Jon W. Ruben – Device and Biotech Sales Director

"The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself."
-Mark Caine
10 / 24 / 11
Jon
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Who Won the Labor Day Challenge & the 50,000 AMEX points?

There were so many people that offered assistance in my job search….too many to name them all.  Unfortunately, there was no single contributor which met the criteria outlined for the contest.  In addition, most individuals declined the reward and/or donated their services.  Humbly, we will be donating the points to Make-a-Wish Foundation. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank a number of vendors, colleagues and friends for their strong contributions. If I miss somebody, please know that I am very grateful for everyone’s assistance and friendship during my job search. The following people have been instrumental over the past few months.

• Jim Webb (one of the best videographers and creative thinkers in the business – www.thewebbworks.com )

• Chris and Angelica Lontok (creative website designer and strategist – www.the-internet-adventure.com )

• Keith Thomas (logo design – rasterize1@gmail.com)

• Bob Canino (job search strategist, www.right.com)

• Elizabeth Danford ( job search strategist – Elizabeth@clinicalstrategist.com)

• Bernie Borges (social media strategy – www.BernieBorges.com )

• Alison Doyle (interview preparation – Job Search Guidebook- www.about.com)

• Angela Medlar (identify and target key internal decision makers, unique videos pre-interview www.enthusem.com )

• Greg Flanagan (executive recruiter – www.emerginghp.com )

• Steve Heuttel (St. Pete Times reporter – sheuttel@tampabay.com)

• Kristen Wright (Fox News reporter – www.myfox.com )

• Friends and Colleagues: David Whitehead, David Owens, Caroline Rhine, Steve Andrzejewski, Dr. Brad Johnson, Dick Kessler, Jody Clarke, Frank Reeves, Dan DeStefano, Tim Sirois, Linda Hertz, Perry Pederson, Mike Homer, Louie Bruno, Tom Piersanti, Curtis Simon, Mike Romano, Andy Woolf, Marlyn Candera, Jason Turoff, Laura Corry, Renvye Battle, Lisa Lemmon, Matt Bintliff, Ken Johnson, David Roy, Freddie Echevarria, Barbara Buening, Linda Markin, Andrea Luker, Becky Mann, Franck Maingonnat, Lynn Osaer, Rajesh Arora, Kiran Bhirangi, Wesleigh Gary, Howard Schargel, Ahmad Broadnax, Alice Lu, Josh Heuchen, Steve Kornacki, Norm Washington, Brigham Whitney, David Duve, Michael Tu, Tim Jones, Carole Ruben, Eric Busser and the hundreds of people that sent leads, called or emailed their support. You are truly amazing people!!

• I would be crazy if I didn’t mention my beautiful wife, Michelle. She continues to be my advisor, strategist, webmaster, press secretary and most importantly… best friend in the world.  She never wavered in her support or her optimism. I am very fortunate to have her in my life.


 

 

7 / 1 / 11
Jon
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6/30/11 – FOX 13: Reward Offered in Search for Elusive Job

Photo from FOW 13 News story 6/30

Ruben is Broadcast Throughout the Tampa Bay Area

The local TV news media has picked up the story again.  The “Labor Day Challenge” was broadcast June 30th, on the 10 o’clock news, with Kristin Wright reporting.

Photo from FOW 13 News story 6/30

TAMPA – Florida has the fourth highest unemployment rate in the nation. It is falling slowly, but at 10.6 percent, there’s still a long way to go.  Jon Ruben in Tampa is among the unemployed. He put in 20 years, then his company was bought and he was out.

“Most of us in senior leadership, we knew that they were purchasing us and that more than likely we would be let go,” Ruben said.

He knows the odds he’s up against, so Ruben came up with “The Labor Day Challenge.” His website www.jwruben.com lays out the rules: the person who helps him find a job by Labor Day gets a reward.

“If somebody brings me a job lead within my industry and it turns into a job acceptance, then I’ll transfer 50,000 American Express to their travel account,” he said.   See the full report here:  Reward offered in search for elusive job: MyFoxTAMPABAY.com

6 / 28 / 11
Jon
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6/28/11 Getting Linked

Stats for LinkedIn since May 25th:

  • 208 new connections (total 712)
  • 770,000 new members in network (total 8,031,200)
  • 487 views of Jon’s profile (3 month total 592)
  • 700 times Jon has appeared in searches (3 month total 1,108)

YouTube video views:

  • 771 views of the “Labor Day Challenge” and “LinkedIn-AMEX Challenge” videos

 

6 / 14 / 11
Jon
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LinkedIn Comment
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6/14/11 Build Your Personal Brand Everyday

Are you building your personal brand everyday?

Your career is a priority.  You should build your personal brand everyday. Personal branding requires a daily commitment.  It should be a priority to build long term relationships. It can make or break your next opportunity.

Bernie Borges featured Ruben’s “Labor Day Challenge” on Career Central.  On LinkedIn he wrote: “Recently, I proactively reached out to Jon Ruben to offer my support for his job search because I was so impressed with his personal branding journey and his creative use of social media. Check out his Labor Day Challenge social media job search incentive program on his LinkedIn page.”

“Build Your Personal Brand Everyday…No Excuses”

jwruben_article
6 / 7 / 11
Jon
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6/7/11 – It’s going viral…..

Here are some of the links that have featured the “Labor Day Challenge” story about the offer to trade AMEX Points for a job lead.

The article was connected to the following sites thru RSS feeds:

 

Tampa Bay Times
6 / 6 / 11
Jon
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6/6/11 Article published in the TBT (Tampa Bay Times)

Photo from St Pete Times article June 4thAnother article about the “Labor Day Challenge” was published in the June 6th edition of the Tampa Bay Times.  There was a teaser on the cover and the story was printed in the Office Section on page 32.  View full article here:  TBT Article: His Pitch: Help me find a job

Alison Doyle
6 / 5 / 11
Jon
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6/5/11 Story is broadcast on About.com

Alison Doyle

The Labor Day Challenge story has been picked up by www.About.com.  It is not too late for you to win the AMEX Points.  Please continue to send me job leads for a Southeast region director role, in the biotech or device worlds.

Photo from St Pete Times article June 4th
6 / 4 / 11
Jon
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6/4/11 Article w/ photo published in the St Pete Times

Photo from St Pete Times article June 4thThe St Pete Times article was published in the June 4th Business Section.  It includes this photo.  The photo was taken by photojournalist Lara Cerri.
To view the article click here:  St Pete Times: Offer: 50,000 AMEX points for a solid job lead

6 / 3 / 11
Jon
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6/3/11 The story hit the St Pete Times online!!

Offer: 50,000 American Express points for a solid job lead

By Steve Huettel, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Jun 03, 2011 06:07 PM

Here’s the deal.

Jon Ruben of Tampa was laid off in a corporate takeover and is seeking a job as a regional sales director in the medical devices or biotech fields.

Provide the winning lead and Jon will give you 50,000 American Express points, which could be worth as much as two domestic coach airline tickets. In a YouTube video on his Linkedin profile page, he’s pitching his ”Labor Day Challenge” to get him back in the work force by the end-of-summer holiday.

The idea generated six solid leads in the first week. A half dozen recruiters offered help.

Ruben, 43, worked for pain medication maker King Pharmaceuticals, managing seven district managers and 65 sales reps across the Southeast. Pfizer closed a deal to buy King for $3.6 billion in February.

Like others in senior leadership, Ruben was laid off and received what he considers a fair severance package. He’s seen it before in the business and has no hard feelings.

But finding a comparable position through conventional means wasn’t working. Most jobs for regional managers in the industry aren’t publicly posted because companies don’t want to deal with a mountain of resumes, says Ruben.

“I wasn’t getting enough looks,” he says. “I needed to improve the quality and volume of leads.’

Ruben was lying in bed one day when the idea to use Linkedin hit. He has more than 600 contacts on the popular business networking site. Each has contacts, who have contacts. And so on.

But how could he get them jazzed to help him? “There has to be some incentive for people outside your network to help,” he says. “Why not deputize millions of people to become your recruiters?

Ruben also wants to enlist two corporate helpers. He asked American Express to donate points to sweeten the reward. He asked Linkedin to feature his pitch on the home page.

An ad sales guy from Linkedin called back and offered to sell him the space, with the price starting at $10,000 plus.

“This (pitch) shows how powerful social media is,” says Ruben.

 

Contact Steve Huettel at huettel@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3384.

6 / 1 / 11
Jon
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6/1/11 Why the “Labor Day Challenge”?

“Have you ever been downsized due to a company merger?  Did you reach out to your network for help in landing a new job?  How did you set yourself apart from the other candidates?  I’m in the same situation.  So, I need your help today and am putting my MONEY where my mouth is.  The “Labor Day Challenge” winner will receive 50k Amex Points.  To date, thanks to you, the “LD Challenge” has generated over 160 profile views, 290 combined video views, 30 new connections & over 100k new contacts in Linkedin.  Please keep sharing my profile page and sending me job leads.”

 

5 / 27 / 11
Jon
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5/27/11 Update

“ Thank you, thank you!  I am humbled and inspired by the responses to the Labor Day Challenge.  No job yet, but making great progress.  In 2 days, there were 50 Linkedin profile views and 20 new connections.  The  ”Labor Day Challenge” and the “Linkedin/Amex Challenge” videos, on YouTube, have been viewed over 200 times.  I have received 150 emails and over 10,000 new people in my network.  If you haven’t seen the videos check out the links on the right.  Also, please share this post with your connections…more views = pressure on Linkedin and Amex to up the ante. ”

 

5 / 26 / 11
Jon
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Video

Video: Challenge to LinkedIn & American Express



5 / 26 / 11
Jon
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Video

Video: The Labor Day Challenge



5 / 25 / 11
Jon
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Updates

6/25/11 – A Challenge is Issued

“Are you ready for the Labor Day challenge?  The winner will receive 50,000 Amex pts.* transferred to their travel account; and the individual that assists the winner will get 25,000 Amex pts.* transferred to their travel account too (*or cash equiv).

How do you win? Find me a position as a Regional or National Sales Director, in the Southeast, within the Biotech or Medical Device industries.  The timeframe is between 5/24 & 9/5.   The person that sends me a lead for an opening, that subsequently turns into an accepted job offer, will be the winner.  LinkedIn claims I have 7,188,896 people in my network…Let’s put them to the test!”

 

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