Job Hacking

Scarcity, 2007

Scarcity is a very important attribute in marketing a product.

Candidates and Hiring Managers do not seem to understand this very often, which is too bad.

By way of example, we visited a fine Southern Oregon Winery, Schmidt Family Vineyards(Ever heard of them?). We tried their 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, and wow, it's good! I'm planning on putting my purchase in the cellar and let it age for several years.

Then, we meandered down to the closest eatery, The Buckboard Grill (Ever heard of this place - only 2 reviews on Urban Spoon, could be that it's not urban enough). Had a really nice French Dip done with Tri-tip. And, you could buy the aforementioned Cabernet for $6 a glass - and it was a healthy pour to boot - for $6!

The thing about both these products is that you gotta go there to get them - they only service the local market. There are only 225 cases of the Cabernet being produced. And my guess is that this particular wine is going to skyrocket in price as a result of the few cases being produced and the quality of the product. Yes, it's really that good.

What does all this have to do with job hunting, or attracting talent who meets/exceeds the bar? Stay tuned...

One thing you can learn traveling to Salt Lake City

Yesterday, I made a 1-day excursion to Salt Lake City.

Before I left, I lost my Driver's License. I did not know this at the time.

You know how there are some things in your life that have bad ju ju, so you usually avoid them? Well, New Year's Eve and Salt Lake City are mine. Which is not to say the primary mission of my trip was a failure, far from it. But, the stuff happening on the sidelines was, um, attention-getting.

For instance:

• Yes, it is possible to get on a plane without a Driver's License or Passport. It is a highy educational experience.
• TSA professionals are sympathetic and helpful when confronted with this problem.
• If you are HUGE, like me, you will be uncomfortable in the seats on a Delt flight. By HUGE, I mean 5'10", and 180 lbs.
• There are Delta Customer Service personnel who are nice and helpful. They just don't occur as frequently as you think they ought.
• The Customer Service personnel at Fox Car Rental all seem to be far more interested in their co-workers, their co-worker's immediate families, their co-worker's cousins, and upselling you on insurance than actually getting you into your rental car in a timely manner.
• It is possible to get carded as a middle-aged male. And, no, the id you use to get onboard the plane will not get you a drink.
• Drunk, aggressive, muscle-bound guys have an impairment to getting luggage in overhead bins. And being nice to the only good Delta flight attendant in existence in the Western U.S.
• No matter what, chewing tobacco, and using a spit bottle on flight is not attractive. Especially if you're a drunk, aggressive, muscle-bound guy.
• No amount of cologne will improve your attractiveness if you are a drunk, aggressive, muscle-bound guy.

The one thing? Don't leave your driver's license or passport behind.