Who Needs Unemployment? I've got jobs!

Seven of the most hilaious (but true) Jobs

2011-10-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

I'm going to warn everyone before reading today's article, it's purely for entertainment but in the recruiting world, most days could use a really good laugh!

1. Man Who Watches Paint Dry

Unless you are a skydiving lion tamer, chances are your job tends to get tedious from time to time. You might even compare it to “watching grass grow” or more commonly “watching paint dry”. For some folks though, such a comparison is downright insulting, seeing as they have made a career out of observing drying paint.

One such person is Keith Jackson from the UK, who for the last 30 years, has been assessing the time it takes for his company’s paint to dry. By gently touching test area on his work station wall, Mr. Jackson times how long it takes for a paint to stop being wet. It might seem horribly unnecessary, but keep in mind that there are places out there which have to occasionally be painted in record fast time (like subway stations or freeways), and it’s up to Mr. Jackson to see just how his company’s formula is holding up.

2. Coconut Safety Engineer

This profession is unfortunately only available in tropical paradises like the Virgin Islands, but luckily it requires very little training or special skills other than the ability to swing a big stick. The job of a coconut safety engineer is to go around to private properties like hotels and resorts and whack their coconut trees until all potentially dangerous nuts fall down.

This is done to protect their guests from falling coconuts (some of which can reach well over 3 pounds in weight) sparing the hotel/resort owners any unnecessary lawsuits. In fact, a falling coconut can do significant damage or even be fatal. The job might not pay that much, and there is no word if a CSE can keep the coconuts he knocks down, but it is a job which concerns itself with the public’s safety, making it quite noble and well worth the effort.

3. Mosquito Gatherer

Malaria, a mosquito transferable disease, is still a huge problem in certain parts of the world, so science is constantly on the job trying to find ways to cure it. In order to do that however, they need mosquito specimens. And that’s when it gets a little weird.

It turns out one of the easiest ways to attract the little disease spreading bloodsuckers is to roll up your sleeves and let them start feasting on the red bloody goodness inside you. That is the job of a mosquito gatherer who turns his own body into an All You Can Eat buffet for mosquitoes. After they latch onto his skin, the mosquito gatherer sucks them up through a straw and deposits the insect vampires into specimen jars for further studies.

The job’s risks include contracting malaria and up to 3000 mosquito bites a day, making it without doubt the suckiest non-prostitution-related profession in the world.

4. Chicken Sexer

This is one of those job titles which could be easily misunderstood, causing less than hilarious mix-ups with certain less than well adjusted individuals. In a sane reality though, a chicken sexer is the person who checks the sex of chicks in poultry sorting facilities.

Today everything is industrialized, even and especially animal farms. What happens there is that a clucking adorable sea of yellow chicks comes down a shaft and onto a conveyor belt or something similar while the factory employees stand around them sorting out the males from the females. The females later go to other farms to lay eggs while any number of things can happen to the males, but most often they get chopped up and put in dog food.

5. Egg Breaker

You might be thinking – “Egg breaker? Hot dog, I’ve been training for that job all my life!” but sadly professional klutzes have been in very low demand in the last few decades and no one is currently interested in paying you to be clumsy. Actually, the job of the egg breaker is to manually separate the egg whites and yolks in food service industries, additionally keeping an eye out for spoiled eggs.

Modern technology can do wondrous things like send communications from one end of the globe to the other in half a second, but we still need humans to separate our eggs, apparently. This is good news for all of you worrying that your job is going to be taken over by robots in the future. Whatever happens, at least you will always be able to find a job breaking eggs.

6. Butt Wiper

Let’s talk about Sumo wrestling. Have you seen how huge those guys are? Flipping hot heck, some Sumo wrestlers get so big you could stab one in the back and not have the knife reach any internal organs for like a week. This is, of course, one of the many sacrifices these wrestlers have to make to achieve fame and glory in the ring, but their size often comes at a much more terrible price: the inability to wipe.

Indeed, a few Sumo wrestlers tend to get so big they no longer can reach down behind and below them to wipe after using the toilet. Not that long ago, this actually was the job of the “freshman” at the school the Sumo wrestler attended, but since finally discovering the concept of basic human dignity, many Japanese officials banned this practice. But there will always be people willing to do many terrifying things for money.

The professional sumo-butt wipers are of course most often hired as full time nurses but the implications of their future tasks are made quite clear in the interview process. Bizarrely, many still take this job willingly.

7. Fart Smeller

Yes, turns out one of the many names kids used to call you back when you were younger is actually a real thing. Incidentally, “Poop Eater” continues not to be a real thing (at the time of this writing), but someday… who knows?

The Fart Smellers have been first described in 2005 in “Popular Science” concerning an experiment performed by Dr. Michael Levitt. Levitt, a gastroenterologist, paid 2 evidently desperate people an undisclosed amount of money to smell and rate farts from his test subjects, according to their noxiousness. The experiment used gasses collected from 16 healthy volunteer after eating pinto beans and concluded that the worst smelling parts of farts are hydrogen sulfide.

EMC Cloud Advisory with Cloud Optimizer

2011-04-28T18:02:00.001-07:00

Balance your private and public cloud architecture options to achieve maximum cost savings and business agility

Insights
EMC Cloud Advisory Service
EMC Perspective: Optimizing the Journey to the Cloud
EMC Perspective: Building a Trusted Cloud
Video: The Future of Cloud: Optimization Strategies for Cloud Models
Video: Trust in the Cloud
View all related materials Overview

The EMC Cloud Advisory Service gives you a roadmap to achieve the cloud vision that’s right for your organization – from pervasive virtualization to IT-as-a-Service and federation with public clouds.

We work with you to set strategy, develop the business case, define the architecture, and build governance models to achieve operational excellence in your cloud approach.

Our innovative approach featuring EMC Cloud Optimizer balances private, public, and hybrid cloud options based on economics, functionality, and trust – identifying savings of up to 25 percent of IT budgets.

Challenges

Deploying a cloud strategy requires an approach that takes advantage of the opportunities for virtualization and federation. Beyond IT efficiency, the cloud can dramatically improve business agility.

Your challenges include:

Developing a business case for cloud computing
Designing a cloud architecture that’s efficient and scalable across legacy IT data and public cloud providers
Balancing cloud vision with pragmatic choices based on trust, functionality, and economics
Defining placement of application workloads in an optimal cloud model

Our Approach

EMC Cloud Advisory Service develops a cloud strategy to maximize cost savings and business agility. EMC Cloud Optimizer balances legacy IT and cloud models based on trust, functionality, and economics.

The EMC Cloud Advisory Service with Cloud Optimizer:

Creates a business case for the value of cloud including CAPEX and OPEX
Defines IT costs based on information workloads for true cost insights
Establishes benchmarks to measure information assets based on industry and organization-centric trust measurements
Creates a transformational plan for people, process, and technology required for you to move to a cloud model.

Measurable Outcomes

The EMC Cloud Advisory Service helps you advance on your strategic journey to the enterprise-ideal cloud. An engagement will help you gain:

Insight into your cloud maturity for people, process, and technology
Accurate measurement of costs by application workload
A business case for cloud value including CAPEX and OPEX
A roadmap for your organizational and architectural journey to the cloud

Cloud Computing for Dummies!!

2011-04-28T17:49:00.001-07:00

Cloud computing refers to the provision of computational resources on demand via a computer network, such as applications, databases, file services, email, etc. In the traditional model of computing, both data and software are fully contained on the user's computer; in cloud computing, the user's computer may contain almost no software or data (perhaps a minimal operating system and web browser only), serving as little more than a display terminal for processes occurring on a network of computers far away. A common shorthand for a provided cloud computing service (or even an aggregation of all existing cloud services) is "The Cloud".

The most common analogy to explain cloud computing is that of public utilities such as electricity, gas, and water. Just as centralized and standardized utilities free individuals from the difficulties of generating electricity or pumping water, cloud computing frees users from certain hardware and software installation and maintenance tasks through the use of simpler hardware that accesses a vast network of computing resources (processors, hard drives, etc.). The sharing of resources reduces the cost to individuals.

The phrase “cloud computing” originated from the cloud symbol that is usually used by flow charts and diagrams to symbolize the internet. The principle behind the cloud is that any computer connected to the internet is connected to the same pool of computing power, applications, and files. Users can store and access personal files such as music, pictures, videos, and bookmarks or play games or use productivity applications on a remote server rather than physically carrying around a storage medium such as a DVD or thumb drive. Almost all users of the internet may be using a form of cloud computing though few realize it. Those who use web-based email such as Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, a Company owned email, or even an e-mail client program such as Outlook, Evolution, Mozilla Thunderbird or Entourage that connects to a cloud email server. Hence, utilizing desktop applications to connect to your cloud email, is still considered a cloud application.

Several ways to actually get a job.

2011-03-02T11:38:00.000-08:00

Whether you're looking for your very first job, switching careers, or re-entering the job market after an extended absence, finding a job whittles down to two main tasks: understanding yourself and understanding the job market. Presuming you've already chosen a career and are currently searching for jobs, here are several ways to actually get a job.

Network.

The best companies to work for tend to rely heavily (up to 40%) on employee referrals. Make a list of all of your friends, relatives, and acquaintances. Call each one and ask them if they know of any openings that they could recommend you for. Don't be too humble or apologetic; tell them what you've been looking for, but let them know that you're flexible and that if they have any suggestions, you're open to them. This is not the time to be picky about jobs; a connection can often get your foot in the door, and you can negotiate pay or switch positions later, once you've gained experience and established your reputation.

Volunteer.

If you aren't already, start volunteering for an organization that focuses on something that you're passionate about. You may end up doing boring or easy work in the beginning, but as you stick around and demonstrate your commitment, you'll be given more responsibilities. Not only will you be helping others, but you'll also be gaining references. You should emphasize your volunteer experience on your resume, as companies that treat their employees well tend to favor candidates who help the community somehow.[1]

Write a really well-written letter to the owner of the company/establishment. Make sure you highlight all your valuable skills and qualifications but also make it clear that you are flexible and a good team worker. Use good vocabulary and keep an appropriate tone of formality throughout your application.

Develop your personal elevator pitch. Many structured interviews, particularly those at large companies, start with a question like "tell me about yourself." The interviewer doesn't really want you to go back to grade school and talk about your childhood. This is a specific question with a specific answer...in two minutes or so, the interviewer wants to get you to relax and loosen out your vocal cords, understand your background, your accomplishments, why you want to work at XYZ company and what your future goals are.

Prepare for a behavioral interview. You might be asked to describe problems you've encountered in the past and how you handled them, or you'll be given a hypothetical situation and asked what you would do. They'll basically want to know how you'll perform when faced with obstacles in the position you're interviewing for. Be able to give honest, detailed examples from your past, even if the question is hypothetical (e.g. "I would contact the customer directly, based on my past experience in a different situation in which the customer was very pleased to receive a phone call from the supervisor"). You might find yourself listing facts--if so, remember that in this kind of interview, you need to tell a story. Some questions you might be asked are:

"Describe a time you had to work with someone you didn't like."
"Tell me about a time when you had to stick by a decision you had made, even though it made you very unpopular."
"Give us an example of something particularly innovative that you have done that made a difference in the workplace."
"How would you handle an employee who's consistently late?"

Sources: http://www.wikihow.com/Get-a-Job

The Cubicle World… 10 Things You Really Should Know

2010-09-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

The cubicle world is in a universe of its own, it has rules, regulations and oddities that are strictly unique to it. You'd think that each cubicle job would be different, but no, this isn't so. Having worked in the cubicle world for many years, I am here to tell you, they are all the same. One BIG cubicle world for all.
But, let this not scare you, because it actually can be a benefit. Knowing the key issues of working in the cubicle world, you will be at an advantage in any cubicle job you may land in.

Following are 10 things to know about the cubicle world that will help you understand the strange universe you have entered.

1. Cubicles are like rooms in a community house. Your cubicle is accessible and visible to everyone, it's your private space, but anyone can walk into it and see what you are doing. A good idea is to arrange it so that when people come to visit' they don't see your computer screen. We all know that at some point in the day you'll be doing some inevitable web surfing or shopping.
2. Some cubicle worlds don't allow eating at your desk, or may equate eating a snack to taking a break. So you might want to set a little space that's hidden from passers by where you can place that little snack you're going to have mid-morning.

3. You get to decorate your cubicle however you like. Up to a point, of course. Forget about hanging posters of things like the We love Blood and Guts' heavy metal band. You can also leave behind the decorative hanging piece your kid made at school using metal cans and wooden sticks. Your place should reflect your character, but there are limits and you should appear somewhat professional.

4. That said the cubicle world never seems to run short of the workers who will stretch their decorative allowance to the limit. They will fill it with as much stuff as possible. On the other hand, though, there are those who are happy as clams with just one lone wooden figurine on a corner of their desk.

5. Just as cubicles are like rooms, your cubicle mates are your neighbors. The number of cubicle neighbor types is very large, however there are some kinds that just seem to be ever present in the cubicle world. The loud mouth, for example is one that you can always count on to reside in a cubicle near you. Even if not so near, his or her volume puts anyone within 50 feet as way too close.

6. Cubicle placement is the luck of the draw in most cases. The supervisors will usually set the seating arrangements for the cubicle workers. But, if you are lucky enough to choose yours, a better option than a window cubicle is the proximity to and view of your boss's desk or office. Being out of sight from the boss will facilitate your ability to leave your desk often throughout the day and also to come in late unnoticed in the morning or after lunch.

7. Just about every office in the cubicle world has a chatterbox'. This is a worker who cannot stop yakking; it's in their nature. Every comment you make is a chance for them to go off on a 10-20 minute explanation of last night's shopping outing with the spouse. Make sure to steer clear when they return from a trip, or they will be in your cubicle for at least an hour's worth of vacation fun.

8. Smells are a big concern in the cubicle world. While many workers may think it's safe to pass wind silently, it will not go unnoticed when the fumes spread from one cubicle to the next. The same goes for those who believe a few extra drops of perfume will delight others. What this does is force all the cubicle members to suffocate in their overpowering smell.

9. In the same way the smell travels over the cubicles, so does any diminutive noise you make. Cubicle walls are hollow and anything can be heard through them. So think twice before you make that phone call to set up an interview to work in another cubicle job that you think is better than your current one.

10. Offices in the cubicle world tend to have occasional breakfasts provided by the company. Be sure to take part in those; not only can you eat for free, but you will have an excuse for not returning that phone call to the annoying sales guy. Yes, you will have to mingle with everyone and appear enthusiastic at 9 in the morning, but you will leave a good impression and be less likely to be scrutinized as an office outcast.

There are so many more things to know in the cubicle world, but these should cover the overall spectrum of daily office items and occurances. Knowing these and using them to your advantage should make your life the cubicle world more passable and less torturous.

Be happy that you are employed, but don't give up your dreams of someday being able to leave this world and enter a less confined one. Self-employed world doesn't sound too bad, does it? But if you can't find that one, maybe the private office world can be a happier place for you. For a while, anyway.

Difficult Interveiw Questions and How to Answer Them

2010-08-16T04:54:00.000-07:00

Mental fear of the unknown is often what produces the physical symptoms of nervousness. In addition to preparing yourself physically, you need to prepare yourself mentally. The best way to prepare mentally is to know what may be coming. Fear of the unknown can only exist when there is an unknown. Take the time to understand some of the standards when it comes to interviewing questions.

The following are some of the most difficult questions you will face in the course of your job interviews. Some questions may seem rather simple on the surfacesuch as Tell me about yourselfbut these questions can have a variety of answers. The more open ended the question, the wider the variation in the answers. Once you have become practiced in your interviewing skills, you will find that you can use almost any question as a launching pad for a particular topic or compelling story.

Others are classic interview questions, such as What is your greatest weakness? Questions most people answer improperly. In this case, the standard textbook answer for the greatest weakness question is to provide a veiled positive such as: I work too much. I just work and work and work. Wrong. Either you are lying or, worse yet, you are telling the truth, in which case you define working too much as a weakness and really do not want to work much at all.

The following answers are provided to give you a new perspective on how to answer tough interview questions. They are not there for you to lift from the page and insert into your next interview. They are provided for you to use as the basic structure for formulating your own answers. While the specifics of each reply may not apply to you, try to follow the basic structure of the answer from the perspective of the interviewer. Answer the questions behaviorally, with specific examples that show that clear evidence backs up what you are saying about yourself. Always provide information that shows you want to become the very best _____ for the company and that you have specifically prepared yourself to become exactly that. They want to be sold. They are waiting to be sold. Dont disappoint them!

1.Tell me about yourself.
It seems like an easy interview question. Its open ended. I can talk about whatever I want from the birth canal forward. Right?

Wrong. What the hiring manager really wants is a quick, two- to three-minute snapshot of who you are and why youre the best candidate for this position.

So as you answer this question, talk about what youve done to prepare yourself to be the very best candidate for the position. Use an example or two to back it up. Then ask if they would like more details. If they do, keep giving them example after example of your background and experience. Always point back to an example when you have the opportunity.

Tell me about yourself does not mean tell me everything. Just tell me what makes you the best.

2.Why should I hire you?
The easy answer is that you are the best person for the job. And dont be afraid to say so. But then back it up with what specifically differentiates you.

For example: You should hire me because Im the best person for the job. I realize that there are likely other candidates who also have the ability to do this job. Yet I bring an additional quality that makes me the best person for the job--my passion for excellence. I am passionately committed to producing truly world class results. For example . . .

Are you the best person for the job? Show it by your passionate examples.

3.What is your long-range objective?
Make my job easy for me. Make me want to hire you.

The key is to focus on your achievable objectives and what you are doing to reach those objectives.

For example: Within five years, I would like to become the very best accountant your company has on staff. I want to work toward becoming the expert that others rely upon. And in doing so, I feel Ill be fully prepared to take on any greater responsibilities which might be presented in the long term. For example, here is what Im presently doing to prepare myself . . .

Then go on to show by your examples what you are doing to reach your goals and objectives.

4.How has your education prepared you for your career?
This is a broad question and you need to focus on the behavioral examples in your educational background which specifically align to the required competencies for the career.

An example: My education has focused on not only the learning the fundamentals, but also on the practical application of the information learned within those classes. For example, I played a lead role in a class project where we gathered and analyzed best practice data from this industry. Let me tell you more about the results . . .

Focus on behavioral examples supporting the key competencies for the career. Then ask if they would like to hear more examples.

5.Are you a team player?
Almost everyone says yes to this question. But it is not just a yes/no question. You need to provide behavioral examples to back up your answer.

A sample answer: Yes, Im very much a team player. In fact, Ive had opportunities in my work, school and athletics to develop my skills as a team player. For example, on a recent project . . .

Emphasize teamwork behavioral examples and focus on your openness to diversity of backgrounds. Talk about the strength of the team above the individual. And note that this question may be used as a lead in to questions around how you handle conflict within a team, so be prepared.

6.Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or professor? How was it resolved?
Note that if you say no, most interviewers will keep drilling deeper to find a conflict. The key is how you behaviorally reacted to conflict and what you did to resolve it.

For example: Yes, I have had conflicts in the past. Never major ones, but there have been disagreements that needed to be resolved. I've found that when conflict occurs, it helps to fully understand the other persons perspective, so I take time to listen to their point of view, then I seek to work out a collaborative solution. For example . . .

Focus your answer on the behavioral process for resolving the conflict and working collaboratively.

7.What is your greatest weakness?
Most career books tell you to select a strength and present it as a weakness. Such as: I work too much. I just work and work and work. Wrong. First of all, using a strength and presenting it as a weakness is deceiving. Second, it misses the point of the question.

You should select a weakness that you have been actively working to overcome. For example: I have had trouble in the past with planning and prioritization. However, Im now taking steps to correct this. I just started using a pocket planner . . . then show them your planner and how you are using it.

Talk about a true weakness and show what you are doing to overcome it.

8.If I were to ask your professors to describe you, what would they say?
This is a threat of reference check question. Do not wait for the interview to know the answer. Ask any prior bosses or professors in advance. And if theyre willing to provide a positive reference, ask them for a letter of recommendation.

Then you can answer the question like this:

I believe she would say I'm a very energetic person, that Im results oriented and one of the best people she has ever worked with. Actually, I know she would say that, because those are her very words. May I show you her letter of recommendation?

So be prepared in advance with your letters of recommendation.

9.What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have?
Focus on two words: leadership and vision.

Here is a sample of how to respond: The key quality in a successful manager should be leadership--the ability to be the visionary for the people who are working under them. The person who can set the course and direction for subordinates. The highest calling of a true leader is inspiring others to reach the highest of their abilities. I'd like to tell you about a person whom I consider to be a true leader . . .

Then give an example of someone who has touched your life and how their impact has helped in your personal development.

10.If you had to live your life over again, what one thing would you change?
Focus on a key turning point in your life or missed opportunity. Yet also tie it forward to what you are doing to still seek to make that change.

For example: Although Im overall very happy with where Im at in my life, the one aspect I likely would have changed would be focusing earlier on my chosen career. I had a great internship this past year and look forward to more experience in the field. I simply wish I would have focused here earlier. For example, I learned on my recent internship… …then provide examples.

Stay focused on positive direction in your life and back it up with examples.

In reviewing these responses, please remember that they are only to be viewed samples. Please do not rehearse them verbatim or adopt them as your own. They are meant to stir your creative juices and get you thinking about how to properly answer the broader range of questions that you will face.

Hey Hiring Manager!!! Read my email!!

2010-08-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

Often these days resumes are sent exclusively by email. I advise against this – whenever possible, send a paper copy by snail mail as well. But I realize that often, it’s only email.

Which means that you need to get your emails opened and read, even when they’re one of a thousand new emails received by the person you’re sending to.

So how do you stand out?

Well, this is a problem that marketers and copy writers have been dealing with for a long time, and there are three main ingredients to writing headlines that get read (including email headlines):

1 – They need to be question-based, rather than statement-based.
2 – They need to be problem-based, rather than solution-based.
3 – They need to evoke curiosity, rather than giving it all away.

Sean D’Souza, over at Psychotactics, has written a great free report explaining each of these three steps. Get it here: http://www.psychotactics.com/why-headlines-fail

Using LinkedIn for networking can seem daunting, but it shouldn't be!

2010-07-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

Using LinkedIn for networking can seem daunting. It shouldn't be. Getting started using LinkedIn is as easy as picking a password. You'll truly see the power of using LinkedIn once you build your list of connections.

Effectively using LinkedIn requires you to observe some basic courtesies such as not spamming strangers and doing your homework before making a career contact. If you approach it right, you can use LinkedIn to network your way to a new job, build your business know-how or stay networked during a career lull.

Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile

The first and most important step in using LinkedIn is to create a complete and self-promotional profile of your career.

This is not the time to be modest! If you have a current resume, simply cut and paste your most impressive accomplishments into the appropriate LinkedIn fields.
If your resume is a few years out of date, make a list of the achievements that made you most proud. Use active verbs like "led," "created," "mobilized" and "sold." Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments rather than simply describing them.
Make sure to include keywords that a recruiter or hiring manager might be searching for to find someone with your expertise. If you're at a loss for what skills to emphasize, get inspired by looking at profiles of people in the kind of position you would like to achieve.

Claim Your LinkedIn Name

Next, claim your name on LinkedIn. This way your online resume can easily be found by headhunters and hiring managers who search for your first and last name.
Click on Profile and then scroll down to where it says Public Profile. If you click Edit, you can change from a random string of characters to your name.
If your name has already been taken, try simply reversing the order of first and last names. If that's already in use, you may have to insert a middle initial or even use a nickname.

Start Building Your LinkedIn Network

LinkedIn will automatically search your email account for people you may want to invite to connect on LinkedIn. You also can manually enter email addresses or search for specific people with whom you may have lost touch.

Feel free to cast a wide net, but its best only to connect with people you know fairly well and trust. Remember that you are judged by the company you keep -- even virtually.

Request and Make Recommendations

You tooted your own horn when building your profile. Now you can let your colleagues and friends speak on your behalf.

Scroll down to the Experience section and click "Request Recommendations." Make sure to write an individualized request and feel free to suggest which skills or achievements you'd like highlighted.

"It virally lets your network know and other people's networks know you're a good resource and a valued professional in your field," said Krista Canfield, public relations manager for LinkedIn. "You have the opportunity to have more than three references speaking on your behalf."

Use LinkedIn to Make New Connections

Now, you're ready to get LinkedIn to work for you!

If you're interested in exploring a new job, you can research a specific organization by clicking on the Companies tab. Then you can search for people in the department you'd like to work, or in human resources, and see if you're connected to anyone they know.

Before you contact someone, read through her profile and look for commonalities that might ignite a conversation if you end up in an interview. And mind your manners - don't do anything you wouldn't do in a business lunch.

"LinkedIn is a global business lunch," Canfield said. "You'd never go into a business lunch saying, 'Who wants to buy my software?' "
You can search for open jobs by clicking on the Jobs tab. Simply forward your profile to any opportunities that appeal to you.

If you're happy in your current position, you still can use LinkedIn to find business opportunities for your employer. Or, you can connect with other people in a similar role and learn how they do their job and perhaps improve your own performance.
Article Courtesy of WorkingMoms.com

How Long Should Your Resume Be?

2009-12-03T13:21:00.000-08:00

There are horror stories in human resources departments about applicants turning in 11 page resumes, often for entry-level positions. It may sound like an urban legend, but applicants often start thinking in a very specific mindset: 'If I list out everything I have ever done, the hiring manager will decide that I'm perfect for a job.' This sort of information overload makes it far more difficult to get a job, though.

Human resources managers recognize the fact that a single page resume can be a little short and cut off important information. However, the expectation is that a good candidate for a job can sum up his or her experience and that details can be discussed in an interview, after human resources has weeded out the applicants who are obviously unqualified.

When you are writing your resume, keep in mind the fact that you only need to highlight your talents - not overwhelm a hiring manager with your amazing worth. Even if you feel that there are plenty of great things to say about your work history, get your resume down to a single page. If you've been in the work force for quite a while, it's acceptable to fill a second page, but only then.
There are a few tricks to squeezing a few more words into your resume, if you just have to write down a few more skills. Some resume writers will reduce the font size or margins of a document, but such techniques are obvious. Instead, consider condensing job descriptions. A general rule is that any paragraph made up of more than three lines of text can be condensed.

You might also consider deviating from the traditional resume structure. Perhaps a list of your skills with explanations of related duties might better demonstrate your abilities than a list of the companies you worked with. While you should still include a list of your past employers, you can pare it down to company name and location, along with your job title. As long as a reader can still get a good understanding of your experiences by skimming over your resume, the format is unimportant.

There are a few occasions when you may want to offer up a more extensive work history, although requests for such a document may occur further into the application process than a simple call for resumes. They are still relatively rare and almost always occur only in professional fields. A professor might offer one, for instance, or an individual seeking work with the government. It is worthwhile to maintain a full list of your experiences, but it is usually unnecessary to circulate it.

Your resume is the first impression most hiring managers will have of you. Keeping to their expectations will predispose them to prefer your resume.

5 Hot Jobs I am interviewing for this week!

2009-11-09T10:27:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone! Below are the hottest jobs so far this week. Each new job starts in Red and includes a full description and pay rate. If you are interested please sened your resume to MLento@resolvit.com.

FusionWorks Mediation Team Lead to work as full-time Resolvit employee. Successful candidates will provide technical direction to the development team and develop business requirements for future enhancements and improvements to the system. The candidate will be responsible for:

• Perform gap analysis on current mediations system to determine any areas needed for improvement.
• Analyze current system performance and effectiveness in gathering and processing call record details
• Develop business requirements as needed to improve the FusionWorks system
• Lead a team of developers as they customize and improve current system

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with the following:
• At least three years working with mediation software, FusionWorks preferable
• Experience managing or leading a team of developers
• Effective oral and written communication skills

Preferred Skills:
• Degree from four year college or technical school

Pay Rate : $55.00 to $60.00 per hour

Senior Microsoft focused ETL Expert with experience in Data Architecting as full-time Resolvit employee. Successful candidates will work to develop new and modify existing data models, migrate data from Siebel to Salesforce.com, and assist in process improvements.

Duties:
• Writing rules for bringing data into new Salesforce.com system from previous Siebel system
• Work with Data Architect to clean the current data and redesign the data models
• Create the new ETL bridge between SQL Server 2005 and Salesforce.com backend database
• Perform ETL Mapping, designing and development, end to end testing, and deployment.
• Perform Operations support for the ETL process and troubleshoot bug fixes when necessary.

The ideal candidate is required to have experience with the first two bullets and hands-on experience with at least 4 of the following:
• Experience working with Microsoft technologies for 8-10 years
• Experience with at least 1 end to end full Enterprise Data Warehousing lifecycle project
• Experience with SQL Server 2005, SQL Server Management studio, PL SQL, T SQL
• Experience with SSIS packages
• Experience with Business Intelligence Development studio
• Experience with .Net Development and graphical tools
• Experience with Stored Procedures
• Experience with the Kimball Methodology for dimensional modeling

Preferred experience includes:
• Experience with Business Objects from presentations
• Experience with different CRM tools

Pay Rate: $45 to $60 per hour

Strong ETL Lead with SSIS experience to work as a full-time Resolvit employee.
** This position is referral based only – we can not accept Corp to Corp on this position
(US CITIZENS or Green Card Only)

Duties:
• Develop CDS ETL Design Process, Templates and implement the process.
• Manage ETL Developers and Testers (4+) and ensure all the project deliverables are delivered on time
• Responsible for all ETL Code Review and Approval
• Responsible for Developing and Implementing a End to En Data Cleansing Process and Design.
• Develop and Maintain Technical Project Plan
• Automate the Business Rules Loads in to the Database
• Develop Data Cleansing/ETL Test Plan and Test Strategy
• ETL Loads performance tuning
• Manage production support team to resolve any production code fixes.

Skills/Qualifications:
• 10+ Years of Experience with ETL tools such as DTS/SSIS 2005/2008
• Hands on development experience with SSIS packages, PL/SQL, SQL stored procedures.
• Familiarity with other ETL tools such as Data Stage, Informatica
• Hands on 5+ years of Data Profiling, cleansing experience.
• Led a small to mid-size ETL development team.
• Designed and rolled out ETL and Data Cleansing Processes and Procedures
• Experience with Flat file processing, Text Data
• Person who can think out of the box and create innovative solutions
• Good Communication and Documentation Skills
• SDLC Experience is a must
• Familiarity with Reporting tools such as Microstrategy , Business Objects
• SQL Server Database Performance Tuning skills
• Hands on experience developing and deploying packages in Production
• Production Support Experience
• Some travel and weekend / after business hrs weekday work may be required

Pay Rate: $45 to $55 per hour

Deployer to work as a full-time Resolvit employee.
** This position is referral based only – we can not accept Corp to Corp on this position

Duties:
• Support deployment activities for Home Affordability and Stability Plan (HASP) Program
• Requested consultants will assist existing Deployers and provide support for Deployment activities
• Consultants are expected to work off-hours during weekdays and weekends for extended support
• They will perform application deployments to SIT, UAT, Maintenance and Production environments
• Support crosses more than 50 projects, 65 systems with multiple environments and different technologies
• Support new environment creation of 10% of application streams
• Submit ISRs and maintain shared ids used for deployments
• Support automation of build and deployment process
• Document and provide status of the deployment to management
• Perform Peer-deployer review for other deployments
• Document issues surfaced during deployment
• Build and deployment plan for all supported projects
• Create and implement a deployment plan for supported projects
• Deployment status reports for all deployment

Skills:
• Three-to-Seven years experience in Information Technology, preferably systems deployments
• Previous experience as an environment/build/deployment analyst in defining, configuring, and building environments supporting various technologies and lifecycle methodologies including years of iterative/concurrent development efforts; experience in J2EE is preferred
• Good UNIX skills a must
• Work off-hours and weekends
• Will perform Deployer function
• Consultants will be expected to quickly learn deployment process and automation, and start performing deployments with minimum ramp up time for multiple different applications

Pay Rate: $45 per hour

IT Project Associate to work as a full-time Resolvit employee.

Duties:
• Works under direct supervision of one or more internal or Tier 1 project managers.
• Assists with or is directly responsible for select project management processes and supporting work activities over the entire life (initiate, plan, execute, control, close) of the project.
Quickly develops familiarity with the project's objective(s), scope,
team structure, stakeholder types, and the role of each team
member.
• Responsible for maintaining accurate and current information on the project team site, scheduling meetings, booking meeting rooms/locations, specifying meeting agendas (with PM guidance)
• Takes meeting minutes including identification of new, or progress to, existing risks/issues/actions, posting minutes
• Notifying stakeholders of various project communications
• Assists in producing project status reports
• Carries out other necessary project activities at the direction of theproject manager to support project success.

Preferred Skills/Qualifications:
• Typically possesses 2 to 5 years of relevant professional work experience. Has an interest in project or program management as a career and is willing to work up to that.
• Has an understanding of the project management processes and is responsible for assisting, as directed by the project manager, with any of these processes.
• Listens intently to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions when
appropriate, and allowing others to speak without interrupting them.
• Is detail oriented and reliable in getting meetings scheduled, specifying meeting agendas, booking meeting rooms, procuring proper meeting equipment/materials, taking and posting meeting minutes, extracting risks, issues, actions, constraints, and assumptions from meeting minutes.
• Consolidates and maintains project data (documented issues, risks, issues, actions, etc.) using predefined reporting tools and methods in order to help monitor project performance.
• Communicates information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Reads and quickly assimilates and comprehends information presented in work-related documents.
• One of the following would be desirable but is not required. PMI Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)or PMI Project Management

Pay Rate: $50 per hour

Why You Should Use a Recruiter

2009-10-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

When you're unemployed it's tempting to think that a professional can help you land the perfect job. Rather than thinking of recruiters or headhunters as magicians, think of us as matchmakers. My role and any other recruiter's role are to help match your experience and interests up with a similar open position.

Trust me here when I say it's not an exact science, and like match making in the romance department, even the best of them can be wrong. But a good recruiter can provide you with helpful job leads and advice on how to best position yourself to land a job. For instance one of my greatest assets as a recruiter is the ability to help you edit and rewrite a horrible resume.

Often the terms recruiter, headhunter, and search consultant are used interchangeably. Regardless of title, the important distinction is who is footing their bill. They either receive a placement fee from a firm or they charge job seekers a flat fee for identifying job leads and securing interviews. If you're paying a recruiter to find you job openings, then they work for you. If a headhunter is paid by a company to find the best-qualified candidate for an open job, then their loyalty is to that company. Recognize up front whom your recruiter is working for. It’s just the nature of the business. No hard feelings.

If you use a recruiter, it's important to find one that specializes in your field, for me it’s the obvious technical or federal arena, but for all the other job seekers out there, The National Association of Personnel Services (www.napsweb.org) or the American Staffing Association (www.natss.org) can help you locate a certified recruiter or staffing professional in your area.

I have also found that asking friends and former colleagues if they have anyone they would recommend works too.

Remember however, before paying for services, interview a potential recruiter to find out exactly what they promise to deliver. Ask for references and their success rate of placing people within your field of interest. Check them out on local networking site like LinkedIn (you can find me there), which explains their background and work history in detail. Also ask them to evaluate your resume and let you know, upfront, what they think of their potential to place you.

Be aggressive when working with recruiters. If you're paying, they work for you. Keep in close contact, even after you land a job. If you have a good relationship with a recruiter, they might keep you in mind when another job opens up. And try not to get discouraged if they aren’t contacting you all day everyday. It is there job to support and help as many potential candidates in the job market as possible.
Regardless of whom you use, you'll still need to take the ultimate responsibility in finding a new job. The best chance you have of landing the job you want is to manage your job search wisely, prepare well by having excellent materials (such as your resume, letters of reference, work samples, etc.), and remember to always remain professional and confident and make sure you have some excellent interviewing skills. First impressions are 90% the deal closer or breaker, the other 10% are being smart in utilizing your skills to get your self that initial interview!

Good Luck out there!

When quiting is stupid

2009-09-16T17:11:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that you dislike your job. Most of us can say the same, to varying degrees. And chances are good your dislike is justified: just about every job out there has its downsides. That's the reason we make money for them, because we wouldn't DO them otherwise.

And you may even want to quit. Again, no surprise. And your reasons for for it may be quite justified - but just as often, they may not be. If so, quitting might just be a huge mistake.

Some Reasons not to quit your job:

1.) It's boring. Yep, possibly so. But most jobs are, and often you need to stick with your current, dull position for a while before you get something more interesting. Suck it up and do your time like the rest of us and you'll be rewarded eventually.

2.) It doesn't pay well enough. Sure, this is a valid reason if you desperately need more money and already have another job lined up. But if you're not making enough money and that's all? Bad decision. You need to at least secure other employment before you get rid of your current position. What if you dump your job and can't find a new one? Your old salary will seem a lot more attractive.

3.) You don't like your co-workers. It happens. A lot. But you're not getting paid to like them, you're getting paid to do your job. Unless they make your life absolutely miserable and heavens forbid threaten you in some way, just put up with it and keep on trucking. If worst comes to worst you can complain to the boss and have the situation dealt with.

4.) You get frustrated a lot. Unless your job is severely driving up your stress level to the point that you're getting sick, frustration is just part of the game. Get used to it.

5.) You hate customers. The majority of jobs will have you dealing with a customer in some way, even if it's just a minor situation. Guess what? As bad as the customers seem at your job, they're probably just as bad everywhere else.

6.) Your significant other has a good enough job that you don't need yours. They might be financially sound now, but given the fluctuations in the economy of late cutting off a source of income is a really bad idea.

7.) You want to go on vacation or an extended leave but can't get the time off. Enjoy your trip while you can, 'cause when you get back you'll be struggling to find something new.

8.) You want to start your own business. Starting a business is far from a bad thing, but quitting your job to focus on it - at least until it's off the ground - is a poor decision. At least wait until you get some steady cash from it before devoting yourself full time.

Jobs are scarce these days, and if you don't want yours somebody else will gladly fill the spot. Hold on to what you have and don't quit prematurely, lest you make an irreversible mistake of major proportions.

What were you thinking when getting dressed for that interview?

2009-08-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

What is the worst outfit ever worn to a job interview? For me, it was the applicant who sported a Madras tie as a belt and a patterned cotton hat.... and let me speak lightly of the purple highlights and attention attracting earrings! Other contenders, include candidates with dirty fingernails, micro-miniskirts, t-shirts with offensive slogans and even bare feet!

No one needs 'Queer Eye's' Carson Kressley to tell them that wearing shoes to an interview is a good idea, but could you be guilty of one of these top 20 fashion faux pas?

1. Carrying a backpack or fannypack instead of a briefcase or portfolio: Some image consultants suggest women ditch their purse, too!

2. Sunglasses on top of your head or headphones around your neck: Be sure to remove all your "transit gear" and tuck it in your briefcase before entering the lobby.

3. Too-short skirts: Forget what some of those gals on 'The Apprentice' are wearing. Your skirt should cover your thighs when you are seated.

4. The wrong tie: Ties should be made of silk, no less than three and a quarter inches wide with a conservative pattern. Image consultants say the best colors are red or burgundy.

5. Overly bright or large-patterned clothing: With the possible exception of creative fields like advertising or computer programming, it's best to stick with navy, black or gray.

6. Heavy makeup on women (or any makeup on a man)

7. Earrings on men: In fact, men should avoid wearing any jewelry unless it is a wedding ring, class ring or metal watch.

8. More than one set of earrings on women

9. Facial piercings, tongue jewelry or visible tattoos

10. Ill-fitting clothes. Few people can wear things straight off the rack. Spending a little extra to have your garments tailored is a worthwhile investment.

11. Long fingernails, especially with bright or specialty polishes. Nails should look clean and be trimmed to a length that doesn't leave an observer wondering how you keep from stabbing yourself.

12. Unnatural hair colors or styles. Remember, Donald Trump was a billionaire well before he began wearing a comb-over. If you're balding, try a close-cropped cut like Bruce Willis or Matt Lauer.

13. Short-sleeved shirts, even worse when worn with a tie

14. Fishnets, patterned hosiery or bare legs (no matter how tan you are). Women should stick with neutral color hosiery that complements their suit.

15. Men whose socks don't match their shoes, or whose socks are too short and leave a gap of flesh when they are seated

16. Rumpled or stained clothing: If interviewing late in the day, try to change to a fresh suit beforehand.

17. Scuffed or inappropriate footwear, including sneakers, stilettos, open-toed shoes and sandals

18. Strong aftershaves, perfumes or colognes: Many people are allergic to certain scents. For a subtle fragrance, use a good quality bath soap.

19. Belts and shoes that don't match: Shoes and belts should be made of leather or leather-like materials and the best colors for men are black or cordovan.

20. Telltale signs that your wearing a new suit. Remove all tags and extra buttons -- and remember to cut off the zigzag thread that keeps pockets and slits closed!

Don't be a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen. Plan and lay out what you're going to wear several days before the interview, so you'll have time to shop or get garments pressed and cleaned

It is easier to spell, grammer check, and proof read a resume than it is to explain why you didn't.

2009-08-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

It’s surprising how many people don’t proofread, spell check, or otherwise pay attention to the basics when applying for a job. It’s a minority, but it’s big enough that I was compelled to write about it.

I’ve received applications from people spelling 37signals as “37 Signals” and Backpack as “Backback” and Basecamp as “Basscamp” or “Base Camp”. We even got one email from someone calling Highrise “Hi Rise”. One said how much they liked “Packcamp”.

Casual communications are one thing, but when you’re applying for a job you have to pay attention. Know how the company spells its name. Know the names of the products. Read what you wrote so you know what you said.

It’s OK to be funny if you get the basics right. It’s OK to be irreverent if you get the basics right. It’s OK to take some liberties with language if you get the basics right. It’s OK (and encouraged) to have personality and be yourself if you get the basics right.

I don’t want to be critical here. I just want to be helpful: Check your spelling, read your email, double-check everything. This is a job application, not an IM with a buddy. We appreciate when you take the time to apply, but it’s a waste of your time if you don’t nail the basics.

That said, there have been a handful of absolutely wonderful emails and resumes sent to me from people. Some clearly took the time to put together a special portfolio page (some wisely even used Backpack). Some were bold and clear in their advice. Some were really beautifully written. These are the people who deserve an employer’s full attention. They’ve got mine!

Remember the devil is in the details and in such a highly competeive job market the details are super imporant!

"Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar.”

2009-08-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

I came accross an interesting article listing the top ten reasons you should hate your job, and according to a recent poll they are listed below:

1. You have a boss.
2. You earn a limited amount of money.
3. Your only income stream is your salary.
4. You don’t have control of your life.
5. You have to follow a fixed work schedule.
6. Your co-workers are fools.
7. You have to travel for hours to and from your work.
8. You boss’ problems become your own, and you no longer care about them.
9. You cannot choose what you do each day. You boss tells you what to do.
10. You have to pay so much taxes that doesn’t make sense.

I challenge you to come up with more reasons to hate your job. It might just motivate you to do something about it. Like maybe try and get a new one, maybe something more refreshing, or with more money. Or hell like the rest of the country in this economy just something to get us all by.

OPEN JOBS (each new position begins in purple)
NOC Engineer. Successful candidates will manage the Commercial operations network by monitoring and troubleshooting problems as they occur and initiating triage when necessary.

Duties:
•Monitor the network to identify potential problems using monitoring tools like Netcool
•Troubleshoot problems remotely as they occur on the network by providing Tier II support
•Escalate problems to Sr. Network Engineers that cannot be fixed remotely

The ideal candidate will use their experience, to not only meet the expectations of our client, but to reach beyond our client’s expectations.

The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years of hands-on experience with at least 4 of the following:
• Experience working in a NOC environment (preferably in optical transport)
• Experience with Cell Tower Backhaul
• Exposure to the design and deployment of an optical network
• Experience with Tier II support
• Ability to communicate effectively and with business savvy to negotiate and broker compromise.

Other Requirements include:
• Fluent English
• Legal to work in the U.S.

Network Operations Center Technician. Successful candidates will open tickets and work to troubleshoot issues related to the network. This person will use their prior knowledge to mitigate network events and manage the escalation through resolution. The candidate will be responsible for:

• Surveillance of Commercial Operations Network using all applicable NOC Network Management Tools.
•Performs initial troubleshooting, problem analysis and isolation of network events in accordance with escalation guidelines.
•Performs tracking and management of network events to resolution in accordance with standard Event Management Procedures
•Tracks and supports Network Change Control schedules and activities
•Supports and executes Network Change Control functions for Regional Operations Groups under the direction of a NOC Team Leader.
• Performs administrative tasks for NOC Network Management Tools, contact, escalation and mailing lists and other documentation or systems under the direction of NOC Team Leader.
• Provides input and feedback for the use and optimization of NOC Network Management Applications/Tools (Netcool and Remedy) as well as NOC processes and procedures. Produces, maintains and updates written procedures.

The ideal candidate will use their experience, to not only meet the expectations of our client, but to reach beyond our client’s expectations.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with the following:
• Between two and five years working in a Network Operations Center environment
• Knowledge of optical transport technologies and products such as Nortel, Cisco, Alcatel Lucent, Infinera, and Fuji.
• Knowledge of and ability to troubleshoot DWDM, Sonet technology, network lines ranging from T1’s to OC192’s
• Effective oral and written communication skills

Preferred Skills:
• Degree from four year college or technical school
• Certifications in Optical technology
• Exposure to cellular or wireless technology and products

Unix Systems Administrator. A successful candidate will utilize their system knowledge to troubleshoot Solaris network and system issues as a part or the High Speed Data and Voice over IP Provisioning support group.

The ideal candidate will use their experience, to not only meet the expectations of our client, but to reach beyond our client’s expectations.

The ideal candidate will have the required years of hands-on experience with at least 2 of the following technologies:

• Intermediate level experience with Solaris (5 years)
• Intermediate level experience scripting in UNIX with Shell or with Perl (4 years)
• Basic understanding of Veritas (4 years)
• Basic understanding of Oracle applications (4 years)
• Some level of training in BEA Weblogic (3 years)

Preferred skills include:

• Scripting in Perl, KSH, and BASH
• Solaris system troubleshooting
• Solaris network troubleshooting
• Oracle database knowledge
• Veritas HA knowledge

Other Requirements include:

• Fluent English
• Legal to work in the U.S.

Python Applications Developer. Successful candidates will work closely with the our client to support their initiatives through completing the following duties:

• Perform backup administration (verify network backups, troubleshooting)
• Perform event impact analysis (use CDRs for determining impact)
• Generate ad-hoc management reports
• Generate capacity measurement reports
• Perform daily monitoring and troubleshooting of voice tools/apps servers

The ideal candidate will use their experience, to meet and reach above the expectations of our client. The ideal candidate will be proficient with Python coding language and have at least two of the have at least 3 years of hands-on experience with at least 2 of the following:

• Programming experience
• Unix systems administration experience
• Experience in production or operations environments
• SQL Experience
• Experience with web technologies such as HTML

Other preferred skills include:

• Networking experience
• Java programming experience
• Postgres SQL experience
• Bachelor's Degree

Job Hopping; “The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.”

2009-08-03T07:32:00.000-07:00

Maybe the recession is here, but do you want to know what the top worry is among chief financial officers? Recruiting. That's right.

The next 10 years will be an employee-driven market, because of a whole host of demographics issues, from boomers leaving the workforce to fewer Generation Yers being interested in corporate life.

Young people are in such high demand right now that they start to look sort of savvy when sources such as MTV report only 17 percent of Generation Y is worried about the economy. Take my good friend Lauren Kieger. She has an entry level job here in DC, which can't be easy given the cost of living in the city, but she is optimistic things will get better for her. And can you believe she even has a Masters degree?

She's at a samll it company, an company that does global outsourcing. Lauren went to this firm because it's growing and creating opportunities for employees. Certainly no recessionary situation. And she is making one of the most profound statements of economic optimism - spending money on expensive food. Yes, she's eating out often with my friends and I. But Laurens's attitude that you live for now and figure things out as you go is typical of her generation, and understandable given they are relatively immune from a recession.

Young people will not have a problem finding jobs.

Some of you - those who read this with mouths wide open in disbelief - are saying that many industries are totally tanking and there is no way employers are hunting down young people like starving animals. But check out the National Association of Manufacturers campaign to recruit young people. The campaign is called "Dream it. Do it" and it cost $70 million. Manufacturing is no exception: there's huge difficultly finding skilled young people for jobs.

Or how about real estate? Sure, your home prices are tanking, but many young people don't own homes. And in terms of jobs in the real estate sector, many real estate agents are older. Given this demographic reality, you don't need a great housing market to provide great career opportunities for young real estate agents.

So there's lots of chatter about how people can recession-proof their careers. But what should young people do, when their golden demographics make them recession proof already? Job hop, of course.

The best thing you can do early in your career is move around a lot so you can figure out what you're good at and what you like. If you compare people who job hop with people who don't, people who job hop build their network faster, build their skill set faster, and are more engaged in their work.
So, young people should take advantage of the fact that they are in high demand and make sure to leave a job as soon as their learning curve flattens. Older people - especially those who have lived through terrible job markets, which includes everyone older than Gen Y - will tell you to be cautious and grateful. These are not inherently bad traits, but they are bad if they instill complacency in a job market that is not demanding that of you.

Some of you will find yourselves gunning for jobs in areas hit particularly hard by the recession. Investment banking, for example, used to be very difficult to break in to, and now, with cutbacks for summer interns, investment banking is insanely difficult to get into.

But so what? What are you going to do with that investment banking experience? Leave, probably. Because the hours are terrible and the work is totally inflexible and driven (at all hours of the day and night) by the client. So you will leave banking to do something that sustains your goals for family and friends. Why not just leave now? It's very competitive -no need to put up with that. Go to an equally interesting field that is not going to require you to take clients to strip clubs.

Tech is hot. Healthcare is hot. And you don't need to be a software developer or changer of bed pans. In fact, any tech company or healthcare company needs sales people and marketing people, and accountants, and all the other types of people who could, possibly, get stuck in an underperforming company, but clearly have the ability to change sectors without dumping their expertise.

So figure out what your skills are, what you love to do, what you're great at. Job hop until you are sure. Or as sure as someone can be at the beginning of his or her career. Then go to a sector that is booming, which is most sectors if you are blessed to be born to Gen Y.

"Every person I work with knows something better than me. My job is to listen long enough to find it and use it.”

2009-07-28T09:31:00.001-07:00

Well it's Tuesday and I got jobs! They never stay open for very long, especially in this economy so if you're looking and you think you fit the bill on one of the descriptions below send me your resume to MLento@resolvit.com putting the job you would like to be considered for in the subject line. Remember I work directly with the hiring Managers in these positions so forget the "getting lost" in the online application process!

10 Resume No No's of the day (Compliments of CareerBuilder).
1. Candidate included weight and all allergies.
2. Candidate stated the ability to persuade people sexually using her words.
3. Candidate wrote résumé as a play - Act 1, Act 2, etc.
4. Candidate explained that getting this job would look really neat on his résumé.
5. Candidate specified emergency contact as the hospital.
6. Candidate included naked picture of himself.
7. Candidate explained the need for multiple bathroom breaks each hour.
8. Candidate’s hobbies included long walks with fiancé and bingo.
9. Candidate included a letter from his mother.
10. Candidate explained that he works well nude.

OPEN JOBS (each new position begins in purple)

IT Operations Manager Level III. Successful candidates will serve as a team member of a large public sector network support team.

Duties:
· Serve as the Contractor task leader for a specific task or delivery order.
· Interface directly with the government Task Monitor to receive technical direction and guidance for task performance.
· Performs evaluation of current information system activities, plans and directs all phases of the work effort and ensures tasks are completed within negotiated time frames, budgets, and technical specifications.

Required Skills:
· Five (5) years must be specialized operations management and project management experience related to service desk support and tier 1, 2 and 3 incident response
· ITIL
· Experience with Siteccope, Netcool, NetIQ, HP Openview, Altiris, Remedy and Crystal Reports

Education (shall include one of the following):
· Master’s degree plus eight (8) years specialized experience.
· Bachelor’s degree plus ten (10) years experience of which five (5) years must be in specialized project management.
· Relevant military training or eight (8) years of relevant military experience plus an additional five (5) years experience of which at least three (3) years must be specialized.

Additional Qualifications:
· US Citizen
· Fluent English
· Bachelor’s Degree

Data Warehouse/SAS Programmer (MDW) team who is a highly motivated individual with strong SAS/ UNIX and scripting skills along with strong SQL coding skills. Previous data warehousing experience, along with mainframe skills are a plus. The ideal candidate will be a team player with at least 5 years of relevant experience as well as excellent verbal and written communication skills. The candidate must be a self-starter with a strong work ethic and be willing to provide 24x7 production support on a rotating basis.

The MDW environment is a multi-terabyte DB2 9.5 on AIX installation. It utilizes Mainframe COBOL and SAS to extract data from our data sources. UNIX Korn shell scripts are then used extensively to transform and load the data. SAS running under UNIX is used to access the data and produce reports.

Required Skills:
At least 5 years of relational database analyst experience as well as excellent verbal and written communication skills.
UNIX Korn Shell Scripting
Strong SAS and UNIX base of experience
Strong presentation skills - able to present information effectively to a varied audience
The ability to learn quickly and work in a fast paced environment
Ability to communicate and interact effectively with management, business users, developers, and team members at all levels
Strong analytical and problem solving skills
Ability to multi-task, maintain an organized environment, and work independently
An excellent candidate will:
Ability to be a team player and a self-starter;
Ability to recognize and apply an appropriate sense of urgency
Strong inter personal skills
Knowledge of Data Warehousing concepts is desired

Other requirements include:
Permanent U.S. work authorization

NOC Engineer. Successful candidates will manage the Commercial operations network by monitoring and troubleshooting problems as they occur and initiating triage when necessary.

Duties:
·Monitor the network to identify potential problems using monitoring tools like Netcool
·Troubleshoot problems remotely as they occur on the network by providing Tier II support
·Escalate problems to Sr. Network Engineers that cannot be fixed remotely

The ideal candidate will use their experience, to not only meet the expectations of our client, but to reach beyond our client’s expectations.

The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years of hands-on experience with at least 4 of the following:
· Experience working in a NOC environment (preferably in optical transport)
· Experience with Cell Tower Backhaul
· Exposure to the design and deployment of an optical network
· Experience with Tier II support
· Ability to communicate effectively and with business savvy to negotiate and broker compromise.

Other Requirements include:
· Fluent English
· Legal to work in the U.S.

IT Project Manager. Successful candidates will provide electronic files processing support services to the Securities and Exchange Commission and will work under the direction of a Program Manager.

Duties:
· Responsible for all off-site processing requests.
·Serves as the primary point of contact for all off-site electronic files processing support needs with the SEC litigation support staff.
· Meets bi-weekly and monthly with the SEC and Litigation Support staff (LSS) to discuss project-specific issues.
· Plans and manages all off-site requests received from the SEC at KBS Operations.
· Monitors workflow and progress reporting, tracking, coordinating technical/data processing support and obtaining other necessary corporate resources.
· Performs quality assurance role on deliverables to ensure that high quality work is delivered on-time and within-budget.
· Reviews and tracks all off-site EDD requests and tracks estimated funding and delivery turnaround for each request.
· Maintains productivity and monthly reports and generates and provides daily and weekly status reports to the Program Manager.

Required Skills:
·Excellent verbal and written communication skills
·Excellent management skills
·Anticipate litigation support needs and develop and execute detailed work plans for addressing these needs
·Expert experience of Concordance 8.20 and 9.58
·Experience with designing, creating, and implementing Concordance databases
·Knowledge with creating and implementing CPL load scripts
· Familiar with other litigation support and office automation software applications
· Successfully demonstrated processing and loading Concordance DAT and LOG files using CPL scripts
· Knowledge of data processing environments, including litigation support PC-based database and other applications
· Must be experienced in Micosoft Office Suite with excellent Excel skills

Education (shall include one of the following):
· BS or equivalent and 5 - 7 years of related experience in planning, organizing, and directing e-discovery support activities on numerous complex litigation projects

Additional Qualifications:
· US Citizen
· Fluent English

Network Operations Center Technician. Successful candidates will open tickets and work to troubleshoot issues related to the network. This person will use their prior knowledge to mitigate network events and manage the escalation through resolution. The candidate will be responsible for:

· Surveillance of Commercial Operations Network using all applicable NOC Network Management Tools.
·Performs initial troubleshooting, problem analysis and isolation of network events in accordance with escalation guidelines.
·Performs tracking and management of network events to resolution in accordance with standard Event Management Procedures
·Tracks and supports Network Change Control schedules and activities
·Supports and executes Network Change Control functions for Regional Operations Groups under the direction of a NOC Team Leader.
· Performs administrative tasks for NOC Network Management Tools, contact, escalation and mailing lists and other documentation or systems under the direction of NOC Team Leader.
· Provides input and feedback for the use and optimization of NOC Network Management Applications/Tools (Netcool and Remedy) as well as NOC processes and procedures. Produces, maintains and updates written procedures.

The ideal candidate will use their experience, to not only meet the expectations of our client, but to reach beyond our client’s expectations.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with the following:
· Between two and five years working in a Network Operations Center environment
· Knowledge of optical transport technologies and products such as Nortel, Cisco, Alcatel Lucent, Infinera, and Fuji.
· Knowledge of and ability to troubleshoot DWDM, Sonet technology, network lines ranging from T1’s to OC192’s
· Effective oral and written communication skills

Preferred Skills:
· Degree from four year college or technical school
· Certifications in Optical technology
· Exposure to cellular or wireless technology and products