About This Issue
A new year brings fresh hope, a clean slate, and another 12 months full of promise and possibilities. It also brings with it a sharper focus for The Animal Science Monitor. With this issue of The ASM, we begin our quest to provide a better and more targeted newsletter, one designed to create a sense of community among its readers. We'll be striving to accomplish this in a variety of different ways, which we'll unveil as we progress through 2009. We hope that you enjoyed the holiday season, that the new year is good to you, and of course, that you enjoy this issue of The Animal Science Monitor.

-Dan & Don

Help Us Help Others
(By Dan Simmons)

In tough economic times, non-profit organizations have difficulty raising donations. For this reason, help us help others. We would like to help your favorite charities during their time of need. During 2009, we will contribute $500 to a charity for each new client company we gain.

How does this work?

If you refer a client company to us (i.e., Continental Search) during 2009, one that engages our services and we complete a search, at your request we will send a check for $500 to your favorite charity within 72 hours of receiving payment for services. A photocopy of the $500 check will be sent by us to the referrer and a thank-you note will be sent by the charity.

What if I refer my company?

Great! The same rules apply. You simply need to let us know that you would like a charitable contribution.

What if my company already does business with you?

Our clients are near and dear to us. If a regular or prior client would like to participate in this program, they simply need to let us know. We will contribute $250 for each of the first two successful placements with your company in 2009.

Why are you doing this?

Of course, we like to encourage referrals, and this is one way to do that. Another reason is that we have been blessed with a successful business during times when others are suffering in theirs. This is our way of giving back. The reason we ask you to participate is to reward our readers and give them a chance to help make the world a better place.

Want more information?

If you would like to participate in this program or if you have any questions, please contact me at dan@consearch.com.

Disclaimers

If this happens to be illegal somewhere, the offer is void in that area. The recipient must be a bona fide, tax-exempt charity as stated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Payment is made after full payment for services is received. We reserve the right to adjust or end this offer if we deem it necessary.

For Those Who Have a Great Job . . .
(By Don Hunter)

If you're like me, you're getting a little tired of the constant doom and gloom about today's economy. Our four-part series, "In This Economy," is based on the country's current troubled situation, but we're going to focus on your economy. We'll discuss things that you can do to take control of your career, which has the greatest impact on both your personal and economic well being.

If you're one of those fortunate people who currently has a great job, good for you! However, is this the time to sit back and relax? Not if you want to keep that great job in this environment. Listed below are four suggestions for helping you stay right where you are.

1. Do the best job possible. Carry out your job responsibilities, but complete them smarter, faster, and better then any of your co-workers. Protect and enhance your reputation. Good or bad, it will precede you. Make sure you are perceived as someone who gets things done. Be positive and upbeat. A positive attitude carries power and benefits for which you will receive credit from colleagues and management. Support and embrace the inevitable changes in the way your company does things, as officials attempt to cope with the coming challenges.

2. Keep your eyes open. The only two jobs that are secure are CEOs and politicians. Knowing is half the battle-the sooner you can read which way the wind is blowing, the sooner you can position yourself. Look for the early warning signs of layoffs or downsizing, some of which include the following:

• Project postponements or cancellations
• Travel cuts
• Consultants are let go.
• Abrupt retirement or resignation of top people in your company
• You notice your competitors are beginning to struggle.
• Bad news is announced that could affect your industry.
• Attrition without replacement hiring

3. Judge carefully. Making the correct decisions in the workplace is always important, but never is that more true than during uncertain economic times. Weigh all decisions carefully in advance and formulate possible outcomes.

4. Don't crawl into a shell. Don't be afraid to get information from your boss about layoff potential. Assess your general risk level. Are layoffs likely on your team or in your department if things start to get bad? Find out where you stand with your supervisor. What skills, projects, or other actions would make you less dispensable? Now is the time to be highly visible and relevant to your company and not invisible and expendable.

As employers and employees contemplate the recession, remember the old saying that states, "Be one in a million and not one of a million."

If you have any questions about this topic, please send me an email at don@bayresourcegroup.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.

Not Just a Newsletter, But a Community
(By Matt Deutsch)

At the end of this past year, we were reflecting on the fact that The Animal Science Monitor is now four years old. It's almost unbelievable that much time has elapsed since we published our first issue, but we're pleased that the newsletter has enjoyed as much success as it has and that it's experienced a great deal of growth. With growth in mind, we'd like to announce the latest step in the continued evolution of The Animal Science Monitor, and that step involves the progression of The ASM into not only a newsletter, but also a community within the animal science and animal nutrition industries.

New design, sharper focus

During the past few years, the popularity of social networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook has skyrocketed. The allure of these sites is rooted in the fact that people have the opportunity to communicate and make connections with one another more readily. This kind of instantaneous networking ability is what makes the Internet so unique and so appealing to a great many people.

With this issue, the first of 2008, we're introducing a new design for The Animal Science Monitor website, one that will allow us to move the newsletter into the next phase of its development. We want to offer more than just a newsletter. We want to create and cultivate a sense of community, and we invite you to join us on our journey. There's more than one way in which you can do so, and I've listed three of the most prominent ones below:

• The Forum - This is the centerpiece of the new website design. The forum is a brand-new feature at The ASM, one that we hope will contribute the most in terms of promoting the community aspects of both the newsletter and the site. We encourage you to participate in the forum on a consistent basis and check back often for new and compelling discussions.
  
  
• The "Guest Writer Series" - This is also new to The ASM. Although we've had guest writers periodically in the past, we plan to feature more throughout 2008. These are people who are leaders in their field or who offer keen insight and a unique perspective on some of the most timely-and sometimes most controversial-issues in the animal science industry today. (If you'd like to be considered as a guest writer in the future, contact me at matt@animalsciencemonitor.com, but also keep in mind that you have to meet certain criteria in order to be published.)

• “The Video Link of the Month” - This feature is one that we started in 2007, and it turned out to be rather popular.  We had quite a few readers submit their video links, and we'll be accepting them again during the coming year.  (Send your video clips to matt@animalsciencemonitor.com.)

Providing a positive experience

Going forward, The ASM will be published every two weeks throughout the duration of 2009.  Included in those 26 issues will be two special jobs issues, ones that will contain the best opportunities within the animal science and animal nutrition industries.  Between issues, we invite you to visit The ASM website, and specifically, our forum.  At The Animal Science Monitor, It's our objective to provide the most positive experience possible for our readers—and also for our website visitors.

We'd like to thank you for your loyalty, and we hope that the coming year is a great one for you, for your career, and for your team.

So, who do you think will win the Super Bowl?  In our next issue, we'll find out Dan and Don's picks for this year's NFL champion (we might even coax them into predicting a final score).  As an added bonus, we'll be running the first article in our “Guest Writer Series,” as Trent Loos offers his perspective with “Uncle Sam is Not a Horseman.”  Be sure to look for the next issue in your inbox, and in the meantime, we invite you to check out The ASM website and participate in discussions on our forum.

The next issue of The Animal Science Monitor is scheduled for publication on Tuesday, January 20.