In Praise of ISA's Job Board
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Tuesday, August 22, 2017 in Business Tips
I knew that the ISA Job Board was a great idea, but didn’t realize I would be able to utilize it so quickly. Like many of you, I am the sole proprietor of an appraisal practice. I consider my practice successful, but yet, there are always moments of feast or famine throughout the year.
This year has been unusual for my business in that every large collection and important client I have ever appraised for has come back with another need. If I did insurance for them several years ago, they now need an estate appraisal, they're donating a work of art, or they need another insurance update. As appraisers, no matter how busy you become, you never want to say "no" to a great returning customer and risk losing them in the future.
When a past client and now a trustee called early this March with a need for an estate appraisal for his father’s very large Western art collection (over 300 works), I panicked. In addition to Assets, a planned surgery right after Assets, my youngest daughter’s destination wedding in Charleston, and several other appraisals in the works, I really didn’t have the time to take on this new assignment….but how could I say no?
I decided to try the ISA Job Board and see what kind of help I could get. After posting for temporary research help, I received applications from six candidates. Out of those six, I found three appraisers who were familiar with Western art and working towards ISA accreditation and therefore needed qualifying hours of experience. None of this help came from the Dallas area and all work was completed remotely online. I have a template I use for appraisal report work descriptions with sections for comparables which I sent to each appraiser. They researched 10 works at a time, completed the template and included appropriate comparables for me to review and determine the final fair market value for the report.
With the help I received through the Job Board, I was able to complete the appraisal project under deadline while relieving my workload and stress. I also got to assist three appraisers who needed work experience in the field. For the next large job that comes my way, I plan on using the Job Board again. It is great to finally have qualified help on a temporary contract basis and the process could not have gone more smoothly.
Don’t just take my word for it. Hear it from another colleague, Wendy Gerdeau, ISA CAPP, of Treasures Estate Concierge Services in California:
“The ISA Job Board has been a fabulous tool for my company. The researchers that applied for part time jobs have turned into full time valued members of the Treasures Estate Concierge Services family. I am looking forward to hiring many more individuals from the ISA Job Board. There is nothing better than ISA members supporting each other, a win-win.”
- Linda Matthews, ISA