Employment Blog: Jobing.com - Houston

Hey Job Seekers- make sure you get pre-registered for the Jobing.com Career Expo at Reliant Park Arena. Pre-registering isn't necessary; but it will ease your entrance to the event on Tuesday, February 3rd from 2PM-6PM.

There will be great local employers hiring, so come early and make a great impression. Use our complimentary services such as resume review and career workshops!

Aaron's Sales and Lease
Archer Dodge
AutoNation
Avalon School of Massage
City of Houston
Conn's
Dr Pepper Bottling Company - Houston
Durrett Motor Company
Enterprise Rent-a-Car
ExecuTeam
Faust Distributing Company
Forest Park Lawndale Funeral Home & Cemetery
GoDISH.com
Goodman Manufacturing Co.
HCSS
Houston Community College
Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
HT Staffing
IBC Bank   IKON Office Solutions
Jobing.com
La Michoacana Meat Market
Lee College
Logix Communications
LTD Financial Services, LP
Mattress Firm - Houston
NDT Systems & Services
Orkin Pest Control
Patient Accounts Services
Prudential Insurance and Financial Services
Reliant Park
Texas Association of Personnel Consultants
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
United States Army
Universal Technical Institute
University of Phoenix Online
Verizon Wireless
Wal-Mart Houston
Workforce Solutions

On Tuesday, February 3rd, Jobing.com is hosting the largest job fair Houston has ever seen. Meet with great local employers who are looking to hire now, and hire soon. There will be entry level jobs, senior level jobs, and everything in-between.

From 2PM to 6PM, come prepared with an updated resume and look your best. There will be thousands of job seekers in attendance so you'll want to stand out the best you can.

Employers- if you haven't registered for a booth yet, now's the time! There has never been more qualified talent available than now for your open positions.

See you at Reliant Park Arena on Tuesday, February 3rd!

Good morning Houston!

I had the pleasure of appearing on Fox 26 this morning to discuss the topic of job search tips for job seekers who are 40+ years old.  Due to the nature of news shows, time constraints compressed the information.  This is a very important topic, so I wanted to expand on it here.  (And please keep in mind that most of this information applies to ALL job seekers, not just those 40+.)

In the news broadcast, we covered these pointers for your overall job search:

Top 7 search tips for recently (or expected) downsized older workers:

1. Update your resume ASAP - get resume reviewed by a pro (Workforce Solutions) and attend workshops. (Jobing.com provides both of these services at our Job Fairs)
2. Seek new employment immediately - the longer you're out of work, the harder it is to find work.  Even if you have severance, get in the search NOW.
3. Networking - tell everyone you know that you are in the market.  This will include your clients, vendors, and competitors!  The beautiful thing about "older" workers is that they've have years to build up a solid contact network - put it to use!  It's one definite area where you hold the advantage over "younger" workers.
4. Google yourself!  Check out your online presence and if you don't have one, at least create a profile on a well-reputed business social networking site like LinkedIn.com
5. Attend professional organization meetings relevant to your industry or job type.
6. Register with at least one recruiting/staffing consultant, especially one or two that specialize in your industry/job type. (www.tapc.org)
7. Be willing to use your experience to function as a consultant or other non-traditional means of employment.

Now that we've covered that, let's get to the new information!

First things first, 99% of employers are not out to discriminate against anyone, especially older workers.  "Older" - I dislike using that term - workers tend to be hard workers with great skill sets and experience.  So why would an employer pass you over?  Let's start with your resume.  They see gaps in the skill set, a "catch all" resume, or 30 years' experience that makes you 'over-qualified'.  This is not exclusive to older workers - it's a common thread across industries and age groups.  Let's break these down into a "Top 5" list for your resume.

Top 5 Resume Improvement Tips for 40+ workers:

1.  Customize- Always customize your resume and cover letter to the position you are applying for.  "Blasting" your resume is not useful and only leads to frustrate recruiters and you!

2.  Outdated technology skills - Technology terms are often used as keywords in resume searches and reviews.  If you need an update, take classes and update your skills!

3. Outdated Terminology - Outdated industry or occupational terminology
 Did you list one of your early positions from 1968 as a "girl Friday?"  - It's worse than showing your age (which isn't necessarily a bad thing).  You are showing that you are out of date with society (which definitely is!).

 4. Outdated resume - Do you list every job you've ever had?  If so, consider paring down to the most relevant for the position you're applying for.  Don't assign arbitrary dates, such as going back 10 years.  Rather, apply relevancy.  Relevancy is what will get you the interview.  Not attempting to wow a recruiter (who is probably not going to read a 30-year work history anyway) with everything you've ever done.  Leave some information for the interview process. :)

5. Eliminate Dates where possible - Eliminate dates and superfluous information where you are able.  For example, list your college degree, but not the year of achieving it (unless it was recent).  While this particular tip is a matter of taste, I believe it to be useful in avoiding arbitrary age discrimination which, while unfortunate, illegal, and rare, does exist.

Lastly, workers age 40+ are protected by Federal Law against discrimination.  If you feel you've been discriminated against based on age, contact the Houston EEOC office at 1-800-669-4000

I hope this information assists you in your job search!  For additional assistance, I am including some additional resources below.

Resources:

Local jobs:
www.Jobing.com

Staffing consultant list:
www.tapc.org then click Directory

Books:
"Resumes for the 50+ Job Hunter" (VGM)

"Encore:  Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life" (Marc Freedman)

"48 Days to the Work you Love" (Dan Miller)

Hey job seekers, Jobing.com will be hosting over 80 local employers this Thursday, November 13th at the Jobing.com Career Expo.

Looking to work in retail? Men's Wearhouse will be hiring sales associates!

How about working with computers and technology? HCSS may be the place for you!

So come on out between 12noon and 5pm to check out hundreds of open positions. Parking at Reliant Arena is $8.00, so please be prepared.

See you Thursday!

Good morning Houston!

I hope that everyone made it safely through Hurricane Ike.  Fortunately, all of the Jobing.com staff and facilities came through it without harm (unless you count an extended power outage!).  It was inspiring to see the community pull together after Ike.  There have been countless random acts of kindness.  Houston really is a great community!

If you are a job seeker looking for work in Houston, please be assured that there are still hundreds of companies posting thousands of local jobs on Jobing.com.  Houston is still the best place to live, work, and play in America!

Employers hiring in Houston should also be aware that there are still thousands of great potential candidates!  Further, please know that Jobing.com's site remained in service throughout the hurricane and the continuing clean-up and recovery efforts.  We're here to assist you with any questions or hiring needs you may have.

Chin up, Houston!  The worst is behind us and the future is bright!

Have a great day and GO JOBING!

If you are a regular news consumer, chances are you’ve seen a number of gloomy headlines when it comes to the economy lately- but there is good news, Houston !  One of the cool things about our mission at Jobing.com is working with local media to help educate the public on employment in Houston and provide valuable advice for job seekers.  We were thrilled to have the opportunity to visit our friends at FOX 26 yesterday, when Community Relations Manager Fritz Lawson made a special appearance to talk about five industries in Houston that have a lot of jobs right now.

Click here to see video of the interview on the FOX 26 website (www.myfoxhouston.com), where you will also find all of the latest and up-to-date info on Hurricane Gustov.

With the Jobing.com Career Expo coming up on August 26th at Reliant Arena, my thoughts have recently turned to helping Houston employers achieve the best results possible.  While some of what I am about to share may seem intuitive, you'd be surprised at how many times I walk through a job fair and see some of the cardinal rules being violated.  So here's a little help / coaching / unsolicited advice.

1. Remember that you are there to talk with prospective employees and begin a dialogue.  Today is the start of the recruiting process.
2. Be aware of what you are communicating by how you set your booth up.  Putting a line of tables (or "the great blockade" as I refer to it) at the front of your booth and setting your chair up at the back sends a not-so-subtle message of "keep out" to job seekers.  While you may think this is just a logistically wise arrangement, the truth is that you're actually separating yourself from the same people you would suppose to interview and hire.  Open up!  Be accessible.  (Note:  I am also aware that some events simply do not allow you the space needed to be as open as you may like.  Yet another great reason to come to ours! :)  )
3. Be aware of what your body language is communicating.  Okay, so you've put your tables to the side or rear of your booth and decided to stand more near the front, but no one is approaching you.  Is it them?  Or is it you?  If you're standing there...arms crossed....with a scowl on your face... just how much good will opening up the front of your booth be?   Time after time, I see employers sitting behind a table, at the back of their booth, essentially pouting.  Is it any surprise that these are the same employers who tell me that they gave away a lot of candy/freebies, but did not meet with many applicants?  Hmmmm....
4. Think about the value of relationship recruiting.  You are likely to meet with a number of candidates for whom you do not currently have an opening, but that possess a skill set and experience that may be valuable at some point in the future.  Do you share details of your hiring plan with these people and add them to your hiring pipeline?  Or do you just say "Sorry, nothing for you.... NEXT!!!"?  Of course you would never SAY that exact phrase, but that's how it comes across to someone in need/search of work.
5. Work a job fair like you would any networking event or party - don't be a wall flower!  Use your eyes to engage candidates walking past - who knows, you might find a great new employee!
6. Remember the strength (or weakness) of your employment brand.  We consistently see that well-known employers receive better traffic than less-known employers.  Why does that need to be?  It doesn't!  If you have a weak(er) employment brand, that just means you'll have to "work the room" a little harder than someone with a more established employment brand.
7. Be conscious of the fact that you may be the only impression that a job seeker has of your company.  Making a bad impression now, may cost your company some great talent in the future!
8. Have fun.  That's right!  I said it!  HAVE FUN, folks.
9. Employ the FISH! concepts and you'll be well on your way to having a successful event....  but the first, and biggest tenet is....
10. BE THERE.  It's like the lottery - You cannot win if you don't buy a ticket.  (Or as my Dad always say 90% of life is showing up!)

There you have it - some of my best advice to you.  Bigger than my advice, though, is the fact that these tips are gleaned from our clients, and years of experience in operating the largest, most successful career fairs in Houston (Texas, or the U.S. for that matter!).

Happy hiring.  See you at the Expo!

Good afternoon Houston!

Fritz Lawson, Jobing.com's Community Relations Manager, and I will be appearing on Fox 26 news tomorrow, Friday July 18th, at 7 and 8am to discuss the state of job seeking and employment in Houston.

From 7-9am, the Jobing.com team and a number of our great community partners will be manning a phone bank to take your calls regarding your resume, job searching, and other employment-related questions.

A huge thank you to our community partners, clients, and friends who are providing volunteers to help provide support for the job seeking community in Houston:

• Workforce Solutions
• Montgomery County SHRM
• All Nursing Home Health Services
• Enpro Distributing
• Universal Technical Institute
• Career and Recovery Resources

National and Local media alike are all abuzz about the current state of the economy.  (Nothing rivets attention to a newscast like bad news, I guess).  But Houston is blissfully being spared most of the pain of the current economic issues.  Houston was recently listed by Kiplinger’s as the best place to live, work, and play in America!  The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that Houston ’s local area unemployment rate is at 4.2% - a mild upward move from 3.8% in April, but still a full 1.3% below the national rate. (And almost a point beneath the generally accepted “natural” unemployment rate of 5%) The employment pendulum swings in favor of the job seeker when unemployment drops below 5%.  That is, an unemployment rate below 5% indicates a talent shortage, and employers need to start making some changes.

For years now, HR professionals have spoken, written, read, blogged, (and some even screamed and stomped) about “the impending crisis” – referring to the retiring Baby Boomers and the labor vacuum they will leave behind – and the “upcoming war for talent” that will ensue shortly thereafter.

I have big news for you, Houston HR Professionals, Business Owners, and Hiring Managers:

The War for Talent is already on!  The $10,000,000 question is: are you equipped to fight it or are you losing ground?

To answer that question, take a look at the following list of factors and answer honestly.

 

Does your organization have an HR team, professional, or at least a dedicated “champion” for all things recruiting/retention related?

• And when I define “dedicated” as used in this question, I mean “greater than 75% of this person’s time” is invested in the recruiting/retention area. Consider the cost to your company for not having someone head up the Sales activities….or the Accounting activities…or the Leadership/Strategic vision portion of your business.  How well would any of these areas do without a dedicated leader?  Why would you expect anything else from your hiring and retention portion of your business if you are unwilling to dedicate someone to lead, manage, drive, and execute in that area?  If you suffer from high turnover, poor hiring, and skyrocketing recruiting costs – you probably need to designate a leader.

When is the last time your organization openly evaluated who the “type of people we hire” are?

• If it has been several years since you last questioned/evaluated the KSAs of your workforce and how they relate to the direction you/your leadership team want to take the business, I encourage you to do a review today.  The marketplace of 2008 is vastly different than that of 2000…or even 2005!  Generational differences, increased globalization, and the consolidation in many industries pose individual and distinct challenges to your finding and hiring the best talent.  The new employees of today are not willing to “show up and shut up” as many of their Baby Boom counterparts were – they just have not been raised that way. So you better be ready to adapt?

Does your company look at employees as assets or expenses?

• Too often, business leaders get caught in the trap of defining a truck, pipe, pump, or other widget as an “asset” and their people as “expenses.”  I recently appeared on CNN Radio with JD Messinger and we had a great conversation about this exact issue.  My personal view is very clear:  people are the backbone of any company and must be invested in, coached, trained, corrected, managed, and grown.

Does your company embrace technology or is it stuck in the Stone Age?

• Today’s workers grew up connected to the world via the Internet, Cable Television, E-mail, and Social Networking Sites.  How does your company rate when it comes to strategically deploying technology to increase efficiency, productivity, and ease of work for your team?  If you find you are one of those organizations that is resistant to do things in a new and different way, I recommend that you do some research about what happened/what is happening to wagon wheel makers, travel agents, home telephone service, and newspapers – they will give you a glimpse of your future.

Does your company’s recruiting process include constant interviewing and relationship recruiting?

• Ok, so you’re not hiring today.  Are you sure that the team you have is the perfect team?  Are you sure that none of your current team are shopping for a job?  People quit.  People get fired.  People move away and can’t stay.  People choose their family over work.  People find a job that pays $50 a month more than yours, and it’s 3 miles closer to home. 

I say this with love in my heart:  Get real.  You always need to be recruiting or your business will eventually die.  Read my prior blog on the subject for more enlightening information and support.

When is the last time you evaluated your compensation plan/structure vs. the other benefits of working at your organization?

• I can feel managers and business owners collectively tensing up right now…  Relax please - when I say “evaluate your compensation plan/structure” I do NOT mean “you need to increase wages.”  What I mean is:  Your total compensation plan – salary, benefits, location, perks, and culture (more on this later.)  Does your total compensation plan cover the needs of 2008 or was it built for 1978?  Today’s workers are not necessarily looking for a huge raise.  They want their work to mean something, be able to pay their bills, and facilitate their life.  The mantra is “work to live, not live to work.”

Can you describe the culture of your workplace in less than 45 seconds?

• If not, then there probably has not been a conscious plan to actually develop a workplace culture.  An intentional culture will attract the right people, encourage the wrong people to leave (or identify themselves so you can help them find their happiness elsewhere), increase your retention, improve productivity, and – ultimately – increase your profitability.  Establishing an intentional culture does not need to be expensive…it just needs to match the needs and desires of the company with those of the employees….and there are hundreds of awesome books, tapes, blogs, and consultants to help you with doing it.  For a really inexpensive (FREE) option, visit our site and browse the videos of great thought leaders, or shoot me an e-mail and get signed up for our quarterly GoJobing! Magazine, where you will find tons of useful information from noted authors like Marcus Buckingham, Stephen M.R. Covey, Stedman Graham, Chester Elton, and many others.

Again I’ve run off at the blog.  It’s just that I am just very passionate about this – as are all of us here at Jobing.com.  The bottom line is this: the war is on and you are either winning or losing, there is no in-between.  If you, or an organization you know of, want or need some help with employment, hiring, recruiting, or retention issues, feel free to contact me any time.  Whether you are a "paying" Jobing.com client or not, my mission – OUR mission – is to help grow the employment base of Houston and connect local job seekers with local employers!

 

While visiting the HR Houston website today, I found an upcoming course that covers leading during times of change.  You can register for either one day or two day attendence.  Here are the details:

Strategic Leadership: Guiding & Leading the Change Process. The course that gives you practical tools and insights to help you align with strategic goals, and credibly guide and reinforce significant change in your organization.

Understanding change, its predictable patterns and processes - and the way it affects the human side of business - is essential to performing our jobs well. In two content packed days, you will learn what works and what does not work in large scale corporate change efforts. You will learn new ways to plan communication, build consensus, and ensure sustained support for your company initiatives. You will walk away with the knowledge you need to be credibly involved, as well as principles to help you more successfully address the less dramatic changes in your business and personal life.

HRCI RECERTIFICATION CREDIT:

This program has been approved for 15 recertification credit hours for the Strategic Recertification Hours required by HRCI for SPHR recertification. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI website at www.hrci.org.

REGISTRATION: Click Here for a faxable registration form or Register through HR Houston 

DATES/TIMES/LOCATIONS:
April 23, 2008 8:00 AM
April 24, 2008 5:00 PM
Houston Baptist University Campus
Houston, TX 77074   

Whether you need permanent or seasonal employment or employees - The June 10th Jobing.com Career Expo will be an amazing opportunity for you to connect locally to meet that need.  We are proud to be able to connect local job seekers and employers face-to-face and can't wait to see you there.  Our event will be held conveniently at the Reliant Center from 12noon to 5pm. 

If you missed the event our last event, be sure to make it to one of the upcoming job fairs later this year. 

Here are the remaining dates for the 2008 Jobing.com Career Expos:

6/10/08
8/26/08
11/13/08

For more details on the soonest job fair date please check out the job fair listing on our home page.  Register today and save the date:

Job Seeker Registration

Employer Registration 

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.     ¯Maya Angelou

Being memorable isn't just about having a knock-out resume or being connected to the right people.  Being memorable can happen just through the way you communicate with others and how you make them feel. 

For example, consider the power of gratitude and how you can apply it to your search.  Taking the time to call and say thanks, to write a thank you card, or to simply send out an email can make all the difference.  Here are some ideas of good times to say thank you (keeping in mind – it is almost always a good time to say thanks):

1.  Thank the employer in your in your cover letter – for their time and consideration.

2.  Thank anyone (verbally) who takes the time to interview you on the phone or in person.

3.  Send a thank you card to employers after an in person interview.  Thank them for their time, tell them briefly about why you are excited for the position:  ie:  “Thank you for your time.  Your “name of position” role is so exciting to me because….”

4.  Thank anyone who offers you advice, contacts, or leads in your search.  A card to this person could keep you top of mind the next time some great opportunity comes their way. 

Do you have any best practices for sharing a good “thank you” note – feel free to share them below! 

Tax Time!  The topic on the top of everyone's mind right now is taxes.  Even though we think about it most this time of year, tax accounting offers great opportunities and challenges all year long.  Being a tax account is ideal for a person with strong interest in numbers and in the law.  For the right person, it can be an opportunity to use both interests for the benefit of their clients.  Bernard Abercrombie spoke with us briefly about the types of jobs available to a person interested in tax accounting.   

Whether your team is a group of artists, web developers, sales managers, or recruiters - time management can be crucial.  In order to be successful your company must accomplish tasks and produce results within predictable (and sometimes pre-determined) time frames.  So with all of the great culture initiatives and energy generation - how do you also fit in the sense of urgency required to work on a deadline?  Sharad Patel, Creative Director for AXBG, offers great advice on time management when working on creative projects.  We hope it translates to your team as well!

Feeling flexible?  Restructuring the times your employees come to work can have big payoffs for your employees, for your bottom line and for Houston traffic.  Back in 2006 the Mayor's office released this impressive statistic about the impact of a two week initiative "Flex in the City":

• The combined estimated annual user cost savings for the more 16,000 peak-hour commuters for the two freeways is $16.8 million. (Annual road user cost savings includes the time savings from a productivity perspective due to travel time, safety in terms of traffic accident avoidance and fuel costs.)

Consider the impact of saving time for all employees and employers in the Houston area by creating your own flexplan to eliminate at least one peak-time commute.  For more information about how you can help Houston become a leader in workplace flexibility, visit the flexible workplace initiative site. 

David Bruesehoff discusses the way one type of flex plan can work, in this video about a "compressed" work week: