Leading Edge Career Clips

Deb — 2008-10-06T20:06:10-04:00

	There is no security on this earth; there is only opportunity.
— *General Douglas MacArthur*

Deb — 2008-10-06T09:30:22-04:00

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), unemployment is over 6%, as of August 2008, and payroll unemployment declined by 84,000 jobs. This is the highest unemployment rate since September 2003.

Employment continued to fall in construction, manufacturing, motor vehicle and parts manufacturers, and employment services, while health care added 27,000 jobs. Overall, the healthcare industry employs over 14 million people and is projected to add three million more jobs by 2016, according to the BLS. This is the 8th month in a row that the economy has lost jobs. Payroll employment has fallen by 650,000 this year, or an average of 76,000 jobs per month. Statistically, about 150,000 new jobs are needed each month to keep the economy stable.

During tough employment times, our clients need to be job-search-proofed; and stave off layoffs by continually redefining their jobs and through cross-training. In this economy, our clients are at higher risk for losing their jobs, which also means they are exposed to much higher competition for available jobs.

Job Search Proofing

For our career search or job search clients, nothing is worse than becoming suddenly, unexpectedly unemployed. Most employees, at all levels, who are performing well, rarely expect a layoff—and frequently believe, if there is a layoff, it will not involve them. Yet thousands of employees lose their jobs each month, at no fault of their own—and some even lose jobs due to Mergers & Acquisitions—causing a select few to lose jobs in the transition period. For these reasons, our clients should regularly monitor the job boards, check out the job market, know what types of jobs are available in their career field, and what types of companies are hiring—in the event that they suddenly find themselves unemployed.

As the job market tightens, fewer opportunities are available for job seekers. There are several job-search-proof activities our clients can accomplish while they are employed, so that they are better prepared when, or if they find themselves unemployed:

§ Career Marketing Documents: Own an updated résumé. I am still rather amazed at how many job seekers call me to say they are unemployed and do not own a résumé—the last résumé they created was written in 1985. Better yet, maintain an updated résumé; a targeted, high impact résumé (and a text version for online use); set of model cover letters that can be easily modified and targeted to meet current job postings; updated list of endorsers; current 30 and 60- second infomercials (Tell Me About Yourself responses); and other career marketing documents—each client should have these documents in a Word file, just like they might have a file for emergency phone numbers or financial data. In the event of unemployment—these documents, if recovered from a file folder, can easily be revamped to suit the current job search strategies and current day résumé formats.

§ Value Proposition: Job seekers should continuously work toward developing a well-refined value proposition statement—a boiled down, very tight, very compelling and captivating, bottom-line value that they offer a potential employer—our clients really need to stand out against the competition. (And, if you can convince your client to rehearse his value proposition and deliver the message in a 45-second tape recording—it will linger in his mind for networking and interviewing—and be the thread throughout all his career marketing documents.)

§ Network, develop connections, and maintain a circle of influence: Job seekers shouldn’t wait until they are unemployed to join an association, the Chamber, or networking organizations—rather they should stay connected while employed—so if they become unemployed, they have a circle of influence to call upon. Also, they should retain phone numbers and email addresses for their employers, as well as former bosses and other potential references (vendors, customers, and colleagues); in addition to remaining in contact with former mentors, supervisors, and colleagues. Additionally, they should use online professional social networks and retain a profile while employed (this also helps in Google searches by recruiters and hiring managers). Job seekers should edit their profile (to indicate that they are available for career and or job opportunities) and refresh information on LinkedIn or Facebook if they become employed. If connections are established and nurtured throughout one’s career—it is much easier to network and seek employment in the event of a layoff—as the foundation is strong and does not need to be established in haste.

§ Remain Aware of the Job Market and Job Opportunities: Peruse major and niche job boards; review jobs of interest and set up job search agents on the job search engines and job banks to ensure new positions are sent via email as soon as they are posted online. If the job seeker becomes unemployed—he will already have an established source of potential job openings in his email inbox and be aware of how the system works.

Stave Off Layoffs Through Cross-training and or Redefine the Job

On the job, there are a few things our clients can accomplish to help prevent layoffs, and provide additional value, experience, and possible education to their current employer (or new employers when needed): specifically, cross-training and position description redefinition.

As our clients develop long-term career plans, they should include structuring the career to include gaining experience in a variety of functional areas—creating new skill sets, which may be transferable to a new department in the event that the current functional area is on the chopping block. This plan should include both internal training in a formal structure that includes licenses, certifications, or college credits; and external training and education gaining new degrees or licenses; as well as hands-on, on-the-job training in various departments throughout the organization. For executives and leaders, they should seek out executive leadership and business development programs to further enhance their training and education.

If a position is slotted for layoff, this client may convince management to move him to a new functional area, due to the cross training. This worked for me when I was employed at Northrop—I was cross trained within the employment department as an investigator/reference checker for new hires, as well as a recruiter for all levels of employees from secretaries to senior vice presidents. These combined skill sets led to an offer of employment in the communications department.

Moreover, the same client may redefine his role by rewriting his position description and reporting arrangement to meet the organizational needs. This strategy can be risky and will require some savvy influencing skills on the client’s part to convince management to make the changes.

Summary

In the event of a layoff, the client will have to engage in many of above noted strategies to jumpstart a new job search and move forward in earnest to seek new employment. (This time can also be seen as an opportunity to change career fields, learn a new skill set, gain experience in a volunteer capacity, or obtain an advanced degree—it does not always need to be a negative or stressful experience). Overall, long-term, ongoing preparation and a constant awareness to remain in a state of readiness regarding the employment market and job search techniques will help propel job seekers in the event of unemployment, and hopefully lessen their stress and shorten their job search.

Deb — 2008-10-06T09:27:14-04:00

Sites
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Wiki-Site.com is a service that allows you to create wikis for your projects. Provide a name, URL, administrator password and you're done: your new wiki, which will look exactly like a Wikipedia page, will be accessible to anyone of your colleagues, who will be able to edit and create pages, have discussions and more. No registration is needed.

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Joodo.com is a file-sharing P2P software, still in alpha, that you can use to communicate with others. After you install it and register, you can invite your friends and add them to your contact list: you can then share any folder on your PC with different levels of access, create torrent files to share, send messages, text-chat, and even monitor the activities of others.

Stats:
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From Staffing.org:
For all their considerable gains in the workplace and career world, it is sobering to learn from a prominent annual study that significantly less than half, just 43%, of women professionals feel well equipped to compete in the business economy of the future. This finding is echoed worldwide but is especially pronounced in developed countries. In the

United States

, for example, the statistic is 46%. In

Sweden

it's 32% and in

France

24%. Women in large developing countries feel more optimistic. Although their non-domestic roles and access to education developed more recently, the comparable statistic for

India

is 68%, for

China

62%, and for

Brazil

52%. These sentiments are worth noting in light of the accelerating market competition for talent and the competitive benefits of superior employee retention.

Understanding how women in the workforce view their status is an important first step in designing education and development programs that meet their needs. The numbers cited above come from Accenture, which in recent years has released an annual study of women executives' status in the workforce to mark International Women's Day. Here are further findings from this year's edition, One Step Ahead of 2011: A New Horizon for Working Women. Women were asked to assess their skills readiness in six categories - agility / social responsibility / global skills / technology / inclusion & diversity / and business relationships:

* 75% rated technology as their top concern and are more concerned about this than men (73%).

* 83% were willing to learn and use new technologies (blogs, social networks, etc.) to achieve future success, and 76% considered such competence to be highly important.

* Women were more likely than men to attribute their career advancement to ambition and drive (59% to 54%), passion for their chosen careers (42% to 39%), and family support (30% to 26%).

* 58% felt they are as effective as men at building professional networks that help advance their careers (though just 13% of all respondents said women are more effective).

* The great majority of women did not feel constrained by gender, the need to devote energy to children/family, or an unwillingness to relocate. Less than a quarter cited these as factors most limiting their careers.

Read full article at:
http://www.staffing.org/library_ViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=415

MORE ON WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: Gender, as in Female, in the Executive Suite

If you wonder what role gender (specifically female gender) plays in business leadership positions across multiple industries, ZoomInfo's InSite Report, 2nd Edition, is an informative read. It takes a high-level look at executives by gender across 13 industries - aerospace, automotive, construction, finance, healthcare, insurance, law and legal, manufacturing, non-profit, pharmaceutical, real estate, semiconductor, and software. The report focuses on three positions, chief financial officers (CFOs), chief technical officers (CTOs) and Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) in these industries.

Not surprisingly, women have quite a ways to go in finding a seat at the C-level table. Looking at the ZoomInfo report's total numbers, the one area in which women are remotely equal is in the CFO role, where 40.67% of that sample is female. Only 24.34% of CMOs reporting are female, and technology lags well behind at a bare 7.84% of women. Analyzing the CFO universe in some detail:

* As a percentage, women demonstrate the most significant numbers as CFOs in the law firms & legal services, non-profit, and construction industries, representing 30.9%, 30.9% and 22.7% of the CFOs profiled respectively.

* In the remaining 10 industries, women represent less than 23% of the CFOs, and less than 15% in four industries, including the manufacturing, semiconductor, aerospace and pharmaceutical industries.

* While law firms & legal services have the highest percentage of female CFOs, cumulatively it has the least.

* Cumulatively, finance has the most significant number of female CFOs, however, that number only makes up 21% of all the CFOs profiled in that industry.

* Out of the 13 industries profiled, manufacturing has the highest number of male and female CFO titles combined, yet only 11.3% of them are women.

More information is available at
http://www.zoominfo.com/about/m/white-papers/ZoomInfo_InSite_Report_August08.pdf

ANNUAL STUDY FROM ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL AND CAREERBUILDER.COM REVEALS TALE OF TWO JOB MARKETS

Survey Shows Both Employees and Employers Face Challenges in Tough Economy

Key Findings:

   * More than half of employers said it is challenging to find skilled professionals today; Generation Y workers are the most difficult to recruit.

* Closely mirroring responses from employers, more than half of workers said it is challenging to find a job today.

* Nearly two-thirds of workers are more likely to try to negotiate a better compensation package today than last year.

* A lack of qualified workers and the higher cost of gas/commuting were among the top factors impacting companies' ability to recruit skilled labor.

* Many employers are likely to offer reduced work schedules, "bridge" jobs and consulting arrangements as an alternative to retirement.

* The time to fill open positions ranges from four to 14 weeks, with senior-level roles demanding the most time.

* Six-in-10 employers estimate at least a quarter of applicants who contact them are not qualified.
Read more at: http://tinyurl.com/53ymcu

RELOCATING FOR WORK (Source: Manpower)

Percentage of employees reporting how far they would be willing to relocate for employment opportunities, 2008

-Anywhere in the world 36.9%
-Anywhere within my current country 19.8
-Within a few hours of my current home 18.5
-Anywhere in Europe 13.2
-Anywhere in North America 4.4
-Anywhere in Middle East 3.6
-Anywhere in Asia Pacific 2.1
-Anywhere in South America 1.2
-Anywhere in Africa 0.3

Networking for Introverts

Deb — 2008-10-06T09:24:53-04:00

by Bettina Seidman
(originally published in efinancialcareers.com)

Effectively building - and leveraging - a network of professional contacts is essential to your ultimate success. But if glad-handing isn't your style, networking can look like a high hurdle. The good news: There are several ways to make effective networking more comfortable.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a widely used personality test, defines people according to where they get their energy on the extrovert-introvert scale. Typically, extroverts get theirs from interaction with other people and taking initiative in work and personal situations, while introverts tend to get energy from thoughts, memories, and feelings.

Conventional wisdom says extroverts jump into networking easily. However, the reality is that introverts are often more successful because they prepare so well. Extroverts are often so used to "winging it," that they often don't develop good contacts and good information.

If you're an introvert, here are some tips to improve your networking:

- Don't try to become a master networker overnight. Instead, take baby steps. If networking hasn't been a regular part of your life, take it slowly and build confidence.

- Don't assume you're bothering people. Most will be glad to hear from you based on a mutual contact, friend or colleague.

- Rely on your supporters. Network first with mentors, close colleagues, and friends.

- Remember all the times when you have been successful in other group endeavors.

- Try to take a colleague, friend or manager to meetings or conferences so you'll know at least one person there.

- Don't underestimate the power of listening. It is a valuable and appreciated talent.

- Make the most of what you know. Take the time to read an industry newsletter in advance of attending a business/social event or in preparation for an informational interview with a contact, so that you will be comfortable sharing the tidbits you have learned.

- Develop a well-crafted pitch, focused on your goal and what you bring to the table.

- Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Many people get tongue-tied when meeting someone new, so practice what you plan to say.

- If you have news or a problem to solve, try picking up the phone and telling someone else about it.

- Attend events that have a purpose. If you're uncomfortable at gatherings set up solely for networking, try to attend those that have a purpose - listening to a speaker, for example - since they tend to have a planned agenda.

- Reach out as often as you can, by picking up the phone or sending an e-mail.

- Try to get out of the office. It helps to get away from your desk, get out of your comfort zone, and walk around. Almost all encounters are worthwhile.

Deb — 2008-10-06T09:23:21-04:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SENIOR DIPLOMATS IN SHORT SUPPLY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By Kellie Lunney

The Foreign Service needs more senior public diplomacy officers, a top State Department official told a congressional panel on Tuesday. "On the public diplomacy side, there is some positive news, but it's a grim picture overall," Amb. Scott DeLisi, director of career development and assignments in State's Bureau of Human Resources, said before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee. Public diplomacy officers create and manage programs designed to inform audiences in other countries how American history, values, and traditions shape the country's foreign policy.

Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=41037&dcn=e_wfw