The good news is that the "employment rate" is 92% nationally!
The only thing that is variable in this economic climate is how we attack the job market...We must implement highly aggressive proactive self promotion and marketing strategies.
When companies are growing by leaps and bounds, the good news rarely makes the front page. However, if your company is laying off 5000, doom and gloom sells!
Sure certain sectors are on thier knees, but when havent they been?
As usual, another media driven frenzy! 92% EMPLOYMENT! Go hire yourself an employer!
Friday, December 26, 2008
Career Change - Myth or Reality?
By John Seraichyk - Browning Associates
The term “Career Change” is mostly mythological and not at all practical for many domesticated financially responsible executives. What advice do you give a 45 year old CFO with two kids in college who explains that she will consider any career option as long it has nothing to do with accounting or overseeing a corporations financial management? The likes of these fairytale transitions make for good sales dialogue for career counselors and marketing firms, but are typically far from reality.
Transition happens over time; we the people each and everybody on the face of the planet, who presently trades hours of his life for a paycheck, must adapt an entrepreneurial mind-set. That’s right! You must always be in “selling/reinventing yourself” mode! Just as a large corporation is always diversifying its product and market demographic, you too must always be projecting at least five years ahead of your contending peers. The “job stability” mind-set is lethal to your long-term career success.
The instant you land your next position, update your resume, and begin transformation.
If you want to remain successful and happy in your work, you must adapt my mantra; “If you are not in transition you are in denial”. One of the most successful product remodeling/transformations I have ever witnessed was accomplished by the Toyota Corporation. Beginning with a standard Camary, they added gold trim, leather, changed the name to Lexus and doubled the price! You must realize you too are a commodity and must continuously be cognizant of who may be in need of your product and how you reinvent and constantly position and promote yourself for the future. This wont happen overnight! Career Change/redirection is an instilled mindset that must be ever present if you expect to continue to successfully climb the “cliff face” of success.
W2-employees and 1099ers alike must realize that there is no corporate safe haven; job security is a legend of the past mostly publicized by the * 40/40 Club.
*40/40 Club…An employee who works for the same company for 40 hours a week for 40 years and retires with a $40 gold watch.
My best advice: If you are absolutely in love with your job, begin your transition action plan yesterday!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Find A Better Career Now.. What Are You Waiting For?
By John Seraichyk - Browning Associates
Where Do You Want To Be And When Do You Want To Be There?
If You Wait For Perfect Conditions, You Will Never Get Anything Done. ECCLESIASTES 11.4
Whether employed, underemployed or unemployed, the longer you wait to engage a professional non-traditional search endeavor, the more leverage you will lose with regard to where you work geographically, who you work for, and what you earn.
As expert executive career search and employment consultants, our most monumental obstacle and frustration is the ominous actuality that most executive job seekers or career changers do not contact us until they are 2-6 months or more in to their job search or are currently well employed, but for more reasons than we can explain here, they drudge onward! The later phenomenon can carry on for years; leading to stagnation, frustration, lost wages et cetera.
For those employed, many have been thinking about a change or know there is about to be a reduction in work force, but they wait months or even years to take action! This always makes our work more difficult.
For those who are unemployed
Most have forwarded dozens of credential submissions, posted their résumés on Internet web sites, job boards et cetera. Again, we have to work longer and harder.
For those who are unemployed
Most have forwarded dozens of credential submissions, posted their résumés on Internet web sites, job boards et cetera. Again, we have to work longer and harder.
Whether Employed or Unemployed, waiting to an implement an aggressive professional search transition for any reason, is always a costly mistake! Here are just a few of the potential problems you will be faced with when you don’t take immediate action:
Once you close a door by either sending the wrong resume to the wrong person or vice versa, it makes it that much more difficult or impossible for us to re-open that door.
Once you plaster the Internet with your resume, you have most-likely discredited your brand, oversold yourself to recruiters and furthered potential personal frustration with the entire search process.
Conducting a self-directed traditional executive search via corporate instilled protocols and bureaucracy mazes will always stall your professional mission!
If you are marketing yourself using self-directed traditional job search strategies, chances are you are penetrating less than 30% of your potential market, and like so many others, you will be forced to settle! Thus, thwarting your ability to join the right company, in the right geography for maximum compensation. The dreaded unemployment-gap continues to lengthen.
Many employed executives are afraid to move! Even in the direct line of ongoing RIF’s (Reduction in Work Force), many hang on until it’s too late. Others may have reached the proverbial glass ceiling and are afraid to move due to economic conditions or other improbable uncertainties. This may go on for years. It is much easier to transition at 45 than it is at 55 and so on at 55 than it is at 60 years of age. We see this all the time! Furthermore, although many will never do anything except continue to internally strategize a move. While others may write a resume, send it out, receive little or no responses and be thankful that they have the job they’ve got! When in reality, sending out a few resumes in to the abyss is about as effective as playing the lottery.
If you are ready to take control of your professional mission and career satisfaction, Contact Us Today!
Most Sincerely,Browning Associates http://www.blogger.com/
Monday, October 13, 2008
Medical Doctors Seeking Change
By John Seraichyk
The intent of this communication is to provide you with an overview and understanding of our experience and expertise assisting medical doctors seeking change. For a complete explanation of exactly what we can do for you, please Contact Us today.
Yes, the medical profession is ever changing and more and more physicians are seeking change. How do we know? Because since 1990 we have spoken with countless physicians, medical school leaders, business leaders, political leaders and like you, we watch the news. It's no secret that the future for physicians has changed even though the extreme sacrifices of hard work and high educational costs remain.
The majority of physicians we speak with protest their profession due to: ever decreasing reimbursements, tighter regulations, increasing costs, lack of security, less respect and more and more work!
From the list above, tighter regulation and threatened security are the latest frontrunners. With regard to regulation, we tell our clients not to worry about the government, but do worry about payers, accountability measures, best practices and clinical pathways. Medicine has become a business focused on profit, and you and your patients are the casualties. Add to that the “off the record” regulation of patients arriving with reams of Internet reports regarding their conditions and the defensive medicine you feel forced to practice to alleviate their demand. Then include malpractice companies that don't just raise your rates over a claim, they discontinue your coverage and in one to six months, you're out of practice.
Threatened security is of course the result of all of the above. More than one physician has told us that they are one malpractice claim away from losing their practice. Interestingly, these same practitioners had never had a claim filed against them. However, they all agree it only takes one to close you down. Payers and insurers are constantly looking for an oversight or a simple discrepancy about care to terminate you from a panel, restrict your privilege or put you on the platform for a law suit. Furthermore, many of your wonderful patients see you as a “lottery ticket“. These are people who say, “I don't really have any opposition to your practice doc, I know you have insurance for this type of thing”. Can you relate to any of this?
You've followed a roadmap your entire career: undergrad, medical school, residency… maybe fellowship, and then practice. But now there's no roadmap. You know it's time for a new career direction, but how do you start? We'll design a roadmap for your new career.
More importantly, we'll "ride-bedside” with you as we help you navigate your way to career fulfillment.
Is it possible to make a rewarding change after all these years?
Absolutely. Medicine is a wonderful education and we know how to transform your education, your training and your practice into a non-clinical competence.
As our client you will be “treated” the way you might treat a new patient. First, a formal diagnosis of your career situation is prepared. Next, we develop a career search treatment plan, and finally, we work closely with you to implement your plan.
Diagnosis
Its sounds easy, but you know all too well both the challenge and the importance of the right diagnosis. It's equally essential and as challenging for your career change/search.
Treatment
Developing your career search “treatment plan” is crucial to the success of your career wellness. We will utilize our healthcare, business, entrepreneurial, coaching and leadership backgrounds to develop a real-world action plan in an effort to engage your search campaign.
Implementation
Implementing your search/change campaign is where all of our intensive preliminary work joins together. We will act as your career/search agents in an effort to identify new opportunities. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than 20% off all jobs are advertised. The implementation phase of your search is where we begin to confidentially introduce your credentials to key decision makers in your new field of interest as identified through the diagnosis assessment. Our objective is to look beyond the career positions that are advertised in newspapers, trade journals or the Internet.
Once your search is underway, we will work closely with you throughout the entire search campaign; this will ensure our commitment to you and steadfast client compliance. Imagine how your patient compliance would improve if you met with your patients at least once a week to converse about their plan and their success? That's exactly what we will do for you. Many of our prospective clients often ask us what they could possibly do other than practice.
Our clients have recently interviewed for these positions:
Medical Director, Vice President of Clinical Services, Healthcare Consultant , Medical Educator, Entrepreneur, Health Writer, Hospital CEO, just to name a few.
According to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of physicians and surgeons is projected to grow 14 percent from 2006 to 2016, faster than the average for all occupations. Job growth will occur because of continued expansion of health care related industries. The growing and aging population will drive overall growth in the demand for physician services, as consumers continue to demand high levels of care using the latest technologies, diagnostic tests, and therapies.
Demand for physicians' services is highly sensitive to changes in consumer preferences, health care reimbursement policies, and legislation. For example, if changes to health coverage result in consumers facing higher out-of-pocket costs, they may demand fewer physician services. Patients relying more on other health care providers—such as physician assistants, nurse practitioners, optometrists, and nurse anesthetists—also may temper demand for physician services. In addition, new technologies will increase physician productivity. These technologies include electronic medical records, test and prescription orders, billing, and scheduling.
Job prospects. Opportunities for individuals interested in becoming physicians and surgeons are expected to be very good. In addition to job openings from employment growth, numerous openings will result from the need to replace physicians and surgeons who retire over the 2006-16 decade.
Unlike their predecessors, newly trained physicians face radically different choices of where and how to practice. New physicians are much less likely to enter solo practice and more likely to take salaried jobs in group medical practices, clinics, and health networks. Reports of shortages in some specialties, such as general or family practice, internal medicine, and OB/GYN, or in rural or low-income areas should attract new entrants, encouraging schools to expand programs and hospitals to increase available residency slots. However, because physician training is so lengthy, employment change happens gradually. In the short term, to meet increased demand, experienced physicians may work longer hours, delay retirement, or take measures to increase productivity, such as using more support staff to provide services. Opportunities should be particularly good in rural and low-income areas, as some physicians find these areas unattractive because of less control over work hours, isolation from medical colleagues, or other reasons.
Your future can be changed, but you have to take control to achieve permanent transformation. Contact Us today; our specialization is your key to success.
The intent of this communication is to provide you with an overview and understanding of our experience and expertise assisting medical doctors seeking change. For a complete explanation of exactly what we can do for you, please Contact Us today.
Yes, the medical profession is ever changing and more and more physicians are seeking change. How do we know? Because since 1990 we have spoken with countless physicians, medical school leaders, business leaders, political leaders and like you, we watch the news. It's no secret that the future for physicians has changed even though the extreme sacrifices of hard work and high educational costs remain.
The majority of physicians we speak with protest their profession due to: ever decreasing reimbursements, tighter regulations, increasing costs, lack of security, less respect and more and more work!
From the list above, tighter regulation and threatened security are the latest frontrunners. With regard to regulation, we tell our clients not to worry about the government, but do worry about payers, accountability measures, best practices and clinical pathways. Medicine has become a business focused on profit, and you and your patients are the casualties. Add to that the “off the record” regulation of patients arriving with reams of Internet reports regarding their conditions and the defensive medicine you feel forced to practice to alleviate their demand. Then include malpractice companies that don't just raise your rates over a claim, they discontinue your coverage and in one to six months, you're out of practice.
Threatened security is of course the result of all of the above. More than one physician has told us that they are one malpractice claim away from losing their practice. Interestingly, these same practitioners had never had a claim filed against them. However, they all agree it only takes one to close you down. Payers and insurers are constantly looking for an oversight or a simple discrepancy about care to terminate you from a panel, restrict your privilege or put you on the platform for a law suit. Furthermore, many of your wonderful patients see you as a “lottery ticket“. These are people who say, “I don't really have any opposition to your practice doc, I know you have insurance for this type of thing”. Can you relate to any of this?
You've followed a roadmap your entire career: undergrad, medical school, residency… maybe fellowship, and then practice. But now there's no roadmap. You know it's time for a new career direction, but how do you start? We'll design a roadmap for your new career.
More importantly, we'll "ride-bedside” with you as we help you navigate your way to career fulfillment.
Is it possible to make a rewarding change after all these years?
Absolutely. Medicine is a wonderful education and we know how to transform your education, your training and your practice into a non-clinical competence.
As our client you will be “treated” the way you might treat a new patient. First, a formal diagnosis of your career situation is prepared. Next, we develop a career search treatment plan, and finally, we work closely with you to implement your plan.
Diagnosis
Its sounds easy, but you know all too well both the challenge and the importance of the right diagnosis. It's equally essential and as challenging for your career change/search.
Treatment
Developing your career search “treatment plan” is crucial to the success of your career wellness. We will utilize our healthcare, business, entrepreneurial, coaching and leadership backgrounds to develop a real-world action plan in an effort to engage your search campaign.
Implementation
Implementing your search/change campaign is where all of our intensive preliminary work joins together. We will act as your career/search agents in an effort to identify new opportunities. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than 20% off all jobs are advertised. The implementation phase of your search is where we begin to confidentially introduce your credentials to key decision makers in your new field of interest as identified through the diagnosis assessment. Our objective is to look beyond the career positions that are advertised in newspapers, trade journals or the Internet.
Once your search is underway, we will work closely with you throughout the entire search campaign; this will ensure our commitment to you and steadfast client compliance. Imagine how your patient compliance would improve if you met with your patients at least once a week to converse about their plan and their success? That's exactly what we will do for you. Many of our prospective clients often ask us what they could possibly do other than practice.
Our clients have recently interviewed for these positions:
Medical Director, Vice President of Clinical Services, Healthcare Consultant , Medical Educator, Entrepreneur, Health Writer, Hospital CEO, just to name a few.
According to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of physicians and surgeons is projected to grow 14 percent from 2006 to 2016, faster than the average for all occupations. Job growth will occur because of continued expansion of health care related industries. The growing and aging population will drive overall growth in the demand for physician services, as consumers continue to demand high levels of care using the latest technologies, diagnostic tests, and therapies.
Demand for physicians' services is highly sensitive to changes in consumer preferences, health care reimbursement policies, and legislation. For example, if changes to health coverage result in consumers facing higher out-of-pocket costs, they may demand fewer physician services. Patients relying more on other health care providers—such as physician assistants, nurse practitioners, optometrists, and nurse anesthetists—also may temper demand for physician services. In addition, new technologies will increase physician productivity. These technologies include electronic medical records, test and prescription orders, billing, and scheduling.
Job prospects. Opportunities for individuals interested in becoming physicians and surgeons are expected to be very good. In addition to job openings from employment growth, numerous openings will result from the need to replace physicians and surgeons who retire over the 2006-16 decade.
Unlike their predecessors, newly trained physicians face radically different choices of where and how to practice. New physicians are much less likely to enter solo practice and more likely to take salaried jobs in group medical practices, clinics, and health networks. Reports of shortages in some specialties, such as general or family practice, internal medicine, and OB/GYN, or in rural or low-income areas should attract new entrants, encouraging schools to expand programs and hospitals to increase available residency slots. However, because physician training is so lengthy, employment change happens gradually. In the short term, to meet increased demand, experienced physicians may work longer hours, delay retirement, or take measures to increase productivity, such as using more support staff to provide services. Opportunities should be particularly good in rural and low-income areas, as some physicians find these areas unattractive because of less control over work hours, isolation from medical colleagues, or other reasons.
Your future can be changed, but you have to take control to achieve permanent transformation. Contact Us today; our specialization is your key to success.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
A C Level Search Assignment is not for Rookies
By John Seraichyk - Browning Associates
A “C” level search engagement requires steadfast expertise, industry comprehension and a firm that truly recognizes what makes high level transition happen.” John H. Seraichyk circa 1997, Founder Browning Associates.
We've written the book on “C” level and senior management job hunting. However, rather than a lengthy dissertation, the objective of this communication is to provide you with a sense of what we do. It lays out our general philosophy for opening doors and creating opportunities for senior level executives.
We have worked with thousands of executives who have contracted our services for a myriad of career search/crisis related scenarios. Whether employed or unemployed, the challenges and obstacles for a high level executive seeking change are countless.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than 3% of the workforce population earns in excess of 175k annually. Furthermore, the report reveals that less than 20% of all professional and executive jobs offering an annual compensation of 100k + are advertised. The Bureau's report clearly articulates that if you are a senior executive, you are a minority and available career positions are extremely difficult to attain.
Of course, any worthwhile venture is never an easy one. Landing a new position at your level requires a steadfast action plan. You need to be highly aggressive while maintaining confidentiality of your employment information. Imagine trying to market yourself to the masses while simultaneously having to make certain that nobody finds out! It's a bit of an oxymoron. But, for an employed executive, confidentiality is paramount.
You need to implement a strategic search plan that will enable you to market your credentials to the appropriate individuals who can make or recommend a hiring decision. Browning Associates will ensure you achieve that goal!
Your - Résumé-To be or not to be?
There is a great deal of controversy surrounding executive résumés. Here is the reality. Believe it or not, we do not use a résumé as a method of introduction for most of our senior level clients. A résumé screams: “Hire me”! Or worse, it may cause an unwanted breach of your confidentiality. Not so fast. Less is more at your level. You need to step back, identify the proper hiring authorities and then craft an alternative strategic method of formal introduction.
Utilizing our network of growth companies, key decision makers and client alumni, we will introduce you in such a way that the potential employer is given just enough information to inspire interest.
While your competition is bombarding the HR department with droves of paper and electronic boilerplate résumé submissions, we will promote your credentials to each and every one involved in the hiring process. Many times, your initial credential submission will come complete with a referral from our client network. This is when our employment contacts become most valuable to you.
Eventually, the hiring authorities will request your résumé. When this occurs, we will schedule a time for you to bring one directly to the company or schedule a phone interview for an initial review.
At Browning Associates we all agree that the résumé is to be. However, proper usage as illustrated above is essential.
Senior Executive Search and our Experience
When you are a “C” suite or senior level executive, you can't simply peruse the classifieds for your next career position. It is imperative that you retain the necessary tools to undertake a search campaign that will result in a position that takes advantage of your complete requirements, including salary, location and desired industry.
It is not likely that you'll find “C” class positions in your local classified ads or on the Internet. Not only are these career positions in high demand, but it is difficult to even get your foot in the door. If you are to land one of these coveted positions, you need to position a team in your corner who knows the requirements of the market and who can maximize your preparation to be a viable contender for a “C” level job opening.
Possessing the necessary skill sets to secure a high-paying and professionally satisfying position as a “C” class executive is only the first step. You must put forth a complete package to the potential employer, which includes a high impact credential introduction, impressive and reliable references, and career accomplishments abstract that lets the employer know that your credentials most definitely merit consideration.
For nearly twenty years, we have been in the business of assisting job-seekers, especially senior executives in locating the career position that is most suitable to their needs. The most desirable career positions will almost always be awarded to the most prepared applicant, and Browning Associates will ensure you achieve maximum career search support that is swift and effective.
Career Outlook
Our research indicates employment of top executives—including chief executives, general and operations managers, and legislators—is expected to grow 2 percent from 2006 to 2016. Because top executives are essential to the success of any organization, their jobs are unlikely to be automated or exported to other countries. Some top executive jobs may be eliminated through industry consolidation, as upper management is streamlined after mergers and acquisitions. Employment of top executives is not as sensitive to growth in business as employment in many other occupations. As a business grows, the number of top executives changes little relative to the total number of employees. Therefore, top executives are not expected to experience as much employment growth as workers in the occupations they oversee.
Projected employment growth of top executives varies by industry. For example, employment growth is expected to grow faster than average in professional, scientific, and technical services and about as fast as the average in administrative and support services. However, employment is projected to decline in some manufacturing industries.
Job prospects. Keen competition is expected for top executive positions because the prestige and compensation attract a large number of qualified applicants. Because this is a large occupation, numerous openings will occur each year as executives transfer to other positions, start their own businesses, or retire. However, many executives who leave their jobs transfer to other executive positions, a pattern that tends to limit the number of job openings for new entrants to the occupation.
Experienced managers whose accomplishments reflect strong leadership qualities and the ability to improve the efficiency or competitive position of an organization will have the best opportunities. In an increasingly global economy, experience in international economics, marketing, information systems, and knowledge of several languages also may be beneficial.
Because finding the right opportunity at your level presents a multitude of challenges, we have developed an entire division designed to specifically cater to senior level executives and management professionals. Please visit our sister corporation, http://www.executivejobchange.com/. Here, you will learn more about our services and what we can do for you. Alternatively, you may complete our confidential contact form. A senior consultant will reply promptly.
A “C” level search engagement requires steadfast expertise, industry comprehension and a firm that truly recognizes what makes high level transition happen.” John H. Seraichyk circa 1997, Founder Browning Associates.
We've written the book on “C” level and senior management job hunting. However, rather than a lengthy dissertation, the objective of this communication is to provide you with a sense of what we do. It lays out our general philosophy for opening doors and creating opportunities for senior level executives.
We have worked with thousands of executives who have contracted our services for a myriad of career search/crisis related scenarios. Whether employed or unemployed, the challenges and obstacles for a high level executive seeking change are countless.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than 3% of the workforce population earns in excess of 175k annually. Furthermore, the report reveals that less than 20% of all professional and executive jobs offering an annual compensation of 100k + are advertised. The Bureau's report clearly articulates that if you are a senior executive, you are a minority and available career positions are extremely difficult to attain.
Of course, any worthwhile venture is never an easy one. Landing a new position at your level requires a steadfast action plan. You need to be highly aggressive while maintaining confidentiality of your employment information. Imagine trying to market yourself to the masses while simultaneously having to make certain that nobody finds out! It's a bit of an oxymoron. But, for an employed executive, confidentiality is paramount.
You need to implement a strategic search plan that will enable you to market your credentials to the appropriate individuals who can make or recommend a hiring decision. Browning Associates will ensure you achieve that goal!
Your - Résumé-To be or not to be?
There is a great deal of controversy surrounding executive résumés. Here is the reality. Believe it or not, we do not use a résumé as a method of introduction for most of our senior level clients. A résumé screams: “Hire me”! Or worse, it may cause an unwanted breach of your confidentiality. Not so fast. Less is more at your level. You need to step back, identify the proper hiring authorities and then craft an alternative strategic method of formal introduction.
Utilizing our network of growth companies, key decision makers and client alumni, we will introduce you in such a way that the potential employer is given just enough information to inspire interest.
While your competition is bombarding the HR department with droves of paper and electronic boilerplate résumé submissions, we will promote your credentials to each and every one involved in the hiring process. Many times, your initial credential submission will come complete with a referral from our client network. This is when our employment contacts become most valuable to you.
Eventually, the hiring authorities will request your résumé. When this occurs, we will schedule a time for you to bring one directly to the company or schedule a phone interview for an initial review.
At Browning Associates we all agree that the résumé is to be. However, proper usage as illustrated above is essential.
Senior Executive Search and our Experience
When you are a “C” suite or senior level executive, you can't simply peruse the classifieds for your next career position. It is imperative that you retain the necessary tools to undertake a search campaign that will result in a position that takes advantage of your complete requirements, including salary, location and desired industry.
It is not likely that you'll find “C” class positions in your local classified ads or on the Internet. Not only are these career positions in high demand, but it is difficult to even get your foot in the door. If you are to land one of these coveted positions, you need to position a team in your corner who knows the requirements of the market and who can maximize your preparation to be a viable contender for a “C” level job opening.
Possessing the necessary skill sets to secure a high-paying and professionally satisfying position as a “C” class executive is only the first step. You must put forth a complete package to the potential employer, which includes a high impact credential introduction, impressive and reliable references, and career accomplishments abstract that lets the employer know that your credentials most definitely merit consideration.
For nearly twenty years, we have been in the business of assisting job-seekers, especially senior executives in locating the career position that is most suitable to their needs. The most desirable career positions will almost always be awarded to the most prepared applicant, and Browning Associates will ensure you achieve maximum career search support that is swift and effective.
Career Outlook
Our research indicates employment of top executives—including chief executives, general and operations managers, and legislators—is expected to grow 2 percent from 2006 to 2016. Because top executives are essential to the success of any organization, their jobs are unlikely to be automated or exported to other countries. Some top executive jobs may be eliminated through industry consolidation, as upper management is streamlined after mergers and acquisitions. Employment of top executives is not as sensitive to growth in business as employment in many other occupations. As a business grows, the number of top executives changes little relative to the total number of employees. Therefore, top executives are not expected to experience as much employment growth as workers in the occupations they oversee.
Projected employment growth of top executives varies by industry. For example, employment growth is expected to grow faster than average in professional, scientific, and technical services and about as fast as the average in administrative and support services. However, employment is projected to decline in some manufacturing industries.
Job prospects. Keen competition is expected for top executive positions because the prestige and compensation attract a large number of qualified applicants. Because this is a large occupation, numerous openings will occur each year as executives transfer to other positions, start their own businesses, or retire. However, many executives who leave their jobs transfer to other executive positions, a pattern that tends to limit the number of job openings for new entrants to the occupation.
Experienced managers whose accomplishments reflect strong leadership qualities and the ability to improve the efficiency or competitive position of an organization will have the best opportunities. In an increasingly global economy, experience in international economics, marketing, information systems, and knowledge of several languages also may be beneficial.
Because finding the right opportunity at your level presents a multitude of challenges, we have developed an entire division designed to specifically cater to senior level executives and management professionals. Please visit our sister corporation, http://www.executivejobchange.com/. Here, you will learn more about our services and what we can do for you. Alternatively, you may complete our confidential contact form. A senior consultant will reply promptly.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
December Job Market - Hot or Cold
The December Job Market - Hot or Cold?
By John Seraichyk
Yes, I know its only August, but if you are just beginning a search for a six figure position, this may be helpful if your not there yet by December 1.
Are you one of those professional or executive job seekers who place his/her job search on hold during the month of December? Yes, I know its tempting to put things on hold during the holiday season, but if you are serious about new employment or a career change, you might want to remain steadfast in your endeavor to achieve your career goals. Please read on.
If you subscribe to the myths about the holiday job market, you may be positively assuming that companies are shut down the week before and after Christmas. Or maybe, you believe that most decision makers are on vacation or just not in the spirit of doing business until January.
You think to yourself, this job-hunting stuff is no fun and everybody around the office is probably drinking too much eggnog and eating Christmas cookies anyway. They are not going to look at my résumé until January, and I’m putting my job search on hold. Sound familiar? Hey, its Christmas time, who wants to think about job hunting? The excuses are many, but few are valid.
While many rationalize that December is a good time to put the brakes on their job search, my many years of experience tell a very different story. Below are seven solid reasons to keep your search in high gear through the holiday season:
1. Many companies must spend the money in their budgets before the end of the year. Hiring heats up in December because hiring managers are trying to make deadlines to use allocated funds.
2. Many companies know what their needs for the New Year will be, and they are talking with prospects in November and December in an effort to be sufficiently staffed up and ready for the New Year.
3. Because many professionals stop job searching in December, the market is much less competitive. Companies hire predicated on need, not time of year.
4. If you are thinking about a job change for the New Year, December is a great time to lay the necessary foundation and/or kick off your search. If you wait until January, the market will be much more hectic.
5. The three most popular New Year’s resolutions: 1. People quit smoking. 2. People join gyms. 3. People write their résumé and look for a better job. The job market is in chaos during the month of January. By February 1st, cigarette sales are up, the gyms are empty and the job market is back to normal.
6. Decision makers that are working during the holiday season may be more accessible during the month of December. Things may have slowed down around the company and management may be in a better position to speak with you or at least, have a look at the résumé. Once January rolls around, forget it!
7. Search firms are motivated to place candidates before the end of the year. Contingency recruiters are paid on commission. This commission is based on fees their company earns for placing professionals. What ably serves the December job seeker is that this commission rises based on the overall yearly billing. One might start the year at 30% and graduate to 60% by December. The catch is that it goes down to 30% again Jan.1.
Have A Happy And Productive Holiday Season,
Browning Associates - Contact Us
By John Seraichyk
Yes, I know its only August, but if you are just beginning a search for a six figure position, this may be helpful if your not there yet by December 1.
Are you one of those professional or executive job seekers who place his/her job search on hold during the month of December? Yes, I know its tempting to put things on hold during the holiday season, but if you are serious about new employment or a career change, you might want to remain steadfast in your endeavor to achieve your career goals. Please read on.
If you subscribe to the myths about the holiday job market, you may be positively assuming that companies are shut down the week before and after Christmas. Or maybe, you believe that most decision makers are on vacation or just not in the spirit of doing business until January.
You think to yourself, this job-hunting stuff is no fun and everybody around the office is probably drinking too much eggnog and eating Christmas cookies anyway. They are not going to look at my résumé until January, and I’m putting my job search on hold. Sound familiar? Hey, its Christmas time, who wants to think about job hunting? The excuses are many, but few are valid.
While many rationalize that December is a good time to put the brakes on their job search, my many years of experience tell a very different story. Below are seven solid reasons to keep your search in high gear through the holiday season:
1. Many companies must spend the money in their budgets before the end of the year. Hiring heats up in December because hiring managers are trying to make deadlines to use allocated funds.
2. Many companies know what their needs for the New Year will be, and they are talking with prospects in November and December in an effort to be sufficiently staffed up and ready for the New Year.
3. Because many professionals stop job searching in December, the market is much less competitive. Companies hire predicated on need, not time of year.
4. If you are thinking about a job change for the New Year, December is a great time to lay the necessary foundation and/or kick off your search. If you wait until January, the market will be much more hectic.
5. The three most popular New Year’s resolutions: 1. People quit smoking. 2. People join gyms. 3. People write their résumé and look for a better job. The job market is in chaos during the month of January. By February 1st, cigarette sales are up, the gyms are empty and the job market is back to normal.
6. Decision makers that are working during the holiday season may be more accessible during the month of December. Things may have slowed down around the company and management may be in a better position to speak with you or at least, have a look at the résumé. Once January rolls around, forget it!
7. Search firms are motivated to place candidates before the end of the year. Contingency recruiters are paid on commission. This commission is based on fees their company earns for placing professionals. What ably serves the December job seeker is that this commission rises based on the overall yearly billing. One might start the year at 30% and graduate to 60% by December. The catch is that it goes down to 30% again Jan.1.
Have A Happy And Productive Holiday Season,
Browning Associates - Contact Us
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
How To Determine Your Salary Range
He who speaks first loses!
John H Seraichyk circa 1990
How to Determine Your Salary Range
By Caroline Levchuck
The elusive salary range ... Every job seeker needs one, but most don't know where to find it.
Salary ranges are a critical and often confusing part of job seeking.
Salary ranges change constantly. They vary from company to company, from bullish markets to bearish days, and from person to person based on experience. They also vary dramatically among different industries and geographic regions. But, help is out there. By following a few simple rules, you can determine a range that works for you.
Dig Deep
You'll have to do some digging to determine you salary range. First, start with online job calculators like the Salary Wizard here:http://hotjobs.salary.com/ Next, visit the Web sites and directories of professional associations. Often they'll not only provide salaries for positions in a particular industry but also ranges based on geographic location and experience level.
Government reports can also be very useful. The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site offers national data on compensation and wages :http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ocs/home.htm Last, business and industry-specific trade magazines can offer insights too. Once you've armed yourself with all this salary research, you're ready to start shaping your salary range.
Reach Out and Talk to Someone
Work your network to determine your salary range. Call or email people in your industry or -- better yet -- at the company at which you're interviewing. Industry contacts can confirm and fine-tune the ranges you've devised. They can also share personal experiences negotiating salary.
Try to find contacts in your geographic region, since salary can vary widely from place to place.
Current or former employees of the company at which you're interviewing can help determine salary ranges at that particular organization. Good questions to ask include:
· What significance do salary ranges have at this company?
· Is the first offer usually at the low end of the range?
· Who gets a high offer and why?
· Is there one skill or trait that all top earners share, such as an MBA?
All of these questions can help you handle the salary negotiation process.
Do the Math
Every position and every company has a salary range. You need one too.
Now is the time to think of yourself. Consider your financial needs and your budget. Come up with salaries that cover what you absolutely need, what you would be most comfortable making and what your ideal wage would be.
Remember, too, that salary is just one part of your compensation package and your career. You may want to adjust your range based on the specifics of a position. Perhaps a job will give you experience you've been lacking. Maybe it offers a great deal of job security. Or perhaps the employer grants regular raises that will help you quickly climb the salary ladder.
Hire Help (If You Can)
Don't be overwhelmed by the legwork required to determine your salary range. You can do it.
But, if you can afford to, you can also hire an expert. Executives in particular sometimes do.
Coaches, compensation consultants and employment attorneys can research ranges for you. And professional pay advisers can often dig even deeper for specifics on a particular company because their networks tend to be bigger than the average person's. Experts will compare and contrast the data they've uncovered and help you analyze your own financial situation.
These paid professionals will also usually coach you in the negotiation process -- which can help you land the highest salary in the range.
John H Seraichyk circa 1990
How to Determine Your Salary Range
By Caroline Levchuck
The elusive salary range ... Every job seeker needs one, but most don't know where to find it.
Salary ranges are a critical and often confusing part of job seeking.
Salary ranges change constantly. They vary from company to company, from bullish markets to bearish days, and from person to person based on experience. They also vary dramatically among different industries and geographic regions. But, help is out there. By following a few simple rules, you can determine a range that works for you.
Dig Deep
You'll have to do some digging to determine you salary range. First, start with online job calculators like the Salary Wizard here:http://hotjobs.salary.com/ Next, visit the Web sites and directories of professional associations. Often they'll not only provide salaries for positions in a particular industry but also ranges based on geographic location and experience level.
Government reports can also be very useful. The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site offers national data on compensation and wages :http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ocs/home.htm Last, business and industry-specific trade magazines can offer insights too. Once you've armed yourself with all this salary research, you're ready to start shaping your salary range.
Reach Out and Talk to Someone
Work your network to determine your salary range. Call or email people in your industry or -- better yet -- at the company at which you're interviewing. Industry contacts can confirm and fine-tune the ranges you've devised. They can also share personal experiences negotiating salary.
Try to find contacts in your geographic region, since salary can vary widely from place to place.
Current or former employees of the company at which you're interviewing can help determine salary ranges at that particular organization. Good questions to ask include:
· What significance do salary ranges have at this company?
· Is the first offer usually at the low end of the range?
· Who gets a high offer and why?
· Is there one skill or trait that all top earners share, such as an MBA?
All of these questions can help you handle the salary negotiation process.
Do the Math
Every position and every company has a salary range. You need one too.
Now is the time to think of yourself. Consider your financial needs and your budget. Come up with salaries that cover what you absolutely need, what you would be most comfortable making and what your ideal wage would be.
Remember, too, that salary is just one part of your compensation package and your career. You may want to adjust your range based on the specifics of a position. Perhaps a job will give you experience you've been lacking. Maybe it offers a great deal of job security. Or perhaps the employer grants regular raises that will help you quickly climb the salary ladder.
Hire Help (If You Can)
Don't be overwhelmed by the legwork required to determine your salary range. You can do it.
But, if you can afford to, you can also hire an expert. Executives in particular sometimes do.
Coaches, compensation consultants and employment attorneys can research ranges for you. And professional pay advisers can often dig even deeper for specifics on a particular company because their networks tend to be bigger than the average person's. Experts will compare and contrast the data they've uncovered and help you analyze your own financial situation.
These paid professionals will also usually coach you in the negotiation process -- which can help you land the highest salary in the range.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Is Your Executive Resume A Branding Document?
Your executive resume is the first impression your personal brand makes on a potential employer or client. And, you will only have one opportunity to make a first impression.
Most of the resumes that have made it to my desk over the past twenty years, are far from what I would consider effective branding documents. Instead, they are history portofolios and at best, accomplishment summaries.
John Seraichyk
Browning Associates
www.professionaljobchange.com
Here are some good tips. For more Information visit Browning Associates
Building Your Brand: Tactics for Successful Career Branding
by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
What is it that all successful companies have mastered -- and what job-seekers looking to advance in their careers need to master? What is it about Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Starbucks, Disney, and McDonald’s? What makes a consumer buy one product over another -- and makes one job-seeker much more sought after than others? The answer is marketing, but more specifically it is the power of branding. And branding isn’t just for products anymore.
Branding can be described as many things, but it’s best defined as a promise… a promise of the value of the product… a promise that the product is better than all the competing products… a promise that must be delivered to be successful. Branding is the combination of tangible and intangible characteristics that make a brand unique. Branding is developing an image -- with results to match.
Branding (some call it self-branding when talking about individuals) is essential to career advancement because branding helps define who you are, how you are great, and why you should be sought out. Branding is your reputation. Branding is about building a name for yourself, showcasing what sets you apart from others, and describing the added value you bring to a situation.
Most job-seekers are not proactive in establishing and building their career brand, letting their actions speak for them when seeking promotions or new jobs. But why not take the time to master some very basic tactics that can help build your career brand and make you a much more attractive employee or job-seeker? Remember, if you don’t brand yourself, others will for you. And while you may be happy and secure in your job now, you really never know when that will change.
Management guru Tom Peters, writing in his book The Brand You50 (Reinventing Work): Fifty Ways to Transform Yourself from an "Employee" into a Brand That Shouts Distinction, Commitment, and Passion! states: “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are the CEOs of our own companies: Me, Inc.” He adds, “You’re not defined by your job title and you’re not confined by your job description.”
This article takes you through five easy tactics for building and strengthening your career brand.
Gain Experience/Track AccomplishmentsBuilding your brand begins with tracking your past accomplishments and gaining strategically important new experiences. Your accomplishments are the foundation of your career brand.
But before you seek out new work, take the time to plan and focus on what you want your brand to stand for -- and develop a strategy for gaining experience in areas of your brand in which you are weak.
So, besides doing your job, ask for new and challenging assignments that will build your brand. Consider freelancing or consulting. Use volunteering to gain experience. If you’re a student, seek out multiple internships.
Most of the resumes that have made it to my desk over the past twenty years, are far from what I would consider effective branding documents. Instead, they are history portofolios and at best, accomplishment summaries.
John Seraichyk
Browning Associates
www.professionaljobchange.com
Here are some good tips. For more Information visit Browning Associates
Building Your Brand: Tactics for Successful Career Branding
by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
What is it that all successful companies have mastered -- and what job-seekers looking to advance in their careers need to master? What is it about Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Starbucks, Disney, and McDonald’s? What makes a consumer buy one product over another -- and makes one job-seeker much more sought after than others? The answer is marketing, but more specifically it is the power of branding. And branding isn’t just for products anymore.
Branding can be described as many things, but it’s best defined as a promise… a promise of the value of the product… a promise that the product is better than all the competing products… a promise that must be delivered to be successful. Branding is the combination of tangible and intangible characteristics that make a brand unique. Branding is developing an image -- with results to match.
Branding (some call it self-branding when talking about individuals) is essential to career advancement because branding helps define who you are, how you are great, and why you should be sought out. Branding is your reputation. Branding is about building a name for yourself, showcasing what sets you apart from others, and describing the added value you bring to a situation.
Most job-seekers are not proactive in establishing and building their career brand, letting their actions speak for them when seeking promotions or new jobs. But why not take the time to master some very basic tactics that can help build your career brand and make you a much more attractive employee or job-seeker? Remember, if you don’t brand yourself, others will for you. And while you may be happy and secure in your job now, you really never know when that will change.
Management guru Tom Peters, writing in his book The Brand You50 (Reinventing Work): Fifty Ways to Transform Yourself from an "Employee" into a Brand That Shouts Distinction, Commitment, and Passion! states: “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are the CEOs of our own companies: Me, Inc.” He adds, “You’re not defined by your job title and you’re not confined by your job description.”
This article takes you through five easy tactics for building and strengthening your career brand.
Gain Experience/Track AccomplishmentsBuilding your brand begins with tracking your past accomplishments and gaining strategically important new experiences. Your accomplishments are the foundation of your career brand.
But before you seek out new work, take the time to plan and focus on what you want your brand to stand for -- and develop a strategy for gaining experience in areas of your brand in which you are weak.
So, besides doing your job, ask for new and challenging assignments that will build your brand. Consider freelancing or consulting. Use volunteering to gain experience. If you’re a student, seek out multiple internships.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
More on medical doctors seeking change
By John Seraichyk - Browning Associates
"In the preceding five years, we have assisted more than two times the number of medical doctors seeking change than we had in the prior decade." John H. Seraichyk, circa 2004 Founder Browning Associates
Yes, the medical profession is ever-changing and more and more physicians are seeking change. How do we know? Because since 1990 we have spoken with countless physicians, medical school leaders, business leaders, political leaders, and like you, we watch the news.
It’s no secret that the future for physicians has changed even though the extreme sacrifices of hard work and high educational costs remain. The majority of physicians we speak with protest their profession due to: ever decreasing reimbursements, tighter regulations, increasing costs, lack of security, less respect, and more and more work!
From the list above, tighter regulation and threatened security are the latest frontrunners. With regard to regulation, we tell our clients not to worry about the government, but do worry about payers, accountability measures, best practices, and clinical pathways. Medicine has become a business focused on profit, and you and your patients are the casualties. Add to that the “off the record” regulation of patients arriving with reams of Internet reports regarding their conditions and the defensive medicine you feel forced to practice to alleviate their demand. Then include malpractice companies that don’t just raise your rates over a claim, they discontinue your coverage and in one to six months, you’re out of practice.
Threatened security is of course the result of all of the above. More than one physician has told us that they are one malpractice claim away from losing their practice. Interestingly, these same practitioners had never had a claim filed against them. However, they all agree it only takes one to close you down. Payers and insurers are constantly looking for oversight or a simple discrepancy about care to terminate you from a panel, restrict your privilege or put you on the platform for a lawsuit. Furthermore, many of your wonderful patients see you as a “lottery ticket“. These are people who say, “I don’t really have any opposition to your practice doc, I know you have insurance for this type of thing”. Can you relate to any of this?
You've followed a roadmap your entire career: undergrad, medical school, residency… maybe fellowship, and then practice. But now there's no roadmap. You know it’s time for a new career direction, but how do you start? We'll design a roadmap for your new career. More importantly, we'll "ride-bedside” with you as we help you navigate your way to career fulfillment.
Is it possible to make a rewarding change after all these years?
Absolutely. Medicine is a wonderful education and we know how to transform your education, your training, and your practice into a non-clinical competence.
As our client, you will “treated” the way you might treat a new patient.
First, a formal diagnosis of your career situation is prepared. Next, we develop a career search treatment plan, and finally, we work closely with you to implement your plan.
Diagnosis sounds easy, but you know all too well both the challenge and the importance of the right diagnosis. It's equally essential and as challenging for your career change/search.
Treatment
Developing your career search “treatment plan” is crucial to the success of your career wellness. is We will utilize our healthcare, business, entrepreneurial, coaching, and leadership backgrounds to develop a real-world action plan in an effort to engage your search campaign.
Implementation
Implementing your search/change campaign is where all of our intensive preliminary work joins together. We will act as your career/search agents in an effort to identify new opportunities. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than 20% of all jobs are advertised. The implementation phase of your search is where we begin
to confidentially introduce your credentials to key decision-makers in your new field of interest as identified through the diagnosis assessment. Our objective is to look beyond the career positions that are advertised in newspapers, trade journals, or the Internet.
Once your search is underway, we will work closely with you throughout the entire search campaign; this will ensure our commitment to you and steadfast client compliance. Imagine how your patient compliance would improve if you met with your patients at least once a week to converse about their plan and their success? That's exactly what we will do for you.
Many of our prospective clients often ask us what they could possibly do other than practice.
Our clients have recently interviewed for these positions:
Medical Director, Vice President of Clinical Services, Healthcare Consultant, Medical Educator, Entrepreneur, Health Writer, Hospital CEO, just to name a few.
According to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of physicians and surgeons is projected to grow 14 percent from 2006 to 2016, faster than the average for all occupations. Job growth will occur because of the continued expansion of health care-related industries. The growing and aging population will drive overall growth in the demand for physician services, as consumers continue to demand high levels of care using the latest technologies, diagnostic tests, and therapies.
Demand for physicians’ services is highly sensitive to changes in consumer preferences, health care reimbursement policies, and legislation. For example, if changes to health coverage result in consumers facing higher out-of-pocket costs, they may demand fewer physician services. Patients relying more on other health care providers—such as physician assistants, nurse practitioners, optometrists, and nurse anesthetists—also may temper demand for physician services. In addition, new technologies will increase physician productivity. These technologies include electronic medical records, test and prescription orders, billing, and scheduling.
Job prospects. Opportunities for individuals interested in becoming physicians and
surgeons are expected to be very good. In addition to job openings from employment growth, numerous openings will result from the need to replace physicians and surgeons who retire over the 2006-16 decade.
Unlike their predecessors, newly trained physicians face radically different choices of where and how to practice. New physicians are much less likely to enter solo practice and more likely to take salaried jobs in group medical practices, clinics, and health networks. Reports of shortages in some specialties, such as general or family practice, internal medicine, and OB/GYN, or in rural or low-income areas should attract new entrants, encouraging schools to expand programs and hospitals to increase available residency slots. However, because physician training is so lengthy, employment change happens gradually. In the short term, to meet increased demand, experienced physicians may work longer hours, delay retirement, or take measures to increase productivity, such as using more support staff to provide services. Opportunities should be particularly good in rural and low-income areas, as some physicians find these areas unattractive because of less control over work hours, isolation from medical colleagues, or other reasons.
Your future can be changed, but you have to take control to achieve permanent transformation. Contact Us today; our specialization is your key to success. 401-825-7717
Friday, February 29, 2008
John's Unedited Bio circa 1988, How it all started
John's idea to start the North Kingstown, RI based employment service originally named The Data Processing Connection AKA Diversified Personnel Consultants, originated from his un-forgetful experience as a recent college graduate trying desperately to find post college employment. John soon learned that employment agencies and most employers were not interested in his college degree. John was told time after time that to be considered for employment, he needed real-world experience.
Approximately, eight months after graduating, John finally landed his first professional job in the data processing profession. Upon working approximately six years in data processing, john was promoted to management, and soon found himself in the awkward position of having to tell college graduates that he could not hire them unless they had demonstrated work experience! These remembered events in John's own life inspired him to establish an employment service designed to cater exclusively to college graduates.
John's first mission was to discover whether he could actually help recent graduates find their first post college job. John began by identifying companies with a history of hiring recent graduates. He soon learned that most of these were larger corporations, and they would certainly not pay a fee to hire a college grad. Furthermore, they did most of their hiring directly from colleges. Not discouraged, John's passion led him onward.
John had never written a resume or cover letter and had no real experience with career counseling or employment search. However, he possessed a feverish passion to assist recent college graduates launch their careers. John went to his local library and checked-out every book about resume writing and job hunting he could find. He lined up the books from the library on his dining room table and set a piece of wood across the bottom of the books so you could not see the library tags indicating they were there on borrowed time. Consequently, there on his table were approximately six books, and a pencil sharpener. No computer, no degrees or plaques on the wall, no testimonials from previously satisfied clients, no visible telephone, no receptionist, not even a single sample of his resume work (What resume work?).
About one week later, John ran a $19 ad in a local newspaper (All he could afford at the time). The ad read as follows: “Computers Entry Level job search call 401-555-1212”. The ad didn't make much sense but for 19$ you don’t get much. The ad ran the following Sunday for one day. The next day on Monday John and his wife Kathy were blown away; their phone rang off the hook. John did not expect a single call, and suddenly he was deluged with inquiries about his service (what service?). John hadn't given a thought to what he would do if somebody actually called.
One of the first calls came from a young man with a fairly new college degree. He asked John what he could do for him and how much it would cost. John told the caller that he would write his resume/cover letter and work with him one-on-one until he found his first post college career job! The cost for this service is…Uh… how does $25 sound? The young man said: “you are going to do all that work for $25?” John said “yes”, and scheduled his first appointment. John knew he bit off more than he could chew, but he still remembers thinking to himself, if I promise big, I will have to deliver big!
When the young man visited John’s home, John was initially embarrassed when his son Cody began to cry in the next room. Then suddenly something very strange came over John, he looked this young man in the eye, and he saw himself! He felt this young man's pain and frustration. At that moment he thought to himself, I am going to find this man a job. I will stop at nothing. I will call one hundred companies, send one thousand resumes, I will not stop until he is hired. John was a man possessed. By the way, John worked 50 hours a week at night to support his daytime possession.
Okay, so now John has this young mans money, all $25 of it. He knew that he had to do something; he started by re-working the resume. He wrote the resume by hand and then input it in to a mainframe computer. Imagine, developing a resume on a two million dollar computer! The mainframe computer software had no spell checker, only one font style and was extremely cumbersome to work on. At the time, most people and/or libraries didn't have personal computers, they were called home computers then. Does anybody remember the Commodore 64?
Upon completing the resume, John began to call companies by the dozens. Initially, most employers had no interest in John's young client. While John continued to call companies, the inquiries for his service kept pouring in. At this point, John could do little more than tell people to send their resume. Ironically, he was telling the very people he wanted to help so desperately, the same thing employers told him when he was looking for his first job. Oh no, how could this happen?
As John continued to call companies, he began to identify a few that actually had some interest in his young client. When John wasn't calling companies, he was methodically perusing the help-wanted ads in the local major newspaper. When John came across an ad that instructed the applicant to send their resume to the Human Resources department, John would call the company and confirm a name and title of the person who should receive the resume. He would also learn who the hiring manager was for the open position and send resumes to both points of contact. Upon sending the resume, John would follow up within 2-3 business days to confirm receipt of the resume and request an interview. By the way, John had still not cashed the $25 dollar check.
Okay, so now the resumes are pouring in, John's phone continues to ring relentlessly, and he still hasn't found his one and only client a job! There were days when John had three pages of call back numbers left from inquiries about his service. He was absolutely inundated. He was working all day to find his client a job and all night at his second job to feed his family. Working on less than four hours of sleep a night, John continued onward.
John will never forget the day he called Amica Insurance Co.. The human resources department told him that they were hiring entry-level computer programmers. John explained that he charged no fee to the company and he would like to submit a few resumes for consideration. John immediately sent over the resume for his client and a few others in hopes to get the attention of the hiring authorities. Within a few days, Amica called Johns client for an interview. John spent hours preparing his client for the big day. John's client interviewed, sat for an aptitude test and was hired within approximately three weeks. Finally, John's hard work
was paying off. John still hadn't deposited the $25 check.
John learned from his first experience as a career search consultant that college graduates knew very little about how to find a job. Most of them were very passive and had no training or education regarding how to search for professional employment. They spent four years in college learning how to do a job, but not a single minute was invested on learning how to get one. John soon learned that the most effective thing he could do to help recent graduates find jobs was to teach them how.
John was not going to put on another routine seminar or write a book about how to find a job. Rather, he decided to jump right in the trenches with his clients. John would routinely invite 5-6 clients to his home and have them gather around his dining room table. He requested they bring names of companies they were interested in and/or actual help wanted ads for available positions. John told his clients to be on the look out for the ads that stated: No Phone Calls Please! and to be sure they especially brought those. John would usually start by asking one of his male clients for his resume and an actual help wanted ad. John would never tell one of his clients to try something until he first demonstrated that it worked.
With the client's resume and help wanted ads in hand, John would call the company, and ask to speak with the hiring manager(using his clients name). John's clients would watch in amazement as he made his way through the company gatekeepers and many times was able to speak with the hiring manager on the first try. When the manager asked John(or whomever he said he was) to send his resume, John would ask if it would be possible to bring one directly to the company and possibly schedule a time when he could meet with the manager. John would call for hours as his clients were continually amazed by all the interviews he was getting for them. It was even cooler when John called on the ads that read: NO PHONE CALLS! Amazingly, these companies were actually more receptive to John's calls. John surmised that because most people would never call, that the company was fielding very few inquiries about the advertised position and was therefore more receptive. Sometimes employers would use P.O. boxes as a way to mask the company's name. What most companies didn't realize is that company PO boxes are not kept private by the post office. John would simply call the post office and ask them who owned the box number. He would then call the company and do his thing.
Try to imagine what is going on here. John is calling companies saying he is somebody else (whomever his client happened to be that day), and actually scheduling job interviews for them. Some of John's clients were actually uncomfortable with his tactics, but they couldn't argue with success.
One day, John had a twenty-minute conversation with a company CEO. Johns name was George that day. Sure enough, John set up the interview. The real George was nervous because he believed the CEO would not recognize his voice or expect to hear John’s voice when they met. However, nobody ever caught on. By the way, George accepted one of the two positions he was offered at the company he went to.
John knew that if he could show people what he was doing really worked, then hopefully, they would do it on their own. John never let on, but he was always nervous every time he had to call a company in front of his clients. John was a computer programmer, not a salesman. The telephone still makes him nervous. The rest is history!
Approximately, eight months after graduating, John finally landed his first professional job in the data processing profession. Upon working approximately six years in data processing, john was promoted to management, and soon found himself in the awkward position of having to tell college graduates that he could not hire them unless they had demonstrated work experience! These remembered events in John's own life inspired him to establish an employment service designed to cater exclusively to college graduates.
John's first mission was to discover whether he could actually help recent graduates find their first post college job. John began by identifying companies with a history of hiring recent graduates. He soon learned that most of these were larger corporations, and they would certainly not pay a fee to hire a college grad. Furthermore, they did most of their hiring directly from colleges. Not discouraged, John's passion led him onward.
John had never written a resume or cover letter and had no real experience with career counseling or employment search. However, he possessed a feverish passion to assist recent college graduates launch their careers. John went to his local library and checked-out every book about resume writing and job hunting he could find. He lined up the books from the library on his dining room table and set a piece of wood across the bottom of the books so you could not see the library tags indicating they were there on borrowed time. Consequently, there on his table were approximately six books, and a pencil sharpener. No computer, no degrees or plaques on the wall, no testimonials from previously satisfied clients, no visible telephone, no receptionist, not even a single sample of his resume work (What resume work?).
About one week later, John ran a $19 ad in a local newspaper (All he could afford at the time). The ad read as follows: “Computers Entry Level job search call 401-555-1212”. The ad didn't make much sense but for 19$ you don’t get much. The ad ran the following Sunday for one day. The next day on Monday John and his wife Kathy were blown away; their phone rang off the hook. John did not expect a single call, and suddenly he was deluged with inquiries about his service (what service?). John hadn't given a thought to what he would do if somebody actually called.
One of the first calls came from a young man with a fairly new college degree. He asked John what he could do for him and how much it would cost. John told the caller that he would write his resume/cover letter and work with him one-on-one until he found his first post college career job! The cost for this service is…Uh… how does $25 sound? The young man said: “you are going to do all that work for $25?” John said “yes”, and scheduled his first appointment. John knew he bit off more than he could chew, but he still remembers thinking to himself, if I promise big, I will have to deliver big!
When the young man visited John’s home, John was initially embarrassed when his son Cody began to cry in the next room. Then suddenly something very strange came over John, he looked this young man in the eye, and he saw himself! He felt this young man's pain and frustration. At that moment he thought to himself, I am going to find this man a job. I will stop at nothing. I will call one hundred companies, send one thousand resumes, I will not stop until he is hired. John was a man possessed. By the way, John worked 50 hours a week at night to support his daytime possession.
Okay, so now John has this young mans money, all $25 of it. He knew that he had to do something; he started by re-working the resume. He wrote the resume by hand and then input it in to a mainframe computer. Imagine, developing a resume on a two million dollar computer! The mainframe computer software had no spell checker, only one font style and was extremely cumbersome to work on. At the time, most people and/or libraries didn't have personal computers, they were called home computers then. Does anybody remember the Commodore 64?
Upon completing the resume, John began to call companies by the dozens. Initially, most employers had no interest in John's young client. While John continued to call companies, the inquiries for his service kept pouring in. At this point, John could do little more than tell people to send their resume. Ironically, he was telling the very people he wanted to help so desperately, the same thing employers told him when he was looking for his first job. Oh no, how could this happen?
As John continued to call companies, he began to identify a few that actually had some interest in his young client. When John wasn't calling companies, he was methodically perusing the help-wanted ads in the local major newspaper. When John came across an ad that instructed the applicant to send their resume to the Human Resources department, John would call the company and confirm a name and title of the person who should receive the resume. He would also learn who the hiring manager was for the open position and send resumes to both points of contact. Upon sending the resume, John would follow up within 2-3 business days to confirm receipt of the resume and request an interview. By the way, John had still not cashed the $25 dollar check.
Okay, so now the resumes are pouring in, John's phone continues to ring relentlessly, and he still hasn't found his one and only client a job! There were days when John had three pages of call back numbers left from inquiries about his service. He was absolutely inundated. He was working all day to find his client a job and all night at his second job to feed his family. Working on less than four hours of sleep a night, John continued onward.
John will never forget the day he called Amica Insurance Co.. The human resources department told him that they were hiring entry-level computer programmers. John explained that he charged no fee to the company and he would like to submit a few resumes for consideration. John immediately sent over the resume for his client and a few others in hopes to get the attention of the hiring authorities. Within a few days, Amica called Johns client for an interview. John spent hours preparing his client for the big day. John's client interviewed, sat for an aptitude test and was hired within approximately three weeks. Finally, John's hard work
was paying off. John still hadn't deposited the $25 check.
John learned from his first experience as a career search consultant that college graduates knew very little about how to find a job. Most of them were very passive and had no training or education regarding how to search for professional employment. They spent four years in college learning how to do a job, but not a single minute was invested on learning how to get one. John soon learned that the most effective thing he could do to help recent graduates find jobs was to teach them how.
John was not going to put on another routine seminar or write a book about how to find a job. Rather, he decided to jump right in the trenches with his clients. John would routinely invite 5-6 clients to his home and have them gather around his dining room table. He requested they bring names of companies they were interested in and/or actual help wanted ads for available positions. John told his clients to be on the look out for the ads that stated: No Phone Calls Please! and to be sure they especially brought those. John would usually start by asking one of his male clients for his resume and an actual help wanted ad. John would never tell one of his clients to try something until he first demonstrated that it worked.
With the client's resume and help wanted ads in hand, John would call the company, and ask to speak with the hiring manager(using his clients name). John's clients would watch in amazement as he made his way through the company gatekeepers and many times was able to speak with the hiring manager on the first try. When the manager asked John(or whomever he said he was) to send his resume, John would ask if it would be possible to bring one directly to the company and possibly schedule a time when he could meet with the manager. John would call for hours as his clients were continually amazed by all the interviews he was getting for them. It was even cooler when John called on the ads that read: NO PHONE CALLS! Amazingly, these companies were actually more receptive to John's calls. John surmised that because most people would never call, that the company was fielding very few inquiries about the advertised position and was therefore more receptive. Sometimes employers would use P.O. boxes as a way to mask the company's name. What most companies didn't realize is that company PO boxes are not kept private by the post office. John would simply call the post office and ask them who owned the box number. He would then call the company and do his thing.
Try to imagine what is going on here. John is calling companies saying he is somebody else (whomever his client happened to be that day), and actually scheduling job interviews for them. Some of John's clients were actually uncomfortable with his tactics, but they couldn't argue with success.
One day, John had a twenty-minute conversation with a company CEO. Johns name was George that day. Sure enough, John set up the interview. The real George was nervous because he believed the CEO would not recognize his voice or expect to hear John’s voice when they met. However, nobody ever caught on. By the way, George accepted one of the two positions he was offered at the company he went to.
John knew that if he could show people what he was doing really worked, then hopefully, they would do it on their own. John never let on, but he was always nervous every time he had to call a company in front of his clients. John was a computer programmer, not a salesman. The telephone still makes him nervous. The rest is history!
Thank God It's Friday
By John Seraichyk - Browning Associates
I have often wondered where the phrase Thank God it’s Friday originates. Or, alternatively Thank Goodness it’s Friday or Terribly Gleeful it’s Friday. Furthermore, who founded Hump Day(this is the middle of the week and the day you need to get through to get closer to the weekend)? And, why are there snooze buttons on alarm clocks?
For nearly twenty years I have interviewed thousands of professionals who sought out the valuable assistance of my organization because they hated their jobs. I call these people Thank God its Fridayers or TGIFers. These are people who wish their lives away working for the weekend or working through the weekend. Either way, they all agree, this is no way to live.
Early in my career, I met with a middle-age professional (I’ll call him Jim) who told me he would depress the snooze button on his alarm clock as many as five times before getting out of bed on Monday morning. Jim further explained that on the weekends or when on vacation, he would actually rise from bed sixty minutes earlier everyday and he didn’t need an alarm clock to get himself going. I surmised that this gentleman hated his job so much that he started dreading Monday morning on Sunday afternoon! He was so depressed about his work situation that the only thing that got him to work on Monday was the grand thought of “Hump Day” or his ever-persistent alarm clock. However, when he was on vacation or excited about the day ahead, he would sprint from bed without the use of an alarm clock, full of vigor and excitement.
During my twenty-year career as professional employment and career search consultant, I have met and worked with thousands of people like Jim. I often think to myself, if Jim lives to be seventy-five years of age and sleeps eight hours a night, he will have spent twenty-five years of his life in bed! Furthermore, if Jim works eight hours a day, he will spend another twenty-five years at work! This leaves Jim with twenty-five years to enjoy his life.
I wonder how many of these years would actually be enjoyable. Jim will most likely use this time for personal chores, waiting in lines, waiting at traffic lights, going to the doctor, the dentist, time at his mothers-in-law, traveling back and forth to the job he hates, picking up the kids, dropping off the kids, washing the car, cutting the lawn, meeting with teachers, and at funerals or wakes.
Are you getting the picture? If you hate your job, you won't have much time to enjoy life. This especially holds true for Americans. The average American takes fewer than two weeks of vacation per year. The average European enjoys four weeks off and many take daily siestas.
Did you know that most heart attacks occur on Monday morning? According to Dr. Joseph Mercola (www.Mercola.com) and many other research studies, 20 percent of heart attacks occur on Mondays, which is more than on any other day. The experts say these heart attacks are directly related to anticipated or existing job stress which is usually at its peak on Monday morning. (Google this topic sometime). So then, what are TGIFers to do?
If you are or are becoming a TGIFer, then it's time for a career action plan. You can find many books regarding this subject. But reading a book on how to find your dream job is like reading a book on how to play golf. You can read for days, weeks, or months and never become any more proficient at either! Contact Us today if you are undervalued, undecided, underpaid, not appreciated, ready for a change, trapped in your current role or you just plain hate your job, and we will respond with our best advice and direction.
Twenty-five years is much too long to be unhappy!
Transition Onward,
John Seraichyk
Whats up with manufacturing in the U.S.?
Manufacturing
“Is anything “really” made in America anymore“? John H Seraichyk circa 1990, Founder Browning Associates
Fifty years ago, a third of U.S. employees worked in manufacturing, making everything from clothing to lipstick to cars. Today, a little more than one-tenth of the nation's 131 million workers are employed by manufacturing firms. Four-fifths are in services.
In those days, "The company was dedicated to the employee, the employee was dedicated to the company." Quote from a longtime employee of Kodak
The decline in manufacturing jobs has swiftly accelerated since the beginning of 2000. Since then, more than 1.9 million factory jobs have been cut — about 10% of the sector's workforce. During the same period, the number of jobs outside manufacturing has risen close to 2%.
Many of the factory jobs are being cut as companies respond to a sharp rise in global competition. Unable to raise prices — and often forced to cut them — companies must find any way they can to reduce costs and hang onto profits. USA Today, Inc.
Changing or Dying?
Many in manufacturing disagree that the sector is dying. They say it's just changing. The sector's output grew for a decade through 2000 before weakening during the economic downturn in 2001 that swept across the economy but hit the manufacturing sector hardest.
Whether manufacturing is changing or dying is yet to be known for sure. But either way, both scenarios will make it more difficult for manufacturing professionals to attain or maintain meaningful employment in the near future.
We are not fortune tellers; however, we certainly have a unique perspective on what’s truly transpiring in the manufacturing sector. What choice do we have? When there is a downturn in any industry, we are on the receiving end of resumes and then some.
When we take on the actual task of working with an individual to locate new employment, we wholly commit to the undertaking of rolling up our collective sleeves and doing whatever it takes to solve each individual career dilemma on a one-to-one basis.
Browning Associates has witnessed firsthand the change that has occurred in the manufacturing sector. Many of our clients have inquired as to whether or not they should remain in manufacturing while others feel they have no choice.
The good news is, you have a choice. If you have been seeking new employment
within the manufacturing sector and are not finding the career job you seek or you are contemplating a complete change, please Contact Us today to learn how we have assisted thousands of manufacturing professionals attain career fulfillment.
Resume - To be or not to be?
BROWNING ASSOCIATES Job Corner - This Month’s Topic
Resume-To be or not to be?
There is a great deal of controversy surrounding executive resumes. Here is the reality.
Believe it or not, we BROWNING ASSOCIATES do not use a resume as a method of introduction for most of our senior-level clients. A resume screams: “Hire me”! Or worse, it may cause an unwanted breach of your confidentiality! Not so fast. Less is more at your level. You need to step back, identify the proper hiring authorities and then craft an alternative strategic method of formal introduction.
Utilizing our network of growth companies, key decision-makers, and client alumni, we BROWNING ASSOCIATES will introduce you in such a way that the potential employer is given just enough information to inspire interest.
While your competition is bombarding the HR department with droves of paper and electronic boilerplate resume submissions, we BROWNING ASSOCIATES evenly promote your credentials to each and everyone involved in the hiring process. Many times, your initial credential submission will come complete with a referral from our client network. This is when our human exchange contacts become most valuable to you.
Eventually, the hiring authorities will request your resume. When this occurs, we will schedule a time for you to bring one directly to the company or schedule a phone interview for an initial review.
At Browning Associates, we all agree that the resume is to be. However, proper usage as illustrated above is essential. More about the resume
Resume-To be or not to be?
There is a great deal of controversy surrounding executive resumes. Here is the reality.
Believe it or not, we BROWNING ASSOCIATES do not use a resume as a method of introduction for most of our senior-level clients. A resume screams: “Hire me”! Or worse, it may cause an unwanted breach of your confidentiality! Not so fast. Less is more at your level. You need to step back, identify the proper hiring authorities and then craft an alternative strategic method of formal introduction.
Utilizing our network of growth companies, key decision-makers, and client alumni, we BROWNING ASSOCIATES will introduce you in such a way that the potential employer is given just enough information to inspire interest.
While your competition is bombarding the HR department with droves of paper and electronic boilerplate resume submissions, we BROWNING ASSOCIATES evenly promote your credentials to each and everyone involved in the hiring process. Many times, your initial credential submission will come complete with a referral from our client network. This is when our human exchange contacts become most valuable to you.
Eventually, the hiring authorities will request your resume. When this occurs, we will schedule a time for you to bring one directly to the company or schedule a phone interview for an initial review.
At Browning Associates, we all agree that the resume is to be. However, proper usage as illustrated above is essential. More about the resume
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Who Started ALL This Resume Protocol Anyway?
One hundred twenty five years ago or so, there was no such thing as a resume. Most Americans were self-employed working ten-to-fifteen hours a day with no guarantee of a paycheck, health benefits, paid vacation and so on.It wasn’t until later, during the American industrial revolution, that corporations began to sprout up in small towns all over the U.S. What these large employers had to offer was very alluring to prospective employees. Imagine, a forty-hour workweek, paid health benefits, time off with pay and no worries of where your next dollar would come from.
It wasn’t long before hundreds, if not thousands of people would approach these companies in hopes of a job. Employers soon learned that it was necessary to implement strict hiring protocols to manage the number of people applying for employment. Thus, the resume was born. A one or two-page document that employers could use to quickly find reasons not to call potential employees. That’s right; the resume was, and still is, used as a screening tool by employers. Your resume indicates that you are: too old, too young, too experienced, do not have enough experience, have a lack of education, have too much education, have a gap in employment history, and so and so on. So you see, anything you say on your resume can and will be used against you.
I find it absolutely astonishing that today, one hundred years later, the resume is still considered to be the primary marketing tool used by executive job seekers. There are thousands of books written about how to write your resume, a cottage industry of resume writers across the U.S. has evolved and countless seminars on how to develop a winning resume are conducted daily. How ironic, a document that was originally developed to keep people away is now being touted as the premier modern-day marketing tool to find a job.
Some time ago I was curiously browsing “how to” resume books at my local bookstore. As I was gazing at the dozens of manuals on how to write a job-winning resume, I noted a book entitled: “Resumes Don’t Get Jobs”, and there was another called: “ Resumes Don’t Get You Hired, You Do.” So what’s a job seeker to do? One book says here’s the right resume for you and the other says; resumes don’t work! The ongoing controversy over the resume is never-ending. So, how does your resume stack up? Is it helping or hindering your job search? Is your resume generating job interviews? Is there a better a way to find a job? Are you confused about your resume? Do you even need it?
Unfortunately, the resume is still recognized by many hiring authorities as the only way to be considered for professional or executive employment. Therefore, it is safe to say you should have one. But more important than how it is written, is how it is used. Contact us for a free confidential resume critique and career evaluation. We will set you straight on what your resume should and shouldn’t be and how to best use it to maximize the number of quality interviews you procure.
Mr. Seraichyk has more than twenty years of experience assisting executives with finding new employment and changing careers.
More on IT change
Information technology(IT) or the former more popular vernacular, data processing(DP), continues to change at warp speed. IT has and always will be the most fickle of all professions. In the IT profession, we say: “change” or be “changed”. IT professionals will forever be challenged by the ever-changing computer. Here are a few quotes that further support our assertions:
"Computers in the future may weigh no more than one and a half tons."
—Popular Mechanics, Forecasting the Relentless March of Science, 1949
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
—Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943
"I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year."
—The Editor in Charge of Business Books for Prentice Hall, 1957
"Computers in the future may weigh no more than one and a half tons."
—Popular Mechanics, Forecasting the Relentless March of Science, 1949
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
—Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943
"I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year."
—The Editor in Charge of Business Books for Prentice Hall, 1957
I Rest My Case
"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
—Ken Olson, President, Chairman, and Founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, 1977
—Ken Olson, President, Chairman, and Founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, 1977
Change
“ The future of IT comes in what seems like five minute intervals. Therefore, predicting tomorrow is impossible. Keep your resume “dust free” and at the ready; change is inescapable!” John Seraichyk circa 1990
Friday, February 22, 2008
Executive Transition
"If you are not in transition, you are in denial."
John Seraichyk Founder & CEO Browning Associates circa 1995.
John Seraichyk Founder & CEO Browning Associates circa 1995.
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