Meet Jim Zasowski of Z1CareerZone in Greenwood Village

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim Zasowski.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jim. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Sometime following the New Year in 2000, I got hit over the head with a sledgehammer! My wife Sheri and I had three young children and I was the head of sales for a very successful diagnostic company called Biosite, Inc., which was based out of San Diego, CA. I was traveling away from home about 80% of the time, and my oldest, Jimmy, was 13 and not getting any younger.

I realized that I was running myself ragged just trying to get time at home to be with the kids and be a part of their lives growing up. Trying to coach the kids’ teams, go to school plays and all the things that happen during the week were just flying by like missed opportunities for me and I couldn’t see myself not doing something to change my situation. Mind you, I loved my job, I loved the people I worked with, loved my responsibilities and all but there was just no way around the travel in my line of work.

I remember this very specifically, as I was on a flight from Seattle back to Denver on a Friday night, January 11th, 2000 when I started to think about my “what” and my “why”. “What” could I do that I enjoyed, that I was good at, that if I traveled, it would be minimal and on my terms. Oh yeah, and something that could pay the bills. But more importantly, I thought about “the why” I wanted to do something. I had to be passionate about what I would do and feel that I was making a difference in people’s lives and the world in which we live.

By the time we touched down that evening in Denver, a light came on. I started thinking about recruiting repeatedly in my mind. I started jotting some things down on paper and before you knew it, I was on to something. It all made sense to me because I had always believed that if you did two things extraordinarily well (when building teams, companies etc.), your chances of success would go through the roof! Now mind you, there are certainly many other things that make great companies and great teams but if you did these two with excellence, your chances of success increased dramatically, and they are…

 1. Define talent and hire it!

 2. Once you have it, keep it!

That’s it… Hire Top Talent and Retain It! Over the prior 12 years, I worked with about every recruiter in our industry and although very nice people, I thought they missed this key concept or better yet, they didn’t have the skills and/or desire to invest the time necessary to expose talent to me over the years when I was a hiring manager. With every recruiter I worked with, I would ask these three questions:

 1. “I am going to provide you with very specific criteria for the position I am hiring for and I would like to know if you are willing to spend whatever time you need to find me, candidates that meet or exceed my criteria, can you do that?” The answer was always a resounding “OF COURSE WE CAN JIM”!

 2. Then I would ask the second question… “OK, there are certain people who are going to thrive in our culture here at Biosite, we are much more of a start-up/small company mentality vs. a Fortune 100 company so I will share with you exactly the type of employees that thrive here and also those who have struggled in our culture. Can you invest the time to interview these candidates and make sure that they are the types of individuals that will thrive here at Biosite?” The answer again was always a resounding “ABSOLUTELY JIM”!

3. My 3rd and final question were… “OK, one last thing and this is absolutely critical… the fact of the matter is that there will be some people that will thrive under my leadership and others that won’t. I will share those specifics with you so you can make sure you present me with only those candidates that will work well under my leadership, can you sift through that as well?” Once again, the answer was “OF COURSE WE CAN JIM”!

Well, say that conversation occurred at 3:00 PM on a Wednesday afternoon and sure enough, what do you think I had delivered to me by 8:00 the next morning?… that’s right, a dozen or so resumes. Of course, this wasn’t just one time; it was pretty much every time with every recruiter that I had used over those 12 years I was in a hiring capacity. As you can assume, none of the candidates were screened for my criteria or interviewed to make sure they would thrive in our culture and more importantly, thrive under my leadership!

I just knew there was a better way and based on that alone, I resigned from my role at Biosite and started up Z1 Solutions, Inc. on March 17th, 2000! Over the years since, we have successfully placed over 3500 candidates in jobs that have literally changed their lives in more ways than I ever could have imagined. In addition, we have been a key partner in changing the face and sometimes even the culture of our clients in significant ways over the years. Why… because we believe in the impact a career change or a great hire can make to an individual and to an organization!

 So, after 17+ years in recruiting, what have I learned?

 1. I completely understand why people get the jobs they want and why others do not!

 2. I understand that a very high percentage of people working are not happy and have not been happy in their jobs/careers for a very long time.

 3. I also understand that there is a reason why some people have thrived in their careers and others have not and…

 4. I completely understand the negative impact a bad job (or no job) or what a bad hire can have on an individual (lack of self-confidence/depression), a family (broken relationships/divorce), friendships (dissolved) and employers (negative attitudes, productivity losses, etc.). We have seen individuals who have been out of work for over a year, under-employed or working multiple jobs just to make ends meet. I have witnessed recent grads from college living at home for multiple years because they can’t find a job in their given field of study, so they take anything just to be working. I have seen way too many individuals’ confidence shattered and way too many families affected negatively to just sit back and not do anything about it!

 5. Conversely, I have seen first-hand the positive impact a great hire can have for an individual that is in the right company and equally important, in the right position at that company. The positive impact this has on individuals, families, relationships and the employer themselves is both dramatic and life-changing in every instance!

For these reasons specifically, we have decided to dedicate multiple resources and 100% of my time to the job seeker side of the equation.

 If you are:

 • Currently unemployed

 • Currently under-employed

 • Looking to change careers or jobs

 • Or you are currently in college or a recent graduate trying to gain employment in your first job in your given field of study.

I am 100% sure that we can make a positive and significant impact on you and your life! Our goal is very simple: to leverage our knowledge, experiences and proven techniques to teach you, empower you and inspire you to attain the “career” you deserve and start the next chapter in “your” personal story!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
A startup is never smooth. Here are a few:

– Unanticipated technology challenges and needs

– Costs exceeding budget

– Not meeting time deadlines on key projects

– Creating everything from scratch

– Time to finalize the right vendors/vendor partners

– Scaling challenges

Please tell us about Z1CareerZone. What should we know?
Our Mission. The Z1CareerZone mission is to change lives one career at a time. Z1CareerZone will help our clients realize their greatest potential and use their unique talents and attributes to secure the career they deserve and love.

 Z1CareerZone exists to share a comprehensive proven system to our exceptional clients “that want” a differential advantage in the job search arena vs. their peer group. We exist to not only impact our clients through our initial engagement but also for many years throughout their careers. We exist to change peoples’ lives so they can put their mark in our world! Most important of all, we exist to help our clients not only find the “what” in their lives and careers, but to be able to answer the most important question of all, the “why”!

 How do we do this?

 ● Z1CareerZone works with selected clients and organizations by providing them a complete turn-key group program to include; on-line training modules, facilitator training. Full curriculum and all support materials.

 ● Z1CareerZone also offers one on one training with selected clients who want the benefit of working directly with a certified coach.

 ● Z1CareerZone leverages our team’s 590+ years of relevant industry knowledge, experiences and proven techniques to teach, empower and inspire our clients to attain the career they deserve and start the next chapter in their personal story!

 ● We provide a comprehensive proven system to our clients which provides them with a differential advantage in the job search arena vs. their peer group.

 ● We provide our clients with the choice of working with our experienced certified facilitators (for our group training program) or with our outstanding certified coaches (for our more personal one on one training).

Our Values (Pillars):

Work hard, treat people right, be different, give back! All laid on a foundation of authenticity!

What’s the problem:

 • Gallup, Forbes magazine and others estimate that 71% of all people in the U.S. that are working in professional jobs are either disengaged or don’t like their jobs.

 • A Gallup article released on January 24th, 2019 stated that only 13 percent of employees are “engaged” in their jobs. 63% are “not engaged” – or simply unmotivated while another 24% are “actively disengaged” or truly unhappy and unproductive.

 • According to the Wall Street Journal, about 284,000 Americans with college degrees were working minimum wage jobs last year. That’s 70% more than 10 years ago.

 • According to a 2018 survey by a top executive recruiting firm, the #1 reason employees leave a company in less than 1 year is because of a bad culture fit.

 • The Center for College Affordability and Productivity reported that in 2018, 47% of college graduates were working in jobs that didn’t require a bachelor’s degree and 30% had jobs that didn’t require a high school diploma.

 • According to an article published in the Washington Post, only 27% of college graduates secure a professional job (a position requiring a 4-year undergraduate degree) within the first year of graduation.

 • Career advice received today is mostly outdated, completely wrong or fails to help one differentiate themselves.

 • Most people just don’t know what they don’t know.

 Our Unique Value Proposition:

 ● Our founder’s experience and track record gained over 18 years running one of the top 4 Executive Recruiting Firms in the U.S. (as voted by the National Association of Personnel Services, 2010). Z1 Solutions, Inc. placed over 3900+ professionals into new jobs and worked with over 1000 hiring managers during this time. We know exactly why people get hired and why others don’t!

 ● An Advisory Board made up of proven leaders experienced in key functional areas of the business.

 ● Proven track record of hiring and retaining top talent into prior organizations and again here at Z1CareerZone.

 ● The most comprehensive and impactful online career coaching program available today.

 ● Cutting edge technology and tools available to our clients, facilitators and coaches.

 ● Ongoing support, training and continuing education.

 ● Pricing and program options that are affordable for anyone.

The Markets We Serve – Online and Professional Coach:

• Recent graduates from college (from graduation date through their mid to late 20’s): Only 27% of all college graduates are professionally employed within 12 months of graduation so you can imagine the number of people who are either unemployed or underemployed. These individuals are totally frustrated and losing confidence in what to do as each month goes by.

• College undergraduates: Those individuals in currently enrolled in college who want to better understand what careers would be available to them based on their major and their interests. These individuals also want to be able to develop a specific career plan and be able to outperform their competition in the interview process to gain the positions they most desire and where they can thrive.

• Professionals in Transition: 71% of all people working are either unhappy or disengaged in their jobs/careers and thousands feel stuck and they are just showing up to work to pick up a paycheck. They are not using their strengths, gifts they’ve been given, or talents and they too need a ton of help and a confidence boost.

• Re-Entry (Women): This could be women who have left their corporate jobs to stay home and raise the kids and then 10-15 years later want to re-enter the workforce because they want to or worse yet because they must in way too many cases of divorce. These women are scared and quite honestly have very little confidence on how to get back into work that is meaningful and fulfilling.

• Re-Entry (Veterans): Those veterans who are re-entering the civilian world from the military. Nearly all of them get minimal advice on how to navigate that transition and as a result, they struggle to get jobs where they can thrive and use their strengths.

The Markets We Serve – Online and Certified Facilitators:

• Colleges/Universities: Offered as a class for undergraduates or a class for the thousands of alumni within their respective associations.

• Greek Organizations: Both sorority and fraternity international Headquarters. Like colleges, Greek organizations are looking for ways to bring great value to their alumni, and undergraduates. Additionally, our program offers unique opportunities for increased alumni engagement and mentoring opportunities.

• Military: For those transitioning into civilian life.

• Corporations: For outplacement services.

• Individuals: Through Z1CareerZone certified instructors/facilitators.

• Others: Churches, Private High Schools, etc.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Mentors/Advocates: My advisory board made up of five of the most incredible individuals that I know all offering different advice in their particular areas of expertise. 

Vendor Partners: Several vendor partners have been instrumental in us launching and having the most professional/comprehensive career training program available today.

Elizabeth Sanders: My right and left-hand person here at Z1CareerZone.

My family (immediate and extended): the biggest cheerleaders and encouragers anyone could ask for.

Multiple friends: always checking in and offering any help, assistance or prayer that they can offer.

Boys Hope Girls Hope of Colorado: Our philanthropy and an incredible organization that is impacting young men and women in incredible ways. We are blessed to be part of their mission.

Pricing:

• Premium Program: List price $4995 This is our 12-module online curriculum coupled with a professional coach. This is high touch / high accountability.
• On-Demand Program: List price $995 This is our 12-module online curriculum coupled with our 13 On-Demand classes. High flexibility and self accountability.
• Hourly Coaching Rates: $150 per hour.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.z1careerzone.com
• Email: info@z1careerzone.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/z1careerzone/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/z1careerzone/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/z1careerzone?lang=en

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