About This Issue

Relationship-building and customized service . . . wouldn’t it be great if every company strived to achieve such lofty ambitions? In this issue of The Animal Science Monitor, you’re going to meet two companies who do exactly that, and you’re going to learn a few things along the way, like moving and relocation tips. Because at The ASM, we’re all about a customized newsletter experience, one that addresses challenges you might be facing right now. Thanks for being a loyal reader, and we hope that you enjoy this week’s issue.

—Dan and Don

Moving and Relocation Tips

So—you’ve scored the job you’ve always wanted.  You’re doing what you love to do, and you’re being paid well and have great benefits.

Now what?

Now it’s time to move, that’s what, and unless you put the same care and attention into that endeavor as you did into finding your dream job, you just might find yourself crashing back down to earth.

Mickey Matteson, CRP, is an account executive with Recruiter Relocation in Scottsdale, Ariz.  Recruiter Relocation works with vendors all across the country, companies such as real estate agents and van line companies, in an effort to make sure that newly hired employees not only have a positive experience moving to a new town, but they also find a neighborhood that suits them.

According to Matteson, there are a number of things that people should keep in mind when planning a move.  Unfortunately, they’re usually so busy that they don’t prepare properly, and that lack of preparation can often have devastating consequences.  We at The Animal Science Monitor asked Matteson what tips she had for people who are planning to move or relocate, and she mentioned four main ones, which are below.

Keep an open mind
“The best thing you can do is keep an open mind and consider every option that you have,” said Matteson.  “Our company does work with candidates who are receiving a lump-sum dollar amount for their move, and many times they don’t know the best way to utilize that amount.  So they have to strategize and figure out what would work best for their family.”

Educate yourself

If a person’s moving and their relocation expenses aren’t being paid for by the company that hired them, then that person should realize they might become a target for unscrupulous vendors.  “There are some companies that will prey on that,” said Matteson.  “At Recruiter Relocation, we protect people.  If they move under our company, there are steps we take to protect them.  It’s the same as if it was a corporate move.”

However, if you don’t use the services of a company like Recruiter Relocation, educating yourself is even more essential.  There is a ton of information regarding moving and relocation, and the uneducated might find their moving bill rising higher and higher.

Consider every aspect of your family’s needs

This is especially the case if you have children.  Considerations such as proximity to schools, grocery stores, and gas stations become a necessity.  You should sit down and analyze all of your needs and make sure they’re being met before making a final decision.

“There are so many different things to consider,” said Matteson.  “The schools, whether the area is a good fit for you, whether or not there’s a shopping district close by, etc.  These are all things that we discuss up front.  In fact, if a person has small children, we prefer to have an agent with small children handle their case, so they can relate to what that family is going to need.  We really focus on customizing the relocation around the person and their family.  We want to provide the feel of old-school customer service.”

Anybody who’s had to move a significant distance, especially with a family, can relate to this final piece of advice.  That’s why aligning yourself with a service like Recruiter Relocation can help to relieve the stress and anxiety.  The company is paid through referral fees from the vendors they represent.  The person moving doesn’t pay anything—outside of the cost of the move, of course.

“Not only do we strive to take the load off people’s plate, we want to educate them and make sure they’re protected,” said Matteson.  “We also offer some great discounts on services through our vendors, and we’re not married to any particular real estate company or van line service.  We always get the best of the best.  Recruiters work to pair the candidate to a company.  We work to pair the candidate to the community.  The recruiter wants the candidate to be happy, and so do we.”

Established in 1987, Recruiter Relocation is celebrating 20 years of helping move and relocate people all over the world.  It’s the company’s personal touch and their employee’s commitment to making sure that they provide customized services that has set it apart and contributed to its success.

“For us, the life cycle of the move is not done in 30 days,” said Matteson. “We’ve worked with some people for a year or longer.  Many relocation programs don’t enjoy repeat business, but I’m glad to say that we do.  We’ve moved customers for a job, and then five or 10 years down the road, they’ll say, ‘Hey, I’m retiring. Can you help me move again?’ It’s great when somebody trusts us enough to ask for our help more than once.”

If you think Recruiter Relocation can help you, visit their website at www.recruiterrelocatin.com.  If you’d like to speak with Mickey Matteson, you can reach her by telephone at (866) 787-4949.  You can also send her an email at mmatteson@gmsmobility.com.

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.

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.

To Search all of our Jobs, click the following links:

Poultry Jobs
Dairy Jobs
Equine Jobs
Swine Jobs
Companion Animal Jobs

Dairy Nutritionist - Kentucky

Major player in the animal nutrition industry seeks seasoned Dairy Nutritionist to sell and service dairy accounts in south central Kentucky. Reasons why the right candidates will want this job:

• excellent opportunity to earn, solid base salary with incentives
• solid brand presence with a focus on quality products
• company car and solid benefits package
  - existing accounts to build upon
• value-oriented organization
• beautiful area with low cost of living
• consultative sales approach

To be considered for this position you must have

• a BS degree in animal science, dairy science or ruminant nutrition, an advanced degree is highly preferred
• 4 or more years experience selling dairy nutrition
• an understanding of how to become part of the dairyman's management team
• know how to sell value, not just price

For more details contact Don Hunter at don@bayresourcegroup.com

In Focus: Renaissance Nutrition

(From time to time at The Animal Science Monitor, we like to shine the spotlight on companies in the animal science and animal nutrition industries, companies that are forging new paths and finding new and exciting ways to be successful.  In this month’s issue, our focus is on Renaissance Nutrition, located in Roaring Spring, Pa.  Renaissance Nutrition is a full-service vitamin and mineral premix company with consultants in 25 states.  If you’d like to be considered for a position with Renaissance Nutrition, send an email to brg@charterinternet.com.  If you’d like to be considered for a future “In Focus” feature, send an email to dan@consearch.com.)

In what seems to be an increasingly impersonal business world, Renaissance Nutrition stands out due to its firm commitment to hands-on consulting services and the emphasis it places on forming long-lasting relationships and providing individualized service and practical, innovative solutions.

During the past 22 years, Renaissance Nutrition has become the largest nutrition and premix manufacturing business in the Northeast.  Its continued success and expansion into the Midwest is fueled by its desire to provide livestock producers with high-quality products, resources, and information needed to improve both productivity and profitability.

Founded in 1985 by president Craig Brown, Renaissance Nutrition was established on the principles of offering the very best products and services at reasonable prices, while optimizing the use of homegrown forages and feeds.  “Renaissance” means “new birth,” and it was Brown’s determination that the company should mark the beginning of a return to customer-oriented service in the nutrition and premix business.

Renaissance Nutrition accomplishes this through a four-prong approach that includes personal service, “nutronomy,” customized programs, and continued training and industry awareness.

Personal Service
Nutritional consulting forms the backbone of the Renaissance team.  Their consultants maintain personal contact with customers and prospects, visiting thousands of farms in their market areas annually.  How seriously does Renaissance Nutrition take its goal of building long-lasting relationships with a personal touch?  The company does not offer an online ordering service.

Renaissance Nutrition considers the consultant-producer relationship to be an essential part of the service they provide.  They feel that it’s of paramount importance to work closely with producers and their livestock, getting a first-hand look at the body condition of the livestock, seeing how (and what) they’re being fed, examining manure, undertaking forage and feed analysis, and much more.  This is the type of relationship that will benefit both the producer and their livestock the most.

Nutronomy
“Nutronomy” is where nutrition and agronomy come together.  Renaissance consultants work closely with other ag-related services within each geographical region, acknowledging the important links that exist within the industry.  This approach is fully in line with the consultants’ goal of bringing every producer the best products, knowledge, and information possible.

For example, Renaissance Nutrition has developed expertise in forage production through its agronomy services.  The company works with producers, along with its nutritional consultants and independent labs, to ascertain the nutritional value of different forages, including corn hybrids, grasses, alfalfas, and small grain seeds.  Through these efforts, Renaissance is able to more effectively meet the diverse needs of its producers—and do so in a more efficient fashion.

Customized Programs
Renaissance Nutrition prides itself on offering customized programs to its producers, programs that include professional nutrition consultation, farm management information and advice, ration balancing, herd profiles, body condition scoring, forage management and sampling, and biosecurity assistance.  Providing these programs is a comprehensive team of Renaissance representatives, including local Renaissance consultants, dairy and livestock specialists, the highly qualified staff at the company’s Nutritional Help Desk, and university and research contacts nationwide.

Continuous Training/Industry Awareness
The only thing that Renaissance consultants value as much as working closely with producers is keeping up-to-date with industry trends and developments.  Renaissance has forged relationships with college and university agricultural programs across the country for the purpose of making sure that its consultants remain as knowledgeable as they can be.

This further benefits the consultant-producer relationship, enhancing the consultant’s ability to accurately assess situations and effectively provide targeted solutions and resolutions.  Renaissance Nutrition believes that being on top of current advancements and research can help producers through improving productivity and profitability.

Personal service . . . customized programs . . . continuous training.  Renaissance Nutrition continually strives with everything it does to represent the “new birth” of customer-oriented service in the nutrition and premix industry—now and in the future.

Currently Recruiting

To fuel their continued growth, Renaissance Nutrition is actively recruiting consultants in the upper Midwest and in the Northeast.  If you would like to know more about a career with Renaissance Nutrition, contact Dan Simmons or Don Hunter via phone or email.  Dan and Don have successfully placed multiple candidates with Renaissance Nutrition and would be happy to introduce their opportunity to you and in turn, you to them.

Managing Your Career

Silence (and Experience) Are Golden
(By Don Hunter)

“Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.”
-Oscar Wilde

There are a number of different ways in which to get ahead in the job market and in your career, and you might be surprised by how many of them involve keeping your mouth shut.

Oh, being vocal and expressing your opinions have their place, and there’s no doubt that speaking up in the work environment is advisable in most situations, but when it comes to gaining crucial knowledge—and experience—nothing beats a closed mouth and open ears.  (And since you have two ears and one mouth, you should listen twice as much as you speak.)

‘You never listen to me’
There’s a lost art in this country, and that’s the fine art of listening.  Not just hearing, mind you, but listening.  There’s a distinct difference.   Hearing is just the physical process of your eardrums picking up sound waves and your brain deciphering them.  Listening is the process by which you not only understand what a person is saying, but you also understand why what they’re saying is important, both to that person and to others, including yourself.

Anybody who’s ever been told, “You never listen to me,” probably knows what I’m talking about. Come to think of it, anybody who’s ever uttered that phrase probably knows what I’m talking about, too.

No matter where you are in your career path—college, your first job, or at the pinnacle of your profession—you should always listen more than you speak.  And the reason is this: what you can learn from others through listening is always more valuable than the knowledge you already possess.  And why is that?  Because new information can alter what you already know, sometimes in crucial ways.  Your knowledge base needs to always be evolving, because hey, the world is.

Listening . . . and learning
So what, specifically, can you learn and gain through listening more and talking less?  Well, I’m glad that you asked:

• Industry knowledge—This includes not only established industry information, but also current trends and developments.  You don’t have time to read every industry publication, online or otherwise, but if you take the time to listen to others who have . . .

• Hard skills—No, you don’t know everything about what you do, no matter how good you are.  If you’re receptive to what people have to offer (i.e., by listening to them), you might one day be as good as you think you are.

• Soft skills—These are generally classified as “people skills,” how you interact with them and work with them.  Here’s a bonus: if you make a concerted effort to listen more, you’ve already improved your soft skills!

• Team chemistry—This is the ultimate goal of any successful team, and by listening to others, you can help to facilitate it wherever you may be.  Once your soft skills progress to a certain level, this will be easier to accomplish.

A quick word about experience
I can’t overemphasize how important experience is in just about any endeavor.  And there are two ways to gain experience—either through the mistakes that you make, as Oscar Wilde so eloquently put it, or through the mistakes that other people make.  Now I don’t know about you, but I’d rather learn through the latter method.  I’ve tried the former, and it’s often quite painful.

How successful you are is often determined by how quickly you’re able to accrue experience, and it’s possible to do so through both of the methods described above . . . if you commit yourself to listening more.  Many times, people are eager to discuss their past failures.  They want to pass on their knowledge so that others don’t make the same mistakes that they do.

So give them what they want.  Listen to them.  Your silence—and their experience—are more than just golden.  They could be the ticket to a bigger and better future.

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.  Any exchange of information, including resumes, will be kept in total confidence and handled in a discreet fashion.