Guest Columnist: Rodney J. Johnson, President

Prescient Consulting Inc.

Trust is a word we commonly use and think we understand. We think of it as a simple concept, and speak of how important it is to us. However, that doesn't mean that we truly appreciate trust for what it is, how it is gained, how it is lost, and what we can do in our everyday lives to make use of it. Trust is something we want to receive and something we want to give.

It is no strange thing then, that we only give full trust to those we have direct knowledge of. Since we trust those we know well more than those we don't, and our goal is to be trusted, then our mission should be to ensure everyone knows us well.

We've all heard about how trust is the grease of civil society, the invisible ink of the social contract. Society has even created various tools (contracts, credentials, references) to solidify the benefits of it. If we can trust, things can happen. If we can't, we either have to get what we want on our own or go without. We do make contracts, which we think will give weight to our trust, but don't even make those contracts with those we can't trust.  Trust speeds things up. It allows for more rapid decision making and more decisive action once things are settled. The trusted man gets the job. Read On

By Steven B. McKinney

McKinney Consulting Inc.

Keep your friends close and your recruiters closer.

All the interviews are done. The only thing left to do is wait for the outcome. Niggling doubts creep in. You could have done better? Maybe you said the wrong thing? There were some weak points that could have been addressed better. You aren’t sure you emphasized your strong points well enough.

Waiting for feedback after a job interview can be dreadful, especially if the feedback is slow in coming. Time just seems to drag on while you wonder if there isn’t something you should be doing to increase your chances of being chosen. Instead of having “Peace of Mind” you have pain. The pain is accentuated by a lack of communication and the cure is more of it.

Is there anything you can do? An error in strategy at this point could be disastrous. The best thing to do is cultivate an open and candid relationship with the recruiter. Let him or her be your guide through this tough period. Read more about it in the full article.

How can the educational system respond, to the global needs.

By Steven B. McKinney, McKinney Consulting, Inc.

First, there are positive things about the Korean educational system but like other education systems around the world there is still room for improvement.

By Steven B. McKinney

McKinney Consulting, Inc.

Hiring managers have fears too.

Few job seekers realize or recognize that the fear that they feel when they go for an interview is mirrored by a fear the interviewer feels as well. The interviewer’s fear is one experienced by all hiring managers; it is the fear that comes with the hiring process.

Few job seekers, themselves worried about being up to the task at hand, are aware of the fear and enormous pressure felt by a hiring manager for exactly the same reasons. Even fewer job seekers are aware that there are steps they can take to put the hiring manager at ease and therefore increase their own  chances of success. The logic is simple - minimize the pressure the hirer feels, minimize the fear, and maximize your chances of being liked, accepted, and hired. So how does the candidate do it? Well…Read on