Transfer Your Skills

Quite some time ago I suggested that some of you might want to redirect your careers. It is becoming more and more obvious that the market for traditional computer programmers, financial analysts, research chemists, manufacturing plant managers, banking managers, etc. might never return to where it once was. Does this mean you are out of luck and destined to working minimum wage jobs? I don't think so!

Take some time to look around you paying special attention to jobs that might be able to take advantage of some of your skills. Chat with people in fields that interest you to learn about their backgrounds and those of their colleagues. Find a career coach to sound you out and see if they could help identify some new paths. Wander around your local area and dig deep online. Find something that interests you and figure out how to transfer your own personal skills inventory into that field!

ETC.

~ Fuel prices are on the rise once again and I am finding a reluctance among job seekers to travel more than 20 miles for an opportunity. While I understand the dilemma, candidates need to closely weigh all options.
~ Out of nowhere, permanent jobs are starting to reappear though I am not exactly sure how or why this is taking place.
~ Many employers are getting quirky about hiring individuals who have been unemployed for more than a year. They need to wake up and get a grip on the turmoil we have all endured.
~ Has anyone noticed that the Presidential Primaries are barely a year off and the Republicans like any clear cut front runners?
~ I am curious to see the results of mediation sessions between the NFL's owners and player representatives. The ramifications on our economy if this falls apart will be mind boggling.

Engineering Manager Needed

A manufacturer of custom built industrial equipment has asked me to fin a new manager for them. Candidate needs to have started as an Electrical Engineer in a manufacturing environment and become an expert on PLC's then progressed up the latter to the point of leading the engineering process for several years. The company is small so the ideal candidate will come out of a small setting where they were in charge of everything from staffing to training to ordering materials to design and management. Interested people who live within driving range of the Montclair/Bloomfield NJ area should send their resume to me at harold@smartstaff.jobs or hblevin58@gmail.com This will likely be a contract-to-hire situation!

Anticipation....

Carly Simon and Heinz Ketchup made this song famous a long time ago but I keep hearing it in my head all too often. Currently, I am searching for a contract recruiter for one of my clients which has given me the opportunity to chat with many contemporaries in the last few days. Just about every conversation has migrated to how slow the decision making process has become for even short term positions.

To candidates, all I can say is it takes more time than usual right now to get a job offer. If someone is dragging there feet and another company offers a job, do not delay very long. Call the first company, tell them you have an offer and, if you do not get a quick and firm offer, take the other one before it is gone.

To hiring managers, I understand the hoops you have to go through to get an offer approved but remember that good things do not last forever. Also, even though many people re unemployed, take a realistic look at the pool of candidates you are working with and see if you could afford to lose your top person. Candidates cannot and will not wait forever so do your best to speed up the process.

Contract Recruiter

A major client of mine in Northern NJ is in need of an experienced Recruiter to fill in for 3-4 months who will be responsible for the sourcing of high profile professionals for a variety of positions. Areas to be covered include Finance and Accounting, I.T., Publishing, Sales, etc. Please contact me if you, or someone you know, is interested.

Editorial Comment

I interrupt my normal blogging to deliver the following non-commercial announcement: Please tell your elected officials to fund the continuation of PBS and NPR. Even in desperate times, the need for the great services these services provide is very important. I fear the loss of another segment of our public voice (not to mention thousands of related jobs).

A 'Finesse Recruiter'

finesse-
1.
extreme delicacy or subtlety in action, performance, skill, discrimination, taste, etc.
2.
skill in handling a difficult or highly sensitive situation; adroit and artful management: exceptional diplomatic finesse.
3.
a trick, artifice, or stratagem.
4.
Bridge, Whist . an attempt to win a trick with a card while holding a higher card not in sequence with it, in the hope that the card or cards between will not be played.

Thanks to dictionary.com for the above definition! Why, you must be thinking, does this blog entry begin with a definition? Has the blogger decided to become an English teacher? Is he considering writing a book? Has old age finally caught up with him? The answers are simple: there is a method to my madness; no; no; and not quite yet!

A candidate and I were chatting yesterday about a client of mine that he has tried to penetrate for a job for quite some time with no success. We spoke for a while and both agreed that there is a specific opportunity there that he is a strong fit for but no one has noticed this before. When I offered up my thoughts on how to submit him to the right people, he noted that it would take a recruiter with finesse to get this accomplished and he felt I should represent him.

Whether you are a recruiter, candidate, hiring manager, career coach, etc., it is important to think out of the box and come up with artful and subtle ways to do things differently than others. Early in my recruiting career, I saw many resumes of recent graduates from trade schools. They all looked exactly the same at the top: name, contact info, identical listings of skills learned and job desired. The only difference was in work history which for most of them was very limited. When I became a Career Services Director at a school, my first objective was to eliminate the cookie cutter approach to resume writing and help each student find their own identity. This takes skills, working delicately not to offend each student, some artful creativity, a little strategizing, and a discriminating eye.

Recruiters tend to lean heavily on search engines, using keywords to identify qualified candidates. Like everyone else, I do this too. At times, this is simply not enough. You need to strategize, artfully create new ways to find people, listen to your gut to find different tastes in candidate pools, and create customized search strategies. A few months ago, I was charged with the task of locating a new sales manager for a wholesale food company. The first few candidates I presented were not quite right. the hiring party told me what fields might match up well but searching that way was fruitless. I sat down late one night and thought about brand names of products in the fields he mentioned. Within two hours, I identified and contact three terrific people, one of whom got the job!

Finesse is all about doing things a bit less traditionally than most people do. Next time you are presented with a challenging task, do all the basic methods you know of then dig a little deeper and see if you could stir up the pot!

Job Opportunities!

One of my clients, in Northern New Jersey, has long term contract opportunities for Inventory Analysts (APICS Certified), QC Inspectors (1st article inspection and gauge calibration), Operations Engineers ( BS ME or BS IE), and CNC Machinists. Send me your resume if you wish to apply or feel free to send referrals as well! Many of these jobs have the potential to eventually convert to full time positions if things work out well.

ETC. Plus Some More ETC.!

Since the thoughts of an impending dental appointment in a few hours have me up early, my brain is filled with more items than usual before sunrise this morning. Here is what's on my mind in no particular order:

• The federal government announced we are down to an unemployment rate of 9% but only 30,000 new jobs were created (gosh, that is only 500 per state) last month and they cannot figure out a 0.4% drop if many new jobs did not appear. Perhaps they need to look at how many people no longer are eligible for unemployment benefits or maybe how many jobs remained unfilled for prolonged periods that are now starting to get filled or how many people have taken much lower paying positions just to get back to work!
• Governor Christie in NJ seems hellbent to break up all major labor unions. He is destroying public education (in my opinion) in NJ but even more disturbing is the fact that large, crime ridden cities such as Newark, Jersey City, and Camden have been forced to eliminate up to 50% of their police forces. Does he really think this will somehow stimulate the economy?
• Automotive repair centers are seeing a spike in business due to people attempting to keep their older cars alive longer and from damages and deterioration brought on by this incredibly challenging winter season that the majority of the U.S. is enduring. If you have the proper certifications and experience, go find a job in that field while they last!
• Placements are starting to happen a little bit more frequently and at a bit higher level from what I have experienced of late. Some companies are starting to actually hire full time people for their payroll and the level of jobs open has become a bit more senior. As one client said to me, he hopes this is just not another false start.
• Nobody should consider themselves too old to land a job. Finally, employers are rediscovering the value of hiring someone who has experience (even if not a prefect match), professionalism, and a commitment to do well in their new position!
• On a related thought, never try to hide your age on a resume or dramatically change your appearance to get a job. Go out there just as you are and demonstrate why you will be a great addition to a company!
• A few people have approached me about their adult children who have recently entered the job market for the first time. Right now, my advice is tell them to take any job related to their career goals in any way no matter the pay rate, hours expected of them, title of the job, etc. A start is just that but needs to happen soon than later!
• Retailers are practically giving away merchandise right now so it may be a good time to update your interviewing wardrobe. DO NOT spend a ton of money. Become a creative bargain hunter!
• Finally, if anyone really cares, I pick the "Pack" over the 'Steel Curtain' (I know I am dating myself!) by a score of 16-12 in the Super Bowl.

Have a successful week!

Februrary 1, Some Thoughts

February in the Northeastern U.S. is starting out a lot like January did, cold, snowy, icy, and depressing. Do not let this curtail your search process if you are job hunting! I have several candidates taking advantage of the winter doldrums and they are getting interviews and job offers. Employers appear to be on the verge of filling holes that have remained open for some time and even the stock market is gaining some strength!

Will this sudden flurry of activity continue to grow? I don't have a clue but now is the time to take advantage of some positive energy and get back into the game while it lasts! One employer told me last week that this is the third time he thought things were improving. Perhaps the old phrase that 3 is a charm will prove true for all of us.