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 Topic: Career NewsThe new items published under this topic are as follows.
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Employment Digest, November 26
Amidst the increasing popularity of social networks, it is perhaps no surprise that an increasing number of IT workers are now tapping into them for networking opportunities. Social networking sites like MySpace, LinkedIn, FaceBook and Xing can be a place to line up new assignments and network with like-minded individuals. While LinkedIn is currently the most popular site for business networking, FaceBook became an important new source once it expanded outside the student world.
The valuable thing about social networks is that clients can actually find you. They have the capability to search for skills they need and can limit their search to a specific area. They can find you through the people you know or through the people they know. They have the capability to find you in specialized groups, discussions or while browsing a random contact. Without any effort on your part, they can stumble across your profile. That being said, you need to represent yourself accurately online and list the appropriate skills and project experience in your profile. Keep in mind, though, that an endless list of tools, programming languages or general buzzwords will make you look like someone who is desperate to make contact.
A social network is also a place to publish your needs. While you need gigs, your next client needs certain skills. In the same way clients can look for you, you can search for them. However, do not fall into the habit of just collecting friends. Having several hundred people in your network does not guarantee an endless supply of new projects. Be careful that you do not overwhelm your social network by confusing signal with noise. A social network is a valuable tool when used appropriately. Care for your network, expand it, keep in touch with the people in it and it might turn up new opportunities for you.
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CIO.com, November 13
There are 10 simple ways to nurture, develop and recruit entry-level IT talent. Each of these steps, however, requires that companies adopt a long-term view of talent acquisition. Forward-looking companies understand that talent acquisition requires participating in the development of that talent and taking the time to understand the needs of recent graduates. A small investment of time and resources, such as offering internship programs or re-establishing ties with alumni, can result in a significantly enhanced ability to attract young graduates.
Many of the tips outlined in the article are based on the assumption that hiring managers are willing to get to know the colleges and universities in their area. As a first step, they should review the academic program offerings of these institutions and take the time to understand the skill sets of graduates from these programs. They can also host faculty members and deans, provide internships to outstanding students and develop challenging projects for their interns.
Other steps include providing real-world projects for senior classes and inviting students on a field trip to your company. Many students may have never been in an IT company or even in a business environment and will greatly enjoy the experience of a field trip to your company. You can also sign up as a guest lecturer at a local educational institution, host a regional academic competition, participate in college job fairs, and engage with alumni groups.
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CareerJournal.com, January 3
In an interview about the nationwide executive hiring outlook, a managing director of a Boston-based executive search firm discusses the key trends that will impact the hiring of executives in 2006. In certain key industries, such as digital media, online advertising and Internet security, there are already signs of strong demand over the next 12 months. Moreover, this imbalance in the supply and demand of talent in certain sectors is leading to upward pressure on compensation. The interview also provides insights about the types of management and leadership traits that are most in demand by recruiters as well as tips on how to analyze the hiring situation at any company.
In terms of industries showing strong demand for IT professionals, digital media is one of the industries at the forefront. Almost all traditional media companies are looking for talented executives familiar with technological innovation such as streaming audio and podcasts. In addition, "anything to do with online advertising" and Internet security are drawing the attention of corporate recruiters. In terms of executive positions most in demand, chief executive officers and vice presidents of sales, marketing and business development are at the top of the list. For executives with specific skills, such as familiarity with interactive-marketing tools, there is especially strong demand.
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CIO.com, January 1
IT hiring is once again on the rise. According to a recent survey, 55% of IT executives expect to increase their IT staffs by an average of 11% in 2006. However, companies have developed different hiring needs than during the last technology hiring boom. In short, IT organizations are looking for business-savvy technology professionals who understand how IT can impact the bottom line of a business. Preferably, these professionals will also have experience interacting with customers and some bilingual language expertise. As a result, recruiters are placing less emphasis on purely technical prowess as they attempt to fill three critical IT needs: project managers, relationship managers and business analysts.
The evolving nature of the IT industry is having a significant impact on hiring patterns, especially at companies that once recruited solely technical graduates. Instead of requiring a computer science degree, employers are just as often looking for an MBA or some other proof of hands-on business experience. Even some programming jobs now require candidates to spend time working in the business function first before ever designing systems for that function. In fact, according a 2005 report from Gartner, six out of 10 IT employees will assume business-facing roles by 2010.
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Business Week, December 23
Thinking like an opera singer can actually help you in your job interviews. In fact, writes Liz Ryan, "One of the best training experiences a corporate manager could ever have, and probably will never get is an operatic audition." After all, opera singers are used to obtaining a large number of auditions for a variety of different singing roles and are quite adept at "just being themselves" during the auditions, since they have no possible way of knowing what a conductor or director wants. Also, when you interview in volume -- as opera singers do - you are able to deliver answers that are more polished than if you wait for the perfect interview with the perfect company. In addition, you will be more proficient at business networking and better prepared for advancing to the next level of your career.
There are two primary reasons why operatic auditions would provide an important training tool for corporate leaders. First, by performing at a large number of operatic auditions, you become more adept at letting everything go and being yourself. As Liz Ryan explains, "Auditioning often - which is the standard drill for singers everywhere - really makes you understand that the process isn't about pleasing a certain person or being a certain way." For job seekers trying to analyze every hiring manager and HR person they come into contact with, this should be reassuring. Instead of constructing elaborate answers and explanations that they think will appeal to them, it's far better to develop a style and approach with which you are comfortable.
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Computerworld, November 28
According to Virginia Robbins of San Francisco-based Chela Education Financing, there are five key steps one can take to thrive during the "post-sale phase" of an acquisition. This phase is the time period after a company has been sold and integration activities are still under way. For managers especially, this time period presents a number of challenging opportunities for keeping morale high and ensuring a stable transition. During the post-sale phase, it's only natural to "mourn the death" of the old company and to be surprised by an abrupt change of ownership. However, if you remember your work commitments and look for opportunities to do meaningful work, you will be able to succeed during this period.
After the acquisition has been announced, take time to understand your motivation for working so that you know what you want from the new organization and what you are willing to sacrifice as part of the integration process. Next, realize that it is only natural for you and your co-workers to "mourn the death" of the old company: "No matter how badly your old firm was run, the post-acquisition period brings out nostalgia for the good old days." Try to keep your emotions in check, though, and realize that your energies are better spent on thinking about the future, not the past.
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Getting the most out of knowledge workers will be the key to business success for the next quarter century. Here's how we do it at Google.
By Eric Schmidt and Hal Varian
Newsweek
At Google, we think business guru Peter Drucker well understood how to manage the new breed of "knowledge workers." After all, Drucker invented the term in 1959. He says knowledge workers believe they are paid to be effective, not to work 9 to 5, and that smart businesses will "strip away everything that gets in their knowledge workers' way." Those that succeed will attract the best performers, securing "the single biggest factor for competitive advantage in the next 25 years."
At Google, we seek that advantage. The ongoing debate about whether big corporations are mismanaging knowledge workers is one we take very seriously, because those who don't get it right will be gone. We've drawn on good ideas we've seen elsewhere and come up with a few of our own. What follows are seven key principles we use to make knowledge workers most effective. As in most technology companies, many of our employees are engineers, so we will focus on that particular group, but many of the policies apply to all sorts of knowledge workers...
* Hire by committee.
* Cater to their every need.
* Pack them in.
* Make coordination easy.
* Eat your own dog food.
* Encourage creativity.
* Strive to reach consensus.
* Don't be evil.
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Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, November 14
Forced ranking systems, which require managers to evaluate their employees' performance against other employees rather than against pre-determined standards, continue to be a controversial topic in the world of human resource management. In the classic forced ranking system, the top 20% of performers are rewarded while the bottom 10% of performers is dismissed. As might be imagined, it can make for a tension-filled, competitive environment. However, as Dick Grote, author of Forced Ranking: Making Performance Management Work, points out, the controversial employee-evaluation system can work well if handled properly. While some companies have been successful in using their forced ranking systems for longer periods of time, Grote acknowledges that most organizations are better served by implementing a forced ranking system as a short-term initiative, since many of the advantages of such a system tend to be most pronounced in the first several years.
In response to critics, who allege that a "rank and yank" approach is unfair to people performing at an acceptable level and creates an unhealthy corporate work environment, Grote argues that, for the right company at the right time, forced ranking creates a more productive workforce where top talent is properly appreciated, rewarded, and retained. In describing the business case for forced ranking, Grote explains: "Forced ranking is the antidote to the problems of inflated rating and the failure to differentiate that many organizations have installed to help bring the truth into the performance management process." The bottom line, says Grote, is that by implementing a forced ranking procedure, organizations guarantee that managers will differentiate talent. Possible adverse consequences of a forced ranking system, such as lower employee morale and less collaboration, pale in comparison to the productivity benefits.
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Edwardsville Intelligencer (IL) (09/05/05); Malone, Zhanda
A report from the National Science Foundation estimates that in 2001, 35% of the students enrolled in undergraduate physics, computer science, and math classes and 16% of those enrolled in undergraduate engineering classes were female. Meanwhile, women comprised less than 10% of students enrolled in graduate physics and engineering classes.
A team of researchers at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) recently received a $360,000 grant designed to boost the participation of women in engineering and the sciences through efforts such as a high school robotics competition coordinated by professor Jerry Weinberg with the SIUE School of Engineering's Computer Science faculty. The professor says the program starts with teams of six to 10 students who will use robot kits to design, construct, and program a group of small mobile devices.
"Participants will learn to comprehend how the tools of math and science are used in creative projects, and to learn about their application in the everyday world," Weinberg says. Weinberg says the participants will be studied in detail to acquire a better understanding of how such programs influence the way girls perceive their skill in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). In addition, Weinberg says the study will hopefully reveal how this perception affects girls' long-term study and career tracks.
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eWeek (09/05/05); Koprowski, Gene J.
The growing trend of offshoring and a generally gloomy perception of the IT labor market has unions increasingly aiming their organizing efforts at technology professionals.
A union-supported survey identified a "growing pessimism" in the IT landscape, citing the export of jobs overseas and the influx of foreign workers crowding the marketplace as factors contributing to the low mark of 54% of workers who predict increased demand in their industry. Union leaders are reaching out to white-collar workers having identified common threats to their job security that defy classification based on profession or education level.
A trend illustrating the need for the unionization of IT workers is the increasingly held view of them as commodities, rather than as coveted and talented individuals. After a split in the AFL-CIO in which many large unions sought to free themselves from the bureaucracy of the umbrella group, there is now a host of independent unions seeking to organize traditionally non-unionized workers, and these groups are capitalizing on the recent emergence of overseas outsourcing to pursue and protect workers with measures such as PR campaigns, boycotts, and lawsuits.
IT tops the list of departments vulnerable to offshoring efforts, with India being the principal beneficiary, having claimed $20 billion in contracts last year; China came in second with $600 million. One obstacle to the unionization of tech workers is that they are often scattered around the country, working from remote locations and collaborating with each other through the Internet, though that diffusion has unions using the familiar tools of email and Web communities to try to bring them together.
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