8 Sites for Researching Employers

ITWorld tells us about 8 websites for researching your next employer. At the top of their list is Glass Doors. That site and I have some history that doesn’t need to be made public. However, I will take into consideration what others have to say about it and their impressions of it.

The most attention-grabbing comment on Facebook about Glass Doors was a recent one voice by Jason Buss, a recruiter in the Minneapolis area and diversity specialist, who complained that their algorithms are off by a significant amount for job search purposes.

Glass Doors sent him some job leads: “The results include a truck driver for TMC, a sales associate for PETCO, and a PeopleSoft systems administrator.” I gently teased him about the results by saying, “Well, I told them those were just the types of things for which you’re best suited, Jason. You mean we didn’t hit the nail on the head? You said you like to travel for work. You love animals. You’re good at talking to people and public speaking. And talk about analytical! You’re constantly poring over reports.”

Jason backed up his protest about using the site for job search by commenting on the positive. He said, “It may have info on researching employers but the algorithm for matching jobs really sucks.”

[Recruiter Tip embedded in this post.] It’s good for recruiters to kick the tires at some of these job boards and job sites. You need to know what they’re doing, what they’re dispensing in the way of industry intelligence, and how well they’re doing at pointing applicants in the right direction.

That being said, it appears Glass Doors is a good competitor with Vault as far as shedding light on business environment and such. And in that regard, it seems the other six sites named are also excellent for researching your next employer.

Sponsored Link: Vault Guide to the Top Government and Non-Profit Legal Employers (Vault Guide to the Top Nonprofit & Government Employers)

Tipping the Success Scales

Some people seem to have all the luck. They toss their presentation materials (resume, cover letter, work samples, portfolio, profile statement and URL, and so on) into the social stream (not to be confused with the jet stream of all the others zooming past in order to gain attention) and get snatched up in short order. “Well just how did that happen?” some will pout. “I’m just as qualified; maybe even more so. And I definitely got my materials delivered before that Johnny-Come-Lately!” Maybe you did. In fact, the time stamp says you were a full two days ahead of your competitor yet they got the tap for coming in to do a face-to-face meeting. Drat!

Patrick McFadden writes the Indispensable Marketing blog and indirectly explains this phenomenon. He calls it using power words or words that enrich. Patrick provides 50 power words in his enrichment post and then tells a reader that the 50 is not the exhaustive representation. Good point, too, I might add. While the list is fantastic, it doesn’t include the word “open” as one example of what could be included. Some other synonyms not in his list are words such as “alluring”, “receptive”, and “ready” but that doesn’t prevent them from being just as effective when it comes to delivering consistent results.

Actually, Patrick’s words are intended for those who are marketing their business – whether a service or a product. His intent was not to provide advice for job seekers. When you stop to consider the process that’s occurring, however, it becomes obvious that the principles are essentially the same because what’s being marketed, in the case of job seekers, is a basket of talents and skills they possess. Even freelancers and consultants need to pay attention to these power words and integrate them into their daily vocabulary (to get into the habit of using the words; to get into the mindset of those adjectives).

A word of caution would serve all of us well at this juncture. Marketo is a partner of About.com’s Marketing Channel. Marketo is offering a free ebook called 10 Tips for Successful Email Campaigns. Once you have that download on your screen, you’ll discover Marketo discourages use of some of Patrick’s 50 because when used in email, they become spam magnets and will prevent your message from being delivered.

One word in particular is guaranteed to be counterproductive when seeking new opportunities and contracts – “free.” We’re not in the business of surviving off the land and being charitable to a fault. In the early days of The Net, tons (literally) and scads of stuff was free. We got really accustomed to that. But the IT bubble that burst back in 2000 taught us that exorbitant salaries countered with no price tag will eventually be the death of all things we like and admire. (I wonder if that works on weeds?) There’ll be a lot of people walking away with all that free advice and examples. You’ll be standing there watching the backs of those who received. They’ll be headed to the place where they can get the model made, the services delivered (on time), and getting paid for all that knowledge of yours that you so generously allowed them to convert to cash. And they’ll have paid someone else for the reaping of those benefits.

Don’t be too liberal with use the word “free.” Think “freely expand” or “generous benefits.” Do be free with use of the Indispensable Marketing words in your writing, in your networking, and in your normal vocabulary so that you convey the rich rewards of being associated with you.

Consultant’s Desk: Succession Planning Papal Style

Consultant’s Desk: Succession Planning Papal Style.

The resignation of Benedict raises some additional issues that most corporations and businesses include in their officers and directors plans – in the bylaws. Provisions for an annuity, a retirement fund, protocols for how to treat the outgoing Pope compared with the inductee.

Career Tip: Moving on Gracefully

So this is how a CEO looks, right?

Andrew Mason, former CEO of Groupon

This is a male version of a CEO and he’s doing what you’d expect of a 21st Century CEO. Definitely. You notice the crisp t-shirt, the roughly tossled hair, the hands in both jeans pockets that creates body language screaming with confidence, the wistful look and eyes looking at something aside as though focusing on a distraction rather than the line that leads to a purposeful destination.

Actually, the image is of former (as of February 28, 2013) Groupon CEO Andrew Mason. He served at the helm for 4.5 years. Things for Groupon went as poorly as they did for Facebook and its IPO. Changes needed to be made – drastic changes. Andrew admitted his leadership was flawed. Not many people will make that type of admission, even to their own self. Some will thrash about and make excuses about the dumb others who were at fault. Because the sting is still fresh and is affecting many parts of one’s persona, a lot of people resort to thrashing and bashing those other people.

A lot of people deal with terminations (getting fired) in different ways. After exploding people in your mind as though you’re playing a video game, there’s the next step – developing and executing a plan of recovery. As you do so, your self esteem seems to pull itself back into your body. You feel as though there’s purposefulness in you and your life. You start wondering why you didn’t allow yourself some of the indulgences you’re finding and actualized them long ago. No matter.

The next step is getting to that frame of mind that Andrew reached. It allowed him to write that public proclamation of having been fired. It afforded him the time to take a stroll down the avenue rather than a cab across town. It allowed him to wear his t-shirt and jeans instead of going through all the ramifications of making certain to keep the business suit dry cleaning costs in check. He put things into perspective and prioritized what’s really important.

That proclamation helped him be proactive and positive. It gave him the opportunity to face the world on his own terms and to open his networks so that they start working for him. Just by publishing that brief memo, Andrew started searching for his next position and his hat is not in his hands.

Resources:

• Entrances 360 networking and discussion group
• Entrances Bulletins Career Opportunities folder

Sponsored Link:

• Strategies For Coping With Job Loss or Fear Of Job Loss
• Job Loss: Although It Is An Ending, Will It Be a Beginning

What Does This Mean in Law?

We talked about legal job search tips that deserve to be preserved. Here are some additional points that are important to interviewing, job search, and strategies for the sake of understanding the terminology and concepts that are being discussed and for the sake of just getting ahead of the game.

So you’re just starting out and trying to figure out what needs to be done to stand out when your classmates are more stellar than you. FindLaw’s Hot Job Talk talks about the various aspects of getting started. One of the difficult areas is should you pursue a position in a firm when your GPA and class standing isn’t as stellar as that of your classmates.

HOW TO LAND A LEGAL JOB WHEN YOU’RE AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR CLASS
(FindLaw’s Greedy Associates) – In this sluggish economy, it can be hard to land a job, even if you graduate in the top 10 percent of your class. So what legal job-search tips can possibly help someone who’s ranked at or near the bottom?

So let’s say you opt for contract work or a less than stellar first year position and they tell you your first project is “document review”. That’s a loaded term. It could mean one thing in litigation and have a completely different context when it comes to transactional law. And then there are other areas of law such as environmental advocacy. Maybe you should be asking more questions in the moment that those terms arise.

JUST WHAT IS DOCUMENT REVIEW?
(FindLaw’s Greedy Associates) – If you ask 10 different attorneys what document review is, you’ll probably get 10 different answers.

One solution to this ticklish situation is to have a trusted senior in your corner and explaining things to you as you go. Make certain you respect their position. Don’t start thinking you know more than the “teacher.” And take to heart these tips on how to find a mentor.

NEW LAWYERS NEED MENTORS: 3 WAYS TO FIND ONE
(FindLaw’s Strategist) – If you’re starting your own law practice, one of the most common pieces of advice you’ll receive is to get a mentor.

So let’s say you decide to strike out on your own. You may think you can just go and hang your shingle and life will be good; clients will flock to your office; you’ll have to beat them back with a 2×4 as you bill $500 per hour for your time. Really? You need to plan your business just as carefully as you did your education. Here are some things that need to be taken into consideration by a solo practitioner. Just remember that the advice morphs when it comes to practicing with others in some type of collaborative.

WHAT INCORPORATION STRUCTURE IS BEST FOR A SOLO PRACTICE?
(FindLaw’s Strategist)- Not all solo firms advise clients about how to incorporate, but all solo attorneys have to figure out what kind of business entity is best for them.

And now that you’ve set up shop, you need to start networking in order to gain potential business and clients. Since we just had the Winter holidays, you may have been frequenting some of the holiday parties. Since we’re in the midst of the Awards and athletics playoffs seasons, some of those celebrations may call you into those venues to rub elbows and hobnob. Now you’re starting to ask yourself the next pivotal question about building business relationships and client base.

HOW TO GET NEW CLIENTS AT A HOLIDAY PARTY WITHOUT REALLY TRYING
(FindLaw’s Greedy Associates)- So you’ve been invited to the big holiday party. Congratulations. All the bigwigs will be there. Now you just got to close the deal. But how do you go about picking up clients at the holiday party?

Sponsored Links:

• Dictionary of Legal Terms: A Simplified Guide to the Language of Law
• Clients, Clients, and More Clients: Create an Endless Stream of New Business with the Power of Psychology

Tips for Law Job Seekers

This blog is devoted to sharing various types of information relating to job search and recruiting in various industries. It occasionally talks about tools. But today some information will be shared in a rather unconventional manner.

Some of the emails that contain legal job posts that appear in the Career Opportunities folder of the Bulletins also have short blurbs and tips that are worth sharing. Rather than completely deleting that content, it seems a wiser move to simply share the blurbs with you and allow you to visit FindLaw in order to learn more. Today’s post has information about trends for women in law, things to consider for equity partnership, and cities that aren’t very lucrative for young lawyers. Good luck.

HOT JOB TALK:

IS EQUITY PARTNERSHIP THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR EVERY ASSOCIATE?
(FindLaw’s Greedy Associates)- Equity partnership used to be the only top position an associate could aspire to. Now, as more firms try to restructure and create a new partnership model, some are offering a nonequity partnership track that is separate from the equity track.

BEST LAW FIRMS FOR WOMEN: 5 TRENDS TO LOOK FOR
(FindLaw’s Greedy Associates)- Law has certainly become a more welcoming field for women in recent years, but when looking at your options, do you know the best law firms for women?

THE 10 WORST CITIES FOR YOUNG ATTORNEYS
(FindLaw’s Greedy Associates)- No one ever accused young attorneys of having it easy — especially if you choose to live in one of the worst cities for the job.Most attorneys are strong Type A personalities, and there’s nothing we love more than ranking ourselves against… ourselves. To help in that endeavor, the National Jurist recently determined the best and worst cities for young attorneys to live in.

Sponsored Links:

• Nail Your Law Job interview: The Essential Guide to Firm, Clerkship, Government, In-House, and Lateral Interviews
• The Official Guide to Legal Specialties

Vocabulary Builder: Peek, Peak, and Pique

Homonyms are such tricksters. They sound like their sib[ling]s and cousins but they mean entirely different things. Those who are familiar with the family of homonyms find it difficult to have anything profound to say about them. Each one has a different meaning associated with a different matter but they’re spelled differently while they all sound the same. Unfortunately for the one who isn’t familiar with the family, Word will tell them they’ve spelled the word properly but won’t tell them that it’s the wrong word in relation to the concept they’re attempting to relate. Use of the wrong homonym tells the reader who is being enticed (and is familiar with the family) that the speaker still has a lot to learn.

The good part of having a lot to learn and misuse is that the speaker is open to learning. That is a definite saving grace. Another that accompanies that is learning the differences quickly and applying use of the correct word in the correct situation – no subsequent misuse of that family of terms.

So let’s take a look at today’s group of homonyms.

We sometimes “peek” at or into something. What we’re doing is peering into a thing that’s being kept secret for some reason. Maybe it’s a gift. In the alternative, there may be a keyhole opening through a lock or some other aperture and we’re attempting to find out what’s on the other side. Having that knowledge would definitely help us know whether what’s on the other side is worth pursuing or not.

Then we reach a “peak” and wonder where to go next. In this instance, we’ve reached the top of something, be it a mountain or hill, a performance level, or even something that’s stacked so high that it can no longer support additions.

Which brings us to “pique.” As you can tell from the spelling, it comes to us from France and means raising an interest in something. It also means being stung with insult or irritation about something. Interesting word that “pique.” These days, it’s mostly used in reference to having one’s interest aroused. If we look at it from the Latin and relate it to Spanish, we realize it’s closely related to the term “picador” which is the word used for the person who jabs a bull with barbed picks that stir the animal to action and make it angry enough to charge in order to defend itself. So let’s pique someone’s interest but not their ire.

The other thing we should do is be mindful of what words have homonyms and make certain the correct word is being used lest we expose how new it is to our vocabulary.

Sponsored Link: Dictionary of Homonyms (Wordsworth Reference)

Range of Opportunities

We’re told that job opportunities are increasing as we work our way out of the Bush Administration and continue into the second term of the Obama Administration. What’s unfortunate is the fact that many people think of jobs in terms of fast food establishments or entry-level office work and nothing else. Because it exposes us to employment settings other than those typicals, I really like the television show “Undercover Boss.”

In the show, either the owner of the business or a high-ranking executive in the company disguises theirself and works as an entry-level person in various capacities as they try to qualify for a position in the company. In addition to allowing the corporate side of the business to get an actual view of how things work and the conditions and standards that workers must meet, these undercover settings also allow the execs to see where the inefficiencies reside. There’s a means of seeing (and feeling) why X or Y doesn’t work. They gain a sense of what it may take to fix it. It’s no longer a situation of top dictating to the bottom[line] without an appreciation of what it takes to achieve those demands.

Okay, there’s more to the show than just the executives’ gaining a better insight into the real operations and the people who make the wheels turn. As the title of this indicates, the show allows viewers to start thinking about situations other than fast food and traditional office work. The show allows us to see the other parts of the company “inerds” and the range of job titles involved in that business.

Few of us have thought about working for a waste disposal company. But this show provides a view of various types of positions that are part of that type of business. Then there’s working for a moving company. The positions involve more than just the strong-man movers. There are also estimators and schedulers. Don’t forget the Claims Department! Then there’s working for a hotel as well as home care and assisted living support services.

What about a job in agriculture? Being a harvester or picker takes a lot. A conveyor belt is not forgiving. It runs at a certain speed and even though the belt is supposed to make the worker easier, the belt is also a task master. When it comes to making certain the job is done properly, those conveyor belts (whether for processing food or any other product) force the worker to be precise and deft. Not doing so means lost time, lost product, and lost profits.

It takes a special type of personality to do all of these types of jobs. Some of the workers have been with their employers for decades. It’s also refreshing that the employees are so willing to open their private lives to scrutiny and share some of their personal stories. It helps us realize that they definitely are struggling to make ends meet. In many instances, these people are working two jobs while supporting not just their nuclear family but generations of the family living under the same roof. This show allows viewers who are not too different from the ones who are employees of the companies to see what others are doing in order to survive. Viewers get to see how others are compensating in order to realize the American Dream.

There were two episodes that were particularly meaningful for me. One involved the 1-800-FLOWERS owners. We learned a lot about customer service and learning about customer traffic patterns and timing, serving customer needs unique to your location, innovation, and design.

The other episode that held a lot of meaning for me was about Hooters. Not only the viewing audience but the owner was appalled at one manager’s abuse of the servers. It’s difficult to even remember the things he subjected the women to so that they could be selected as the one to get time off due to over staffing for the day.

No doubt most people watch the show for the entertainment value and nothing more. However, there’s more to that show than mere entertainment. Obviously there’s editing so that we, the viewing public, don’t see the complete flow of what happened during the job. But we do get to do our research about that type of industry and what it would be like to work for that company in at least three different types of positions available there.

Sponsored Link: Exploring Future Options: A Career Development Curriculum for Middle School Students

4 Ways to Build Your Tribe

4 Ways to Build Your Tribe.

Right up there with a Forbes article about community building. Great ideas; strong rationales about taking certain steps. Really well written. I recommend you subscribe to this blog so you can be on tap for the other advice he shares with us.

Diversity Sites for the Picking

Well, the other day the site had an accident. I caused it. There was a tweak this and a tweak that and a position this to a better place and a “how do I fix that” moment. Four hours into this project, something looked like it was precisely the answer to getting things fixed. I opened the menu, selected what should be eliminated, and then clicked “Delete.” All of the Community and Blogroll links disappeared. Oops.

Fortunately, they’re still on the backend of the site. But that does you readers little to no use. [Donchajestluvit when you make more work for yourself when your goal was to get things more organized, streamlined, and easier to manage?]

Today, I’m sharing with you the Career Opportunity links that used to be in the side bar. The great thing about the Opportunity links that were in this category is that they all relate to diversity in some way. Given that state of affairs (as well as the timing), a few additional sites are included in this summary. There’s no easy way to organize these. The list was alphabetical without regard to genre; so that order is maintained now.

• Career Opportunities is the folder located at Entrances Bulletins. New opportunities from various sites are added there, sometimes on a daily basis. In fact, you can register to be a Basic/Free member and then post any opportunities you know of in that folder. Just make certain what you post isn’t some type of MLM or pyramid situation. You’ll notice that anything that’s been posted by the owner of the site has an AddThis button so that the post can be shared with a large number of other sites, including Twitter, LinkedIn, and FaceBook (to name a few). That button can be used liberally. In fact, you can contact the owner of the site and request the script so that the button can be added to your own signature.
• ComputerJobs.com isn’t a diversity site but it definitely is one you should know about. It offers situations that span the needs of the computer industry. The last time I checked, it was thriving. It offers all types of jobs that are either full time or contract and related to computers.
• Disaboom Jobs features jobs specifically amenable to people with some type of impairment. It’s vision friendly by virtue of the fact that it has larger type. The newly posted jobs and the featured jobs show the job title as well as the city and state. They also display when the job was posted with the site. (You have an idea of how much of a chance you stand in regard to timeliness of your applying for the situation.) It’s user friendly and easy to navigate. Employers as well as job searchers will find the tabs helpful.
• Diversitree.com Jobs holds a wealth of jobs for a wealth of diversity areas. According to owner Patricia, “We recruit for all types of diversity; as it is defined differently for every person, based on experience,” and she enumerates gender, age, military service, ethnicity, differently-abled, multilingualism, religion, personal orientation, and many more.” It’s simple and straightforward in its presentation which makes it extremely easy to navigate. Those of you involved in recruiting, hiring, and onboarding, you’ll be especially attracted to the fact that guest bloggers are invited. You job seekers will appreciate the tools for researching companies.
• Find Law Career Center is really difficult to find even with the correct URL. Once you’re in there, you’ll find an enormous amount of resources for both job seekers and recruiters. You looking for some special information? Here are some of the categories: Employer Information that includes Salary Charts (FindLaw Exclusive), Employer Directory, Recruiter Information, and the Legal Recruiter Directory, Legal Recruiter Jobs. You can also manage your career with these tools: Law Career Articles, Diversity Center, and the Cool Jobs Newsletter. You want more? Okay. How about Professional Development Center, Outplacement Center, and AttorneyJobs.com. It’s worth a visit for lawyers, paralegals, librarians, and recruiters. The trick is actually getting into the center.
• Hirediversity has tons of tools for recruiting and job search. There’s obviously going to be a search tool. There are search articles to help with making the effort less a matter of hit or miss. I like the fact that they have a Diversity Events page that will help you to be at the right place at the right time to rub elbows, shake hands, and talk to the right people for better connections and referrals.
• VetJobs sports a lot of features one wouldn’t expect from a typical job site. For example, there’s a section for spouses. Although labeled Alliances, this section provides descriptions and links to other job search sites for a great cast of ones career net.

Okay, now they’re restored – here. Visit the page frequently to find out more. Leave comments about your experiences with these sites and your recommendations. Also leave comments to recommend other diversity sites not included in this post. Please give the name of the site, its URL, and a brief description of it so that others can make use of it. (The next time there’s an update about job boards and sites, your recommendation will be included.) They’ll make it even more useful and it will become a vibrant resource instead of yet another list of websites.

Sponsored links:

Knock ‘em Dead 2013: The Ultimate Job Search Guide

110 Best Job Search Sites on the Internet