Harrington & Reed CEO: Even in this Economy, There is Still a Strong Demand for Top Candidates!

H&R CEO Jenkins Interviewed at National Association of Broadcasters Convention on Recent Changes in Executive Search

2009-08-09T18:25:00.001-07:00

"The entire landscape affecting Executive Search has changed dramatically over the last year...job-seeking executives now have powerful new capabilities to be seen, heard, and hired.

CEO Jenkins Interviewed Again as Management Employment Expert on Fox5 TV News

2009-07-18T03:58:00.000-07:00

On July 17, 2009, Mr. Jenkins again appeared on Fox5 News being interviewed as the leading expert on Executive Employment and how to land good jobs in this difficult economy. Jenkins was quoted by the Fox5 news anchor as predicting the National Unemployment Rate will rise much higher by year-end.

H&R Helps Multiple Executive Candidates Land Key Positions in 2nd Quarter of 2009.

2009-07-11T08:11:00.001-07:00

Despite this very difficult economic recession, Executives represented by Harrington & Reed continue to land lucrative new positions even during the extremely challenging job search climate of 2009!

Lynette Becker, H&R Featured Candidate for June, 2009, Hired by Leading Dallas Firm!

2009-07-03T00:59:00.000-07:00

2009-06-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

"H&R developed my new digital dossier executive job search system which gave me the visibility I needed. Miraculously, I got the job I wanted even in this horrible recession!"

Featured Candidate for October, 2009, Mr. Al Rodriguez, Executive

2009-05-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

Meet Al Rodriguez, a Harrington & Reed Featured Candidate. Watch his Custom NETVYOU Virtual Interview below and contact him directly if your firm needs an accomplished executive with a strong Business background in Risk Analysis and Loss Control. His email is ALR405@yahoo.com

Christopher Jenkins Featured on Fox 5 News: "New OnlineTechnologies and Social Media are Revolutionizing Executive Search. Execs are Going Direct!"

2009-05-11T15:09:00.001-07:00

"Digital Dossier & Social Media" for Executive Search Gains National Media Attention. "...and we're the experts on it.", says Jenkins.

Jenkins 2009 Las Vegas Review-Journal Executive Job Search Columns Online

2009-04-14T18:24:00.001-07:00

Mr. Jenkins 2009 Las Vegas R-J Columns, "A Hire LVel", can be found at http://www.lvrj.com/employment/jobseekers.html

D. Christopher Jenkins and his Staff Effectively Position Exec Candidates to Deal From Strength with Hiring CEO's.

2009-01-17T14:07:00.000-08:00

On a Channel 3 Newscast, Jenkins says "Check the news anchors" for proper dress code, and then the news anchor is actually wearing the "Success Suit" Jenkins recommends. They banter about it on the air.

Hiring Executive watching an Online NETVYOU Virtual Interview of a Top Candidate. The candidate's professional bearing, communication skills, intelligence, etc. are easily inferred.

It's exciting to see how rapidly the simplistic "Video Resume" concept has evolved into a complete online "Digital Dossier" and gained worldwide acceptance for candidate evaluation since this April, 2007 CBS broadcast featuring homemade candidate videos. Several prominent websites now host comprehensive visual profiles of top candidates.

Mr. Jenkins had predicted as early as 1994 that high-quality Candidate Video Intros would one day become the standard screening paradigm. And that was before the Internet! One reason he is regarded as a visionary in his industry.

Jenkins Chosen to Write Full-Page Exec Job Search Article in Las Vegas Review-Journal Business Section!

2009-01-16T14:33:00.001-08:00

D. Christopher Jenkins was recently chosen to write a feature article in the new "Jobs Outlook" supplement to the Business Section of The Las Vegas Review-Journal. Mr. Jenkins has titled his column "The Revolution in Jobseeking Effectiveness: From Last Century Resume to Digital Dossier". (It is extremely rare that an independent expert has been granted a full page article. That's how big this jobseeking paradigm shift truly is.) The Jan. 18, 2009 article is available at

http://www.print2webcorp.com/news/lasvegas/JobsOutlook/20090121/p07_s1.htm

"Digital Dossier" is the term Mr. Jenkins has applied to developing an Online Presence for an executive candidate which allows prospective employers to get to know the candidate and establish an overall comfort level prior to actually meeting him or her. The objective is also to increase the candidate's Internet footprint so as to be found and researched more easily.

Mr. Jenkins is the acknowledged expert on executive and high-level management careers in Las Vegas.

All of Mr. Jenkins' 2008 Weekly Review-Journal Columns Are Online

2008-08-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

All of the "A Hire LVel" columns which appeared during 2008 in the Sunday edition of the Las Vegas Review-Journal can be viewed at

http://www.reviewjournal.com/employment/tipfile/hire_index.html

A Historical First: Top Candidate Gets Hired Without Being Met In-Person!

2008-08-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

Harrington & Reed individual client Terry Lee was hired on 7/28/08 by Summit Trust Company solely on the strength of his H&R NETVYOU video intro and two subsequent telephone interviews.

This may be the first time an executive has EVER been hired WITHOUT BEING MET IN PERSON! A true breakthrough in hiring effectiveness for the candidate and employer alike!

This is a landmark event for the online video intro concept we have worked so hard to develop. To view Terry's NETVYOU video intro online, click www.harringtonreed.com/?c=332 .

Mr. Lee has a background in Trust Operations, so together we developed a target list of 7 Trust Companies based in Reno, NV, but without a branch in the much larger Las Vegas market. Without waiting for an "opening" to be published, we Fed Exed each of those CEO's Terry's package of his custom resume, executive briefing, UPshot page, and NETVYOU intro video mini-DVD. Two of the CEO's called him, saying they were very impressed, and he was hired by one of them to open their new Las Vegas office.

It is also important to realize that Terry had no competition for the position, since a position was never advertised. Terry and I researched the situation and trusted the logic of presenting him. This gave him a tremendous advantage, in that no one else was under consideration. They respected his initiative and intelligence.

Of course, Terry was also wise enough to be working with Harrington & Reed to develop this successful career strategy and provide him with the cutting-edge tools and techniques to make it happen.

Executive Search Giant Heidrick & Struggles Backs Online Video Interview Concept

2008-03-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

World executive search leader, Heidrick & Struggles, has made the strategic decision to move its global search platform toward an online video intro basis vs. resumes alone during the next 12 months. In doing so, H&S has invested significantly in VisualCV.com, and Kevin Kelly, CEO of H&S, now advises VisualCV.com. This move represents a sanction at the highest levels of the online video intro concept first originated by D. Christopher Jenkins, CEO of Harrington & Reed, Inc. back in the 1990's and which has culminated in such excellence as can be seen at www.harringtonreed.com/?c=317, produced earlier this month.

Clint Heiden, CEO of VisualCV.com, been involved in strategic discussions with Mr. Jenkins to populate the VisualCV.com site with H&R's NETVYOU candidate video intros. Douglas Meadows, V.P of Operations, is heading the implementation. H&R is universally acknowledged to produce the finest executive candidate video intros in the country. "Mr. Jenkins is the Steven Spielberg of producing and directing these critically important candidate videos, and VisualCV.com and the Internet will be the global theater in which they are shown to key employers represented by Heidrick & Struggles worldwide. This synergy of capabilities represents an entirely new paradigm in management hiring effectiveness from which all parties will benefit."

To see an excellent example of a VisualCV of a Harrington & Reed candidate, go to www.visualcv.com/tinadortch Harrington & Reed designed and produced all of it's content, produced the intro video, and constructed Mr. Dortch's VisualCV profile page. Increasingly, smart executives are realizing that the quality of the intro video implies the quality of the candidate. It's a thousand times more important than wearing a nice suit.

Mr. Jenkins Appears as Guest on Statewide "Observations" Radio Broadcast

2008-01-25T15:27:00.000-08:00

On February 9, 2008, Mr. Jenkins appeared as the guest of Mr. Bob Fisher, CEO of the Nevada Broadcasters Association, on its 30-minute "Observations" program discussing "New Hiring Technologies and Internet Video" on a statewide radio broadcast. Mr. Jenkins shared his considerable knowledge, experience and insights with listeners in the hope that their careers would benefit.

Mr. Jenkins predicted that virtual world website Second Life would soon play a role in effective jobseeking, combined with online intro videos and executive linking sites.

To hear the broadcast, go to http://www.nevadabroadcasters.org/observations/
and click on the February 9, 2008 archive listing for Harrington & Reed, Inc.

Out-of-State CEO Calls H&R Candidate and Hires Him!

2007-12-15T22:45:00.000-08:00

"Well, I have some great news! On Thursday, 12/13/07, I got an offer from Good Hospitality Services, http://www.goodhsi.com/ and Friday I accepted a new position as Regional Director of Operations and Training at the company headquarters in Indiana. Jeff Good, the CEO, personally interviewed me and hired me without an H.R. person in sight.

"I had sent out 45 links to my H&R NETVYOU video, and SIX OF THE CEO'S I SENT IT TO CALLED ME ON THE PHONE! Never before in my career had one CEO ever called me after submitting a paper resume."

They were all quite impressed with the quality of my H&R video intro. This allowed me to totally focus my energies on those six who liked me. No surprises, either way. For a change, I was not anxious at all about my voice impairment since the cancer operation in May. Since they had seen the video, it never even came up.

"The interview itself was also very different... since they already knew who I was. They said, 'Hi, Phil' and shook my hand like they had known me for years. I felt like a celebrity. Then we got right down to substance; no textbook baloney interview questions."

"With the negotiating skills and professionalism I learned from Loribeth and Chris, the compensation and other benefits were more than I had expected. Great salary, relocation, company car, the works. Thanks for all you guys have done and taught me. Keep me on your e-mail list, and I love your Review-Journal column."

"I will stop by next week to say goodbye. Off to Indiana and my new career...thanks to Harrington & Reed."

You can meet Philip Graham at www.harringtonreed.com/?c=259

We Use "Who We Know" to Get Candidates Hired even if there are "No Openings"!

2007-12-09T08:27:00.001-08:00

One of our success stories at Harrington & Reed involves a very talented young woman who moved to Las Vegas from New York with a strong background in publishing. After one meeting with me in my office, I picked up the phone and called the V.P of Human Resources of the largest private publishing firm in Las Vegas. After describing the young woman's credentials, communication skills and sharing my own very positive impressions of her, the hiring V.P. said, "I'm sorry Chris, but we currently have no openings right now at that level".

My response, as usual, was, "I'm not talking about openings, I'm talking about an individual who can bring significant value to the table and have a strategic positive revenue impact on your firm.... IF YOU MEET HER, YOU WILL HIRE HER." That was enough to arouse the V.P.'s curiousity, and since she trusted my judgment, she agreed to meet with the candidate. That V.P. knows Harrington & Reed only works with the Top 1% of all management candidates, the caliber of which is clearly evident in the NETVYOU candidate videos on our website, www.harringtonreed.com.

Long story short: The candidate was hired by the President of their Media Group as Director of Custom Publications three weeks later. She called me six months ago with the wonderful news that she had been promoted to Vice President of Business Development for the entire Media Group of six publications. "Chris, I couldn't have done it without your inside contact and bold endorsement of me when it counted most. You opened the door to my future here.", she said. I thanked her for her kind remark.

We hear a lot of that, I'm proud to say. When people ask me what Harrington & Reed does, I relate that and similar stories....one way or another, we get top candidates the visibility they need with top recruiters and employers, so they can advance their careers. And we are very good at it, as anyone who knows us will attest.

"Harrington & Reed has developed new tools, techniques, and technologies for getting management-level candidates hired which are truly innovative and effective."...Frank Del Toro, Director of Facilities, Nevada Power Corporation

Candidate Gets $300,000 Offer in Hawaii Using NETVYOU Video Intro...and turns it down!

2007-11-26T14:47:00.000-08:00

Before we met Frank Del Toro, he was having trouble getting good interviews even though he had revised his resume countless times. Was it his incredible background, or was it the fact that he was a Fulbright Scholar that was scaring people? Or maybe he was simply overqualified for almost every possible job in Las Vegas, his new home.

The answer was a professionally produced Harrington & Reed NETVYOU video intro. Frank Fed-Exed his NETVYOU CD to a firm in Hawaii who was looking to expand into Nevada. As sometimes happens, he never heard back from them. However, he did get a call from another gentleman: "We're about to begin a billion dollar urban renewal project on downtown Honolulu, and we're interested in having you join our team.", the man said on the phone. "A business friend gave me this little video CD on you, and I've watched it twice. Very impressive.", he continued. "I would like to talk with your about your possible involvement in that project....the compensation is $300,000."

Frank responded incredulously, "What? You haven't even seen my resume, and we haven't met yet!", to which the man replied, "Frank, I don't need to see your resume.....I'm telling you, if the guy who steps off the airplane is the same guy who's in this video, you've pretty much got the job." From my experience, that's the way CEO's work, they hire people not paper, and they know talent when they see it.

Well, although Frank was flattered, he didn't take the job, and he didn't leave wonderful Las Vegas. He did however, accept a solid position as Director of Facilities for Nevada Power, and he loves it. But there's more: once Frank's NETVYOU intro video went online, he has continued to get other offers. You can't stop someone like Frank who looks good and sounds smart...as long as the right people can see and hear him. The NETVYOU online video makes that happen. Your phone never stops ringing, and you finally get a chance to turn down companies instead of vice versa.

It's a great feeling.

Candidate Gets Hired at Wynn Resorts the Same Day He Submits His H&R Intro Video

2007-11-22T12:02:00.000-08:00

Early one morning, job candidate Matthew Henry emailed his resume and the link to his 5-minute Online Intro Video for a key IT position at Wynn Resorts. Harrington & Reed had produced his intro video, as we have done for hundreds of other top candidates.

Before noon, the Hiring Manager had called him saying he had watched it and was quite impressed, both with Mr. Henry's resume and with Mr. Henry himself on the video. He extended an invitation to join him for lunch at the hotel.

The hiring exec was blown away, not only with how professionally Mr. Henry was presented on the H&R intro video, but that Mr. Henry had used the new online video technology to accomplish his objective. The exec said he received over 200 paper resumes in response to his ad, but only one PERSON. He liked Mr. Henry on the video, and he liked him in person.

"Besides, if I don't hire you, I have to go back and deal with that huge stack of paper resumes and start the tedious process of trying to turn them into people too.", he said.

Bottom line: Mr. Henry got the job, and the other 200+ candidates never even got a second thought, much less an interview. Just another testimonial to the power and advantage of being seen and heard via the intro video. Only Harrington & Reed offers this amazing breakthough advantage to get good candidates enhanced visibility at the right level.

Lucas Group Partners with Harrington & Reed, Inc.

2007-11-22T11:01:00.000-08:00

July 22, 2007

Lucas Group (recruiting affiliate of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL), has formed a progressive business relationship with Harrington & Reed, Inc., whereby H&R acts as a high-quality "pipeline" of top candidates, according to Lucas Group Managing Partner, Larry Austin.

"Lucas Group has greatly facilitated their management recruiting by recognizing that H&R candidates come to them "fully-packaged" with enhanced interviewing and negotiating skills, plus a professional NETVYOU online intro video.", says D. Christopher Jenkins, CEO of H&R. "The hiring company can quickly assess the candidate and move the interview process to the next level by utilizing the introductory video."

H&R and Lucas recently collaborated to promote and place Paul E. Minto into a senior position with JMA Architecture, the largest and most prominent architectural firm in Las Vegas. Mr. Minto's online IPO video can be seen at www.harringtonreed.com/?c=161. Mr. Minto credits Harrington & Reed with giving him the visibility and tools he needed to land this key position through Lucas.

"We view our relationship with Lucas as the future model of management recruiting.", says Jenkins. "H&R represents a quality stable of thoroughbreds they can see and hear. Simply stated, we save them time and make them money."

WorkBlast.com Forms Strategic Alliance with Harrington & Reed, Inc.

2007-11-21T18:49:00.000-08:00

October 15, 2007

Travis Cloyd, Co-Founder and COO of http://www.workblast.com/, online site for viewing job candidates, announces that WorkBlast.com has forged a strategic alliance with Harrington & Reed, Inc. of Las Vegas, NV, the nation's premier producer of online candidate intro videos.

Cloyd says, "D. Christopher Jenkins, CEO of Harrington & Reed, Inc., is the 'King of the Enhanced Video Resume'. No one else in the nation can touch the quality, feel, and tone of the candidate videos he produces".

WorkBlast will refer serious career-minded candidates to H&R for production and upload of H&R videos to their site. "Mr. Jenkins is gratified that posting on WorkBlast.com will help deserving candidates get the the infinitely increased visibility they need and deserve", says Cloyd.

Jenkins is quoted as saying, "The H&R intro video allows candidates to be SEEN and HEARD, which is essential to hiring, but which the resume alone has historically deprived them of. If the resume was the 'get hired' medium of the 20th century, the online intro video and resume combination is the new paradigm of the 21st century."

This breakthrough approach will not only save corporate America trillions in wasted 'screening interview' time, but it will give each candidate unlimited visibility via the internet at the appropriate level within each compay. Hiring executives now have the tool to quickly screen candidates without delegating it to the clerks downstairs. We are proud to be working with WorkBlast and others to make this new screening paradigm an essential hiring tool of the future."

Jenkins continues, "The online intro video will do for hiring what Expedia and Travelocity did for travel....eliminate the middle-man. Smart HR Departments will embrace it for unprecedented efficiency, but those who resist will be rendered irrelevant. It reminds me of officials in football resisting but finally embracing the video instant replay. The intro video represents a key tool for HR, if they're wise enough to encourage and use it. It's the future!"

Vault.com Names Harrington & Reed Online NETVYOU Candidate Video Best in the Nation!

2007-11-21T18:28:00.000-08:00

April 30, 2007

Respected Career website, Vault.com, announces it's Video Resume Challenge winner - Harrington & Reed client Kevin Epps.

Harrington & Reed's production of an introductory interview video for Kevin Epps won the Vault.com National Video Resume Challenge for the month of April, 2007. This confirms that Harrington & Reed is the premier producer of Online Candidate intro videos. Go to www.harringtonreed.com/?c=23 to view Mr. Epps' award winning intro video and resume.

This new paradigm-smashing medium finally brings the sight and sound of the candidate directly to the hiring decision-maker, powered by YouTube technology. Worthy of note is that the H&R intro video plays directly from the http://www.harringtonreed.com/ website, which now features over 100 prime candidates for professional management positions.

Success stories flow in every day of H&R candidates: Being hired the same day they submit the link to their intro video; Landing their dream jobs; Having their first interview with the Board of Directors; Getting calls from CEO's each month wanting to hire them; Being seen and heard at their best online all across the nation and around the world. One candidate received an email from London the day after posting his intro video on the Harrington & Reed site. Another was offered a $300,000 a year job in Honululu without an in-person interview.

Thank you Vault.com for confirming what we already knew, that H&R CEO D. Christopher Jenkins is the originator and national leader in the production of professional "Video Resumes", and that the best candidates can be easily found on http://www.harringtonreed.com/.

Are You Perceived as a Person of Value?

2007-11-21T16:51:00.000-08:00

First Published in the Las Vegas Review-Journal
November 11, 2007

Earlier in my career while a V.P. at Citibank in New York, our president, Walter Wriston, wanted to open branches outside New York. At the time, U.S. banking laws prohibited branches in other states. Undeterred, he backed up two steps and simply asked: "OK, what’s the definition of a 'bank'"? Regulators said a bank was "any financial institution that takes deposits and makes loans". So, the inventive Mr. Wriston had me open a branch in Philadelphia only to make loans (which are the income-producing assets bankers want) drawn from New York-based deposits. The definition was satisfied, and the branching barrier was overcome. That first “Loan Production Office” laid the groundwork for Citibank's eventual nationwide expansion.

Mr. Wriston understood what many jobseekers today do not - that the primary obstacles to success often lie in outdated definitions and approaches. A key to re-employment success lies therefore in not being perceived merely as a "jobseeker" but as a "person of value" to a potential employer. Redefine yourself, adjust your approach, and achieve better results.

Consider the conventional wisdom: Work up a nice resume and apply for jobs online through CareerBuilder, Monster, company websites, or down at the HR Dept. As all candidates know, the results are usually minimal, since these are the same steps everyone else is taking. You become just another email or resume in the stack. Success often runs counter to the path the masses take. Today's competitive job market at the management level requires a pro-active versus a re-active mindset and approach. You must market yourself to companies similar to the way a political candidate is marketed to voters…or you won’t win the “election”. You must be seen and heard by the decision-makers.

Suppose you used Mr. Wriston's approach and redefined yourself. Instead of being just another “jobseeker”, you think of yourself as a "person of value" with something of value to offer. First, you are more likely to meet with a honcho vs. being downstairs in line with the other “applicants”. Second, you are perceived as a person with a potential "solution" for the company, which of course you are. Companies only hire additional staff when a business problem arises which can’t be solved by a new procedure or technology. You must BE that solution.

If your approach is "I'm unemployed...I need a job...I need benefits...I need a place to work...I need my identity back", etc., the interviewer is not inspired. They want to solve their needs, not yours. However, if you appear to be a "person of value" and a problem-solver with profit-making solutions, he or she will be very interested to hear what you have to say.

This approach radically changes the dynamic of the interview. But, you must be determined to meet key people and to propose solutions to business problems versus "applying for a job". The difference in outcomes is remarkable. Most candidates are too focused on their own needs of income, identity, and a sense of belonging, to understand what the interview is really all about. As one employer bluntly told a candidate, "If you can't clearly tell me how you can save me time, save me money, or make me money, what the heck are you doing here?"

Example: Let's say you want to land an $80,000 position. Your thinking should be to walk in with at least a $500,000 solution of increased profit and/or reduced cost. Any decision-maker will sit up and listen to that approach. If it makes sense and you make a strong impression, he or she will many times create a new position for you. I call this move "capitalizing" your own salary, and it's a sure way to increase your chances of getting hired sooner for more money. But this approach demands thorough research of the company before the interview. You must have a clear idea of some specific value you can provide.

Although we live in a capitalistic country, most of us don't even know what capitalism is. More basic, what is "capital"? It's not money or shares of stock. It is derived from the Latin root word "capita", as in "per capita" or "decapitate". Capital is literally the excess value "per head" that employees create but don't get paid. The "capitalist" hires people, and pays them a fraction of the value they produce. So, the capitalist assumes all the risk, and if he or she is talented, becomes wealthy, while the employees make a good living. Welcome to America.

Getting the idea? Redefine yourself, and present yourself to the employer (capitalist) as a "person of value" and "capitalize" your own salary, thus creating your own job. It's the American way, and the savvy way, but very few realize it. It's also one of my career secrets for beating out other candidates. So, do your research on the company and bring a profit solution with you to the interview. If you do, you will increase your chances of landing a good position within a reasonably short time.

Searching for a Management Position in Las Vegas

2007-11-21T16:46:00.000-08:00

First Published in the Las Vegas Review-Journal
November 4, 2007

I am pleased to be writing a column to help the management-level candidates in Las Vegas. My goal is to arm you with the latest in technology and thinking in order to make your search both shorter and more productive. But first a reality check.

We live in a very dynamic and growing city! About 6000 to 7000 new residents move here monthly, but hidden inside that statistic is this: several hundred management-level individuals move here every month without jobs, assuming they will find management positions. I once told the V.P. of Human Resources of a large local firm that managers move here without jobs, and she said, “That simply isn’t true…it can’t be true. Why would any career professional move here unemployed?”

The relocation rationale I hear most often is this: “Hey, I’m a very capable person…sure I know Las Vegas is primarily a resort town with a gaming economy, but it’s the fastest growing city in America, and my talents have always been in demand, so I’m sure I’ll find a good position. Besides, I just got laid off from my V.P. of Production job at a factory in Baltimore, the kids are grown, and Margie and I are ready for a new chapter in our lives.” Either that or “My aging mother has Alzheimer’s and lives in Summerlin, so I moved here to be with her.”, or “Heck, I just got tired of shoveling snow in Minneapolis and decided it was time for a warmer climate.”

The reason I never hear is, “Well, Chris, I surveyed the country for the best hiring market for a 45-year old with a degree and experience in Purchasing, and Las Vegas topped the list!” Let’s face it, people move here for personal, “lifestyle” reasons, and if you’re in search of a new position, it doesn’t matter whether you’ve lived here six months or six years, you want to find a good position as fast as possible. The most expensive activity is being unemployed. It can cost $5,000 to $10,000 a month, or more.

So here you are, with a good education, solid experience, and great ability, but living in a city where professional positions can be very difficult to identify and land. Take a ride around highway 215…. you just don’t see the tall office buildings with names of the Fortune 500 companies we all recognize. Where are IBM, Pfizer, General Electric, Monsanto, or the others? They’re simply not here. In fact, take away the hotels, casinos, and condominiums from our skyline… and we don’t have one! The only office building of any height is the Wells Fargo building here in the Hughes Center….imagine that. Even Pocatello, Idaho has a more prominent business skyline. Your new position here will most likely be in a small to medium-sized company, maybe family owned, where you will play a key role. But those companies can be very selective and slow to act when adding new management. It’s like trying to get a seat at another family’s Thanksgiving table… and even if you do, they can be reluctant to pass the gravy.

Many expect to land a management position at a Strip hotel/casino. That’s the longest shot of all. It would be like moving to Washington, D.C., riding by the Pentagon and thinking, “Wow, that’s a big building…I bet thousands of people work in there…..I’ll just go in and get a job as a Colonel!” Ain’t gonna’ happen. Just like the Pentagon, the hotel/casinos on The Strip represent the pinnacle of their world. You don’t just decide at mid-career to join their management team and waltz right into a key position. You typically must get into gaming early and work your way up, just like joining the Army and aspiring to work at the Pentagon. And like Wall Street where I used to work, most key players in Las Vegas know each other. The same goes for most Las Vegas businesses in general. There’s no escaping the fact that we live in a “Who you know” kind of town.

From my experience, management job seekers here arrive at one of three outcomes:
1. They search for several months longer than expected and finally land a good position, 2. They compromise and accept a “bridge” job (which sadly often becomes their new career), or 3. They give up and move back to where they came from.

So, how do you, the intelligent management candidate, determined to stay and make a life in Las Vegas, deal with the job search challenges and market yourself effectively to the hiring companies here? That is the subject of this column. There are innovative new ways to attack the problem and come up a winner, and I am going to share them with you. Tools, techniques, and technologies are available to you to enable you to overcome the obstacles you face. You need a new career in Las Vegas, and Las Vegas needs to retain good management talent.

We can’t have you moving back to Baltimore… We need you here!