My History with Internet Research

Just a quick little background on how I came to be interested in Internet Research:

I think it started way back in high school (mid 90s) when the Internet was just really taking off with public use. Back then, we used to 'chat' on BBSes and I was all about that. Guess I could have been classified as a bit of a nerd because of it, but I learned early on how valuable networking was!

In college, I was involved in a hit-and-run car accident late one night with a drunk driver who unknowingly left behind bits and pieces of his car after he drove off leaving me shaken in my car on the side of the road. I gathered the 'evidence' - a busted headlight cover with the Ford emblem, the baby blue paint that had scraped off on my rims, the boxy shape of the car that I determined from a brief glimpse as he drove off, and the fact that I knew the area to which he was heading. I went to the apartment complex down the road the next day and found an old baby blue Ford with a missing front headlight. Leaving an "I know what you did last night" note on the windshield, I took note of the fraternity Greek letters on the bumper sticker as well as the license plate number. I happened to have a friend who was friends with a guy in that fraternity, so after a few phone calls, I got the name of the guy who owned the car. Upon hearing that the girl he hit the night before in his drunken stupor had discovered his identity, he promptly called me 10 minutes later, apologized, and took care of the $2200 it took to repair my vehicle. I was now hooked on 'sleuthing'.

My first "real job" was as the Internet Researcher in an MRI franchise office in Cincinnati. I took this job back in 2002 and had very little upfront training, so alot of my learning came from getting advice and expertise from the established researchers I was introduced to. Over the next couple of years, I developed a love of finding the 'un-findable' candidates, and figuring out how to get in touch with that person who was impossible to contact. Through the MRI system, we breathed life back into a discussion group that grew to over 500 members - researchers, recruiters, owner/managers, etc. Through this group we shared information and tips on how to be better researchers.

Now, I am the Manager of Internet Research for SearchPath International. I am looking forward to developing a superior team of researchers to assist in the needs of our franchise business owners. Research is an integral part of a successful recruiting office. Tom Johnston, SPI's president and founder, lists four key components to a great recruiting practice: Business Development, Recruiting, Process Management, and Research. One missing of these four leaves a gaping hole in the entire process and each one complements the others.

So here I sit, a research junkie to the core - diving for the first time into the world of blogging. I am excited to see where this leads and how I can help contribute to the recruiting research community!