A recent job fair in Albuquerque ( Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque Hispano Chamber, TVC)  boasted over 800 job seekers, but the good news…there were real jobs available. Overall there were 34 different companies or government entities present, and over 500 jobs among these.

For the attendees it was a lesson in “just show up”. There were 4 people hired on the spot and many more invited for further interviews. Recruiters in the booths were helpful in guiding the job seekers to appropriate opportunities and making suggestions. Even if attendees didn’t find something that was a fit for them, the information about careers and companies as well as networking with other job seekers was a valuable experience.

There are more opportunities in the future; a career fair at UNM on September 15 & 16, and a TVC-sponsored virtual job fair September 20-24. The virtual fair allows companies to highlight current openings and collect appropriate resumes online, and the job seeker has direct access to the company recruiters without leaving home! The website, www.nmvirtualjobfair.com has information on the upcoming event.

Tags: hiring process, hiring talent, job, job fair, job seeker

As the job market, especially in the tech industry in New Mexico, starts to rebound, your search for a new opportunity will give you more choices.  Once you have identified a good fit for your skills and experience, there is one more consideration before you go through the application process.  Will you LIKE working there, and will you fit? 
An article in Business Week April 12 noted that every company has its own corporate culture – its own special mix of values and rules that affect how you will interact with others and accomplish work.  Figuring out the unique culture for a company is not easy from the outside.  Breaking that code, however, can make or break your career with that organization.  Nothing is worse than going through the whole hiring process only to leave after three months because you and the organization just don’t mesh.
To find out if you will like them, you have to do your own “interview’ of the company.  There are a few obvious ways to pre-screen the employer, and some you may not have thought of.
Prior to applying, do your homework.  Go to the company website and see what kind of image they present to the world.  If the website is not well maintained and seems outdated that may indicate the sophistication level of their management group.  That doesn’t mean the company is not a good one, but just may be early in their development.  How does their “About Us” page present, and does it seem to meet your preferences?  Also look for the organization on any social media pages, and in the business news. In my experience, a candidate that showed up for an interview without a clue as to what our company did dropped way down on the list of potential hires, so this step also helps you shine in the interview.
Check out the company’s reputation in the community at networking events.  Sometimes the juicy stuff doesn’t make the news – but also beware of malicious gossip!  In New Mexico it is pretty likely that you can find someone who works there or knows someone who does, so use your connections.
At the interview:  pay close attention to what goes on around you.  Do the people there look happy and greet each other?  What is the dress code?  What is the work space like?  Is there a detectible stress level?
At your interview, ask some questions of your own.  What is it like to work there?  How does the company measure success?  Do they have company events to highlight success or explain new projects?  Does it feel like there is a team effort, or do you detect “silos” within the corporate structure.
Of course, never forget to put YOUR best foot forward, and hopefully you’ll land the job you’ve always wanted.  Good Luck!
 

Tags: hiring process, job, job application, job seeker

In the current employment market there is a strange phenomenon occurring. Job fairs abound in the larger cities—at times there is one or more scheduled per day. Universities and community colleges as well as local companies or commercial recruiting groups all have their day. Job seekers also abound. At many of these fairs there have been many more job seekers than jobs.

As a result the job/career fairs become disheartening for the applicants and grueling for the recruiters present. There has to be a better way!

The New Mexico High Tech/Green Tech Virtual Job Fair provides a more pleasant atmosphere for both parties involved. This fair is a boutique event catering to high tech companies with jobs in New Mexico. Our first event was held October 12-16, 2009 and was well received.

The fair is promoted as any other event, and the jobs listed are current and available. The recruiters respond and give timely feedback to applicants, but from their office computer. They get the extra visibility a job fair provides but can manage the process much more efficiently. Especially for some of the smaller companies where staff wears many hats, it has been a positive experience.

For job seekers as well, the event is more pleasant. Rather than standing in line with hundreds of other job seekers, one can apply from home and still get a response as to whether the employer is interested in their resume.  At that point further follow up can be arranged if the employer so chooses.

Best of all—parking is never a problem!

Tags: candidates, For Employers, job, job fair, job seeker, recruiters, recruiting

In our current climate, there are many candidates looking for work, and very few job openings, especially for professionals. From the job seeker point of view the challenge is to keep getting out there and looking in a systematic way.

From an employer point of view, the challenge is to sort through all the applications for the person to fill an opening. Job Seekers are trying to get someone’s attention as they network, blog, twitter, post on a social networking site and attend job fairs. Techniques have changed but the goal is the same – a satisfying job!

Some are looking at positions and reimbursements they might never have considered a year ago. The mistake that some applicants make is to apply for jobs that they are not remotely qualified for. This not only reflects badly on their credibility, but it is irritating to the recruiters who have to work through all the applications. The job seeker is better off not wasting their time and the company’s with inappropriate applications.

If an opportunity presents that is somewhat related to past experience it is a different story – and the challenge there is to submit a resume that highlights the appropriate experience. As job seekers persevere, their best tool is good research. Understand the company, their goals and their current economic climate in addition to the opportunities they offer.

Be aware that not all positions are posted in easily accessible places. The candidate’s networking and research may identify opportunities not obvious to others. For example, there may be a need for certain skills in an organization, but the job request hasn’t been formalized. News releases may give information on a new project or sales contract that offers opportunity for adding people – if the candidate has relevant experience it would be worth an introduction or informal meeting with someone in the company. Or the company is replacing the COO and the COO doesn’t know it yet!

The company will have its own network – finding those people that can promote the candidate’s resume are worth gold!

Tags: applications, candidates, job, job seeker, recruiting