One of the joys of being an adult learner is the ease with which you can identify what you don’t know. You may not know everything of a subject, but at least you know that you don’t know, which allows you to put together a plan of study. So it was with my entrance into the recruting business. I knew I needed training. I liked what I saw, among which was notice of an upcoming three day course for rookie recruiters. Perfect. A place to start, studying with Peter and just a few other fellow students.
Having a background exclusively in physical science and information technology left me with much to learn not only about the mechanics of the recruiting process but also about the ethics of the profession. How to recruit well with professionalism. So I eagerly enrolled in Peter’s “New Recruiter Three Day Marathon Training”, and flew to Missouri where he trains.
So on day one, students arrive at Peter’s rural Tall Pony Ranch (TPR), a working ranch amidst Missouri woods and livestock. Out here, away from corporate office parks, mobile phones, Internet, hallway interruptions. Thus begins three days of role playing, Q&A, homework, live sourcing and recruiting calls, and uncontrived bonding with the other students. It’s an interesting, unorthodox situation where your attention is heightened by the sheer novelty of it all. Good for learning, for remembering.
The material is sufficiently full featured to get you started when you return home to begin your practice, or continue it should you already own or work for a recruting firm. But it’s not just what’s in the printed material that makes this experience. Far from it. Peter is smart fellow in a number of ways, not the least of which is his decision to conduct this training at his ranch. By situating it there, you learn this material in a place that makes a deep impression on you. You remember the material because you remember where you were when you learned it. You can think back to the log cabin, and remember where everyone was sitting, the points and questions fellow students raised, the points Peter made. The ranch experience functions much the same way that returning to a room where you came up with an idea or task, but forgot by the time you meandered to another room. You return to the original room to help you remember the idea. Similarly, you go back to the ranch in memory to help you remember the material, and the context and tone in which it was presented. When you’re starting out in the business, this is a huge advantage and enabler as you put the material into play. None of these deeper impressions would have taken place had the training been held at the indistinguishable corporate training center or hotel conference room we’ve all been in. The ranch context makes this a valued, memorable event in your recruiting career. The place becomes yours in a sense, a retreat to which you remove yourself for professional development. A place where when you return, you will be remembered and your game raised.
But if you are wondering where to start, and you’re reading this, look no further. The Morgan Three Day Recruiter Start-Up for rookies (and seniors looking to revitalize) is well worth the time and attention, and gives you the grounding points to begin your practice. My plan is to continue to train with Peter, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you return after your first visit, too.