Minnesota Headhunter

Mid-Life Career Changes: What You Need To Know To Beat Out The (Younger) Competition

The following post is courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap:

The days when a young college grad could start with a great company and settle in for a 30-year promotion-filled career are gone.  Not only do we job-hop from company to company these days, more and more of us career-hop…but that’s where it gets tricky.  Career-hopping in mid-life brings a unique set of challenges for the job candidate.  It can be done, and done well. 

Older candidates can bring experience, good judgment, and stability to a position, but there are a few negative stereotypes you might have to overcome before you land the job.  Older workers have a reputation for not embracing change, not being willing or able to learn new technology, not having the energy or mental flexibility to keep up in a fast-paced position, and not being willing to take orders from a younger boss.  Here’s how you can get past those issues and get the job you want:

Energy and Flexibility

The only way to avoid these issues as a candidate is to constantly be learning:  read books, take classes, and keep up with the latest technology.  Some of this can go on your resume, but most needs to be discussed in your interview.  Make sure you bring up what you’ve read and what you’ve done lately to actively pursue your career.  Don’t rely on your job experience to carry you through.  Bring a great attitude to the interview, and let your energy and enthusiasm for the job show.

Minnesota Golden Gophers Vs Iowa Hawkeyes 2010 Photos And Video

So I still have not figured out what to do with Gopher The Roses (Gopher Football Blog) and I have not posted any information here since the firing of Head Coach Tim Brewster.

Heck, come to think of it I have not posted any coaching news speculation and now things are getting really crazy with rumors.

Not because I have no interest but a lack of time.

But… last nights victory by the Minnesota Golden Gophers over the Iowa Hawkeyes that brings back Floyd Of Rosedale has me jacked up 24 hours later.

Here is a Floyd Of Rosedale photo:

Reaching For The Brass Ring In Job Search

The following post is courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap:

"I lost my heart On the carousel . . ." - Michael Jackson from the song Carousel

Remember ridding the carousel as a kid? The horses that would go up and down and the horses that just went no where?

What about the embarrassing "bench" that not only didn't move but was on the inside near the gears (did your parents make you sit on the bench when you were too little to ride the horse)?

And then, of course, there was the Brass Ring (or most often, the Iron Ring).

But on the horse, it was all about reaching as far as you could without falling off, timing it just right so you could grab the ring. And then, every so often you would grab the ring look in your hand and it was the Brass Ring and a free ride!

7 Computer Programming Languages To Watch

Maybe instead of watch I should say learn?

One of the most frequent questions I get from tech pros is something like:

So what is the next big thing?

What are companies looking for?

What should I get a certification in?

I can give a good answer on what Minnesota companies are looking for right now and maybe this next year but I am not sure I can see any further.

Mostly because my sight is on today to six months from now.

I did come across this article from InfoWorld and they list (with some reasoning) 7 languages that the enterprise is starting to use more of.

Click 7 programming languages on the rise for the full article (yes they do list 8 but call the article 7):

• Python
• Ruby
• MATLAB
• JavaScript
• R <—this one is new to me
• Erlang
• Cobol
• CUDA Extensions

Minnesota Recruiter Jobs

The following new Minnesota Recruiter Jobs have been added to the Minnesota Headhunter Recruiter Jobs Page:

Contract Recruiter - Full Time Contract Job - Imation

Strategic Sourcing Expert - Full Time Job - Accenture

Sr. Talent Acquisition Specialist - Full Time Job - Ecolab

 

Check out Minnesota Recruiters. An informal group of 2,050 corporate, consulting and search firm recruiters - you must be in Minnesota to join.

 
 

If you are using a RSS Feed click Minnesota Recruiter Jobs. Click Minnesota Headhunter  for most recent blog posts.

Stay in touch with me by clicking Blog Posts by RSS, Blog Posts by Email  and/or the From The Desk Of Paul DeBettignies Newsletter

Minnesota Recruiters Conference 12 | Fall 2010 Invite

Plans are set for our 12th Minnesota Recruiters event and many thanks to the team at General Mills for hosting us.

To register for this event click Minnesota Recruiters Conference 12

Who should attend this event:

Corporate Recruiters
HR VPs/Directors/Managers
Staffing Specialists/Managers
HR Recruiters
Workforce Planning Professionals
Researchers/Sourcers
Search Firm Professionals

Minnesota Recruiter Jobs

The following new Minnesota Recruiter Jobs have been added to the Minnesota Headhunter Recruiter Jobs Page:

Recruiter - Full Time Contract Job - IWCO Direct

Recruiter - Sourcer - Full Time Job - SUPERVALU

Senior Recruiter - Full Time Job - Ameriprise Financial

Recruiter - Full Time Job - Wells Fargo

 

Check out Minnesota Recruiters. An informal group of 2,050 corporate, consulting and search firm recruiters - you must be in Minnesota to join.

 
 

If you are using a RSS Feed click Minnesota Recruiter Jobs. Click Minnesota Headhunter  for most recent blog posts.

Stay in touch with me by clicking Blog Posts by RSS  , Blog Posts by Email  and/or the From The Desk Of Paul DeBettignies Newsletter

Managing Your Online Brand And Digital Dirt

The following post is courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap:
 

On the one hand, the Internet is a wonderful place to get your name out as a highly qualified job candidate.  On the other hand, there may be information floating around about you that you’d rather was not shared with everyone in the world.  How can you determine what’s out there in cyberspace?

Googling your own name is a popular technique for digging up digital dirt.  You will certainly find some information this way, but if you have a common name, you’ll find information on many other people as well.  One way to find information specifically about yourself is to run a search on pipl.com.  This Web site allows you to enter your location and finds information particular to you.  It often turns up things that googling yourself does not—such as public profiles you may have on sites like Amazon or on old social networking sites that you no longer use.

All Internet exposure is not bad—getting traffic to your LinkedIn, twitter, blog, and professional facebook accounts can all generate interest in your job search. 

Minnesota Recruiter Jobs

The following new Minnesota Recruiter Jobs have been added to the Minnesota Headhunter Recruiter Jobs Page:

Sr. Talent Acquisition Specialist - Full Time Job -  Ecolab

Recruiter Supervising Associate - Full Time Job - Ernst & Young 

Recruiter - Full Time Job - Farmers Insurance Group

 

Check out Minnesota Recruiters. An informal group of 2,050 corporate, consulting and search firm recruiters - you must be in Minnesota to join.

 
 

If you are using a RSS Feed click Minnesota Recruiter Jobs. Click Minnesota Headhunter  for most recent blog posts.

Stay in touch with me by clicking Blog Posts by RSS, Blog Posts by Email  and/or the From The Desk Of Paul DeBettignies Newsletter

Not Everyone Wants To Hire An Expert. Is Your Personal Brand Getting In The Way?

I have been sitting on this blog post for some time but a Tweet from my friend Steve Levy has me wanting to hit the publish button.

From @levyrecruits:

People were getting jobs before experts were yapping about brands

Yes they were. They still are and they will in the future too.

All of the gurus and experts at conferences, top selling business books and webinars say that “personal branding” is the key to ones career path.

While I get that finding a job or next consulting gig is decided to a large extent on who you know (knows) and what they know about you this has gone too far.

Too damn far.

Let the mini rant begin...

Ask yourself this, of the people getting hired are they all (most) online? Of course not.

So many profiles and resumes have guru, expert, thought leader, pro, speaker, top ________, jedi, ninja, etc that the coolness has been watered down or worse, cannot be backed up with real experience and results.

Job Search Seminar: Be Your Own Headhunter

I received a lot of very positive feedback after bring back the job search, LinkedIn and networking seminar so I am going to keep going with them.

Rather than do a session specific to job search and then general sessions on LinkedIn and social media I am doing one only focused on the job search.

Over 13 years as a search firm recruiter I have had a unique look at this process from the corporate recruiter and HR side and from the job seekers.

This is a more aggressive version of what I have been doing for 8+ years and I am going to show how I would do a job search in this economy.

2.5 hours seems like a long time but I am going to cover a lot of topics including:

Minnesota IT Jobs With Minnesota Non Profits

The following new Minnesota IT jobs have been added on the Minnesota Non Profit IT Jobs And Volunteers page:

Project Manager - Full Time - CaringBridge

Web Specialist - Full Time - National Youth Leadership Council

IT Manager - Full Time - Opportunity Partners

Information Technology Manager - Full Time - Community Action

 

Click Minnesota Nonprofit IT Jobs And Volunteers for more opportunities, Minnesota Headhunter for most recent blog posts.

Stay in touch with me by clicking Blog Posts by RSS, Blog Posts by Email and/or the From The Desk Of Paul DeBettignies Newsletter

How To Stay Motivated In Your Job Search

The following post is courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap:
 

It can be really hard to stay upbeat in a job search, especially if you’ve been out of work for any length of time in this difficult economy.  You can stay motivated by setting realistic goals that aren’t activity-based, but are instead performance-based.  And what I mean by that are actions that get you interviews.

If you’re not getting interviews, you need to be reaching out to professionals who can help you:  career coaches, resume writers, profile coaches for LinkedIn, industry experts, and functional experts who can give you insight on how to be more strategic and more successful in your job search.  Be proactive.  If what you’re doing isn’t working, do something else.  Reward yourself for your successes along the way.

Have a realistic plan.  I don’t think your job search should take 8 hours a day, like some would suggest.  If you keep that up for a couple of weeks, you’ll be crushed.  Instead, spend 5 hours a day on your job search and spend the other 3 on something that will enrich you, like learning a new sport or an instrument, or reading up on the industry or taking a class…something that will better yourself and make you a stronger person than you were before.

Fired Over Facebook Comments. Is It Legal?

This is a bit of the Holy Grail for me. Social Media + Legal + HR Policy = Lawsuit

Short version of what will become a long story:

A customer made a complaint about an employee who was asked to prepare a report on what happened. She asked for and was denied access to a union rep. That evening she hopped on her personal computer at home and wrote some not nice things about her supervisor and some coworkers joined in.

The employee was terminated.

The employer, American Medical Response, has an Internet policy and says the employee was in violation of it.

The National Labor Relations Board is saying something about "concerted activity" between employees.

The difference being if she has said her supervisor sucked and was a horrible person she might not be protected but because others joined in talking about workplace conditions she may be.

Click National Labor Relations Board for their statement.

Minnesota Recruiter Jobs

The following new Minnesota Recruiter Jobs have been added to the Minnesota Headhunter Recruiter Jobs Page:

Recruiter - Full Time Job - Life Time Fitness

Talent Consultant - Full Time Job - Cargill

Enterprise Recruiting Manager - Full Time Job - Best Buy

National Recruiter - Full Time Job - C.H. Robinson

 

Check out Minnesota Recruiters. An informal group of 2,050 corporate, consulting and search firm recruiters - you must be in Minnesota to join.

 
 

If you are using a RSS Feed click Minnesota Recruiter Jobs. Click Minnesota Headhunter  for most recent blog posts.

Stay in touch with me by clicking Blog Posts by RSS, Blog Posts by Email  and/or the From The Desk Of Paul DeBettignies Newsletter

Restarting Your Job Search When All Else Fails - Vol 1

The following post is courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap:

“If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You have another chance.” - Andrea Boydston

I remember really early in my career (probably before most of you were out of diapers) when we were living in the modern world of IBM XTs (with an Intel 8088 processor at 4.77 MHz, a hard drive of 10MB and 640kb of memory) and Lotus 1-2-3.

Spreadsheets were taking off, replacing all of that green ledger paper and handwritten analysis. You would spend hours building your spreadsheet (no tabs in those days) and every once in a while you would display your masterpiece (which showed profit growing by 600%!) to your boss only to find out that there were major formula errors.

Switching Careers? How To Advertise Your Transferrable Skills

The following post is courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap:

While doing what you love is important, bringing home a paycheck often forces people to make a decision between pursuing their dreams and putting food on the table. Plus, the changes in the economy are driving many workers to make a choice right now to change careers paths.

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, nor is it impossible to find an equivalent job in a different industry. You just need to rewrite your resume to advertise transferrable skills.

I recently wrote a resume for an actress who was having trouble getting her career off the ground. She wanted to be a personal assistant so she could have the flexibility to go on casting calls while still making rent money. At first she told me, “Acting is all I’ve ever done.”

Though she wasn’t sure what skills she could offer as a personal assistant, I found out through interviewing her that she was a stage manager for a time as well as a volunteer event planner for a major non-profit organization.

Is Improper Use Of Social Networking Hurting Your Job Search?

The following post is courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap:

 

If you’re looking for a job in this tough employment market, having an online presence can definitely improve your chances of landing a position.  Sites like LinkedIn and Twitter allow you to make a professional statement and provide additional information to complement your resume.  However, understanding how to properly use these sites is essential to their helping you in your job search. Here are some things to avoid:

Including your personal reading list on your LinkedIn profile

Many LinkedIn users take advantage of the Amazon Reading List feature on their profiles.  This feature is a great way to show colleagues how you stay current on recent developments in your field.  It can also present you as a well-rounded candidate if you’re interested in professional topics outside your field—for instance, if you’re reading up on the stock market when you work in IT.  However, information on your reading list should follow the same guidelines you would follow for cocktail party conversation.  Mentions of religion, politics, or potentially controversial personal interests (i.e. hunting) don’t belong on your professional profile. They may cause a hiring manager with different views to decide they’d rather interview someone else for their opening.