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GM is Hiring!
I was reading an article in the press today about the lack of manufacturing workers in the US. The National Association of Manufacturers conducted a survey of 800 US manufacturers and found that thirteen percent of them are experiencing a “severe shortage” of qualified workers, and sixty-five percent are experiencing a “moderate” shortage. That’s interesting, especially considering that GM announced massive layoffs last week to affect 30,000.
Putting these two issues together in my mind, I started wondering if there were any jobs posted on the General Motors website. As of today, there are 312 jobs posted on the GM web site across all categories. There are lots of engineering and design jobs posted but there was also a job for a sculptor, one for a nurse, and one for a patent attorney. I found it interesting that there were college internships posted, too, since internships tend to be the first jobs cut out of a budget.
What is the lesson here? The lesson is that just because a company is laying off does not mean they aren’t hiring, too. Jobs that are cut for budgetary reasons are not evenly distributed and while some skill sets may see heavy cuts, others may be in shortage and are open for hire. A good many of the jobs posted on the GM site are design-oriented jobs such as Hybrid Battery Systems Engineer, Fuel Cell Test Engineer, and Project Engineer – Advanced Engine Design. That makes sense. GM’s problem is loss of market share and reputation for poor overall quality. If the company is going to right itself, it needs talent that can contribute positively to these areas.
It’s not just specialized engineers in demand at GM, though. There are also jobs for Human Resource specialists, Production Supervisors, Auditors, Cost Specialists, Administrative Assistants, and Buyers. And of course, there are lots of IT-related positions open (as always). In fact, manufacturing jobs in the US require more computer skills across all functions than ever before. It’s not just hard-labor on assembly lines anymore.
If you have a particular interest in a company that is laying off workers, don’t write the company off your prospective employer list. Go ahead and apply. You will have less competition because other job seekers will be discouraged by the news of job cuts. If your company is laying off and you feel you might be affected, check with HR to see if there are other jobs available for which you qualify. It might mean a move to a different city or location, but if you like the company, it might be worth it.
GM is Hiring!
I was reading an article in the press today about the lack of manufacturing workers in the US. The National Association of Manufacturers conducted a survey of 800 US manufacturers and found that thirteen percent of them are experiencing a “severe shortage” of qualified workers, and sixty-five percent are experiencing a “moderate” shortage. That’s interesting, especially considering that GM announced massive layoffs last week to affect 30,000.
Putting these two issues together in my mind, I started wondering if there were any jobs posted on the General Motors website. As of today, there are 312 jobs posted on the GM web site across all categories. There are lots of engineering and design jobs posted but there was also a job for a sculptor, one for a nurse, and one for a patent attorney. I found it interesting that there were college internships posted, too, since internships tend to be the first jobs cut out of a budget.
What is the lesson here? The lesson is that just because a company is laying off does not mean they aren’t hiring, too. Jobs that are cut for budgetary reasons are not evenly distributed and while some skill sets may see heavy cuts, others may be in shortage and are open for hire. A good many of the jobs posted on the GM site are design-oriented jobs such as Hybrid Battery Systems Engineer, Fuel Cell Test Engineer, and Project Engineer – Advanced Engine Design. That makes sense. GM’s problem is loss of market share and reputation for poor overall quality. If the company is going to right itself, it needs talent that can contribute positively to these areas.
It’s not just specialized engineers in demand at GM, though. There are also jobs for Human Resource specialists, Production Supervisors, Auditors, Cost Specialists, Administrative Assistants, and Buyers. And of course, there are lots of IT-related positions open (as always). In fact, manufacturing jobs in the US require more computer skills across all functions than ever before. It’s not just hard-labor on assembly lines anymore.
If you have a particular interest in a company that is laying off workers, don’t write the company off your prospective employer list. Go ahead and apply. You will have less competition because other job seekers will be discouraged by the news of job cuts. If your company is laying off and you feel you might be affected, check with HR to see if there are other jobs available for which you qualify. It might mean a move to a different city or location, but if you like the company, it might be worth it.
GM is Hiring!
I was reading an article in the press today about the lack of manufacturing workers in the US. The National Association of Manufacturers conducted a survey of 800 US manufacturers and found that thirteen percent of them are experiencing a “severe shortage” of qualified workers, and sixty-five percent are experiencing a “moderate” shortage. That’s interesting, especially considering that GM announced massive layoffs last week to affect 30,000.
Putting these two issues together in my mind, I started wondering if there were any jobs posted on the General Motors website. As of today, there are 312 jobs posted on the GM web site across all categories. There are lots of engineering and design jobs posted but there was also a job for a sculptor, one for a nurse, and one for a patent attorney. I found it interesting that there were college internships posted, too, since internships tend to be the first jobs cut out of a budget.
What is the lesson here? The lesson is that just because a company is laying off does not mean they aren’t hiring, too. Jobs that are cut for budgetary reasons are not evenly distributed and while some skill sets may see heavy cuts, others may be in shortage and are open for hire. A good many of the jobs posted on the GM site are design-oriented jobs such as Hybrid Battery Systems Engineer, Fuel Cell Test Engineer, and Project Engineer – Advanced Engine Design. That makes sense. GM’s problem is loss of market share and reputation for poor overall quality. If the company is going to right itself, it needs talent that can contribute positively to these areas.
It’s not just specialized engineers in demand at GM, though. There are also jobs for Human Resource specialists, Production Supervisors, Auditors, Cost Specialists, Administrative Assistants, and Buyers. And of course, there are lots of IT-related positions open (as always). In fact, manufacturing jobs in the US require more computer skills across all functions than ever before. It’s not just hard-labor on assembly lines anymore.
If you have a particular interest in a company that is laying off workers, don’t write the company off your prospective employer list. Go ahead and apply. You will have less competition because other job seekers will be discouraged by the news of job cuts. If your company is laying off and you feel you might be affected, check with HR to see if there are other jobs available for which you qualify. It might mean a move to a different city or location, but if you like the company, it might be worth it.
Bad Job News for the Holidays
General Motors announced major layoffs this week, in the days running up to the holidays. Many argue this is a horrible time of year to lay off workers while others say it is better to do it now before those same workers run up large credit card bills during the holiday shopping period. Either way, it's a nasty shock to the workers and the related industries that will feel the ripple effect from the downsizing.
The end of the year is a time that many companies use to look at their budgets and projected sales in the new year and decide to make cuts in personnel. Human capital is one of the greatest expenses companies have in their operations and if sales aren't there to support the need for workers, the workers will usually be the first thing cut.
Now is a good time for you to take an objective look at your company to see if you need to be starting to look for new employment. A layoff is a hugely emotional event for those effected. That emotional impact can be lessened by preparation. Just as evacuation before a devasting storm can lessen the emotional toll taken by event, being ready with a well-written resume can ease the emotional impact of a layoff.
Are you in an industry or company that is ripe for a downsizing? Are sales meeting expectations? Is the market growing? Is the industry affected by factors that are not controllable such as fuel prices or weather? Is the company heavy on managers and too light on workers? Is there a merger or acquisition looming? Has there been a change in top echelon management? Is demand for the technology lessening? Are your job skills outdated and in danger of being replaced by newer technology?
The bad time to have your resume prepared is after getting taken by surprise with a pink slip. You are in a state where it is hard to think objectively and your access to necessary resources is limited. Being able to look at past documentation concerning projects and accomplishments you've completed makes preparing a resume a great deal easier and produces a better document. If you have been laid off, your access to such information will either be limited to your memory or completely nonexistent.
The best time to have a resume prepared is when you do not need one. You have more time to think about it, the funds to have it done by an accomplished professional writer, and the access to past evaluations, documents, hard data, and other information that makes a resume hard-hitting. If you have a resume prepared at all times and updated within the past few months, you are ready for opportunities that knock or lay offs that come by surprise. Be a good scout and be prepared!
The Hype of the Career Branding Trend
The newest buzzword in the career marketing industry is “career branding.” But what exactly is career branding? Essentially, it is a new term for something that we Americans have not found to be as trendy as it once was – a good reputation. It is hype because it is touted as something that is essential for successful career advancement and the term serves to provide career professionals with something new to sell.
Ask any marketer how to sell something that has been around for a long time, and they will tell you to change the name and called it “new and improved”. Coming up with the term “career branding” has given careerists something new to sell. They have taken the old, tried and true job search techniques, given them a new name, and call it “new and improved”. Calling solid job search techniques “career branding” sells services, books, and paints the careerists as being on the cutting edge of the industry.
Career branding is simply building a good reputation in your chosen industry and then making sure you market that reputation effectively in your resume and job search activities. What’s so new about that? That’s what we have been doing at our firm since 1994 and it’s no different today than it was then.
If you look at the technical term of “branding”, it is establishing a recognizable presence in the market. Coca-Cola is probably the king of branding. Coca-Cola is recognizable by the label or even the style of writing world-wide. There are probably few people in the world who don’t know what Coca-Cola is. That is branding on a large scale.
Large scale branding on a personal basis is impossible. There are some individuals who have successful, widespread career brands – Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Michael Dell. These guys don’t need a resume simply because they are recognizable individuals who have famously proven their worth. In some small, niche industries or career fields such as game development, some individuals have high profile career brands; they are recognized by name by colleagues and employers within their industry due to their accomplishments and industry involvement. Establishing a career brand recognizable across a broad industry such as computer networking is generally not something that can be done.
When you enter into the job search process, you want employers to get excited when they see your resume and you want them to place you at the top of the list after the interviews are conducted. How do you do that? You have a great resume developed and you work on your interviewing skills. Interviewing is something that improves with practice so it requires careful work and thought. Get your resume developed by a professional. Be ready to conduct a thorough job search.
The other key to successful career management is thinking ahead and working hard. Build a strong reputation as someone who is a hard worker and who knows his/her stuff. Become the expert in some area of your work. Be on time and give a full day’s work to the employer. Support your co-workers and team members through servant leadership practices. Study to better yourself and your industry knowledge. Seek out opportunities for challenge and growth.
Reputation is built through time, not last minute sound bites created to portray a false image.
Tech Job Market is Supply and Demand
Remember the “good old days” of the dot com era when IT job seekers could choose between three or four different job offers? The inflated bubble of the late nineties-early millennium had minimum qualifications for some candidates as “having a heart beat”. Those days have been relegated to the past along with other relics such as dial-up Internet connection and ping pong tables in the employee lounge. Like other markets, the labor market is a creature of supply and demand. Demand was high and supply was low so job seekers controlled the market.
That all turned around with the events of 9/11 and the recession that followed. Employers cut budgets, projects were cancelled and IT job seekers who had enjoyed endless options in the market were left high and dry. And, like other markets, the labor market is cyclical. Now we are starting to see a more evening out in the job market with employers finding it more difficult to find qualified candidates and job seekers enjoying more options in the market.
A recent survey conducted by RHI, Inc. and Careerbuilder showed that hiring managers report finding qualified candidates to be their biggest hiring challenge. Twenty-five percent report they are able to now offer better compensation packages than a year ago and approximately thirty-three percent say they expect budgets for compensation to increase over the next twelve months.
That’s good news for job seekers. The same study also reported that twenty-eight percent of employees say they are currently seeking new positions and about half say they will be looking for a new job within the next three years. Churn in the market is coming but with a solid majority staying put in their current positions and with employers looking for techie talent, it looks like now is a good time to look for a job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics still lists IT and computer-related jobs as the ones with the best prospects for the coming years.
The same survey reported that about half of the employees said it was hard to find a job last year and the same half still view the market as challenging today. Job search is always challenging but can be less difficult when armed with the right tools such as a killer resume and cover letter, interview coaching, and a great portfolio. I liken it to climbing a mountain: there isn’t anyone who would say mountain climbing is easy, but some find it easier than others. They are better prepared physically, mentally, and have better equipment.
Want to make your job search less challenging? Be better prepared.
Anatomy of a Cover Letter, Part II
In the previous post, I talked about making the most of your cover letter by making sure you have a good, solid introduction and that you demonstrate interest in the job and company. Paying attention to both these elements can help make your cover letter a job search tool that contributes to the success of your job search rather than something that gets ignored.
In Part II of this post, I want to address the “meat” of the cover letter. The main purpose of the cover letter is to highlight the qualifications you have for a particular job. The challenge is to do so without repeating the content of the resume word-for-word. It is tempting to copy/paste sentences directly from the resume into the cover letter. Do not succumb to temptation! It’s lazy and it’s a glaring shortcut to the hiring manager.
The trick to composing good “meat” in a cover letter is to customize each cover letter to the individual position. Read the job posting closely or research the requirements for the job (if its not an advertised position). Hiring managers have concrete, must-have requirements and then they have “would be nice to have” qualifications. They generally list these in the job description. For example, look at the job posting for an accountant below:
“The ideal candidate will have a minimum of five years related experience with responsibilities that include expense and revenue allocations by project, maintenance of general ledger, accounts receivable and accounts payable. Working knowledge and experience with MS Office and ADP electronic payroll reporting is preferred. Experience in the professional services industry is mandatory. Experience with Sema4 accounting software is a big plus.”
There are two points that are concrete in this job posting – five years experience and professional services industry background. If you were an accountant applying for this position, it would be crucial to have these two concrete items under your belt and to mention them in the cover letter. These are the bare minimum skills that are required to even be considered for the position.
There are three skill sets in the job posting that serve as the separating skills. These are what will separate candidates from the generally considered pile to the “interview immediately” pile. These skills are software experience with MS Office, ADP, and Sema4. If you are an accountant with the necessary years of experience in professional services industry AND you have good background in these software packages/technologies, you have a good chance of getting an interview if you don’t kill your chances with a bad resume. To maximize your interview chances, you should discuss your background in working with these skills in the cover letter, making sure to paint a picture of the environments in which you used the software and the outcome of your work.
Using the cover letter to hone in on what the employer is seeking in a candidate will win greater attention given to the resume. Remember, the cover letter is written for each individual employer or job opening and serves to focus the employer’s attention on how you fit the parameters for the job. A generic, blah cover letter won’t do that and will simply be wasted space.
Anatomy of a Cover Letter, Part I
Resume and cover letter. They go together like “peas and carrots” as Forrest Gump would say. A resume is always prefaced with a cover letter, but a cover letter can be the more difficult document to write. In a very small amount of space, a cover letter must accomplish several key tasks: introduce the job seeker; show interest in the job and company; highlight key elements of the job seeker’s experience without being repetitive of the resume; and finally, compel the reader to read the resume more closely. That is a great deal of work to be accomplished in about three paragraphs. Many resume writers confess to finding the cover letter more difficult to write than the resume.
Let’s break the cover letter down and take a look at the tasks a cover letter must accomplish.
Introduce the job seeker. It is important to make a connection with the reader in the first sentence and that usually is done with some sort of introductory sentence. Such a sentence will provide a frame of reference to the reader so he/she knows the purpose or instigating factors of the cover letter. Why has the cover letter been sent or what has motivated the job seeker to make contact? If you have been referred by someone who is with the company already or who has close ties with the company, this is the place to mention that person by name. Employers always like to hire from within or by word of mouth so mentioning a referrer will give your resume added weight.
Often, the first sentence is a sheer attention grabber. For instance, one of the most compelling introductory sentences I’ve seen in a cover letter is “Project management can be like herding cats.” What a vivid mental picture that sentence paints! It compels the reader to read further to find out more about the writer and what he/she knows about project management. It also demonstrates imagination and an out-of-the-box approach. Rather than the boring, rote “Enclosed you will find my resume in interest of the position of widget maker,” make the most of that first sentence.
Show interest in the job and company. Research is crucial to success in job search. The more you can demonstrate your knowledge and interest in a company, the more you will stand above the crowd of other job seekers. Mention new company initiatives in your cover letter or recent news events that have occurred in the company. Possibly allude to your skills in solving a problem the company has or may be experiencing and use that to tie into your background information. Praise the company for recent gains or recognitions. By showing you are informed and well-read on the company, you improve your chances of getting the interview; it shows you are interested in contributing to the company rather than simply focused on what the company can do for you.
Next edition: highlighting the resume without repeating it.
Seven Years is Not an Update
I had a dear friend and former client contact me today to get an update to his resume. He is a civil engineer and I wrote his original resume when he was still in college and going for an internship. Seven years ago, he won the internship using the resume I developed and ended up getting a nice job offer from the employer following graduation. He has progressed greatly in his position and has earned a stellar reputation as a smart, fair, and sensible engineer who really knows his stuff.
He contacted me today because he has an offer from a municipality for the position of City Manager. The job offers better hours, level pay and benefits, and almost no travel. The best thing of all is that it is very close to his home town and winning the job would allow him and his wife to live close to their families for the first time in almost 18 years. He really wants this position and I want to help him win it.
To get his resume ready to go, we need to cover seven years of very project-heavy experience. His previous resume (which he has not used since he accepted his internship) is for a college student. Reading it is like reading about a totally different person. I informed him that we were going to have to start from scratch and build a completely new resume that would market him as he is now – a highly qualified Professional Engineer and not a student. As I said before, he is a very sensible person and smart and he realized that what he was thinking of as an “update” was not really what he needed.
Unfortunately, sometimes other clients don’t understand that update generally means adding on one position to a resume that’s been written within the last two years. I recommend a yearly update just to keep the document fresh, current, and alive so when an unexpected opportunity arises the job seeker is ready. If you are not sure you need to update your resume, ask yourself the following questions:
Since I last had my resume updated…
--have I had a promotion?
--have I completed a major project?
--have I won a significant award?
--have I changed functions with my current employer?
--have I changed jobs completely?
--have I won a huge contract for my employer?
--have I broadened my key responsibilities?
--have I held a new leadership position?
If the answer to any of these questions is “yes”, then you probably need an update. As we head into the last two months of the year, many people see this as a time to review their resume and career documents and start thinking about the New Year coming up. Are you going to be considering a new job in 2006? If so, you’ll need an updated resume. You might even need a whole new resume. If you are considering a career change or if it has been a significant period of time since your resume was written, it’s time to give it a lift and get it ready to get interviews!
Hello and Welcome!
Hello new visitors and welcome to the RezAMAZE.com blog. We hope to use this space to informally discuss job search and resume issues that concern you. With over eleven years in the careers industry, we have a great deal of experience dealing with nearly every job search situation that can occur. By talking about some of those situations here, maybe our experience can help you in your career transition.
We will also use this space to discuss current events that have a relation to job search or career issues. Sometimes looking at someone else’s career transition process can be of help. For instance, Harriet Miers withdrew her candidacy for Justice of the US Supreme Court last week compelling President Bush to nominate someone else. Look at this situation from a job search/promotion point of view instead of a political one. What does it tell us?
Imagine how difficult the decision to withdraw her candidacy must have been for Ms. Miers. Here is the promotion of a lifetime for this attorney and no one likes her except the president! If you are a candidate for a job where the hire decision is the outcome of a committee or panel vote, it is possible you could face a similar situation. What if you were recommended by the CEO because he knew of your background but everyone else likes Candidate B. The CEO goes to bat for you but you see it would be best to just back out of the running and keep that person as a possible referral source for later. You may be cutting your losses but you are really making the best of a situation that is a lose-lose situation otherwise.
What about Candidate B? It must be pretty uncomfortable to be the second choice for a job and have the entire world know it. How would you handle that? Perhaps the candidate that was selected at the end of your interview process with a company did not work out and the company called to let you know you were now their prime choice. What would you do?
Most people say it would depend on the job. If they really wanted the job, it would only be a minor issue. Some people have egos that would get in the way at this point, telling them if they weren’t good enough to be Candidate A, they certainly don’t want to be Candidate B. That’s okay if you are going to go through life taking everything personal; however, hiring decisions are business decisions. Accepting a position should also be mostly a business decision. If you let your pride prevail, you may very well be sitting on your pride unemployed or miss out on an opportunity that could be crucial to your future career.
Another lesson in this high-profile nomination situation is the key importance in staying in the game even after a hire decision is made. Your interview process may have taken four weeks to complete and you were not selected. Now is not the time to completely throw in the towel. Stay in touch with the company periodically. The company may well have an alternate position coming up for which you are perfect or have a vendor/customer whom may be interested in the value you have to offer.
Questions or comments on this topic? Feel free to email me at: help@rezamaze.com! I’d love to hear from you!
November 2005 /
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