Monday, July 27, 2009

Disappearing Acts!

Correct me if these facts are wrong:
1) We are in the midst of arguably the worst recession since the Great Depression.
2) Unemployment is the highest we have seen in most of our lifetimes.
3) Available jobs are at a precious premium.

Assuming all of the above are true, I have to ask a very simple question - WHY ON EARTH WOULD A CANDIDATE SKIP AN INTERVIEW WITHOUT THE DECENCY OF CANCELLING????? - This has happened to several of my colleagues in recent days. They have worked terribly hard to find ideal candidates for legitimate job opportunities and scheduled interviews and prepared the candidates appropriately. In some case, the candidates went AWOL, no further contact with the recruiter. For others, it was a matter of oversleeping and not bothering to notify the recruiter or hiring company.

Remember this, no shows stick with you for a very long time. Years down the road, you may look for a job to learn the person you disrespected has moved on to other clients you may desire to work for. The choice is yours.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

ETC.

  • Several smaller employers told me this week they are concerned about the Obama administration's health care reforms as a lot of them fear they will be forced to shut down by the high costs.
  • Doing whatever it takes to put food on the table was taken to new extremes by a candidate I chatted with who has over a decade of I.T. support but has been jobless for many months. To generate some needed living money, he is working as doorman at a hotel in NYC.
  • Perfect matches are getting harder to come by and I think it is time for both hiring managers and candidates to realize some give and take are important!
  • The consensus seems to point toward mid-autumn for some positive movement in the hiring sector.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Two Sales Approaches

Not too long ago, I mentioned I was about to start shopping for a new vehicle. What I experienced today will make me a stronger recruiter and could be applied to anyone in sales of any type, project management, retail management, or even a board level position.

My first stop was at a well publicized dealership whose owner is a former NFL player for a local team who does his own radio commercials. The price sounded worthy of a visit so my "car experts" and I anxiously pulled into the lot and stepped out of the car. Within about 20 seconds, a somewhat friendly young man approached. I told him what I wanted to see and he ushered us indoors where the car mysteriously was no longer in the showroom. Rather than locate the vehicle I wished to see, he wanted to sit down and do paperwork because cars were flying off the lot and the "sale" ended in just 3 hours! When I informed him I just wanted to go on the lot and look at the type of car I was interested in, he pointed to the door and wandered off! Maybe 90 seconds later, a different fellow approached. I told him we had been approached already and he proclaimed that we were lucky a salesman was free and should take advantage. We hopped in our car and headed away as fast as we could!!

The second stop was also a privately owned place but they almost never advertise yet have a solid reputation. As we meandered on the lot, a gentleman approached, introduced himself and said he would check back in about 10 minutes. When he respected our wishes, we took a car for a drive. Upon returning, he gave us a simple formula of how prices are calculated, handed me a business card and recited his schedule for the week.

Many years ago, a rather uncouth recruiter told me I was too much of a gentleman. Those words rang loudly in my head long after his services were no longer needed by the owner of the firm. No matter what you do for a profession and regardless of what a sales trainer may say, listening to your customer's wishes and acting in an ethical manner are still critical to being successful.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Some New Views on the Economy

I just returned from a nice week in Williamsburg, VA with my family. It is still a wonderful place to reconnect with history but the economy has really had an impact down there.

Our first evening, we attended a Capitol Concert (great experience for anyone with any love of classical music). The performer came out of character at the end to chat with the only partially filled room. He made it clear that the staff of Colonial Williamsburg realizes people are carefully spending their money these days and wanted us to know that each and every one of them appreciates the fact we are keeping them employed. He offered to talk individually with guests about economical places to shop, dine, visit, etc. This honest look at the economy was repeated by other staffers during our stay.

Restaurant owners have resorted to putting small signs in there parking lots declaring "Customers Welcome!" Most seemed overstaffed as if they are hoping that a horde of diners will appear from nowhere. Very few had help wanted signs, usually very normal down there in the summer tourist season.

I made a point of reading the classified sections of newspapers from Norfolk, Hampton Roads, and Williamsburg and found them even more sparse than expected. Practically no technical or engineering positions appeared, a few retail, and a handful of low paying healthcare opportunities pretty much were it.

Tour buses seem to have disappeared almost completely. We observed this not only in the Williamsburg region but as we drove along Route 95 and the various belts as well. It was especially apparent at rest areas where I realized that bus parking was about 80% vacant.

Our family planned this trip using all sorts of websites to find low priced packages, collected restaurant coupons and comprised on the level of eateries just a bit. We managed to come in a little under budget while still having a good time. As someone who had not allowed himself a full week away from work in over 2 years, I testify that such a break is needed, can be done economically, and is needed to get our economy back on track!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Prices Dropping?

My old vehicle is finally showing hints of its age and I am casually entering the market for a different car. For the past few weeks, I have been monitoring the used car field but recent articles have indicated that a great many others are doing likewise. Supply and demand is jumping up and causing certified preowned vehicles to carry hefty price tags.

All of a sudden, the supposedly strapped manufacturers who are cutting production, seem to be flooding dealers with 2010 vehicles. Perhaps they produced vehicles without anticipating the closure of numerous dealerships in each region. The remaining 2008 and 2009 new vehicles are incentive laden right now.

Should you be out of work, auto sales might a field to investigate, at least for temporary income.

Friday, July 10, 2009

For Hiring Managers

Perfect matches are the dream of hiring managers. At one time, 20+ years ago, that was much easier to accomplish. As more and more companies use their own proprietary systems and processes, less people have the exact skills many of you are looking for. In addition, with the current slump, many folks have compromised to keep working. Just like many people are purchasing certified used automobiles, companies need to learn the value of getting a seasoned professional with strongly related skill sets who will easily adapt to specific environments. Once organizations adopt such mindsets, open job slots will be filled and unemployment will start to decline!

New Site for Employers and Job Seekers

Check out http://jobcentral.org. The DOL has moved there from America's Job Exchange and it looks like a fairly good place to post your resume, search job openings, and post jobs for free if you are an employer.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Data Warehouse Manager Needed!!

Immediate need for a full time, permanent (not a consultant please!) Data Warehouse Manager with solid skills in implementation and integration using SAP BW / BI for a client in the Albany, NY region.

Resumes should be sent to harold@smartstaff.jobs ASAP!!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Cable TV-Bah Humbug

Have any of you noticed the declining value of cable TV? About 2 years back, one of the big boys that begins with a C (not Cablevision!) bought the little local group and announced major upgrades and terrific deals to combine phone, Internet, and cable. We fell for this and till today, were fairly happy. I went to check out MLB Network for the All Star rosters and got a screen saying I needed to subscribe to this channel (I've received it since its inception). Figuring it was a snafu, I switched to ESPN News and it was gone as were such highly valued choices as The N, Noggin, BBC News, etc which were extras I never viewed.

After an hour with tech support and sales I drew the following conclusions: I never was supposed to receive the Classics package but the filter was off or the package changed effective this coming Tuesday but they pulled the plug sooner or I should have received a letter about the changes or the FCC allows changes with no notice or the sales rep sold me an illegal deal even though I have a contract on their letterhead. Ultimately I was told it will cost $16.95 to regain the lost channels. Our family voted to live with less and only purchase it if we feel deprived later. My apologies to the local advertisers who I will never hear about.

Comments and suggestions would be appreciated!

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Time for Tuneup!

If you are like me and really don't enjoy going to fireworks displays laden with mosquitoes, traffic jams, and noisy crowds, use July 4 to give your resume a once over. Even if you have not had any employment changes this year take a good look at yourself and see if every professional organization or networking group you are part of is listed. Have you recently completed any volunteer projects or been selected for any committees or leadership roles, taken any courses, received new certifications? All of this is important to make your resume fresh and unique. Have fun being honest but creative!

Friday, July 3, 2009

The Right Attitude!!!!

This morning, I stopped by a local pet shop where a very well spoken young man assisted me. During our chat, it came out that he received his BA in Business Administration just this past May and is actively job hunting. He has had a few nibbles and demonstrated a "will do anything to get started" attitude with a ton of positive energy and optimism.

No matter whether you are looking for your first job or trying to recover from an untimely layoff, attitude is critical. This recent graduate reminded me of the importance is being alive, alert, and spirited no matter how bleak things look. Obviously, college grads are facing an uphill battle to find anything to do right now but the cream will rise to the top sooner or later. If I had a job for an inexperience yet eager self starter, I would hire this candidate immediately!!!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Need to Grumble a Little Bit

On an evening where my beloved Philadelphia Phillies dropped out of sole possession of first place, I find it appropriate to mention a phone call I received today. While in the middle of trying to fill a client's rush request, a young man called me and asked why I had not responded to his resume. Though I needed to stay focused on my immediate task, I opened my inbox to look for the resume. The resume came through about a minute later. Calmly (yes, it was painful!), I explained that it is best to wait a minimum of a few hours to ensure the recruiter or hiring manager has enough time to properly review your resume. The candidate did not comprehend that at all and told me he really did not fit the open job at all but I needed to call him with ideas before the end of the day. I hope he does not stay awake all weekend awaiting my call.