“This particular professional is a well recognized and respected expert in the field…"

That is a reference that most ambitious professionals secretly aspire to.

When you see biographies written, and I read them and write them with some consistency as a recruiter, you like to see the recognition of significant leadership or of notable accomplishment in the first words of any description looking at a person’s life. That draws you in. This naturally inspires us. These examples of determination and assertiveness create an opportunity for awe.

How do we steer our own careers in this direction, if we haven’t reached the pinnacle of our potential? I know that the keys to “getting significant things done” are focus and discipline. At some point, preferably early in our life, we make a decision and must avail ourselves of an opportunity or two, which, if executed intelligently and faithfully for a sustained period, will result in a recognizable achievement. Some of us turn to professional coaches or counselors to guide us and help us gather the tools to succeed. We naturally sustain an internal need to achieve. If we fail, or don’t find a mission in our lives, there is a tendency to feel unfulfilled.

I’ve seen a persistent desire in some friends and peers to be serial achievers. That’s not such a bad trait. We all want to be held up as the best or at least close to the best, in anything we take the time and effort to pursue. The people that persevere and leap ahead in life are the ones that inspire awe from us. Athletes that do that or movie stars and celebrities that reach stardom get ridiculous amounts of attention.

The people that strive and achieve and are satisfied with little formal recognition are the ones that gain my highest level of admiration. It is pleasant to be recognized for projects we took on and did well, or made well. The journalistic, brief biographical write ups in local papers and magazines have always held their allure to me. They seem more local, and obtainable, so much more real, than a 4-inch thick biography of a President, for example, or writings about other historical figures. Ronald Reagan’s collection of letters were a very enjoyable recent read, and make him a much more impressive, approachable, and humble figure.

Realistic heroes take the form of those who went to the same university or worked for the same boss that you did. My recent 30-year high school reunion revealed an interesting collection of success stories, a surprising number of very successful and fulfilled individuals. That was inspiring too and made me proud to be part of that exalted group.

Simply knowing you’ve had similar opportunities as others begs comparison: Where are we now? Did we take what we were given, and come up to expectations?

I am reminded of a specific write-up from my hometown from a news magazine that typically recognizes professionals in the local community. In one specific case, a brain surgeon and ex-neighbor of ours was spotlighted. I had not seen this gentleman since 30 years ago, when I had the pleasure to serve as a babysitter. He was an achieved and well respected person then, and always very mentally absorbed, I remember, but immediately came across as very bright, with very few words exchanged, when talking to him as a teenager. His then 6-year-old son, is now an adult friend that has proven himself quite successful.

In this short article, the achievements assembled by this man and expressed in this expose were phenomenal. My perception of myself suddenly dimmed in comparison, and I felt suddenly like an underachiever. That is what is considered negative inspiration. He was a nuclear submariner during the cold war, worked with NASA and developed specialized methods of navigating the brain, surgically, and continues in the surgical field…he is still engaged in his craft; patenting instruments, pioneering in health care, really making a difference in people’s lives.

What came across from the article was that someone like this has to have had some very incredible and highly inspired & lofty goals. But he was also creative, and well-equipped to do his job, by way of an extensive education. This particularly inspired me, because there are dozens of skills that come to bear in my profession as a search consultant. And there are abundant resources for any of us to continue our educations regardless of our age. Professional credentials for numerous specialties are available and abundant for the Financial Services Industry.  I believe that my education was just far enough off the mark of what I chose to do, that I am like many others trying to integrate skills and bring all we have to the table when performing our work.

My background and passion for journalism, and my interest in you and what you’ve achieved, as a professional is what fuels my work, and those on the Deragon Team. What I do for candidates is take all of your attributes and credentials, and represent your lifetime of achievement in a short narrative form, for my clients. From a resume and a lengthy discussion, this can be accomplished, and you can receive the focused “marketing” as an accomplished professional, that you deserve. What I do for our clients, is to bring a group of well-surveyed and analyzed professionals in our field, suitable to a particular job, to one location for consideration.

So, if you are ready to be marketed as the “brain surgeon” of your discipline, you are likely to be the investment professional we want to be talking to. Be at the top of your game. Stay at the top of your game. Get to the top of your profession. Call us at Deragon Executive Search, (805) 783-0292.

Investor Sentiment Drops in August

The UBS-Gallup Index of Investor Optimism fell to 73 in the month from 87 in July as mounting concern over volatile markets compounded worries over high energy prices.  The index has fallen for three straight months and is at the lowest level in a year.

Banks Borrow $2 Billion from Fed

Citigroup, BofA, JPMorgan and Wachovia each got $500 million, the first banks to publicly tap the discount window since the Fed cut the rate from 6.25% to 5.75%. 

Capital One Shuts Mortgage Unit

The credit card issuer will close its Green-point mortgage unit, an alt-A and jumbo loan specialist.  Capital One will ax 1,900 jobs and take an $860 million charge.

Goldman to Bail out Hedge Fund

Goldman Sachs will inject $2 billion and investors will add $1 billion into its Global Equity Opportunities fund.  Its value has fallen 28% to $3.6 billion, as global markets sold off amid worries about debt and credit.

Unsold Existing Homes Surge

Existing-home sales dipped 0.2% to 5.75 million in July to a five-year low.  Inventories of unsold homes shot up 5.1% to 4.59 million homes.  The median price dipped 0.6% vs. a year earlier to $228,900.

IMF: World Economy is still solid

Recent credit woes will have some impact, but “prospects for the world economy are good,” said Rodrigo Rato, head of the International Monetary Fund.  He said central banks’ decision to pump billions of dollars into the financial system was “appropriate” to ease a liquidity shortage.

China’s Exports Booming

China’s exports are expected to grow 27% this year to $1.231 trillion, the China Securities Journal said.

Foreclosures Soared in July

Homes facing foreclosure rose to 179,599, up 9% versus June and 93% above a year earlier, said RealtyTrac.  Nevada, at 1 filing per 199 households, had the highest state rate.  California had 1 for every 333 household –nearly 4 times higher than a year ago.  Stockton, Calif., had the highest foreclosure rate of any metro area in the U.S.

Countrywide Taps $11.5 Billion Credit

The mortgage giant drained all its bank lines as a global credit shortage limits its access to short-term cash. 

Trade Deficit Narrowed in June

The U.S. trade gap fell to $58.1 billion, down 9.9% versus a year ago. 

Consumer Optimism Up in August

The IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index rose 2.6% to 49.5, still below the neutral 50 level but the best reading since March.  Lower gasoline prices and a generally solid economy helped lift confidence.

Job Seekers Pay to Fix Their Image

For about $30 a month, clients of ReputationDefender.com receive a service that ensures their old blog entries, Web pictures or online identities will not appear in a search.  Another firm, DefendMyName.com, provides online cleanup service for large corporations to bury negative search engine results.  According to a study by CareerBuilder.com, 26% of managers admit using search engines such as Google for hiring, and 12% say they check social networking sites too.

Bloggers Labor Union

Some bloggers are thinking about forming a labor union to receive health insurance discounts and conduct collective bargaining.  The National Writers Union said it will develop strategies to reach bloggers and encourage them to join, but many bloggers worry that a union would limit their freewheeling nature.

Wages for Latino Workers Rising

Foreign-born Latino workers in the U.S. are earning more money than just a few years ago, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.  As of 2005, these workers accounted for 36% of employees making $8.50 an hour or less.  That’s down from 1995, when the group represented 42% of the sub-$8.50 pool.

E-mail Preference at Work

E-mail has taken over the phone in the workplace, according to a study by Datamonitor/Dimension Data.  The research firm found 100% of respondents used e-mail in their everyday work, while only about 80% used phones.

Obesity up in the United States

Adult obesity rates rose in 31 states last year and declined in none, according to the Trust for America’s Health.  Mississippi became the first state with over 30% of adults as obese, with West Virginia and Alabama close behind.  Colorado remained the leanest state at 17.6%.  In 1991, no state had a rate above 20%.

Teeth Clenching

Japanese scientists have invented a hands-free devise used to control an IPod simply by clenching your teeth.  The head gear has infrared sensors and receives command when the users clench teeth for about one second.

Artificial Life Not Far Off

Artificial life may be only 3-10 years away, according to scientists competing to be the first to make life out of a mix of chemicals.  Research teams are trying to take the basic chemicals that comprise DNA and develop a new form of life.  Initially, scientists will likely just create a single cell that will probably survive only a few hours.

Drug Use in Schools

Drug users in schools increased to 61% from 44% for high school students and rose to 31% from 19% in middle schools, a Columbia University study said.  The survey found 4 of 5 students witnessed the sale or use of drugs on school grounds, or have seen students drunk during school.

L.A. Law

Life

Don’t take life too seriously, because you can’t get out of it alive.
-Warren Miller, ski filmmaker

Communication

The basic difference between being assertive and being aggressive is how our words and behavior affect the rights and well-being of others.
-Sharon Anthony Bower, communication coach

Dealing with People

Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting.
-Elizabeth Bibesco, writer

Action

The world is a dangerous place to live –not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.
-Albert Einstein, physicist

Dignity

One’s dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it cannot be taken away unless it’s surrendered.
-Michael J. Fox, actor

Temperament

Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tries and a touch that never hurts.
-Charles Dickens, writer

Gratitude

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.
-William Arthur Ward, scholar

Tolerance

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong, because someday in your life you will have been all of these.
-George Washington Carver, botanist