Category Archives: Job

Introducing: The Social Resume

by in Job, Job Hunting, Job Satisfaction, Job Search, Job Seekers, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

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By Mark A. Leon

Here are some important facts and perceptions that are vital to the content that will be presented in this article

  • On average, a recruiter will review a resume for 10 seconds or less.
  • Organizations are more focused on a cultural fit than a skill fit to increase the probability of longer tenure and better synergies
  • 70% of recruiters do online background checks or internet stalker as some call it.
  • Your social presence is a direct extension of yourself.
  • Your interests, passions, activities and work connection determine the complete you.
  • Recruiters believe in full transparency.

Now that we have laid out those pieces of information, why are workforce centers, guidance counselors, career advisors and bloggers telling you that you need a full one or two-page resume to compete in this deeply competitive job market?

The answer is simple: We are not evolving with the times. Simplicity and full transparency are the keys to finding your perfect career marriage.

How often have you heard, “Someday, they will put a microchip in our hand or brain and scan all our vital information on the spot?”

Let us not take too big of a leap right away.  We believe we have created the solution for both candidates and recruiters, The Social Resume

Follow this simple format and you will give yourself a leg up on the competition.

Section 1: Name and Contact Information

Mark A. Leon
700 Daniel Ellis Drive, #6206
Charleston, South Carolina 29412
Mobile:  612-812-5226 (Text Friendly)
Email:  markalex222@gmail.com
Skype: MarkLeonIBM

Section 2:  Personal Statement – Tell us the complete you in 3 sentences or less

Marketing, Branding Strategist and Story Teller.  Accomplished/Published Writer, Photographer and Journalist.  20 plus years in Human Resources Consulting, Talent Acquisition and Sourcing.

Section 3:  Social Presence – Send us all your social profile links (We want to know the “complete” you)

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/markaleon/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/Recruiterpoet
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/markalexrecruiter
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/recruiterpoet/
Vimeo – https://vimeo.com/user6015710
About.me – https://about.me/recruiterpoet
Blog (Poetry and Career Advice) – http://www.recruiterpoet.com/

Section 4:  Career Summary – Just company, title and dates… Nothing else

IBM (Sourcing Executive – RPO) – April 2014 – Present
Aon Consulting (Former Hewitt Associates) (Recruiter/Sourcer/Global Branding Consultant for TA) – June 2007 – April 2014
Courage Center (Human Resources Consulting) – January 2007 – June 2017
Thomson Reuters (Marketing, Finance and IT Recruiter – Full Life Cycle) – March 2005 – January 2007

Section 5:  Highest Degree Completed (Dates Not Required)

Masters of Human Resources and Industrial Labor Relations – Rutgers University

Section 6:  Free for all – Accomplishments, Volunteer Work, etc (Last 3 years)

Speaker – Hirepalooza (June 2015) – San Francisco, CA
Six Published Collections of Poetry
Volunteer – Turkey Day Run (2014 – 15)
Silent Auction Coordinator – Yelp Scotty Fund Raiser (2016)

There you have it.  A recruiter can now evaluate you in 10 seconds and determine a skill and cultural fit.

Let us see what the finished product looks like:

Mark A. Leon
700 Daniel Ellis Drive, #6206
Charleston, South Carolina 29412
Mobile:  612-812-5226 (Text Friendly)
Email:  markalex222@gmail.com
Skype: MarkLeonIBM

Personal Statement:

Marketing, Branding Strategist and Story Teller.  Accomplished/Published Writer, Photographer and Journalist.  20 plus years in Human Resources Consulting, Talent Acquisition and Sourcing.

Social Channels:

Career Experience:

  • IBM (Sourcing Executive) – April 2014 – Present
  • Aon Consulting (Former Hewitt Associates) (Recruiter/Sourcer/Global Branding Consultant for TA) – June 2007 – April 2014
  • Courage Center (Human Resources Consulting) – January 2007 – June 2017
  • Thomson Reuters (Recruiter – Full Life Cylce) – March 2005 – January 2007

More About Me:

Speaker – Hirepalooza (June 2015) – San Francisco, CA
Six Published Collections of Poetry
Volunteer – Turkey Day Run (2014 – 15)
Silent Auction Coordinator – Yelp Scotty Fund Raiser (2016)
Career Coach (2009 – Present)

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Power of Positive Thinking in the Workplace and How to Get There

by in Career, Goals, Job, Job Satisfaction, Postive thinking, Workplace | Leave a comment

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The workplace is a challenging space filled with aggressive behavior, greed, agendas and red tape. It can take the best of intentions and drive them right into the ground. The separation of wealth grows larger, the loyalty factor becomes blurred and moral integrity comes into question often. Still, we continue to spend a significant portion of our lives in the workplace. Some for survival, some for challenge and even others for a sense of value.

Are we happy each and every day you step out of the house and make your way to the office, store, lemonade stand, farm or any other location you call work?

I think the key to a successful career is positive thinking and in order to achieve a level of balance and satisfaction in the workplace you need to begin by identifying your core goals of employment and the culture that helps you thrive.

Type of Workplace and Culture:

  • What is your motivator? (Financial, working from home, teamwork, challenging work, chance to innovate, managing others, etc.)  Once you identify the reason you choose to work, you can focus on achieving your goals.
  • What type of culture motivates you and keeps your passion and energy level high?  (Do you like to skateboard to work?  Do you like a conservative quiet office? Do you love team outings? Are you a mover or prefer a desk all day?)
  • Do you prefer routine or change?
  • Are you a leader or a contributor?
  • Do you want to be around others or alone?
  • Do you want to work in a small intimate setting or a large global arena?
  • Do you want to feel like you make a difference or just contribute to the flow?

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Setting Goals: (This part is often challenging for many.  Many of us set annual goals toward our bonus, but are these true tests of your ability and accomplishments or a necessary evil to get by so you get that nice check at the end of the year?)  Setting goals should be often and focused.

  • Set weekly or monthly goals that give you a sense of satisfaction, accomplishment and even a little adrenaline.
  • Always think like a project manager.  Set milestones, set goals and monitor progress of your achievements.
  • Reward yourself.  Don’t always rely on kudos or gift cards to show you have completed a successful endeavor.  Know in your heart you did something “great”.
  • Build on each result to strive for something bigger.

Be yourself:

  • You need to be comfortable in your own skin to be in a positive place.  You can’t be someone else to impress or fit in.  Being yourself will make you happy and ultimately satisfied with everything you say and do in the workplace.

Think Positive; Act Positive; Be Positive

  • Attitude is 90% of feeling and action (Yes I made that statistic up on the spot).  If you have energy, passion, motivation and feel good about yourself, there is nothing you cannot accomplish.  Take that positive embrace of life with you to work every day and you will never be dissatisfied at the end.

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There you have it, the manifest for positive thinking in the workplace.

Take a moment to reflect on these ideas and guidelines and I think you will start to see work in a whole new light.

Keys to Workplace Happiness

by in Career, Development, Fulfillment, Happiness, Innovation, Job, Job Satisfaction, Learning, Marriage, Recruiterpoet, Workplace | 1 Comment

Do you wake up on Monday morning dreading the week ahead or do you pop out of bed with a feeling of zest and vigor? Do you have the same sense of pride about your company that you do with your dog or children? Can you walk away at the end of the work day on Friday and know you made a difference?

These are all vital questions to ask yourself when you evaluate your current company, and the role you play in its success. Your job and your company should be a direct extension of yourself and your personality.

Ask yourself this, what type of personality do you have? What type of culture do you thrive in? What type of workforce are you compatible with?

Some have a start-up mentality while others thrive in a conservative structured environment.

Here is where we stand, when we look back at our lives while we sit on the rocking chair, sipping tea and watching the grass grow, we are going to come to the realization that over 40 years of our lives were spent working. Hopefully, those will be fond memories. Do you really want to look back in regret? I think not.

Finding Workplace Happiness – The Quiz

That is easy. If you can look at yourself in the mirror and see what brings you personal happiness, then you can easily translate that into the workplace.

Let us start with a self evaluation quiz.

Get your number two pencil and a piece of paper…..

1. Do you play well with others in a teaming environment or run as a well oiled individual contributor?
2. Are you an innovator or a status quo provider?
3. Do you thrive in a small family oriented setting or a large global entity?
4. Do you like to create or be told what to do?
5. Are you passionate about your company’s mission, products and services and vision for the future?
6. Do you feel your are maximizing your strengths in your current role?
7. Do you have room to breath and grow?
8. Can you walk away each day with a feeling of fulfillment?
9. Do you feel your company is an extension of yourself?
10. Do you feel like you will look back at your time spent and smile?

Each of these questions take a critical look at yourself and your perceptions of your relationship with your company. Based on the responses you will begin to understand your feelings about your company and its impact on you emotionally. You are in a marriage or a binding contract to be with your company through “better or worse, richer or poorer.” With any marriage there will of course be compromise, but in the end, it is about personal happiness, enrichment and fulfillment.

How do I ensure I am finding happiness in the workplace?

I know this is difficult to say during a recession that will have a sustained lasting affect for a number of years to come, but one should never stay with a company that is making them feel discouraged, emotionally drained or upset. Those negative feelings carry past the workplace into the home and the social setting. Continuous flow of negative energy could have a detrimental affect on physical and mental health. None of us want that. If you are truly unhappy, actively find a home that will turn that frown upside down.

Surround yourself with people that share the same positive energy as you. That includes personality, demeanor, passion, drive, ambition and challenge. As human beings we are bread with the pursuit of making a difference in the world. Your job should be no different. You need to know that you are making a significant contribution to your own development and to the success of the company. That is vital.

Treat each day like a new adventure. Keeping it fresh, spontaneous and zesty will make any career experience worthwhile.

Be expressive. The culture of a company is built on the brand, the products and service, the infrastructure but most importantly the human capital; You!

You are the ultimate foundation of everything your company stands for. You can look at yourself in the mirror and smile. Can you look at your company in the mirror and do the same? I hope the answer is yes. It is a part of you.

Never stop learning! Work is like school, a platform of learning. As we continue to grow, we continue to learn. Each day, each week, each month should be filled with moments of learning and growing.

Be true to yourself. Don’t hide behind a paycheck or a false sense of responsibility. If you are not having all your needs met, don’t stay with company. Remember earlier, we made the metaphor that you and your company are a marriage. Would you stay in an unhealthy marriage? I hope not.

There you have it, some of the keys to workplace happiness.

Find a company that makes you feel alive and cherishes each and every moment. That will be the one that will bring you the greatest personal happiness and sense of achievement.

What Kind of Employee Am I? Personal Marketing Strategy 101

by in Achievement, Career, Goals, Job, Personal Marketing Strategy, Resume, Success | 1 Comment

What is a personal marketing strategy plan?

It is a blueprint for success. This document, will help you look at yourself a little closer and determine your professional vision. Through a series of evaluation tools, this document will identify the type of work, culture, values and ideology of the organization and environment that you will thrive in.

During the period of career transition, often we fall into a sense of panic or fear. Part of the work experience is the expectation of receiving payment for our contributions. When those payments dry out, the financial burden of lifestyle changes drive us to rush the process and settle into a situation that is less than fulfilling. Also, for those that are dissatisfied with the current work situation, we can be blinded by other opportunities comparing them only to our current situation but not looking deeper into the role, company and long term affects of the opportunity in play.

Making professional choices in life is a mentally straining activity that asks us to not only look at our own future, but those that are a part of our circle. The goal, by creating a marketing strategy document/doctrine is to provide yourself with a cheat sheet to your own happiness.

What type of information should I have in my personal marketing strategy document?

First, state your mission or objective:

Clearly indicate your expectations on what is your ultimate goal. Make it simple and clear. What are you trying to accomplish as the end goal of this initiative? Once you define the meaning of this activity, you will have the passion and motivation to see it to completion.

Determine your basic logistics/needs:

1. Pay/Compensation – Base Pay, Bonus, Stock/401(k), Benefits. Focus in on a monetary and benefits plan that will be most comfortable for you, your family and your lifestyle.

2. Work Life Balance – How many hours a week do you want to work? How much annual vacation are you seeking? Do you want an office based role or virtual home based role?

3. What type of product/service/industry do you want to be a part of? Do you have convictions against a certain product/service? Do you feel more comfortable in a design and development company vs. a manufacturing company? Do you want to work in a small boutique firm or Fortune 100 organization?

4. What level of responsibility are you looking to attain? Do you want a strategic leadership role? Do you want a people management role? Do you want to be an individual contributor?

5. What type of community value do you want your next employer to have (Volunteer work, charity work, green workplace)?

What are you key skills (technical and soft)?

List out all of your technical skills and be as specific as possible including software versions and expertise level (Beginner/Novice, Intermediate, Advanced).

List your soft skills – Leadership, communication, adaptability, teaming…

What are you current professional areas of improvement?

List all the areas you feel you could further develop in your professional career and focus on training or academics that could help you achieve those goals. Also, indicate the type of training that is most effective for you (classroom, web based, book learning).

Time line for acheivement

Based on current situations in your life and transition time, set out an approximate time frame to complete your transition into a new career opportunity

Company and Location

Now is the time we begin to get more specific. I know, many of you are saying to yourself “I don’t want to limit my search” but this exercise is all about finding your true happiness in a place where you will be spending almost half of your awake hours each week. Think about how selective you are with your choice of mate, home, entertainment, social life and friends. Why should a career search be any different?

If, you are willing to move, chose the Top 5 places you would consider a move. If you are not, how far are you willing to commute?

List the Top 5 or 10 companies you have a desire to work for. Have you always dreamed of working for Apple or Google or maybe want Best Buy for a great associate discount? Perhaps helping the environment is your passion and a solar energy company is your dream home. Think really hard about the company that would truly bring you inner peace and outward excitement each morning you drove to work.

What tools do you have for your plan execution?

List out all the tools you have at your disposal to help achieve your goal of identification, attraction and securing of your next career opportunity?

Examples:

Do you have a LinkedIn Profile?
Do you have an About.Me or Google Profile?
Do you have a URL / Web Based Resume?
Do you have publications / White Papers / Volunteer Work to support your career background?
Do you belong to any networking groups?
Do you have referrals?

There you have it, you initial Personal Marketing Strategy Plan. But you are not done yet.
The final step is review and edit. Take your plan to two or three people you trust in your life both personal and professional and have them review the document. Ask them to be candid and critical. You can be honest with yourself, but sometimes others see you a little better than you see yourself.

Once you have completed the final step, your blueprint for success is ready. Print it out, tape it on your desk, wall, refrigerator or bathroom mirror so that every day, you are reminded of the goals you are going to achieve.

You will be successful and more importantly you will find happiness at the end of the rainbow.

25 best-paying jobs for women – Research by Careerbuilder

by in Career Advice, Career Searching, Careerbuilder, Careers, Earnings, Females, Job, Job Hunting, Job Search, Jobs | 1 Comment

Provided by: Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com

When you look at Forbes magazine’s most recent list of highest-paid CEO’s (chief executives of the 500 biggest companies in the United States), you won’t see a woman until No. 48: Irene B Rosenfeld, CEO of Kraft Foods.

In a country where women make up 47 percent of the workforce, women make up just 3 percent of Fortune 500 CEO’s. In addition, women who worked full time earned an average of just 80 percent of what men earned in the same positions in 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But is salary disparity between genders the issue or is it something deeper?

In the Harvard Business Review blog, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox wrote: “Women represent one of the world’s biggest and most under-reported opportunities. The business world has been so focused on stories like the rise of China that it has not been invited to see that, much closer to home, business could be reaping the benefits of the rise of women. Companies — and their business school feeders — have been slow in adapting and profiting from this shift, and part of the reason is that media too often focus on small, sensational and misleading parts of the story, including aspects like the wage gap.”

Catalyst’s February 2010 Pipeline’s Broken Promise report examining high potential graduates from top business schools around the world found that, even after taking into account experience, industry and region, women start at lower levels than men, make on average $4,600 less in their initial jobs, and continue to be outpaced by men in rank and salary growth.

Only when women begin their post-MBA career at mid-management or above do they achieve parity in position with men — a situation that accounted for only 10 percent of the women and 19 percent of the men surveyed.

Whatever the cause, the BLS reports there are only a handful of occupations where women’s earnings are equal to or exceed men’s including construction and extraction occupations; special education teachers; installation, maintenance and repair occupations; life, physical and social science technicians; and counselors.
We wanted to know, what jobs pay women the most money? Here are 25 jobs where women earn $1000 a week or more, according to the BLS. One thing to note is that they all earn a fraction of their male counterparts.

Pharmacists
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,647
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,914
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 86.1%

Chief executives
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,603
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,999
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 80.2%

Lawyers
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,509
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,875
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 80.5%

Computer software engineers
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,351
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,555
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 86.9%

Computer and information systems managers
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,260
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,641
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 76.8%

Physicians and surgeons
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,230
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,911
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 64.4%

Management analysts
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,139
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,391
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 81.9%

Human resources managers
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,137
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,433
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 79.3%

Speech-language pathologists
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,124
Men – Median weekly earnings: *
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: **

Computer and mathematical occupations
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,088
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,320
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 82.4%

Computer scientists and systems analysts
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,082
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,240Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 87.3%

Physician assistants
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,077
Men – Median weekly earnings: **
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: **

Medical and health services managers
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,066
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,504
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 70.9%

Physical scientists, all other
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,061
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,535
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 69.1%

Postsecondary teachers
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,056
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,245
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 84.8%

Marketing and sales managers
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,024
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,601
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 64%

Physical therapists
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,019
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,329
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 76.7%

Occupational therapists
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,016
Men – Median weekly earnings: **
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: **

Registered nurses
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,011
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,168
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 86.6%

Managers, all other
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,010
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,359
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 74.3%

Psychologists
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,004
Men – Median weekly earnings: **
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: **

Computer programmers
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,003
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,261
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 79.5%

Architecture and engineering occupations
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,001
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,286
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 77.8%

Advertising and promotions managers
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,000
Men – Median weekly earnings: **
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: **

Education administrators
Women – Median weekly earnings: $1,000
Men – Median weekly earnings: $1,398
Women’s earnings as percent of men’s in same occupation: 71.5%

*No data or data that do not meet publication criteria.
** Data not shown where the male employment base is less than 50,000.

Here is your chance – Top Recession Proof Jobs (Apply Here!)

by in 2010, Hot Job, Job, Job Hunting, Job Search, Jobs, Recession | Leave a comment

Provided by Tim King

1. Headhunter One company’s layoff is another’s splash in the potential employee pool. Because of downsizing there are qualified people out there without jobs, and now is a great time to find them, pick them up and place them somewhere. Both sides win.

2. Bartender While the restaurant business may be floundering, bars won’t exactly boom, but they will be the first place people stop after getting the boot. Hey, people drink more when times are tough.

3. Software/Networking Development As new companies grow, here and overseas, they will need people to develop software for them to use and networks for them to communicate with. Companies need quality communication systems and programs to help them run as or more efficiently than competing companies.

4. Personal/Professional Finance Advisor After unprecedented amounts of financial scandals and poor fiscal management blunders surface, people and professionals alike will crack down on bookkeeping.

5. Repo Man Sadly, as more and more people fall on hard times, they will have to start giving up their possessions in order to make ends meet. The repossession industry will reap the benefits.

6. Collection Agents Companies are going belly-up left and right. The ones that don’t want to will try as hard as they can to keep their books clean, both legally and financially. Collection agencies will have no shortage of clients as more and more companies try to clean up.

7. Military /Government Jobs More and more service members overseas are extending their tours so they don’t have to face the bleak job market back home. The government will always need people to keep it functioning. Plus, government jobs are harder to get fired from and the benefits can be sweet, especially for those with families.

8. Nursing and Pharmaceuticals I’m sure you’ve heard it before: the baby boomers are getting old. In the coming years there will be a seemingly endless realm of potential patients to treat, and the nursing career and pharmaceutical industry will ride the wave high.

9. Truck Driver It’s not for everyone, but it’s a time-tested and classic profession. People are always going to need stuff, and that stuff will need to get places. Most of the time you will get a certain amount of time off for a certain amount of miles completed, which can mean lots of down time for rest and personal projects, and the medical and retirement benefits are a plus as well.

10. Fundraiser Asking for money is an idea that makes many people shudder, especially when everyone seems so tight. But with green jobs on a possible brink of booming and city planning expanding, companies and contractors are going to need people to raise funds. Besides, if you’re a good fundraiser you will have a good enough relationships with your donors that asking for money shouldn’t be a big issue.