The next Tech2 Virtual Job Fair (www.nmvirtualjobfair.com) has been scheduled for May 2-6, 2011, and you will want to participate.  This fair is provided as a free service to technology companies in New Mexico, and features some of our best and brightest in the tech industry.  It is sponsored by Technology Ventures Corporation and the NM WIRED Project.  There are quality opportunities both in tech and administrative areas, and they are real jobs! 
The winter Tech2 fair hosted 17 technology-based employers and listed over 60 job opportunities.  Employers were well pleased with the quality of the applicants.
One of the benefits of this fair is that candidates get focused attention from the recruiters and no one has to stand in line (or sit in a booth) for hours.  We get the word out throughout the community and region to give all interested parties a chance to participate.  The website and process are very straightforward and give a great overview of what’s happening in the New Mexico tech industry.
Be sure to participate.  Employers can sign up now by visiting the job fair site and clicking on “contact”.  Candidates will be able to participate during the fair.  See you there!

Tags: job fair, technical jobs

An article in Time (January 17, 2011) as well as other business publications, predict that those working in the technology sector should fare better this year.  The Time article gave a number of statistics that are interesting to those seeking jobs.  The volume may not be what it was, but there are definitely opportunities.
Jobs in network-systems and data analysts are the second only to biomedical engineers in growth in that sector.  Companies have been spending more on software and computer services, and internet marketing and social networking companies are doing well. 
Health services is another area of positive growth, and again requires training and education, just like the technology services areas.  In fact, the Time article shows that in 2011 and 2012 over 37% of the new jobs will require a bachelor’s degree or higher. 
There is also some good news for the manufacturing sector, as some companies are going to lean manufacturing and bringing the work back to the states.  Various companies have stated that they want more control over their process and product.  General Electric’s head of technology for the appliance section sees lean manufacturing as a way to lower manufacturing costs as much as 30%.  Unit labor costs have fallen across the country. 
In New Mexico the growth is slow, and appears to be focused in manufacturing and mining sectors.  The UNM Bureau of Economic Research predicted that it will take years to replace the 50,000 jobs lost in the state.  The Bureau director predicts that the job growth for 2011 will be about 1.3%.  The manufacturing sector accounts for about 3.5% of GDP in New Mexico, as opposed to approximately 9% of GDP nationally.
The New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership works with New Mexico manufacturing companies to improve processes and increase efficiency.  Ron Burke, Center Director, said that in the last 5 years the number of manufacturing companies in the state dropped from 1700 to 1500.  On the other hand, those who have survived the downturn are coming out strong, and some even have a backlog of orders – hopefully that means more job opportunities in the industry.  Ron said that one reason for the successful survival of these businesses is that they have worked on training employees and improving their processes.
Let us hope that these smart technology and manufacturing companies in our state can add good jobs for the people here who have great skills and need them!

Tags: applications, hiring talent, Hiring Trends, industry news, job seeker, technical jobs

Don’t miss it – this is a unique event.  It’s easy and free to all.  Our site, www.nmvirtualjobfair.com, will host a winter virtual job fair January 24-28 for tech companies in New Mexico. 
This concept was developed to meet the needs of busy HR & recruiting personnel who spent a lot of time standing in booths at job fairs.  It also helps out the job seekers, saving them from having to stand in line to meet with recruiters.  The fair provides a way for companies to feature current jobs and draw attention to their opportunities, and for job seekers to get relevant feedback.    
Hiring in our state has seen small increases recently in the private sector, and our hope is that this year will see more growth in the tech sector.  People currently looking for new opportunities have their work cut out for them, though, as companies manage tight budgets and look for new ways to be more efficient.  Candidates with broad experience and multiple talents can add value in small organizations needing to grow. 
The 2011 Manpower Outlook Survey found mixed news for US job seekers according Jeffrey Joerres, CEO of Manpower Inc.  He says:
 “Seasonally adjusted data for the United States indicates the most optimistic first-quarter hiring sentiment in three years, yet 73 percent of employers indicate they will keep staff levels unchanged.  So while we’re seeing positive signals in the data, only time will tell if we’ve reached the inflection point in the U.S. labor market recovery.”

Everyone keep at it and let’s make 2011 a good year for the tech industry.

Tags: candidates, Hiring Trends, job fair, recruiters, recruiting, technical jobs

The job market seems to change daily, and there are a lot of very talented people hunting for opportunities. Bright spots, according to an article in New Mexico Business Weekly are the solar and high-tech markets.

There is high interest in solar technologies and our state is touted as a mecca for these companies. The technology continues to improve and reinvent itself, and business is growing in this industry. Visible Light Technologies, Sacred Power Corp., Positive Energy, Inc., Affordable Solar Group, Direct Power and Water Corp., 310 Solar, Array Technologies Inc., and Schott Solar Inc. are all adding positions. Many of these are technical positions and some require prior experience. As mentioned in a previous blog, now may be the time to upgrade your training and skills with some solar tech classes at one of our educational institutions.

Other positions are an opportunity for sales, marketing and quality assurance candidates. Always check the company websites as well as our site, www.nmtechjobs.org for both technical and business positions. In addition to the solar opportunities, Eclipse Aerospace is back and hiring, and NanoPore, Inc., is hiring for its sister organization, NanoCool, and will need manufacturing technicians.

We are fortunate in New Mexico to have an appreciation for the quality and importance of technology-related businesses. The State has also provided support for entrepreneurial efforts as another way to create new opportunities for jobs and revenue. We also work to enhance the skills of our workforce, which helps to attract new technology businesses (kind of a chicken and egg thing). We can only hope that these companies are all successful!

Tags: hiring talent, Hiring Trends, industry news, job seeker, technical jobs