Our new series, “Parenting and the Workplace,” will cover a wide array of workplace challenges and triumphs faced by professionals balancing family life with career. From introducing your pregnancy to co-workers to balancing travel for business and family vacation time, we’ve got it covered. Series narrated by SkillStorm employees from our SkillStorm offices around the nation.

Even in a down economy, there is still work at home!

Written by Mike Gallagher, Vice President of SkillStorm

I have often joked with co-workers when leaving work for the day, “I’m headed to my second job.” It is immediately followed by, “…my second job at home.” That’s because having four kids under 10 in my household can easily be considered a second full time job! When I pull in the driveway, the only difference between work and home is that there is no individual paid time off, holiday or vacation time for being a parent (although there is an occasional weekend get-away with your spouse or an evening “pass” to go out for dinner and drinks with friends). It doesn’t matter if you have one child or four; it is a position that requires coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Several service based companies provide 24 hour call center support where the work is typically handled by dozens or even hundreds of employees. Being a parent means that you’re also on call to meet the 24 hour needs of your children, but instead of having loads of backup support, you are either on a team with your spouse or in some cases, by yourself as a single parent.  This all leads to a lot juggling of calendars to arrange pick ups, drop offs, school activities, a multitude of sporting practices and games, music lessons, doctor or dentist appointments, girl/boy scouts, all along with the occasional play date. Did I mention all of these are just for the kids? I haven’t even gotten into the activities and requirements of parents both at work and at home.

Read the rest of this entry »

When it comes to networking, going out there and meeting other professionals may play a big part, but it’s actually maintaining and keeping track of those contacts that will be most important thing you can do. Whether you are already employed or looking for a job, you never really know when someone in your network may actually prove to be the next MVP on your career path. That’s why it is so important to keep track of your contacts, even when you don’t need anything and aren’t looking for a new job. How can you keep track of these valuable network connections?

A good way to manage your network and keep in contact is to send periodic messages to each individual on a regular basis. To make this easier, you may want to set a goal of sending a few messages to a small number of individuals each week. These messages can be rather simple – maybe just a “hello, how are you?” or a link to an article that reminds you of them. These small notes can go a long way and will make world of a difference in the long run.

Social and business networking sites such as LinkedIn are good ways to find old connections and make new ones, as well. In recent months, LinkedIn has seen a huge increase in membership as more and more professionals jump on the site in hopes of building up their networks. Using LinkedIn can help make the challenge of creating and managing your network much easier, so consider getting a LinkedIn account if you don’t have one already (we have a great introductory post on LinkedIn and all of its features here).

More often than not, individuals lose touch of their networks because they don’t feel a “need” to keep in touch or don’t think they have the time. Later down the line, however, these same individuals may find that they need a network for a number of reasons, but haven’t maintained one. Once you’ve lost communication with your network, it can be a challenge to reconnect. This is one reason it is so important to build it up while you are still employed and keep track of it. But what happens if you’ve already lost touch with your network? Is there any way to regain your relationships? How can you rekindle the connections you established before? Read the rest of this entry »

Our series, “Ask a Recruiter,” gives all of you out there the opportunity to ask all of the questions you’ve always wanted to ask about hiring, interviewing, the job hunt, recruiters, career tips and more! In return for your questions, one of our experienced recruiters will answer them on our blog each week.

This week’s question came from a candidate on LinkedIn who asked:

I have an interview set up with an employer, what tips can you offer? What kinds of information should I bring with me? What kind of research should I do before the interview? What should I do to follow-up after the interview?

Here is the answer from Bryan Shaughnessy, a technical recruiter at SkillStorm.

Answer:

I have an interview set up with an employer, what tips can you offer?

Setting up an interview with a potential employer is the first successful step to getting hired.  Important things to remember going into an interview are to relax, come prepared, stay confident and be yourself.

What kinds of information should I bring with me?

Many candidates think that bringing things to an interview makes them appear over the top, but it’s actually the opposite.  If you don’t bring anything, an employer may feel like you have come unprepared.  You should never attend an interview empty handed.   At the very least, you should bring multiple resumes and list of references in a professional business folder.

Other items that would be helpful to bring to an interview would be any document or proof of certifications, accreditations, etc. that may be relevant to the job.

What kind of research should I do before the interview?

There are several things you should research before an interview:

1. Know the Company

At the very least, you should find out about the company’s products and services, the markets it serves and how long they have been around. If possible, find out the company’s organizational structure, which individuals are top management, recent trends in growth, profitability and how the company stock is performing, etc.

2.  Find out about the position

You should try to understand the position as much as you can. This means knowing things like what the duties and responsibilities of the position entail. What kinds of programs will you use? How much team work and independent work will you be doing? What are the goals for this position in the short and long term?

3. Research the interviewer

Start off with a LinkedIn and Google search.  Try to find out their background, how long they have been at the company, interests, groups, etc.  Knowing this information ahead of time can be a great way to build rapport with your interviewer.

4. Know the current industry

Learn all the important facts of the industry (growth trends, recent developments, new technologies, etc.).  This information will allow you to talk intelligently about your industry and profession.

Overall, make sure you know enough to prove to the interviewer that you have an understanding of what the industry and profession is all about and that you are prepared to know what it takes to succeed at their organization.

What should I do to follow-up after the interview? Read the rest of this entry »

Imagine this: if your employer wanted to reward you for your exceptional work performance, which kind of reward would you prefer?

a. A public statement released by an C-level executive to your entire company recognizing your accomplishments, along with a day of paid vacation time.

b. A short, discreet note on your desk from the CEO of your company with a monetary reward attached.

c. A message from your direct manager  sent to your entire department recognizing your accomplishments, along with a certificate and small gift.

All of the options listed above are actual methods used by various organizations to reward their employees. None are necessarily considered “bad,” as the perceived value of each really depends on the individual who is receiving the reward.

Many business owners, however, try to choose methods they feel will motivate staff while keeping costs low. Therefore, in any organization you work for, you will find more often than not that options “a” and “c” will be commonplace before something like option “b” ever takes place. We will dive deeper into these three options mentioned above later in this post and explain the psychological and tangible value behind each one.

Why reward employees?

Studies have found that employees respond to praise by working harder and increasing their contributions to the organization. So, many organizations now foster cultures of employee recognition and appreciation in order to get the best results out of their employees. Celebrating employee achievements maintains contentment, focus and better performance at work among staff members. If employees do not feel appreciated, this could cause a low morale. Employees with low levels of morale tend to cut back on their efforts and eventually only strive to meet minimum performance standards.

What makes an effective reward program?

According to an article in Entrepreneur magazine, there are four parts to an effective employee reward program: compensation, benefits, recognition and appreciation.

The scenario presented at the beginning of this article brings up a question of recognition vs. appreciation. Both are integral to creating effective reward programs, but which would you prefer? Recognition involves acknowledging an employee in front of their peers for a job well done while appreciation involves simply expressing gratitude for actions well done, whether privately or in public. To meet the need of both, companies must strike a balance between the two. Read the rest of this entry »

We appreciate all of the feedback we’ve gotten so far – thank you! We are so happy to have your support on LinkedIn during our “Ultimate LinkedIn Challenge.” If this is your first time reading one of our entries for the series, here’s a recap of what we’re trying to accomplish: get an employee started at a Fortune 1000 company (in this case, Burger King®!) in 90 days or less. The catch? We’re building this relationship through the SOLE use of LinkedIn.

Today’s post is dedicated to job openings. On LinkedIn company pages, you can sometimes find direct job postings or links to company career pages. Well, if you look at the Burger King LinkedIn Company page, they’ve got two links posted: one to “BK Careers” and another to “Jobs.” When you go to either page, you are then given the option to search through all of their job openings.

When we browsed through these openings, we found several jobs where SkillStorm could provide the perfect fit, including openings such as Sr. Systems Engineer in Web Infrastructure, Sr. Manager in IT Corporate Systems and IT Sr. Manager in Application Technology.

We have a great deal we’d love to offer BK® on these job openings: it’s called Cat 5 and it’s targeted towards our special clients (and we’ve gotten rave reviews on it from several clients so far!). Here’s the breakdown on how it works: as part of the Cat 5 offer, clients have the ability to reach every single SkillStorm recruiter across the nation and have them all work on finding the best fit for the specific requirement of the client.  If the client hires the SkillStorm candidate within seven days, their company will receive a rebate equal to 50% of the first week’s invoice (this definition is for a contract position; if the position is permanent, the hiring must take place within 14 days and clients will receive a rebate equal to 10% of the placement fee).

Using the Cat 5 program can provide endless benefits for a client, among those included: quick response, focused attention, financial gains, accountability, dedicated search and expedited processes.

We’d really love to have the opportunity to tell BK® about what we can offer a little more in detail (yes, this is for all of your BK® decision makers out there)! If you know someone at BK® that might be interested in our offer, send them over our way (to PR@SkillStorm.com)!

Our new series, “Parenting and the Workplace,” will cover a wide array of workplace challenges and triumphs faced by professionals balancing family life with career. From introducing your pregnancy to co-workers to balancing travel for business and family vacation time, we’ve got it covered. Series narrated by SkillStorm employees from our SkillStorm offices around the nation.

Being a Working Mother

Written by Kelly Strukoff, Associate Vice President of StormStaff (a division of SkillStorm)

When I was pregnant with my first daughter and planning for “life after maternity leave” my first thought was, no sweat! I told myself I would find work/life balance and be the MVP employee at work as well as the MVP mom and wife at home.  I convinced myself that it would be as simple as completely eliminating idle chit chat at the water cooler and shoveling down lunch in three minutes flat every day, just so that I could be out the door from work at 5 p.m. and hope to feel a sense of work accomplishment along with family achievement.

At first, this plan seemed to work. Instead of going in to work every day at 7:30 a.m. and leaving at 6:15 p.m. to head over to the gym, I switched to leaving the house at the same time, dropping the baby at daycare, getting to the office at 8:00 a.m., racing against the clock to get done with all my work by 5 p.m., heading to daycare to pick up the baby and then finally making it home.

Once I arrived home, a nap seemed in order since my baby didn’t sleep through the night and I was still breastfeeding. This was usually not the case and instead of a nap, it was time to make dinner, feed the baby and clean the house. Whew! What happened to the gym? Forget it. You may wonder, what about my husband, didn’t he help? I am fortunate to have a very supportive and helpful husband, however, his work schedule didn’t allow for drop off/pickups, he can’t breastfeed the baby, and generally speaking, women still seem  to shoulder the majority of household chores, even if they are also working fulltime. I have talked to many women with supporting, loving husbands about this, and it seems to be true, even in these modern times.

All in all, life just seemed to go on fast forward, and it became of game of hitting every daily deadline. Over the first few months of this routine, I began to have an uneasy feeling. I didn’t know what the feeling was at first and gradually I recognized this feeling as GUILT. This guilt came from a few different sources, such as not being able to volunteer for every extra project like I used to and also feeling that I wasn’t spending enough time with my daughter. Guilt that I was not able to get to the gym for my own health and guilt that I was no longer the same pleasant, even keeled person that my husband was used to! Read the rest of this entry »

Check out our updated stats for Week 3 of our Challenge:

We’ve used several features on LinkedIn to reach our goal of starting an employee at a Fortune 1000 Company (Burger King®) in 90 days or less! What have we done?

- Posted on LinkedIn groups

- Reached out to mutual connections

- Connected with BK employees

- Following company and more!

Tomorrow, we will discuss finding job listings via LinkedIn company pages!

Our series, “Ask a Recruiter,” gives all of you out there the opportunity to ask all of the questions you’ve always wanted to ask about hiring, interviewing, the job hunt, recruiters, career tips and more! In return for your questions, one of our experienced recruiters will answer them on our blog each week.

This week’s question came from a candidate on LinkedIn who asked:

I am currently employed but would like to find another job. I want to relocate but I don’t want it to turn away potential employers. What’s the best way to apply for a job in another location?

Here is the answer from Luke Bosso, a technical recruiter at SkillStorm.

Answer:

Thank you for your question.  There are several things to consider when answering this question. The first thing I suggest to anyone who considers relocation is determining how serious you are about it. If you aren’t absolutely certain that you would move for a job opening, it can become difficult for recruiters to help you find a good fit. Ultimately, hiring managers want to know you are willing to move for the job, so be up front with your intentions and let recruiters know you are ready to move. Another consideration you’ll have to think about is relocation fees. Some companies cover these expenses and others do not. With a number of local candidates to choose from, companies may be less likely to pay for relocation. So, you may have to be prepared to pay your own relocation costs. If you are willing to pay for these, let the recruiter know. Only once you have determined that 1) relocation is for you and 2) you are willing to pay any necessary relocation costs, can you then begin your job search in other areas. Read the rest of this entry »

In today’s tight economy, it seems that all businesses (in one way or another) are working towards the same goal: cutting costs by saving time and money. What can organizations do to find a means to meet these needs? Consulting offers a perfect solution.

This whitepaper will answer several questions, including: What do consultants do? How can using consultants benefit an organization?

For your copy of the whitepaper, click here.

If you haven’t been following this series, here’s a little recap:

The marketing department here at SkillStorm is in the midst of something we’ve titled “The Ultimate LinkedIn Challenge.” What is it, you ask? We’ve given ourselves 90 days or less to get an employee started at a Fortune 1000 Company (in this case, Burger King®) through the SOLE USE of LinkedIn and all of its features.

Today, we’re reporting the first half of a two-part post, where we will discuss the power of, well, discussion.

Earlier in the week, we found an article from Forbes.com which listed the “Best-Ever Social Media Campaigns.” Among the list was Burger King® with not just one, but two listings (no other company was featured more than once!) for their campaigns: Subservient Chicken and Whopper® Sacrifice.

So, in order to generate some discussion on Burger King®(and generate some more publicity, as well), we took it to the groups and chose several marking and social-media related LinkedIn groups where we posted the following discussion:

“Hey everyone,

The marketing department at my company, SkillStorm, is currently hard at work hoping to reach a very ambitious (and totally possible!) goal: get an employee hired at a Fortune 1000 company (in this case, Burger King®!) in 90 days or less. The catch? We’re doing it through the SOLE use of LinkedIn and looking forward to revealing just how effective LinkedIn and its features can be for business!

We’ve posted several updates on our blog through Day 16 of our challenge but for our next update post, we’d like to discuss the power of LINKEDIN DISCUSSIONS. That being said, my discussion topic today concerns social media campaigns. I found an article on Forbes (attached) that showcases some of the best social media campaigns we’ve seen in recent history. I noticed Burger King® is the ONLY company to be featured more than once! I was curious to know – have you seen the two BK® campaigns featured here in the past? What did you think of them? It seems Burger King® is very savvy when it comes to social media, but I’d love to know – what’s your opinion??”

We’re giving our fellow group members a few days to comment and we’ll report the results back on Monday. In the mean time, we encourage you to have some fun and check out the two featured campaigns for yourself! When you do, answer this question: what did you make the chicken do?