Please review the list of my open jobs that I am recruiting for to the lower right portion of this Blog and let me know if you or anyone you know may be interested and a good fit for any of these positions! Thanks as always and in advance for all of your referrals...they help me tremendously and are very much appreciated!
Trend wise, I am seeing a wide array of hiring needs. In the positions I am getting to fill these days. Still lots of needs for strong engineering and engineering management candidates along with several sales positions. I have not seen as many higher level executive positions come open these days, however they are still out there and I have seen more and more companies promote from within when these vacancies arise.
Many candidates think that things slow down this time of year...but nothing could be further from the truth. Don't let the holiday season allow you to think that hiring gets put on hold until the new year! Many companies are in a full push to close out the year strong with hiring top candidates and also in an effort to utilize remaining recruiting and hiring budgets.
This Blog will stay in effect as I will continue posting industry and other staffing relevant articles here. The Blog name of "The Windmill" will remain the same. Looking forward to continuing to partner with all of you in the future!!!
You will all be receiving an email announcement from me here within the next few days...but figured I'd post my announcement here as well to keep you all updated.
I am beyond excited about this new venture and am looking forward to continuing to partner with all of you going forward. My industry focus will remain the same - Windows & Doors and I will be working harder than ever to help you fill positions and/or find that next dream job!
More details coming your way soon!!! Enjoy your weekend!
"If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a track that has been there all the while, waiting for you. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in your field of bliss, and they open doors to you. Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls."
How to apply this to your desk or office:
1. A thank you letter creates an opportunity to reconnect with employers.Chances are you aren't the only candidate being interviewed for an open position. Writing a follow up letter allows you to build a relationship with the interviewer and develop rapport. By expressing your gratitude for the interview and recapping the highlights of the meeting, you revisit the reasons why you are the best fit for the position.
2. Following up keeps your candidacy top of mind.Candidates often make the mistake of putting too much control in the interviewer's hands. They believe that, if they're the best candidate, the interviewer will remember them and keep them in the loop regarding the selection process. Unfortunately, this doesn't often happen. It's critical that candidates remind prospective employers of their interest in a position. The thank you letter is the perfect vehicle for communicating this interest.
3. Written correspondence gives you another chance to sell your strengths.While the thank you letter expresses gratitude for the meeting, it also serves a much more strategic purpose. It provides an opportunity for the candidate to present their skills and accomplishments in another format and market the value they'll add to the employer.
4. The document enables you to address points you neglected to discuss during the interview.Many candidates, after leaving the interview, think of other things they could have said during the meeting. Don't label this a liability; turn it into an asset by discussing these points in the thank you letter. Remind the reader of your ability to produce similar results for their organization.
5. A letter helps develop rapport and increases the employer's comfort level in your candidacy.A good strategy is to recap a part of the conversation where you and the interviewer shared similar views on a job-related topic. The thank you letter can also be a forum for demonstrating your consultative problem solving skills. By addressing current issues the employer is facing and proposing solutions, you are contributing to the company's success even before you are on board!
Thank you letters continue to be an important component of a successful job search campaign. But the focus has shifted from a simple courtesy and show of appreciation to a targeted self-marketing tool. By creating letters that validate your candidacy, build rapport, and remind the reader of your value added, you can significantly influence potential employers and -- most importantly -- increase your chances for subsequent interviews.
Recently, CareerBuilder.com and Disney Parks took a look at the idea of dream jobs and the people living out their fantasies. According to their survey of over 6,000 workers nationwide, a staggering 84 percent of people say they aren't in their dream jobs. What's the biggest thing missing? Fun.
"What defines a dream job is surprisingly reminiscent of childhood wishes for many workers. Workers said they want to enjoy their work experience, apply their talents and feel like they're making an impact," says Richard Castellini, senior career advisor for CareerBuilder.com. "Having fun at work was the most important attribute of a dream job for 39 percent of workers, which heavily outweighed the 12 percent who said salary was most important.
Who's Living the Dream?Professions reporting the highest percentage of those feeling they are already in their dream jobs included police and firefighters, teachers, real estate professionals, engineers, travel professionals and nurses. Those professions with the least amount of workers feeling they have their dream jobs included accommodations/food services, manufacturing and retail. As children, excitement and imagination played a major role in defining career paths. We dreamed of becoming firefighters, princesses and dancers," says Castellini. "But today, a majority of workers aren't living out the aspirations they had 20, 30, or even 40 years ago.
So, how do you go about landing your dream job?Learn more.Research your dream career and investigate those industry trends. Sign up for a class related to your dream job or one that will teach you relevant skills.
Investigate similar jobs and their pay.Find a success story.Talk to someone who has your dream job and ask about the steps taken to get there.
Ask for advice and any secrets for success. You may be surprised to learn the downsides of your dream career. But don't get discouraged -- this can help you fine-tune your goals.Take inventory.What's keeping you from going for your dream job? Is it lack of training or education, the desire to pay off debt, family obligations or relocation?
Map out a specific strategy for tackling each factor that might be an impediment. Step back.If you can afford it, consider accepting a lower-paying position that may get you closer to your dream job. People sometimes sacrifice dreams in lieu of short-term gains. Your decision could ultimately help you achieve your goals. Seek expert advice.Visit a career counselor to discuss your interests and help you establish a path and stay on it to attain your desired outcome. Before taking a job for less pay, talk to a financial planner who can suggest ways to budget if you to take a job for less money.
Featured Articles - Windowanddoor.net / Window & Door Magazine
MANAGEMENT: Headhunters Weigh In On Hiring and Compensation
Industry companies attracting and retaining key industry players with more than just salary, recruiters say
By Christina Lewellen
June 2007
Some of the biggest window and door manufacturers have had a rough year. The downturn in the residential housing market has led to layoffs, pushes to streamline operations and slicing of employees’ work hours. But this is not why the headhunters who specialize in the residential fenestration industry are busier this year than ever. Recruiters are not scrambling to find work for displaced employees—they’re scrambling to fill positions for the up-and-coming window manufacturers that are growing successfully, despite the market conditions.
“We are unusually busy for the down market that people are talking about,” says Don Hall, founder of Don Hall & Associates, based in Waco, Texas. “We have more companies searching for candidates right now than we’ve had in our history. The economy is certainly down on the lower-income housing range—the track development—and that’s affecting a lot of manufacturers. But the middle- to upper-end market is still strong, and I think very strong.”
It’s also the replacement market that’s keeping the job market stable, adds Carlyn Burns, account executive for Management Recruiters of Lancaster County, Fort Mill, S.C. “I’m going to tell you something you may not be expecting, but as a recruiter, I’ve been busier than ever,” she says. “The replacement window side of things, versus new construction, is booming—skyrocketing even. It’s where the market is right now.”
Burns, who specializes in recruiting for both manufacturers and dealers and distributors, says small and mid-sized retailers, especially in the replacement side of the business, are seeking qualified candidates to keep their growing companies on the right track. Manufacturers—especially those who fall into the bottom categories of Window & Door’s Top 100 list and below, she notes—are looking for successful leaders for management roles and innovative thinkers for their design and engineering teams. “Companies are still trying to stay ahead of the competition and be innovative, so those are exactly the positions that are keeping me busy,” she says. “A lot of companies are going lean but the fact of the matter is that new product development is so critical to getting ahead. That’s why those positions are so hot right now.”
What’s not particularly hot right now is the market for sales positions, Burns says. Some companies are scaling back on their sales force while the market goes through its correction. Still, Hall says there’s always a need for specialized sales personnel, regardless of the pace of sales. “You can’t just be an ordinary salesman anymore,” he says. “You have to be a specialist in a certain product line. There seems to be an increasing level of specialization, in what the distributor carries and what the dealer stocks, and even what the manufacturer makes.”
For the most part, salaries and compensation packages in the industry are on the upward trend. Referring back to a compensation article he contributed to Window & Door in 2000, Norm McKibben, a senior partner with Aspen International Group Inc., says the past seven years and the construction boom that marked the period have had positive effects on base salaries and benefits. “You have to remember that in the period of time between 2000 and 2007, we went through a complete business cycle,” he notes. “Companies were making money hand-over-fist. They had to step up to get the good people, and that raises the whole salary and incentive level up two pegs.”
And when the market cooled, bonuses might have receded but salaries stayed put, he adds. “The downturn of this year and last year is only going to affect the bonuses because now their figures are way off,” he says. “In general, the salary levels are maintained at that same level, which is pretty high up because of the good times we just went through.”
SHOW ME THE MONEY
McKibben pointed out seven years ago that the consolidation and influx of investors in the industry meant that a growing number of top executives were getting in on a “piece of the action” with equity stake in a company. That hasn’t changed, he says, and may be an even more significant compensation consideration today. “The equity situation is still true,” he explains. “A larger group of managers have had exposure to equity primarily because investment groups like to feel that their managers are invested. They want them to feel more like owners rather than employees.”
Executives’ base salaries have increased from about $150,000 annually in 2000 to upwards of $250,000 (Table 1). What has changed even more dramatically, McKibben points out, is the structure of the bonus system. Company CEOs and presidents often have the carrot of a bonus dangled in front of them, but they can also earn “super bonuses” for exceeding the parameters of the baseline bonus. With the current downturn in the market, bonuses might not be too impressive this year, but the incentive will still be in place when business starts picking up, he notes. “This is not going to be a good year for the bonus side,” he says. “But [executives] can make a lot of money in the best of times.”
Plant managers and sales managers are also bringing home more money than they did in 2000, due in large part to the fact that the companies for which they work and their list of responsibilities continue to grow, McKibben says. Plant managers can make anywhere from $90,000 to $120,000 annually, and sales managers generally fall into the $80,000 to $110,000 range (Table 2). Like executives, these positions also have opportunities for bonuses on top of the baseline salary.
McKibben says one area that hasn’t seen much in the way of salary growth is marketing professionals working in the industry. Some of the bigger corporations have recognized the importance of having a strong marketing team, but the growing window and door companies are slow to get on board with investing in employees who can take their branding and Web presence to the next level, he observes. “The [leaders] in the entrepreneurial companies might be afraid of that high-tech communication and they don’t really put a lot of money into it,” he says. “It really hasn’t been pushed, but it is a growth area because the bigger corporations have it.”
McKibben says marketing professionals probably fall into the $80,000 to $100,000 salary range, which is about the same level as 2000.
Burns adds that marketing professionals are not often industry-specific. “Regardless of the down- or upswing of the industry, usually a marketing person can come from any industry, sort of like a financial person,” she says.
Another growth opportunity within the industry is among supervisors and managers of field or production crews, McKibben says. Companies are placing a premium on supervisors who are bilingual—communicating effectively with crews—and can keep the quality of workmanship consistent despite blue collar turnover. “Supervisors are getting paid handsomely to manage the crews,” he says, adding that managers can sometimes creep above the six-digit salary line.
QUALITY OF LIFE INCENTIVES
Salaries and titles are a “given”—people generally change jobs because they want to make more money and have more responsibility. But our panel of recruiters warns companies to not underestimate the importance of “quality of life” incentives when it comes to recruiting and retaining key industry employees. “I just placed a plant manager who left a big company to go to a smaller company,” Burns explains. “What sold him was not just the money but the whole package. I think smaller and mid-sized companies have the opportunity to cater the package to the individual.”
Burns cites as examples companies offering car and travel allowances, on-site daycare and health care services and even lunch break dry cleaning and car wash services. “It sounds silly but it really adds up,” she says. “You ultimately get that closer knit feel, that family environment.”
Four-day workweeks and flexible vacation packages are also a draw for busy executives trying to juggle work and home responsibilities, Hall adds.
For sales people, a category of employee that is still primarily money-driven, Burns says some companies have turned to sign-on bonuses as a way to draw in the top candidates. “Sales people are out there to earn money,” she says. “That sign-on bonus generally puts them over the edge.”
Regional considerations are also sometimes categorized as a perk, with some candidates seeking a position that will take them to a warmer climate or away from a high cost-of-living area. “There are certain parts of the country that are almost impossible to move somebody into because of the economics,” Hall explains. “If you move somebody from Texas to California, they might find it hard to pay the taxes or get an affordable mortgage. It’s easier the other way around.”
Despite the setbacks in the market, headhunters reiterate that it is a candidate-driven market right now and companies are moving quickly and aggressively to snag good employees when they become available. The companies that are the most successful are the ones that have something besides dollars to attract the attention of potential workers, Burns says. “I don’t think most companies realize that you’ve got to grab good candidates quickly,” she says. “The companies that move fast are at an advantage. The ones that are hiring actively know they have to have something above and beyond a good salary package to get them and keep them on board.”
THE NEXT GENERATION
Knowing that not many children aspire to enter the window and door business when they grow up, companies are putting more effort towards recruiting young workers into the industry, recruiters note. As the Baby Boomer generation moves toward retirement, a new generation of leaders will have to be primed to take over the increasingly complex fenestration businesses. “I think more companies are starting to see the value and power of hiring college kids,” Burns says. “A lot of my clients have a specific person who goes around the country and targets college career fairs.”
There are some challenges, however, in attracting young and/or non-industry workers. Just like seasoned employees, younger new hires don’t always come at a bargain to companies. According to a survey conducted by the Employee Relocation Council, organizations may find themselves competing for new hires in the areas of offers from other companies, cost-of-living and relocation expenses, and the general lack of qualified candidates.
The payoff, however, for fighting for fresh workers could be a stronger work force down the road, recruiters say. “I think you’ll see a lot more companies gearing toward the younger, just-out-of-college workers to build up a strong work force,” Burns notes. “The problem is that they’re going to have to woo them and give them a reason to stay loyal.”
Like many industry professionals who stumbled into their first window and door job and ended up making a career of it, Burns expects the same type of relationship-building will work with the incoming generation of employees as well. “The products may not be that sexy but it’s the company that can draw them initially,” she says. “Once they’re here, it’s the people that keep them here.”
It's been a while since you've felt the exhilaration that comes with starting a new job. And you're wondering: "Has that professional spark been extinguished or is it flickering faintly, waiting to be reignited?"
Are you burned out or just exhausted?
"Take a real vacation to find out,"
Burnout: If you dread returning to work, you may be burned out.
Temporary Heat Wave: If you come back rested and recharged, you just needed a well-deserved break.
Are you reacting to a passing moment or an entire movement?
Burnout: Your company recently underwent a major restructuring, doubling your responsibilities, and there's no end in sight.
Temporary Heat Wave: You're buried in work because it's your 'busy season.' But you do see light at the end of the tunnel.
Are the demands of your job weighing too heavily on you?
Burnout: Your supervisor is too demanding and you just can't keep your head above water. You know you'll never get her to change.
Temporary Heat Wave: You're too demanding on yourself and it's causing you undue stress, not only at work but most likely in other aspects of your life as well. Time to let a few things go, like the perfectly clean house or some volunteer responsibilities.
Do you find it difficult to focus on your job?
Burnout: You face your projects with total apathy and feel you have nothing left to give.
Temporary Heat Wave: Your lack of focus is rooted in the nebulous mess you call a workspace. Get organized and get rejuvenated!
Have you got the urge to find greener pastures?
Burnout: You're feeling more and more detached at work and catch yourself fantasizing about walking out the door to find that 'dream job' and leaving these 'little minds' behind.
Temporary Heat Wave: You're in a rut and ready to venture past the usual lunch crowd and meet some new peers.
So You're Burned Out…
If your situation is illustrated by more 'Burnout' descriptions, it's likely time to start down a new career path or follow a new opportunity to professional happiness. Get your resume together and begin your search.
Temper the Warming Effects
If you saw more of yourself in the 'Temporary Heat Wave' scenarios, then you might need a new focus and new challenges to recharge your professional energy. "You don't have to leave your employer to energize yourself,"
Here are some suggestions for putting the spark back in your career:
You’re told to treat your job search like a full–time job. But when do you have the time to look with a schedule that includes working 50–plus hours a week, going to school, caring for a family, running errands and trying to squeeze in some shut–eye? Simple. You do it at work.
Whether scouring job boards, searching company Web sites or monitoring list servs, 11 million people on average look for jobs online every week. One–quarter of workers who use a computer at work admit to searching on company time, according to a survey by staffing company. And, job site traffic spikes on weekdays during lunchtime hours.
But proceed with caution when searching for a job on company time; the key is to keep your current job, and income, until you find a new one. Follow these tips:
Know the rules
A growing number of employers have established policies on employer Internet use including monitoring employee personal e–mail abuse, personal instant messenger use, operation of personal Web sites on company time, personal postings on corporate blogs and operation of personal blogs on company time. Those companies are putting their policies into action: 26 percent of employers have fired workers for misusing the Internet and another 25 percent have terminated employees for e–mail misuse, according to a 2005 survey by the American Management Association (AMA).
Play it safe.
The AMA study found 76 percent of businesses monitor employee Web use and 55 percent keep and review e–mail messages. Use a personal e–mail account when discussing job search–related items and applications. Plus, employers would rather receive correspondence from personal accounts than from competitor addresses. And most importantly, you don’t want to send a message to a potential new employer that you conduct job searches on company time.
Don’t advertise your search.
Don’t wear your interview suit to your biz–casual office. Nothing sets off a red flag like wearing a suit to your dressed–down office. So how should you handle the wardrobe dilemma? For both men and women, suit bottoms (i.e. pants, skirts) are always passable for business casual. Bring a shoulder bag/duffle with a jacket in it, and change en route to/from the interview. For women, it is especially easy to wear a casual shell under a suit – once a jacket and stockings are removed, no one will detect an afternoon interviewee. For men, make sure your shirt stands on its own without a tie and you can easily make the switch.
Choose references wisely.
Former co–workers who have left to go elsewhere are usually the first ones to turn to if you want to keep your search confidential. But current co–workers are really the ideal names to pass along to your potential employer. Put a significant amount of thought into who will keep your confidence at your current job. Oftentimes, people find peers rather than managers to be safer bets. As long as your reference can speak to your work ethic, enthusiasm, drive and accomplishments, you don’t need to search high and low for a senior executive to speak on your behalf – go with who knows you best.
Timing is everything.
The breakfast interview is an ideal forum. Meetings scheduled at 8 a.m. are often finished in time to arrive at work by 9 a.m. If they run over, any number of reasons can be offered for a delayed arrival, but don’t go over the top. "Personal time" for a relaxing respite is still an acceptable reason for taking vacation time. Claiming sick runs you the risk of being asked to log on and work from home, or at least making yourself available. The best maneuvers are those when an interview can be tacked onto other pre–planned time off (long weekends, etc.) or non–work hours.
Never stop giving your all at work.
Job seekers can experience intense paranoia at work. If you devote yourself fully to what you’re doing in the hours you’re there (and job search with a vengeance in the hours when you’re not), you’ll continue to get the praise and recognition to keep you on track at your current job. In the end, the possibility always exists that you’ll stay. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by making co–workers suspicious and then maybe not landing a new job.
How To Judge A Headhunter/Recruiter
Headhunters earn their living by finding and evaluating job candidates for the benefit of their clients. Some are better at this than others, and you should know what distinguishes a good headhunter from a not-so-good one -- at least from the standpoint of the job hunter. This will help you avoid (a) wasting your time, (b) divulging confidential information to the wrong people, and (c) developing false hopes.
There are a lot of headhunters out there, and they tend to come in two types:
Those who get into the business because the cost of entry is low. They're looking for a quick buck. They're in a big rush to close deals, and they aren't very concerned about what anyone thinks about how they're doing it. That's not to say they're all dishonest; just that they aren't taking the long view. You'll get pretty frustrated working with them because of the way they treat their clients, their professional community, and their job candidates.
Those who are building a business based on reputation, relationships and trust -- and on making a contribution to their professional community. They're in less of a rush, are more willing to take time to establish long term relationships, and they seek to establish their credibility as much as to earn a buck. This doesn't mean they'll take anyone's call, just that they'll act responsibly.
How does a job hunter separate a knowledgeable, trustworthy, conscientious, effective headhunter from the rest? Assess him (or her) on these four attributes:
Knowledge
A good headhunter will have tons of valuable information about the company he or she is representing, about the job, the manager and his team, about why the job is open, and about the technology (if applicable). He'll be able to tell you about the interview itself: how the manager evaluates candidates, how his team will be involved and how the selection process will play out. Most important, the headhunter will be able to coach you in a way that will maximize your chances of winning an offer.
Even good headhunters don't have all the answers. But the good ones will tell you when they don't know something.
Integrity
A trustworthy headhunter is proud of his business and glad to talk about it. His success depends on you trusting him. So, ask him thoughtful questions about himself and his work. How many years has he been in the business? What areas does he specialize in? Who are his client companies? What specific positions does he usually recruit for?
The answers matter, of course, but what you're really looking for is an indication that the headhunter is forthright and willing to tell you about himself. A headhunter who's in the business for a quick buck won't have much of a story to tell because he's operating on the fringes, picking up fees wherever he can. A good headhunter will demonstrate that he has good clients who respect him, and that he knows the in's and out's of the industry he recruits in.
Conscientiousness
A good headhunter tries to locate and separate out the best qualifed talent for his client company. That's why he won't take cold calls or waste time with people who want a "job handout". His focus is on the companies and people who will help him do his job. When he's working on a search that has led him to you, he will be 100% attentive to you.
To a good headhunter, your resume is a follow-up, a kind of background material. It isn't his objective when he calls. If a headhunter just asks for your resume and says, "I'll get back to you", you know you're dealing with a guy who's too busy dialing for dollars and not taking the time to do a great job for his client.
By investing the time to get to know you, a headhunter demonstrates his conscientiousness. So, pay attention to the questions the headhunter asks you: he's revealing himself as much as he's probing you.
Effectiveness
A good headhunter finds the right candidate and fills the job. That's his business. To accomplish this, he has to gain the respect of the people he is recruiting, and he must demonstrate his ability to be right. If he makes a few "wrong" placements, his reputation is shot.
When people get frustrated because a headhunter won't talk to them, it's often because the headhunter is very good at what he does. And talking to just anyone isn't his job. A good headhunter usually does not have the time to spend with individuals who contact him unless they happen to have expertise in the exact assignment he's currently working on.
What does all this mean to you? If you are actively looking for a job, then take control of your own job search, because the good headhunters won't talk to you. That seems contradictory, but it makes perfect sense when you consider what we've said about the headhunter's business: he can't be an effective headhunter if he starts acting like a career counselor. If you're the person the headhunter is looking for, he prefers to find you himself. Believe it or not, this is one of the best ways to recognize a good headhunter: he's the one who calls you.
But to judge him properly, evaluate the headhunter carefully on all four of the attributes described above. When you encounter a good headhunter, do your best to help him with his search. Because there's one last attribute you should know about: a good headhunter remembers
Learning Your New Office...
You made it past the multiple rounds of interviews, background checks and countless hoops. Congratulations -- you got the job! So now what?
Many employees forget that the real hard work begins after they start a new job, not in the steps it took to get it. Yes, you've sufficiently wowed your future employers so that they have decided to hire you. But it's important to make a solid first impression on the job and assure them that they did not make a mistake.
Martin Yate, professional development counselor and author of "Knock `em Dead: The Ultimate Job Seeker's Guide," says there are several things to keep in mind when starting off at a new company.
How To Resign
A sample resignation letter is shown below. Once you have accepted a new position, consider the following:
Sample Resignation Letter:
Date
Dear Immediate Supervisor,
Please accept this letter as my formal resignation as (Your Current Title) from (Your Present Employer). I have accepted another career opportunity.
I, as well as my family, believe my new position will offer increased challenges, opportunity and financial rewards.
I want to take this opportunity to thank you and all my other acquaintances at (Present Employer) for your support in the past and trust that my association has been meaningful.
This has not been an easy decision, or one based on short-term thinking, and therefore I am not open for a counter offer.
I leave (Present Employer) with wonderful memories; but renewed enthusiasm and excitement for the future.
Sincerely,