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2008 - Ten of The Best New Year's Resolutions

1.       Resolve to stay brutally optimistic. See the opportunity in every difficulty and anticipate the most favorable outcome out of every situation. Whatever you look for, that's what you'll find. We can get better, or we can get bitter; it all depends on the lessons we draw from each experience. Optimism is like electricity — very little happens without it. Know this truth: you have all the resources you'll ever need to handle all the challenges you'll ever have. In true emergencies, the true you will emerge.

2.       Resolve to identify the most powerful benefit you offer to the people around you and then deliver it. "The purpose of life," said George Bernard Shaw, "is a life of purpose." What's yours? Where are you investing your personal energy: self-preservation or adding value to others? Here's the well-being paradox: If you're only concerned about yourself, you cannot take care of yourself. Only by helping others can you succeed.

3.       Resolve to pump up your personal vitality. In the game of life, it's not about who's right, it's about who's left. More than 60 percent of us are over 36 years old. The real currency of the new century is not cash. It's vitality. It's the ability to keep going every day of every week of every month of the year with vigor and verve. All you are to the people around you is a source of energy, and you cannot give what you don't have. Ninety percent of all adults do no physical exercise at all. More than half of us are overweight. A third of us still smoke. So, this year, resolve to enhance your physical, emotional and mental vitality. Take just a small step. First you'll amaze yourself, and then you'll amaze everybody else.

4.       Resolve to be habitually generous. Success is not something you pursue. It's something you attract by what you become. The more you give of yourself, the more favors you attract from others. People have a deep-rooted drive to give back. So, resolve to search for ways to contribute to others. Here's an interesting aphorism: Live life above the line. If the line represents others' expectations of you, consistently surpass those expectations. You'll develop what author Ken Blanchard calls "raving fans," people who become walking billboards for you.

5.       Resolve to go on a mental diet. Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can scar you for life. It is humans, not elephants, who never forget. So, resolve to use the language of conciliation, not the language of confrontation. Avoid the temptation to vent your negativity on others. Instead, use words that express your joie de vivre and connection with others.

6.       Resolve to be a global citizen, fully open to the cultures and influences of others. There is a direct correlation between personal well-being and openness to other peoples' ideas and cultures. If someone has a different point of view, they're probably right as well. There are no absolutes anymore, so welcome different opinions. Become a one-person champion of plurality. Not only will you make lots of new friends, but you'll also gather multiple reference points to help you resolve personal challenges.

7.       Resolve to take control of your destiny. Don't be so busy trying to make a living that you forget to make a life. Decide who you want to be and what you want to achieve, and then stride boldly towards your vision. The most precious human commodity today is confidence.

8.       Resolve to increase your human connectedness. The person with the best connections wins. The wider your network, the more opportunities you generate. It's all about trust. And it's all about profile — your presence in the minds of the people who matter. So invest at least 10 percent of your time broadening your sphere of influence. Connect other people to the opportunities within your network: cross-pollinate their potential. When you are with others, make every encounter a pleasurable one. When you listen, truly listen. And burn your fear of rejection.

9.       Resolve to increase your creativity by letting go of the familiar. Nothing is as far away as yesterday. Try to see the world through fresh eyes every day. As Salman Rushdie writes, every year is the Stone Age to the year that follows it. Listen to your intuition and follow your instincts, they'll tell you what to do before your head has had a chance to figure it out. You are a Picasso or Einstein at something. Discover what it is and then develop it to the maximum.

10.   Resolve to be you, because others are already taken. You and I are at our best when we're being authentic. We're at our best when we're being positively spontaneous, because that's when all our energy is being invested in the task at hand or with the person in front of us. In a hyper-competitive world, we cannot afford to second-guess ourselves. Success in the new century is all about speed. So act now, because if not now, when

Six Reasons Recruiters Will Talk to You

By Ian Christie, LiveCareer.com.

What are the key reasons executive search firms and other 3rd party employer-paid recruitment agencies will pay attention to you?

The fundamental starting point is that these firms and their individual partners, associates, or support staff, are under no inherent obligation to give you any of their time. They owe you nothing. The client of the search firm is the hiring organization. That is rule one.

However, rule two is that the recruiting firms need candidates that FIT their current and future assignments in order to do their job. As a result, search firms can be highly selective about with whom they invest their time. So, how do you get their attention? By analyzing the key reasons or circumstances under which a headhunter might talk to you, you can devise your approach strategies accordingly. Here are the top reasons:

REASON #1: You are a clear and strong candidate for a current search assignment.

This sounds obvious, but that period of time when the recruiter is hunting for suitable candidates is a time when the doors are theoretically open. Whether you have applied to an ad, sent in a blind resume, have been referred, or called, you might get their attention if you are a strong match for an assignment they are currently pursuing.

Note: A search firm gets paid to attract people who are among the best in their field, not those just able to do the job. This fact of life is at the root of a lot of frustration among candidates regarding search firm unresponsiveness.

ACTION ITEM: If you are going to apply to one of their openings, apply a laser focus to the opportunity at hand. Show them "why you."

REASON #2: You fit with the recruiter's specialty & appear to have a pedigree that seems "placeable."

If they have the time, you may get recruiters' attention if your profession and industry are closely aligned with the kind of work they do, and your career trajectory is impressive. They will judge how placeable you are, that is, how likely it is that one of their clients would want to hire you. If there is a strong fit, then yes, they may make time for you.

ACTION ITEM: Target the specialist firms, and specialist practitioners within general firms.

REASON #3: You come referred by someone important.

The world of executive search and recruitment is about relationships and exchange of information. Yes, ads are posted, but the ads often serve as backups. The real work occurs on the phones, speaking with people in their networks about who is good and who is ready to take on the challenge at hand. Referrals.
That's how it works. So, search professionals tend to be highly attuned to incoming referrals from their network. The referrers may be current and past clients, industry experts, or former candidates. The later category is tricky. The power of the referral in this case really depends on the level of relationship that candidate had with the search firm.

ACTION ITEM: Work your networks. Ask for referrals. If at all possible, lay-up an introduction rather than going in cold.

REASON #4: You are someone they want to get to know.

If the search firm partner or associate concludes that you are a player, someone who might hire them to do search work in the future; someone who is well respected in the industry; someone with a big and powerful network, then they may be eager to start a relationship with you. Being an up-and-comer can also be an
attractor. You may not, in their eyes, be ready today, but talking to you now may in fact be a good investment of time on their part.

ACTION ITEM: Don't be invisible. Seed your field so that your name comes up when key people are asked, "Who can do this job?"

REASON #5: You are a file builder during slower times.

The fewer active assignments recruiters have, the more time there is to fill their pipeline. Yes, they will be out looking for new clients, but it is also a time to catch-up on meeting new candidates. In a slower market, they are likely to be a little more open in who they talk to.

ACTION ITEM: Don't forget the slow cycles. Try to approach before you need to find a job. Word your approach as one of "getting to know for future potential assignments."

REASON #6: You represent a valuable contact for a more junior headhunter.

You might not be able to get a partner or senior consultant's attention, but you may be able to with an associate or researcher. Don't underestimate the power of these folks to insert you into the search firm's active system and assignments. And, they need to build their career with strong, relevant and productive relationships. It could be you.

ACTION ITEM: If contacted by someone at this level, treat him or her seriously. If you can't reach the partner, approach the researcher or associate.

That's it. Yes, you may get in because you catch someone on a good day, and they feel like helping, but don't count on it. As a rule, these six contexts are the only instances when you can get an audience with a search firm. Understanding these reasons now arms you with potential strategies. Good hunting.