Monthly Archives: May 2010

Glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife – The Keys to Personal Happiness

As we kick start into the spring and start hearing Jimmy Buffett and laying on the hammock under the sun, I thought I would provide a little Recruiterpoet insight on the keys to personal happiness.

Surround yourself with good vibes!

Today I was on Sullivan’s Island Beach with an amazing view of Fort Sumter, sailboats and children playing in the water. That made me happy. Sunsets on the beach, really good conversations, being part of something successful, a cold glass of milk at night, my family, the view of being above the clouds and many many little things encompass my personal happiness. Find the people, places and things that truly give you a good vibe and surround yourself with that each and every day.

Put your life in perspective

The next time you get cut off and curse at the car
The next time a cashier is really slow
The next time someone smokes near you without asking
The next time you get upset or jealous because someone you know has more money, a better car or a better job…Think before you react.

Ask yourself some simple questions that will help put your sour mood in perspective
Do you have your health?
Are you surrounded by family and friends that care about you?
Do you have a career that gives you value?
Do you enjoy the first view of morning dew each day?
Do you enjoy long showers or baths?

These are common luxuries and gifts we are given in our lives. Embrace them.

Make Music an important part of your life

Music is such a critical part of our lives.
It affects mood, attitude and perceptions of love, grief, happiness and depression.
It is the lyrics and music that develops the memories that we carry with us year after year.
As you take a moment and reflect on your childhood and adult life, you find yourself focusing on the music that defined the time. It is that music that captures and stores your memories in a secure box.
Make the music your own and let it be a part of who you are.

Get to know your community

Today I drove by a community garden. For those that do not know, a community garden is a plot of land developed by communities throughout the United States and overseas to provide low cost solutions for plants, fruits and vegetables to help combat the recession. With community members banding together to work in unity to build long term healthy gardens in urban communities, it is a testament to the dedication and caring mentality of those that participate.

Go outside and meet your neighbors. Maybe you know them but haven’t been in touch recently or maybe you hide out to maintain that shy persona. Get to know them. Make them a safety net in keeping the area safe and share in the resources and company they can provide. You will be pleasantly surprised by how many incredible individuals live just a few footsteps away.

Laugh, Cry and Scream once a day!

I would like to paraphrase a legend not only in the world of college basketball but life.
Jimmy Valvano stood in front of millions at the ESPY awards just months before having his life taken from him due to cancer. He told the audience to always laugh, think and cry once a day. There was not a dry eye in the audience.

My spin is simple: Don’t bottle up your emotions. Do not be afraid to express how you feel. Let it out. Whether it be in public or private express the full spectrum of emotions each day. You will feel refreshed, revitalized and brand new each day.

Think about that; the idea of a new YOU every day…Wow. I love it

I hope you walk away with one piece of advise to take away. Soon you will start seeing a difference in how you view life and more importantly, yourself.


What Would You Pay for Your “Field of Dreams” – Is It Heaven? NO, It’s Iowa

Provided by Duk and Yahoo Sports

Real estate agents can often get hyperbolic when talking about a “one-of-a-kind” property, but I don’t think anyone will dispute that label on the newest listing in Dyersville, Iowa.

After all, how many iconic movie sets are not only available for purchase, but can also be lived in? The 193-acre farm where Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones filmed 1989′s “Field Of Dreams” has been listed for sale by its owners after over a century of family ownership and the Des Moines Register reports that the asking price for the whole lot is $5.4 million.

That’d make for a good-sized mortgage, but it’d also get you the big farmhouse, the baseball diamond that Universal cut out of the corn, a few more farm buildings and about 65,000 tourists a year willing to buy your T-shirts and postcards.

Additional features include a vague yet suggestive voice in the sky, members of the 1919 Black Sox periodically showing up for a night game and the opportunity to play catch with your father’s ghost.
It basically sounds like a great opportunity for anyone, so long as your brother-in-law isn’t the dream-crushing character played by Timothy Busfield.
Former major league pitcher Ken Sanders is helping Don and Becky Lansing oversee the sale as they head into retirement and he says he’s not quite sure who will end up as the buyer:
“It would be easy to guess a baseball player, a movie buff or even someone from the film’s cast,” Sanders said.
“But the movie’s reach has been so widespread, potential buyers don’t necessarily fall within those demographics. It could end up being a non-profit organization, a land trust or a foreign investor. We might all be surprised.”

I know everyone’s been joking all day about placing a bid on the house, but I’m completely serious in trying to convince my bosses to make this the new blogging headquarters of Big League Stew. Considering I could spend my lunch hour taking some hacks before eating at the unparalleled Country Junction restaurant nearby, it’s a chance of a lifetime.

Head on over to SellFieldofDreamsMovieSite.com if you want to see all the real particulars (square footage, barn amenities, etc.) and put an offer together before I do. Or you can just listen to Terence Mann’s “people will come” speech for much cheaper soul nourishment.


Here is your chance – Top Recession Proof Jobs (Apply Here!)

Provided by Tim King

1. Headhunter One company’s layoff is another’s splash in the potential employee pool. Because of downsizing there are qualified people out there without jobs, and now is a great time to find them, pick them up and place them somewhere. Both sides win.

2. Bartender While the restaurant business may be floundering, bars won’t exactly boom, but they will be the first place people stop after getting the boot. Hey, people drink more when times are tough.

3. Software/Networking Development As new companies grow, here and overseas, they will need people to develop software for them to use and networks for them to communicate with. Companies need quality communication systems and programs to help them run as or more efficiently than competing companies.

4. Personal/Professional Finance Advisor After unprecedented amounts of financial scandals and poor fiscal management blunders surface, people and professionals alike will crack down on bookkeeping.

5. Repo Man Sadly, as more and more people fall on hard times, they will have to start giving up their possessions in order to make ends meet. The repossession industry will reap the benefits.

6. Collection Agents Companies are going belly-up left and right. The ones that don’t want to will try as hard as they can to keep their books clean, both legally and financially. Collection agencies will have no shortage of clients as more and more companies try to clean up.

7. Military /Government Jobs More and more service members overseas are extending their tours so they don’t have to face the bleak job market back home. The government will always need people to keep it functioning. Plus, government jobs are harder to get fired from and the benefits can be sweet, especially for those with families.

8. Nursing and Pharmaceuticals I’m sure you’ve heard it before: the baby boomers are getting old. In the coming years there will be a seemingly endless realm of potential patients to treat, and the nursing career and pharmaceutical industry will ride the wave high.

9. Truck Driver It’s not for everyone, but it’s a time-tested and classic profession. People are always going to need stuff, and that stuff will need to get places. Most of the time you will get a certain amount of time off for a certain amount of miles completed, which can mean lots of down time for rest and personal projects, and the medical and retirement benefits are a plus as well.

10. Fundraiser Asking for money is an idea that makes many people shudder, especially when everyone seems so tight. But with green jobs on a possible brink of booming and city planning expanding, companies and contractors are going to need people to raise funds. Besides, if you’re a good fundraiser you will have a good enough relationships with your donors that asking for money shouldn’t be a big issue.


Hot Job Alert – Defined Benefit Domain Manager – IL, TX, FL

Defined Benefit Domain Manager 020979 Full-time
Illinois-Lincolnshire Texas-The Woodlands, Florida-Orlando

Application URL:

https://hewitt.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=020979

Description

With more than 65 years of experience, Hewitt Associates (NYSE: HEW) is the world’s foremost provider of human resources outsourcing and consulting services. The company consults with more than 2,300 organizations and administers human resources, health care, payroll and retirement programs on behalf of more than 340 companies to millions of employees and retirees worldwide. Located in 33 countries, Hewitt employs approximately 24,000 associates.

A Domain Manager (DM) is responsible for the successful delivery of services to domain-aligned clients and the development of domain knowledge among associates within their work group (CDG, Implementation Services, or CAT). The Domain Manager ensures that complete and accurate requirements are developed for all projects and consults with clients and teams as the subject matter expert for best practices, services, tools, and prevalence.

Identifies and defines the client’s needs/requirements (including System Design model and interfaces for Tech DM); leads client requirement meetings for implementations (BIG), large change orders (CDG), and recovery efforts (CAT)
Resolves open requirements items and manages the client deadlines as it relates to the requirements definition process
Subject matter expert for the team, including Shared Services, on such topics as plan provisions, best practices, service delivery model, ongoing processing, data conversion, data model, application of client’s and Hewitt’s business objectives and requirements
Predicts, identifies, and communicates internal and external risks related to plan design and consults client, client team, and client prospects on legislative issues/changes, best practices, and delivery model
Provides input to Domain Leadership on client prevalence, client issues, requirements definition process, and related tools
Participates in internal and external acceptance review process
Provides coaching and feedback and identifies learning/experiential opportunities to develop others; develops domain knowledge and facilitates training courses
In BIG, supports sales process including RFP, pricing modeler, and site visits
In CSE, conducts initial review/audit to assess problem areas, assists in defining scope of work, and provides client coordination and project oversight during recovery efforts
In CSG, accountable for benefits delivery for their service for all clients within their Client Delivery Group (CDG), works with BSMs to maintain up-to-date and accurate requirements at all times and obtain client sign-off at least annually; will have BSM responsibilities as well for one of their clients
Qualifications

Qualifications:
A minimum of 5 years of Defined Benefit domain experience
Experience developing functional requirements from Summary Plan Descriptions and other pension-related content
Experience consulting with clients on administrative best practices and industry prevalence
Experience with systems development lifecycle principles/concepts
Bachelor’s degree required
Professional designations such as CEBS, ASPA, etc. desired.

All positions require an applicant who has accepted an offer to undergo a background check. The checks run are based on the nature of the position. Background checks may include some or all of the following: education verification, employment verification, criminal check, Denied Restricted Parties Lists or OFAC lists check, fingerprint verification, credit check, and/or drug test. By applying for a position with Hewitt Associates, you understand that you will be required to undergo a background check should you be made an offer. You also understand that the offer is contingent upon successful completion of the background check and results consistent with Hewitt’s employment policies. You will be notified during the hiring process which checks are required by the position.

Hewitt is an Equal Opportunity Employer Committed to Diversity, M/F/D/V


10 Leadership Skills You Need Now (How many are in your toolkit?)

Provided by:  Holly Landau

1. Influence – Leadership is all about the ability to influence a group toward a common goal. You may not have the ‘authority’ over the people you’re influencing, but you can have a huge impact if you assess the individual values/concerns and address them up front – before trying to do the ‘hard sell’ of your ideas.
2. Leverage Your Natural Leadership Style – Take a leadership assessment like DiSC or Myers-Briggs to help you identify your strengths and create strategies to capitalize on them.
3. Collaboration – As a leader, you can assess the individual strengths of each team member and strike a plan that allows people to contribute in powerful ways. Increase the ‘feel-good factor’ for everyone on the team when you tap into the individual stregths of each member. Actively seek input from everyone, don’t ever assume you have all the answers.
4. Project Management – This is ‘big picture’ thinking. Manage projects or programs by accessing all of your resources, clearly communicating a vision with your team, creating well-defined project milestones, and by all means…celebrate at the end of each project!
5. Presentation – Practice speaking in the mirror and to friends. Seek opportunities to get more comfortable sharing ideas to small and large groups. You want to move people to action, so choose your words that have impact and speak in a way that shows your passion.
6. Strategic Thinking – A dream without a plan is only a dream. Create specific goals with deadlines and milestones so you know you’re making progress.
7. Innovation – Some people are naturally innovative, they see possibilities where others don’t. If you’re not particularly gifted in this area, use creativity exercises like brainstorming to tap into new ideas.
8. Negotiating – Consider what’s ‘in it for them’ before you try to get what you want. Start a conversation with what you bring to the table, not what you want.
9. Delegation – A smart leader relies on a trusted network to help when help is needed. Don’t try to do everything yourself, you simply can’t accomplish everything alone.
10. Change Management – Every industry is affected by change in this economy. Try to flex to the shifting business climate and keep your team informed of any change on the horizon, if possible.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame – Americas Past Time and the a Cute Little Girl (What more can you ask for to bring a smile to your face)


The Top Ten Out of Office Replies – Use at your own risk! (We had to include the disclaimer)

Provided by Top Ten Reasons.com

  • 1. I am currently out of the office at a job interview and will reply to you if I fail to get the position. Please be prepared for my mood.
  • 2. You are receiving this automatic notification because I am out of the office. If I was in, chances are you wouldn’t have received anything at all.
  • 3. Sorry to have missed you, but I’m at the doctor’s having my brain and heart removed so I can be promoted to our management team.
  • 4. I will be unable to delete all the emails you send me until I return from vacation. Please be patient, and your mail will be deleted in the order it was received.
  • 5. Thank you for your email. Your credit card has been charged $5.99 for the first 10 words and $1.99 for each additional word in your message.
  • 6. The email server is unable to verify your server connection. Your message has not been delivered.  Please restart your computer and try sending again.
  • 7. Thank you for your message, which has been added to a queuing system. You are currently in 352nd place, and can expect to receive a reply in approximately 19 weeks.
  • 8. Hi, I’m thinking about what you have just sent me. Please wait by your PC for my response.
  • 9. I have run away to join a different circus.
  • 10. I will be out of the office for the next two weeks for medical reasons. When I return, please refer to me as ‘Kate’ instead of Dave.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mothers around the World (Mother’s Day Quotes)

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.
~George Cooper

Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs… since the payment is pure love. ~Mildred B. Vermont

The sweetest sounds to mortals given
Are heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven.
~William Goldsmith Brown

A suburban mother’s role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after. ~Peter De Vries

If the whole world were put into one scale, and my mother in the other, the whole world would kick the beam. ~Lord Langdale (Henry Bickersteth)

Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever. ~Author Unknown

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh

All mothers are working mothers. ~Author Unknown

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. ~Sophia Loren, Women and Beauty

Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible. ~Marion C. Garretty, quoted in A Little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul

Mother – that was the bank where we deposited all our hurts and worries. ~T. DeWitt Talmage

A mother is a mother still,
The holiest thing alive.
~Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The real religion of the world comes from women much more than from men – from mothers most of all, who carry the key of our souls in their bosoms. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers. ~Jewish Proverb

A mother understands what a child does not say. ~Author Unknown

I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. ~Abraham Lincoln

My mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune. ~Graycie Harmon

It would seem that something which means poverty, disorder and violence every single day should be avoided entirely, but the desire to beget children is a natural urge. ~Phyllis Diller

Woman in the home has not yet lost her dignity, in spite of Mother’s Day, with its offensive implication that our love needs an annual nudging, like our enthusiasm for the battle of Bunker Hill. ~John Erskine

Women’s Liberation is just a lot of foolishness. It’s the men who are discriminated against. They can’t bear children. And no one’s likely to do anything about that. ~Golda Meir

A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest. ~Irish Proverb

Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children, and no theories. ~John Wilmot


Defined Contribution and Defined Benefit (Delivery and Systems) Linkedin Community Just Launched – A Cool Group..Now I can finally belong

If you passion and domain excellence is in the field of Defined Contribution and/or Defined Benefit, this is the network for you. Through shared services and experiences, this group will provide a comfortable community of individuals who share the same energy, passion and professional expertise.

This is an opportunity to be part of a global group of professionals who have committed themselves to helping the personal and financial well being of their clients, customers, family and friends.
Please go to this link to join:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=3028935&trk=anet_ug_hm

We look forward to seeing you soon


Social Media Marketing in 3 minutes – Start the Stopwatch

Provided by Upside Down Iceberg


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