TRULondon II is just around the corner on February 18, 19. To help you get to know our exciting line up speakers better, we’re sending our event blogger Glenn Le Santo out to track them down. Here’s the first of a series of mini-interviews with the TruLondon characters; we start with with recruitment research expert Jim Stroud.
Glenn LeSanto: How did you come to be in the position you are in today? was it by design or chance?
Jim Stroud: It was purely by chance. My initial goal was to be a successful screenwriter / author, but that was not getting me anywhere at the time. I was considering marrying my college sweetheart and it was at her prompting that I should get a “real job” that I switched direction on my career.
The year was 1997 and I had only a passing fancy with the internet. At that point, a friend showed me how to navigate BBS (Bulletin Board Systems aka online forums) to find pictures of bikini clad models, so I thought that was the highlight of what the world wide web could offer. (Not impressed)
In my search for suitable employment, I stumbled across a job posting for an Internet Researcher. The verbiage basically said, “we are seeking people to surf the web all day.” Upon reading this and considering the number of bikini models that I could discover while ”working,” I thought it was a fairly attractive offer. The employer was MCI and the job quite literally changed my life. Using the Internet to find resumes and passive candidates was cutting edge in the states then and I was very fortunate to be on a team that was focused on pioneering that space.
Glenn LeSanto: Who do you admire most in life? Do you have a person or persons you could point to and say, it was that person that inspired me.
Jim Stroud: Difficult to say, as I hold several people in esteem but I will give it a go. I count my (late) father as my most adored hero. He impressed upon me the importance of perseverance, self-confidence and imagination. I have always admired the spirit of Josephine Baker who is the one person I would like to travel back in time to meet. She has been a great inspiration to me as well. There is also a long list of fictional characters that have inspired me as well for no other reason than, they help where they can and are not motivated by personal gain. I count among them: The Lone Ranger, Doctor Who, Jack Bauer, John Steed and Emma Peel.
Glenn LeSanto: What is the biggest turn off in business for you and what quality do you think is most valuable in business?
Jim Stroud: The biggest turn off in business for me is poor customer service. The most valuable quality a business can have is that it honestly believes in what it sells.
Glenn LeSanto: How did social media change the way you work last year, and what effect do you think it will have on your work and career in 2010
Jim Stroud: Last year, I began being more selective about where I live my online life. For example, Linkedin I used for developing business with contacts I already know. I used my Facebook profile page for more personal connections (family, close friends) and Twitter was for knowledge sharing and networking overall. I still accepted connections on all social networks, but I noticed that this was the direction I was headed towards.
I think being involved (and staying focused) on these three social networks will help me build deeper online connections rather than thin connections spread out across several social networks. As a result, those who choose to connect with me will have a clearer focus on what I have to offer and how I may be able to assist them.
Glenn LeSanto: What do you think delegates attending events such as TruLondon take away with them?
Jim Stroud: I think attendees return home with knowledge they can immediately use, but also with relationships that can be leveraged throughout one’s career as well. Hearsay can be grand, but there is nothing like being there.
Glenn LeSanto: You’re in recruitment, but what is the job of your wildest dreams?
Jim Stroud: I have ambition and would love to one day (soon) produce a series of short films based on my original screenplays. (Perhaps one with the AbFab girls – Patsy and Adina?) Well, that and hunting down terrorist cells online like a proper MI5 spook would be the bee’s knees. (smile)
Glenn LeSanto: Jim, thanks for participating and I can’t wait to meet you at TruLondon in February.
