EdgeLink Blog

EdgeLink celebrates 5 years

EdgeLink — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:22:53 -0500

On April 3, 2008 we had a VERY successful Open House event at our EdgeLink office to celebrate EdgeLink’s 5th Anniversary and to say thank you to our clients and consultants.

We enjoyed:
· savory food
· amazing music
· a fun game and prizes
· great conversation with everyone!

Thank you to all who attended and we miss those of you who were not able to make it. Look for additional EdgeLink events in the future.

Here are some pictures from the event …

We're #3!!!

EdgeLink — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:19:42 -0600

Oregon Business Magazine’s annual awards ceremony for, “100 Best Companies” was held on Tuesday, February 26th. We are very pleased to announce that EdgeLink received the honor of being #3 best small company in Oregon to work for! Thank you to all the outstanding talent who make EdgeLink a great place to work and to all our clients who make this venture so rewarding!

EdgeLink 2008 Kick-Off

EdgeLink — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:47:46 -0600

Last week we held our annual kickoff meeting at Big Al’s in Vancouver, WA and it was unlike any bowling alley we’ve experienced. Check it out http://www.ilovebigals.com/

It has everything you could ever want in entertainment, such as bowling, billiards, arcade; flat panel TV’s everywhere, and a great sports venue. The first half of our day was spent discussing our past successful year and vision/goals for 2008.

This is also a great day of team building (see pictures) as we played EdgeLink style “Family Feud”.

Later we dressed up into costumes and competed in the bowling lanes. Prizes were given to best overall theme, as well as individual and team scores!

When push comes to shove I guess you could say we are a bunch of crazy individuals! Here’s to a successful 2008!

Dos and Don’ts of face to face interviewing.

EdgeLink — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:13:28 -0500

Here are a few “common sense” tips I give most people that apply to most interviews (regardless of the level of the position):
1. The most asked question by interviewers is "Tell me about yourself and your background". Your answer to this question should be well thought out. You know it’s coming, so be prepared.
2. Be honest; don’t just say what you think the interviewers want you to say.
3. Be direct. Don’t ramble. If you get off track, bring yourself back to the “specific question” that was asked. If you talk too much, the interview will want to get rid of you as soon as possible. However If your answers are too brief, you may leave your interviewer unsatisfied and/or irritated. Find the balance.
4. Don’t take a trip to “negative town” when discussing your reasons for making a job change. If you start bashing your current employer, the executive management decisions, your immediate manager and the work culture, people might think you had something to do with it! Instead, simply focus on the areas that YOU can control, such as your areas of growth, career path and goals this is always safe territory.
5. Good eye contact is essential. Look your interviewer in the eye, especially when THEY are talking – but don’t stare.
6. Show your passion/energy/drive by explaining WHY this is the career path you have chosen.
7. Prepare a list of questions that specifically apply to the person/company you’re meeting with (its okay to ask the same questions to different people – to ensure continuity).
8. When you sense the interview is winding down, let them know you’re confident you can do the job – and you want the job.
9. Collect their business card – so you can send a thank-you note.
10. Have fun and smile.! :)

Outstanding Contractor - Q2 2007!

EdgeLink — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 11:55:29 -0500

We are proud to announce Brian Kragerud as our Star Contractor for the quarter. Brian has been a star since we started working together 2 years ago here at EdgeLink. He shares our values of integrity, impeccable work ethic and is an overall enjoyable person. Thank you Brian!

The results are in!

EdgeLink — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 18:01:13 -0500

On June 21, 2007 the Portland Business Journal held its annual “100 Fastest-Growing Private Companies” award ceremony at the Portland Art Museum. EdgeLink was honored as #47 on the list at this year’s even. We would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has helped, supported and partnered with us over the years. Thank you!

EdgeLink Among 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies!

EdgeLink — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 11:41:06 -0500

The Portland Business Journal has announced EdgeLink as one of the 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies in Oregon. Where do we rank exactly? That answer will be revealed at the awards ceremony on June 21. Stay tuned!

Outstanding Contractor - Q1 2007

EdgeLink — Wed, 02 May 2007 09:11:55 -0500

EdgeLink’s mission is simple: “We’re in the business to positively impact the lives of the people and companies we touch.” These words ring through the EdgeLink culture. Our way of life is to stay positive with our professional and personal endeavors. We look to emanate this attitude and spread it throughout our daily routine. There are many amazing people we meet on a daily basis. But we would like to recognize one specific EdgeLink contractor who has proven to be an amazing employee and person.

On behalf of the EdgeLink staff, we would like to announce that Tricia Lewis has been selected to be Employee of the Quarter. Congratulations Tricia! She was selected from all of the contractors currently working an assignment with EdgeLink. Her positive attitude, work, efforts, and loyalty are truly appreciated. Please know that we consider every contractor as a vital part of our success, and want to say “THANK YOU” for everyone’s efforts and hard work. But Tricia has stood out with her performance on her last two contracts, her commitment to excel, and her positive perspective towards life.

THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS TRICIA!!!

Generic Computer Error

EdgeLink — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 19:24:17 -0500

The Name Game

EdgeLink — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 18:38:33 -0500

Do you ever run into people that you know, but can’t remember their names?
It happens to me all the time. Here are some tips that might help you next time you are out and run into “Whatsherface” or “Whatshisname”.

The first time you meet someone, be genuinely interested. If you miss the name the first time they say it, ask them to repeat it, they won’t mind. Then verify it by repeating it “Sue, so nice to meet you”. Picture their name written on their forehead or do a word association to what they look like. Sue is wearing a Blue sweater. Or you can picture writing their name out “S U E”. The most important thing is to at least use their name once during your conversation and then once again when you part, “Nice to have met you Sue”.

This all comes back around to you if you run into “Sue” again somewhere else, you will be able to remember her name. If you still are challenged by remembering her name you have two options:
1) Look delighted to see the person, say “Hey, how are you?” and then ask a friend later “what was her name?” or….
2) (with the same warmth) “Good to see you again, but I am drawing a blank on your name, I’m sorry” It is better to be honest with someone and people will appreciate it more if you just ask. And hopefully you will remember her name for next time.

All said and done, the best way to remember is Repetition, Repetition, Repetition…….

Juli Waterman

Interview Bloopers – We Love Them!

EdgeLink — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 12:35:50 -0600

Granted, we want every candidate to knock the socks off of the potential employer we present them to. Reality is that’s not always going to happen. We’ve all had funny or embarrassing experiences out on interviews and at times it’s just good to sit back and have a good chuckle at ourselves.

I’ll start with one of mine.
Quite a few years back, before I got into staffing, a friend of mine encouraged me to apply for a position at a wireless company who she had been working for, for years. I did my research, knew everything about the company and had the job requirements down. Nothing could stop me!

The first half of the day, I was interviewing in front of a panel of potential colleagues and presenting for a group of sales managers. It wasn’t until I took a quick break before lunch that I noticed the worst tragedy possible. (At least it felt that bad to me) Yep, my fly was down. HOW COULD I NOT KNOW?!?!?!?! I finished the day with some really pink cheeks and took what was left of my pride home.

I was convinced, there was no possible way those six people would decide to hire the yahoo that doesn’t notice something like that! All of that and I sabotage it with a zipper! I knew I would hear about this one for years from my friend who already worked there. I was doomed.

So, like many other “tragedies” in life, this one wasn’t that bad. I did get the job and later laughed with my co-workers about “the best interview in history.” None of us are perfect, definitely not when we’re put on the spot in front of a bunch of strangers.

Don’t be so hard on yourself if things don’t go as planned. Check out some of these bloopers, how does yours compare?

http://icc.csun.edu/interviewMistakesAndScrew-ups.html

Humbly,

Melissa Bielagus
Account Manager

Was Your New Year’s Resolution to Find a New Job?

EdgeLink — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 11:24:44 -0600

How are you doing on finding that next great job or assignment? An article in the Journal of Clinical Psychology shows how many of us keep our New Year’s Resolutions and for how long. The survey reveals a decreasing percentage of people who keep their New Year’s resolutions as time goes on:
- past the first week: 75%
- past 2 weeks: 71%
- after one month: 64%
- after 6 months: 46%

How can you better the odds and not be discouraged by those statistics? Take some or better yet all of the steps below and increase your odds of achieving a new job in 2007.

• Take action today! Even if the action is a little step of updating your resume or making a networking call to a recruiter.
• Take time! While taking action today is key, remember changing jobs takes time, just as for most of us our first date ever was not with the person we would marry, so the first job interview/offer may not be the “one”.
• Look at your passions! List what you love in your current job, what you are good at, and seek a job with those ingredients.
• Talk to people. Talk with family and friends about your passions and desire to change jobs. Talk with the recruiter that calls or call them (use them as advisors like a doctor or lawyer). Call professors or colleagues you took classes with in the past. There are great sources for information and connections.
• Seek ways to enhance your skills! Take a part-time job or consulting job where you can develop new skills, volunteer for a non-profit where you can gain experience or take a class at the College or University in town.

I feel blessed to work for EdgeLink which is the best place and job I have ever worked. I am using my skills and passions, and I found this job through networking after leaving a “bad fit” job. There is hope for a great job and there are great places to work.

Here is to wishing you the best year yet, and may you find an amazingly fun job in 2007.

Resources and References:

How happy are you at work? Take a short quiz at the following site:
http://www.fabjob.com/tips213.html

Auld Lang Syne: Success predictors, change processes, and self-reported outcomes of New Year's resolvers and nonresolvers, by John C. Norcross, Marci S. Mrykalo, Matthew D. Blagys , University of Scranton. Journal of Clinical Psychology, Volume 58, Issue 4 (2002).

EdgeLink nominated for 100 Best Companies in Oregon!

EdgeLink — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 12:09:57 -0600

We are please to announce that EdgeLink has been nominated as one of the Best Places to Work in Oregon!

We received the announcement from Oregon Business Magazine late in December. Actual rankings will be announced at the awards banquet, Thursday, March 1, 2007.

Stay tuned!

At the end of the day...

EdgeLink — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 06:00:55 -0600

TYPICALLY candidates don’t make job changes because of the all-mighty dollar. More often, their decision is based on fundamental values such as the need to feel wanted, the amount of career growth, and how their work makes them feel “outside of work”. Are you personally satisfied with what you do? Do you go home with a sense of accomplishment and excitement to attack the days ahead? We all have personal motivating factors. Only YOU know the true answers to what motivates you and at the end of the day…if you’re not inspired to obtain your goals in your current position (due to the above factors) then most likely you’ll be calling us. Let’s not confuse this with the “grass is always greener” complex either. It is very important for everyone to feel a sense of accomplishment and if you're not, perhaps you’re not in the right role.

Jeff Miller

Happy 50th Birthday, Hard Drive!

EdgeLink — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:10:08 -0500

The hard drive has become an important part of our modern computing lives. We see them in our PCs, MP3 players, and the new generation of flash drives fit in our pockets as easy as a pack of gum.

The very first hard drive was introduced by IBM on September 13, 1956. Dubbed the RAMAC 305 (Random Access Method of Accounting and Control) it was about the size of two refrigerators, and was made up of fifty 24 inch platters which stored a grand total of about 5 megabytes. At a cost of over $10,000 per megabyte, it wouldn’t exactly be the ideal home computer!

To put that in perspective, a single 1” drive found in today’s MP3 players can hold more 100 times the memory at pennies per megabyte! Happy Birthday Hard Drive! You’ve come a long, long way!

Everyone Needs a Good Recruiter

EdgeLink — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 18:30:34 -0500

We receive frequent inquires regarding what services a recruiting agency provides. While there is no shortage of recruiting services out there, the question is, what are you looking for in a professional recruiter? Having a GOOD, professional recruiter or career consultant is as important as having a good dentist, mechanic, mortgage broker or plumber. Whether you are actively searching for a new career opportunity or perfectly happy with you current job for the time being, everyone can benefit from having a relationship with a professional recruiter…and here’s how you can too!

1. Set limits: Unless you’re considering a career search in multiple cities or nationally, you’ll find far more value in working with just a few strong recruiters. Build a relationship with no more than 2 or 3 recruiters or agencies that are reputable and understand your marketplace. Having 15 recruiters shooting your resume all over town will result in a total loss of control of your job search and can be very damaging to your reputation.

2. Communicate: A good recruiter will be committed to keeping in touch with you on a regular basis, whether you are actively looking for a new opportunity or not. Remember that is a two way street! Be sure your recruiter has the latest version of your resume. Even if you’re not actively looking, it’s still important to touch base several times a year. Be sure to keep them informed of any changes in your life and/or career desires. Showing that you take your career advancement seriously, will guarantee that you will be one of the first to hear about any hot opportunities that come up.

3. Invest some time: You should spend a fair amount of time upfront discussing your background, experience and career goals with your recruiter. Be sure they know what’s important to you. Is it money, location, career advancement, learning new skills or all of the above? If they are only interested in your past experience and fail to ask you or listen to you about your career game plan… find another recruiter.

4. Be honest: If you’re really just “kicking tires”, wondering if you’re being underpaid, think that an offer from another company will force your current employer to give you a raise, think twice… a professional recruiter understands the value of building a relationship for the future. They’ll be happy to answer your questions but don’t mislead them. Your reputation is your life line and rebuilding it could take years.

5. Ask questions: It’s fair to ask a recruiter about their expertise and how long they’ve been in the business. There are obvious benefits to working with a seasoned recruiter, however don’t jump ship too soon on your new recruiter. Keep in mind that everyone has to start somewhere and in many cases a new recruiter will work very hard for their clients and usually don’t give up easily.

6. Be flexible: Understand that if you want to pick up some skills that are not part of your expertise, you might have to adjust your compensation goals to have the opportunity to add those skills to your portfolio.

7. Have realistic expectations: There are no guarantees in life. Consider your career consultant as another resource for you but not a guarantee that they’ll be calling you with your dream job next week or even next month for that matter. So don’t sit on the couch catching up on old re-runs because you just met with a great recruiter. Knowing your marketplace, reading local business journals, attending SIGS (special interest groups) and networking are still vital components of your job search.

Having a rewarding and successful relationship with a professional recruiter is all about having open communication and the proper expectations. So the next time you work with a recruiter, be sure to have a plan, keep communication open and honest, ask lots of questions and be sure everyone understands what the expectations are. Good luck!

Chris Penn
Director of Contract Services
EdgeLink

EdgeLink Open House a Huge Success

EdgeLink — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 13:58:55 -0500

EdgeLink held its first open house/client appreciation
event on June 1. Attending the soirée were about 90 of our closest client/friends from the Portland Metro area. Delicious food, drink and of course great conversation was had by all.

In the fun department, attendees had their pick of helping to solve a group “word link” puzzle, or participating in an underlying word association game, which made a fantastic ice-breaker.

Door prizes included gift certificates to great Portland places including
OMSI, Stumptown Coffee, Powell's Books, Portland Beavers, McMenamins, Clark Lewis, and the Portland Rose Festival. A huge, heart felt thank you to everyone who showed up. Maybe we should make this an annual event!?

Cheers!

Honesty is the Best Policy

EdgeLink — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 09:09:58 -0500

There are frequent conversations amongst the recruiters in our office about why an applicant wasn't hired for a particular job. Obviously, we want every candidate we represent to go out there and knock the socks off a potential employer during their interview. However, we’ve seen recurring themes of candidates shooting themselves in the foot instead.

One way this commonly happens is through “fluffing” of one’s skills. In other words, when an applicant wants a position so much, they are not truthful or forthright about their lack of experience in certain areas. What the applicant often doesn’t realize is that this practice is self-sabotaging.

An interviewer can almost always tell when an applicant isn’t being realistic about their experience or is afraid to admit that they don’t know something. And if the truth isn’t evident in initial conversation, it most certainly will be uncovered during the technical interview.

So, job seekers, bear in mind: It’s okay to be human. Often an employer will favor someone who can admit his shortcomings over someone who is afraid to reveal that he lacks certain experience.

Sherry
EdgeLink Sr. Recruiter

Google - 1960

EdgeLink — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 16:38:42 -0600

Opportunity Cost, What is it to you?

EdgeLink — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 03:57:38 -0600

More often than not, we hear candidates say they are willing to take less money, drive further, or utilize older skills for a “good opportunity.” So this begs the question; “what equals a good opportunity anyway?” What are you willing to give up for your next position? Of course this can vary greatly depending on personal situations, family, finances, etc., but we’re always interested to hear what really qualifies as a good opportunity. How much does technology really play a part in the job you take? Does it matter how your team interacts with one another? Is it the chance to work for a start-up or an industry monster? Or is it all about the cash in your pocket? What is it to you?

Melissa Bielagus
EdgeLink Account Manager

The Times They Are A Changin’

EdgeLink — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 07:28:42 -0500

We are entering an exciting time when it comes to the field of technology. As the economy begins to turn, Oregon’s overall job market is expected to grow 15% in the upcoming years. It is estimated that technology related positions will far surpass that number as well. Most technology related positions are projecting a growth of near 20% in this time with the Internet, Web, Wireless, and Security driving such growth. In a recent issue of the Portland Business Journal they also reported that “Portland’s technology sector expects better days in ‘06”. The leaders in this local charge are expected to be the electronic design, display, semiconductor, and chip manufacturing industries.

That means excellent opportunities for all you Programmers, Developers, Engineers, and Analysts. The improved economy coupled with the falling unemployment rate will make it increasingly difficult for employers to recruit strong, competent, skilled employees and will turn to companies like EdgeLink to help them with their hiring challenges. We are up for the challenge and excited about the forecasts in the industry and the opportunities that it will bring!

Dan Iverson
EdgeLink – Technical Recruiter

Portland High-Tech Job Market Looking Better

EdgeLink — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 03:02:21 -0500

Last quarter, Oregon's unemployment rate fell below 6% - for the first time since the tech bust of April 2001. Successful hiring companies are having to ramp up the pace and quality of their recruiting processes in order to successfully compete for available technical talent. What is your organization doing to meet this challenge?

FUN AT WORK!

EdgeLink — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 15:31:34 -0600

Are you kidding me? When was the last time you had fun at work? Fun in the workplace seems to be a requirement here at Edgelink. Not only do we work hard, we play hard too. We set our goals on a weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly basis. When we achieve those goals we are rewarded with a FUN day! We strongly believe this promotes teamwork, a drive to be the best in our field, and an overall positive work environment.

Our most recent fun day for example; on January 13th, 2006 (that's Friday the 13th), the Edgelink team ventured outside of the office for our yearly goal setting meeting and then when the clock struck noon, we put on our bowling shoes. Wait, not only did we put on our bowling shoes, we (being the highly competitive lot that we are) made every aspect of the rest of the day a contest. Starting out, we split into three teams. Each team then created a team name and complimented that with “fabulous” costumes.

To take the bowling competition up a notch or two, we added the challenge of bowling each frame in a different fashion. What I mean by that is; one frame was granny style, another time we pushed the bowling ball with our feet and so on. I am sure that you get the picture. Oh, you should see the pictures!

We had contests for the best form, best score, best style and best team score. My team being the winner of the highest score, so I have to say “Go Team!”

All in all, healthy competition is always fun, especially when it is done the EDGELINK way! How does your company celebrate success?

Juli Waterman
EdgeLink Recruiter

New space for EdgeLink

EdgeLink — Wed, 09 Nov 2005 18:55:55 -0600

This year EdgeLink experienced quite a bit of growth. Needless to say we had some pretty cramped quarters. Not so any more. After only a few minor delays and glitches, we are finally all moved into our new office space! The best part is we were able to stay in the same building on the same floor. We just moved into a bigger space. The building manager even let us keep the same suite number so our address will remain exactly the same as it was! Keep your eye open for information about our open house, coming soon. Thanks for helping to make 2005 a great year. We’re looking forward to more success in 2006!

EdgeLink Career Center Gets RSS Feed!

Mark Schacter — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 19:25:28 -0500

We are please to announce that the EdgeLink on-line career center now has RSS subscription capabilities. Now you can get real-time alerts of new jobs, hot off the press, delivered directly to your RSS reader. Check it out and subscribe today!