New opportunities are within your reach ...

Now, If Only You Had Time To Grasp Them

On the list of "Fun Things To Do With Your Time," many people place job-hunting right up there with scrubbing the toilet and root canals. No surprise, really, since looking for a job is often rated by experts as one of the top most stressful activities. Too bad - you should be looking forward to new career opportunities, not dreading them. Yet in the fast-paced world of high-tech, chances are you are already putting in well over 40 hours a week, probably closer to 50, 60 even 70 hours when working on a major project. How can you find the time to research opportunities, let alone squeeze in phone calls and interviews - without compromising on the other important areas of your life?

TO BLAB OR NOT TO BLAB

No matter how discreet you try to be, it is usually painfully obvious to co-workers when you are looking for a new job. They’ll overhear phone calls or catch you browsing the "Careers" section of the local newspaper. Maybe they’ll even compliment you on your suit (especially when your idea of dressing up is clean jeans and an "I ª Java" t-shirt). But regardless of their prodding, remain mum. While it is tempting to confide in a co-worker, especially when you have exciting opportunities in the works, it just isn’t worth risking a loss of respect or a confrontation with your boss or a less-understanding co-worker.

You may want to consider letting your boss know that you are looking for another job. Admittedly, this is a touchy area that requires caution, but it is possible that it will work more in your favor than against it. In fact, many bosses would prefer to know that you are interviewing. It gives them the opportunity to talk with you about your reasons for looking for something new. Perhaps they can make you a counter-offer or help fix the problems that are making you unhappy in your current situation.

Some bosses truly want to help you achieve your goals, and recognize that you will not be able to reach them working for your current employer. "There are so many reasons people leave a job," says Chuck Sonntag, Project Manager at a major Bay Area defense contractor. "Some people aren’t challenged and want to do something different. I tell them to go for it. It’s best to keep an honest flow." Although they’ll hate to lose you, many bosses will do what they can to help. And having your current boss on your list of references is incredibly effective.

REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE (BUT NOT FROM THE OFFICE)

It is in your best interest to remain both discreet and ethical while job-hunting. Because of time constraints, it is easy to fall into a pattern of looking for opportunities on work time. Making phone calls from work is often the biggest culprit, and is something best avoided. Someone is bound to overhear your conversation, even if you lock yourself in a dark utility closet and make your call from a shoe phone. It is wiser to avoid that mess. Potential employers will respect you for not using your company phone during work hours, as it demonstrates an exceptional work ethic.

Additionally, it is difficult to be open to potential employers from the confines of your workplace. Although recruiters, hiring managers and HR departments are generally sympathetic to this situation - after all, many job-hunters are currently employed - it is hard for them to get a sense of your skills if a fear if being overheard has you monitoring what you say.

Make your phone calls away from the office. Use a pay phone or cellular phone. Call from home on your lunch hour or before or after work. Invest in an answering machine or voicemail that can be checked from a remote location, and make your outgoing message short, clean and professional. Or, subscribe to a pager plan that links callers to a voicemail system and pages you when you have new messages (be sure to set the pager to "vibrate" to avoid awkward interruptions at work). Being able to check your messages during the day allows you to return calls in a prompt and timely manner.

DON’T GET CAUGHT IN THE (INTER)NET

Similarly, avoid using your work computer to access the Internet for the purposes of scouting out new career opportunities. The walls have eyes as well as ears and someone is bound to come into your cube and wonder why you are browsing the job ops page on a competitor’s website. If you do not have Internet access at home, borrow a friend’s computer. Or, many libraries, career centers and even some cafes have Internet access available to you for free or for a nominal charge. And rather than using your work e-mail address, obtain a private one. E-mail services are available through Internet providers such as AOL or Compuserv or a direct Internet link through companies like Netcom or Earthlink for a fee, or free through services like Hotmail or Juno.

KEEP YOUR COOL

Sometimes it is tempting just to quit your current job so you can focus all of your time on finding a better opportunity. After all, how many times have you heard that the job search is a full-time job in itself? But quitting a job can leave gaps in your resume that are hard to explain to future employers. If you just can’t take it any more and feel you must leave your current company, don’t sit around eating bon-bons, watching soaps and generally feeling sorry for yourself. Get to work immediately, even if it is a part-time or volunteer position. Not only does this fill those gaps in the resume, but it helps keep you motivated and focused.

An easier way to avoid many of these headaches is to use the services of a staffing firm, like Albin Engineering Services, Inc. (AESI). Because staffing firms already have a foot in the door of many companies, a few minutes with a professional recruiter can save you hours on the phone. And recruiters are sensitive to your need to be discreet in your job search. A good recruiter will take the time to meet with you outside of normal working hours. In fact, AESI recruiter Lisa DeLong prefers it. "I find that my best candidates will only talk before or after hours," she explains. "Because of this, I do not mind working around their schedules. Several nights a week, I take resumes and notes home so that I can interview them at a time when they can talk most candidly."

Based on your resume and a phone or in-person interview, the recruiter gets busy matching your skills and wants with open positions at those companies. When you next talk to your recruiter, he or she may have a whole list of available opportunities for you. You’ve just jumped from the initial calling phase to the interview phase faster than you can say, "I’m down to my last twenty." Because your recruiter has taken the time to seek out only the most appropriate opportunities, you won’t waste time interviewing for positions that aren’t a good match. Regardless of whether you are using personal time away from your current job to interview or are interviewing in the evenings or on the weekends, this translates into a lot of saved time and dollars.

PLEASED TO MEET YOU ...

So your recruiter has connected you with a hiring manager at a top-notch company. That’s terrific! Now you’re ready to blow them away in the interview. Zoinks! The interview! How are you ever going to be able to fit in a interview when you work full-time?

There are many talented people searching for the same career opportunities as you and when you are running neck and neck with another candidate, everything you say and do (or don’t say or do) really does matter. A skilled interviewer is going to do a lot of reading between the lines before he or she makes a decision. Hiring managers are very much aware that many candidates are currently employed elsewhere and they will be looking for clues into your work ethic.

With this in mind, try to schedule the interview outside of the regular work day. Mentioning that you would prefer to interview after work or on a weekend suggests to potential employers that you have strong sense of loyalty to your current employer and co-workers, traits that you will take with you to your next job. "I’m very flexible because my number one goal is to bring in new talent," explains Sonntag. "Special requests don’t bother me. If they want me to meet them at the Ritz or at the [Great] Mall in Milpitas, that’s just fine." But be sure you show up when you say you will. Sonntag usually plans for the candidate to meet with about five people, so it is a big inconvenience if a candidate cancels. "[Candidates] should adhere to what they say they’re going to do. If they reschedule too many times or don’t make it to the interview on time, I get concerned. It shows me that they might have trouble getting their work done, too."

If scheduling an interview after hours isn’t an option, try to arrange an interview for early morning or late afternoon. Adjust your work schedule by a few hours so you can leave early or arrive later. Or, arrange for a personal day off. But never call in sick. Nothing raises a red flag more than someone who uses sick leave for anything other than ... well ... being sick.

TAKE A BOW!

Hooray! You’ve followed all of our excellent advice and finally landed a job at the company of your dreams. What now? Although the temptation to make a Grand Exit from your current place of employment is probably huge, your actions at this point are as important as ever.

Make sure to give ample notice; professional courtesy dictates a minimum of two weeks. Not only will your old boss appreciate that you are giving him or her time to find a replacement, but your new boss will respect your professionalism. "One of the things that impresses me are people who are committed to what they are doing," says Kim Post, Project Manager at Hewlett-Packard Company. "Even if we have a pressing need, we want a person who is presently engaged in a project to give adequate notice because we expect to be treated the same way. People need to have enough time to plan."

Sonntag concurs. "I understand that [the candidates’] loyalty is to where they’re currently working and I don’t ask them to change it before they leave." He also understands that a new hire might have some things to take care of before he or she is ready to start working. "If someone says he has a three-week vacation scheduled before he can start work, I tell him that it’s fine. I don’t like to put structural stumbling blocks in front of people to get them to work here."

Since you may not be able to finish all of your projects before you leave, do your best to organize your notes and files so that the person who takes over isn’t left swimming. Schedule a meeting with your boss or project team members to bring them up to speed on the status of your work. If appropriate, make suggestions for a plan of action. Resist "short-timer’s disease" and play an active role in the transition. You may even choose to be on-hand for consultation after you leave, on an "as available" basis. Despite how you may feel about your old company, it is best to leave on a positive note. Chances are good that your efforts will be repaid a thousandfold, and good references are always useful.

Good Luck!

Because it involves an element of risk, making a job or career change is both an exciting and scary time. Juggling your career, family, friends and fun is not easy, and it takes a heap of motivation to make it all work. Some people never work towards their dreams, afraid that by taking a leap they may fall a mile. But, as Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face- You must do the things you think you cannot do."

Talk about a long answer to a short question, ask AESI contractor Roland Brock where he calls home. An American, Roland has traveled to countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Puerto Rico, Germany, Thailand and the Philippines. But despite his love of travel and his appreciation of many other cultures, Japan is where he feels most comfortable. "Japan is like a second home to me," he says.

Little wonder. Roland has spent nearly as much time there as he has in the States. He met his wife, Kumiko, when he was a college student studying at the prestigious Waseda University in Tokyo, and two of his three sons were born in Japan. He estimates that he has lived in Japan for about eight years total, and his work as a test engineer for Hewlett-Packard Company brings him there several times annually. Consequently, he is fluent in Japanese to the point where he can think in it, and Japanese culture has become something with which he is intrinsically familiar. "I’ve been to Japan so many times, I don’t learn as many new things about its culture. But I have to keep up with the language on a daily basis, since it changes constantly," he says.

Roland has always been drawn to cultures that use an alphabet different from ours, and can speak eight languages to some degree. "I enjoy other cultures and other types of people," he explains. "In fact, I believe that cultural understanding is even more important than language understanding. When you travel to other countries, you’d better get rid of your prejudices." Although he agrees being fluent in Japanese has been helpful, he is quick to point out that language proficiency is only part of it. "[The Japanese] recognize that I know their culture, their business practices and their customs, and they respect me for it. People who speak the language but don’t understand cultural issues will encounter problems." For people who are interested in working in a foreign country, but who have limited language skills, Roland is very encouraging. "If you are flexible, non-judgmental, and you take the time to learn the culture, you’re a step ahead. You can learn the language when you get there."

Roland often lives apart from his family, "It’s been difficult at times," he reflects. "I wish that I could have spent more time with my kids when they were young." Yet he feels strongly that it was safer to leave his family at home in quiet Santa Maria, California, rather than subject them to the instability of a contractor’s life. Now that his contract work has brought him to California, it’s easier. "People here think it’s sad that my family is 250 miles away and find it strange when I say that I think it’s great," he laughs. Considering that an average trip to Japan takes more than ten hours, a few hours of driving is nothing. His understanding of Japanese culture and his wife’s Japanese upbringing helps make their marriage work. "In Japan, husbands get transferred a lot or travel a lot for business," Kumiko explains. "Being apart is common in Japanese culture."

Troubled in Albuquerque has Ann Landers and Confused Teen in Boise has Ask Beth, but who’s out there for high-tech career-seekers and hiring managers? Dear Alby, of course. Beginning with this issue, Dear Alby will be on-hand to answer your questions in this area. While Dear Alby can’t tell you the difference between your salad fork and your dinner fork (write Miss Manners for that), Dear Alby can help you with your job-hunting questions, your industry concerns and your hiring woes. Here’s Dear Alby’s advice on some of the most commonly asked questions.

Dear Alby:
I have a lot of work experience that directly relates to my career search, but it doesn’t fit on a one-page resume. What do you recommend?

- Way Too Wordy

Dear Wordy:
You’ll be relieved to know that resume trends have changed considerably in the last few years, especially for technical jobs. No longer is an applicant expected to cram ten years of experience onto an 8" x 11" sheet of paper. In fact, anyone with more than three or four years of experience should have a two-page resume - hiring managers were finding that a one-page resume didn’t tell them anything. This doesn’t mean you should pad your resume to make it longer, but you don’t have to cut out pertinent information, either.

Dear Alby:
I lost out on a job because I was submitted to it twice by two different recruiters. How can I keep better track of where I send resumes, and what should I do about all those resumes I have floating out there already?

- Busy Bee

Dear Busy:
It’s perfectly acceptable to submit resumes to different recruiters and agencies, but be sure to keep a database of where you’ve sent them. It’s also a good idea to keep track of the jobs to which you’ve been submitted, as well as the recruiter who submitted you. Additionally, make sure the recruiters with whom you work have a policy of talking with you before recommending you for an open position. That way, you’ll be able to better monitor where your resume has been sent and can avoid the awkwardness of being double-submitted. As for the resumes you have out there already, call the agencies to whom you think you submitted resumes and ask them if you have a current resume on file and where, if anyplace, your resume has been submitted.

Do you have a burning question for Dear Alby?

Send them to Dear Alby, c/o Albin Engineering Services, Inc.:

E-mail: resumes@aesi.com (subject: Dear Alby)

Fax: 408-739-AESI (2374)

US-Mail: 845 Stewart Drive, Suite B - Sunnyvale CA 94086