Building a Network of Eagle Scouts

[patbutler00]

When I became an Eagle Scout back in May 2012 it was the greatest achievement of my life (I graduated high school the day before). However, up until recently it was something I almost never shared with anyone else. I would occasionally leverage the achievement on a job application or on my resume but it was never something I would lead with publicly.

 

It wasn't until I began my role as a recruiter for my company did I realize how valuable it was to have such a strong achievement under my belt. At the time, I would interview up to 10 people a day and in a 30-60 minute video call and try to understand who they were as a person and if they would truly be a good fit for the position we needed filled. The positions were no small role, each hire was a huge investment. At the moment we chose to onboard someone we would be $10,000 in the hole with nothing but high-hopes that this candidate would have great performance that they would eventually make up for such a large investment. 

 

After a few bad hires I learned how challenging this really was. Discouraged, I reached out to one of my mentors Todd to see how he overcame this problem of learning about people in such a short interview. I said "Hey Todd, how do you determine the quality of someone given such a short time to learn about them? What questions would you ask them?" With no knowledge that I was an Eagle Scout and no hesitation, Todd fired back: "Man just find some Eagle Scouts! Do you have any on your team right now?" I replied: "I think I'm the only one." he said: "Case and point!". 

 

That was my 'ah-ha' moment when I realized that the achievement of Eagle Scout is one that is universally recognized in the professional world. It is a mark of leadership and hard work. Above all, it's an honest indication of strong character which is one of the hardest things to learn about someone in a short interview. Since that realization, I have attracted many Eagle Scouts to my team and that alone has helped me and my company grow significantly. I am here now because I would like to see if more stories like this exist out there and to get to know more Eagle Scouts. My ultimate goal would be to find more Eagle Scouts so that we can organize and work together to achieve a higher level of success together than we could apart, just as I have seen on my team. Thoughts?

Edited October 24, 2017 by patbutler00

[RememberSchiff]

@@patbutler00 welcome to scouter.com

[patbutler00]

@@RememberSchiff Thank you!

[Back Pack]

Even better are references from former employers or people who really know the person. Resumes only say so much and all Eagle Scouts are not the same. References can add a great deal but few people check references with the same diligence they do applicants.

[Hawkwin]

Thoughts?

 

I am not an eagle scout, and I think it is a great idea. Any additional ancillary benefits through networking simply add value to the achievement.

 

I guess I always assumed that there was some sort of "alumni" association of Eagles. If there isn't, someone needs to get on that!

[qwazse]

@@patbutler00, welcome to the forums. And, thanks for your encouragement of those (presumably) young Eagles.

 

True enough Eagle scouts as a class will often get what you are looking for in terms of project-orient work. Same for girls who've earned GS\USA's gold award (or, older women who've earned GS First Class, but chances are more recent credentials will speak for them more reliably).

 

The National Eagle Scout Association (NESA) is the alumni association for Eagles. They would love to hear your testimony. The local chapter might ask you to get involved in mentoring a youth or two.

 

Now, I have honest concerns that NESA has oversold its brand. (E.g., most First-Class scouts make good employees too.) But, that does not diminish the fact that folks who tell me about a young person's admirable traits often don't realize (like I do) that they were scouts who earned an award of distinction or served in a demanding position of responsibility.

[HelpfulTracks]

Even better are references from former employers or people who really know the person. Resumes only say so much and all Eagle Scouts are not the same. References can add a great deal but few people check references with the same diligence they do applicants.

Having been involved in the hiring process for hundreds positions and seen thousands of applicants I would have to disagree. Unless I personally know the reference I have become accustomed to stock answers from HR folk. With the litigious society we live in, most HR groups will do little more than verify employment, along with dates and salary range. Some will verify if an applicant is eligible for rehire. I cannot tell you the last time I had someone (that I didn’t already know) give me real and solid opinions on a candidates strengths and weaknesses. In fact I have had some very good reference conversations that, in hindsight, I believe were the HR person was just doing some CYA.

 

Every Eagle may not be the same, but at least you have some baseline to start from.

Edited October 24, 2017 by HelpfulTracks

[patbutler00]

@@qwazse Thank you for the information! 

[Back Pack]

Having been involved in the hiring process for hundreds positions and seen thousands of applicants I would have to disagree. Unless I personally know the reference I have become accustomed to stock answers from HR folk. With the litigious society we live in, most HR groups will do little more than verify employment, along with dates and salary range. Some will verify if an applicant is eligible for rehire. I cannot tell you the last time I had someone (that I didn’t already know) give me real and solid opinions on a candidates strengths and weaknesses. In fact I have had some very good reference conversations that, in hindsight, I believe were the HR person was just doing some CYA.

Every Eagle may not be the same, but at least you have some baseline to start from.

The only baseline is the title Eagle Scout. The variations on how much of an Eagle they are as numerous as there are units.

[HelpfulTracks]

It is sad you feel that way, because if there is no standard, then the rank of Eagle Scout means nothing.

 

Not every Eagle may be of the same caliber, but I will chose to believe, based on reputation and my personal experience, that Eagle is still a standard of excellence that means something.

[Back Pack]

It is sad you feel that way, because if there is no standard, then the rank of Eagle Scout means nothing.

Not every Eagle may be of the same caliber, but I will chose to believe, based on reputation and my personal experience, that Eagle is still a standard of excellence that means something.

It is not a feeling it is experience. I’ve met guys that were eagles that couldn’t apply simple first aid. I knew guys who never made eagle who knew that much. Eagle is not as standard as you may want to believe. I do think there’s some consistency involved but I’ve met just as many non-eagles who rocked the house as I have Eagles. Just being eagle is no guarantee of quality. Edited October 25, 2017 by Back Pack