Of Politics and Perfection

Ascertain the perfect profile; find that perfect candidate.

This is the crux of recruitment, the rule book, the fundamental doctrine. Here we have the two and only steps to which we must adhere if we are to succeed at our task. The method or process we choose to implement to this end does not matter provided that we, at some point, address these two critical criteria. This simple rule is universally applicable from the most stringent to the loosest definition of recruitment. It is non negotiable.

Having stressed that point rather adamantly, I’d do well to explain here, as with all things that do not adhere to the strict rules of the mathematical world, there is an exception: Politics.

In the world of politics we are unable to agree on the perfect profile and consequently we are unable to find the perfect match. Our system fails. As a result most countries have settled on the fairest method we yet know in order to decide upon who our leaders will be: democracy. In its simplest form, democracy allows for each and every person to have equal and unbiased say in which candidate they feel fits their conception of the perfect profile most precisely.

This is the best way we have to cling to our ‘doctrinal steps of recruitment’ while continuing to maintain freedom from discrimination and bias. However, to quote Churchill, “it is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time”.

Churchill goes on to explain, that “the best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter”. While this comment can be interpreted as mere hyperbole, given recent events in the US one is not so sure. I am, of course, talking of the Republican Primaries. I’m sure you’ve all read the various views and policies of Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and so on. From a purely rational point of view, a thinking person of the world is unable to agree that any of these should be trusted to hold the most powerful seat in the world. Yet it is unavoidable that this same thinking person must also agree it is equally important that we uphold the opinions of those who DO feel they would like to live in a world ruled by one of the above.

Here we have demonstrated our aforementioned difficulty; in trying to fairly ascertain the perfect profile we meet an irreconcilability of opinion and thus must seek to compromise. This is where things get complicated and I do not intend to continue. So while it is clear that a perfect profile probably does exist at a given time, we will never be able to agree on it. Thus we will always have politically influenced times of difficulty as well as politically influenced prosperity when we get the leader closer to ‘perfect’. This is a fluctuation cycle we must accept in order to remain democratic.

Is there another way we can run the world? Is there a way for us to define perfection in a political sense more succinctly? Who knows – it’s an interesting thought.

For now, for us in the corporate world (a world much smaller and more rational with regard to perfection) we are able to decide precisely on our profile, we are able to search extensively for this person. We seek perfection. Those who want to play politics need not apply. 

 Why Recruitment?

 I left university, amid a fair few of my friends and counterparts also completely unsure of the directions we wanted to take. I considered Marketing, Consultancy, Banking, Insurance, Politics, and further study. None of these seemed to hint to me what I knew I was looking for: something I could dedicate myself to, and be rewarded for that dedication.

 I am certain this is quite common an event. To cut a long story short, I have always been intrigued by business and what makes a business tick. I had also, by the time I decided that what was best for me was something to immerse myself in and live, started to look around. This was about 4 years after having left University:

 It wasn't until I had secured a second round interview with the largest of the ‘mainstream’ recruitment agencies that I happened across a niche consultancy - Ripe4 - and learnt what the true difference is between agency and consultancy.

 Whereas an agency will have lots of easier to fill, more 'standard' roles (or 'bread and butter roles', as one of my teammates would say), the experience at Ripe 4 has been one based upon quality. The numbers of people required to fill agency roles is relatively high; as a consultancy we are focused on the best of those people only: the ones who not only fulfill criteria for any given opportunity, but surpass it. We have an exceedingly close relationship with those companies we are working on behalf of, and are in constant conversation with them in order to find out what they require - even if that is only one, yes, one person.

 I never thought just quite so much time, effort, above all, care goes into finding that person before I discovered Ripe4. Now that I am here I am so glad to have the chance to put myself to good use, to find excellent roles for equally as excellent people, to learn so much about various parts of industries and to be rewarded for having done so!

 Recruitment and recruiters sometimes get a bad press. Now I’m part of that industry I can wholeheartedly say from first-hand experience that certainly not every recruitment company is worthy of that reputation: If you want to work somewhere where your hard work is noticed, where you have constant unfailing support from all your team members, where you are continually learning and if you want job satisfaction quite unlike any other then you really should consider working for a company like Ripe4, actually, scratch that, just consider working for Ripe4.

Nach all den Vorlesungen, Klausuren, und Prüfungen ist die Uni auf einmal vorbei und die Jobsuche sollte abgeschlossen sein inklusive den Gehaltsvorstellungen und Möglichkeiten, die zu Studienbeginn versprochen wurden. Ist dies nicht der Fall, kann es ziemlich schnell ziemlich frustrierend werden. Ein Job mit viel Abwechslung ist gefragt, der jeden Tag neue Herausforderungen bringt.
 
Mit meiner Jobwahl als Trainee International Executive Recruitment Consultant habe ich für mich die richtige Entscheidung getroffen! Jeder Tag ist herausfordernd, bringt neue Einsichten und Menschenkenntnisse, die sozialen Netzwerke werden erweitert. Durch die Arbeit im Ausland kann ich gelernten Sprachen einsetzen und einen noch größer-werdenden Markt abdecken, und verdiene nebenbei ziemlich gut. Zudem oeffnen sich neue Welten, und es ist spannend, anderer Leute Werdegang zu beobachten. Der ingenieurswissenschaftliche Hintergrund hilft zu beurteilen und Entscheidungen zu treffen.
 
Wer nach wenigen Wochen feststellt, dass der Job jetzt schon langweilig ist und 70 Stunden die Woche in ein und demselben Büro nicht der Lifestyle ist, den man sich erhofft hat, wer Herausforderungen und Reisen liebt und nebenbei gut verdienen möchte, wird sich in der Welt des Headhunters zuhause fühlen. Herzlich willkommen!
 

Germany, Headhunters German Speaking, Executive Search Deutschland, Hamburg Headhunters, Munchen Headhunter, Berlin, Frankfurt Recruiters

You’re young, you’ve got a degree, and you’ve just left university. The world is your oyster!

Then, suddenly the cold reality of the real world hits home and you decide that actually maybe 120 hours per week at Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase or Citigroup is not for you. As an alternative, you considered the prospect of KPMG, Deloitte, PwC or one of accountings ‘Big Five’ but now you’re becoming increasingly aware that crunching numbers all day is nothing short of mental incarceration for someone as sociable as you. Or what about PR or Marketing? One can easily be forgiven for feeling slightly nauseous at the prospect of it all given the levels of insincere flamboyancy and the Herculean egos to accompany…

Well, you’re a bright spark with good communicative skills and you’re looking for a career that’s both financially as well as personally rewarding, something that you will thoroughly enjoy from the outset. Frankly, it’s rare to find anything that ticks all these boxes. Rare that is, until you discover the elusive world of the ‘headhunter’.

I’m coming to you now from a server deep in cyberspace as a Trainee International Executive Recruitment Consultant. I’ve been working here at ripe4 for a sliver over five weeks, plenty enough time to begin to dislike a job. This is something proven by 90% of my friends who started working in various different sectors at a similar time to me. Their honeymoon period is wearing off, they struggle out of bed in the morning to rejoin the humdrum of drones performing the dullest of tasks. Not me, with each day that passes I learn, improve and evolve. I get taught skills that are not only applicable to my professional life but also to my personal life, and with each day I love it more and more.

So if you’re considering a career in Investment Banking, Accounting, PR, Marketing, Engineering, Consulting or anything else you can think to imagine, think again. The world of Recruitment is a rarely promoted hidden gem, find it and who knows where you’ll end up? It’s international. Who knows who you’ll encounter on your travels? Almost everyone needs a job. And, who knows what you’ll earn? Well… actually, I do, and if you’re good, that figure is simply mind bending.

Nuclear power stations and reactors operational around the world:How many nuclear reactors are operational around the world today - and where are they?

The crisis at in reactors Japan's Fukishima nuclear power station has focused attention on the world's nuclear power industry. But how big is it exactly?

This database, from the World Nuclear Association gives us some idea. We've scraped a list of every operational nuclear reactor around the world - and its location, power rating and operating company.

The list gives a unique picture of the state of the world in nuclear power. Monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the industry in Japan has been criticised for being less than forthcoming over what's happening inside Fukushima.

And Japan is certainly a major nuclear power - with a high proportion of boiling water reactors, such as the kind that are overheating at Fukushima today.