Among our most treasured blessings are the exemplary men and women of our Armed Forces – Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines – with whom we are privileged to associate on a day-to-day basis. We are proud to know you and humbled by your continued call to serve and stand in Harm’s Way for the greater good of our country. We hope you never need reminding of how appreciative we are of your continued unselfish sacrifices, and you and your families remain ever in our prayers as you give without asking for anything in return.

Thank you for giving us the tremendous honor of serving you. We are inspired by you and grateful for the opportunity to help you live your dreams as we continue to live ours.

We wish you a beautiful and happy Holiday Season, and the anticipation of amazing things to come to you in the New Year.

The Cameron-Brooks Team

Roger, René, Mary Lou, Chuck, Joel, Rob, Samantha, Janis, Candy, Michelle, Leslie, Bernadette, Danielle, Pam, Debbie, Diana, Carole, Cooper, Valerie, Aimee, and Lauren

1. Over-dressed is always better than not up to par. Sloppy and messy is not the impression you ever want to give. Who cares if you have a suit on when you didn’t realize it was business casual…better to be dressed up than clearly being on the underdressed side.

2. Yes. Wear panty hose. This is not out of date. It is a must with skirts. You can get great hose now that you barely notice or that actually make your legs look good! Not too dark and never white or black or brown. A natural neutral or light suntan is best. A light taupe is another good option.

3. Do not wear anything tight. It is truly unappealing. Your image of a smart, sexy working female is not super high heels and a tight skirt with a low cut blouse. Instead, a smart, attractive working female is sleek, crisp and well groomed. Polished. Smart executives will immediately rule you out as a distraction and not take you and your ideas seriously. This is not the way you wish to start a career. The same goes for baggy clothes. Do not wear something 2 sizes too big. You will look sloppy.

4. Blouses can be worn in a nice fresh white or bone color. For interviews, keep it neutral – something that looks good with your skin tone. For everyday, a pinstripe or light pastel will work. Nothing overpowering or flashy; it will not help your look. I like nice crisp collars as they can be worn on either the inside or outside of your suit jacket. A beautiful silk blouse is attractive, too. Nothing low cut or too scooped. Camisoles are not a favorite either – stay away from them under jackets. Make sure your blouse fits! Things always get tighter as the day gets longer and you do NOT want your blouse splitting in the center where things can be seen.

5. Hair can be distracting for many reasons. It can become scraggly and unkempt looking all too quickly. It can be worn down if it is above your shoulders, but be sure it is not flopping in your face. Do yourself a favor and tie it back in a bun or a low ponytail if it is below the shoulder. Get creative when you start to pull your hair back – have fun with it and maintain a crisp look.

6. Makeup should be light and accentuate your features. Do not overpower your natural good looks with dark shades. Wear lipstick. It is flattering and shows off your teeth, which should be white, so use Crest® Whitestrips if you are a coffee drinker.

7. Shoes. Always wear closed toe shoes. Stilettos in the workplace make everyone uncomfortable – people watching you try to walk in them, women imagining their toes smashed with that high incline, and most of all, YOU walking in them. Again, this is not the look you think will make you look good, trust me. Functional is better, and the way you carry yourself because you feel good in what you are wearing is appealing. Plus, work is just not the place to wear spiked heels. 7pm is fine…not 7am.

8. Pants. Hem your pants, ladies. You are going for a strong, clean, fit look. Take your low heels with you and pay the $6 to have them hemmed correctly. It makes all the difference. They will lie perfectly, elongate your legs and give you a true style. Even the less expensive pants are very worth having done. Pants dragging behind or under your heels and bundling at your shoes will always make you look frumpy. And, again, don’t get them super tight.

9. Skirts. I highly recommend skirt suits for many reasons. If your weight tends to fluctuate, you can still wear your suits. If you live in a northern state, during the winter, your skirts don’t get ruined with salt and water stains like pants may. However, the number one reason to wear a skirt is because it is feminine. Today, you can find great skirts that are beautifully done with a straight look or a more flowing hem that really move when you move. They are flattering and also easy to use as a separate for a business casual look. However, practice sitting in the skirt! Make sure you can sit in a modest manner without showing too much leg or you will again be distracting or uncomfortable.

10. Handbags. This is difficult. Something simple and not overstuffed is key. Not an evening bag and not a huge beach bag either. You want a bag to carry work items such as, pens, paper, wallet, phone, keys and portfolio. You need pockets, not a dumping ground. Think when you make this purchase. Think color and functionality. Of course, I recommend black. It goes with everything. With more and more women in the workplace, the options have grown. You do want quality and nothing with a cheap metallic, plastic look. You will not carry a handbag into an interview at a conference, but you will likely need one, or a leather briefcase that has soft sides, during follow-up interviews. Once again, go classic.

Business Casual vs. Business Formal

Business casual is a pulled together look as well. Do not think otherwise. It doesn’t mean “casual” clothes. Nice sweater set with slacks that fit the shoes you are wearing; flats or low heels. Dark slacks with a blouse and a gray jacket. A skirt and a blouse with hose and, of course, comfortable shoes work well. Maintain a dressed, polished look. Not as formally matched as a business formal look, feel free to wear a nice dress with a sweater or jacket as well. There are great business dresses out there now!

Business Formal is different. You will want to wear a suit with a light pinstripe or solid color. Gray, black and navy are my favorites. Navy is definitely in. Navy is beautiful with any skin color or hair color. It looks good with a burgundy or black matte shoe. Think a light blue, white, pastel or cream blouse underneath. It is not an old look, ladies. It looks professional and strong. Black is a staple suit you must have in your wardrobe. Buy the pants and skirt that match the black jacket…you will not regret it. Gray is a little more difficult. Do not go too light on your shade – stay in a medium gray or dark shade. Again, buy the pants and skirt as well. A collared shirt, blouse or lightweight knit can all be worn under your suit jacket.

As always, jewelry is an accessory, NOT the main attraction. You and your brain are the focus. Wear something that goes well and is simple. Nothing too bold or too dangly. Remember, and this is the honest truth – your ultimate accessory is your smile. It gives an approachable look and demonstrates openness. Always smile.

Be strong and confident and shake that hand! A full grip and nothing weak and limp. Try not to giggle too much. Demonstrate your maturity. Iron your shirts and pants, make sure every item fits and use a lint roller. Do not wear perfume. It is always more overwhelming than you think and can quickly cloud a room and turn people off. Light makeup, nicely done hair and your smile will give you the polished look you need to be professional and taken seriously.

Samantha Gale

All total, between travel, meetings and interviews, I spent a week in Germany away from the office and my family and met with JMOs in three different locations throughout Germany. Some of you may know that I have a family of four children at home who range from 4 to 12 years of age. It is hard leaving them for week and being gone for another weekend missing soccer games and swim meets. During this time away, I start to wonder if I could replace this week long visit with conducting webcasts, Skype or Facetime video calls and phone conversations. I ask myself, “Could I accomplish the same results?”

I gave my first presentation in Heidelberg, Germany last Saturday. After watching the JMOs take notes, fielding their questions, and then interviewing several of them, I had my answer: nothing can replace face-to-face personal conversation. Webcasts, Skype/Facetime, and the telephone are value added tools, but not a replacement for face-to-face. In fact, at the end of one of my interviews, one JMO voiced a concern as to whether he would have additional face-to-face meetings with a Cameron-Brooks Recruiter, despite being assigned to Coleman Barracks, Germany. I assured him that my plan is to have a Cameron-Brooks Recruiter in Germany twice a year, and possibly three times. He said that that made a significant difference in his decision to partner with us.

I find it much easier to fully evaluate a candidate’s marketability during face-to-face interaction. Likewise, I know the JMOs are also evaluating Cameron-Brooks when they meet with me – and they should! I want them to evaluate Cameron-Brooks based on personal interaction and not just on this blog, 1,000+ Likes on Facebook, or our Website. It is absolutely a two-way relationship.

Finally, when we partner with JMOs, part of our mission says, “Cameron-Brooks will help candidates reach their utmost potential—personally and in their career—by equipping them with the tools they need to transition from the military to a career as a future leader in one of America’s top companies.” Ensuring we understand the JMO candidate’s qualifications and interests is best done personally. While we have worked with some JMOs with whom we have not been able to meet prior to their Conference, it is rare.

For me, I am glad I made this trip to Germany. I met numerous talented JMOs who have served our country, accomplished incredible feats, and have tremendous potential for the future. As an individual and as a company, we continue to be committed to furthering our candidates’ success by making the effort needed to see them face-to-face.

From Germany,

Joel Junker

 Websites:

TED: Ideas Worth Spreading at www.TED.com  Instead of watching TV at night, I have been watching TED talks.  I have recently watch speeches by retired General Stanley McChrystal, Malcom Gladwell, Steve Jobs and numerous other less well known people on a range of topics to include building trust, how a variety of spaghetti sauces relates to embracing diversity (this is a great one by Gladwell), tying my shoelaces properly (did you know you have likely been tying them the wrong way?), and many more.

Khan Academy at www.khanacademy.org/   This is a rich website of 10-15 minute classes, lectures on everything ranging from banking and money to physics and calculus.  If you are going to interview for some finance type of positions, good idea to watch the classes on the Economics of a Cupcake Factory. 

Books (Title, author and short reason to read it):

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand.  One of the best books I have read. 

10-10-10 by Suzy Welch.  Provides an excellent way to evaluate critical decisions and the impact they make in the short, intermediate and long term.

Tangling with Tyrants by Tony Deblauwe.  I don’t like the title, but it does provide useful specific steps to work with difficult people and bosses.  Sometimes, bosses and peers, act irrationally, but they are not necessarily Tyrants. 

Liar’s Poker and the Big Short by Michael Lewis.  Now, I finally understand what caused the financial meltdown.  I recommend you read them in that order.  When you read Liar’s Poker, you may not immediately recognize how it relates to the meltdown in 2008 and 2009, but he makes it clear in the Big Short.

The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.  This has nothing to do with that weird movie with the same title.  This is about understanding random events that have significant impacts.  I learned how to better think critically and I no longer read the news the same way.

The Goldmine by Freddy and Michale Balle.  A very thorough book on manufacturing and the Toyota Production Method told in a story method.  I have not been in a lot of manufacturing facilities, and this book made one come alive.

City of Thieves by David Benhoff.  This is not a business book, but a historical novel that I found to be a nice break from business reading and also a good history lesson on the German siege of Leningrad in WW II.  It’s a fast paced and entertaining. 

Time is a scarce resource.  Yes, we all need time to relax, but I encourage you to focus on self development through reading and using great resources like the Khan Academy and TED.

Joel Junker

Here’s the exercise:

 1)      Take out a sheet of paper and make two columns.  On the left column, title it “ideal job” and then list the top 6-8 characteristics that you are looking for in your ideal job.  I’m not talking about a specific company or industry but rather the characteristics you are looking for.  For example, some of those might be opportunity for growth, cultural fit, location, etc. 

2)      Then, on the right column, title it “ideal employee” and imagine you are now in a position of hiring authority and list the 6-8 characteristics you’d look for in an ideal employee. 

3)      Next, I want you to draw a line between the two columns connecting the characteristics that directly correlate with one another.

 If your practical exercise turns out anything like those I have done at my workshops, you will most likely have drawn 2-3 direct correlations between the two columns but that’s about it.  Now, here is the final piece of the exercise.  I want you to re-label the left column from “ideal job” to “what you want” and the right column from “ideal employee” to “what they want”.   

My point is to help illustrate a fundamental premise of interviewing – it’s not about you, at least not initially.  As we’ve written on this blog before, you are trying to accomplish three things when walking into an initial interview – 1) Prove your fit 2) Demonstrate interest and 3) Build rapport.   None of these objectives are about determining if you want to go to work for the company.  There will be ample time for that but it’s not during the initial 45-60 minute interview.  If you walk into an interview with a “what’s in it for me” attitude and the mindset that you have to determine whether this is the company where you will go to work for the next 20+ years, then you won’t allow the interviewer the opportunity  to gauge your fit and they will more than likely not pursue you for follow-up interviews.  

Remember, the initial interview is like a first date.  You aren’t trying to make the decision if this is the person you will marry; but rather to try to connect with each other, establish common ground, and start to build a relationship.  The same goes for this initial interview.  If it goes well, there will be the potential for follow on interviews where you will have more opportunities to evaluate the company based on your “wish list”.  And trust me, if you are interviewing for a development candidate type of position, there will be follow-on interviews.   So, my recommendation to all of you is to keep this exercise and premise in mind when going through your initial interviews.  Give yourself the very best chance to earn that “yes” and get to the next level in the interviewing process and utimately the offer.

Rob Davis

For example, if you get out of bed tomorrow morning and lift weights, do a P90X workout, or go for a run, will you instantly improve your physical shape?  Probably not.  If you don’t do your workout, will you keel over tomorrow?  Probably not.  But, over time, these simple choices begin to manifest themselves into larger impacts on our life.  By getting up every morning and getting that workout in, we may not look or feel great on day 1, or day 15, or even day 30.  But, over time we will start to see the results and it is those small decisions to get up every day and workout that made it happen.  If you don’t get up and work out, we may not see the effects for quite some time until one day our cholesterol levels are an all time high, we experience illness, or start wondering why climbing a flight of stairs is suddenly so difficult.  Again, it’s these simple, seemingly innocuous decisions that make the difference over time and send you on the right path toward your ultimate goals.

Think about it with respect to your career.  What simple decisions did you make today that will help you improve your performance at your job?  Help your unit or organization?  Propel you towards that next level?  Did you compliment a teammate or subordinate on something they did well?  Did you get up from your desk to walk around the plant and assist with quality control?  Did you pick up a broom and help sweep the motor pool to personally demonstrate the right standard?  Did you take the time to correct a behavior or did you overlook it and walk on by?  Did you read those few pages of that professional book or article in bed before you turned out the lights?  Did you spend those 30 mins practicing your significant accomplishment or methodology interview question answer?  This is a very simple concept but it’s one we often overlook. 

I had an engineer that worked for me several years ago and he never seemed to grasp this concept.  He loved hitting the “home runs” with his clients.  He lived for solving the big problems but was never able to see that the little things –  the “singles” “doubles” and “triples”, were equally important to doing his job well and taking care of the customer’s needs.  Even though he solved tough issues for them, they didn’t occur all that often and he let the little things that equally mattered fall through the cracks.  As a result, the customers didn’t want to work with him and his career stagnated.   

This point is further illustrated by the book, First Break all the Rules by Marcus Buckingham.  In the book, according to the Gallup poll, it takes at least five years to begin hitting your stride in a company and 10-15 years to make a dramatic impact.  The bottom line is that real success takes time and its achieved by the simple, daily choices we make every day that will compound on themselves and lead to great accomplishments.  The Slight Edge is a very easy but good read and I recommend it to anyone looking to improve themselves in any aspect of their lives.

Rob Davis

Above all, we want to thank our heroic men and women who continue to serve in our Armed Forces.  We are grateful for your continued unselfish service, and your willingness to put yourself in Harm’s Way for the good of this great country.  Your sacrifices do not go unnoticed, and our gratitude for all you do and all you are is exceeded only by our undying admiration.  We are especially humbled and filled with thankful appreciation for those men and women – Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines alike – who have paid the ultimate price and given their lives so that we, and many other nations around the world, may live our lives in peace.  We continue to pray for the families of our fallen comrades, and wish them peace in knowing that their lives were not given in vain. 

2010 has brought us an improvement in the economy and in our hope for the future – a veritable light at the end of a dark and cloudy tunnel.  The past challenges have only served to make us stronger and we have weathered the storms and formed more cohesive bonds with our fellow man, making a more concerted effort to serve others, be a friend, and step forth with a strong and positive outlook for the years to come.

We continue to be touched and inspired by the youth of our nation, in big cities and rural communities alike, who continue to lift their heads with pride, with hands over hearts, and recite The Pledge, sing the National Anthem, and salute the Flag our military personnel from all corners of the world have fought and died to support.  We see in this new generation a love of country and a strong resolve they have not yet even begun to fully know, but is there nonetheless.  The outlook for this country is a bright one.

In this season of Perpetual Hope, we are encouraged by the prospect of a brand new day, renewed dedication to a more productive existence, and the refusal to accept the status quo, surrounding ourselves with the types of people and situations that make our lives prosperous, fulfilled and content, just as they were intended to be. 

We thank you all for the opportunity to help us live our dreams as we help you live yours.  We wish you the very best, not just today and through the Holiday Season, but throughout the New Year!

The Cameron-Brooks Team

 Roger, René, Mary Lou, Chuck, Joel, Rob, Janis, Candy, Michelle, Karena, Leslie, Bernadette, Danielle, Pam, Debbie, Diana, Alysha, Lisa and Carole

 Mary Lou’s e-mail.

I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting with Sean Blair for lunch in San Francisco.  He was dressed in his red scrubs (they have the med device reps wear red scrubs versus blue so sales reps stand out) and had just come from a couple of procedures that morning.  He is a Territory Assistant building his experience to prepare to take over his own territory soon.  However, he has a lot of “hands on” work managing the territory and advising surgeons in procedures.  He has also been an integral part of changing a key hospital in the Bay Area to using his company’s product line.  This hospital had been staunchly in the corner of a competitor, but has now converted to J&J.  The other team member involved with converting this account was another Cameron-Brooks Alumnus, Brandon Daum, who has been a sales representative at J&J for 4 years.  This conversion is huge because it is the second largest hospital in its system.  Sean covers the entire Northern California region and part of Nevada, but he has been spending a majority of his time in San Francisco at this hospital – it has become his “second home.”  He is thriving in this role.  He says he would never have thought of sales as a career before Cameron-Brooks and yet now he knows it is perfect for him.  He repeatedly said how much he appreciates all that Cameron-Brooks has done to get him to this place.  He absolutely loves living in the Bay Area.  He promised to get on the Cameron-Brooks Alumni network and be a resource to other Cameron-Brooks JMO candidates.  Sean is a big supporter of C-B.

 Finally, Sean is doing so well that his Regional Manager, another C-B Alum from 1976, is keeping close tabs on him and continues to let him know he has his eye on Sean as Sean is really already making a good name for himself.

 End of Mary Lou’s e-mail.

 Joel Junker

In The 8^th Habit Covey describes an experience he had training Indian chiefs and they gave him a Talking Stick as a gift.  He describes the concept, “Whenever people meet together, the Talking Stick is present.  Only the person holding the Talking Stick is permitted to speak.  As long as you have the Talking Stick, you alone may speak, until you are satisfied that you are understood.  Others are not permitted to make their own points, argue, agree or disagree.  All they may do is attempt to understand you and then articulate that understanding…As soon as you feel understood, it is your obligation to pass the Talking Stick to the next person and then to work to make him feel understood.”  I have never had a Talking Stick present at one of my meetings, but in some it was clear that the concept of listening with the intent to understand, and respect and value for the other person’s opinion was present.  In others, we desperately needed an actual stick.  I am as guilty as the next person in not taking time to listen with the intent to understand, and to be quick to interrupt and interject my points. 

As a leader at Cameron-Brooks, on the school board and in my family, I owe it to the others to demonstrate genuine respect and value their input.  I have been reading and also reflecting on what I can do to better facilitate more effective meetings so all feel valued, and ultimately everyone gets their ideas out and the best solutions are agreed upon. 

The following are my action steps and these steps can be used by junior military officers and Cameron-Brooks alumni alike.

1.  Prepare for every meeting.  I ensure I clearly understand the goal of the meeting and who will attend.  I study the agenda ahead of time and write down notes of ideas I may already have.

2.  I approach the meeting with belief that the best solutions are not necessarily mine, and may not even be the other people’s either.  In fact, the best solutions may be those that combine ideas or emerge from dialogue about other ideas.  I learned this from The 8^th Habit as well.

 3.  I take notes during the meeting and make eye contact with those who are speaking.  I am not perfect at this but I know it is important because this demonstrates respect.

 4.  When I notice others are not speaking up or involved, I ask them questions to draw them into the meeting.  In the past, I have been afraid to share my ideas because I did not feel as smart as the others or I was afraid someone would criticize me.  I always appreciated when someone asked me for my thoughts.

5.  When frustrations and voices rise, I remember that if my frustration and the volume of my voice increase it only adds fuel to the fire.  I am better off bringing some “cool water” to calm things.  First, I try to keep a calm voice and facial expression and slow my speech.  Second, I will seek to understand why the other person is agitated.  Simply acknowledging the other person brings calm back to the meeting.  I have learned the hard way that pushing back and going toe to toe is rarely productive.

6.  I volunteer for assignments.  Most meetings end with required actions to implement meeting points.  I set the example by assuming responsibility for some of them.  I cannot expect my teammates to volunteer if I do not.

7.  When others become negative during the meeting or bring down others with comments, I am going to address this.  Notice, I said I am going to address this.  I have failed my other team members in the past by not addressing these behaviors.  It has brought them down to the point where they no longer want to be in meetings or contribute. 

I am sure there are numerous books available on how to conduct meetings.  My two favorite for demonstrating respect and listening to others are The 8^th Habit by Stephen R. Covey and Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler.

Joel Junker

The need for proactive leadership in Corporate America helped drive the number and extent of career opportunities at the August Conference.  It was exciting to see how many industries came to the Conference seeking development candidates to help them move forward with key initiatives.  This meant that candidates were able to see how their backgrounds related to a wide variety of opportunities and across industries including: technology, mining, alternative energy, consumer products, consulting, medical devices, telecommunications, industrial products along with others.  We heard from a number of business leaders who, as they developed plans for the path forward, knew they wanted to hire junior military officers as key drivers for their business.  They like the fact that Cameron-Brooks candidates have been proactive about managing their careers and have taken the time to identify their leadership skills and look ahead to applying them in a development career.

For our candidates, these opportunities helped get them excited about the roles they could take on in their business career.  They found that the job descriptions helped them see how they would be drivers of change and have the ability to think “outside the box” to find solutions.  Some candidates were surprised at how positive our client companies were about the growth opportunities in this economy.  A key learning point for many of the junior military officers at the C-B conference was that great businesses look for leaders to create growth, not react to market conditions.  The candidates had an opportunity to see the benefit of all their effort to be the “go-to” person throughout their time in the military.  The effort that they had put in to “break out” among their peers was exactly the type of break out effort that our client companies were seeking in order to drive success in their business.

Joel has put a lot of work into a series of blog posts to aid in visualizing your success in business and in the interviewing process.  I hope you have taken, or will take the time to review prior blog posts  he has written to help you to picture yourself leading proactively in business.  As you gather information about a development career, you will gain confidence in being that go-to person for an organization.  We had 23 alumni who felt so strongly about their fit for Corporate America, that they came back to hire Cameron-Brooks candidates from the August Conference for their company.  There is no question that if you are a successful officer in the military, then you’ve been effective at being a proactive leader.  We look forward to helping you understand how you can take that ability to a business career.

I asked many of the candidates from the Conference to record their thoughts and recommendations to help you with your success.  I recorded these Tuesday night after completion of their second full day of interviews and, as you’ll see, they are tired but excited.  I hope you get value from their ideas and recommendations and will take the opportunity to use this resource to help with your decisions and planning.  We continue to look for ways to provide you with as much information as possible to help with your career.  Our recruiters will be out on the road, and we’ll be maximizing our use of time on the phone and sharing information on the internet to help you.  Please let us know the best way to get you the information you need.  Thank you for your service and for your continued relationship with Cameron-Brooks.