Wisconsin Jobing Community Blogs

 

When preparing to do your own personal self-assessment you want to be able to:

1.         Identify and act upon your own personal strengths and weaknesses

2.        Recognize your impact on others

3.        Evaluate your own standards and ethics.

Personal Strengths and Weaknesses                            

If you have not yet determined what your strengths and weaknesses are, chances for improvement and growth are limited. You (not your boss or your co-workers) are the only one in the best position to identify your personal strengths and weaknesses. If you are ready to take an objective look at yourself, there are tons of self assessment books, online tests, and tools that can help you gain a better understanding of your strengths, weaknesses, style, and career interests. Whether or not you choose to use any of these tools, the following apply when performing your own self assessment:

Be true to yourself!

In order to locate your strengths and weaknesses you need to be honest.

Take your time

Quickly trying to come up with an example will end in superficial results, such as “I have good work habits.”

Be specific

Be clear in defining what your strengths and weaknesses are. An example would be “I tend to be a perfectionist who has had trouble delegating tasks to others” “But I have come to see that teamwork and utilizing everyone’s strengths is a much more effective way to get the job done than trying to do it all myself.” This approach works well because you are being specific about the weakness but also stating what you have done to improve it.

Focus on your behavior

Your own behavior is much easier to change than opinions and attitudes of others such as your boss or co-workers.

Accept the results

None of us are perfect. So when you take one of the many personal online self-assessments, instead of being devastated or angered at the results, take the time to reflect on areas you can possibly improve. It’s important to find out how you are perceived by others.

Use the results

A self-assessment doesn’t do any good unless you take action upon the information. Make some goals to improve your weak areas and maximize your strengths.

Personal Impact on Others

Do you wake up every morning dreading going to your job, always complaining, and carrying around a negative attitude? This type of behavior can have an impact on the rest of your co-workers, stress you out endlessly, as well as have a negative effect on your performance. In order to find and maximize your positive impact on others, you want to first change your attitude. You are in control of how you’re feeling that particular day, week or month. In an effort to change things around to perform better in your job you can:

o    Set high standards and goals for yourself

o    Ensure that your daily behavior is beyond reproach

o    Avoid negatively criticizing the company or other employees

o    Be the first to make a change – others will follow

o    Seek out and recognize what’s positive

Ethics in the Workplace

Ethics refers to the standards of acceptable conduct within and outside of the organization. During the course of your career, you may face many problems and decisions that are in the “grey area” situations where you question your supervisor or even your co-worker’s actions or behavior. When faced with that situation involve others in your deliberations if possible. If the consequences of their behavior would be negative, then the behavior or action is probably unethical. Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself and address any behavior you feel is wrong or unethical. You will be happy that you did.

Jennifer DeVerney

To find out more about Herzing University Online please visit us on the web at www.herzingonline.edu. Are you an employer looking for a great employee? Click here to see a list of our job seekers.

Lately, I’ve been hearing that ‘doing more with less’ is the “new normal.” That topic of conversation came up again recently at a business lunch. One  well-respected colleague said, “Well if the new normal means another year of salary cuts, longer hours, loss of benefits, reduced flexibility and a harsh, disrespectful boss, I’m not signing up for another round. I’ll go find something else to do.”

If his cynical view of the world were an anomaly, I’d write it off as a sign of the times. The problem is, I’m hearing versions of his comments everywhere I go these days. People are willing to sacrifice but there is a limit to how long they can make that stretch.

Some recent surveys point to a larger trend. For example, Watson Wyatt found employee engagement to be down 9%. But among high performing professionals, that disengagement dropped to 25%. It doesn’t bode well for companies hoping to hold on to their top talent when the veil lifts.

According to surveys released a few weeks ago, by Monster and Human Capital Institute, cynicism is on the rise:

57% of workers believe employers are exploiting the recession to drive longer hours and lower pay from their workforce.

58% believe employers are less concerned about employee retention, and 50% are more concerned about top performers leaving than before the recession.

43% of workers believe employers are now less tolerant of dissent and challenges to authority.

Only 26% excuse their employers for requiring layoffs and longer hours because they believe their employer’s hands were forced by the recession.

48% of workers say their productivity has been affected by a fear of being laid off.

The study concludes by recommending four strategies: communication, employee development, flexibility, and delegation/empowerment. In short, what they are recommending is to start paying closer attention to what the employee needs; not just squeezing harder to get more of what the company needs.

I spoke with Nancy Woltzen, Vice President, Versant Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in internal communications, marketing and branding (versantsolutions.com). “A lot of employers have lost track of their own employees, because they have been off fighting dragons in this economy. In some cases, employers imply ‘You’re lucky you have a job’ but this creates bitterness and cynicism, which reduces innovation and productivity.

One big way to squelch cynicism is with transparent data and truth. Employees need to be kept up to date on what is going on. They need to know how they are contributing to the goals, and how much progress is being made toward the goals. Companies need to stay close to their employees and find out what is important to them,” Woltzen says.

She explains the little things can have a huge impact, “One company took the free coffee away, and there was a huge outcry. It felt like the last straw in an environment where everyone was asked to come in early and stay late.” She noted the coffee was brought back

Similar situations such as mandating new start and stop times (problems with day care), mandating where and when ( telecommuters) employees were to work, imposing new administrative measures to track productivity, all add to the feelings of low trust and disenfranchisement.

When the light begins to brighten the recessionary landscape, what will be illuminated? Will your best employees run as fast as they can to other employers? Will you be left with a bedraggled crew, who are just happy to have a job? Will you be in business at all? Or, will you emerge with a strong team, who has been an actively informed and engaged partner with you, to help you figure out how to beat the recession—instead of each other.

Joan Lloyd is an executive coach, management consultant, facilitator and professional trainer.  Email your question to Joan at info@joanlloyd.com.  Visit www.JoanLloyd.com to search an archive of more than 1300 of Joan’s articles.  (800) 348-1944 © Joan Lloyd & Associates, Inc.

Would you like to bridge the commitment gap with your employees?   We provide management consulting, executive coaching and customized, skills-based training for managers and supervisors, that changes behavior, creates a healthy culture and builds a customer-focused team.  Call us today at (800) 348-1944.

Good managers know that employee satisfaction is essential to healthy teamwork, initiative and productivity.  Based on an in-depth study of the most innovative ideas in creating a culture where employees thrive, our recruiting & retention tools have all the secrets you will need to find and keep the best employees.

Creative Recruiting & Retention Strategies or Recruiting & Retention Booklet Series (Includes Joan’s booklet, 86 Creative Ideas for Having More Fun & Less Stress at Work)

Dear Joan:

Do you think managers are accountable to their direct report associates as to where they are on a day-to-day basis?

Answer:

It sounds as if your manager goes AWOL and you’re not happy about it. The answer to your question depends, in part, on:

• How much the manager’s employees need him/her for guidance, questions and decisions.
• What is going on in the unit, or in the company.

If your manager is absent for days at a time, and no one knows where he or she is, that could be an issue. Part of a manager’s job is to provide direction, help and coordination to his unit. If employees have no idea where he is, and worse, he isn’t available to them via mobile phone, that is a problem.

Not only is it a problem for his direct reports, who are left hanging, it is bad for morale. Employee groups, who have an absentee boss, tend to resent the absence and grow bitter. I often see negative employees become vocal about a missing manager and begin to take matters into their own hands. In the worst cases, they can bully and intimidate others who don’t join the ranks of the negative, disenfranchised informal leader.

Senior management won’t be happy, either. If his boss can’t get in touch with him, it doesn’t look good. If it happens twice, it won’t be pretty.

With that said, I want to make a point about the role of the manager and why he or she may be away from the unit on a regular basis. One of the most significant changes that occurs when you are promoted to a manager role is how you use your time and your schedule. The focus shifts from downward on the work at hand, to a 360-degree view of not only their department, but other departments, and upward to senior management and outside to the customer. Suddenly, it seems their day is filled with meetings. It can be a big challenge—at least at first-- for a new manager, because it seems his calendar is no longer under his own control and his work is harder to measure.

At the very least, however, I believe a manager owes it to his primary constituents.—his own employees—to let them know where he is. If the manager is smart, he or she will also let the team know what he or she is doing. If the manager doesn’t let them know, it breeds suspicion about what the manager is up to…and it’s usually no good.

If the manager must be away for periods of time, it becomes more crucial to meet with the team on a regular basis, and hold one-on-one meetings with each direct report, to provide the kind of face time that is needed. If this doesn’t happen, the manager isn’t adding any value to the group. If these meetings are frequently canceled it will also breed contempt, because employees will feel disrespected, in addition to feeling abandoned.

In many companies, where managers are separated geographically from their employees, this can be accomplished by phone meetings, or video conferencing. However, there is no substitute for good old fashioned face-to-face contact. There is no better way to build trust, motivation and engagement. 

Joan Lloyd is an executive coach, management consultant, facilitator and professional trainer.  Email your question to Joan at info@joanlloyd.com.  Visit www.JoanLloyd.com to search an archive of more than 1300 of Joan’s articles.  (800) 348-1944 © Joan Lloyd & Associates, Inc.

Would you like to bridge the commitment gap with your employees?   We provide management consulting, executive coaching and customized, skills-based training for managers and supervisors, that changes behavior, creates a healthy culture and builds a customer-focused team.  Call us today at (800) 348-1944.

 

Does your team need a tune-up? We will conduct a detailed assessment and get to the bottom of the problem.  We will provide you with detailed recommendations and work with you, and your team, to implement needed changes.  We work with all levels within your organization, team or department.  We have an excellent track record of success with teams in a variety of industries.  Call us today for information at (800) 348-1944.

Good managers know that employee satisfaction is essential to healthy teamwork, initiative and productivity.  Joan Lloyd’s booklet, 86 Creative Ideas for Having More Fun & Less Stress at Work, is packed with ideas for building employee satisfaction and work/life balance while reducing stress in your workplace.  Guaranteed to give you fresh ideas any company can implement in categories such as: Fun with a Purpose, Building a Family Atmosphere & a Sense of Community, Having Fun at Work for the Sake of Fun, Rewarding Great Performance & Stress Busters!  Also available by return email, in PDF format!

Dear Joan:

I currently work as a coordinator in my present company and am looking to advance my career.  There are possibilities to advance to a larger department where I would be considered a Director.  I would still be in charge of my current department which would then be assumed by the new position, as well as title change. 

However, I recently found out, through the current director, that I am not being considered for the position.  I know that I am qualified.  I also know that the employee they are considering is not respected in our organization.   However, I would like to know the best way to make it known to my supervisor that I would like to be considered for the job, if it were available.  What is the best way to handle this without any mud slinging or unprofessional behavior?  What would be the most persuasive argument that I could make that could enlighten my supervisors? 

Answer:

When you start slinging mud, it usually ends up splattering you, too. You are wise to be looking for an above board approach for several reasons. Not only would badmouthing this candidate make your motive suspect; you would have to face working with her, if you don’t get the job. You might also poison your chances for a future promotion, if your actions were viewed as politically underhanded.

I can’t discern if the person they are considering is outside the company or outside your own area. If the candidate is from inside the company, there is a good chance they will find out about his or her reputation from your boss or others. If the person is from outside the company, that information may not be discovered.

I recommend that you tell your own supervisor that you are interested in applying for the position and ask for some advice about the best way to go about applying. If the job isn’t posted, ask your manager if he or she would be willing to support your candidacy to the hiring director in the other area.

If your boss tells you that you wouldn’t be considered for the position, ask, “Can you give me some feedback that will help me understand why I wouldn’t be considered? If I know, it would help me get ready for the next opportunity.” Manage your disappointment and listen carefully to the answer. If you still feel strongly that you should be considered, say, “I’d still like to be considered. If nothing else, going through the interview process would be valuable for me, and may position me for other opportunities in the future.”

If you aren’t going to be considered for the job and it looks like the other person is a finalist, you may be in a position to give your manager a heads up that could be passed along to the hiring manager. You could go to your manager and say, “We all have a vested interest in Sue making the right decision on who to hire for the new director position. I hope she does a good job checking references in (name the departments) before making an offer to Pat. There are some issues she may not be aware of.” If your manager is smart, the message will be delivered…without any mud at all.

Joan Lloyd is an executive coach, management consultant, facilitator and professional trainer.  Email your question to Joan at info@joanlloyd.com.  Visit www.JoanLloyd.com to search an archive of more than 1300 of Joan’s articles.  (800) 348-1944 © Joan Lloyd & Associates, Inc.

Do you need answers to tough job hunting questions?  Are you looking for some added punch to help you stand out from the crowd?  Joan Lloyd’s has developed job hunting tools that can help you to maximize your job search:

Savvy Negotiation Strategies to Get Paid What You’re Worth on a New Job (Detailed, 8-page PDF by email – no shipping charge)
Easy, Step-by-step Guide to Using the Internet to Land a Great Job (10-page PDF by email – no shipping charge)
The Resume That Opens the Door and the Interview That Gets the Job (37-page PDF by email – no shipping charge)

Your career is your responsibility.  Create your own job security by acting more like an entrepreneur at work. Learn how to “sell” your skills to your organization, add more value on the job, develop your internal advocates and identify your personal motivators with Joan Lloyd’s You, Inc. – Success Strategies to Boost Your Career & Help Your Organization. Take charge of your career, today! 

Keywords are a central feature of our business day.  We use them to search our resume databases and to parse through the profiles and resumes posted on job boards and social networking sites.  The problem, of course, is that we pesky humans have a bad habit of using different words to express the same idea.  That variability in human expression makes it difficult to know which keywords will actually identify the best candidates for each of your openings.

So, what should you do?  How can you select the right keywords when there are so many competing alternatives?  The answer, I think, is to create a keyword taxonomy—an annotated list of search terms—that is rich in the language of the top talent in the specific career fields for which you are recruiting.  Think of it as a “set of master keys in words” that can unlock the candidate databases you are probing.

Creating such a tool is not particularly difficult.  Doing so, however, is a departure from the current practice in many organizations.  It involves temporarily stepping outside the press of individual, day-to-day assignments and taking a longer term view of how keywords can best serve your recruiting strategy.  Here’s what I mean.

The rule of thumb in developing a list of keywords has usually been to rely on the information provided to us in a job description or requisition.  The problem with this approach, of course, is that those documents are typically formulated by hiring managers—one of the least articulate populations on the planet.  The terminology they provide, therefore, is necessary but insufficient to unlock the best talent in an ATS or job board database.  It is a part of the master keyword set, but not all of it.

How can you fill in the gaps?
I suggest you borrow a page from your colleagues in sales and marketing and form a focus group.  Such a group is only useful, however, if it is composed of the right participants.  You’re trying to uncover the language used by the best talent for your openings, so your focus group should be populated with the same kind of people.  And, you have a ready source of such individuals among your organization’s “A” level performers in the career fields for which you’re recruiting.  They, better than anyone else, know exactly which terms their peers will use to describe their qualifications.

Top performers are usually very busy, however, so you may have a hard time breaking them free for such an exercise.  If that’s the case in your organization, you can also build your set of master keywords by conducting a similar survey with your new hires during their orientation.  This approach is clearly more challenging to implement, however, because you will have to base your selection of the group’s participants not on their demonstrated excellence at work, but on your judgment of how they are likely to perform once they are on-the-job.

In either case, your focus group will yield the best results if its work is conducted in three steps.

· First, build your baseline.  Ask the participants to list all of the terms they would use to describe the qualifications required for an individual to be able to perform their job effectively.  These attributes can include specific skills, occupational and/or industry knowledge, prior work experience, personality and any other factors that would bear on their ability to contribute.  If the group has a hard time knowing where to begin, ask them to review one or more of the keyword references that are currently available.  These include Google’s Keyword Tool, which will suggest keywords based on previous Google searches; Wordtracker, an online research tool; and WEDDLE’s 3 volume set, Finding Needles in a Haystack, which lists over 25,000 keywords and keyword phrases, across 5400 job and position titles in 28 industries and professions.

· Second, restate the terms in order of their importance.  Ask the group to prioritize each of their terms according to its impact on an individual’s job performance.  While there may be some disagreement among the group about the placement of specific terms, encourage them to arrive at a consensus rank ordering of the overall list.

· Third, group the terms into search baskets.  The best way to probe a resume or profile database is to conduct your search in concentric circles of ever greater specificity.  This approach enables you to hone in on and eventually determine a reasonable slate of the most qualified prospects in a database.  Therefore, ask the group to break their list into the following categories: absolutely critical, very important, somewhat important and nice to have.

Those four baskets of search terms should then be added to the terms you derived from the hiring manager’s job description or requisition.  If those documents enable you to do so, assign each of those terms to one of the categories used in Step 3 above.  If not, the most politic course to assign them to the absolutely critical category.  The resulting integrated list of search terms is your set of master keywords.

The above process is clearly labor and time intensive so think of it as an investment to develop an asset.  The product you create—your keyword taxonomy—is just such a resource.  It is a state-of-the-art search tool that can be used over and over again by the entire recruiting team.  No less important, that tool gives them a genuine competitive advantage because it will increase both their efficiency and their performance.  It should, therefore, be password protected and carefully monitored.  As with all assets, it will require updating from time-to-time, but the effort involved will be substantially less than of the original development.

Keywords are typically viewed as one of the basic tools in our profession.  For better or worse, everybody uses them so it’s easy to assume they have little or no differentiating value.  When forged into a powerful asset, however, keywords can help an organization unlock talent other employers can’t reach.  That’s why no recruiting team should be without “a set of master keys in words.”

Thanks for reading,

Peter

Visit me at Weddles.com

Peter Weddle is the author of over two dozen employment-related books, including Recognizing Richard Rabbit, a fable of self-discovery for working adults, and Work Strong, Your Personal Career Fitness System.

© Copyright 2009 WEDDLE’s LLC.  All Rights Reserved.

 

Successful tips when attending a Career Fair

How to get the most out of job fairs…

 

§   Have realistic expectations

§   Be prepared

§   Do your homework

§   Dress to impress

§   Be outgoing

§   Be open-minded

§   Follow up

 

 

If you are attending the Diversity Career Fair on Wednesday, November 18 th ,

and you need some help on your resume or tips to effectively use your time at a Career Fair ….

Sign up for this Free Pre-Career Fair Workshop…

§   Job Service Specialists will conduct a short workshop, and review your resume providing you with tips and suggestions. (Please bring a hard copy of your resume and your flash drive or disk)

Pre-registration required call:

 

Amy Hansmann (414) 389-6256

Or

Nancy Smith (414) 389-6607

 

www.citycareerfair.com

 

When:

Tuesday, November 17 th , 2009

Time:

9:00am- 12:00pm

Where:

Job Center Southeast

2701 S. Chase Ave

Suite C

Milwaukee , WI 53207

Get your "Career Health Checked" at Sanford-Brown's Open House. Come check out our campus and receive a Financial Aide overview. Learn about your career options, gain educational support and learn our program highlights to help make the right decision for you! Our staff and faculty will be available to answer any questions and to demonstrate what we have to offer you! Everyone is welcome! RSVP is appreciated but not required. Call 414.771.2200 for more information of email racker@sbcmilwaukee.com. Program offerings: Medical Assisting, Criminal Justice, Medical Billing/Coding, Business, Sonography or Radiography.

Landing a position with a new company is the first hurdle to successful employment.  After you’ve landed that job you need to put your best foot forward, making an impression that will allow you to advance within that organization.  Here is a couple of easy to do pointers on making your employer say WOW.

·         Volunteer.  Are they looking for someone to help out on a special project or a team assignment?  Volunteer to take it on.  Not only will you be seen as a “go-getter” but you will have the opportunity to meet people outside of your department.  However if you are volunteering to take on more work, be sure that your other work doesn’t suffer and that you don’t have outstanding projects that you should be getting your attention.

 

·         Say YES!  When asked to take on a project or task, say “YES” with excitement and resolve.  Employers like to see people with initiative and a “can do” attitude.

 

·         Can I? Ask your employer what you can do for them from time to time.  “Is there anything I can do to help you?”  This will cement your employer’s view of you being helpful, considerate and a team player.  Too they may give you some of their work to do!  This will allow you the opportunity to learn about something new and to have some additional responsibility. 

 

·         Go the Extra Mile.  Don’t be afraid to be that employee that volunteers to stay late and go above and beyond the call of duty.  You employer will appreciate your willingness to go that extra mile for the organization.

 

·         Steer Clear.  Stay away from drama and don’t get caught up in office politics.  Gossip, complaining and negative remarks should be kept out of the office.  Period.

 

·         Network!  Never turn down any opportunity to network outside and inside of your organization.  Introduce yourself to everyone you meet, shake their hand and learn a little bit about what they do.  If your organization is involved in outside activities like the chamber of commerce, business associations or charity events, attend them.  The connections you can make are priceless.

 

·         Leverage your Lunch.  Stay away from sitting at your desk during lunch or sticking your nose in a book.  Instead talk to the people around you.  Learn what they do, what department they work in and what their interests are.  The larger your internal network, the better.

 

·         Tell Time.  Make sure that you show up for work and meetings on time.  Watch your deadlines and be sure to meet them.  The employer depends on you!

 

·         Ask Questions.  The power of knowledge and understanding not only your job but how the business operates will give you an edge when it comes to promotion time.

 

Working your way up the ladder at your new position will take time, but following these simple tips will help you be seen, noticed and most importantly appreciated.

 

Amy

 

To learn more about Herzing University Online please visit us on the web at www.herzingonline.edu.  If you are an employer looking for a great employee, please check out our map of career seekers at http://www.herzingonline.edu/student-services/resume-map

Join over 20 organizations this Thursday, November 12, 2009 10am to 2pm at the Milwaukee Arts Youth Center (325 W. Walnut Street) to learn about construction careers.  The resource fair, designed to inform the community about resources and requirments on the road to contruction careers, is sponsored by the Milwaukee Department of Transportation in anticipation of the I-94 reconstruction project.

The event will consist of a fair along with the following information sessions:

Apprenticeship Demystified - The Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards will discuss apprenticeship requirements emphasizing, entry tests, duration, pay scale, indenture contract, and evaluation and monitoring.  Session will generally reference trends and statistics for minorities and women.

Basics of Driver License Recovery - Community resources and legal experts will describe the process of drivers license recovery specifically addressing their programs and efforts to help citizens regain valid driver license. Attgtendees will receive general guidance, advice and practical tips on repairing your driving status.

Construction Job Planning - Resource Specialists will outline the considerations and resources needed to balance responsible child care with a construction career.  Practical tips and resources will be provided to help attendees develop a child care action plan.

Construction Job Forecast - DWD will talk about occupations and apprenticeships potentially affected and utilized within the next 2 years in the weatherization, road, energy and water industries in Wisconsin.  DWD will outline typical education, training, and salary while tradespersons describe the work and how they accessed it.

Construction Job Hook Up - BIG STEP and FIRST CHOICE will explain how their programs work and share their orientation and class schedules for the year.  They will speak to their insider perspective with contractors and unions and how that benefits participants.  

How Do I Join The Union - Industry representatives will advise participants how to access trade industry jobs from the CBO, union, and contractor perspective, the focus will be on the apprenticeship process as the ideal option for one that is new to the trades.  

Myths & Realities About Women & Minorities in the Trades - This session will briefly address statistics of women and minorities in the trades in WI. It will emphasize, from a tradespersons perspective, the preparation, work, work environment, career potential, and support system used to survive and succeed in the trades in Wisconsin.

What is a Green Job and How Can I Get One - Center on Wisconsin Strategy will clarify what constitutes a green job and talk about Wisconsin’s efforts to go green in three leading industries: energy efficiency, wind, and bio-fuels. Presenter(s) will highlight the report, Greener Pathways: Jobs and Workforce Development in the Clean Energy Economy, which talks about t he kind and quality of jobs in the clean energy economy; the skills needed to fill these jobs; and how existing plants and their workers can transition into the clean energy economy.

For more information, call (414) 271.1090.

How do you accommodate various learning styles and generational differences in one e-Learning program?

On November 20, 2009, Milwaukee Education and Training Organization (METRO) at www.metrotraininggroup.com will be sponsoring Marcia Gauger as she presents the topic:

“Designing Effective eLearning Across Generations”.

This session will examine the instructional design considerations when developing interactive content for learners who are different generations and learning styles. Gen X, Gen Y and Boomers differ as learners and they do have different preferences and needs when it comes to the design of the e-Learning. You will see how color, graphics, fonts, layout and other factors should differ for Gen X, Gen Y and Boomer learners.

Special Guess: Mike Rohde
http://rohdesign.com

Mike Rohde is a designer and art director with a passion for simple, effective and usable design solutions. He has over 20 years experience as a professional designer, specializing in logo and identity design, application icon design, web and user interface design.

Mike works as art director at Northwoods Software, a Milwaukee firm focused on web design & development, web applications and Titan CMS a content management tool developed by Northwoods to manage client websites.

Mike has been hired by conference organizers such as SXSW Interactive, An Event Apart and SEED, to capture live, real-time sketchnotes of events using a gel pen and Moleskine sketchbook. He will be “sketchnoting” our METRO meeting on November 20 th .

Please go to the Events page of our website: http://tinyurl.com/ydamoyt to register for this event.

Bob Roman
President

Milwaukee Education and Training Organization
http://www.metrotraininggroup.com/ 

Follow me here:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/romanbob
http://twitter.com/BobRoman
http://www.facebook.com/pctrainerbob

   

Employment Counselor Services

Seeking employment or thinking of choosing or changing careers?  You may wish to talk to a professional.

The Job Service Employment Counselor may be able to help you sort out the details. Help can be provided to address barriers to employment and provide ideas and information to get you started on the road to success.

Appointments can be made to review resumes, explore the interviewing process, look at job seeking strategies and provide interest and aptitude testing.  Please see the Resource Room staff for more information or to make an appointment. 

NORTHEAST COMPREHENSIVE JOB CENTER

1915 N. Martin Luther King Dr .

Milwaukee , WI   53212

(414) 267-3291

     Job Center Of Wisconsin             

FREE workshop

December 7, 2009:

 

“Surmounting the Barriers in a Challenging Job Market”

(EX-offenders Workshop)

 

Focusing on Job Readiness

Become aware of:

Your rights, responsibilities and options for solving some of the challenges you face when returning to society from incarceration.

 

The workshop is free

Please register today at your local Job Center space is limited!!

 

When: December 7, 2009  1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Where: Job Center of Wisconsin

              2701 S. Chase Ave.

Contact: Your local DWD Resource Room  Or  414-389-6607

Fidelity Bonding Program

 

What is the Fidelity Bonding Program?

Q. What Is The Fidelity Bonding Program?

The Federal Bonding Program provides Fidelity Bonds to anyone who are not eligible for commercial bonding, at NO COST to the employers or employees.  It is a unique tool to help a job applicant get and keep a job.

Q. What Is A Fidelity Bond?

It is a business insurance policy that protects the employer in case of any loss of money or property due to employee dishonesty. It is like a "guarantee" to the employer that the person hired will be an honest worker. The Fidelity Bonds are insurance policies of the Travelers Property Casualty insurance company. The McLaughlin Company in Washington, DC, is the agent for Travelers Property Casualty in managing the program nationwide.

Q. How Does the Bond Help Someone Get A Job?

The bond is given to the employer free-of-charge, and serves as an incentive to the company to hire a job applicant who is an ex-offender or has some other "risk" factor in their personal background. The employer is then able to get the worker’s skills without taking any risk of worker dishonesty on the job.

Q. What Exactly Does the Bond Insurance Cover?

It insures the employer for any type of stealing by theft, forgery, larceny or embezzlement. It does not cover liability due to poor workmanship, job injuries or work accidents. It is not a bail bond or court bond for the legal system. It is not a contract bond, performance bond or license bond sometimes needed to be self-employed.

Q. What Restrictions Exist In The Program’s Bond Coverage?

The worker must meet the State’s legal age for working; there are no age limits. The job usually is to be for at least 30 hours work per week. Workers must be paid wages with federal taxes automatically deducted from pay; self-employed persons cannot be covered.

Q. Who Does The Program Help?

Bond coverage is provided for any person whose background usually leads employers to question their honesty and deny them a job. The program will cover any person who is a "risk" due to their being in one or more of the following groups:

• Ex-offender with a record of arrest, conviction or imprisonment; anyone who has ever been on parole or probation, or has any police record.
• Ex-addict who has been rehabilitated through treatment for alcohol or drug abuse
• Poor credit record or have declared bankruptcy.
• Dishonorably discharged from the military
• Persons lacking a work history who are from low income families.

Q. Can Other Persons Be Bonded?

YES. Anyone else who needs the program’s bond in order to get a job.

Bonding Representatives

Eau Claire                                 Milwaukee               

S ue Hennig                               Laneice McGee

(715) 836-3160                           (414) 389-6465 

Elkhorn                                    Stevens Point   

Jenean S hreves                         Donna Swanson  

(262) 741-5191                          (715) 345-5339  

Pewaukee/Waukesha             Superior

Tom Barth                                 James Erickson

(262) 695-7791                         (715) 392-7808

Green Bay                              Wisconsin Rapids                

Roy Koeller                                Jan Wegner  

(920) 448-6773                         (715) 422-5021

Kenosha                                Department of

Rene O Connor                       Corrections:

(262) 697-4710                      Bonnie Heise  

La Crosse                            (920) 424-7604                  

Ed Ryan                               

(608) 785-9331                           

Madison , Dodgeville                                                                                   

Tom Swoboda                          

(608) 242-4879                        

Marshfield                                

Jan Wegner                               

(715) 387-6386                    

Menasha                               

Pam Basler                                               

(920) 968-6313                          

Your Local Job Center : An Untapped Resource in Your Job Search

By Amy Hansmann & Heather Nilsen

Employment & Training Specialists

Job Service – Dept. of Workforce Development

 

You’ve searched online, combed the newspapers, sent out your resume a hundred times, but you’re not seeing the desired results of your job search. There may be one resource you haven’t fully explored – your local Job Center . “But aren’t job centers for low-income people?” you may ask yourself. Well, certainly some people have suffered more hardships than others during this economic downturn, but the Job Centers are for EVERYONE, regardless of race, creed, religious preference, social standing, education level, fashion sense or employment status.

 

Job Centers offer FREE (c’mon Wisconsin , we know how you love free things!) services such as:

·         Internet access for job search and employment-related research

·         Job-related copies and faxes

·         Resume writing software programs

·         Career exploration and labor market information

 

Not only that, Job Centers offer a variety of workshops on everything from “How to Create an Email Account” to “Stress Management” to “Interviewing” and 1 on 1 Resume Critiques.  Thinking about a career change? Meet with a licensed professional Career Counselor. You may have seen online or heard of companies offering similar services; however, they might charge you hundreds of dollars.  And we’re just giving it away.

 

One of the most important aspects of your job search is networking and the Job Center is an excellent place to meet employers who are hiring. It’s also an opportunity to expand your network. Most Job Centers offer on-site recruitment and information events with local employers, as well as resource fairs geared toward health, financial management and training or educational opportunities. Get to know the staff at the Job Center . They can be a gold mine of information and assistance – just ask! Your Job Center also stocks up-to-the-minute job leads and numerous publications with advice on job search strategies, resumes, interviews and more.

 

Other services you can access at no cost to you are the many partner programs at some centers including Veterans Services, Vocational Rehabilitation, Youth and Mature Workers services. There are seven Job Centers that serve Milwaukee County and at least one Job Center in almost every county throughout the state.

 

Visit http://www.wisconsinjobcenter.org/directory/ or call 1-888-258-9966 to find the Job Center nearest you. 

 

Are you searching for a job? Well then you need to Google yourself!  Look at it from the employer’s perspective: They want to find more out about the person who they just interviewed or the person who submitted their resume – but how do they do that? GOOGLE!  81% of employers are going to Google you before they hire you and you’ll want them to find positive information on the internet about you. 

I do have to say that after Googling my name, I’m not terribly surprised as to what came up. I am thankful that nothing too bad came up under the name Tammy Hartley. I’m not the only Tammy Hartley in the world, and I’m sure someone out there has the same name as you!  The worst that came up were: Myspace: “Tammy Loves Dwayne 4 Ever” and Flickr Photo Albums with my name on them.  Just to let you know, I don’t love Dwayne 4 Ever nor do I know whose photos are in that particular photo album. 

Out of 29 search results on the first three pages, five of the hits were actually me, while 24 of the hits were people with the same name as me.  Four of the hits were actually from blogging about career related topics and one hit was my Twitter Account.  If you’re on social networking sites, you’ll want to reconsider changing your privacy settings if you feel your information is not as professional as it should be.  Things such as photos and the things that your friends say to you on your “wall” might not be something you want your future or current employer seeing. 

On the other hand, if your social networking sites are as professional as can be, by all means make sure they’re well known.  You can change what pops up on Google searches over the course of a few months.  If you haven’t started a blog about your job search – it’s a great way to get some attention on your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn page. 

I encourage you to Google yourself today, find out what’s out there on the internet under YOUR NAME HERE, and start to strategize what your next step is to make sure you’ve got positive search results under your name.  Happy Googling!!

Feel free to email me at thartley@onl.herzing.edu and check out Herzing University Online at http://www.herzingonline.edu/.   Are you an employer looking for an employee?  Click here to see our available graduates.