Not So Sure I Like This

Obviously, GM and Chrysler are a mess right now but so are many of the companies we always counted on to survive eternally. The Obama administration suddenly seems to think they know how to restructure businesses. What qualifies them to take on this endeavor? I am very troubled by a government that tells a U.S. company it has 30 days to work out a deal with Fiat. Also, even though Mr. Wagner has made a mess at GM, is this a precedent we want to establish where governments can oust CEO's. We all need to keep close watch as this develops.

Job Openings by the Truckload!

Well not quite a truckload! A very well known client needs 4 Packaging Engineers in Princeton NJ for contract to perm jobs. Knowledge of high density plastic bottles, spray trigger bottles, or folding cartons needed. Job entails line trials and design modifications. if you are interested, email me at harold@smartstaff.jobs!

Creative Thinking

You spent the past 20 years of your life writing code in COBOL and JCL for a major telecommunications company using all sorts of proprietary protocols and now you are out of work, victim of the economic meltdown. Nobody is biting at your resume because your skills are not very desirable and headhunters keep telling you they have nothing to tell you about. Is it time to throw in the towel and go pump gasoline? Absolutely not!!

Take stock of your whole self. Be creative inyour thought processes. In addition to programming in old languages, you spent the last ten years helping friends pick out new laptops and then loaded them full of software. You spent time about your house of worship teaching the office staff how to work with Windows operating systems. Also, you enjoy dealing with the public and like driving from place to place. Gee-you sound like a candidate for Geek Squad or similar or to work in tech support at your local Staples or just maybe, print some business cards and make a business out of doing the things you like to do. Financial rewards may be a bit slow in coming, but no slower than being unemployed!

Of course, this scenario could easily be adapted to any sort of skill sets. Never give up as every event in life does have a silver lining!

Sleepless in NJ!

I am not usually known as a night owl, but so much is going on in the business world that is distasteful to me right now making sleep a difficult process . Are the recipients of the mega-bonus $$$ at AIG sleeping well? Hopefully, Congress will stick to the plan and impose 90% taxes on all the people who received bonus money based on the federal buyout program.

The banking industry executives who are refusing to support the FDIC better start losing some sleep while worrying about job security. Speaking of sleep, I wonder if it would not be a bad idea to deposit what is left of our savings into shoe boxes in our bedrooms like our ancestors did. A bankrupt FDIC is a very frightening proposition.

Many U.S. Postal Service employees are likely losing sleep pondering their job security. The post office is on the verge of closing some locations, reducing service hours at others, and carrying out severe layoffs. UPS and Fedex may become our postal service of the future by default.

Please feel welcome to share your thoughts here.

Materials Planner Needed!

A client in Bergen County NJ, not far from the NY Thruway, needs an experienced Planner with FDA knowledge, ERP, Oracle, Purchasing, etc. for a 3-6 month project. Please contact me at harold@smartstaff.jobs to apply!

Spring Cleaning!

Finally, Spring is only 3 days away! I am definitely ready after a very chilly period stretching back to early November! The changing of the seasons is a great time to take stock of your resume and freshen it up a little bit. Regardless of your employment status today, you need to be ready at all times just in case opportunity knocks or furloughs tragically become layoffs. Make sure any new skills, tasks, responsibilities, degrees, certifications, etc. are well highlighted. Make sure you are up to date before the umpire yells "play ball!" Please reach out to me should you need some help!

Job Fairs Across the U.S.

I just came across this link on CNN.com. There is an interactive map that identifies job fairs run by Monster and Career Builder from coast to coast for the remainder of 2009. Here is the link:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/03/05/upcoming.job.fairs/

Stimulus?

Stimulus definitely has become part of our everyday vocabulary thanks to the Obama Administration. Exactly what does the term mean to all of us far removed from the governmental hierarchy? I am not sure yet. Just this week, Leafstone/Corestaff, one of the largest providers of on site staffing services to large corporations laid off many of their people in the field. I have heard reports of more 5-10% pay cuts than ever before as well. How all this new money will get into the hands of employers and trickle down to employees is unknown right now. My concern is that most of it will be doled out through state governments and we may never completely feel a positive impact. Please share any stories you have of positive impact from the stimulus effort if you have any.

Watch Out for Unethical Recruiters

Desperate situations sometimes lead to desperate actions which could be criminal like robbing a bank or more white collar like a recruiter unethically representing a candidate. As someone who started working in the staffing industry in the mid 1980's, I am extremely troubled by some of my allegedly professional contemporaries who have the potential to destroy or at least damage your job search process.

Client companies have started asking me for the ages of my candidates. When I reply that this is unethical and unprofessional they tell me stories about other recruiters who fill them in on personal details such as age, marital status, number of children, etc. NEVER reveal any of this to a recruiter and consult with your attorney if you get wind they divulged information that kept you from getting hired!!

Many recruiters are going back to the old trick that they cannot divulge the identity of the hiring company until they see your resume. HOGWASH!! If the recruiter does not have a strong enough bond with their client to assume they will rebuff any attempt to circumvent the relationship, you do not want them representing you. I always reveal the client and get a candidate's permission before submitting a resume. Imagine the result if 3 or 4 agencies submit your name to the same job posting. Remain in charge of your job search and your recruiters!!!!!

Furloughs - Layoff or Vacation?

I am trying to rapidly understand the true impact of furloughs upon benefits, accrued vacation time, time accumulated toward pensions, eligibility for temporary unemployment benefits, etc. The various state and national Department of labor websites appear to be scrambling with this new alternative to outright layoffs. Many commercial sites are popping up that might not be the best source of information. My preliminary advice is to consult an attorney regarding your individual rights in the event an employer imposes a furlough on you.

Hopefully, high profile furloughs such as the one just imposed on non-football employees of the new York jets, will accelerate the information process. Many universities are imposing furloughs now. I will be keeping an eye on this process and using this blog to send out information that i feel will assist you.

ETC.

March certainly hit most of the U.S. in the form of a very large lion this week and now it is time for those needing a new career direction to roar into action (sorry about the weak attempt at humor)!!

• One way to derail your job search is to use a resume like the one I received today. It featured a photo of the candidate busily working at their desk with lots of little graphics all over the place. The name of the candidate and all contact information was placed in a column at a right angle to the text and was in bright orange font.... No further comment needed.
• Another candidate was referred to me recently. Credentials looked excellent but I spent about 15 minutes hearing what was wrong with this person's boss. Hopefully, I only was told this because the referring party told the candidate that I could be trusted not to repeat this information to potential employers. Let's assume the negative details will not be related by the candidate to interviewers. Positive spin is an important part of the interview process.
• The job market is still iffy at best. Clients are posting requirements then pulling them back a few days later. The upside is they are accepting resumes and getting back in the habit of reviewing candidates. This should be the first step toward recovery.
• I am making plans to put together a one-session job search boot camp (for lack of a better title) on a weekend afternoon in the near future somewhere in Central NJ. If you would like details as they develop, drop me a line to hblevin58@gmail.com. My intent is to request a very modest fee and am hoping that the group concept will lead to some great dialogue.
• One of the more entertaining radio news commentators (yes, I still listen to AM radio as much as I can) left us a few days back. Even though I did not exactly agree with much of what he said, i will pay tribute to the late Paul Harvey by closing this entry with the simple message to all of you, "Good day!"

New Link

I just came across a new link for job fairs. It might be worth checking out: www.careershowcase.com/events2.php?view=181