And we're the ones with all the proofreaders!

We sent an unedited version of our newsletter yesterday, and then recovered with a second one, headlined "Oops ..."(http://conta.cc/gSax9y)

Lots of people will agree: recovery is everything. There's no way to avoid falls, slip-ups, mistakes in life, or in your career. One of the most important questions I ask in an interview is "Tell me about your biggest screw-up." If they take too long to answer, I assume they haven't experienced it yet. Or, if further along in their career, I make a note about their humility.

I'll tell you that we've already gotten calls about some of the talent we featured -- hiring is still ramping up! -- and no one mentioned the errors in our newsletter. And, hopefully, that's a mistake we won't make again.

What happened to December? and a January bonus!

Whew. We're moving f-a-s-t around here. Hiring's picking up, both in temporary and full-time and it looks like 2011 will be better for lots of people. In that vein, we're contributing Wednesday work all during January. See "Everybody works on Wednesday" on our website http://www.landajobnow.com/static/whatsNew.html for details.

And, we know, the movie line from Dave was also "Everybody works on Mondays". The point was it's good to work everyday! Call us if we can help you fill in some blanks.

Parents: You May Not Want to Hear This

Maybe it's just the wrong time of year. We're generally prepared for the onslaught of graduates in spring. We're ready to exhibit more patience with first-time jobseekers, help guide them onto the path, give them tips on how to get started, explain what NOT to do.

So when the phone call this week started with "My son is graduating with a degree in strategic communications and a minor in Spanish. Can you help him?", I directed her to our website, along with SucceedAfterSchool.com. Not taking the hint, she wanted to talk about it. Recruiters are busy for the first time in a long time and -- think about it -- we make a living from employers who are searching for talent.

Sons, don't let your Mothers grow up to be helicopter parents.

Make it Easier for Them to Hire You

Heads up, job-seekers! It appears that hiring is on the increase. We're not promising anything, mind you, but here's what you really need to know:

You have to make it easier for those in H.R. and recruiting. Here's a list of Don'ts:

*Don't be coy and send a recruiter a message that you might want to "take a look around"; you're either motivated to make a change or you're not and when we're busy, we don't have time to help you figure that out. So we go with the talent who's persuaded us that they're ready, willing and able to present themselves professionally.

*Don't ask to "get together to talk about my future". A career coach is the path you need if you want to talk about it. Recruiters and human resources pros are looking for very specific skills, backgrounds, and education to fill positions with narrow requirements.

*Don't label your resume "resume". Make sure it has your name on it. Most of us are deluged with job-seekers and it's easier to find you digitally than it was in the old paper system, but this recession has everyone strained for resources when we're receiving hundreds of inquiries every week.

*Don't wander into the job hunt without the necessary tools. As with everything else in life, you'll get out of it what you put into it. Here are a couple of resources: bi-weekly e-newsletter at www.asktheheadhunter.com (free) and our career portal, www.mylandajob.com, also free.

silver lining?

For so long in the advertising and marketing business, it seemed that employees' skill sets became narrower and narrower. I'll always remember the first British designer I interviewed. His portfolio was a mix of the usual ads, identity/logos, etc. and then! wallpaper design and textile pieces and more! He had worked as a graphic designer, a product designer, and gasp! a sales professional (of the product line he had developed).

And, oh boy, did he have a tough time finding his next job. All the employers he met in our market wanted to see something more traditional, more narrow. There was a pattern then of becoming more specialized, within any discipline, to improve ones' upward mobility, hireability, compensation, etc.

This recession seems to have changed that somewhat. A generalist who can adapt to change quickly and maintain a good attitude is looking better to many employers: http://www.workforce.com/section/recruiting-staffing/feature/multiskilled-employees-sought-versatility-becomes-a/index.html

And that British designer I was so impressed with? He did stay in KC (yay!), had a good job in product development for a long time, and now is very busy with his independent design work.