Community Blog: Jobing.com Community Relations - Austin

As we begin the holiday season, it is of course a time to being reminded of our priorities. We all have things to be thankful for and grateful about. And of course people to be thankful for. In looking back on 2009 so far really take a look at who has helped you in your job search, what things you have been able to do either as a full-time job seeker or someone who was employed and is now looking for new work or a new journey. And, who have YOU helped or impacted as well. That thought alone can be enough to refresh and motivate you. I'll just bet that you have touched someone and helped them along the way too. Take a moment to celebrate the small successes and accomplishments.

This time is a great opportunity to reach out to your network and wish a happy season to your colleagues. In the process keep you on the top of their mind during this busy time of year.

What skills have you acquired (this could be through formal training or hands-on experience)

What networking groups did you join/influential people have you met

What have you accomplished so far and what do you still want to achieve 

Send thank you notes to all who have helped you (even is it was earlier in the year, sending out a thanksgiving note can help keep you top of mind for future opportuinities)
I am very grateful for the work I am able to do and even if I can only touch one job seeker in the process it makes it all worthwhile. Happy Thanksgiving Y'all.

Jobing.com is proud to announce a newly formed state wide resource and partnership for returning Veterans who are entering the workforce.

 

Operation Job Match is a collaborative effort between the Society for Human Resource Management (TXSHRM) State Council, Harrington Strategies in San Antonio , Intelligent Compensation in Austin , Jobing.com along with a variety of local workforce agency partners. The entire site is devoted to putting our returning armed forces in Texas back to work and it offically launces today. 

"There are thousands of military veterans in the State of Texas currently seeking employment. Part of the problem in getting veterans hired is that there is a significant gap between Military Employers and many U.S. Employers concerning workforce readiness assessment, skill defiintion, job requirement relevancy, and the use of a common language to communicate and bridge relevant qualifications."

Spread the word and check out the site!
 
http://www.operationjobmatch.com/

This content is provided by Doug Mayes, Jobing.com Community Relations Director.

Fellow Employers,

In our tough economy, it seems that employers and HR professionals fall into two divergent camps, both of which can pose significant challenges and opportunities. 

Camp 1.  I'm hiring.  With what news people call a "flood of talent" on the market, some will say you have an embarassment of riches.  Some will say you have the opportunity to get the very best...on the cheap.  However, you may feel quite differently.  Perhaps you're overwhelmed with unsolicited responses.  If you post a job, your email system goes berserk and you're so buried that you can't give people the attention required to make a strategic decision.  Some candidates who are motivated by financial pressures from recent layoffs, are applying to all sorts of jobs indiscriminately further compounding the issue.  You may be dealing with candidates who are bitter or feel entitled to a job.  Just because they were a big deal at their last job doesn't mean they're right for your organization.  I bet you're feeling this pinch, whether you'd admit it in polite conversation or not. 

This landscape poses real management challenges for the HR professional.  I was recruiting in the pharmaceutical biz when the 911 recession hit and I saw this situation play out with some of my clients.  Some companies abused the buyer's market treating people like cattle, artificially driving down wages, and generally forgetting what it's like to be a job seeker.  Although they got fat off the land for a hot minute, I think this treatment caused employees to behave like mercenaries.  Since relatively little effort was made to create a compelling employment brand or establish engagement upon hiring, employees soon split for the next big thing.  They felt "disposable", so they took their passion, skills, and brain power to the competitor down the street.     

Other companies saw this as an opportunity to get the right people on the bus.   They did this by communicating their employment brand.  They built great employment pages on their websites that communicated their culture.  Remember Google?  Nobody did this better than Google!  Southwest Airlines was superb as well.  They invested in high-touch candidate application systems with automated email responses.  They kept their name top-of-mind by being active in the community.  They created strong relationships with colleges to ensure a pipeline of talent when the market inevitably tightened.  All these branding efforts helped them whittle down the giant stack of resumes and make strategic hires.  Thus, we came up with the basic equation of my business.  Strong employment brand=Strong company. 

Camp 2.  I'm not hiring.  Many wonderful companies have been set back on their heels.  Hard working HR people in these organizations perservere in a pressure cooker of layoffs, personal uncertainty, and unemployment claims, all the while trying not to be a "cost center."  God forbid you should appear too expensive.  Touchy-feely things like an employment brand may be the last thing on your mind.  They're the provenance of $500/hr consultants. 

Careful now...although it may be easy to toss aside the brand you worked so hard to create, consider the risks.  In tough times your employment brand is even more important.  Candidates believe what they hear, especially if it's bad.  What message are you sending to your potential candidates?  Are you on top of your PR strategy?  Is your company just recuperating between rounds, or are you down for the count permanently?  Surely, you care about every single one of your employees and the way you treat them on the way out will help you or haunt you when this economy turns.  Building your employment brand is never a bad investment and by doing this you'll be prepared to rocket out of the gate before your competitors when our economy rebounds.  We must think strategically about all this stuff, even though things are wild right now. 

Need some extra cash for bills or gifts around the holidays? Have you considered a position with UPS???  UPS is hiring Part Time and Seasonal Package Handlers and Seasonal Driver Helpers at a location near you.

UPS offers exceptional perks and benefits for permanent Full AND Part Time employees, including paid healthcare benefits.  Long-standing company policies, such as employee ownership, equal opportunity, and promotion from within, have helped to foster employee dedication, making UPS a preferred employer.

World’s Most Reputable Companies, Best Places to Work, 50 Best Places to Launch a Career, 50 Best Companies for Minorities are just a few of the Employer of Choice Awards UPS has received. 

Being a part of our team is not just a career — it’s an opportunity of a lifetime.  JOIN US! 

Congratulations on getting that interview!  You’ve been sending out resumes and applying for jobs online.  You crafted that perfect cover letter, found a position you qualify for and have been selected for an interview!  That’s awesome!  Celebrate for a few minutes but then it’s time to prepare for it.

Research – Do your best to research everything you can prior to the interview.  Of course you’ll study up on the company but also look into their competitors and the industry as a whole.  Find out as many specifics about the job as you can.  See if the company website has info about the recruiter you’re interviewing with.  Look for recent news articles too.  You’ll touch on a few things naturally while interviewing.  This will make you look good.

Questions – Write a list of questions to ask.  Typically the interviewer will ask what questions you have toward the end.  If they don’t bring it up go ahead and tell them you have a few questions.  Having good questions shows that you care enough about the position to be well prepared.

What to Bring – Be sure to bring several copies of your resume.  I would make it a point to also bring a few covers letters and printed references.  Of course, store everything in a professional portfolio.  Make sure you have a pen or pencil with you too. 

Getting There – Confirm the address and print a map.  Make sure you understand exactly where you’re going.  Ask about parking beforehand.  The last thing you want is to be late because you’re lost or didn’t know where to park.  In case of emergency bring the company phone number with you.  Call if you’re going to be late for any reason.

You’ve gotten your chance.  Make the best of it.  Good luck!

November is here and we are ready for another great TRA lunch and learn! This month we will be with our friends at Workforce Solutions - Capital Area.   Last month we enjoyed Adriana Hook of the Ginac Group, and pics from that event can be found here on TRA Oct Event Set. 

For the November's event we're so excited to have Carl Dodd who is the President of People Velocity LLC.  Mr Dodd helps organizations save time and money by developing their people and improving their systems. He brings to the position a wealth of experience in the public and private sectors. 

Carl's topic "The Business Case for Emotional Intelligence" One thing you can always count on as a Recruiter is that you will be working with people. John C. Maxwell, in his book The Winning Attitude, notes that "The Stanford Research Institute says that the money you make in any endeavor is determined only 12.5% by knowledge and 87.5% by your ability to deal with people." In this presentation on Emotional Intelligence, you'll learn to understand and manage yourself and your emotions effectively, and understand and effectively relate to others.

We look forward to having a great group on the 17th, to register for the event (it's free - we just like to know how many are coming) go to TRA's site, Texas Recruiters Association. 

Also, we're on facebook and you can join our group!!  Facebook Group for TRA

This is a post by Jobing.com Social Media Manager, Brett Farmiloe.  Thanks Brett

In case anyone was wondering what the fuss is with social media, here it goes.

What is social media?

Social media is an integration of words, pictures, video and/or audio with an element of human interaction. (Essentially, the words, pics, videos are the "media"...the human interactivity of commenting on a Twitter status update, tagging someone in a Facebook photo, watching a video on Youtube and forwarding on to your friends...that's the "social" element of the umbrella term, 'social media'.)

A couple other fun stats to throw around about social media:

3 out of 4 Americans use social technology - Forrester Research, 2008 (Meaning, not just Gen Y. This means that my mom and my dad are my friends on Facebook.)

Visiting social sites is more of a popular online activity now than checking personal email, Nielson 2009

93% of social media users believe a company should have a presence in social media (meaning, users are open to being a fan of your company on Facebook. It's not intrusive if your company is on there...as 300,000 businesses have found out on Facebook (currently, 300,000 business have Facebook pages)

Of the 4,000+ tools that can be grouped into the growing 'social media' bucket, there are only about 4 or 5 that matter when it comes to recruitment.

1) Facebook. The reason it matters in recruitment?

There are over 300 million users on Facebook.

There's no other social media site or tool that's better to brand your company. On a fan page, you can share video about what it's like to work at your company, show them what it's like to work at your company with photos, and you can post status updates that go directly to a fan's home page. Plus, there are a couple recruitment applications that integrate your jobs into Facebook and allow fans to share these jobs with their friends (Jobing offers this application, plug intended.)

2) Twitter. The reason it matters in recruitment?

You have to look at Twitter as a chat room and as a listening tool. You listen to the people you're following, and you chat with the people who are talking about your company by monitoring with tools such as Tweetdeck or Twitter Search. All Twitter is good for is for your company to interact with potential candidates so it positively impacts your brand.

3) Linkedin. The reason it matters in recruitment?

Allows recruiters to mine a database of resumes (aka Linkedin profiles) to find potential candidates.

4) Youtube. The reason it matters in recruitment?

Video arguably is one of the best branding tools for a company. Youtube is one of the largest search engines on the internet. Put the two together and you've got a winning social media site.

5) Myspace. The reason it matters in recruitment?

Myspace is the forgotten son of social media. The other week I was in Texas and asked a woman who was the HR manager for a call center if she had looked into using Myspace to recruit. She responded by saying that Myspace was full of pedophiles and teenie boppers...which may be true, but it still doesn't change the fact that more people go to Myspace than Twitter and Linkedin. The numbers and traffic alone make Myspace a tool to keep in the tool belt.

Whew! Those are the tools that are slowly changing the world of recruiting...

Brett Farmiloe is the social media manager for Jobing.com. He'd love it if you became a fan of Jobing on Facebook, and a follower on Twitter. Ecstatic, actually. Also, feel free to contact and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or by good ol' email (brett(at)jobing.com) for any social media questions.

As part of my job here at Jobing.com I receive a lot of feedback and comments from job seekers.  The number one comment lately has been a lack of communication from employers.  People who interview for positions aren’t hearing back from the employers.  Often times, the interviewee has been told, “We’ll follow up with you either way.”  These job seekers use words like frustrated, insensitive, demoralizing and inconsiderate.  Most of them would love a simple note saying the position has been filled.

We’ve all been stretched at work recently as companies must find ways to become more efficient.  Sending out a quick email to everyone who interviewed for the position isn’t that tough.  It could come from HR or the hiring manager.  The job seekers don’t care.  They just want to know.  If the fear is starting a confrontation use a no reply email address.  Better yet, tap in to the potential of your ATS and let the technology work for you.

This little bit of goodwill can go a long way for your company reputation, referrals and even the bottom line.  

What does it mean to “sell yourself”? It’s ensuring that your resume makes it to the top of the stack, or that your name is on the short list of preferred candidates. Sure it starts with a good cover letter. But does it really start there? It’s having confidence in yourself and your abilities in order to convince others that you are the perfect person for that incredible job that you really want.

In order to be the best, you have to know that you’re the best, and that means you have to do your homework. That’s right, education. There are many jobs out there but you may not have the right background. Well get it. You may be busy with a job that you don’t really want, but it pays the bills. Or you may be collecting unemployment for the time being, but that won’t last forever. Take a big tug on those bootstraps and earn the education that you need to better position yourself, professionally.

Going back to school… the idea is quite inspiring, really. But where will you find the time? You have it… you just need to carve it out of your schedule. The good news is that you live in the day-in-age of the Internet and what an awesome tool that is. Because of its widespread access, there are some really great online education options out there that offer you the opportunity to study wherever and whenever you want. The fact of the matter is, online education is booming right now and because of the competition, you have some excellent options.

So here’s the drill: finish your bachelors, get your masters, differentiate yourself with a specialized certificate in an up-and-coming field like Sustainability Leadership, Software Engineering and Networking, or go global with an international business doctorate. Do your homework. Research your options. You may be surprised at the educational opportunities that exist today within our pivotal global economy.

Sell yourself with confidence, knowing you have the right education. Research your educational opportunities at JobingEducation or learn more about one of our sponsored schools, UC Irvine - Extension or California (online certificate programs) or California Intercontinental University (CalU – online master’s and doctorate degrees). Use your time wisely to better your life and let the bidding begin!

The 2009 HR Southwest Conference has been an exciting event this week with great keynote speakers and fantastic breakout sessions.  With this year’s theme, “HR Rocks!” our community of Texas HR Professionals are wrapping up the conference with not only new concepts and ideas to build upon but also with great solutions that can be implemented effectively in our workplaces.

The pre-conference sessions on Tuesday were jam packed with HRCI credits to get the conference rolling.  We had engaging breakout sessions from the “The ‘Cutting Edge’ Employment Law Update” and “A Slice of Life” with over 6 credits in the morning sessions, to “How to be Ready for the IRS” and “Why Did We Hire That Guy” in the afternoon.  And of course, they held the PHR/SPHR Study Crash Course along with two other full-day pre-conference sessions.  Tuesday evening was followed up with a celebration at the “Rockin’ Around the Jukebox” reception that encouraged attendees and exhibitors to network and enjoy yummy treats.

Kicking off the general conference on Wednesday was opening keynote, Victoria Labalme, with her entertaining presentation of “Crazy, Busy, Nuts: Getting off the Conveyor Belt of Life” that provided practical advice to help us to manage the many responsibilities, and sometimes bit chaotic, aspects of our lives.  The day continued with her book signing in the bookstore, the grand opening of the Exhibit Hall and many educational sessions throughout the day.  Wednesday evening attendees enjoyed a night out in Sundance Square and the restaurants and fun the area has to offer. 

Keynote Mike Rayburn sparked our Thursday with the engaging question of ‘What If and Why Not?” as he kicked off the second morning of the conference.  Thursday was a wrap up in the Exhibitor Hall with great vendors such as O.C. Tanner, Zerorisk HR, HRSmart, TrainUp.com, Jobing.com, TheMIGroup and Outplacing.com just to name a few of the many vendors that exhibited at this year’s conference.  The SHRM Shack was also located in the exhibit hall and a great place for HR Professionals to learn about the Texas State Council, SHRM and the 37 SHRM chapters across Texas. Check out the "rockin" time they had in theSHRM Shack and if you had your picture taken you can find it here. The day concluded with a fun and relaxing “Disco Fever” reception for all attendees to enjoy!

Closing out the HR Southwest Conference on Friday morning will be keynote “The Fonz”, a.k.a Henry Winkler as he provides insights from an expert on a life richly lived.  If you did not get an opportunity to join us this year at the HR Southwest  Conference, be sure to mark your calendar to attend next year’s 2010 conference, October 10th – 13th “ Super Heroes of HR”  for another great conference! 

As a recruiter in today’s marketplace there’s no doubt you see a lot of great candidates.  Some of them you just have their resume.  Some of them you interviewed.  At some point in the future, when unemployment shifts again, you’ll be wishing for the days when good applicants were easier to come by.  What are you doing to keep in touch with these people? 

I recall years ago a software company in California that received recognition for a system they developed to keep in touch with great applicants.  Some candidates were narrowly edged out during interviews.  Some were people honing their skills and would develop into future talent.  Whatever the case, this company wanted the ability to stay in touch.

The organization designed a special page on their website which contained company information and the status of upcoming positions.  They told people what skills would be desired in the future.  A monthly newsletter went out via email.  By adding a little marketing twist, people became interested in the company and were hopeful a position would open up fitting their skill set.  People told their friends and colleagues about this cool company.  Those people got in on the action.

You know how things turned out.  The employment market tightened up.  Good people, especially skilled people, were becoming very tough to find.  The organization I mentioned was easily able to find the people they needed while other organizations struggled.  They were able to move quickly, make great hires and the business prospered! 

A friend of mine recently lost his job.  We spoke shortly thereafter and he was doing several things that really impressed me.  I’m certain that he will find employment soon as a result.

1.        Stay Positive – When losing a job, your first reaction might be anger, resentment, sadness, etc.  The sooner you clear your mind of these thoughts the better off you’ll be.  Wallowing in self pity will not help your cause.  Instead, look for positives.  Maybe you’ll really love your next job!  Maybe your next employer will pay you better, treat you better or give you better benefits!  Perhaps you’ll find a new passion! 

2.        Ask Around – My friend did a number of smart things right away.  He spoke  with his former co-workers about finding a new job.  Several had suggestions based on things they noticed and had even interviewed for recently.  My friend also visited the company he worked for prior to his last job.  They are currently in talks about getting back together.  Lastly, he shot an email to his address book mentioning his need to look for work again.  I’m certain at least a few people will recommend a contact, resource or actual job opening.

3.        Be Flexible – If you are currently out of work, take stock of how long you can reasonably pay the bills.  Some of us are in better shape than others.  Based on this, determine how flexible you must be.  Maybe you’ll have to accept a little less money this time around.  Perhaps you should consider a slightly different field of work.  Take a transition job if that makes sense.  Heck, I’d deliver pizzas, shuffle boxes in a warehouse or bus restaurant tables to stay busy and pay the bills.  There are many things available that still allow time to focus on finding something you really like.

This blog was originally posted several months ago.  My friend ended up taking a relatively low paying position with a retail store near his house.  He intended to keep the job until finding something in his field.  Since then, several other employees left the store and my friend developed a great rapport with the owners.  He's been trained for all positions, was upgraded to full time, has received two raises and sees a management opportunity coming up soon!!!

To find out more about sponsorship opportunities or to register for this event visit the Texas Diversity Council.

The Texas Diversity Council, an organization dedicated to enhancing appreciation for and understanding of the value of Diversity and inclusion, will hold their annual luncheon on October 28 th , 2009 from 11:30am-1:00pm at the J. Neils Thompson Commons Building at The University of Texas at Austin (10100 Burnet Rd. Austin , TX 78758).  Breakout sessions are also available in the morning from 9:00am – 11:00am following the 8:00am registration and networking session. This event helps achieve their goal to promote Diversity in the workplace and community. The upcoming Central Texas Diversity Council Luncheon will focus on leadership through various presentations.

Val Demings, Orlando Police Department’s Chief of Police, will be the keynote speaker at 11:30am with her presentation, Leadership: A Badge of Courage.  Chief Demings is an excellent speaker and has a very inspiring story and message.  She is the first African American Female to assume this role in the entire history of the Orlando Police Department.

Two breakout sessions will be available prior to the keynote presentation. Dennis Kennedy, Founder and CEO of the Texas Diversity Council, will aim to explore the various ways in which personal biases influence interactions with others and ultimately impact the performance of organizations.  

Charla Lovelace, General Manager, Jobing.com Austin and part of Generation X, will share the secrets of effectively managing generational differences within the workplace.

Article provided by Patty Revis, Community Relations, Fort Worth

We've discussed so many times in the past few weeks about using social media in your job search and the basic do's and don't's, but just because you have set up profile accounts and RSS feeds for your favorite Jobing bloggers, doesn't mean you are an active part of your network. You cannot just sit back and hope people remember you simply because you are virtually connected. Just like in-person relationships, you need to continuously interact with people you want to stay connected with.

Here are a few things you can do:

Give credit where it is due to help extend exposure - for example, if you see a "tweet" from someone in your network that you find interesting. re tweet it! This helps get their message out and get them connected with more people. Trust me, everyone is tracking how often their name comes up and who is helping them gain exposure.

Reach out - send periodic emails or messages through social media connections that checks-in with your contacts. See how they are doing and ask what you can be doing to help them. Virtual networks are typically very large and it's easy to get lost in the mix.

Become a resource - send relevant information out to your contacts. This can be about personal topics that you know they have an interest in, or business topics. They can be in the form of articles, blogs, videos, whatever. This shows that you have taken an interest in that person and you now become someone they look to for information.

Remember to be thankful - Tweeting Etiquette 101. If someone quotes you or re-tweets you, remember to THANK them. It is one more touch point for you to stay actively engaged with them. It's quick, easy and a gracious thing to do.

However you choose to do it, be sure to stay connected and active in your virtual networks.

 

Do you want to change careers?  Get a head-start and reach out to someone in your field of interest.  To do this, check the internet (especially blogs), check for professional associations in that field, or simply contact a person that has the job that you want (call a company you know that has the position and ask to talk to them).  If you find someone passionate about their field they will most likely be able to answer some simple questions for you that can help you determine if the change is right for you and what you need to do to make the change:  Find out:

 

1.       What education and training is needed?

 

2.       What does a recruiter want to see on a resume when hiring in this field?

 

3.       What are the opportunities for advancement?

 

4.       Which of your strengths are suited / or not suited to your field of interest?

 

5.       Do the salary expectations, work hours, and other work conditions appeal to you – do they meet with your requirements?

 

For further information please use the Bureau of Labor Statistics website at www.bls.gov – there you can find a wealth of information that can give you some general answers to the questions above.  Paired with some straightforward advice from a professional already in the field, a person can make informed choices about how to navigate changes in their career.