Will you really “know it when you see it”?: Blog

Will you really “know it when you see it”?

When we meet with a client to discuss a new opening we focus on what a person needs to accomplish in order to be effective in the role. We glean as much objective data as possible so that we have a clear profile. In spite of what a manager asks for in the “ideal” candidate, more often than not they hire based on personal bias. It boils down to the theory of “I’ll know it when I see it”.

In 1924 near Kingston, TX (north of Dallas) a boy was born to a poor sharecropper. When WWII broke out this young man tried to enlist in the Marines. They rejected him on the premise that he was too small. He was 5’5” and weighed 110 pounds. Not to be discouraged he went to the Army and tried to enlist as a Paratrooper. Again he was rejected based on his physical presence, or lack thereof. A classic case of not fitting with someone’s image of what a Marine or Paratrooper was supposed to look like.

Finally he was able to join the regular Army as an infantryman. His Commander thought him too small for combat so he made him a runner. However, he wanted to fight. So after 5 months of non-combat duty he secretly attached himself to a patrol, distinguished himself in combat and earned a promotion to Corporal. He continued to excel in combat and a short time later he was promoted to Sergeant. His accomplishments continued and he was given a battlefield commission of 2^nd Lieutenant. He was wounded on several occasions and spent months in military hospitals, each time returning to the front to fight. He earned a number of combat commendations along the way. Had his military career ended here, it would have been more impressive than most. However, his greatest feat was yet to come.

On a winter morning while on patrol his unit was attacked by a superior force of 6 German tanks and 250 infantrymen. He sent his troops back to safety while he stayed behind to cover their retreat. From the top of a burning German tank he manned a machine gun and single handedly held off the remaining German forces. The attack began to falter. During the battle he was wounded but continued to fight until he ran out of ammunition. At this point he returned to his troops and organized a counter attack in which the enemy was wiped out.

For this selfless action he earned the Medal of Honor and ultimately became America’s most decorated combat soldier ever. He accomplished all this in just 27 months. His story doesn’t end here. Sometime after the war in the early 1950’s he ended up in Hollywood and tried his hand at acting. In spite of his impressive war record and International fame, his physical presence did not “fit the image” of a leading man. He finally caught a break and went on to become a huge box office sensation and even earned a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.