Several recent articles have shown that prospects are looking bright for IT services in 2010 and headlines across the web seem to show that all signs point to a strong recovery. An article on NetworkWorld recently reported good news for IT, networking and security spending for the New Year. According to the article, not only will IT spending increase, but it also appears other areas will have more of an impact on IT spending this year, including business process improvement, security/risk management, regulatory compliance and business intelligence.
Read the rest of this entry »

Believe it or not, you can pick up on a lot of tips for your own job search from Santa Claus! Let me paint a different picture of Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick. As you read this blog post, think about the kinds of traits and qualities Santa’s got that you could use in your own professional career.

After all, Santa’s got a job this holiday season, so why don’t you? Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve read several articles lately that are buzzing about employee engagement. So what’s all the fuss about? In today’s changing economic landscape, recruiting, retaining and motivating top talent is extremely important and the best way to do it seems to be through engagement.

First and foremost, companies engage employees to retain them. According to the 2009 Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations (EDGE) Report, 55 percent of employees plan to change “jobs, careers or industries” when the economy recovers. Therefore, companies should take proactive steps starting now to engage these employees and ensure they prevent unwanted turnover down the line. Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks to everyone who participated in our blogging contest!

We received great posts and would like to thank the following individuals for their contributions:

Trish Johnson, http://corpsecrets.ca

Luke Bosso

Steve Neiderhauser, http://sneiderhauser.typepad.com/

Stephen Gobeli, www.stephengobeli.com

Bruce Goldstein, http://www.designageco.com

And the winner of the SkillStorm Blogging Contest (and the winner of a $50 gift card) is…

Luke Bosso!

His submission received more views than any other entry. Read the winning post here.

Luke, please e-mail PR@SkillStorm.com so we can mail your gift card out right away.

Thanks for your contributions!

The SkillStorm Blogging Contest!

Submission # 10

Subject: Recruiting

How much do you trust your recruiter? What do you look for in a good recruiter? No, these aren’t questions that come from a quiz in a gossip magazine. You see, trust is an important topic in the recruiting industry.  It seems that there are many recruiters looking for positions for plenty of candidates in today’s environment. However, recruiting is a time sensitive industry. If you don’t have someone already in mind when a position opens up, you have to battle other recruiters to find the best. Read the rest of this entry »

The SkillStorm Blogging Contest!

Submission #9

Subject: Corporate, Workplace

Sound familiar? I certainly hope not for your sake.

As we discussed in a previous post, it is imperative that you do not discuss or disclose confidential firm information outside of the office. This same principle also applies to your salary. Disclosing this information will be a very expensive lesson for those who do so freely with their co-workers and/or superiors.

If you check your salary and benefits package on your firm portal, you must enter a password to access the information because it is strictly confidential. The firm puts this requirement in place to ensure your information is not breached, thus, the password requirement.

I realize that once a close relationship develops with your peers, and your support for each other is believed to be open and honest, it is easy to get caught up in the trap, if and when, the topic of salary arises, which is highly likely.

Please do not let yourself get caught up in this trap! There is a ‘no-win’ rule when it comes to discussing the firm policies regarding salary and bonus structures, and there are some firms will take immediate action once this disclosure is common knowledge. Read the rest of this entry »

The SkillStorm Blogging Contest!

Submission #8

Subject: Corporate, Workplace

While I realize that this topic speaks to just plain old fashioned ‘common sense’, it is surprising how easy it can be to ‘fog out’ and forget about your surroundings, and the people around you when you are out having fun, or having a really interesting discussion with a friend or work mate.

No doubt, when you joined your firm you signed a Confidentiality Agreement, which is a ‘binding’ contract. This contract is to protect both yourself and the firm, whether your employment is Contractual or on a full-time basis.

I realize you know that any company information, particularly ‘client data’, is strictly confidential and should remain that way. However, have you ever considered how easy it is to be innocently talking to someone in the elevator about a co-worker, or perhaps a new client the firm has just signed? Read the rest of this entry »

The SkillStorm Blogging Contest!

Submission #7

Subject: Employment, Recruiting

Creating your own portfolio may sound like a daunting task at first, but trust me; it can be very enjoyable and satisfying. Allow me to elaborate on exactly what I mean by portfolio.

If you review some of the project work that you have produced, you will no doubt come across terrific charts created with Excel, excellent PowerPoint presentations, perhaps report writing, and various other forms of documentation created and/or authored by yourself. Where are these documents stored? I suspect that they are not in a nice new binder or casing with page protectors to keep them neat and clean, but rather, on your computer or network where they lay dormant. This is not good news for you if you want to market your particular talents. Read the rest of this entry »

The SkillStorm Blogging Contest!

Submission #6

Subject: Strategy, Management

This week I attended the University of Texas at Dallas Project Management Symposium and listened to the keynote speech by Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert. Mayor Leppert made one key point for today’s business: If you want to be successful in business, you need to build flexibility into your organization.

He expanded on the premise. Five or six years ago you may have been able to perform a SWOT analysis, determine your opportunity, and create a plan to enter that market. Not so today. Why? Read the rest of this entry »

The SkillStorm Blogging Contest!

Submission #5

Subject: Security and Confidentiality of Information

We are all aware that it is standard practice to sign a Confidentiality Agreement as well as a Non-Disclosure Agreement at some point in the hiring process. This is not something that should be taken lightly, simply because it has become commonplace to sign-off on these documents.

These agreements are binding and legal contracts between you and your firm, and as such, your firm has every right to take whatever actions it deems appropriate, should a breach be found. These actions could lead to termination, and possible legal action, which of course we have witnessed particularly in Canada and the US over recent years.

I have been privy to confidential conversations that were not appropriate to discuss in crowded public locations, such as restaurants and kiosks on numerous occasions. Examples of these ‘chats’ include complaining openly about a superior or client by name, and ‘confidential’ contractual information regarding ‘monetary’ aspects of certain open, pending, or closed projects. Read the rest of this entry »