Dallas Right Now

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Cindy Yared

Summer is here. School is out and it is fixin’ to get hot in Texas!

Remember Flag Day June 14th!

Remember Flag Day is June 14th!

Father’s Day is this Sunday and we wish all dads and special men in your lives a very special Sunday!

June 14th is Flag Day so don’t forget to fly your flag high!

Here are a few other things to enjoy this month in our fantastic city:

DallasBIG Contest – BIG is back! Now through July 22, submit your new or previously taken photo to the People’s Choice contest and have your friends vote. You may become the cover photo on the VisitDallas Facebook page for a week!

Dallas Arboretum Outdoor Concerts – Can you think of a better place to enjoy an outdoor concert than the Dallas Arboretum? Bring a picnic basket filled with your favorite snacks and beverages.

KidSwing – Former patient Ben Sater received treatment, including surgery, for a condition called trigger finger at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. When he discovered that patients receive treatment regardless of their ability to pay, he decided to use his love for golf to give back to the hospital by creating KidSwing, a 9-hole, best-ball scramble for players ages 7 to 18 of all levels of golf ability.

SolJazz Festival – Entertain your family with music, comedy shows, ticket contests, the annual “Walk for Diabetes Prevention” and more.

Dallas Zoo’s Safari Nights – Every Saturday evening, enjoy family fun under the stars and extended hours with the animals. Visitors can explore the zoo during the day, and then stretch out at night to the sounds of tribute bands and original songwriters.

Highland Park Film Festival – The town of Highland Park has paired up with Dallas Film Society to celebrate its 100th anniversary by bringing the magic of the silver screen to the community for free. Event is held the first and third Monday of June, July and August.

Of course, our Texas Rangers are in full swing as well! Go Rangers!

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What Your Words Say: Five Communication Rules

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Heather Nelson

WordI obsess over words and spend ridiculous amounts of time selecting the right words or phrase for what I am trying to say or write. As someone who often writes communications for others, I agonize over what the words I choose say to a reader or a listener and how they make a reader or listener feel about the speaker and the message.

I have developed a few rules about words to use and words to avoid. What would you add to this list?

  1. Me Me Me!! When I am writing something for a senior executive, I write mainly from the first person singular “I” perspective. “I” connotes “I am responsible.” When I write something for an organization – a company, a school, or a work team – I usually write from the “we” perspective to be more inclusive and to reflect the bonds joining the speaker and the listener. Each perspective has its strengths. The key is to pick one and use it consistently; flipping between “I” and “we” in the same communication will leave your reader confused as to who is talking and leave you open to subject-verb agreement problems.
  2. Lots of Will. “Will” can be a powerful word for conveying commitment and intent. “I will get you the report by Friday.” From your lips to God’s ears.
  3. There is no “try.” As much as I love “will,” I detest “try” for its flakiness and lack of commitment. And combined together, as in “I will try to get back to you by next week,” they contradict each other! Stick with “will” and (goes without saying?) make sure you do what you say you will!
  4. Nope, Not, Nein, Nyet, Never, No Way! One executive for whom I wrote internal employee communications refused to allow any negative words in his messages. Not a one! I found this directive incredible difficult to comply with and even accused him of being Pollyanna-ish in his desire to avoid bad news. He responded that he had built his professional reputation on having a positive outlook and he wanted his communications to reflect the same. And, he challenged me to find a positive way to share his messages. Writing for him taught me the power of words to convey someone’s values and personality as well as their message, and made me a better writer.
  5. Don’t be a “needy” communicator. “Need” is a wimpy word that conveys more about the speaker than his or her audience. I cringe when I hear people over-use “need” (eavesdrop on any fast food drive thru window or parent-child negotiation and you will see what I mean). I need a cheeseburger and a sweet tea. I need you to pick up your room. I need an analysis of the market for gizmos in Turkish Armenia. It all sounds pretty selfish, doesn’t it?

When communicating in your professional or personal life, select words that convey more than just the strict definition found in the dictionary.

Heather Nelson is a partner with PeopleResults, a consultancy that guides organizations and individuals to “start the wave” of change. Heather and the team have advised major clients including PepsiCo, McKesson, Microsoft, Frito-Lay, Hitachi Consulting and many others on how to realize results through people. Contact her at hnelson@people-results.com.

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Dallas Right Now

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Cindy Yared

Wishing a Happy Mother’s Day to all! We celebrate those of us who are blessed to be mothers day 16x20 printablemothers and applaud all significant women in our lives this month!

Remember to pamper mom, whether it is with a simple card, making dinner or doing one thing to make her life a little bit easier! Let your mama know how much you appreciate her on this special day!

Here are a few other things we ♥ about North Texas this month … Enjoy!

Swiss Avenue Mother’s Day Home Tour, May 10-12 - Celebrate the fabulous 40th Anniversary of one of Dallas’ most time-honored annual events featuring 7 of the city’s most fabulous Early 20th Century homes and one historic sanctuary — plus an art fair, antique car display, a children’s play area, live entertainment, great food and whole lot more.

The Byron Nelson, May 13-19 – One of Dallas’ biggest sports attractions and most anticipated social event of the spring is also the most financially successful charity event on the PGA TOUR, raising over $127 million for children and families served by Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers.

Wildflower Arts & Music Festival, May 17 – Wildflower! is an award-winning, multi-day eclectic arts and music festival featuring six performance stages, the Wild! Marketplace, the Taste of Texas Food Garden, the family friendly Kidz Korner and a whole lot more!

The Dallas Fort Worth Women’s Expo, May 18-19 – Relax and rejuvenate, explore a new interest, purchase a great find, and re-ignite your inner you. Indulge yourself with the very best DFW has to offer in shopping, fashion, food, entertainment, cosmetics and travel.

Concerts at the Arboretum - Bring family, friends, favorite food and beverages and enjoy some of DFW’s best bands and one of the most breathtaking views of White Rock Lake.

Carry The Load, May 26-27 - Celebrate a meaningful Memorial Day at the 20-hour event that honors veterans and active duty service members, law enforcement officers, firefighters and their families. We celebrate Memorial Day and honor our veterans and pay tribute to the men and women who died while serving in the military.

There’s something for everyone in North Texas this May!

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Tips for Correct Capitalization on your Resume and Cover Letter

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Heather Nelson

cA cover letter and resume should draw attention to your skills and qualifications, not detract from them with randomly capitalized words.

Imagine if You received a Cover Letter written like This. Reading this is like riding a Roller Coaster. By the time you get to the End of the Letter, you would be thinking Twice about bringing that person in for an Interview.

There are rules for capitalization. Resumes and cover letters that follow the rules correctly are easier to read and allow the reader to focus on the candidate’s experiences and qualifications, not their understanding of grammar or punctuation. The basic capitalization rules are:

  • Capitalize the first word of a sentence. Even short sentences. When writing in bullet points, such as in a resume, capitalize the first word of each bullet point.
  • Capitalize proper nouns – names of people, cities, places where you have specific references. If you worked at the White House, capitalize it. If you live in a white house, leave it lowercase.
  • Capitalize the first and last words – and any significant words in between – for titles of books, movies, magazine articles (oh, and blogs too!).
  • Always capitalize the pronoun I.

These rules are easy to apply to general writing, but writing about work experience, job titles and company names is a little trickier.

  • Company names – these fall under the proper noun rule above and should be capitalized. If you have any doubts, check the company’s website to see how they refer to themselves online, in press releases, etc.
  • Job titles in resumes – capitalize job titles when they serve as headers for sections of your resume.Resume
  •  Job titles in cover letters – references to specific job titles should be capitalized; however, references to general job titles should not be capitalized.
    • Specific: “As the Director of Human Resources for ABC Company…”
    • General: “I am seeking a director of human resources position…”
  • Work experiences – in most situations, these are not capitalized, unless they include acronyms or proper nouns, such as product names or certifications.
    • Example: “Implemented Career Builder software across a global organization…” where Career Builder is the name of the software.
    • Example: “Implemented talent management software…”where the reference is to a type of software and not a specific product.

And it goes without saying, NEVER WRITE IN ALL CAPS, which is commonly interpreted by most people these days as SHOUTING.

I am a strong advocate for proofreading. Two good proofreading reminders to ensure you are following the rules of capitalization correctly are 1) make sure the first letter of every sentence or bullet point is capitalized, and 2) review any capitalized letters that fall in the middle of a sentence. If they are not for a proper noun, chances are they do not need to be capitalized!

More capitalization rules can be found on the following grammar sites. Happy writing! The Guide to Grammar and Writing, sponsored by the Capital Community College Foundation (Hartford, CT). Your Dictionary Grammar: 10 Rules of Capitalization

Heather Nelson is a partner with PeopleResults, a consultancy that guides organizations and individuals to “start the wave” of change. Heather and the team have advised major clients including PepsiCo, McKesson, Microsoft, Frito-Lay, Hitachi Consulting and many others on how to realize results through people. Contact her at hnelson@people-results.com.

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Dallas Hot Jobs

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Cindy Yared

Mom Corps Dallas has fabulous client partners who need qualified candidates like YOU for their jobs!  Please like us on Facebook (share us there too) and follow us on Twitter for the first look at new jobs!  Remember:  $250 referral fee to YOU if your referral is hired.

Don't let the sun go down on your job search!

Don’t let the sun go down on your job search!

Management Consultant – Permanent, Full-time
Our Irving client partner is looking for a very select few. Overperformers. Overachievers. Thinkers. Innovators. Only hiring the top 5% of business and technology professional consultants. These individuals are leaders in their workplace – setting the standard for their peers. Are you one of these? If you meet these requirements apply now HERE!

Compensation Analyst – Contract to Hire, Full-time
Are you qualified to assist in our North Dallas client partner’s annual Global Compensation Review to include updating salary bands and merit budget recommendations by country? Assist with compensation due diligence and job mapping activities for all mergers and acquisitions?  If you can partner with HR Business Partners, HR Generalists, Talent Acquisition team and Business Leaders regarding compensation philosophy, programs and administration then this is the job for you.  Apply now HERE!

Business Analyst – Contract, Full-time
If you have solid and recent experience using Visio, knowledge of a workforce management scheduling software tool and Call Center Management or operations/systems analysis OR 5 years experience in project management, method analysis, or operations/systems analysis – this is the job for you!  Apply HERE now!

Screen Print Manager – Contract to Hire, Full-time
We are working with our client partner located in Northwest Dallas who needs a full-time Screen Print Manager who will supervise and coordinate the activities of printing production workers to ensure the most efficient and cost-effective use of production facility. Screen printing experience and proficiency with Microsoft Office software required. Apply now HERE.

Project Lead – Long-term Contract, Full-time
Have knowledge of health plan operations, health care informatics, and healthcare benefits and terminology?  Experience implementing technical projects?  Our client in Richardson needs you!  Apply quickly – all candidates will be submitted within 48 hours. Details and to apply HERE – HURRY!

Project Manager – Long-term Contract, Full-time
If you have a MS Project and PMP certification this could be the job for you! Love to manage projects, plan and design, manage resources, change and risk? If you have a subject matter expertise in an IT discipline, don’t wait, apply now HERE!  Currently filling an active opening and future openings as well.

Project Coordinator – Long-term Contract, Full-time
The Project Coordinator for our Richardson based client partner will be responsible for the Enterprise Program & Project coordination and support of assigned departmental tasks. You would assist directors, senior managers, program managers, to assure all project deliverables and other work is produced in a quality and timely manner in accordance with established processes and procedures. Apply HERE now!

Real Estate Staff Accountant – Permanent, Full-time
Do you have Yardi experience? Love real estate accounting, insurance calculations and cap taxes, Excel? Our North Dallas client needs a staff accountant to be responsible for all accounting activity for assigned properties; assisting with the preparation of financial statements; participating in the preparation of property budgets and annual audits and other accounting duties. To apply click HERE and submit your resume!

Controller with Great Plains – Permanent, Full-time
Are you ready to assist the President of a multi-million dollar manufacturing company with financial support?  Love to manage all financial aspects to include cost and financial reporting; budgeting; payroll, accounts payable and receivable; and for all operating site systems? Our client partner needs YOU!  Apply now HERE!

Recruiter – Contract, Full-time or part-time, flexible
Love recruiting fabulous talent for growing, forward thinking businesses? Our client needs a full life cycle recruiter who can source, screen, qualify and present strong fit candidates. Passive recruiting skills required, strong LinkedIn and phone skills necessary. Check out the job description and apply HERE now!

Make it a great week! Yours in placement.

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