Author: Peggy McKee
Author Website: http://www.career-confidential.com

References are so often an afterthought, but they shouldn’t be. The people you will rely on for a great job reference should be on your mind at least once a month, even if you are not currently looking for a job. A great reference can make a huge difference in the success of your job search. For instance, I once had a great candidate that my client company was not excited about. The candidate perceived that there was a roadblock and had one of his references call me to proactively tell me about this candidate. That is impressive. And that is what gets you the job.

What not to do:

1. Don’t give me (the recruiter) or your potential employer a reference who can hardly remember you, or who can’t be relied on to call back.

2. Don’t give me your college roommate. I want a work reference…a relevant reference…a GREAT reference.

What to do for a great reference:

1. Make certain that your reference can see you in the job that you are looking to get….(I had one lady tell me that all she could say about my sales candidate was that she was very good in her laboratory – very meticulous). Great. That same lady could have said that the candidate showed a lot of leadership, was very persuasive and thrived in interactive meetings. What a difference that would have made.

2. Prepare your references: “Hey, Joe, So-and-so may call. This is the type of job that I am pursuing, so this is what they’re looking for. This is very important to me. Please call me once you have talked with the reference checker, and thanks for all your help.” Asking them to call you will make the reference more responsive to the “reference call” and then he will give you a heads up about how the process is moving. Remind your reference of what amazing things (specifically) you did for the reference when you worked there. Help their memory along….

3. Collect references throughout your career.
* Stay in touch. You can’t expect to get the incredible reference that you are looking for if the reference has not heard from you in 5 years. This is all part of the networking process. Every 4-5 months, drop them an email or call. Ask them if there is anything that you can do for them…..Help others, they will definitely help you!
* Before you exit a company, ask your current boss for her personal email and phone number. Stress that you want to stay in touch and could you use her for a reference in the future. Then stay in touch.
* When someone who can speak to your skill sets announces that they are leaving for greener pastures…ask them if you can have their personal email and phone number. Explain that you really enjoyed working with them and you want to keep in touch.
* Link up with old contacts and get new contacts on LinkedIn. Create a great LinkedIn profile and join sales groups. Participate in discussions. Collect these references.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

By: Nicole Hitch

As I explained in part 1, I will be sharing more of the survey I sent out about what new technologies the people who responded are seeing being implemented within the next year and next 5 years within the companies they work at. As always, I hope you find this information useful and if you still want to add your input, please feel free to click and complete the survey. As long as I get new information, I will update these two blog posts. Click here to take the survey

Below you will find a graph depicting the answers to the question: Do you see the types of technology you are using currently, changing within the next year?  Yes, No or Unsure.

Of those who answered yes to the previous question, what technologies do you see coming down the pipe in the next year that your company will be implementing?

Again, sorted by industry, here are the responses.

Business services, software, predictive analytics – Just typical upgrades to newer versions.

Engineering – virtualized encrypted persistent storage devices, specifically networks storage devices, multi-level security software separation.

Financial Services, Banking, Insurance, Investments & Mortgages – Customized technology and newer versions of current software.

Health Care – In this area we will always be changing as new technologies come to life.

Information Technology – Oracle appliances, mobile device integration with cloud and standard services, eLearning technologies, HTML5, 10/40/100 GbE Networks, 8GB Fibre Channel Networks, FCoE Storage Networks, and Converged Networks

One trend I noticed in many of the answers to this question within the Information Technology industry was the addition of technologies that had to do with mobile devices.

“In the next 5 years, what new technologies do you see being implemented within your company?”

Aerospace and Defense – Arcsight is a security monitoring application that we need onsite skills to script the IT “connectors” into the IT systems to collect the logs and feed this tool. We will be on-boarding it beginning in the next 3 months over the next two years.

Business services, software, predictive analytics – Our company has fairly well defined Microsoft and Java camps. Anything latest and greatest geared towards either camp will likely be adopted. Additionally, virtual machines have been adopted in a big way. Persons with heavy VMWare experience might find themselves in high demand

Education – Probably ERP

Engineering – Sound engineering practices, agile development

Health Care – IBM

Information Technology – Moblie development;  5 years in the IT industry is a lifetime. In the next couple years we will have delivered a cloud solution and be looking to the generation. ; Converged Networking, FCoE Storage Networks, 10/40/100 GbE Networking, Virtualization (Server & Desktop)

Medical Device – We foresee moving entirely to VoiP audio and video internally throughout our entire network.

I hope you have found the results of this survey informational and useful.  As always I would love to hear from you about your thoughts, any topics you would like to read about and feedback on anything I have posted.

By: Nicole Hitch

When I asked what readers may be interested in reading, the questions of what new technologies are currently being implemented locally within the Twin Cities came up. So in response, I put together a survey and I will share in a two part blog (Due to the amount of information.) the results of that survey. I hope this helps those of you in the technical community help keep your finger on the pulse of what types of technologies others locally are using. If you haven’t and would like to still take the survey, please don’t hesitate to, I would love to hear your feedback and will gladly share any new findings in another blog post. Click here to take the survey. Also, a huge thanks to all who participated in the survey!

Part 1 will include the industries represented and what new technologies are currently being implemented in local companies. Part 2 will look a year and five years down the road at what new technologies are expected to be added. Enjoy!

Of those that completed the survey, the following industries were represented:

Advertising, Branding & Marketing
Aerospace and Defense
Business services, software, predictive analytics
E-Commerce
Education
Engineering
Financial Services, Banking, Insurance, Investments & Mortgages
Health Care
Information Technology
Medical Device

What types of new technologies are your company currently implementing?

Here is a list of the responses sorted by industry.

Advertising, Branding & Marketing – CSS, Flash, PHP, .Net
Aerospace and Defense – High Speed Computing Clusters
Business services, software & predictive analytics - VMWare, Microsoft .Net 3.5, IBM Websphere
E-Commerce - ATG, VMWare, Hibiscus, Websphere, .Net
Education - .Net Frame Work 4.0, Load Test, VMWare, 10G Infrastructure Encryption Technologies
Engineering - Virtualization, Service-oriented architectures, message-oriented architectures, user-centered designs, autonomous tracking
Financial Services, Banking, Insurance,Investments & Mortgages – InRule, ATG, Windows Workflow, .Net 3.5, VS2010, SQL 2008, VM Servers, TFS2010, BizTalk, and Hibiscus.
Health Care - .Net 4.0, transporting of HIPPA data
Information Technology – Oracle Middleware solutions, SharePoint 2010, Office 2010, Netbook/Redfly devices for mobile integration, HTML5, Data Center Design, Server Virtualization, Desktop Virtualization, Storage Virtualization, iSCSI/FCoE Storage Networks, MS Server 2008 R2, MS Exchange 2010, MS SQL 2008, VMware vSphere 4.0, VMware View, Citrix XenApp, Citrix XenDesktop, Citrix XenServer, Brocade Fibre Channel and Ethernet Network Equipment, 10 GbE Networks, 40 GbE Networks, 100 GbE Networks, 8GB Fibre Channel
Medical Device – Microsoft Office Communicator Server 2007 R2/2010, Microsoft Exchange 2010, Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010

I hope you have enjoyed Part 1 of this survey information and look for part 2 next week.  As always if you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to leave one below.

Dear Reader,

As you read the title, you may be thinking, “I thought Blue Wave Professionals does IT and Engineering placements/staffing,” and yes, you are right we do.  However, from time to time, we run across great sales people looking for new opportunities and thought that this blog from Career Alley might be helpful to those folks as well. I hope you enjoy this post and find it helpful.

Sincerely,

Nicole Hitch
President
Blue Wave Professionals

Author Byline: CareerAlley

Author Website: http://Careeralley.com

“A sale is not something you pursue, it’s what happens to you while you are immersed in serving your customer.” – Anonymous

You know the old saying, a good salesperson can sell anything. I’m sure there is some truth to it, but to be a successful salesperson takes a certain personality and skill-set that (in my opinion) can’t be easily taught. It is one of the few careers where you know fairly quickly how you are doing (and if you are not doing well you will not last long). It is also one of the few careers where there are (generally) plenty of jobs (more than most) but they are the most difficult to find. “Where” you may ask are these jobs that are so difficult to find – read on.

Retail:

• Home Depot – Home Depot is know as the Do It Yourself store. They have an established business model. Their careers page is clean and crisp. There are links at the top left hand side of the page for 5 different functional areas of employment, plus one for new store openings (where they will obviously need help). Below this on the left hand side is a search function, followed by a number of additional links to related information. Click the job search box and you will have a number of choices. Of course, you are looking for Sales Associates, but there are also click boxes for Store Managers, Customer Service and Supply Chain. Also, at the bottom of the page they have a link for their career fair calendar. Unfortunately, you must register on the site and check each job type individually.

• Nordstom – What? Hardware is not your thing? What about the soft side, upscale department stores. They have a great careers page. Center page there are three choices: Store openings (they will need salespeople), Career paths (look for sales) and create a profile (sales!). Create your search using the key words “Retail Sales”. There were over 1,000 Retail Sales opportunities when I checked the site.

Other Sales:

• Google – No, you did not read this wrong. Google has an amazing number of sales jobs. Rather than go through their main careers page, the link to the left leads directly to their sales jobs. Center page is the long list of jobs, left hand side are links to Life at Google, locations, student jobs and more. The right hand side of the page has related links.

Resources and Leads:

• Sales, Advertising, & Marketing – This is a listing of leads and resources that will keep you busy for a very long time. Riley Guide’s list of Sales related jobs is an amazing collection of job search sites, executive recruiters, trade shows and the list goes on.

• Salesjobs.com – This is the “World’s largest Sales Employment Site” according their tag line. And, according to the stats on their main page, there are over 200,000 job opportunities on their site. The main page has tabs at the top, but Candidates seems to be the only one that would be of interest. Below this (middle of the page) is a quick search box (using industry and area code). Bottom left hand side is the candidates section where you can upload your resume, login or get advice. Clicking the Candidates tab at the top leads to a page with dedicated resources such as Search, post resume, advice, sales links and more.

• National Association of Sales Professionals – This is an example of a professional organization (this one focusing on sales). In addition to other services, this association also has a career center (one of the tabs at the top of the page). Click on career center and the left hand side of the page is dedicated to Job Seekers where you can post a resume, View jobs, create personal alerts and more. When I clicked on the view jobs link, there were over 2,900 opportunities.

Good luck in your search.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

By: Nicole Hitch

Have you ever heard the saying, “It isn’t what you know, but who you know that counts.”?  Well, much of that saying holds a startling truth, especially in the case of the job search.  In this post I’ll cover the what, why, when, where, who and how basics of networking.

What is networking?

According to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, Networking is “the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions; specifically: the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business.”  So what does that mean for you?  Let’s move into the why next.

Why should I be networking?

Let me ask you: Are you 100% satisfied with where you are in your career?  Do you know all you need to know about what you do?  Do you feel 100% certain that you will never have to look for another job?  Are you completely done growing professionally? If you answered yes to all of the above questions, then there is no need for you to read this post. J  However if you answered, no to any of the above questions having a well cultivated network can help you with all of these things. For example, if you should find yourself surprisingly without a job and in search of a new opportunity, your network most likely will be of great help. (Again, if you have maintained it correctly.)  This brings us to the when and where to network.

When and where do I network?

Networking can happen at any time and in any place; at work, at a party, at a conference, on an airplane, in the elevator…. You get the idea.  Just as you can meet new people and make new friends anywhere…wait a minute, isn’t that networking?… Absolutely, that is networking and therefore, networking can take place anytime and anywhere.

Who should be in my network?

Anyone and everyone.  Some examples could include; current and former co-workers, people you have met from professional associations, friends, family, former classmates, teachers, professors, people from your religious or social organizations, your kid’s friend’s parents… the list is endless.  The more people you know and that know you, the larger your network is.  The key is the people you know AND who know you, which brings us to how you build and maintain your network.

How do I build and maintain my network?

First, how to build your network.  This is the part that I get the most questions about, especially from people who are shy or maybe not very comfortable approaching people they don’t know.  The easiest way to start is in a group of people who might share a common interest.  For example, if you are a .Net Developer, join a .Net user group in your area, by doing this you already know that there are going to be people there who have a similar interest and background knowledge as you, making conversation easier.  Once in the room, if you don’t know anyone there, see if you can find someone standing by themselves and introduce yourself knowing that they are going to sigh a huge sigh of relief that they aren’t alone any longer and that they didn’t have to start the conversation.  An easy way to start a conversation is to ask what they do and then listen and ask questions from there.  To be a good networker, you need to be genuinely interested in the person you are speaking with.  After all, you are trying to build a connection with them.  Events set up specifically for networking or have a social/networking period are great ways to start as well because you know that everyone in the room is there to meet new people.

Once you have made connections and are starting to build your network, you are not finished.  Just like all friendships, one must maintain the connections in their network.  No one likes someone who only contacts them when they need something, so how do you keep the connection strong with already such a busy life?  Stay in touch with your contacts.  I like to start this right after meeting someone new.  I typically ask for their business card and then follow up with an e-mail letting them know that it was nice meeting them and inviting them to connect with me on LinkedIn, or following up with something more specific if our conversation went a specific direction.  Other ways to stay connected could be as easy as an e-mail every so often to say hello, letting them know of opportunities that might be of interest to them, if something new happens in your life you can update them, invite them to social or professional events you are attending or know that they would enjoy, with Linked In and Facebook, often times people post their birthday, so pay attention and wish them a happy birthday… the point is stay in touch by being thoughtful, authentic and real.

Happy networking and as always if you would like to know more, have questions or want to discuss any of the information, please feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me at nhitch@bluewaveprofessionals.com.

By: Nicole Hitch

You have been applying for jobs, networking, and trying your best to get your foot in the door for a new opportunity.  The phone rings and you hear the words you have been hoping to hear… “Hello Mr./Ms. _________ we are calling to schedule you for an interview with so and so at______________ company.”  You have your big toe in the door, you have secured an interview…  ok, now what…???  Here are some steps to help you prepare to knock the socks off whoever is interviewing you and have a better chance of making it to the next step in the interview process.

1. Dress to Impress!  You only get one chance to make a first impression.  Because everyone’s fashion sense is different I recommend that you wear a dark solid color suite with a clean and pressed white button up shirt for men and a white blouse or button up shirt for women.  Guys don’t wear a crazy tie, keep it simple, a solid color tie is best.  Your hair should be neat and clean, keep jewelry to a minimum, and your shoes need to be polished and clean.  Also, many people are sensitive to smells and an overwhelming smell can also leave a bad impression.    Keep perfume, cologne, scented lotions, body sprays and aftershave to a minimum, don’t smoke in your suite, and try not to sit in a coffee shop prior to your interview as you most likely will smell like a coffee bean when you walk in and shake hands.
2. Do your homework!  Check out the company website, any press releases, what do they do, are they involved in the community, if so how, have they acquired any companies recently… know about them and then prepare genuinely interesting questions to ask about the company and take notes on topics that you may want bring up during the interview to help you build rapport with the interviewer and show your interest in the company.  When you ask your questions, actively listen to the answers, be genuinely interested in the answers and where appropriate ask follow up questions.
3. Prepare for difficult questions!  There is a plethora of resources with practice interview questions online.  Take the time to practice answering these questions.  You don’t want your answers to sound “canned,” but you also don’t want to leave the interview thinking, “ I should have said this or that about…”  You can also look at my blog entry of practice interview questions to also get some to practice.
4. Prepare your elevator speech!  What is an elevator speech?  It is the reason why any company should hire you.  Come up with about a 30 second bit about your strengths or accomplishments that are tailored to the position you are interviewing for.  This goes along with #3 above, you may get the question, “What are 3-4 of your strengths or accomplishments?” or the statement “Tell me about yourself.”  This is where being prepared with what you bring to the table will enable you to answer these questions with ease.
5. Be confident.  If they are interviewing you, that means there is something in your background on your resume that has peaked their interest.  If you do the 4 above steps, you should be well prepared to answer any questions they throw your way, so be confident in the fact that you are well prepared and in the fact that they are already interested.   When they ask, tell them where you have excelled and what you bring to the table.  At this point it is your interview to either win or lose.  Always go in with a positive attitude and a smile on your face as well.  You’ll be surprised how far those two simple things can go!
6. Basic body language.  Smile! Show that not only are you there to learn about them, but you are friendly and easy to work with/speak to.  Sit up straight!  Sitting back in your chair can show a lack of interest in the interviewer, position and/or company.  Give a good firm handshake, let them know you are there and interested.  Look the interviewer(s) in the eye (this shows confidence)… if it is a panel interview; be sure to make eye contact with everyone when you answer questions to make sure they all feel included in the conversation.  Keep your hands in your lap!  This is for a couple reasons… first, crossed arms does not show interest or willingness, arms touching, crossed or folded in front of you (even on the table) often times comes across as a barrier between you and the interviewer.   The second reason for keeping your hands in your lap is if you fidget when you get nervous your hands are less noticeable and if your hands sweat when you are nervous, you have your pants or skirt to do a quick brush off when you get up at the end or your interview to shake hands so as not to extend a slimy wet handshake. J
7. Let them know you want the job!  At the end of the interview, be sure to reiterate that you are not only qualified for the position, but very interested in joining the team/company!  Managers want to extend offers to people who not only have what they are looking for, but also that they know want to work there.
8. A thank you goes a long way!  At the end of your interview, don’t forget to thank the interviewer for his/her time and then within 24 hours follow up with a thank you note.  Be sure to proof read your thank you note before sending it out!!!!!

Good luck in your next interview and if you have any questions or would like more information, please contact me at nhitch@bluewaveprofessionals.com.

By: Nicole Hitch

For all of those who are interested in a quick list of some practice interview questions, here are some to get you started.   There are tons of free resources online with many, many more practice questions as well!  Remember, the more you practice, the better you get!

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Tell me why you are interested in our company/this position.
3. What are 3-4 of your strengths or accomplishments?
4. What is your greatest strength?
5. What is your greatest weakness?
6. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
7. What are you most proud of?
8. What salary are you looking for or what are your salary requirements?
9. Why do you want this job?
10. What do you know about our company?
11. How would you go about establishing credibility with the team?
12. What is your ideal job?
13. What is your ideal company?
14. What are you looking for in terms of career development?
15. Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult co-worker.
16. What do you look for/expect out of a manager?
17. How do you do under pressure or stress?
18. When were you most satisfied in your job?
19. Why should we hire you?
20. What did you like about your last job/employer/manager?
21. What did you dislike about your last job/employer/manager?
22. What is your personal mission statement?
23. How do you want to improve yourself in the next year?
24. Are you willing to relocate?
25. Who has impacted you most in your career, and how?
26. What is your greatest achievement outside of work?
27. What do you like to do for fun?
28. Why are you leaving or why did you leave your present/last job?
29. If selected for this position, can you describe your strategy for the first, 30/60/90 days?
30. Do you have any questions for me?

By: Nicole Hitch

Planning on attending a career fair or forum?  Here is a checklist to help prepare you to be successful in your pursuit of your next great opportunity.  Remember, you only get one chance at a first impression, so let’s put your best foot forward.

• Dress Professionally – Men: Wear a dark solid colored matching suit with a white button-up collared shirt (pressed and clean) with a plain tie (no prints or crazy patterns); Ladies: also wear a dark solid colored matching suit (skirt or pants are fine) with a white or cream colored blouse.  For both, make sure your shoes are clean, scuff free and match your outfit.
• Bring breath mints or breath spray. No one enjoys speaking to someone with smelly breath.  However, don’t chew gum when you are meeting recruiters, managers or representatives of the company as chomping on gum during a conversation is not appealing.
• Go easy on any perfume, cologne, aftershave or fragrant lotion, and keep any jewelry to a minimum.
• If you own pets that shed, bring a small lint roller with you in your car and do a quick check before going into the career fair.
• If you are a smoker, don’t smoke in your suit.  If you have smoked in the suite in the recent past, Febreeze it!
• Have multiple copies of your resume printed up on nice resume paper with your picture on the top.  If someone asks why you have your picture on top, explain that you figured there would be many people meeting with them and thought it might be easier for them to remember you if you put your face with your name on your resume.  (Make sure the picture you use is a professional headshot, not one you have cropped someone else out of.)
• Do your homework.  If there are certain companies that will be at the job fair that you are interested in, do your research, know about them, what positions they have posted and have the reasons why you would be a good fit ready to discuss.
• Treat every meeting as an interview with a potential employer. Smile and give good firm handshakes when you meet the representatives for the different companies, stand up straight, or sit up straight, be genuinely interested in the company, the person who is representing the company and their positions.
• You don’t want to come across as a pushy sales person, so have professional questions ready to go, be a good listener and be genuinely interested in the person you are speaking with.
• Have your 30 second elevator speech ready!  What I mean by this is, if you have 30-60 seconds with a recruiter or manager to tell them what you bring to the table, you need to be ready with a concise answer that really hits on the highlights of why you are the best candidate for your area at that job fair.  Remember they are meeting tons of applicants (some qualified and some not), you need to show them why they should learn more about you and your skills.
• If you are discussing a particular position with one of the recruiters or managers, ask for the interview.  Have your calendar with and politely let them know that you are very interested in the position and would like to schedule a time to meet with them to further discuss your qualifications and how you would be able to help their company achieve its’ goals.
• I know I mentioned it earlier, in one of my points, but it is worth mentioning again, SMILE!  It is much easier for someone to connect with you if you look happy, than if you look nervous, upset, frustrated, bored and so on.  Not only will you be able to build a better rapport with the people you are meeting with, but you will also feel more relaxed.  Try it as you read this, SMILE… see… did you feel yourself relax and feel better? J

I hope this checklist helps you in your quest to find your next wonderful opportunity.  Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions at nhitch@bluewaveprofessionals.com.

Happy Career Fair!!!

By: Nicole Hitch

It is amazing how many people I have spoken with lately that are looking for work and somehow still think that by purely looking though employment opportunities on job boards and applying online with a generic resume is going to land them their next dream job.  This topic has been in the news, in many blogs, on the radio and all over various newspapers and magazines, yet so many have not yet gotten the picture.  Job seekers… you must do better than that!

Think outside the box and get creative!  Put yourself in the hiring manager’s shoes with 500 resumes in front of you and one opening, what would get your attention and make you want to learn more about the person in the resume?  Or if you are going to a job fair or career forum, what will set you apart from everyone else there?  What will get you noticed (in a positive way)?

Based on my observations and experiences here are a few thoughts for job seekers. ..

• When applying for jobs, tailor your resume for each job you are applying to!  Don’t just put together a general resume with your jobs in chronological order and brief descriptions of your experience…  Your resume is basically your print ad; you need to make it jump out of the pile.  The front page should be a basic “Cliffs Notes” of what you bring to the table for that specific position/company.

• Follow up!!!!!  If you apply online, follow up with a phone call to make sure they got your completed application and show your interest.  Mail your cover letter and application to the company as well as apply online.  Go in person to hand deliver your cover letter and resume.   Kevin Donlin had a great idea on KARE-11 that has also worked for some; mail your resume in a Thank You note, thanking the manager for taking the time to read your resume.  The point is DO more and think outside the box!

• If you are going to a job fair or career forum, put your professional picture on your resume.  The recruiters there see tons of people and it may be one more thing to help them remember you.

• I should not have to say this, but if you are going to a job fair, career forum, or going to hand in your resume in person dress professionally!!!  You never know who you will meet and you don’t get a second chance at a first impression!

If you want to hear more of my ideas on this topic, please feel free to e-mail me at nhitch@bluewaveprofessionals.com I am also sure there are many more wonderful and creative ideas out there and I would love to hear them and would welcome any discussion, questions or am here to collaborate with to come up with more great ideas.

Welcome to Blue Wave Professionals Blog.

Enjoy…