Marketing Me! How agile are you?

Think you are agile? Think you have what it takes to make those lateral-upward moves in down markets?

Check out my friend Don.

I met Don when he was a technical recruiter in the height of the "dot com" days. Don placed dozens of people with my IT startup during a two year time frame. I had a good idea what he was making per placement so I know he was doing well with the technical placement company he worked for.

So what did he do?

He went solo and for a year and a half made even more money filling key job positions. Rather than do the shotgun approach, he specialized in placing minority candidates with technical companies. He made even more money.

During this time period, Don bought his first house. He saw how the real estate market worked and how home values were rising. He also was considering real estate as an investment strategy for all the money he was making in recruiting.

So, not one to go halfway, Don went to real estate school nights and got his license a few months later.

Don starting selling one or two homes a month on weekends.

Then the "dot bomb" bust happened, so Don went from part time real estate agent to full time.

Don focused on up and coming neighborhoods in older sections of town. Sure enough he hit another home run and until last year was making more sales and more money then ever before.

With the real estate market going the way it is, Don is moving back into recruiting. This time, he is reaching out to all those entry level techs he placed a decade ago and finding many of them are higher ups responsible for hiring.

Don is well placed to start picking up where real estate dropped out.

How about some personality traits of Don?

- Incredibly optimistic. Never a bad word or negative statement from him.
- Energetic and hardworking.
- Higher faith. Don has strong convictions which are reflected in his work.
- Honesty.
- Goal oriented.

Are you cut of the same cloth? Consider your options and see what you are doing to be as "nimble" as Don. Most of us follow the same old, "the company let me go - I wasn't planning on this!" lament.

Don has never waited for this to happen. He keeps his eyes and ears open for opportunity at all times.

If you don't have a similar plan for your life, why not make one today? Why not get busy on figuring your four or five plays and what fits for you?

Happy hunting!

Marketing Me! The Ladders Tips for the Unemployed Job Seeker

The Ladders delivered a great list for job seekers. A quick synopsis..

No matter your timeline, get your name out - Let's say you have been given a 90-day notice your position will be going away. Get busy NOW putting the word out your availability. (Too many job seekers are in shock the first 30 days or procrastinate).

Stay up to date in your field - this truly matters for technical workers, insurance, workers comp, HR and other certification heavy fields. Don't get caught with a resume full of ten year old acronyms!

Keep tabs on the Job Market - You might be surprised how much your field has changed now that you are looking again.

Get expert assistance - the author recommends a professional resume service, coaching and recruiters. I have had mixed results... no dismal results with professional resume services. I know myself better than they do. But a good coach is mandatory.

Use your network - in a top ten list for job hunters, this would be numbers one, two, three and ten on my list. The best jobs are found in your network.

Set goals - No doubt. Have them for your career and make sure your job searches match your career plans!

Be aggressive - assert yourself with hiring managers. That is who they remember.

Don't act on fear - the author advises against taking the first job that pays money and requires a warm body. You most likely will be unhappy in short time.

Know when to compromise - Which is kind of funny because it refutes "Don't act on fear" above. However, put it in the perspective of a laid off auto worker in Detroit. Compromise means sell the house in Michigan and get outta Dodge to a part of the country with jobs.

Do what you love - Always. Remember, a hobby is something you do for a living but don't get paid for it. Find a way to get paid for your hobby!.

Walmart vs Neimans

I ran into the problem over the weekend - "I am a Walmart employee in a Neiman Marcus world".

It's not there is something wrong with Walmart, it is that the rules have changed. Where there was once a preponderance of line jobs, (show up, punch a time clock, put widgets in widget holder, etc), there are now a wealth of specialty jobs.

Walmart is cheap. The goods are bought in huge amounts and priced with little margin. The win is in the bulk buy. If enough people buy products, Bentonville makes a tidy profit.

However, if a product marketed at Walmart does not move, it is dumped.

Compare that with Neimans. Neimans carefully selects products which meet the discriminating tastes of it's shoppers. Products are unique and priced accordingly.

The idea behind Neiman Marcus is a customer will pay more for products which are above and beyond what one can purchase elsewhere.

Jobs are the same.

Once upon a time, US Steel and General Motors packed them deep. Hundreds of thousands employees across dozens of cities. Company towns. Mass production. Assembly lines.

When the product moved (and the market was closed) there was plenty of work. When the product ceased moving or became too expensive to produce, the Walmart jobs disappeared.

Today's job market is all about the Neiman Marcus concept. Employers will pay a premium price for key people who are unique and talented. Companies are smaller and as likely to be global as they are lean and nimble. And the people products are priced accordingly.

The decision for today is whether or not you are a Neiman's employee waiting for the offer, or a Walmart employee waiting for the callback.

Either way, make sure you are not in the returns line.

Next.