The Power of a Simple Thank-You Note

Our moms have always tried to tell us the benefits of good manners. However, you might not have realized that saying “please” and “thank you” might actually help you land a job.

Some may consider the thank-you note as antiquated as the steam engine, but according to Monster, a thank-you note might be the thing that separates you from the rest of the applicant pool. Here are a few reasons why:

• By sending a thank-you note, you show your interviewer common courtesy and respect.
• So few applicants send thank-you notes that you automatically stand out if you do.
• A thank-you note lets you make points you forgot to make in your interview.
• A thank-you note demonstrates your written communication skills.

Five Ways Small Businesses Can Combat Cyber Crime

With all the difficulties that innately come with starting and running a small business, there is one thing that is often unseen but can be potentially the most dangerous – cyber crime.

With new technology being used commonly among businesses both locally and globally, the risk of being a target of cyber crime has risen dramatically.

Startup Nation has a few tips on how you and your company can create a 'culture of security.'

• Assess risk and identify weaknesses
• Back-up critical information
• Create a contingency plan
• Educate employees
• Implement a security agreement.

25 Words that Can Hurt Your Resume

Remember the George Carlin routine about the seven dirty words you can’t say on television? Well, there are actually 25 words that you shouldn't say on your resume... that is, if you are looking to get hired.

This is a great article that provides examples and solutions, but is a short list of the 25 offending words:

• Aggressive
• Ambitious
• Competent
• Creative
• Detail-oriented
• Determined
• Efficient
• Experienced
• Flexible
• Goal-oriented
• Hard-working
• Independent
• Innovative
• Knowledgeable
• Logical
• Motivated
• Meticulous
• People person
• Professional
• Reliable
• Resourceful
• Self-motivated
• Successful
• Team player
• Well-organized

Write a Great Resume in One Hour

According to Career Builder, people spend so much time trying to perfect their resume that they actually end up steering away from the objective and ultimately hurting themselves.

The article is great and approaches the whole process from a simple, pragmatic angle. It is important to realize that your resume has only two goals: to sum up your life and your employment history. Everything on your resume should tie back to one of these two simple truths.

Using Signage to Promote Your Small Business

When it comes to marketing your small business, print and new media advertising probably come to mind. While these are effective, it is important not to overlook one thing: signage.

Startup Nation has a great article on how to use signage to your advantage. Whether it’s a large sign outside of your physical location, or car magnets and yard signs with your company name and web address, getting your name and logo out there is one of the most important things you need to do to ensure success.

Don’t Want to Get Hired? Try doing these...

Career Builder has listed ten “red flags” that scream don’t hire me to potential employers. In today’s uncertain economy, you probably don’t need any extra help when it comes to struggling to find a job. So as an FYI, here they are:

• Red flag No. 1: You don't have any contact information on your résumé
• Red flag No. 2: You have long gaps between jobs on your résumé
• Red flag No. 3: You aren't prepared for the interview
• Red flag No. 4: You didn't provide any references
• Red flag No. 5: You only have negative things to say about previous employment
• Red flag No. 6: You've held seven different jobs -- in the past six months
• Red flag No. 7: You give inconsistent answers in your interview
• Red flag No. 8: You lack flexibility
• Red flag No. 9: Your application was, in a word -- lazy
• Red flag No. 10: You lack objective or ambition

How to Find a Good Boss

Having done my rounds in many different industries – from washing dishes to working in an office environment – I know that finding the ideal boss can be as difficult as an Antarctic expedition. However, HotJobs has compiled a handy little list to see if your boss is actually on your side.

1. Does your boss showcase your work?
2. Does your boss solve problems?
3. Does your boss let you complete your work?
4. Does your boss listen to your suggestions?
5. Does your boss treat you and your co-workers equally?

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

An interesting article caught my attention during my daily research on Monster. It talks about the consequences of getting caught lying on a resume, as well as presenting the fact that over 50% of job hunters do so. I’ll let you head to the article if interested, but I thought I’d reprint the interesting anecdote that starts it off:

“When a woman we'll call Mary was offered a high-level student-services position at a prestigious college, she was thrilled to accept. But two years later, Mary was fired despite strong performance reviews and a reputation as a rising star at the college. The reason? She lied on her resume -- and got caught.

An HR initiative requiring employees to furnish college transcripts revealed Mary lied about having a master's degree. It wasn't the lack of a degree that cost Mary her job; it was her dishonesty. Unemployed and with a blown reference to boot, Mary demonstrates what can happen when you lie on your resume.”

Has anybody here ever lied or thought about lying on a resume? And if so, did you get caught?

Evaluating Your Company's Health Insurance

Benefits are usually a big deciding factor when considering a job. However, unless you went through four years of medical school, it can be difficult to navigate the sea of forms, promotional materials, and charts. Never fear though, Monster has come up with a handy checklist to help evaluate your company’s health insurance options.

1. Put Quality First
2. Avoid Plans that Spurn Wellness and Prevention
3. Then, Tackle the Cost Beast

Five Steps to Creating and Licensing an Invention

Do you have a great idea and/or prototype that you believe could be thing that propels your business to the Fortune 500? A fresh invention – whether it be physical or web-based – is a great reason to launch a startup. However, you might not understand the complicated process of legally protecting your invention. Startup Nation has a great tutorial on the entire process. While I recommend reading the tutorial yourself, here are its five main points.

1. Idea Conception
2. Basic Invention Market Research
3. Prototype Design and Development
4. Protecting the Invention
5. Licensing and Going to Market

Should You Use a Resume Writing Service?

By now everybody knows that it is crucial to have a great resume to land a great job. For instance, according to a survey conducted by a major human resources association, a majority of recruiters spend less than three minutes reviewing a resume. That’s not a lot of time to convince someone that you’re worthy of being hired.

So does it make sense to bring in a professional to help button up your resume? HotJobs has a good article on the topic that presents both the pros and cons that is worth checking out.

Using Text Messaging to Reach Your Customers

Marketing your startup has never been easier or more cost efficient. With new technologies, reaching your customer base is only a touchpad away. Startup Nation has a great article on how to use text messaging (SMS) to reach your target audience. If you’re on the fence, here are some statistics to consider:

• 18-29 year old consumers use text messaging more often than voice to communicate.
• On average 94% of text messages are read.
• 80% of consumers keep their mobile with them all day.
• When given a choice 39% of US consumers — 76 million people — prefer text messages to radio or TV advertising.

Hot Cities with Cool Jobs

Eighty-five percent of recent college graduates, those labeled as Generation Y (which I admit to belong), said in a recent survey that they would pack up and move to a new city for a job.

Yahoo! has a long list of factors that inspire the moves – such as career opportunities, cost of living, and the city’s social scene. Here is the top five cities listed in the survey:

1: New York (12%)
2: Washington, D.C. (8%)
3: Chicago (8%)
4: San Francisco (7%)
5: (Tie) Seattle/Tacoma; Atlanta; Boston; Charlotte (5%)

Five Tech Jobs for Career Changes

Interested in moving to a challenging field that pays better, but think that with today’s economy you should just be happy to have a job? Well, Hotjobs has listed five stable tech jobs that are actually growing. And you don’t have to go back for four more years of school to get them.

They are:

• Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MSDST)
• Computer-Aided Drafting Specialist
• Geographic Information Systems Analyst
• Environmental Science and Protection Technicians
• IT and Computer Support Specialists

Career Lessons From President-Elect Obama

Whether or not your supported President-Elect Barack Obama, you have to admit that his story is inspiring and that he ran one of the best campaigns in recent elections. Monster.com has a great article that shows how you can take practical advice from the Obama campaign and apply it to helping you in your career:

• Anyone Can Grow Up to Be President: And you can do any job you want as well. Set a goal, make sure you are qualified and apply yourself.
• The Road to Success Is Long and Hard: Obama didn’t just decide to be president. First, he got an education. Then he worked in the community and was elected to the Senate. Then he ran for the Democratic nomination and then finally for president. While no one knows for sure where a path might lead, working hard each day pretty much guarantees progress.
• Networking Is Crucial: Obama didn't do it by himself -- by some accounts, he had more than 1 million others helping him reach his goal. How are you using -- and growing -- your network?
• The Internet Is an Important Tool: Beyond the basics of a Web site, Obama used blogs, videos, social networking, discussion groups, e-commerce and email. You too can use these media as ways to get the message out about what you can offer to employers.
• A Personal Brand Is Powerful: More than anything else, Obama’s message was singular and on track: Change and hope. This focus defined Obama to others and helped these others amplify his message even further. It also helped that his brand was consistent across the way he looked, acted and sounded, as well as his message and attitude. While this might not be your personal brand, especially during a job search, you can institute the same consistency in how you present yourself and your message.
• Maximize the Interview: Each time he was in front of the camera, Obama was poised, fluent and answered questions in an authentic manner. Most people don't enjoy interviews, so consider: Obama did five, 10 or more interviews each day. Practice makes perfect no matter what you’re interviewing for.
• Get Support from Family and Friends: Often, a politician's family is wrongfully seen as a prop, to appear when needed and put away when completed. In reality, a public figure is also a private figure, with relationships, personal responsibilities and interests. Families are often the keystone to this private life, providing the support that allows politicians to work successfully in the public eye. Many of us who work -- or are looking for work -- sometimes forget that our families and friends are there to support us, and that it is our responsibility to reach out and ask.
• Say Thank You: Obama's acceptance speech was both inspiring and humble. He didn't shirk from acknowledging the people who helped along the way. It isn't hard to say thank you, yet sometimes we easily forget.
• Take a Rest Before You Start: No doubt Obama will use the time between election and inauguration to pull together his team, but he may also take a few days’ break to recharge from his long campaign. Likewise, if you are changing jobs, take a few days -- or even a week -- before you start your new position. That short break will leave you reenergized.
• When You Step Up to the Plate, There Are No Losers: While John McCain and Sarah Palin lost the election, they also gained something from it. McCain earned 46 percent of the popular vote. He built a team and has become a greater influence within his party. Meanwhile, Palin put her name on the map, gaining valuable experience on a national stage. While neither won the prize they were seeking, both are further ahead than before, and this will help both McCain and Palin as they consider next steps.

What Does Your Inbox Say About You?

I came across something interesting on the Monster Blog today that I thought I’d share. The Center for Internet Behavior (yes, it exists) released a report on how your inbox reflects you.

I don’t know how much of this should be taken too seriously, but it is at least fun to consider.

First of all, according to the CIBC, “if you keep your inbox full rather than empty, it may mean you keep your life cluttered in other ways. Do you cling to the past? Do you have a lot of unfinished business in your life?”

Conversely, if you keep your inbox obsessively clean “you may be so quick to move on that you miss opportunities and ignore nuances. Or your compulsion for order may be sapping your energy from other endeavors.”

Managing Inventory Assets for an Online Retailer

A great way to get a startup rolling is by jumping into the world of online retail. However, there are challenges that need to be faced since by becoming a virtual retailer, you also become a very physical warehouse.

Startup Nation has a good article about how to efficiently manage your inventory, no matter the size. They suggest:

• Grow into the space you’ll need.
• Don’t just store it; organize it!
• Consider outsourcing
• Take the “perfect” option.

Taking Your Startup Global

Taking your startup company into a foreign market can add growth, profits and excitement to your business. You just have to be sure that your business is prepared for the extra volume, additional costs and intensity of effort that can involve.

Startup Nation has a list of questions to ask yourself before going global. They are:

• Why are you considering expanding your business abroad?
• Are you ready for the complexities of a foreign market?
• Do you have the business down pat?
• Are you ready for the extra costs?

Six Ways to Invest in Your Career

In some cases, the old adage, “it takes money to make money” couldn’t be more spot on. Though most people, especially in today’s uncertain times, might be hesitant to put their hard earned money into their career, Yahoo! has laid out in simple terms a few ways that investing in your career will help you in the long run. They are:

1. Get a degree
2. Become certified
3. Learn cross-cultural communication skills
4. Build your brand online
5. Find coaches and mentors
6. Raise your professional profile

Boosting Your Career With Technical Know-How

It goes without saying that a broad range of technical knowledge is an invaluable resource for helping your career. To drive the point home, Monster has a very good article on how learning new skills can make you either an invaluable resource at your current job, or help you climb the employment ladder down the road.

Maximizing Your Long-Term Salary Growth

Even if you are happy with your current salary, that doesn't mean you can just sit back and enjoy it (unless we’re talking about an “owning-a-few-yachts salary.” Then by all means, sit back and enjoy it). However, the experts advise that if you want to get keep your earnings rising over the long term, you need a strategy to protect against salary plateaus and unemployment.

Here a few tips to follow:

• Watch industry trends carefully.
• If you reach a salary plateau, understand the reason.
• Make yourself marketable outside your company as well as inside.
• Consider multiple income streams.
• Don’t focus too narrowly on money.

Why Fun at Work Matters

Recent studies have shown that workplace productivity actually increases when employees are given free time to just have fun and play. While this might seem counterproductive, and even ridiculous in today’s gloomy economy, a great article on Monster makes a wonderful case for fun. Check it out, and then get off the computer and go goof off for a while.

The Tenets of Social Entrepreneurship

There are many perks of becoming an entrepreneur. Being your own boss, controlling your destiny, or watching your ideas come to fruition are a few examples. However, if you have ever thought that it would be great to help the world while at the same time helping your bottom line, I have found an article that you might find interesting.

The article goes into a lot of detail of social entrepreneurship, but here are the basic tenets that are presented:

• Figure out what you mean.
• Have confidence that you can do it.
• Follow your values to unoccupied niches.
• Build it on values, and people will come.
• Prosper first, and then start to give back.
• Don’t worry about generating hostility.

Small Things That Can Break an Interview

Interviews can be stressful enough with all the researching, practicing, and preparing that happens beforehand. So the last thing you need is to fall victim to a minor mistake that can ruin your chances of being hired.

Yahoo! has highlighted a few pitfalls that you might overlook:

• Make sure you have your “interview gear” ready the night before. You don’t want to look like you got dressed in the dark because you were rushing around the morning of the interview.
• Make sure you eat before hand, so that you have the mental energy to answer the tough questions. However, don’t forget mouthwash and a piece of gum.
• Know where you’re going. You don’t want to be late to the interview because you forgot to mapquest directions the night before.
• Be paranoid. When waiting for your interview, be aware that anyone in the room might be your interviewer. Watch what you do and what you say.

Five Questions to Answer When Building Your Website

We all know that it’s hard for a business to succeed in today’s world without an effective website. However, many startups might not know where to start when it comes to building a digital presence.

Well, Startup Nation has a few tips that will get you on the road to cyberspace success. They suggest answering a few questions before getting started:

• How are you going to measure success?
• How will your website help your prospective customers achieve their objectives?
• What are the competition’s strengths and weaknesses?
• What is your differentiation?
• How do you ignite your customer’s “wow factor”?

Finding a Job in Troubling Times

If you watch the talking heads on the television, you would think that the apocalypse is on the horizon. If you’re looking for a job, current events might persuade you to give up before you start.

Well, nobody likes a Negative Nancy. Monster has a few tips that will help you land that job even in these uncertain times. They suggest the following:

• Expand your search
• Be a Problem Solver
• Keep Up with Business Trends
• Volunteer and Expand Your Network

Here at MetaTech, we are here to help. Give us a call today and let us assist you in finding your dream job.

Seattle's Startup Community is Booming!

There is no better time than the present to begin an exciting new career at a startup company in the Seattle area. Not convinced? Take a look at these facts:

• Startup companies continue to grow in the Seattle area, well above the national average.
• MetaTech’s low cost program helps startups afford top-notch recruiting services.
• Salaries at startups are generally very good – high-end with stock options
• There are a variety of startup companies in the area ranging from gaming to real estate to education.

MetaTech strives to keep our finger on the pulse of the local startup community. Whether you’re interested in beginning a career at a Seattle startup or you’re a company looking for fantastic employees, make your first call to us.

HotJobs for October

We have seen a number of new job openings around the area including some contract positions.

Washington State

• Senior Level .Net Lead in Woodinville. Must have senior C# coding, SQL, Web technologies, OOP. Mathematics experience a plus.
• Senior TPM in Woodinville. Requirements include extensive technical and hands-on software development expertise. .Net, C#, SQL
• Mid level C# developer with media experience in Seattle - C#, ASP.Net, Media, Silverlight, Web development
• Mid C# ASP.Net developers at Perkins Coie in Seattle - 2 contractor openings and 2 full time
• CCNA Position in Seattle
• Senior Software Development Manager at Pemco
• Senior .Net Lead at Pemco

Call us at 1.877.439.5499 for more details on these and other positions!

How To Be a Successful Employee at a Startup

Through our work with startup companies, we hear all the time the traits that these companies are looking for in their employees. Being the generous type, we thought it would be helpful to you and your job hunt to pass these hints along.

So with no further adieu...

1. You need to be able to wear many hats. At a young company, you might have to work in roles that are not as well-defined as those at more established companies.
2. You have to be a team player, a highly desirable quality when working with a smaller team.
3. You need a broad range of skills that are often of interest to startups.
4. A "can do attitude" is absolutely essential. You can’t wait to have information come to you, rather you have to be willing to go out there and get it
5. You need a "can do attitude's" best friend - the ever coveted "roll up your sleeves and dig in attitude."
6. Skills in an agile software development environment is very commonly desired.
7. A career at a startup is excellent for some of the risk takers out there – equity in the company could be a big payoff
8. And lastly, you have to be comfortable in a work environment that is much more flexible than the traditional workplace.

The Career Performance Portfolio

We all know that it’s a crapshoot to whether or not our resume will even be pulled from the mountain of paper and read by a prospective employer. With more and more qualified candidates for fewer jobs, it sometimes takes more than just a resume to land your dream job.

That’s where the career performance portfolio comes into play. A portfolio simply collects classroom, work, internship or volunteer materials in a nice three-ring binder to bring to interviews. During each interview, you can then show your portfolio to the interviewer and back up what you're saying about your education, skills and experience.

A career performance portfolio doesn’t take the place of a well-written resume, but it can be the deciding enhancement needed to get you what you want.

Use the Holidays to Spread Cheer More Effectively

I know that the holidays are still a ways away, but like every year, they will be here before you know it.

So I thought it would be a good time to pre-prep you on the “naughty and nice” ways to treat your network during the season of giving.

Naughty: You send out pre-engraved, homogenous company holiday cards with nary a signature.
Nice: You write a personal note to each recipient, even if it's just a few words.

Naughty: Giving everyone a generic gift that your clients may not be interested in - or able to enjoy.
Nice: Recognizing that not everyone likes chocolate or drinks wine, and instead giving people something that reflects their tastes. Stumped? Try giving out potted plants, personalized gifts (e.g., mugs, caps), or gift baskets of spices. Or make a donation to a charitable organization in which a client has expressed interest.

Naughty: Throwing a holiday party and not allowing folks to bring a guest.
Nice: Forget the party! Most people are busy enough around the holidays. Why not throw a post-New Year's brainstorming session for friends and clients wherein you all help each other set professional goals and offer up advice and support?

Naughty: Your holiday card is the only time you reach out to your network each year.
Nice: Call everyone personally, apologize for being out of touch, and schedule a time to grab lunch or a drink in January.

Naughty: You call in favors at the eleventh hour, stressing out vendors and well-connected friends who are very busy during the holidays.
Nice: Plan ahead for business and don't pull any strings during the holidays -- unless, of course, your job is on the line.

Can Your Favorite Color Determine Your Ideal Job?

After reading this article, I debated whether to tag this post as a legitimate jobseeking tip or as just for fun. Not being one to make hasty decisions, I diplomatically decided on both.

While I wouldn’t put full stock in this test, it does at least offer some explanations. The test is based on the “Dewey Color System” which shows how your favorite color corresponds to how you attack job tasks.

Here are the results:

If you prefer: yellow, purple and white: You're the communicator.
You create profitable perspectives -- how to break into new accounts or be heard by other employees. By simply identifying a client's point of view, you develop strategies that open doors, even if they had already been shut. Your excellent communication skills can create problem-solving forums. Careers in corporate communications, marketing or religious occupations work best.

If you prefer: red, green and black: You're the investor.
You know the value of money and resources, as well as the intrinsic worth of each co-worker's contributions. Your supportive, yet analytical personality works best in finance, accounting, banking, manufacturing, property management, production analysis, investment, money management, consulting, product sales or teaching.

If you prefer: blue, orange and brown: You're the activist.
Your strong community beliefs and no-nonsense approach improves services for those around you. Occupations where you can improve existing specifications or impact social values work best for you. Consider careers in engineering, building, or developing new programs, companies or products. Also consider law enforcement, firefighting, social or government work.

Eating the Elephant One Forkful at a Time

Startup Nation has an interesting series of articles that I think everyone will find useful, if not entertaining. They are a collection of tips, hints, and advice written by people who have started successful startup business from their college dorm rooms. If anything, this proves that space and resources can be overrated when it comes to forming a business nowadays.

Personally, I find the following quote to be spot on:

“My best advice is to think BIG! When you start your business you're tempted to see the entire scope of the project, break it down into manageable little forkfuls, and then eat the elephant one bite at a time.”

Converting Your Resume to Plain-Text

Have you ever found yourself applying to a job online, only to find that they ask for your resume to be included in the body of the e-mail? This can be not only become a total time drainer, but if done improperly, your resume could end up looking like gobbledygook.

Have no fear, here is an article to the rescue! It lays out the process step-by-step for a variety of formats.

Now that you have the formatting covered, would you like some help on actually getting that resume polished to get you the job?

How to Dress for Interviews

While dressing appropriately for an interview differs greatly depending on the type of job your applying to (for example, you wouldn’t dress the same if you were applying for the CFO position at a Fortune 500 company as you would if you were applying to the neighborhood burger joint), there are a few key principles that it would behoove you to follow:

1. Dress One or Two Levels Up
2. Caution Is The Better Part of Valor
3. Use Your Judgment
4. You Might Not Want to Be Too True to Yourself

Expanding to China

If your startup company is looking to expand, why not consider China, the most enormous market in the world that has recently opened up to outside business?

While this may sound like a great idea, it is not as easy as it seems. While expanding into China can be a very lucrative venture it comes with its fair share of red tape.

Startup Nation has a very interesting article on the subject. It’s a great read whether you are ready to move your business eastward or you’re just interested in the idiosyncrasies of conducting business in the world’s most populous country.

Five Tips to Getting a Startup on Its Feet

Startup Nation is a good source for information on getting your startup company rolling. They have taken the time to lay out five basic tips for making your endeavor as painfree as possible.

1. Research: A good deal of fear stems from the unknown aspects of starting a business, so if you're not taking the time to research your business idea and the competitive market, you’re not taking one of the first steps in knocking out those doubts. Knowledge about your market, your targeted customers, your advantage, and your competition help you to question the basis of your business idea and business plan. You’ll gain much-needed clarity - and position yourself to be decisive about your opportunity.

2. Protect your idea: Reserve a website name, check with the Patent Office to learn about what steps you can take to protect your idea, take the steps to build up protections for your concept and idea before you even officially start up a business. If you haven’t yet, contact a reputable intellectual property attorney to walk you through what the process is for applying for a patent or registered trademark. Having these kinds of defensible advantages can settle your mind and set you off on the right foot.

3. Start part-time: Instead of making the leap from your current job to running your own startup “cold turkey,” consider keeping your job for security and start your business on the side part-time. This will help you avoid taking unnecessary risks and it will ease the transition financially.

4. Outsource: To keep the complexity of your startup to a minimum, consider outsourcing functions like accounting, payroll, information technology, public relations and more. Often its the overwhelming demands of starting a business that scare off many would-be entrepreneurs, but there’s simply no need to wear every hat in a business anymore. You might even want to outsource manufacturing, packing and shipping, and sales. Keep your strongest skills and most strategic activities - perhaps things like design, marketing, or customer interaction, just to name a few - in-house.

5. Be willing to fail: Come to terms with the fact that the best entrepreneurs fail, but don’t let a fear of failure be the reason you don’t start a business. If you’re smart you can limit those failures to small battles along the way, and learn incredibly valuable lessons from each of those failures. Losing those minor battles is okay, because the key is to win the war! Know that failure is something that’s just part of business - as it is in life - and that you can work through those failures on your way to success.

Monkeying Around: Worst Summer Jobs

As summer sadly comes to a close, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on our worst summer jobs. I can think of a few personally – picking up trash on the freeway, washing dishes in a truck-stop diner – but none of them match the terrible, if not strange and possibly illegal, job mentioned on the Monster boards:

“How I wanted to earn money in the summer of 1983 -- enough dough for hot dates, ice cream and Springsteen tickets. Because my older sister had an in at an amusement park in central New Jersey, I was a shoo-in to get the job at the parking lot detail.

About halfway through the summer, I got promoted to work the end gate at the Safari. My responsibilities were laid out by my manager. He dropped me off at the end gate of the Safari and asked Jose to show me the ropes -- or the bat, that is.

You see, the end gate was a passage to the real world for the monkeys and baboons. The inner fence was controlled electronically as cars drove up to it to exit the final portion of the safari. About 30 yards after that gate was my new post. The gate remained open until the safari closed. Here, Jose showed me how the baboons and monkeys would try to make a break for it by riding atop a car, under a truck or just plain rush my gate. I was trained on how to use the Baboon Beater -- a three-foot-long, six-inch-round bat -- to dissuade our fuzzy friends from exiting.

As weeks went by, the baboons and monkeys learned to respect their new master as I maintained a batting average that would assure me a seat on any major league team. One day, I fell asleep on the job in my booth. As I lay asleep inside my booth, the baboons surrounded me. And they had my bat! I had left it outside the booth against the side. One baboon started banging the bat against the roof of my booth as I awoke in horror. I scrambled to close the door just in the nick of time. I spun the tiny latch and felt a sense of security -- but not for long. They had me right where the wanted me: Stuck in the wooden shed with Plexiglas windows in 90-degree heat. Luckily, I had a radio and called for reinforcements. All this to earn $5.75 an hour and break every child labor law at the age of 15!”

Now I’m curious... anyone out there have a story that compares to this one?

Crossing Borders: Turning your CV into a Resume

Whether you've been calling it a Lebenslauf (Germany), a Meritförteckning (Sweden), your Bio-data (India) or a Curriculum Vitae (Great Britain), get ready to start writing a resume if you are interested in landing a job in the U.S. Getting a job in the U.S. is difficult enough already, so why not get your new life off to a great start by polishing up your resume has best as you can before getting off the plane.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Omit personal information
International CVs often contain personal information about the candidate (e.g., age, religion, ethnic group, marital status).

In the United States, however, it is illegal for any employer to make discriminatory employment decisions based upon:

* Age
* Sex
* Race/National origin
* Ethnic group
* Religion
* Possession of a disability

Depending on the employer's state, it may also be illegal for them to make employment decisions based on:

* Sexual orientation
* Parental status
* Marital status
* Political affiliation

Employers are so worried about discrimination lawsuits, that if you explicitly include the above information in your resume, it will likely go directly into the garbage can.

The only information that you should list at the top of your resume is your contact information:

Your name Your mailing address Your phone number Your e-mail address

For example, this might resemble the top of your resume:

John Doe 123 Pine Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 Phone: (555) 555-5555 E-mail: JohnDoe@yahoo.com

Don't place the word "Resume" at the top as it is sometimes done in European countries. Just start with your name.

2. Know length requirements
CVs are usually rather lengthy, explaining past work experience in detail. Unless you are applying to be a teacher or a scientist (which have their own unique resume standards), follow this rule of thumb: A resume should never be more than one page long. The average employer spends less than 30 seconds reading a resume, so brevity is key.

To shorten your resume:

* Use sentence fragments with as few words as possible
* Use action verbs
* Eliminate articles and pronouns

A CV might have a line that reads:

"As a Project Manager, I was responsible for helping the organization recruit clients. In my first three months, I recruited 250 clients, and I recruited another 200 clients in my second three months. These clients eventually brought the organization $45,000 worth of revenue, making my department the most valuable."

On a resume, it might read:

"Recruited 450 new clients in six months. Total revenue raised: $45,000"

3. Use accepted headings
Resumes consist of separate sections, each of which should provide evidence of your skills and talents. The list below outlines sections that are commonly used, in the order in which it should appear.

* Objective: A brief sentence explaining what kind of job you are looking for.

* Work Experience: Under this section, the candidate lists jobs the candidate has held, with some impressive details proving job excellence.

* Skills: This section may contain important information such as computer knowledge, languages spoken and memberships in professional organizations.

* Education: This section should briefly list the candidate's educational history going back as far as an undergraduate degree, listing the institution(s) attended, the degree(s) received and the dates of attendance.

4. Put the most recent information at the top
If the top of a resume doesn't grab recruiters' attention, they'll never get to the bottom. As a result, most resumes are organized in reverse-chronological order - the most recent information is placed at the top of a section and works its way backwards.

5. Use American paper sizes
If you are going to send a resume through the mail, remember that the standard size for an American resume is 8.5 by 11 inches. Use only one side of the paper, with a legible font and margins of at least .75 inches on each side.

6. Spell-check and proofread
Whether or not English is your first language, there is no excuse for having any spelling errors in your resume. So before submitting your resume, be sure to double-check your spelling. Then give your resume to a friend (one who is fluent in English) to give it a second read.

Even native English speakers from abroad should check their spelling using an American-style dictionary, because there are words that are spelled uniquely in the U.S. For example:

"organized" not "organised"

"favorite" not "favourite"

"theater" not "theatre"

"color" not "colour"

Searching for a job in the U.S. can be a daunting experience, but a standard American resume can put you one step closer to your dream.

Say Goodbye to Cold-Calling

When it comes to generating leads for your business, cold-calling is so 1995. With today’s technology, all it takes to get your business’s name out there is an internet connection and little creativity.

Entrepreneur Magazine has an interesting article on this topic. They suggest writing a “free report” about a topic that is pertinent to your business. Once this report is completed, include a link to it on all of your marketing material. If this report is well-written and interesting, the leads should start flowing into your business.

MetaTech's Placement Program for Startups

MetaTech has always fought for the little guy. To reflect this, we have launched a placement program tailored specifically toward startup companies. This includes:

- A flat recruiting fee of $5,000 per position. We have eliminated the costly percentage based fees that most staffing firms charge.
- We have an extensive technical screening capability conducted by our award-winning software engineers.
- We offer contract recruiting options at reasonable hourly rates.
- We can also offer our extensive technical screening service for your own candidate pipeline.

In addition to these great services, the MetaTech Blog will now be offering startup specific hints in tips in addition to our normal material. Helping people find careers or careers find people – that’s just one more way MetaTech is revolutionizing the staffing industry.

Network at your New Job

You might think that as soon as you land your new job, networking should be the last thing on your mind. However, all of the experts say this isn’t so.

In fact, internal networking, right from the beginning, is key to maintaining the upward trajectory of your career. Here’s how to successfully launch your networking campaign at a new job.

Why Network from the Start?

“When you start in a job, you’re going to be judged early, and you want to be judged as someone who makes things happen,” says Richard Moran, a partner at venture capital firm Venrock Associates. Introducing yourself to coworkers in a wide range of roles is a good way to begin.

So networking is important from the get-go. But given your newbie status, your internal networking should be carefully calibrated. Soon after you start a job, “you’ve got to increase your visibility, but without being pompous,” says Bill Behn, managing director for financial staffing firm SolomonEdwardsGroup.

Whom to Network With

Even early on, your network needs to go beyond the folks in adjoining cubes -- without embracing everyone on the payroll. But where to begin?

“Start your networking with people who started the same job you have about a year ago, because they’ll tell you what you’re going to be measured on,” advises Moran.

After that, says Gayle Lantz, president of consulting firm WorkMatters Inc., “ask your boss who the most important people are for you to meet.”

Next, seek out people with more clout, Moran says. “Organizations have samurai who are out there doing the big stuff every day, and you have to figure out who they are and whether you can become one,” he adds.

How to Make Internal Networking Happen

When you’re new on the job, you want to make a lot of contacts fairly quickly while also building your reputation as a hard worker. “You don’t want to be the person who’s hanging out at everyone’s cubicle,” says Brendan Courtney, a senior vice president at staffing firm Spherion. “You want to take advantage of those opportunities that happen during lunch or while you’re getting coffee.”

When you’re asking for more substantial advice, be mindful of your colleagues’ full schedules. “Breakfast, before the workday starts, is a good time to pick people’s brains,” Courtney suggests.

Cast Your Network Across the Company

It’s also important to extend your network beyond your department or division.

“There’s a body of research that says that your weaker ties get you jobs; your stronger ties are mostly to people who already know each other,” says Jeanne Hurlbert, president of Optinet Resources LLC and a professor of sociology at Louisiana State University. “Strong ties can have positive payoffs in terms of promotion.”

So look for opportunities to branch out. “Volunteer to serve on a cross-functional team,” advises Lantz. “Meeting regularly with people from other departments is an ideal way to network and learn about other aspects of the business.”

A Mentor Can Supercharge Your Networking

Especially when you’re a rookie, a mentor can be a great help in extending the upward reach of your internal network.

“There are usually three or four people who set the tone of the company’s value system,” says Courtney. “It’s good to have one of them as your mentor; someone who can help prepare you for your next step in the organization.”

But, Courtney cautions, do tread carefully when choosing a mentor. “If you’re creating a mentor relationship outside your immediate manager, you have to let your manager know,” he says.

Relax and Let Your Network Work

Finally, most of your internal networking efforts should be low-key and informal. “If you set up too many meetings too early, people will think, ‘What does this guy want from me?’” says Behn.

And although networking is important, many other priorities will compete for your attention in the beginning. Says Moran: “You don’t have to start networking before lunch on your first day.”

Top Jobs for Gadget-Loving Geeks

We all know that in today’s world the word “geek” no longer carries the stigma it once did. Many self-proclaimed geeks run multi-billion dollar companies, work in high-paying government jobs, or even, write for company blogs.

However, if you are a gadget-loving geek who needs a career change, one of these might tickle your fancy:

Software Engineering
Many “killer apps” – which increase sales of supporting hardware – start with software. It’s what the Excel application did for its operating system, Space Invaders for Atari computers and the iPod for the Apple brand. Learn to code and gain tools to create amazing products. Application development, simulation and modeling, artificial intelligence and user-interface optimization are just a few things you’ll learn while enrolled into master’s and doctoral programs in computer science.

Hardware Engineering
The newfangled concept may be a car navigation system or RFID e-passport. Whatever it is, management drives the project and the product. A bachelor’s in organizational management/engineering studies meshes best practices of civil, electrical and mechanical engineering for entry into corporate, private and public sectors. Even veteran engineers can freshen their organizational skill development in a fast-paced age of shrinking microprocessor transistors, with a Ph.D. in engineering management.

Game Design
Support killer apps with killer game-design skills, and join the $7.4 billion entertainment software industry. Learn game development, game maintenance administration with a bachelor’s in game software development. The interactive software you design could be applied in the military, health care, television and even education.

Medical and Industrial Applications
Not all gadgets are for fun, games and communication. Medical and biotech devices are joining the club in the form of tactile video displays, subcutaneous medication delivery patches and portable ultrasound systems. To incorporate them into today’s health care delivery, one must grasp how the system works. Learn the system with a bachelor’s in clinical laboratory science, a certificate in gerontology health care or a health care administration degree with a concentration in informatics for IT management know-how.

How to Prepare for a Job Interview

If you’ve done your best to properly prepare your resume, you might find yourself receiving the ever-coveted phone call: an interview request.

After the initial joy of actually getting an interview wears off, it is normally replaced by the nervous feeling of actually preparing for the interview. Here are some tips that you mind find useful:

The Clothes Make the Job Seeker

Make sure your interview clothes are clean and pressed a few days beforehand.

The last thing you want to worry about the night before an interview is pleading with your drycleaner or getting burned by a hot iron.

Also, make sure you have a neutral colored umbrella on-hand in case of rain.

Don't Forget Your Resumes!

Make good-quality copies of your resume on a nice grade of paper. Take more copies than you will possibly need -- just in case. Store the copies in a folder where they will stay clean and unwrinkled.

Organize your portfolio, tear sheets, professional reference lists or any other papers you think your prospective employer would like to see.

Make sure your purse or briefcase is stocked with everything else you'll need: A working pen (no pencils!), a notebook, breath mints, a comb, the umbrella I mentioned and some tissues.

Practice Makes Perfect

Like most things, people get better at interviewing with a little practice.

Dedicate one night prior to the interview to a mock QandA. You can set this up with a friend or conduct the interview yourself with a list of frequently-asked interview questions and a mirror.

Don't panic if, during the actual interview, you are not asked any of the questions you practiced. The point of practicing is to "warm up" to the process of answering questions on the fly.

Do Your Homework

Spend at least two days before the interview researching the company. Take notes. Memorize important facts.

A little preparation goes a long way. A couple of hours researching the company and practicing answers to interview questions can give you that extra bit of confidence you need to ace the interview.

How to Get Into IT Consulting

Consulting is a hot field to get into, though it’s not as easy to break into as most would think. Monster has a great article on the subject that is definitely worth checking out. Here are a few of the main points of the article:

1. Consulting firms are looking for not only tech-savvy people, but for candidates that have top-notch educational credentials, a record of achievement, and excellent communication skills.
2. Proven leadership experience is a plus along with superb writing skills and the ability to handle presentations.
3. A great business sense that you are able to blend with your IT skills.

Think you have what it takes? If so, contact MetaTech today you consulting-guru of tomorrow.

How to Handle a Pay Cut

I know that I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but in name of keeping our readers up to speed on relevant topics in the job world, I’ll touch on the topic again – the economy.

Whether you’ve experienced this yourself or the idea is such a real possibility that you find yourself having night terrors because of it, a pay cut can be a major bummer to say the least.

So what do you do when your boss approaches you and lets you know that you have a pay cut coming? This article gives you some practical advice, and I’ll lay out the basics here for you.

1. Don’t accept anything right away.
2. Take the time to get the facts – talk to your boss, your boss’s boss, etc...
3. Negotiate
4. And if none of this works for you, consider looking for a new job.

Five Things to Consider When Looking for a New Job

In my never-ending quest to bring the best IT job advice to the MetaTech blog, I sometimes stumble across a great gem like this article. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the allure of landing a new job (especially if you dislike your current one), which may lead you overlook some aspects that seem like common sense.

I’ve reprinted the majority of the article here, some of the advice might be old news but some might just help you out when considering a new job.

Relationships

* With Manager: How employees and their managers get along is one of the strongest employee retention drivers. Ask your prospective manager during the interview process how she makes decisions and how she evaluates talent or superior performance. Can you work with the answers she gives?

* With Peers: Ask who you will be working with and how the people within the department interact. How have the relationships been in the past? Is there much interdependence? What will your colleagues expect of someone in your position?

* With Subordinates: Ask about the strengths and weaknesses of employees who might be working for you. Then decide if you have the skills to effectively manage them or if they have the skills to help the team achieve success.

Work/Life Balance

* Location/Commute: Be honest with yourself in deciding how far and how much time you are willing to devote to your daily commute. Will it impede your ability to do things that are important to you, your significant other or children? Consider people important to you in making your decision, because home stress can make you less effective at work.

* Travel: Will having a job that requires frequent overnight travel be an issue? Where will you draw the line? Are you willing to travel 20, 30 or 50 percent of the time? Ask how much travel is required and if it?s spread out evenly or concentrated during certain seasons or business cycles.

* Amount of Work: Try to determine if the culture is one where there is frequent overtime. It?s reasonable to assume that many professional jobs will require you to do the work necessary to complete the job, but excessive overtime could mean insufficient resources or poor planning.

The Kind of Work

* Autonomy: Do you like to work with little supervision or do you prefer detailed assignments? How might you handle being micromanaged?

* Type of Work: Ask questions that will help you gauge what portion of your new job involves project work, building client relationships, developing strategy, implementing tactics or doing creative work? Decide before taking on a new job what you like to actually do.

* Contribution: Will the work you do make a notable difference in your department? The company? Society? Does it matter to you?

* Growth Opportunities: What is the internal environment like relative to promotional opportunities? Ask if internal candidates have been considered for this job. If not, ask why and what that will mean to you in the future.

The Company

* Values: People who feel disconnected with the values of the company often want to leave. Ask what the values are and how they are manifested in the day-to-day environment. Do employees just recite the company mantra or are they able to describe how these are applied in the workplace.

* Leadership: Are the leaders of the company people who you and others respect, admire and want to work for? Find out how long top management has been in place, what their backgrounds are and where they came from.

* Industry: Does the company/industry provide products or services with which you would want to be associated? Research news articles to determine if the industry is healthy and growing or if it companies within the industry are going through mergers, acquisitions or frequent restructurings.

Financial Considerations

* Base Pay: Are you being offered a salary commensurate with your worth in the marketplace? Make sure it is enough to warrant leaving your current job/company.

* Incentive Pay: If you perform at a superior level, is there an upside opportunity or incentive pay? Consider how the total compensation compares to your past earnings and current expectations.

Seven Tips for Job Hunting in an Unsteady Economy

Whether we’ve hit a recession or not, the fact remains that it’s getting harder to land a job. While we here at MetaTech are here to help you, there are seven tips to consider when looking for a job in today’s shaky economy.

1. Tailor your presentations; don't be generic.

2. Create a target list of companies. Send the list to 25 people, asking them if they can put you in touch with an employee at one of the listed companies.

3. Make yourself and your skills more visible. Post and refresh your resume in more places, such as online job boards, and going to job fairs.

4. Create an advisory board of smart and empathetic people and confer with them regularly about your job search.

5. Hone and utilize your 'elevator pitch' – a 30-second summary of your professional assets.

6. Keep your spirits high. Don't let the process overwhelm you or weigh you down.

Understanding the Inner Workings of the Office Introvert

I found this article very interesting because it hit on a lot of issues that I haven’t heard discussed before. You see, I would consider myself an introvert, and have often faced the problems laid out here.

Introverts are often perceived as antisocial, shy, slow, and unenthusiastic. However, this couldn’t be any more untrue. Pamela Braun, a Champlin, Minnesota-based career counselor states that “the introvert, processing internally, often has as much going on inside as the extrovert is demonstrating on the outside."

So how do you relate to an office introvert? Here are some suggestions:

Think Before We Talk: "Colleagues and bosses need to realize that introverts often don't know what they think immediately, and that they need time to think things through before coming to a conclusion," says Joe McHugh, vice president of executive services for the Edina, Minnesota, office of Right Management Consultants. So, McHugh stresses, it's critical to "circle back to introverts after they've had some time to consider things."

Recharge (Alone): "Don't assume that an introvert lunching alone is lonely," says New York City-based business communications consultant Nancy Ancowitz, who coaches introverts on self-promotion strategies. What seems like loneliness might be an introvert's private recharging time.

Play to Our Strong Suits: Introverts are often great researchers, writers and strategizers, and they're also "inclined to be good listeners," says Ancowitz. So when you need someone patient, persistent, focused and methodical to oversee a project, chances are you'll find a great candidate in your workplace introvert.

An 'Objective' Debate

There is an interesting article by Erin Hovanec on the pros and cons of listing an ‘objective’ on your resume. Proponents state that it’s the quickest, simplest way to get your target job across. Opponents disagree by saying that it wastes valuable resume space and limits you to only one position when you might be qualified for more.

I’ll let you head to the article if you’re interested, but I’m curious, do you think that listing an ‘objective’ on a resume is necessary? Also, what other standard resume items might be overrated?

How to Follow-Up on a Resume

After you’ve spotted your dream job, crafted your resume, and submitted it to a recruiter, what do you do now? Do you sit around and wait to be contacted?

According to a HotJobs survey, a majority of recruiters suggest that you take a proactive approach. 53% said that you should wait a week before making contact, while 21% suggested that a week may be too long.

But how do you make contact? A short e-mail is the preferred method, but a succinct phone call is equally acceptable. However, one no-no, is just blindly resending your resume. The recruiter’s job is already tough enough without having to sift through duplicates.

Is Luck a Career Factor?

Superstitious? I’ve been guilty a few times of avoiding walking under a ladder or not opening an umbrella inside. But does luck really play any role in your career? Over at Monster, they have some interesting responses from people on the subject. What do you think?

Handling Illegal Interview Questions

Though you will never encounter this with MetaTech, you may at sometime in your professional life find yourself in an already stressful interview – and all of the sudden be approached with an illegal question. While the interviewer probably doesn’t realize that their question is illegal, writer Todd Anten has offered a few suggestions on how to diffuse this situation.

From Anten’s list I’ve taken a few situations that are illegal. Out of curiosity sake, has anyone ever encountered anything like this?

An Age-Old Question
Recent reports say that workers are planning to hold jobs well into their senior years. Many even plan to hold off retirement until their 70s or 80s in order to continue bringing in paychecks.

Unfortunately, this has resulted in an increase in complaints from older workers of age discrimination in the workplace, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

The good news is that interviewers are not allowed to ask you your age during an interview. With some rare exceptions, the only age- related question they can ask is if you're over the age of 18.

One thing to keep in mind: The EEOC's Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 only protects workers who are 40 years old and older from age discrimination and in workplaces with 20 or more employees. However, some local governments have laws that also enforce age discrimination rules for younger applicants and smaller workplaces.

Married ... With Children?
Women make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce, according to the Department of Labor. And as their numbers grow, so do the potential pitfalls they may face during an interview, especially when asked about marriage, children and pregnancy.

While illegal interview questions surrounding relationships, marriage and children are generally more problematic for female job candidates, protection from discrimination applies equally to male candidates.

Basically, you should be suspicious if you are asked any questions about your marital status, your family status, your future plans for children or your child care accommodations.

So what can employers ask? Questions that deal directly with the job requirements (e.g., "Are you willing to relocate?").

Yes, many proud parents enjoy telling stories about their children, and there may be a temptation to trade toddler stories with a friendly interviewer who has a family picture on his or her desk. But to avoid potential problems, err on the side of silence.

A Race for a Job
A recruiter friend of mine told me a story of how she accidentally asked someone an illegal interview question.

"Oh, you have such an interesting name! What does it mean?" she asked a candidate with a beautiful name that was obviously of non-English origin.

Fortunately, my colleague caught herself and told the candidate that she didn't have to answer the question. But it does show how subtly the issues of race, ethnicity and religion might sneak into an interview.

For instance, according to Nolo.com, interviewers are not allowed to ask if you are a U.S. citizen or ask where you were born. However, they can ask if you are legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

So if you are asked about your race, color, religion or national origin, be aware -- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from making employment decisions based on such factors.

MetaTech CEO Launches Blog

Jan McCollum, fearless leader of MetaTech, has launched her own personal blog that will surely take the internet by storm. Jan the CEO Mom documents life as both a single mom and the CEO of a quickly-growing technical services firm.

The MetaTech blog will share a lot of content with Jan’s blog – but be sure to check in over there frequently as well!

Funny Reference Stories

We all know that references are extremely important when it comes to landing a job. However, just having references isn’t enough. As the following people demonstrate from real-life situations, it pays to be diligent when lining up your references.

Keeping It in the Family
One reference turned out to be the candidate's mother-in-law. When asked about his employability, she said, "I wouldn't hire him to do anything!" The candidate obviously thought he could pawn off a relative as a work-related reference who would say good things about him -- whoops.

The Reference Bribe
After completing an interview with a former supervisor, the following comment was volunteered: "I would recommend him for any position he applies for, and the fact that he's paying me to say that doesn't have anything to do with it."

Don't Quit Your Day Job
Not long ago, an associate interviewed a candidate's former supervisor, who described the candidate as a good worker and very capable, except on Mondays when he frequently came to work very tired. When asked why, the former supervisor said the candidate wrestled bears on the weekends, and it wore him out.

Career Lessons from the Material Girl

What can Madonna, Oprah, and Martha Stewart teach you about your career? Well, according to Joanne Meehi, president of Meehi & Balzotti Career Services, a whole lot.

Lets take a look:

Madonna: "She is a model for us to refresh ourselves," says Meehl, who tells clients to seek new knowledge and experiences in order to stay current and sell themselves to employers. "So many people wait to be anointed with knowledge."

Martha: Going to prison should have been career kryptonite for Stewart. But without apology or fanfare, she chose to serve her recent jail time like something to be checked off a to-do list. Stewart commented during sentencing that she wanted to be released in time to tend her spring garden. How does the average woman stay steady in the face of such career-rocking moments? "Keep the big picture in mind," Meehl advises. Stewart "knew the garden and the business were going to be there for her when she got out."

Oprah: Winfrey rewrites the blueprint for business success daily by replacing the model of the cutthroat businessperson with that of the nurturing helper. This is a woman who has increased her market share with tactics like encouraging people to read more. Winfrey shows women there's a place for all talents.

Common Cover Letter Mistakes

By now you hopefully know that a cover letter is just as vital in your job search as your resume. A well-written cover letter helps to separate yourself from the rest of the pack, and gives you one-page to explain the bullet points of your resume and give your future employer a little more personal information.

With that said, the cover letter can also be your worst enemy. Writer Tom Arten gives a brief list of some of the pitfalls to avoid when penning your cover letter. Some of these include repeating yourself, using form cover letters, and forgetting to state which job you are applying for.

Just remember to take some time to craft an individualized, personal letter for each place your applying to and you’ll be filling up your new desk before you know it.

Magic Words for Resumes

For every job opening, employers have to sift through a mountain of resumes. If your resume doesn’t catch their eye after a quick read through, it will likely be wadded up and placed in the round file.

So how do you get your resume out of the slush pile? Like opening a stone door or making a person vanish into thin air, every resume needs help from magic words. No, not abracadabra or shazaam. The magic words I’m talking about are action words – words that show that you are well-rounded.

Here are a few of “must-have” words for your resume:

Teamwork: Teamwork is more important than ever in the workplace. The ability to work well with others to accomplish a common goal is vital for a harmonious workplace.

Flexibility: Employers value workers who are flexible and able to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously. In other words, it's sometimes just as important to be a jack-of-all-trades as a master of one.

Detail-Oriented: Employers want to know that they can trust workers to handle a project down to the last detail. Being "detail-oriented" means being organized and meticulous about your work. It also implies that you can work without constant supervision and act independently.

Self-Motivated: Employers value employees who are self-starters. These workers can generate their own ideas and follow them through to fruition.

Interruptions - Everybody's Got 'Em

Everyone gets busy on the job. You’ll have a computer screen full of documents that you’re working on simultaneously, an inbox full of unread e-mails, three phone lines ringing, and someone standing impatiently in front of your desk.

Office technology makes everything seem more urgent. However, writer Anya Martin offers some concrete advice to pushing through the interruptions.

Martin suggests taking the following steps to putting the productivity back into your workday.

1. Prioritize
2. Be Polite
3. Silence Socializers
4. Turn Your Desk Around
5. Multitask
6. Do It Now
7. Turn It Off
8. Race Away from the Rush

Hopefully if you take these into consideration your day will be… hold on a second, the phone’s ringing.

One More Reason to Contact MetaTech

The reasons to contact MetaTech are apparent: access to great jobs, personal assistance along every step, and vast industry knowledge. So it’s no surprise that Business Week gives you one more reason to contact us. Jobs in the IT industry are flourishing and the leading city where these jobs continue to grow is right in MetaTech’s backyard – Seattle.

No other city matches the number and variety of IT careers that Seattle claims. So if you are lucky enough to already be a Seattleite or if your considering the move to this beautiful part of the country, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Think You're Underpaid? Good Luck Finding Out

You can’t talk about it. It’s extremely personal, awkward, and can severely damage relationships. No it’s not that. It’s how much money we make.

This topic has been taboo since I’m assuming the Stone Age (given that cavemen had water coolers in their offices to have such conversations around). However, if this topic is off limits, how do you know if you’re being underpaid at your current position? Sure, Ted started at the company when you did, has the same title, but how do you know that you’re making as much as him? If you ask, you risk creating some tension in an otherwise cordial relationship.

Well, Sam Grobart, senior editor at Money Magazine, has a few weapons to offer when it comes to confronting the situation of assessing the money issue. He suggests doing some online research into what the average income for your position is in your area – though he warns that these can be a bit inaccurate and shouldn’t be taken at face value.

He offers a few more pointers, but even then, I suggest navigating this minefield very carefully – and hopefully in the end all of your tip-toeing will pay off in your bank account.

Human Capital

Written By
Tom Parrish
MetaTech Sales Guy

“Ministers meet, work on the movement of goods
Also work on the movement of capital
Also work on the movement of human beings
As if we were so many cattle…”
“Grim Travelers”
Bruce Cockburn
Humans, 1980

So I was driving to work listening to Grim Travelers and got to thinking, don’t you sometimes wonder how the pseudo-experts came up with the pairing of the words Human and Capital? For me, this is like visually pairing the finest crystal swan – beautiful, rare, fragile beyond any one’s imagination and the Caterpillar 797B, the ultra-class mining truck deployed to the Ft. McMurray area of Alberta for tar-sands excavation. (visual depiction below)

Human


+

Capital


Now, don’t get me wrong…I get as turned on as the next guy at the thought of the application of modern operations research techniques to the problems of optimizing the human supply-chain, but really, doesn’t all this pseudo-expert drivel make you want to scream?!

=

Don't Get Drunk: And Other Networking Tips

We all know that networking events are one the most important ways of making connections that can benefit your career for years to come. However, a lot of people don’t understand the most basic truth of these events – sure it looks like a party, sounds like a party, even smells like a party – but it isn’t a party. You’re on the job.

As Miss Manners would say “Etiquette is Important,” and this article by Caroline Levchuck details the four most common mistakes people make at networking events.

I’ll let you head to that article if you’d like, but I’ll spend a few pixels laying out what, in my opinion, are the best and most crucial points.

1. Don’t Get Drunk: Just because the bar is open, doesn’t mean that you have to try to prove something. This is a professional event, not a social one, and you don’t want to do something that will not only alienate contacts, but might wind up on YouTube.
2. Dress Appropriately: Dress conservatively for the event. Show people that you are a professional (i.e. – don’t wear flip flops and a puka shell necklace).
3. Do Your Homework: Don’t arrive with nothing to say. If you do this, you’ll either be too quiet and you’ll go unnoticed or you’ll end up babbling incoherently. Either way, you’ll finish the night with a rolodex as desolate as an Old West ghost town.

Tips for First-Time Managers

Some may see it as a blessing, and others a curse, but at one point or another in your career you may find yourself in a management position. The best thing to do if you find yourself teetering on the top rung of the ladder is not to panic. Joyce LeMay, the department chair of business and human resource programs at St. Paul, college offers up some tips to thwart you from devolving into Bill Lumbergh in your new role.

According to LeMay, the key to thriving in each new position is to keep learning. "New managers need to be patient as they build their skill level in all areas of management," she says. "Mentors are key to improving the success of new managers." In addition to finding a mentor, LeMay also offers these words of advice.

• Take time to understand the business in which you are operating.
• Develop time-management skills.
• Practice active listening skills.
• Know how to motivate and lead employees.
• Continue your own training and development.
• Don’t stay isolated in the office.
• Don’t pretend you know all the answers.
• Don’t take all the credit.
• Don’t expect employees to be perfect.
• Learn to delegate effectively.

So, m’yeah, if you could just go ahead and follow this advice, that would be great… m’kay?

Does Volunteer Work Count as Work Experience?

For those of you big-hearted folks out there, you may find that the size of your volunteer credentials eclipses your actual work experience.

If this is true for you, Seton Hall University’s Director of Career Services, Jacqueline Chaffin has a few ideas.

She states that while you may feel that your altruistic endeavors aren’t something to necessary brag about, it’s perfectly alright to toot your own horn when it comes to interviewing for jobs – especially if you don’t have a lot of prior work experience in the bank. She states that “volunteer experiences are a great indication of one's passion, commitment, and dedication. All attributes that companies are looking for in new hires.”

Her article also covers the etiquette of starting a volunteer program at your place of employment, as well as asking colleagues for sponsorships for charitable walks and marathons.

Bad Interviewers

We’ve all had bad interviews in the past, but have you ever stopped to think – “wait a second, it’s not my fault… that interviewer was terrible.”

Well, at MetaTech you will be fortunate enough not to encounter this problem, but somewhere in your life you probably will – so I thought you might find this of interest.

Instead of paraphrasing the entire article, I’ll use a real life situation of mine with a bad interviewer, how I handled the situation, and how, according to Ms. Levchuck, I should have handled it.

This interview was at a small company (two employees) that shall remain nameless. It was very obvious, that being a small company, they didn’t have much experience in interviewing and handling job applicants – which led to a situation that was awkward at best.

The interview lasted around three hours, and I would say only about 20-30 minutes of that was dedicated to actual question and answering. The remaining time was filled with a cavernous, excruciating silence. I sat on the opposite side of the table looking at the two interviewers like a deer-in-the-headlights and they returned my gaze.
How I handled it: I sat there and waited for the questions. The only sound in the silence was the ticking minute hand of a clock… tick, tock, tick, tock.
How I should have handled it: I should have turned the tables on my interviewers and asked them questions. I should have asked them to describe the position in detail, explain to me the typical workday, and give me a run down of important tasks I was to work on. I should have asked them what they were looking for in the ideal candidate. But no, I just sat there and suffered.

When the interview wasn’t being overwhelmed by silence, it was being interjected with short, random, and dare I say, asinine questions. Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate the occasional, from-left-field, let’s-see-how-your-mind-works kind of question like, “how do you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,” but when I kept getting these things over and over again, I didn’t feel like I was getting my qualifications and skills across.
How I handled it: I told them that I like to toast the bread first.
How I should have handled it: I should have directly laid out what I wanted to say, even if the right time never presented itself. During an interview you only have a small window to make an impression, so if you aren’t going to be asked the important questions, you have to be prepared to blurt out the answers anyway.

As the interview ended, I had only seen the small back room, which guessing by the sour cream and orange soda smell, was a break room of sorts. I had not toured the office and seen exactly what happens and how things get done. I hadn’t bought myself more time.
How I handled it: I shook their hands and booked out the door.
How I should have handled it: I should have asked for a tour, and along the way asked more questions. The most important thing about the interview is to get a good gauge whether this is right for you, while at the same time making sure that your interviewer has a decent idea of who you are and what you bring to the table.

So alas I didn’t get the job. But for some reason, I can’t help but to think that it was for the best.

The Pitfalls of Social Networking

It’s hard to avoid the constant buzz surrounding social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook – some good and some very, very bad. Social networking can help you plan an event with your friends, get in contact with a long lost acquaintance, share pictures, videos, and more, but there is one crucial thing, according to Peter D. Weddle, that social networking can’t get you – a job.

It’s the word “networking” that makes this fact a little confusing. When we think of networking, it’s difficult not to conjure up images of sharply-dressed people hobnobbing over cocktails and slipping business cards into a new acquaintance’s blazer pocket. However, the danger lies in the word “social.” Prospective employers are not interested in what your sign is, which Friends character your personality most reflects, or want to see pictures of how much you drank at your college roommate’s bachelor party – no matter how prodigious said amount was.

In his article, Weddle does a good job scaring off people from using social networking sites to try to woo prospective employers and offering a nice selection of web-based “business” networking sites – but I believe that there are a few exceptions that you can consider to make your social networking page a little more employer friendly.

1. If you plan to use your social networking site as an online business card, for the love of Pete, take down any incriminating photos, videos, and or text. Imagine that your dear old grandmother is going to be looking over your page. How would you feel if she got an eyeful of your Spring Break in Puerta Vallarta last year? This also applies to your comments section. You have to be very vigilant about monitoring what your so-called friends write.
2. If you are interested in a career that requires a portfolio, use your page to show your abilities. Want to design video games? Showcase some of your artwork. Are you looking for a more technical-based career? How about creating a widget for your page that no one has ever seen?
3. Keep the layout modest. We’ve all seen the stereotypical MySpace page that looks as colorful and fragmented as the bedroom walls of a teenage girl. It doesn’t matter how much you love Miley Cyrus, if you plan to use your page to get a job, you don’t need a Hannah Montana icon shimmering in the center.

I’m curious… does anyone have any good/bad stories about using social networking to find a job? Any suggestions or tips?

Interviews Gone Wrong

Remember the show “Kids say the Darndest Things?” Well, if only Art Linkletter was present at the following interviews. Here are a few gems from serious job applicants as submitted by members of the Monster.com community:

“We are a small sporting-goods distributor, and we recently received an application from a gentleman trying to impress us with his dedication to the 'field.' His stated goal? 'To ski 365 days-a-year.' Wonder when he was planning to work.”

“While interviewing a candidate, I noticed he had checked 'yes' when asked if he'd ever been convicted of a felony, but no details were listed. When I asked my candidate, he said, 'Well, it is really old.' I asked how old, and he said, 'Thirty-three years ago, but I haven't been in any trouble since.' I said, 'Oh, that is old.' I then asked what the conviction was for; his response was 'murder one.' I asked if he had served any time, and he said yes, 33 years. Apparently he had just been released two weeks prior, which may explain why he hadn't been in trouble since.”

“As a recruiter, I occasionally encounter previous employees interested in returning to the company. A young man called me one day to explain that he had been a fantastic employee two years prior, and that he had been fired by accident: 'I didn't mean to hit the other guy over the head with a mop! Really, it just slipped and hit him twice!' Rehire? I think not.”

Transitioning from Military Life to Professional Life

With the fourth of July only a few days away, I was beginning to reflect on the meaning behind the fireworks and the barbecues, and I thought that this posting was more than appropriate.

If you are finding yourself transitioning from military life to work life, you might find it difficult honing all of your skills and experiences down into a focused resume or a targeted job search.

At MetaTech, we know that you are more than ink on a resume, and we’d love to work with you to help you land the civilian technical job that you're looking for.

However, if you are still unsure about how to transition, I found a very good site specifically tailored toward veterans. Not only will you find resume writing and interview tips, you’ll also be able to read profiles of veterans who have recently successfully made the move from military life to professional life.