Great Opportunity for a Purchasing Manager!

Permanent opportunity for a professional with 8-10 years purchasing of consumer electronics and related goods in a high volume environment and at least 4-6 of those years must be in managing a purchasing department within that industry. Must be able to manage the people and systems needed for the full life cycle procurement process. Candidates must be technically up-to-date with excellent communication and negotiation skills. Prior experience managing the purchasing process in unrelated fields will not be considered at this time. Position is located in the Parsippany NJ area. Please send resumes to harold@smartstaff.jobs or call Harold Levin 908-508-0300, ext. 205.

Why Aren't You Getting Calls?

The following article is a presentation which I recently delivered to a job seekers support group at the National Council of Jewish Women's Center for Women in Livingston, NJ:

If you are frustrated because you send out dozens of resumes each week and rarely receive responses, let alone invitations for interviews, rest assured that you are not alone. In my roles, both as a recruiter and as a career coach, people contact me frequently, concerned because they feel like something is wrong with them or their resume. Before you throw in the towel, something you obviously cannot afford to do, let’s take a look at your efforts and see if we could make things a little bit better!

The first place to look is your resume.
~Do you list a phone number? Is it the number you most frequently use? Is there an answering system attached to it? Do you check this number at least 2-3 times daily for messages? Do you respond to all messages within 12-24 hours?If the answer to any of these questions is ‘No’ there is your initial problem. Potential employers may only call once. If you do not answer the phone live or respond within 24 hours, do not expect them to try again. If you do not have voice mail, set it up now!!! It is very annoying when a candidate relies on caller ID and calls back to a company and says they have no clue who called them or why they called them. There are plenty of others who will respond faster and get the interview intended for you.
~Have you listed an email address on your resume? Again, is it an address that you regularly check and respond to? Is it a professional looking address or something gimmicky like jerseyshoregirl1@aol.com? Having a novelty email address for your social activities is fine but you need something business like for employers to reply to such as jdoe@gmail.com. Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, and most cable providers allow you to set up no cost email addresses and I strongly recommend this.
~How many of you send out more than 75 resumes per month? 50-75?25-50?Less than 25? If you are not sending out at least 25per month, you should not claim that nobody is responding to your resume because nobody is seeing your resume! There are tons of sites to look for easy places to submit such as nj.com, indeed.com, simplyhired.com, tristatejobs.com just to name a handful to consider.
-When you look for places to submit your resume, what criteria do you use to select the jobs you apply for? Do you look only at jobs that fit 100% of your expectations based on your past work history even though it has been some time since you last worked in your chosen field? My suggestion is to apply for a mix of jobs with about 20% being the ones you consider perfect fits, 50% being jobs that you feel qualified to do about half the skills, and 20% for which you know a few of the needed skills plus about 10% just general, part-time employment with minimal special skills required. Avoid applying to full-time jobs that you have absolutely none of the required skills because if something more suitable comes up at the same site later on, the hiring manager might remember you as someone who randomly sent a resume for a job you were not qualified for. However, if your resources have hit rock bottom, you need to apply for any job just to get some positive cash flow. There is nothing wrong with taking a part-time job in a supermarket, drugstore or perhaps as a security guard or school lunch aide if you absolutely need to earn money but want to allow time to continue your job search.

If no one is responding to you, maybe you need to find other ways to search and target a new audience. How many of you are doing some form of networking beyond attending this group’s programs? Are you attending job seeker support groups through local houses of worship, Jewish Vocational Services, Catholic Charities, Professional Services Group of NJ? How many of you regularly visit your local public library and utilize their job search tools? I assume you are all using LinkedIN and have been adding at least 20-25 new contacts per week and have job search agents set up there. Are each of you calling 4-6 people per week who you simply know through one source or another and asking to meet with them to informally discuss your job needs, their current careers, and how they might refer you to someone they know? Do you attend job fairs and/or resource fairs at least once every 4-6 weeks. Does anyone pick up the newspaper and look for articles about new companies moving into the local area, write down the names mentioned, and contact them to see if you could meet to discuss future job opportunities they may have available?

It is terribly simple to get into a rut and say that nobody is responding to your resume but it is a true challenge to put yourself into high gear and find creative ways to identify job opportunities. Job hunting is a full time career and requires the same attention that a full time job deserves from you. Make a schedule consisting of weekly chores and responsibilities unrelated to job search then insert at least 6 hours per day six days a week for your search process and keep to that routine. It is okay, in fact better than okay, to rotate the order you approach your search each day and it is essential to give yourself one day off per week to clear your head.

Very honestly, this might look daunting to some of you. Rest assured, the results will start to become obvious if you stop making excuses and saying no one wants to hire and get out there and make things happen. Job searching is a job but is also a heck of a lot of fun and a great way to learn new things while finding fresh sources of income!!

Customers Always Come First!

While not a very high powered shopper during the traditional gift purchasing season, there are those occasions where I do wander out. In the past 2 days, I had opportunity to visit 2 well known electronics chains, one each in Bridgewater and Hillsborough NJ. While I think it is not proper to name them, I will tell you one salesperson did all he good to give me excellent customer service along with the best buy possible while the other shouted across the store as if he was trapped in a shack listening to a radio.

The positive experience came when I asked questions about a low priced electronic component that certainly would not result in a huge commission. Not only did he answer everything I asked very professionally, this individual found a cart for me to use to carry the item out of the store and explained their extended service contract in such a way that I signed up and will definitely patronize them again.

In contrast, the second person listened to the first 3 or 4 words of my question before cutting me off and saying I was at the wrong type of store. Undaunted (and determined to make him do his job!), I continues with my question. he actually realized they might carry what I needed, craned his neck around the side of the counter without using any other parts of his body, and decided they discontinued the item without checking on the computer.

Whether you sell retail goods, medical devices, insurance, automobiles, or anything else at all, customers have a ton of choices at hand and will go to the places who treat them right. I will not be stunned when sales figures come in after the end of 2011 and certain companies trounce the results of others. If you are a sales professional of any sort looking to success, make sure you remember the oldest rule in the business, the customer ALWAYS comes first!

Contract Job In North Jersey

Must have 2-4 years experience inputting data into royalties reports and / or contracts and be proficient in MS Office with exceptional Excel skills. Prior clerical experience in a law firm or corporate legal department is helpful. Paramus area. 2-3 month project. Resumes to harold@smartstaff.jobs or call Harold Levin at 908-508-0300, ext. 205.

Making Lemonade

From the title of this entry one might think I changed careers from placement and coaching to culinary arts. Not true! My chef skills are limited though I can cook just about anything on a BBQ grill! Through a rather winding path, I will tell a story that ultimately has to do with an individual's career choices.

Everyone needs a diversion from their work routine, some sort of outside activity or interest. One of my sidelines is coordinating high school marching band competitions on weekends. It gets me out among very talented young people, interacting with scores of volunteer parents, and usually, lots of fresh air and exercise. The October snowstorm that overpowered NJ last week casued many schools to cancel, reschedule, or move their shows into indoor facilities. I had the pleasure of working at 3 reconfigured shows in the last several days at North Plainfield, East Brunswick and Hillsborough NJ. All the organizations did a splendid job of regrouping but my focus here is on North Plainfield.

On Sunday morning, October 30, I approached their stadium to see firefighters spraying water onto the turf in a valiant attempt to melt the field and eliminate over 5 inches of heavy snow. The fire chief consulted with the public works crew, school administrators, etc. then informed the band director and me that the effort would not be good enough. Within minutes, the parent organizers had everyone hustling concession food from the field to the school cafeteria, the band director and her staff helped my team reorganize the show to fit the building's capabilities, and the custodial staff quickly got the facility prepared to host about 10 bands with all their equipment and several hundred spectators. Part way through the show, I stopped one of the lead parents and complimented her on how well things had turned out. She looked at me, smiled, and said "we make great lemonade here!" That was absolutely the truth!

You are probably wondering how this relates to a job search. Well, it certainly does! Many folks desperately looking for a job stay close to their comfort zone and unintentionally miss opportunities. Just yesterday, a gentleman called who had been an electronics technician for a company that made x-ray equipment for over 20 years. The company moved to the Philippines leaving him out of work. He had applied to every related service company within an hour of his home to no avail. I asked him how many hospitals he had contacted to see if they hired on-site support to keep their equipment running 24/7. There was a moment of silence before he told me no one had ever suggested that before.

Please look outside the box when job hunting. Be creative and do not give up when a huge stumbling block presents itself. Turn those pesky lemons into lemonade!

Engineering Jobs in Central Jersey!

A well respected engineering firm in Central NJ has asked me to locate several professionals on a contract basis with definite potential for some to convert to permanent in about 6 months. All need knowledge in the construction and build-up of large data centers or other complex infrastructures. Positions open include Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, Architects, AutoCAD Operators, and Project Managers. Please send resumes to me at harold@smartstaff.jobs or hblevin58@gmail.com and please mention you read this blog article. Referrals are welcome as well!

Urgent Staffing Need!

One of my well established clients in the Morristown NJ area needs a Lab Quality Technician with about 2-3 years of strong GMP experience, some ISO knowledge, and hands-on experience with calibration tools, densitometers, micrometers, thermometers, etc. This is FIRST SHIFT, FULL-TIME, paying up to about $42K with comprehensive benefits. Send your resumes to harold@smartstaff.jobs immediately and mention this blog. My goal is to submit candidates on 7/13/11 so do not delay! Please mention this blog in the subject line!!

Open Jobs?

Over the past few weeks, the number of I.T. jobs in the Sunday newspapers seems to have increased but something has me rather puzzled. Why would technology positions be listed that require resume submittals only by snail mail? Shout not there be an email address, web site link, or at least a fax number? Are the multitude of rather similar opportunities, with only mailing addresses listed and concentrated around 3 or 4 locales in Central NJ, for real or is something going on here?

Has anyone sent their resume to any of these ads? Have you received any sort of reply? Please enlighten me as I am more than a tiny bit curious!

Random Thoughts

As I sit here past midnight, unable to sleep, my thoughts turn to some of the random matter keeping my brain fired up way beyond bedtime. My first gem is who in the world would list as their resume objective : Emperor of the universe, master of cheese? Second, the Governor of NJ thinks it is a good idea to house fledgling charter schools (rent free I might add) inside already struggling public schools in the city of Newark. Third, how can the U.S. government not find a way to curb fuel costs before it contributes to a resurgence of the recession and causes more unemployment? Fourth, who among us hard working citizens will be willing to shell out huge dollars to support the greedy players and owners of the NFL in the future? As an aside, I feel terrible about all the staffers of the various teams who are being laid off. Fifth and finally (I think), I wonder how the AT+T purchase of T-Mobile could possibly be allowed considerring the ultimate impact on consumer costs and job losses that it will create.


Oops! One more thought to share: Imagine all the jobs that would open up in sales and marketing if cable television companies were allowed to compete within a territory rather than only fighting with satellite services!

Business Coordinator Opportunity!

Things are a little busy this week and I need to find a Business Coordinator with strong SAP Documentation skills who has worked with customer service, purchase orders, procurement issues, reporting, etc. perferrably in an ISO 9000 environment. The job is located in Union County, NJ, is full-time with benefits and decent salary. Send your resume or referrals to harold@smartstaff.jobs and please refer to this blog posting!

Marching Right Along?????

February showed a little positive energy until the last week or so and splat, we are back into doldrums again. Could it simply be that our economy is still struggling to recover even though certain politicians and media types are calling this period post-recession? Perhaps the unrest in the oil producing countries which has created absurd fuel prices here is at fault (President Obama, time to start pumping some of our huge reserves into the system). Do you think the rather unorthodox governors in states like Wisconsin and NJ are actually stunting the economy? Maybe the impending lockout of players by NFL ownership is at fault. The whole Madoff mess obviously has not been forgotten either.

Whatever the cause is, I would really like to see some level of stability in our employment market and the economy overall. Feel free to share your thoughts at any time!

Dealing With the Unemployment Office

This morning, a gentleman who sounded genuine in his job search efforts, contacted me. He tried to apply for a job I posted online through the NJ state unemployment office (who, by the way, copied my listing from a paid site and made it look like their posting) and was forced to navigate through a series of unneccessary application forms which were not issued by me! Exasperated, he walked out after jotting down my phone number, called me, explained his problem, and sent his resume straight to my email account. Whether or not he secures this job is not the point of this article. The point is, something is exceptionally wrong with the unemployment assistance process in our country and we better get it repaired immediately!

Travel Distance

Not too long ago, I spent almost 3 years commuting from the middle of NJ into Philadelphia each and every day. At first it was not that bad as it was summer time with flowering trees, sun shimmering on the Delaware (not far from where General Washington crossed it), and I was driving with the sun behind me for both ends of the round trip. Winter crept up and made life challenging but I endured 3 winters without missing a single day due to weather. Eventually it wore me down and I was exhausted and took a transfer closer to home.

Recently, candidates have expressed the willingness to travel up to two hours each way to get a decent job. Each time, I relate my past experiences to them and listen for signs that they trully understand the impact it will make on their lifestyles. While I admire and respect those who are literally willing to go the extra mile in their job search, I hesitate to send people unrealistic distances from home. Before saying yes, weigh out all the positives and negatives of your decision.

Candidates Needed!

It is great to be busy and I need your assistance finding some excellent candidates!! Please let me know if you or an acquaintance fit any of the following:

CNC Machinist for the Trenton NJ area with 5-10 years of setup and programming with close tolerances experience and preferably hands-on background with Mazak (or similar) machines. Full time, perm position with excellent benefits & a bonus plan!

Site Remediation Engineers for the Summit,NJ area - mid-level and senior positions. Must know all NJDEP regulations. EIT or P.E. desired. Both are also perm!

Data Support Analyst for the Wayne / Totowa NJ region with excellent SAP and Excel and working knowledge of Supply Chain reporting. Temp-to-perm opportunity.

Please send resumes to harold@smartstaff.jobs, via this blog, or call me at 908-508-0300, ext. 205. When submitting, PLEASE mention this article!!!

May is Ending!?!?

My punctuation in the tile of this entry is not a mistake. On one hand, may has given some signs of encouragement while it also has provided even more reasons to be concerned.

Right now, we seem to have a loose cannon running (ruining?) NJ, a lame duck heading up NY, a question mark at best in PA, and lots of red flags popping up out west. With such instability in key states, and a leadership group in DC that still has not defined itself, I am not surprised that the job market is still in flux.

That being said, May began for me with a flurry of activity. It was followed by a dismal mid-section but ended last week with some longtime clients finally showing signs of staffing needs.

With the market rising and falling rapidly, candidates need to be on their toes at all times. Should you receive a call inquiring about your resume, ANSWER THE MESSAGE IMMEDIATELY!!!!! There is no excuse for taking 36-72 hours to return a simple phone call. Remember that very old saying, if you snooze, you lose!!!!

Puzzling Politics

Whether you reside in the Great (?) Garden State or not, you undoubtedly have heard about Governor Chris Christie's vendetta against public education, where he has stripped over $800 million of state aid while eliminating a special income tax to the state's most wealthy residents.

Beyond everything else that is wrong with the equation, he is eliminating a few hundred thousand jobs at a time when he promised to increase employment in NJ. Not only he is wiping out almost all extra curricular activities and fine arts plus some athletic programs which will put more youth on the streets, he is weakening the economy both forcing displaced teachers and their families to relocate to greener pastures.

Chris Christie will go down in history books as one of the most counterproductive governors in the history of the U.S. If you live in NJ, contact your local representatives to fight him. if you live in another state, protect your territory now and feel free to pass along websites where some of the finest teachers around could apply for jobs!!

Microstation?

I am hunting for Microstation Operators in or near Union County in NJ to fill a contract slot. Knowledge of architecture, piping layout and design, and flow diagrams desired. This client will need people on a very steady yet as-needed basis. Please refer qualified candidates to me! Thanks!!

Engineering Manager Needed!

I have a client in Northern NJ in need of a very hands-on Electrical Engineering Manager (PLCs, BSEE helpful). Please contact me either via this blog or via harold@smartstaff.jobs (refer back to this blog please!) and I will be in touch to discuss the details.

Forum for Women Job Seekers

For all women looking to re-enter the job market who live in driving range of Central NJ:

Jewish Family Service is offering a special Job Seekers Support Group For Women Only. This group is for women looking to return to the work force. This group will be held on Friday, January 29, 2010 from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at 150-A West High Street, Somerville, N.J. During this session the group will have an “Open Job Search Discussion” facilitated by Elise Prezant, Career Counselor, JFS. This group is offered free of charge and is open to the entire community. To register, please contact Elise Prezant at 908-725-7799 or eprezant@JewishFamilySvc.org

If you do contact Elise, please let her know that Harold Levin highly recommended this program!