Sometimes, people have silly ideas of a firm and its success through no more information than what seems like tea leaves or gossip.
Have you ever looked at a firm's stock chart for advice? Have you read Marketwatch, Google Finance or Yahoo Finance to geta sense of the stock and how it is doing?
I don't mean is the stock up or down for the day.
I men is the trend of the stock for the past year or two up or down? Have you read any of the business news about the stock or gotten research from your online broker?
This will help you with larger public firms and not with small firms where 85% of all new jobs are created in the US. Yes, 85% of new jobs are created by small business, rather than by the Fortune 500 behemouths you tend to think about.
For them, do Google searches (or use the search engine you prefer) to see if you can find any news about them.
Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com
© 2007 all rights reserved.
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.
To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, or his staffing ezine, “Natural Selection”, or to learn about his VIP program, go to www.jeffaltman.com. Job Search Universe is also available at www.jobsearchuniverse.com To add your firm’s career page to “The Universe” email the url to jobsearchuniverse@gmail.com.
If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at thebiggamehunter@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).
If you have a question that you would like me to answer pertaining to job hunting or hiring, email it to me at: thebiggamehunter@gmail.com
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Blogging: It's Not For Kids Any More
When I started using blogs in August, 2001 (see www.thejobmarketblog.com), blogging was a pretty new idea, Blogger had just been bought by Google and was about to go mainstream.
Blogging as a recruiting tool has arrived with a bang as search professionals and corporate clients use Google and other search tools to locate blogs where the author might represent a possible fit for a job, as they try to get a sense of the person beyond the resume or find a reason to disqualify someone.
So what do you need to know about blogging that will help you with your search?
1. Firms look for confirmation that someone has good writing skills and good oral communications capabilities. Your blog needs to model those qualities, too. If you hastily write about something and show sloppiness, it may come back to haunt you . . . and you may never know it because you may never receive the phone call to interview you.
You see, the web, as we all know, has changed how available information is about someone.
2. Where possible, demonstrate that you are a "go to" person, a subject matter expert or just plain knowledgeable on a subject.
You may have started the blog to talk about life, the universe and everything but, heck, your work is part of the equation, too. If you have just had a technical or professional triumph, reveal it and go into details (without revealing anything that would violate confidentiality). The read what you've written as an outsider would. Would they find this interesting? Ordinary? A triumph?
3. Please don't talk politics.
Blogs are no longer private things and you're blogging to share a part of yourself with the universe. All that can happen as a result of your political rant is that you may offend someone who may not call you.
Recently, while doing a search for a client, I found a blog written by a contender for a role that was homophobic, to say the least (it was him--pictures don't lie). Suffice it to say, I withdrew the person, politely telling the client that I had no question about their professional capability but that I found something of a "personal nature" that caused me to recommend withdrawing the candidate.
After a few seconds that seemed like 10 minutes, they accepted the recommendation.
You may disagree with what I did and that is your prerogative. From my vantage point, that person could have acted in damaging ways that could have create risk to his new firm, a colleague or subordinate where the bias could have exploded.
No, thank you.
Blogging as a recruiting tool has arrived with a bang as search professionals and corporate clients use Google and other search tools to locate blogs where the author might represent a possible fit for a job, as they try to get a sense of the person beyond the resume or find a reason to disqualify someone.
So what do you need to know about blogging that will help you with your search?
1. Firms look for confirmation that someone has good writing skills and good oral communications capabilities. Your blog needs to model those qualities, too. If you hastily write about something and show sloppiness, it may come back to haunt you . . . and you may never know it because you may never receive the phone call to interview you.
You see, the web, as we all know, has changed how available information is about someone.
2. Where possible, demonstrate that you are a "go to" person, a subject matter expert or just plain knowledgeable on a subject.
You may have started the blog to talk about life, the universe and everything but, heck, your work is part of the equation, too. If you have just had a technical or professional triumph, reveal it and go into details (without revealing anything that would violate confidentiality). The read what you've written as an outsider would. Would they find this interesting? Ordinary? A triumph?
3. Please don't talk politics.
Blogs are no longer private things and you're blogging to share a part of yourself with the universe. All that can happen as a result of your political rant is that you may offend someone who may not call you.
Recently, while doing a search for a client, I found a blog written by a contender for a role that was homophobic, to say the least (it was him--pictures don't lie). Suffice it to say, I withdrew the person, politely telling the client that I had no question about their professional capability but that I found something of a "personal nature" that caused me to recommend withdrawing the candidate.
After a few seconds that seemed like 10 minutes, they accepted the recommendation.
You may disagree with what I did and that is your prerogative. From my vantage point, that person could have acted in damaging ways that could have create risk to his new firm, a colleague or subordinate where the bias could have exploded.
No, thank you.
Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com
© 2007 all rights reserved.
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.
To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, or his staffing ezine, “Natural Selection”, or to learn about his VIP program, go to www.jeffaltman.com. Job Search Universe is also available at www.jobsearchuniverse.com To add your firm’s career page to “The Universe” email the url to jobsearchuniverse@gmail.com.
If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at thebiggamehunter@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).
If you have a question that you would like me to answer pertaining to job hunting or hiring, email it to me at:
thebiggamehunter@gmail.com
What's That Old Saying about Lemons and Lemonade?
You made a serious mistake in your life and now you've returned from paying the ultimate price for it. Whether you call it jail or incarceration, you've been to hell and now you want to become an ordinary person with a job again.
What do you do?
One Canadian came up with an idea. In the "Jobs Wanted" area of his paper, he ran an ad:
What do you do?
One Canadian came up with an idea. In the "Jobs Wanted" area of his paper, he ran an ad:
Former Marijuana Smuggler
Can you see where I'm going?
Whether it is from criminal action or professional mistake, there are ways to translate your skills into ways that are useful to someone.
Having successfully completed a ten year sentence, incident-free, for importing 75 tons of marijuana into the United States, I am now seeking a legal and legitimate means to support myself and my family.
Business Experience: Owned and operated a successful fishing business -- multi-vessel, one airplane, one island and processing facility. Simultaneously owned and operated a fleet of tractor-trailer trucks conducting business in the western United States. During this time I also co-owned and participated in the executive level management of 120 people worldwide in a successful pot smuggling venture with revenues in excess of US$100 million annually. I took responsibility for my own actions, and received a ten year sentence in the United States while others walked free for their cooperation.
Attributes: I am an expert in all levels of security; I have extensive computer skills, am personable, outgoing, well-educated, reliable, clean and sober. I have spoken in schools to thousands of kids and parent groups over the past ten years on "the consequences of choice," and received public recognition from the RCMP for community service. I am well-traveled and speak English, French and Spanish. References available from friends, family, the U.S. District Attorney, etc.
Can you see where I'm going?
Whether it is from criminal action or professional mistake, there are ways to translate your skills into ways that are useful to someone.
Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com
© 2007 all rights reserved.
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.
To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, or his staffing ezine, “Natural Selection”, or to learn about his VIP program, go to www.jeffaltman.com. Job Search Universe is also available at www.jobsearchuniverse.com To add your firm’s career page to “The Universe” email the url to jobsearchuniverse@gmail.com.
If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at thebiggamehunter@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).
If you have a question that you would like me to answer pertaining to job hunting or hiring, email it to me at:
thebiggamehunter@gmail.com
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
The Most important Lesson From the Last Recession PLUS 5 More
Last time, the job market started to slow down in March, 2001 and was about to exit recession in August, 2001 when millions of people lost their jobs and struggled for years to find work.
Because the job market collapse was so sudden and so deep, few were prepared for what happened.
That won't be the case with you.
It is pretty apparent that the financial markets in the US are suffering now and that CFO's at corporations will be hard-pressed to authorize much, if any, new hiring in 2008.
Layoffs have been plentiful in manufacturing for several years and, I expect, will broaden to other sectors.
The most important lesson I can give you from the last recession is this:
1. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A FUNCTIONING NETWORK OF RESOURCES IN PLACE IN CASE YOU NEED IT.
Connect with as many people as you can on LinkedIn, MySpace, Facebook, Xing and any other social network site that you can.
2. Exchange personal email addresses and phone numbers with co-workers and former co-workers.
3. Stay in the "good graces" with as many leaders in your organization, former organizations, as you can.
4. Have lunch with someone new and/or different every day.
5. Write your resume.
6. Get involved with a networking group pro actively.
If I am right, the US job market will slow down a lot beginning in the late 3rd quarter with more and more firms suspending new hires.
Don't wait for a crisis to take action.
Because the job market collapse was so sudden and so deep, few were prepared for what happened.
That won't be the case with you.
It is pretty apparent that the financial markets in the US are suffering now and that CFO's at corporations will be hard-pressed to authorize much, if any, new hiring in 2008.
Layoffs have been plentiful in manufacturing for several years and, I expect, will broaden to other sectors.
The most important lesson I can give you from the last recession is this:
1. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A FUNCTIONING NETWORK OF RESOURCES IN PLACE IN CASE YOU NEED IT.
Connect with as many people as you can on LinkedIn, MySpace, Facebook, Xing and any other social network site that you can.
2. Exchange personal email addresses and phone numbers with co-workers and former co-workers.
3. Stay in the "good graces" with as many leaders in your organization, former organizations, as you can.
4. Have lunch with someone new and/or different every day.
5. Write your resume.
6. Get involved with a networking group pro actively.
If I am right, the US job market will slow down a lot beginning in the late 3rd quarter with more and more firms suspending new hires.
Don't wait for a crisis to take action.
Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com
© 2007 all rights reserved.
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a Leader Emeritus of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.
To subscribe to Jeff’s free job search ezine, Head Hunt Your Next Job, or receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com
If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).
Monday, August 13, 2007
Working with a Recruiter: Who to Choose?
I've been a recruiter for more than 35 years and, frankly, few people have more or better experience than I do.
Yet, I am not for everyone, nor am I interested in representing you. My focus is on serving my corporate clients--they pay me, of course, and you don't . . . unless you are in my VIP Program, a service I created to help me help more people and justify taking the time to do so.
Does this mean that I ignore individuals? Of course not. But the fact remains that my interests start off with the fact that I am paid to fill jobs for a living in service to my corporate customers. I don't "place people".
When you evaluate who to work with, I would try to see who has a job that fits what I do? Are they with a firm that seems to have positions for what I do? What is the experience level of the search professional (I am sorry to say that many have been schooled to lie when they answer that question so listen to what they say in order to figure out whether to take their advice with a grain of salt).
Unless you live in country where the norm is to pay the fee, do not pay for service.
A specialist or specialist firm does not guarantee success. Frankly, after spending most of my career as a technology recruiter, several of my clients pushed me into a few other areas, making me more of a generalist with strong technology capabilities. Does that make me "less competent" than a specialist with three years or thirteen years experience? Obviously, not.
If they ask to meet you, ask them what they will be screening for and what they hope to find out about you? Although many years ago, meeting you was designed to give you the "once over" to see how you presented yourself, most experienced recruiters are now capable of discerning what they need in a ten minute phone call. Why be dragged in for a meeting that does little more than seek confirmation that you know how to dress and can string three sentences together?
Yet, I am not for everyone, nor am I interested in representing you. My focus is on serving my corporate clients--they pay me, of course, and you don't . . . unless you are in my VIP Program, a service I created to help me help more people and justify taking the time to do so.
Does this mean that I ignore individuals? Of course not. But the fact remains that my interests start off with the fact that I am paid to fill jobs for a living in service to my corporate customers. I don't "place people".
When you evaluate who to work with, I would try to see who has a job that fits what I do? Are they with a firm that seems to have positions for what I do? What is the experience level of the search professional (I am sorry to say that many have been schooled to lie when they answer that question so listen to what they say in order to figure out whether to take their advice with a grain of salt).
Unless you live in country where the norm is to pay the fee, do not pay for service.
A specialist or specialist firm does not guarantee success. Frankly, after spending most of my career as a technology recruiter, several of my clients pushed me into a few other areas, making me more of a generalist with strong technology capabilities. Does that make me "less competent" than a specialist with three years or thirteen years experience? Obviously, not.
If they ask to meet you, ask them what they will be screening for and what they hope to find out about you? Although many years ago, meeting you was designed to give you the "once over" to see how you presented yourself, most experienced recruiters are now capable of discerning what they need in a ten minute phone call. Why be dragged in for a meeting that does little more than seek confirmation that you know how to dress and can string three sentences together?
Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com
© 2007 all rights reserved.
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a practicing psychotherapist and is a leader emeritus of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues.
To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search job openings, use his free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe. to subscribe Jeff’s free job search ezine, Head Hunt Your Next Job, or to learn more and sign up for his VIP Personal Search Agent service, go to, http://www.jeffaltman.com. To subscribe to Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, Natural Selection Ezine, subscribe at www.naturalselectionezine.com
If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).
References: At Least Do The Minimum
We recently had someone go on three rounds of interviews with a client and he won the battle for the job with a close contender. Our client asked us to check his references.
Here's what happened next.
Of the first four references provided, we received no phone numbers or email addresses. Two no longer worked there; one worked for a firm that did not allow him to provide a reference (he suggested we speak with the consulting agency that provided him to them); one was a divisional executive whose administrative assistant who, after several calls, politely said, "She doesn't remember him).
On to the second set of references and day 3 of the request that they be checked. Four more names provided. Two no longer worked at his firm, one was bank president who did not return calls; I was able to speak with and was very flattering.
On to the third set of references and 5+ days has gone by.
I reached three more people; they were all fairly junior and offered the best of what I had.
Folks, there are two basic points I want to make.
One is obvious--if you plan on using someone as a reference, get personal email addresses and phone numbers for them so you stand a chance of reaching them when you need them and then STAY IN TOUCH WITH THEM.
The other is that the delays in reaching people and being pushed away offers another possible interpretation--theis person was not particularly good and no one wanted to put that on record.
Great references, especially for positions in leadership can put someone over the top in someone's mind or create doubt which may cause an opportunity to fall apart.
Stay in contact with your references. In make all the difference in the world.
Here's what happened next.
Of the first four references provided, we received no phone numbers or email addresses. Two no longer worked there; one worked for a firm that did not allow him to provide a reference (he suggested we speak with the consulting agency that provided him to them); one was a divisional executive whose administrative assistant who, after several calls, politely said, "She doesn't remember him).
On to the second set of references and day 3 of the request that they be checked. Four more names provided. Two no longer worked at his firm, one was bank president who did not return calls; I was able to speak with and was very flattering.
On to the third set of references and 5+ days has gone by.
I reached three more people; they were all fairly junior and offered the best of what I had.
Folks, there are two basic points I want to make.
One is obvious--if you plan on using someone as a reference, get personal email addresses and phone numbers for them so you stand a chance of reaching them when you need them and then STAY IN TOUCH WITH THEM.
The other is that the delays in reaching people and being pushed away offers another possible interpretation--theis person was not particularly good and no one wanted to put that on record.
Great references, especially for positions in leadership can put someone over the top in someone's mind or create doubt which may cause an opportunity to fall apart.
Stay in contact with your references. In make all the difference in the world.
Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com
© 2007 all rights reserved.
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a practicing psychotherapist and was a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues.
To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search job openings, use his free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe. to subscribe Jeff’s free job search ezine, Head Hunt Your Next Job, or to learn more and sign up for his VIP Personal Search Agent service, go to, http://www.jeffaltman.com. To subscribe to Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, Natural Selection Ezine, subscribe at www.naturalselectionezine.com
If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).
Friday, August 03, 2007
The Pre-Employment Credit Check
Given the stories of foreclosures we are reading about in the financial markets these days, I believe that it is important to be aware of whether the firm you are interviewing with does a pre-employment credit check.
From a process standpoint, what will happen is that you will do several interviews, receive an offer of employment, be ready to say yes and discover that the firm administers a background check.
Although part of that check will cover dates of employment, confirming your wages and checking your references, many firms do a credit check, particularly financial institutions.
Trust me that there are few things worse than deciding to take a job after multiple interviews, telling every one of your friends that you've gotten a great offer and then losing the offer because you failed a drug test, background check or credit check.
If your credit is atrocious or if you have had a bankruptcy, find out at the beginning of the interview process whether the adverse credit information will make this job a non-starter.
Otherwise, why bother interviewing with this company if you know that you will be rejected.
From a process standpoint, what will happen is that you will do several interviews, receive an offer of employment, be ready to say yes and discover that the firm administers a background check.
Although part of that check will cover dates of employment, confirming your wages and checking your references, many firms do a credit check, particularly financial institutions.
Trust me that there are few things worse than deciding to take a job after multiple interviews, telling every one of your friends that you've gotten a great offer and then losing the offer because you failed a drug test, background check or credit check.
If your credit is atrocious or if you have had a bankruptcy, find out at the beginning of the interview process whether the adverse credit information will make this job a non-starter.
Otherwise, why bother interviewing with this company if you know that you will be rejected.
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