Pay for Career Advice

Question:

My husband has an equivalent of an associates in computer science and has his A+ certification. He is wanting to go back to school to get his bachelors and looking into getting his Microsoft cert., C++, and cisco cert. We want to hit the ground running and he is a go-getter. We have 3 little children and it is scary to be dropping his job to do his dream, but I know it is a financial investment of a lifetime. We would like to pay you for your advice and didn't know if when he is done if we can pay for your services in helping find a job. We believe he has an excellent resume and cover letter. The main thing is finding that career for room to move up, and to help support our family when schooling is done. I am scared that he won't find one because there is so many in the computer science field with so much more experience. This means a lot to us and we believe in him. Please help us and our family. Answer: I will help you the best that I can. I don't take money for it.

London-Based Job Searches up 10% as Queries for Career Advice rise

In June, people REALLY needed a job in London. There were 13.2 million searches performed in June for recruitment related words, and 8% increase from May.

In my opinion this is not really news. 10% can be contributed to and annual increase from new graduates entering the workforce.

London-Based Job Searches up 10% as Queries for Career Advice Soar

Employers not allowed to search Facebook?

There's a pending law in Germany where it will be against the law for employers to search Facebook for potential hires. 


Under a draft workplace privacy law now being looked at by the German parliament, employers would be barred from poking around the Facebook pages of job applicants, part of a broader push in that country to enact restrictions on how far employers should be permitted to pry into workers' lives. The law will also restrict employers from reading emails. 


Although this seems like it will be impossible to prove the an employer did this. After all the only way you could prove is by looking at the employers browsing history and then you're infringing on the rights of the employer. Correct? It's a great idea but the fact that it's unenforceable makes it irrelevant.  


The law will not ban employers from using sites like LinkedIn to research applicants. This is because they see LinkedIn as business related. 




references:
http://blog.internetnews.com/kcorbin/2010/08/german-law-would-bar-employer.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS338070983320100826

Careers in the Culinary Arts

Ran across a news story about a new book: “Culinary Careers: How to Get Your Dream Job in Food With Advice from Top Culinary Professionals.’’


Highlights that I thought were interesting:

• Why do people turn to culinary careers in economic downturns?: Answer: People doing it as a second or fall back career and there is will always be a need for a Chef. 
• Job Categories explained: cooking, pastry and baking, catering and events, wine and beverages, retail and sales, food artisans, media and marketing, and nutrition and nonprofit

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2010/08/25/career_advice_from_the_president_of_the_institute_of_culinary_education/

HR careers: Interview with Ann Henshaw, HR director at EDF Energy

Interesting interview with an HR manager trying to keep up with hiring needs for an Energy based company. It's a hot industry and difficult to recruit enough quality people.

This HR manager is in the UK but it's the same in the US for Energy companies. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/7966388/HR-careers-Interview-with-Ann-Henshaw-HR-director-at-EDF-Energy.html

My profiles:

Fridays

As a recruiter, Friday is the most difficult time to reach people. It sometimes seems like I'm the only person working on friday. It may also be that I recruit foe Department of Energy positions.

It's very common for Department of Energy related employees to work 4-10's (mon - thur for 10 hours per day). If they're not at work they're not answering their cell phones.

Friday's are great when we're not on a deadline. It's nice to have a break. Unfortunately we're always on a deadline. So, I've started sending text message with links to job openings on Friday. I'm having minor success with it.

This blog post is really boring. That's ok me and my wife are the only people that will read it.

What is a good career for someone with a learning disability

Question: What is a good career for someone with a learning disability?




Answer: I don't think there is one or two jobs that I could mention. Just about any job is possible for someone with a learning disability if the employer is willing to accommodate them. With planning, policies, and appropriate practices, employers can accommodate the needs of workers with disabilities. In turn, workplaces will benefit from the diverse thinking and problem-solving skills these workers bring to their jobs.

Depending on the type of learning disability involved, adults experience their learning differences in various ways. Having a learning disability as an adult can be an advantage:

• They are often creative problem-solvers; 

• Their skills in non-disability areas are just as strong as, or better than, other adults; and

• They are frequently very resourceful and can use and adapt materials and processes in creative ways.

It is important to note, however, that there are some limitations on what employers are required to do to accommodate people with disabilities:

• Employers are not required to provide accommodations if it would cause undue hardship on the business. 

• Employers do not have to lower the standards of their product or service quality. 

• Employers do not have to purchase materials or devices that are for the employee's personal use only. Employers are not required to purchase a disabled individual's glasses or hearing aids. 

• Employers are not required to accommodate illegal drug use or alcoholism. 

• Employers may test employees and applicants for use of illegal drugs regardless of disability status. 

 Reference: http://learningdisabilities.about.com/od/collegevocationalschool/qt/protections_limits.htm 

Frozen Head State Park 08/15/10

This morning I went to Frozen Head State Park and Ran/Hiked some miles. I sweated a lot. I was out of breath a lot. I got tore up by thorns. I got stung by a wasp. I had a great time.

Here are some pictures:

Working for the NNSA

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is one of the federal agencies that I recruit for. I wanted to share some information about working at the NNSA.

NNSA's total workforce consists of about 3,000 Federal employees and 30,000 contractors who work in locations across the country and around the world. Our employees come from a broad variety of educational and professional backgrounds to fill many different types of jobs. At a scientific and technical agency like NNSA, you would expect to see scientists and engineers, and we have them, but we also are home to many other professions that an agency needs to operate smoothly and effectively. We invite you to explore our website for information on NNSA's Federal job opportunities.

A full list of NNSA job openings can be found HERE

Almost 4 at Bissell Park

I had a hard time getting up this morning to run. I decided to entice myself out of bed with a bribe. This works for kids and I sometimes have that mentality. At 7:00AM I stumbled into my favorite breakfast haunt, IHOP. Ed the waiter saw me coming and  already had my Diet Coke in hand as he seated me in a booth. After a breakfast combo with substitute Double Blueberry pancakes it was time.

Time to run. I headed to Bissell Park because it was the closest place to IHOP. Bissell park has a gravel walking/running path that is approximately 1.25 miles for the loop that I run. It is almost completely flat which sounded enticing this morning. An easy day is not always a bad thing. I tried to push it for the first lap because I knew that the humidity would start to slow me down the further that I ran. The first 1.25 miles was finished in 11:10. Half way through the 2nd lap I started taking walk breaks. Walk breaks may be a bad thing for many runners but as I increase my mileage again they are going to be needed. I finished 3 laps (3.75 miles) in 38:10. Tomorrow is another day and hopefully a longer run.

Tungle.me

I have been searching for a scheduling solution for setting up interviews recently. Tungle.me is a

Tungle.me is a scheduling application that syncs with your existing calendar.

• Eliminate double-bookings, time zone mishaps and the back-and-forth of finding a time to meet

• Easily schedule meetings, inside or outside your organization

• Invite others to schedule with you, without having to sign up

My applicant tracking system (ATS) comes with the ability to schedule but there are problems with it. The time that I set for the interview often changes by the time it gets to the attendees outlook. I'm going to try this to see if it is easier and it saves me time.

As a recruiter it is most important to save time with administrative tasks so that I can spend more time speaking with candidates. I'm always searching for tools to help me do this. I'll let you know how it works out.

The basics

Your career is a competition. You're competing with thousands of people if you're searching on a national level. Against hundreds locally.

Your success depends on how your qualifications stack up against your competition. Your qualifications are your education, previous work experiences, and your skills (computer, writing, language, etc.). Now, the key is that these have to match the job description better then anyone else.

Your job search will not have much success if you apply to job openings that you are not qualified for. You may want to be a doctor but without medical school it's not going to happen. While I may want to be an Olympic Marathoner, I don't have the qualifications (too old and too slow).

Good luck and be optomistic.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Readytointerview.com

I'm a runner and was on Dailymile.com and saw this guy's post http://www.dailymile.com/people/begleyt

This guy wants a job and he will do anything to publicize himself. He's created a web site to help promote himself.

http://www.readytointerviewnow.com/

His new running shirt says "HIRE ME! I'm and Engineer. Check my resume out at Readytointerviewnow.com"

If anyone needs a Mechanical Engineer please check his site out and give him a job!

Political LinkedIn Profiles

I was recruiting on LinkedIn and came accross the linkedIn Profile of the "President at United States of America" http://www.linkedin.com/in/barackobama 

He has a very impressive LinkedIn profile. I'd hire him.

Then I came accross the LinkedIn Profile of Sarah Palin http://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahpalin
- lets face it. Her profile is not very impressive.

Listen, I know I'm not a Harvard, Yale, or Princeton graduate. I know I'm not a lawyer, doctor, or am in any way famous, but I'm not running for President of the United States either. Sarah Palin's credentials are limited. Do you want the President of the United States's highest educational achievmant to be a BS in Communications and Journalism from the University of Idaho?

Technical Advisor for the NNSA

I'm currently searching for a Technical Advisor for the National Nuclear Security Administration. The person will be planning, directing, and providing oversight of the Nuclear Forensics portfolio ($4 million annual budget). Must have at least a Masters of Science in Nuclear Engineering, Physics, or similar field. Prefer a Doctorate.

This person does a similar job. http://www.linkedin.com/pub/joseph-wehlburg/23/61a/142


I'm finding some good profiles on LinkedIn. A majority of them are working on research projects at universities. I only have to search the University directory to get a phone number and email address. That's cool.

Just got off the phone with a guy that is currently working at ORNL during the summer on Nuclear Forensics. He currently lives in Washington DC and is getting his PhD at the University of Maryland in Nuclear Engineering. Sounds good to me.