Recent Articles

I am so appalled!  I am angry!  I just heard from my friend about the scam some “nice lady” tried to impose upon her.  Fortunately, my friend is not stupid or desperate, and responded to the “nice lady” she had no interest (maybe with different words).

Let’s call my friend Ann (not her real name).  Nice Lady apparently found Ann’s profile on Linkedin.com, which, of course shows where she works for an excellent company, experiencing some changes.  The Nice Lady looked at the connections Ann has and picked one of the names.  Nice Lady called Ann at work to tell her about a “fabulous opportunity.” She told Ann her Linkedin connection suggested her.  Ann said she’d return her call later, after work.  Nice Lady responded by asking her to call on her break, expressing urgency.

Ann feels her job may be insecure, due to the changes she is seeing; therefore, she excitedly returned the call in the afternoon.  For a measly $5000, Nice Lady, whose profile on Linkedin shows she is an author and advertising guru, would include her in the next book she’s writing, thereby helping Ann “brand” herself for her upcoming job search.

Ann’s elation dropped to a new low in disappointment.  Little did that Nice Lady know the difficulties and challenges Ann has recently faced and may face, if her job evaporates soon.  How cruel!

My fervent hope is the Nice Lady finds no one stupid enough to pay her one cent for “branding.”   If anyone approaches you with any story even remotely related to this, tell the individual not to call you or any of your friends.

Whether you are an Analog Engineer, an Administrative Assistant, a CFO, an Accountant or Director of Sales, you may be approached by unsavory individuals.   If you have been scammed or think you might have been approached by a scammer, you can report it to several different agencies.  File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.  Also, you can report the incident via http://www.scamchecker.com/LinkedIn-Scam.  Linkedin.com is understaffed, according to my research with little time to investigate.  But if you’ve actually paid money and think the incident is fraudulent, you can report it to your local police.  Also, you might report the incident to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

I wrote an article awhile ago, titled A $10,000 Resume, which I’ll repost next week to again warn job seekers to be extremely careful.  I know all too well that the world contains unscrupulous individuals, willing to prey on others.  I just don’t see how they can sleep at night!

Something must be done about women! Within the past three weeks, I talked with several professional engineering women about their careers. One long term manager shared with me that she quit a few months ago, despite the economy. When her boss changed her responsibilities to coordinating projects, not people, she realized her career was in a downward spiral. She said that the graying of her hair seemed to diminish her ability to continue upward mobility. Under-utilized and unsatisfied, she left in disgust.

A “30 something” woman, with two young children, a nanny, a traveling husband and a big house payment, was told she must complete a project by a certain date “no matter what” or her job would be in jeopardy. She started this job about six weeks ago and she wants to quit. Her nanny can’t stay all hours of the night and the past week-end left no time with the kids. Where is the fairness? Is this the way to treat anyone, male or female?

Recently another woman queried a friendly former CEO on the plight of women. His response was fascinating. He indicated that most “successful” women (translate that continued upward career mobility and leadership roles) are childless or have just one child. He thinks, when the second baby arrives, the woman is just so exhausted with child care, home responsibilities and guilt that her motivation to succeed wanes and she might decide to stay home, rather than pursue her career.

For 50 years Catalyst, a “think tank” regarding working women, has researched what is happening. Women in the past decade gained ground but appear to be moving backwards right now. You might want to visit their website as their research will astound you. Women held only 7.7% of the jobs in engineering management in 2010, yet they hold 21.1% of the Masters degrees and 16.5% of the PhDs.  So why is this? Has the economy played a role in holding back promotions for females? Have women been laid off in disproportionate numbers? Maybe they’ve decided to start a home based business and will never return. That might  make sense, don’t you think?

What can be done?

1. Treat all employees with as much fairness as possible.
2. Try new ways to allow flexible time for both men and women. They need to see the kids after school games and be at home for dinner most of the time. They can log in later.
3. Try new ways of evaluating. Could your top 10% acquire this level only if they are single, no children and no aged parents in their care?  How could you rectify that and still be fair to the childless workers?
4. Monitor your direct reports for evidence they are providing adequate coaching for those they supervise.
5. Hire, hire, hire! If you’ve have permission to hire, get it done. Your requisition can be closed quite unexpectedly.
6. Don’t look for the perfect candidate. Were you perfect when you were hired? Look for candidates with potential. What have they accomplished in the past? The past is a good predictor of the future.
7. Realize there are NO perfect candidates any more than there are perfect hiring managers…well, maybe you are the exception to that!
8. Prepare, prepare, prepare for interviewing; do not decide to hire in the first five minutes of an interview. Choreograph a good hiring process with careful attention to interview guides and assignment of specific questions to team members.
9. Realize that the introvert may fit better than the loud mouth, braggadocios idiot you hired last time, who lasted less than 60 days.
10. Encourage your children in math, science, the arts and sports, regardless of their sex.

If you manage both men and women, feel free to suggest ways to encourage female engineers to continue their march to success. How can we improve this situation?

Upcoming Professional Association Meeting
Especially for Power Management Engineers

Professional associations are important for your career. Attending conferences not only helps you learn new technology and update your current skills, but also creates the chance to meet new people for future contacts and resources. Next Sunday, March 6-10, the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APECS) takes place in Ft. Worth, Texas at the Ft. Worth Convention Center. Be sure to check the website at http://www.apec-conf.org/ for all the information.

I’m very excited about the event as I’ve been asked to participate on one of the Rap Sessions, titled Jobs and Careers: Are Corporate Hiring and Recruiting Practices Helping or Hurting? Several Senior Recruiters and Engineers will participate in what will be a lively discussion on the good, the bad and the ugly, which we all experience in today’s labor market. This session takes place from 5:00-6:30 p.m. in Room 203A in the Convention center on Tuesday, March 8. You can still register for the whole conference, a day or simply for the vendors and attend this particular session. I am wearing an “iron rain coat” so if anyone throws something at me, I’ll be protected!

The main speakers are bound to provide relevant information to assist you with your career in various ways. Be sure to visit with me, if you attend. You know where to find me!

Regards,
Ruth Glover
President of Career Consultations

The minister’s sermon was titled “When Being Safe Becomes Risky.” We all need to heed those words. The economy is improving. More ads show hiring is increasing. Or is it? How do the words in his sermon apply to hiring and unemployment today?

Hiring

According to an article in USA Today, the unemployment in Texas, which suffered less than many other states, indicated that, “Texas strong economy made it a magnet for job-hunters and the population growth itself is creating more jobs. Strong exports, popularity among relocating companies, stellar credit quality and elevated oil prices all position Texas for above-average growth.”

The tech sector (my recruiting sector) requires very specific skills. Managers often seem unwilling to find time to hire as they are “too busy” to talk with recruiters. They might throw a job description on an email with a huge gap in communicating details to the recruiter. The job description may change rapidly from the time it’s written to actual job offer.

What is the problem? Hiring is like buying a new computer. It must be loaded to work correctly. The same situation arises when a hiring manager wants to fill a vacancy. Two or three years ago, a department manager had to cut three people. Now he or she can hire one person and may pour all the requirements the three departed individuals demonstrated into one opening. “I want A, B, C, D and Q, X, R, Z skills. The individual must have 10 years experience and I won’t take any less. The candidates must have a degree from Stanford, be able to leap tall buildings and put up with my ”management by volume” and never, ever want to leave early or work from home.” No, not everyone is like this but the point, is they are looking for security. The hiring manager may fear making a mistake with this one, precious opening. If the recruiter can find this ethereal individual, the hiring manager may feel secure. But the recruiter will probably fail to find that “walk-on-water” candidate. The position will stay vacant a long time, especially, if the hiring manager or HR professional is too busy for communication.

Hope and Luck Are not a Process, an article by Brad Remillard, is an interesting article which reinforces my thoughts and background. Check the process I use which is on the Employer tab of www.hotcareers.com. It works with a conscientious, communicative team effort.

If the economy is to recover, hiring managers and HR professionals must be realistic in the requirements and communicate effectively. “We’ve always hired this way” is a false sense of security. Do you have security issues?

Part 2 will be posted next week for job and career changers.

If you never had to look for work, you may not understand the emotional roller coaster for the candidates. This week I’ve heard too many negative stories about the quality of the hiring process in the US. Rude, offensive behavior reflects badly on you and your company. Check to be sure you are treating others the way you want to be treated.

Bill Fold sold semiconductor products for large companies for many years. When the economy started its downward spiral, most of his group received the proverbial “pink slips.” Without too much difficulty, Bill took an applications engineer job with a start up. He enjoyed using his BSEE to support the sales people in this new, small company. He loved the camaraderie, the passion and the team work; however, the start up failed. Realizing how much he enjoyed the atmosphere, he took another job with a start up. They “guaranteed” long term funding availability. But alas! It failed, too. Now, at age 52, his resume reflects consulting. After two long term jobs and two short term jobs, plus the huge challenges of selling his contracting services, he is devastating his bank account, as well as his self-esteem. What is he doing wrong? Why hasn’t he landed? Let’s take a hard look.

Bill is very real. He’s a composite of many in job transition. With confidence waning or having disappeared, Bill is trying to make ends meet financially by a self-imposed house arrest. Lacking in funds, he isolates himself on the computer. “I’m using Linkedin a lot to try to network myself into a new opportunity.” Is this working? It did for awhile. Actually, he’s had a number of good interviews in the past couple of years. Bill is articulate and understands selling products but he has not sold himself. Desperation is evident in his face. He’s not sleeping well, drinking a little too much and cannot seem to grasp what he’s doing wrong.

From my point of view, he needs to stay away from recruiters. Hiring managers are telling recruiters more frequently, “Don’t send me someone with too many jobs.” Or, “Don’t send me anyone who is unemployed for more than a year.” If recruiters are to keep their jobs, they find exactly what the customer (hiring manager) requests.

Too often these days I’m hearing how rudely candidates are treated. A VP of Sales on one of Bill’s interviews said, “How could you have lost your job if you increased the bottom line substantially? Is there someone I can call to verify that?” Duh! They closed the whole company as they didn’t get the next round of funding! He’s actually relieved he won’t have to work for that jerk. Of course the VP should confirm the story is true, but being rude to candidates is unacceptable.

What can Bill do at this point? Maybe he needs to put his house up for sale, even if it means losing money. Bankruptcy is far more frequent than it used to be. Bill needs a part or full time job to be with people. Self-imposed house arrest cannot be good for him. Perhaps he can do some volunteer work weekly to create new friends and contacts. And perhaps he needs to try selling another product. Granted, he will have to prepare thoroughly to overcome the objection of you-don’t-have-the right-experience. If he sells something in the electronics world, his 20 plus years of knowledge could help him tremendously.

People do change careers. And since it may take some time to develop and implement a plan, such as moving into the non-profit world or selling items online, career changers supplement their income working at Starbucks or other retail establishments. Re-training dollars may be available through the unemployment services through the state. I know several dog sitters who are very important in my life. I hope they continue dog sitting when they land! Bill still wants to stay in the semiconductor industry but better start planning an alternative career.

If you want to find a job you must: 1) Use contacts. 2) Use the phone. 3) Be with people. 4) Think creatively. 5) Use your time wisely. 6) Implement a plan or two, not a shot gun approach and keep accurate records of your quality contacts.

If you are a candidate, please don’t spend all your time on the computer. You can and will get a job. You must be accountable. Keep track of the number of quality calls you are making, the number of networking events you attend and reward yourself when you’ve met your self-imposed quotas. You will be amazed with your new activity. All job seekers are in sales. Now get in gear. You can do it!

And if you are a hiring manager, please treat candidates like you want to be treated. You may be the next one out the door!

Perhaps your employees are overburdened and you plan to add headcount this quarter. We have a saying in Texas. “Let’s git ‘er done!” Let’s lower the unemployment rate and increase the hiring! The statistics demonstrate the need to move forward.

November 2010 Labor Market for Texas
Presented by TWC Chairman Tom Pauken

Texas employers have added jobs in eight of the last 12 months, setting the pace for the rest of the nation. More than 19,000 jobs were added in Texas for the month of November. That’s a total of 192,100 positions over the past year.

Professional and Business Services increased by 5,600 jobs in November. Leisure and Hospitality employment increased by 4,700 in November in the state of Texas.

Employment in Education and Health Services increased by 4,300 jobs in Texas in November. That’s a total of 47,900 jobs that have been added in this industry in our state since November of 2009. In addition, Financial Activities employment increased by 2,000 jobs in November.

In November, Information employment in Texas increased by 1,700 jobs; Construction added 1,000 jobs; and Mining and Logging grew by 300 positions.

The Texas unemployment rate for November was 8.2 percent. That’s up from 8.1 percent in October. The unemployment rate in our state has ranged from between 8.1 percent and 8.3 percent throughout the year. The slight increase in the unemployment rate for November can be attributed, in part, to the growing Texas labor force which continued to expand for the third consecutive month. It currently is at 12.2 million individuals.

Texas Workforce Commission • (512) 463-8942 • http://www.texasworkforce.org • Equal Opportunity Employer Relay Texas • 1-800-735-2989 (TDD) • 711 (Voice)

Recently at the JOB Group at Custer Road United Methodist Church, six newly employed job seekers shared insight into how they achieved their success. The following potpourri of suggestions demonstrates the divergent ways, leading to their success.

Beginner Tips

1. When you first start looking, do “informational” interviews, rather than trying to replicate your former or current job. Be flexible in your investigative initiative.
2. Attitude is extremely important. Exercise and volunteer work help improve your outlook.
3. Volunteering helps you, as much as others. You make new friends and feel good that you’ve helped someone else.
4. Review your attributes, strengths and work history regularly to reassure yourself you are worthwhile for a new organization.
5. Your references need to be prepared for calls about you.

Resume Tips

6. Look at the requirements in any job description to determine your relevant skills, which would transfer to this job. Customize your resume. Use key words repeatedly in your document.
7. Try a few different resume formats. One size does not fit all. A hybrid resume with key words may be a great way to capture attention, especially if you are changing industries or careers.
8. Be sure to check your contact information for accuracy. Do not put your contact information in a template. Keep it as part of the text; otherwise, it may disappear in some applicant tracking systems.

Resources, HR and Recruiter Tips

9. The phone is your friend!
10. Try to find managers to connect with rather than Human Resources or recruiters. Contact them directly. Use Linkedin.com or other social media to find the right connections. Recruiters must abide by the requirements.
11. You must use all possible resources. The “big boards,” such as Monster and CareerBuilder, provide job opportunities which cannot be ignored; however, you should not use the internet as your sole resource.
12. Let everyone know you are looking. You never, ever know who may have leads for you.
13. If you are reticent to call people on the phone, attend meetings (professional associations, faith based, clubs, etc.) to share leads with others. The operative word is share. The groups are excellent for networking.
14. If an activity is not producing results, drop it!

Other Useful Tips

15. A career/job partner or accountability group can help you reach your goals more quickly.
16. Your will be quicker if you show passion for what you would be doing. Focus. Focus. Focus. Yet be open and flexible regarding helpful suggestions.
17. Thank you notes are important.
18. Reciprocating helpfulness is important. Don’t be rude to anyone, even if you think it is justified.
19. Your job is finding a job; two hours a day is not enough. Ten hours a day is probably impossible for most. When you’ve spent serious hours in search, reward yourself in some way.
20. Prayer or meditation helps.

A special thanks to Roy Hunter who recorded the significant points during the JOB Group presentation, which is the basis for this article. Custer Road UMC provides an accountability group (AAA Group) which meets each Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. The third Tuesday of each month the JOB Group provides Resume Review and Interviewing Tips, in addition to the AAA Group. The church is located at 6601 Custer Road in Plano, Texas. No fee is charged for participation. A Linkedin group is available if you’d like to see announcements.

This week I coordinated a panel of “landers” or people who found work (landed) in the past few months. All but one attended our AAA Group which stands for Advanced Action Accountability and is part of the JOB Group at Custer Road United Methodist Church in Plano, Texas. Four of the six panel members found contract work. One started a full time job and one returned to college.

Summarizing their comments demonstrates the reality of the current job market. I thought you might like to see what they said. I plan to post more of their insights on the various aspects of their journeys over the next few weeks.

SUCCESS STORIES

Garry Wood
“I was an IT Project Manager and was targeting various industries. A recruiter friend of mine referred me to an HR Director in Oil & Gas who desperately needed someone like me. And the fact I didn’t have that industry background was not a problem for that company. I started the contract less than ten days after the referral. O&G was not one of my targets. You never know when or where you’ll find great results. I am enjoying the challenges and fast pace in my new endeavor.”

Sara
“As a Human Resources Director in health care, I knew my company was being sold but the layoff arrived sooner than I expected. I applied online for several jobs and started networking with my contacts. Good fortune happened quickly. I started my new job two weeks after my last day. I found the contract job online, which is allowing both the company and me to see if it’s a fit.”

Tom Brown

“While working in the Telecom field I was also taking courses toward my PhD. I had to stop in 2002 because I was traveling so much with my company I couldn’t complete the research. When I was laid off in 2010, my career coach suggested completing that degree especially if  I wanted to be a consultant or return to work as an individual contributor.

I decided to dedicate one year to complete the degree. It’s not easy to do this but I am challenged and working diligently to finish the program by June.”

Dan Wolfe
“I set a goal to be re-employed within two months after my contract ended. I didn’t make many calls but attended many of the faith based groups in the area. Someone in one of the groups gave me the lead for my current contract position. I am a contractor in the financial analysis area for an outsourcing company. I’m continuing to look for full time work as I don’t know how long this assignment will last.”

Don Hinson
“I actually found the job online and applied. The company told me I was the least qualified of the three candidates they were interviewing. I convinced them my background would be ideal. They called one of my Linkedin references, whom they knew. He verified I was perfect for the job.”

Pam
“I had a tough time with the stress of the situation. My background was in sales and training. I tried several short term jobs but they just weren’t a fit. I managed to get into some training for a health related job through Texas Workforce and met my new boss at our graduation ceremony. The title of my new job is misleading as it appears to be strictly administrative; however I can see the potential for growth with the new organization. This is full time and I’m really excited about the career change. I think my hybrid resume helped, which I learned about through the JOB Group at Custer Rd. UMC.”

SUMMARY

In summary the panelists demonstrated there is no “recipe” for finding a job. You need to apply to many companies directly and online, talk with many people and use resources such as Linkedin and other social media. Prayer and preparation repeated as a theme. Exercise keeps you fit and helps with positive attitude. Volunteering and time management are important.

If you would like additional details about any of these people, contact me and I’ll connect you. And if you are a job seeker who wants to attend the next AAA Group meeting, please join the meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Custer Road United Methodist Church in Plano on Tuesday nights. The next meeting is January 11. Feel free to contact me with questions.

Ho-hum!  Time for setting goals again.  As we reminisce about the passing decade, what accomplishments jump into your mind?  Did you achieve what you wanted in your career?  Are you proud of where you are and what you are doing?  If not, take stock of your realities and begin the year with an action plan.  Ho-hum!

Sound familiar?  Every year the training gurus tell us how to set attainable goals.  The must be SMART, which means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.  True and helpful, but that “realistic” is a killer, isn’t it?  You may want to live on a beach by the end of next week but kids in school, a car payment and house payment may prohibit you from moving to an oceanfront home for a long time, maybe never.

Baby steps are important, which the gurus forgot to mention.  What can you do today to further your goals?  Do you really know what you’d like to do next?  Maybe you love your job but haven’t a clue what you’d do if the place shut down.  Replicating your job is next to impossible.  You might find a job in a similar industry.  Or you might be like a friend of mine, an IT project manager.  He focused on finding another IT project manager or operations job with willingness to look at industries.  Much to his surprise, he has landed a fascinating job in oil and gas with absolutely no background in the industry.  He kept moving in the right direction with a willingness to look at alternatives appearing unexpectedly.  Through networking and someone vouching for him, he’s landed a fascinating job with huge potential for growth.

If you want a succinct article on goal setting, the internet supplies you almost an endless list of worthwhile exposes.  But the best advice remains the action plan.  If your plan simply rattles in your head, you are fooling yourself.  Write down a realistic goal.  My friend’s good fortune was not just luck.  He worked diligently creating contacts which would help him achieve a new job where he could use his talents.

Maybe your goal is not a new job or career.  Maybe you yearn for a new relationship or a new car.  Write it down.  Put action steps to the plan and then work your plan.  One written page of thoughtful introspection is the first step to accomplishing something you’ve thought about for a long time.  Isn’t it time to take move in that direction?  You may be surprised what happens as a result.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

In a recent conversation with a fellow entrepreneur, who also owns a staffing agency, he complained that the predominant openings from his clients allow for few placements. Let’s say the client wants ZXY skill. Stanley-of-the-Staffing-Agency can find candidates with ZYX, but his clients only want contractors. Since the job requires seasoned, experienced workers with a minimum of 5-10 years of engineering work, as well as this new, specialized skill, the client may wait a long time to find the right candidate. The economy often prevents candidates from selling their homes, unless they take half of what they paid for them a few years ago. Although the road to economic recover is better in Texas than many other places, we need real jobs, full time jobs.

Hiring contractors can be the best of both worlds, as the client and candidate can ascertain whether the new job is a fit. But wait! Chuck-the-Candidate will not entertain the thought of leaving a full time job with benefits to arrive on the client’s doorstep, as the reality is contractor benefits are rarely robust and may be non-existent. Health care is a huge issue for most candidates.

Companies who sit on a pile of cash with orders they can’t fill for lack of talent, must realize the need to hire team members full time. Granted, there may be a gaggle of “nomads” who are contractors. But usually they cost as much or more than full time professionals. And loyalty may be a factor. Do you want to train people several times when the contractors leave for higher pay?

Even if the client is willing to hire full time, the offer may take an excessive amount of time, often losing the candidate in the process to a competitor. How many signatures does it take to make an offer? During the holiday season, people often travel and the offer can be delayed a long as a month, if the process is too burdensome. By eliminating roadblocks and having an excellent hiring process, our road to recovery will be faster.

If we want the economy to continue its slow progress, something must be done to increase effective hiring. A total of 39 percent of Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) members surveyed reported some level of confidence in the job market for the final three months of the year: Thirty-three percent said they are somewhat optimistic and six percent are very optimistic. However, that is a sharp decline from SHRM’s third-quarter report, which found that 49 percent of HR professionals were somewhat optimistic about the job market and seven percent were very optimistic, according to Labor Market Data.

If your openings demand top talent, decide to hire now before other companies determine new ways to secure those exceptionally talented people! Feel free to comment on ideas you may have to avoid boulders in our travel to success.