DreamAndSeek.com

This is just a test post to see if I can blog from my phone. While I am at it, do you have any tips or tools you use to stay better connected?

Been a few weeks since I last posted and promise I have something new and unique on the way. In the meantime, I got notification early this morning I would be added to the “Twenty Something” grouping on Alltop. While I am on the very bottom of the page right now, it is really awesome to be on the same page as some of those awesome GenY bloggers. Check it out http://twenty-something.alltop.com (very last feed on the bottom… for now).

If you haven’t heard of Alltop, you should really check them out ASAP. Imagine an aggregator that pulled all blogs and news into one spot AND then you could search by whatever topic/category interested you AND you could create a custom page based on your multiple interests and passions- welcome to Alltop. I use my custom page to check news and commentary on topics I have a passion for or care about. Another big benefit is I get no more negative news in front of me (you can still get it though if thats what you choose

I’ll be back with you guys real soon.

For all those in the Tampa area, I am doing a random act of kindness. I am giving away 2 complimentary tickets to the Tampa Theatre (does not count for special events). Respond to me on Twitter (@jopinion) and they are yours. I even pay shipping. Like last time, there is no catch- I just ask you pay it forward.

This was an experiment I did last week to see how far a random act of kindness would go leveraging social media. One person responded and the result was awesome.

Do good. Pay it forward.

(Part II of the interview coming up tomorrow).

What does $10 mean to you? It means the world right now to Haiti. Type in “Haiti” to 90999 on your cell phone and help out an entire country in need.

I’m on this random act of kindness concept pretty heavily, so here is one I thought was worth sharing… respect people… that’s it, and it is worth the extra minute to be patient, listen or give some one the time of day no matter how disengaged you are.

This is all brought about through my continual search to find a position that will help me expand the skill sets cultivated in my past career and build value to another. I have worked with almost every financial recruiter in the area and have nothing but bad things to say for about all of them (there are 2 that I have respect for). The job market is a bloodbath right now, highly competitive with so much talent in the applicant pool (especially in the financial industry).

Here is the standard process I’ve gone through with in the recruiting process:

1. Find a position that I am qualified for on an internet job search board (I highly recommend, www.simplyhired.com),
2. Wait for a recruiter to call,
3. Set up an appointment for an interview with the recruiter,
4. The recruiter goes over my resume than the position,
5. The recruiter may give out a skills test and then make you sign a bunch of forms for their client(s),
6. The recruiter will tell you they will submit your resume and follow up with you. Reassure you that they will be your personal representative, don’t use other recruiters because they are the shit, and to call them if you ever need anything.
7. You never hear anything back from them for a while on the positions you discussed.
8. They call up out of the blue to check up on you to see what you are up a few months later because they care (those are the good ones) or most likely they never call you back.

I understand it is a tough market out there and they are probably the busiest they ever have been, but when you make a phone call and e-mail a recruiter 8 times in the span of 2 days and they cant return your phone call and e-mail, it is a slap in the face.

It isn’t just relegated to recruiters, on two separate occasions, I’ve gone through rounds of interviews- one was with a major commercial real estate brokerage- I contacted the regional manager I interviewed with twice and left at least 4 voicemails and 2 e-mails: no response whatsoever (I even started to interview the secretary if he was available the last time he called, he was there and was free). The second was an educational certification company that where I met most of the higher ups, again HR said to call if I needed anything. So I asked them what their decision was after not hearing from them for 2 weeks (when I was promised they were looking to fill the position quickly). They didn’t even have enough respect for one of them to contact me- they delegated it to an “associate” who I had no clue what he did to tell me at 5:30PM that they had decided to go with the other candidate.

… those automated e-mails from HR departments “we’ve carefully reviewed your resume… and have decided other candidates are more qualified at this time…” shows a million times more respect than people you invest a small piece of yourself with and never get back to you.

Times are tough and when that happens people go crazy, I get it- I truly do. But what I don’t get it is why people can’t slow down and show some respect for others. To take 5 minutes out of the day, be open and transparent, and let another know the true situation. That’s what I don’t get.

So if you want to do a random act of kindness that will take a couple of minutes, slow down and listen to someone even though you might not be interested, get in touch with someone you had promised you would but didn’t… people feel better when you care what they say or you right a wrong… it’ll make you feel better too.

So I have been exploring this underground revolution of random acts of kindness and decided to do one myself- to give away a gift card I had received over Christmas. I posted it to a Facebook group of over 1 million followers with active posters- no answer. I tweeted it out there to my approximately 4,000 followers- no answers (one did eventually answer and will be getting it).

My question is are we so judgmental that we automatically see it as some sort of gimmick? Are we not openly trusting enough anymore? Does there always have to be some other “catch”?

Jimmy V week is coming to an end. A great coach and person who dedicated his final time here on Earth to a cause greater than himself, a true inspiration. Take some time and watch his famous speech.

Some inspirational quotes from Jimmy V:

“I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” Mohandas Gandhi

Thousands of men can walk with their head up high without having to deal with that odd look… women can be proud to claim they know their man again… Movember officially ended a few days ago (even though the donation collection period ends December 9^th at 5:00PM http://joshua.momoneymocures.com). Coincidentally, it ended on my birthday and can’t think of a better gift I have received- to have raised over $3,000 in donations (a lot more still on the way), making new friends, and strengthening ties with existing friends.

I had a grand plan of using social media to raise awareness and donations. Half of that plan was right, the other not so much. Here are the lessons about online fundraising learned throughout the month:

· Our team created itself. Once I got my mind focused on raising money and growing the mustache, the team built itself. Passion creates action and within a few days of posting on Facebook what I was doing I was joined by close friends and some I lost touch with, their passion brought others on the team. No one picked up the telephone and asked anyone to join the team, it was viral in nature and fun to see the team evolve.

· Social media is great for awareness, horrible for donations. I posted on almost a daily basis on Facebook, Twitter, our team website (www.MoMoneyMocures.com), and tested some things out on YouTube and this blog. I gave up on posting frequently towards the end because it was not producing any results. The traffic stats from Google Analytics, StatPress, and StumbleUpon’s Su.pr indicated we did in fact receive a fair amount of traffic this month but the fact is there was little conversion towards getting people to donate.

· Personal engagement is the key in donations. I worked hard and probably too many hours online trying to reach out to friends for donations and to raise awareness. The time would have been better spent contacting them personally via phone or through a text message than online. While social media is great to help spread messages along, there was no sense of urgency or a call to action attached to it. When I participated in St. Baldricks, I had a very clear message and sense of urgency- 8 days to $1,000. This time around, that same hysteria was not created. This was my fault for not executing right, but at the end of the day I should have personally engaged more people. Once I started to actually get on the phone I was able to ramp up more donations.

· Reciprocate. I had a plan to use some donations and gift certificates to start a little raffle/auction for the end of Movember. It has gone horribly (to this point with about 2 people signed up). A reciprocation program with tangible prizes to donors should have been implemented at the very beginning, but we will see how this finishes out. Looking back over the month, I believe there should have been an incentive to donors making our team’s fundraising efforts in the paradigm of mutual benefit instead of a traditional fundraising paradigms where donors are just given the satisfaction of being part of a great cause.

How do you think social media can help make a better and lasting change?

Help Mo Money, Mo Cures find a cure for prostate and testicular cancer and you could win over $130 in tickets and gift certificates in the Tampa area for only $5.Learn how by CLICKING HERE