About This Issue

Enjoying success in any endeavor is all about finding the right opportunities and being able to seize them.  This is especially important in the world of business and employment, where missing opportunities or not recognizing them for what they truly are can have damaging consequences.  In this issue of The Animal Science Monitor, we examine how creating opportunities, both in regards to building your company and building your career, is the first step toward benefiting from them.  We hope that you enjoy this issue of The ASM, and we’d like to thank you for providing us with the opportunity to serve you better

Tips for the Boss

Add Star-Power Talent with an Opportunistic Hiring Approach
(Dan Simmons)

Most of you know that I’m a head hunter and at the end of last year, I reviewed the placements I had made and determined who my #1 client was for the year.  More importantly, I looked at what they did to become #1.  Their change in approach might be a tip for building your team.

I’ve recruited for this particular client for the last four years, and usually, I place one person on their team each year.  Their Human Resource manager will talk with me about their open positions, and I’ll start recruiting to fill those positions.  Here’s what changed this past year—they started hiring opportunistically.  When I ran across a stellar candidate who had expertise in their field, they interviewed him/her and created a spot on their team for that person.  That’s right, they did what some companies would consider unthinkable: they hired without an open position.  Yes, folks it can be done!  This company clearly recognized the benefits of hiring in an opportunistic fashion:

• They hired a fresh Ph. D. candidate to add to their technical staff, even though they weren’t looking for one.  They now have a stronger team, as well as a bright mind with new ideas.

• They picked up a top sales rep from a national competitor who had a lousy boss.  This occurred just before they went through some natural turnover.  As a result, they experienced no loss of service and probably gained market share.

In addition to the hires listed above, I also placed a fresh graduate into this company’s new training program.  So as you can see, the company’s officials are taking the practice of hiring opportunistically quite seriously within their entire organization, from top to bottom.  As well they should, because through being opportunistic, they’ve taken concrete steps toward growing their business and far outpacing their competition.

Whether you’re in charge of improving your company’s research program, sales and marketing department, or technical/administrative support, you can greatly increase your effectiveness by adding top performers to your team.  Make sure your HR department, team members, vendors, and customers are constantly on the watch for talented prospects.  In addition, work with recruiters who are both reactive (filling your openings) and proactive (sending top talent).

If you don’t know of one, call me.  I’d be happy to help you build your team with top-caliber candidates.  Think opportunistically, and make this year the very best that it can be.

If you have any questions about this topic, feel free to contact me at (888) 276-6789 or send me an email at dan@consearch.com.

Featured Job Listings

Sam Houston State University is seeking an Assistant Professor of Animal Science.  Candidates must have a Ph.D. in Animal Science with emphasis in Reproductive Physiology.  Applicants may inquire at 936.294.1189 or sfkelley@shsu.edu.

Is Your Company Recruiting?

Are you in the process of searching for top talent in the marketplace?  Then you should sign up for Simmons Says, the monthly e-newsletter exclusively for hiring managers written by executive recruiter Dan Simmons of Continental Search & Outplacement, Inc.  Dan is a 15-year veteran of the recruiting industry, and Continental Search has provided targeted search and placement services for over a decade.  Each issue of Simmons Says is designed to inform and educate about a variety of workplace issues, recruiting trends, and marketplace dynamics.  Sign up today, and take the next step in making 2007 a great year!  To sign up for Simmons Says or to find out more about the recruiting services offered by Dan and Continental Search, send an email to dan@consearch.com.

At The ASM, we’re always looking for feedback from our readers.  If you have a comment or suggestion for us, please send an email to matt@animalsciencemonitor.com.  We want to publish the best newsletter possible, and the first step in accomplishing that goal is to provide you with the information you need the most!

Hot Jobs

The ASM is pleased to publish information regarding exciting new opportunities.  If you’re interested in any of the positions below, please email Don Hunter at brg@charterinternet.com.

DAIRY TECH SERVICES / Technical Sales Support

Location: Rural Ohio

1. Full Relocation Expenses
2. Interview Expenses
3. Full Benefits          

Salary: $85K – 120K

Exciting and growing animal nutrition company seeks Dairy Nutritionist to provide support to Dairy Feed Sales Rep in four states.  High-profile position with direct impact on company’s growth.  Ph.D. or M.S. Degree, ability to travel 50%.

DAIRY CONSULTANT / 3 Years Field Sales / Dairy Nutrition

Location: Osh Kosh, Wisconsin

1. Full Relocation Expenses
2. Interview Expenses
3. Full Benefits          

Established company with sales growth every year for over a decade.  If you have three years experience in field sales/dairy nutrition consulting and are interested in growing your career – contact us.

SPECIALTY FEED SALES REP / Equine Feed

Location: Massachusetts

1. Full Relocation Expenses
2. Interview Expenses
3. Full Benefits          

Salary: $50K – $90K
Regional feed company has excellent opportunity for horse lover with strong sales skills and understanding of horse nutrition.  Minimum of three years selling products to dealers.  Existing customer base with outstanding growth potential

Managing Your Career

Your Eyes and Ears in the Marketplace
(By Don Hunter)

These days, trying to find the job of your dreams is . . . well, pretty much a full-time job.

With the numerous responsibilities that people have—family, relationships, going back to school, preparing for graduation, etc.—finding time to unearth the job you’ve always wanted can seem like a daunting and nearly impossible task.

And if you do have time to conduct a careful job search, how do you know if you’re seeing all of the opportunities that exist?  There’s no doubt that networking is an excellent way in which to find out about opportunities you normally wouldn’t be aware of.  But how do you ensure that you’re truly maximizing your search and ultimately, making a decision that’s right for you?

Widening your search
I’ve mentioned in previous issues of The Animal Science Monitor that there is a “hidden” job market that exists, one that contains premium opportunities that aren’t distributed through the normal media outlets.  These aren’t positions that you’ll see in your local newspaper, in a professional journal, or even on your favorite industry-related job board website.  (And when you do utilize a job board, make sure that it’s a specialized board, like the one at www.animalsciencejobs.com.  You can waste precious time and energy on a general job board site.)

One of the obstacles to discovering these hidden opportunities is that candidates aren’t privy to the hiring practices of companies and how they go about finding people to fill their important openings.  Because of this, candidates aren’t able to position themselves correctly.  One person who is privy to the specific hiring practices of companies is an executive recruiter, somebody who’s in the trenches day in and day out and knows the industry in a thorough fashion.  By aligning yourself with a recruiter, you’re able to cover all of the bases and make sure that nothing slips by you.  Your job search becomes more focused, more targeted, more comprehensive, and most importantly, more effective.

Dan Simmons and I are the owners of www.animalsciencejobs.com and The Animal Science Monitor, which celebrated its second anniversary a couple of months ago.  Dan and I are also veteran recruiters with a combined total of 25 years of experience.  We’ve enjoyed a lot of success placing candidates in a variety of positions within the Animal Science industry, people just like you, who read our publication on a consistent basis and are seeking new opportunities to advance their careers.  We’ve witnessed first-hand the satisfaction that people derive from not only knowing about these opportunities, but also taking full advantage of them.

No-risk proposition
Aligning yourself with a recruiter and drawing upon their extensive knowledge and expertise is a no-risk proposition.  That’s because it won’t cost you a penny.  Once you’re hired, the company will pay the recruiter’s fee.  It never affects your starting salary or any other form of compensation, for that matter.  There’s also no risk involved because a recruiter will handle your job search, in addition to any and all information you submit to them (including your resume) in total confidence and in a discreet fashion.

A recruiter can be your eyes and ears in today’s competitive marketplace.  While it’s true that you should be doing all that you can in order to find the job that’s right for you, Dan and I are extremely confident in our abilities to uncover the premium positions that exist in the hidden job market and help you find that job.  Don’t let opportunities pass you by.  One of them could be the job you’ve always wanted.

If you have any questions about this topic, please send me an email at brg@charterinternet.com.  And if you’re currently engaged in a job search or are interested in advancing the scope of your career, be sure to send me your resume.  I’d be happy to discuss your career goals and ambitions, including ways in which I can help you to achieve them.