The Passing of an Era

Last night was the retirement ceremony at Edmonton’s Rexall Place arena for Mark (“Moose”) Messier, the greatest leader in hockey history. Second all-time in games played. Second all-time in points scored. Six Stanley Cup rings. First player to captain two different teams to Stanley Cup victories.
Fans of Mark’s second team, the New York Rangers, called him the Messiah as they believed that he was the promised one who would end their four decades of futility and finally bring a Stanley Cup to Manhattan. He did, but hopefully New York fans understand that a player who was called the Messiah because he won one Cup for them must naturally be held in even higher esteem by fans in Edmonton where he grew up and won five Cups.

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10 Great Online Degree Programs

Contemplating earning a degree online?
Depending on the course of study and field of specialization you’re interested in, there are lots of accredited degree programs that offer an excellent and convenient educational experience.
There are over a hundred undergraduate and graduate online degree programs. Too many to list here, so I’ll just give you a small sampling of some popular educational programs to get you started:

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10 Pointers on College Loan Consolidation

Should I consolidate my college loans or not?
1. Still in school, yes! Rates are low, but they’re scheduled to go up. Your college loan payments will then remain as manageable as possible when you leave school. If you have graduated, or will be graduating this May or June, yes! Graduates can lock in historical low rates, and reduce their monthly payments more than half. You can lock in a rate even while still in school, and even if you have been out of school for a couple of years can get a good deal, too.

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General Social Survey: Few Read Daily Paper Every Day

For over 30 years, the General Social Survey is sent out to about 3,000 adults in the U.S. in order to asses trends, behaviors, and attitudes of Americans. With 450 questions, the survey covers a diverse set of issues, ranging from belief in the afterlife (steady at 72%) and trusting others (35% said that generally people can be trusted), to gun permits (80% favor a law requiring a police permit before being able to buy a gun) and legalization of marijuana (32% think it should be legal). Though it shouldn’t come as any surprise, the survey also indicated that fewer and fewer Americans are reading a daily newspaper every day. This year, only about 32% of respondents indicated that they read a newspaper every day, down from 40% in 2004, 50% in 1989, and 70% in 1972.

Recruiting to Booming Company Towns

I’m in Edmonton, Alberta for the retirement ceremonies for Mark Messier, one of the greatest hockey players of all time and a key to the five Stanley Cups won by the Oilers. While the Messier retirement game against Wayne Gretzky’s Phoenix Coyotes is big here, other news which is big here in Oil Town are the recruiting challenges faced by the oil exploration companies.

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Mark Messier Jersey Retirement in Edmonton

I arrived late last night (actually, this morning at 2am) in Edmonton, Alberta for the retirement of Mark Messier’s number 11 jersey by the Edmonton Oilers.

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SEO: A Dividend of Blogging

Over the past few days, there’s been some talk in the recruiting blogosphere by highly respected experts such as Joel Cheesman and John Sumser about the value of blogging. Even though I feel that CollegeRecruiter.com is still feeling its way through this ever changing landscape, I was honored to see that both chose to praise our efforts.

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Response to “One Year”

In response to Andrew’s entry on “One Year”, I think that is great that you’ve been at your present job for a year so far. I’ve been told by many people, mostly family members and friends, that when I get hired at a company, even if it’s not where I want to stay for the rest of my life, I should stay there at least one year to gain experience.
If it happened to be that I would be there longer than one year, that’s good because other employers see that as dedication and that the candidate has experience. I have some friends that have had many jobs in just one year and to me, I don’t think that looks as well as having just one job in your field. By staying at your job for a year or more shows the experience you’ve gained. Perhaps, by staying a year or more at your job gives you a chance to really learn, not just about the company, but also about yourself. It will help you see if you really like it and where you want to go from there.
I’ve been at my job for about six months and each day I keep on learning. Even if I do the same thing every time I’m there, I learn a trick to do the work faster or learn how to do something that I didn’t know how to do before. Granted, I’ve been there six months, usually only one day a week, but still, it’s experience I’ve gained. It’s better than not working there at all.
The other thing that counts, is that when the other secretaries at the law office couldn’t work, I covered for them. I could be doing something else, but I tell myself, I need the experience and it actually does look good on my resume. You never know what “little thing” will get the company to hire you. It could be just that.

Moose Fest

I can’t wait. Only two days until I fly from Minneapolis to Edmonton. Now that kind of a trip in February isn’t normally a cause for celebration, but this trip will be because the occasion at the other end will be a celebration. On Tuesday, the Edmonton Oilers will retire the number 11 jersey of Mark Messier. Moose, as he’s affectionately known to his fans, was one of the finest hockey players ever and an integral part of the 1980′s Edmonton Oilers dynasty. That team had five of the greatest players ever to play the game: Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey, and Grant Fuhr.

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Growing Concern of Wrong Hires

Across the United States there is a growing concern by employers and human resource professionals in respect to wrong hires and the costs continue to increase while the positions remain vacant and projects remain delayed. But, do you really have any idea why you should implement a thorough screening and pre-employment process in your organization?
Do you know the cost of a wrong hire? For small companies a wrong hire can be responsible for organizational collapse, while the larger organizations can usually absorb the costs associated with the wrong hire. It is estimated the cost of a wrong hire is 1.5 times the annual salary of the position. This cost increases as the position goes higher in rank and management level.
It is important to conduct a proper background check because within the pool of talented applicants lies the potential for corporate espionage, criminality and those lacking capability to perform the duties of the position. Add to this the mandated I-9 compliance and verification task, which has been handed the employer by the United States federal government and you, have a large box of problems in respect to mis-hires and wrong hires, which are in addition to the already stated costs of doing business.
Incidentally, hurried recruitment coupled with improper screening can easily add to the high attrition rate in any given industry, which lends to increasing training costs and overall recruiting. Realistically, the damage caused to a smaller organization easily outweighs those in larger companies. For instance, project delays, loss of customers and clients, further recruiting are all considerations that contribute to the problem.

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