  The best example I can give of what I am talking about, relates to going home for the holidays.  In the event you are able to get time off for a holiday and go home, both family and friends are going to be interested in what you’ve been doing.  You would likely tell your family one part of what you’ve done, but  tell your friends about different experiences you’ve had.  If you mixed up the two, you would probably bore your friends and shock your parents.  Both discussions are the truth, but you are adapting them to your audience.  This is exactly what recruiters are looking for.  They want to hear from the side of you that wants business leadership.

This answer won’t get you hired.  There is no description of an ideal job that will instantly convince  recruiters you are a fit for their needs.  Your answer will show them whether you want leadership or whether other priorities come first.  With that in mind, keep your answer efficient, effective and let the recruiters learn something about you; then stop and let them get on to other connecting points.

Scott LePage

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May 25, 2010

Millennials – The Search for Worthwhile Work

One of my favorite Buddhist quotes is, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”  I have found that the more willing I am to be a student the more teachers I will find. I wrote an earlier blog titled, “The Alchemist and the JMO” where I told the story of traveling to Germany on a recruiting trip last December and having two Cameron-Brooks candidates (two of my “teachers”) recommend I read The Alchemist, by Paul Coelho. One also recommended I read, Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl. These recommendations came from JMOs who are members of the Millennial Generation - born after 1980. During recent trips, when I interview junior military officers who are considering transitioning to corporate America through the Cameron-Brooks Development & Preparation Program©, I have heard an increasing desire to find worthwhile and meaningful work in their next career. Sometimes this desire leads JMOs to only consider other government service sector careers. Some assume that selfless service is common only to those who wear a uniform. Certainly we are indebted to all who serve the public in uniform. I believe selfless service and meaningful work is also found in hundreds of private companies in a wide variety of industries.

The issue is complex and requires research and a broad career search. I also think it requires self-insight. Meaningful work to some may focus on the quality of products or services a company provides. To others it may be working with people of their ilk. In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins writes that one characteristic of great companies is the belief that getting the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus is more important than where the bus is going. The deeper question for an individual is, “How can I find meaning in my work?” Viktor Frankl developed his philosophy of logotherapy during his years as a prisoner in the Nazi concentration camps. He observed that a common characteristic of those who survived the camps was awareness that their life had meaning to someone else. In one case he gives the example of reminding a man contemplating suicide that he had a daughter waiting safely for him in another country who was counting on him to live. Having this meaning to his life allowed the man to dig deeper within himself and survive his suffering. We can all look within ourselves and our current work to find meaning in what we do. Who is counting on us? Who benefits from the product of our labor? One easy to read book on the subject is, Gung Ho, by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles. The book tells the story of a manufacturing manager and former active duty U.S. Marine who instills the notion of worthwhile work in his team. The lesson is broadly applicable in many companies and gives those searching for worthwhile and meaningful work a way to evaluate possible career opportunities.

Steve Sosland

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May 21, 2010

The Emerging Millennial Generation

Joel Junker has written about the generational shift as our country transitions from the leadership of the Baby Boomer generation to the next generation. His writing is well-researched and based on dozens of conversations he has had with leaders of Fortune 500 companies. Scott LePage and I are seeing a major shift of focus among junior military officers (JMOs) who come to Cameron-Brooks to interview for our Development & Preparation Program© as they prepare to transition from active duty service to careers in corporate America. There is an emerging focus common among JMOs who express to us their desire to find meaningful and worthwhile work. This is a welcome shift from the Gen-X focus on rapid promotions, high starting pay and restriction to starting in their first choice of location.

To explain this shift, it is important to first understand the factors that contribute to generational stereotypes. “Baby Boomers” is the term used to describe those born in the years 1946-1964, during the baby boom following WWII. “Generation X” is used for those born from 1965-1980. Those born after 1980 are part of the “Millennial Generation” (aka Baby Boomlets or Echo Boomers). Each generation develops characteristics from key events called generational markers. The generational markers for the Baby Boomers include the space race, the Vietnam War, Beatles and Rock & Roll, the assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK, and the Cold War. We remember the asinine schoolhouse drill to duck under our desks or in the hall in case of a nuclear attack. We received our news from three networks that went off the air each night at midnight playing the Star Spangled Banner. Gen-Xers were the first generation to be termed “latch-key kids” because both parents typically worked, and kids came home to empty houses and grew up responsible for fixing their own meals and doing their homework alone. The emerging technology was typically used for toys and games where getting the next new version was important. This independence was coupled with a lack of trust of authority that came from generational markers like the Watergate break-in and subsequent resignation of President Nixon.

Their news came 24/7 with the emergence of CNN. So what are the generational markers of the Millennial Generation? Less has been written about them, but certainly recent history can allow us to assume they will include 9-11, the war on terrorism, environmental disasters, and the impact of green technology. They don’t wait to receive news. They make it by using social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. They have elected presidents and created social awareness. I remember where I was when President Kennedy was shot and when Neil Armstrong took his first step on the moon. Millennials know where they were on September 11, 2001.  They also remember that our country came together, albeit briefly for a common goal. The dream to come together to make a difference has been deeply implanted in them. The average age of JMOs who transition to corporate America through Cameron-Brooks is 28. That means there is an increasing number of officers from the Millennial Generation who have a different focus than officers we have seen in previous years. I often hear comments about frustration with senior officers who appear to care more about their own careers than taking care of their subordinates. The overwhelming desire among this group is to find worthwhile and meaningful work that will change the world. I, for one, believe they will.

In my next blog I will discuss the definition and source of meaningful work as well as several books on the subject that may allow all of us to find it. Until then, I recommend you review my earlier blog on this site titled, “The Alchemist and the JMO.” http://blog.cameron-brooks.com/2009/12/29/the-alchemist-and-the-jmo/.

 Steve Sosland

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May 12, 2010

The Cameron-Brooks JMO and the Current State of the Economy

If you have the opportunity to follow economic news, you know that it has been quite a dramatic couple of weeks with ups and downs in the stock market, concerns about the Greek financial situation, 290,000 jobs created in April (largest increase since 2008) which followed an increase of a total of 121,000 jobs created in the previous two months, and the unemployment rate increasing from 9.7% to 9.9%.

What does all this mean and more importantly how does this affect a Cameron-Brooks JMO making a transition to business?

1.  The unemployment rate increase is actually a good thing.  That’s correct, a good thing.  The government does not count people who are unemployed but not actively searching for employment as “unemployed”.  The increase from 9.7% to 9.9% unemployment is due to more people confident in the growth of the US economy and job availability, moving from the sidelines to become active job seekers and therefore now being counted in the unemployment numbers.  On May 8, 2010, in the Wall Street Journal article, “Job Gains Speed Up And More Seek Work,” Julia Coronado, a BNP Paribas (a global banking and financial services company) analyst was quoted as saying, “People are encouraged to come back in the labor force and start looking for jobs.  It’s good that they are not discouraged anymore.”  Yes, the unemployment rate is high, though the recent uptick is another positive sign as it demonstrates that more people are confident the economy is back on track.

2.  Companies have become more aggressive in growth plans.  With renewed business confidence, companies who had put facility expansions, new store openings, new product launches and other initiatives on hold during the recession have now taken steps to activate those initiatives.  This is creating a need for more people, especially leaders, to get the strategic efforts implemented.  At the April Conference, we had several clients hiring due to new initiatives.  One medical device client was launching a new cardiovascular repair surgical device, a world leading consumer products company started implementing Total Productive Maintenance and wanted JMOs who could lead change to implement this, and another company designed a new method to automate the shovel system on mining vehicles and needed a project manager to lead the effort to bring it to market. 

3.  According to the May 8, 2010 Wall Street Journal article referenced earlier, the strong majority of the job gains in April came from the private (not government) sector.  Additionally, the increased jobs came from a broad range of industries.  Even during the recession from December 2007 to December 2009, Cameron-Brooks continued to have opportunities representing a wide variety of companies and industries.  At the April 2010 Conference we had companies that ranged in size from 150 to over 120,000 employees, privately held and publicly traded companies, and representation from numerous industries including alternative energy (solar power), food and beverage companies, consumer and commercial banking, medical device, global management consulting, e-commerce, biopharmaceutical manufacturing and more.  Whereas the impression was that the government “carried the economy” in 2009, the government certainly cannot make that claim with the recent increase in jobs in the last 3 months.

4.  The wild swings of the stock market are not necessarily an indication of, nor do they show correlation with the broader economy and employment market.  It is true that the Greek, and potentially other European countries’, debt crisis is impacting the stock market and banks’ confidence in lending to one another.  From the same Wall Street Journal article referenced previously, Alan Levenson, an economist from T. Rowe Price Associates, states, “We’re on more solid ground after these data than we thought we were.  That should reduce, at least at the margins, the concerns one might have had of the impact on our economy of what’s going on in Europe.”  It is hard to predict if or how this debt crisis in Europe will affect the broader US economy, but right now, our clients do not mention it.

5.  Cameron-Brooks clients continue to hire for strategic reasons – to implement new business initiatives, to increase productivity, and to upgrade their talent.  During Roger Cameron and René Brooks’ established relationships with companies over approximately 45 years, Cameron-Brooks has experienced numerous economic cycles.  We have learned that our clients, as a whole, continue to recruit strategically in all types of economies because of their need for future leadership.  In addition to this strategic hiring, and the new initiatives and growth previously mentioned, our clients hire JMOs to increase their productivity and upgrade their talent.  When positions become available due to promotions or resignations, companies see Cameron-Brooks as a source for hiring a person who can be productive from the first day and bring the potential for increased responsibility and promotion.  During 2009, the deepest part of the recession, Cameron-Brooks candidates still averaged 8-10 interviews at our Career Conferences; and with resuming economic confidence, that average has increased to approximately 10 interviews.

The bottom line –  if you have the track record of success that demonstrates you can be a top performing leader in business, if you have the desire to be a top performing leader and are willing to prepare for your transition – there are great business career opportunities.

 Joel Junker

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April 29, 2010

JMO Career Decision-Making

As a JMO recruiting company, Cameron-Brooks is much more than a “headhunter,”  as we assist our JMO candidates and our alumni through many critical career decisions.  These decisions include:  “Should I leave the military service?”  “If I leave the military service, what career options should I explore?”  “Which career will allow me to reach my career goals?” and “In which kind of company should I start my career?”  Once in a business career, the decisions continue, and include:  “Should I accept this promotion?”  “Should I relocate for that assignment?”  “Should I switch companies/industries?” and more.  I once heard, “You are the sum of all your decisions.”  Applying this to a career, “Your career is the sum of all of your career decisions,” therefore it is critical to make sound career decisions, and unfortunately, it only takes one poor decision to sidetrack a career.

Being a JMO Recruiter for 11 years now, and assisting many current JMOs and Cameron-Brooks alumni through career decisions, I have learned that a strong majority seek advice from others to help make a decision.  The trouble is that not all of the advice from other people, even trusted people such as spouse, parents, co-workers, and yes, other recruiters, is wise and based on experience and knowledge of a specific career decision.  The problem stems from confusing the difference between opinions and counsel.  I am currently reading the book Three Feet from Gold by Sharon Lechter and Greg Reid of the Napoleon Hill Foundation.  On page 30, the authors describe the difference between an opinion and counsel as, “Opinions are usually based on ignorance, or shall we say a lack of knowledge, whereas counsel is based on wisdom and experience.”  I imagine we have all made the mistake of confusing an opinion for counsel, and subsequently making a poor decision. 

Many people (I include myself here) often consider that if someone cares deeply about  and wants what’s best for an individual, this qualifies them as an advisor whose input should be weighed significantly in the decision-making process.  However, despite, the relationship, it is important to ask “What does this person know about my current situation?  What is his expertise in this subject?  What experience does he have in this area?” The answers to these questions will help to determine if you are receiving an opinion or counsel. 

Confusing opinions and counsel occurs in both the military to business career transition decisions and also business career decisions.  Most frequently I have experienced JMOs, and our alumni in business receiving poor input from well-meaning people on issues such as negotiating compensation,  career location decisions, quitting a new career when things become challenging, or switching jobs because a higher offer comes from another company (when very little additional research has been done into the intrinsic qualities of the other company).  I firmly believe that all career decisions have tradeoffs.  When others offer opinions, they tend to share insight about either the positives or the negatives, but if they do not speak from the basis of pertinent experience and knowledge, they can’t offer either which is required for counsel.

What to do with this knowledge of the difference of opinions and counsel?  First, identify those who can provide you with counsel, and second, continue to seek them out.  I believe it is vital to learn from others who have more experience and knowledge so we can apply the lessons they have already learned.  Third, when receiving unsolicited advice, apply the standards of appropriate knowledge or experience to determine if it is counsel or opinion.  Finally, as you give advice to others, determine if you are giving opinion or counsel and let that person know so he understands how to value and apply it.

 Cameron-Brooks is thankful to have the privilege of sharing our knowledge with JMOs and our alumni.  This knowledge comes from a basis of a rich depth of experience that has been built through over forty years of partnering with JMOs as they transition into the business world and throughout their career.

Joel Junker

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