Dear Class of 2009,
Treeline does not usually partake in job fairs but I went to a college job fair the other day for the first time. Typically we feel that we are all sales people and that job fairs are too reactive as opposed to our usual proactive approach to our business. Let me explain; we partner together with a company, find out what kind of sales professional would be a successful fit for their company and we, in turn, proactively search for, find, qualify and help present that company with those kinds of sales people.
You can plainly see that my colleague and I might not be too enthused about sitting behind a table with a bowl of candy and a stack of our business cards waiting to meet anyone who approaches our table. Not really ‘a thrill a minute’ type of afternoon. Don’t get me wrong…the function as a whole was well done. It was a great setting in a grand academic hall. There were grad and undergrad students bustling about – getting to and from classes. Some students came to talk to us about how we could add value to their search after they graduate in a month. Some are looking for an internship for the summer. Some just came for the candy. We have conversations with several students but do you know what I spoke about the most?! I spoke with panicked students who were freaking out about how there are no jobs out there and there never will be again.
Seriously, I spoke with people who thought the sky was falling. There was one girl who thought that going back for her MBA was a waste and that she’ll probably end up working at KFC. She wasn’t talking about working in KFC’s corporate office, she meant an actual KFC…not that there is anything wrong with working at KFC, but people usually aim higher with an MBA.
I speak with dozens of sales professionals everyday and as a team, Treeline keeps a firm grip on what the market is doing on a day to day basis. The messages that I kept on delivering to these students are the same messages I deliver to the people whom I speak with every day;
- There are jobs out there and there are more jobs on the way. Don’t get me wrong, it is tough out there…dang tough. But, it has been tough before and it will be tough again. You just have to keep your head down, drive hard and wait for the smoke to clear.
- There are entry level positions out there but they will not find you, you have to find them.
- There are certain industries out there that are struggling and others that are growing. The thing is, a lot of people know which industries are growing and those same people are also trying to break in to those industries…there is a ton of competition out there and you have to separate yourself from the pack.
- It is not uncommon in the least to have your MBA and be in sales. If you go to get your MBA to get out of sales, that is fine. It does not mean that you are above sales. It just means that sales is not for you. It is my experience, any professional who does not see the value of a strong sales career is very confused and should definitely stay in school.
- And lastly, to the Class of 2009, please come out of school – we need you. We need fresh minds with fresh ideas who will build the market. New minds, not preoccupied by classes and dissertations, will invent new products, new services and new technologies. Do you think Bill Gates dropped out of school to go work for Microsoft? The answer is yes, the only problem is that Microsoft wasn’t hiring because it did not exist yet. So, Bill Gates essentially started Microsoft for the sole reason that he wanted to work there.
That is what we need from the graduating class of 2009. Dream up the company you want to work for and then go out there and start that company. And, when you need to build a sales team, call Treeline, we will find the right sales people for you.
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Grandparents vs. Parents
I recently was on the way over to my father-in-law’s house to pick up my oldest son from his sleepover at Grampy’s and I got to thinking about why grandparents love visits with their grandchildren. I feel that grandparents, in general, love time with their grandchildren and love having them over for the night, but why? After all, my father-in-law could be out on the town doing a million other things, does he really enjoy spending the night at home watching “Handy Manny” or “Wall-E” or “Thomas the Tank-Engine”? Let’s be honest, kids are a challenge and although my son is generally well behaved, his energy level could wear anyone down.
Then it hit me…no matter what happens on that sleepover, when the morning comes, my son is going home and Grampy is no longer responsible. Grampy can then clean up and get some rest or at the very least he can sit in peace for a little while. For parents, there is never enough peace, quiet, rest, or time to really clean up. You simply move toys into piles around the house so you don’t step on them after you have taken off your shoes. (it always amazes me how much this hurts)
As recruiters, we speak to many organizations and hiring managers and it is interesting to compare their views of the marketplace. These views seem to coincide with the grandparents vs. parents points of view. There are management teams who are looking at this economy and, while recognizing the challenges, they perceive that now is the time to gain market share. They know that this is a unique opportunity to bring in a talented salesperson now that maybe wasn’t available 6 months ago. These managers are taking the view of grandparents, who know that even if they are facing a temper-tantrum or demands for ice cream from their grandchild, this time will pass. Much like the challenges of the current economy, this, too, will eventually pass. And all recessions do eventually subside.
Some of our clients have understandably gone into bunker mode and are not going to hire or try to gain market share. They are the parents who are thinking, “I have another 18 years of this stuff. This is never going to end”. After all, when you are dealing with a cranky child it is hard to think about anything except, “how do I survive this? How do I make it through to bedtime?” Or as a management team, how do we make it through 2009? What is interesting is comparing how you see things in the marketplace.
Now, I know some of you have read this and are thinking, “This guy is comparing the challenges of his kids to the challenges of the recession”…don’t lose sight on my point. Is now the time to secure and grow market-share? Or do you think now is the time to just hunker down? Is your company in the grandparent or parent mindset?
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Be thankful for good days!
Good days, we all love them!
Well, don’t we? Would it not be amazing if every day was YOUR day!? Coming off the weekend, as I was driving into work this morning I had time to reflect on how great the weekend was! The weather was great, I was surrounded by family and friends and not to mention Boston sports did well. Overall, I had a good weekend.
In these tough times, we are constantly hearing about the ‘bad’ and not so much about the ‘good.’ The ‘bad’ finds its way into our personal lives and of course, our place of employment.
I work in the lovely world of sales. I assist sales people in advancing their careers with top opportunities while providing clients with top sales professionals to help build their team. Let’s face it, in sales, it is the simple formula of what you put into it, is what you will get out of it. I like to consider myself a hard worker and I will do what it takes to make it happen. I am a hunter and consistently on the move to close business. I “pound” the phone, I meet with potential clients, and I am always trying to move the deals along to close. I do all of this because I love the thrill of the challenge, I am motivated by accomplishing something difficult, and I am satisfied by my line of work.
But, there are days, that no matter how hard I work, things do not go my way. We all have days like these. It may seem like ‘the bad’ happens more than I would like. A client filled their role on their own, their department budget just got pulled, the client went on a hiring freeze, the candidate decided to go in a different direction. Whatever ‘bad’ is happening that day, I always turn to the most important things that I have learned in sales; be consistent and always work with a sense of urgency. Even though you are driving 100%, you may not see instant results, but continue to work hard because a payoff is always coming.
Closing that deal, giving someone a new start, helping a client to fill an open slot – these are the difficult accomplishments that I works so hard for. In order to get there, I have to stay positive, consistently, and no matter what, I have to do what it takes to be successful.
I am a strong believer that good things happen to good people! A few months ago there was a great candidate in one of my accounts who unfortunately did not get an offer from a particular company. About 2 weeks later, I received a call from that same company asking if that candidate would be available and if he could start within the week! “Did I just hear that correctly?” GREAT! I worked hard to get this candidate’s foot in the door, he, in turn, worked hard in the interview, and all that hard work eventually paid off.
See, the good days happen, you just have to believe in yourself, work hard and keep a positive attitude through the bad days…another good day is on its way.
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