East Coast for Ankenbrandt

We did it! After talking for so many years about moving we made the jump. SoCal is a great place but we’ve been hankering for a change and new digs. Scott and I relocated and now Ankenbrandt has both West Coast and East Coast offices.  Dave and Deanna are still in West while Scott and I have settled down in the East  -- where we are lucky enough to still enjoy West Coast sunsets! We continue to recruit out of CA but we are more easily available to our East Coast clients. We’ll pop into CA as needed but right now we are enjoying laying down new roots in Florida.

Moving

Moving a house and an office is nerve -wracking. I read a lot about moving before we decided to move, and we did most everything recommended but I realize now we should have done more --

Get rid of more stuff before you move. We got rid of a lot, but we also moved a lot of stuff we could have left.  After the move we donated a truck load to Salvation Army and our trash guys are saints for all the trash they haul out weekly.   

Unpacking takes a lot of time. It’s not just about unpacking the boxes it’s about where the stuff goes and figuring out a new system. I have moved stuff around several times much to our kid’s frustration. Their snack drawer got moved twice!

Setting up an office in the new home – this took a lot of thought and I still don’t have it right. I like my location and my view out the window, but my storage and desk are not big enough. Again, new location, new layout means new desk, new storage and new habits. I’m still working the kinks out.

Need to get some attention with your resume?

Resume Tricks that Actually  Work  - 

Bullet the top of your resume with as many of the skills you have that match the job description. Be specific to what the company needs.  


All very important information needs to go on the top half of your resume - not the second page or the third page.  Fold your resume in half to make sure that everything important - top skills, email address, phone etc fits up there. The top half is the prime "real estate" section.  

Don't forget your phone number and LinkedIn profile link! I've had resume sent to me with no contact info. It's about the details.   

Mail  - Don't just email your resume ---  USPS mail your resume. No one gets actual mail anymore so you have a better chance of getting some attention if you actually old school mail it.  Seriously when is the last time you got a real letter? 

For resume format ideas go to our Pinterest page - https://www.pinterest.com/ankenbrandtg/

Traveling with a pack of dogs

We traveled with our three dogs for two weeks. I thought we’d be fine because we have taken them with us on vacation previously but this trip we were in hotels the entire time  -- 

I learned a lot.

Lower your expectations.

You will not be staying in any high end or glamorous hotels. We ended up at La Quinta Inns and Candlewood hotels because they allow 3 dogs. They were nice and clean just not fancy. Not many hotels  - Ok pretty much no hotels allow 3 dogs. 

Per the contract we signed at both hotel chains we could not leave our dogs in the room by themselves so that pretty much puts the kibosh on any dinners out. We took advantage of the breakfasts served for a 10 minute break from the beasts. Dinners were take-out or delivery to our room.

Most “dog friendly” hotels have dog friendly grounds but be advised if you are in a big city find the nearest park ASAP and bring your own doggie bags.

Most outdoor attractions like State and National park attractions are OK with your dogs on the grounds but you can’t take them inside – plan ahead. You may not be site seeing as much as you had hoped.

Bring travel bowls for the car, food, water and all their medication. We were never asked for their vaccination records but we still had them just in case.

Be flexible and walk the dogs a lot – you can see a good portion of a city walking.  

Laid-Back

I traveled to the South East recently and wow what a difference in manners.  People opened doors and held them open, people were gracious, driving was pleasant and overall it was just such a relaxing and friendly experience. Our manners out here in Southern California have become almost nonexistent. People cut off each other driving, don’t stop at stop signs, doors rarely get held open, people don’t say hi or even give a friendly nod when you walk by.  It’s changed here. The once laid-back surfer style has become more of a city style.  I prefer the laid-back friendly pace of the past. Let’s try to bring it back.

Internet Black Hole

I get asked the question, “How do I get their attention?”, all the time from candidates looking for a job. They have trouble getting anyone at the company they are interested in to pay attention to them. Typically, it’s because they have emailed a resume or put an application in online into the internet black hole. 

It doesn’t work.

We all get too many emails and electronic communication – it’s overwhelming. Try something old school – mail your resume directly to the person in charge. If you are applying for a finance or accounting job – the CFO. Need an HR job – VP of HR, General Manager or often the CFO. Need a sales job – hit up the VP Sales.  No one gets mail anymore – USPS mail. Think about it? When you do get mail it’s the occasional medical bill. Go old school and mail that letter directly to the person you want attention from!  Then follow up with an email article that they might be interested in inquiring about your mailed resume. It works a good amount of the time! Now go mail that resume.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July! 

We live in a city where everyone goes crazy on the 4th. Fireworks blanket the sky and the kids and adults light them off ladders in the street and ride bike with sparklers flying off them - it's a lot of crazy fun. 

We hope you have a fabulous holiday with lots of fabulous fireworks too!!! 

God bless the USA! Happy 4th!