Venting? Anonymously?

Just saw the jobvent.com site where disgruntled employees can register their complaints and their kudos -- anonymously -- for all the world to see. Oh boy.

Employers are ranked on criteria such as Pay, Respect, Benefits, Work/Life Balance, Career Potential/Growth, etc. A lot of what I read seemed petty and narrowly focused ("...the worst supervisor EVER", "you have to suck up to the right people") but there were legitimate learnings (as the big boys say) for those employers who are taking the long view and truly see their employees as their biggest asset.

From scores of -8222 to positive scores in the hundreds, it's clear that people would rather pan than praise. At least on this site. I was cheered by the review of one of our local financial services employer which said: "Good company for benefits but they have this Kansas City attitude where they only go by the book." With all of today's financial news, may we hear a round of applause?

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Senior Copywriter
Delicious opportunity for a seasoned copywriter with style, insight, experience and proven results to create campaigns encompassing print, direct and broadcast. Ideal candidate will have 5 to 10 years agency experience, backed by a solid book and broadcast reel featuring healthcare or consumer-focused work. Agency has strong leadership and terrific C.D.

Six Degrees of References

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Public Relations Senior Account Manager

Develop and manage regional and national media relations programs. Requires strong track record of media relations successes, from strategy through execution, plus some crisis communications background. Must be prepared to handle complex workload while creating breakthrough ideas. Agency experience preferred.

Hot Tip

Your References Can Be Your Most Precious Asset

As competition heats up for some categories of jobs in marketing/communications and sites for resume harvesting become ubiquitous, the references of the job seeker can become his/her best asset.

It's a good idea to protect and maintain your references with your very best efforts.

We suggest you try to keep track of your key former supervisors and co-workers for at least five to seven years past your active association. As your jobs and responsibilities change, you may need to have some new testimonial quotes about different aspects of your experience or contributions. It's always a sad surprise to talk with job candidates who cannot provide contact information for former supervisors. Sometimes that can keep you from delivering a reference that could seal the deal.

Be sure to alert your references when you're getting ready to share their information. These contacts are golden, and you want to keep them in the loop and protect them from being contacted by those companies in whom you are not truly interested.

Many people forget that clients and vendors (current or former) can be extremely effective references. They can speak to your professionalism, knowledge, relationship-building skills, ethics, and much more.

Why not look for creative ways to use quotes from your references? What if they could spice up your cover letter or be used as extra flavor in your resume? We've seen that make the difference in who gets the interview.

And at the end of the process, a stellar reference can make the difference in who gets the offer.

First Post! What took us so long?

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Art Director
We are currently seeking a Senior Art Director for a perm position. Our client is an ad agency in Kansas City. Ideal candidates will have a minimum of 5 years of agency experience, will collaborate with account planning and creative teams to develop concepts and execute work that meets objectives and strategies. Having fun most days is a prerequisite. This individual must be a self-starter with proven experience/knowledge of InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Quark and other applicable programs. Must have an excellent portfolio and stellar presentation skills.

Hot Tip
Why Your Best Intentions Go In Their Trash
I read a resume critique today that, alternately, took my breath away and gave me hope. In a season of name-calling, trash-talking political incivility, here’s something you need to know if you’re in a job search:

Only a few, very few, people are going to tell you the truth.

Let’s start with your resume. Does it really make you stand out from the crowd and command the attention of the HR staff and hiring manager? Are you (shudder) using the same templated resume and cover letter for every submission? Does this document, your digital stand-in, represent you and the contributions you could make to a new employer?

Remember that the best resume — not always the best candidate — gets to the next step: an interview.

Don’t attempt to close the deal (get the job) with your cover letter and resume. What you’re after is a face-to-face with people at the employer/company who can begin the exchange of information (your skills and experience with their needs). Take it one thoughtful, well-researched step at a time.