Success is putting your mind to an ambition and achieving that aim, whether it is to be Prime minister, a good parent, or to score a goal in your Sunday league game.
For most people to be happy they need to work in a pleasant friendly environment get on well with colleagues, to be intellectually stimulated, challenged and rewarded. You should not accept a job with a company if you think that it cannot offer you these things. For your part, you have to have the right stuff, in terms of both skills and personality, these will help you find a job in the first place and will set you in good stead throughout your career regardless of the industry sector.
Making allies in the workplace
It pays to have friends at your place of work, not only can they make tea for you, but if you get on well with your colleagues then the office will have a more pleasant atmosphere and you will not dread coming into work every morning.
We spend a lot of time with our work colleagues, if you work 9-5, 5 days of the week then in the course of a lifetime you probably spend a lot more time with them than you do your loved one. So take the time to be friendly, it helps if you are a positive, outgoing, cheerful, and a likeable person. Having a reputation as the office social outcast will get you nowhere. Arguing everyday will only make you and everyone else unhappy.
To, make it to the top you have to be good with people. Your fellow colleagues will also have promotional aspirations, they could be useful contacts in years to come.
Look out for number one while being a team player
Do not be single-mindedly ambitious, the best personnel are team players. However it does no harm to have a goal and to go out of your way to achieve it. Ambition is a healthy quality and one that is picked up upon from the interview onwards, you have to be proactive in making your wants come true.
We all need self-belief, without it we wouldn't get out of bed in the morning. You need to believe that you are capable of being successful, and achieving your ambitions. When you believe it you can set about convincing other people of what you are capable of.
Everyone has the potential to succeed you just need a target to aim for. Making a rough career plan will help you achieve this, ask yourself where you want to be in the five or ten years time. Define your ambition and then to go out and make it happen.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
5 Small Things That Make a Big Difference to Hiring Managers
You apply to your dream job and breeze through the first round of interviews. HR loves you, the fit seems great, and they email you the very next day to come in for another round a week later.
This time, you meet with 3 more managers and spend nearly 5 hours learning about the company. Things go even better than the previous round, and you find out that you are one of the finalists for the position.
A week later you’re sitting at your desk (admittedly, dreaming of the moment when you’ll get to give your notice) when you see a call from the company coming in on your mobile phone. You sprint to a private conference room, breathlessly answer the call, only to have your HR contact tell you "I am SO sorry. You were a really fantastic candidate, it was incredibly close, and this was a really difficult decision. But in the end, unfortunately we’ve decided to make an offer to the other finalist."
Devastating, right?
So in a scenario where there might be 500 resumes, funneled down to 50 and then 10, and then narrowed again to the top 3-5 candidates, everyone is going to be good. You’re all going to have a solid education. You’re all going to have relevant work experience. You’re all going to do pretty well on your interview.
This means the decision on who to hire could come down to something very, very small. So why not make sure you have that edge? Here are some tips.
5. Get a Wardrobe Update
Yes, the suit you bought 4-5 years ago to wear to your buddy’s wedding is "fine." It still fits you pretty well, you washed the dress shirt you usually wear with it, and you’re wearing your lucky tie.
But what if you invested in a brand new suit in the latest style and had it tailored to fit your 2014 body, not your 2009 body? What if you bought a brand new white dress shirt that is so crisp that it makes the new suit look even better? What if your old tie wasn’t really lucky? It was just old.
4. Pay for a Professional Headshot
How about your LinkedIn page, your Gmail account, and your Skype avatar? Do you use a professional headshot photo, or that halfway decent picture someone took from their phone?
3. Create a Stylish Resume
For conservative fields like finance, it could be an interesting font, a shaded box, or a very small splash of color. For more creative fields, it could be as extreme as infographic elements worked into the layout. In an increasingly design-centric world, could this small tweak set you apart?
2. Don't Just Say It, Show It
Truth: Once a hiring team starts going round after round of interviews with multiple candidates over several weeks, they all start to run together. The winning candidate might just be the person who does something memorable and sticks out in the mind of the hiring manager.
1. Control Your Personal Brand
If there’s one thing you can be certain of, it’s this: At some point during the hiring process and before you’re given an offer, the hiring company will Google you.
This time, you meet with 3 more managers and spend nearly 5 hours learning about the company. Things go even better than the previous round, and you find out that you are one of the finalists for the position.
A week later you’re sitting at your desk (admittedly, dreaming of the moment when you’ll get to give your notice) when you see a call from the company coming in on your mobile phone. You sprint to a private conference room, breathlessly answer the call, only to have your HR contact tell you "I am SO sorry. You were a really fantastic candidate, it was incredibly close, and this was a really difficult decision. But in the end, unfortunately we’ve decided to make an offer to the other finalist."
Devastating, right?
So in a scenario where there might be 500 resumes, funneled down to 50 and then 10, and then narrowed again to the top 3-5 candidates, everyone is going to be good. You’re all going to have a solid education. You’re all going to have relevant work experience. You’re all going to do pretty well on your interview.
This means the decision on who to hire could come down to something very, very small. So why not make sure you have that edge? Here are some tips.
5. Get a Wardrobe Update
Yes, the suit you bought 4-5 years ago to wear to your buddy’s wedding is "fine." It still fits you pretty well, you washed the dress shirt you usually wear with it, and you’re wearing your lucky tie.
But what if you invested in a brand new suit in the latest style and had it tailored to fit your 2014 body, not your 2009 body? What if you bought a brand new white dress shirt that is so crisp that it makes the new suit look even better? What if your old tie wasn’t really lucky? It was just old.
4. Pay for a Professional Headshot
How about your LinkedIn page, your Gmail account, and your Skype avatar? Do you use a professional headshot photo, or that halfway decent picture someone took from their phone?
3. Create a Stylish Resume
For conservative fields like finance, it could be an interesting font, a shaded box, or a very small splash of color. For more creative fields, it could be as extreme as infographic elements worked into the layout. In an increasingly design-centric world, could this small tweak set you apart?
2. Don't Just Say It, Show It
Truth: Once a hiring team starts going round after round of interviews with multiple candidates over several weeks, they all start to run together. The winning candidate might just be the person who does something memorable and sticks out in the mind of the hiring manager.
1. Control Your Personal Brand
If there’s one thing you can be certain of, it’s this: At some point during the hiring process and before you’re given an offer, the hiring company will Google you.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
U.S. boom in oil & natural gas
A U.S. boom in oil and natural gas production is fueling a wide range of potential opportunities for investors. But they may not be the ones you’d expect.
In 2012, the U.S. saw the largest expansion in domestic oil and gas production in the more than 150 years since it began drilling commercial wells. Improved technology that can unleash oil and gas from shale rock formations helped domestic oil output grow last year by a record 853,000 barrels a day, to the highest level in 17 years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. And for natural gas, whereas the amount extracted from shale represented just 2% of the U.S. natural gas supply in 2000, it was 37% in 2012.
This U.S. energy boom comes largely thanks to the technology of "fracking," or hydraulic fracturing, coupled with horizontal drilling methods that allow for much faster, more efficient extraction of oil and natural gas. Fracking is controversial, with opponents noting that its methods — pumping a mixture of water, sand and chemicals under high pressure into source rock to crack it open, allowing gas and oil to flow — may result in groundwater pollution and other problems. But energy companies have continued to invest aggressively in this technology. And as processes have improved, natural gas production has become far more predictable.
Another area to look at may be the U.S. petrochemical industry, which has largely switched from oil to natural gas for feedstock used to make chemicals such as ammonia, a vital ingredient of fertilizer. Those cheaper chemicals serve as economical raw materials for everything from auto manufacturing to farming and household goods, and can now be exported at globally competitive prices.
What's Next for Natural Gas?
Today's investing landscape could shift if the U.S. eases restrictions on selling surplus natural gas overseas. A Department of Energy study released last December suggested that increased exports could provide a broad boost to the economy. But it would likely raise U.S. prices for the fuel, and that worries groups such as America's Energy Advantage, a coalition of energy-dependent companies. At the same time, however, issues around the potential environmental damage caused by fracking could intensify and may need to be resolved one way or the other.
In 2012, the U.S. saw the largest expansion in domestic oil and gas production in the more than 150 years since it began drilling commercial wells. Improved technology that can unleash oil and gas from shale rock formations helped domestic oil output grow last year by a record 853,000 barrels a day, to the highest level in 17 years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. And for natural gas, whereas the amount extracted from shale represented just 2% of the U.S. natural gas supply in 2000, it was 37% in 2012.
This U.S. energy boom comes largely thanks to the technology of "fracking," or hydraulic fracturing, coupled with horizontal drilling methods that allow for much faster, more efficient extraction of oil and natural gas. Fracking is controversial, with opponents noting that its methods — pumping a mixture of water, sand and chemicals under high pressure into source rock to crack it open, allowing gas and oil to flow — may result in groundwater pollution and other problems. But energy companies have continued to invest aggressively in this technology. And as processes have improved, natural gas production has become far more predictable.
Another area to look at may be the U.S. petrochemical industry, which has largely switched from oil to natural gas for feedstock used to make chemicals such as ammonia, a vital ingredient of fertilizer. Those cheaper chemicals serve as economical raw materials for everything from auto manufacturing to farming and household goods, and can now be exported at globally competitive prices.
What's Next for Natural Gas?
Today's investing landscape could shift if the U.S. eases restrictions on selling surplus natural gas overseas. A Department of Energy study released last December suggested that increased exports could provide a broad boost to the economy. But it would likely raise U.S. prices for the fuel, and that worries groups such as America's Energy Advantage, a coalition of energy-dependent companies. At the same time, however, issues around the potential environmental damage caused by fracking could intensify and may need to be resolved one way or the other.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Oil Industry in North Dakota
Workers are landing jobs that pay six-figures in the oil boomtowns of North Dakota. Many of the highest-paying jobs are at oil companies, where workers make an average salary of about $100,000.
At 3.5%, North Dakota's unemployment rate is the lowest in the country.
(Nationwide, the rate is 9.1%). But among the small towns that lie along the Bakken oil formation, like Williston, Watford City and Belfield, unemployment is just 1.5%.
Halliburton (HAL, Fortune 500), Continental Resources (CLR), Hess (HES, Fortune 500) and Whiting Petroleum (WLL) are among some of the biggest players in the area. And jobs include everything from working on a rig to hauling crude and equipment in trucks to helping with administrative work, said Shawn Wenko, workplace development coordinator for the city of Williston.
But it's not just the oil companies that are hiring. The oil boom has brought such a big influx of people that every single industry -- from hospitality to retail -- has been hit with overwhelming demand as a result.
Contact Black-Peak Technology for more information and employment opportunities.
At 3.5%, North Dakota's unemployment rate is the lowest in the country.
(Nationwide, the rate is 9.1%). But among the small towns that lie along the Bakken oil formation, like Williston, Watford City and Belfield, unemployment is just 1.5%.
Halliburton (HAL, Fortune 500), Continental Resources (CLR), Hess (HES, Fortune 500) and Whiting Petroleum (WLL) are among some of the biggest players in the area. And jobs include everything from working on a rig to hauling crude and equipment in trucks to helping with administrative work, said Shawn Wenko, workplace development coordinator for the city of Williston.
But it's not just the oil companies that are hiring. The oil boom has brought such a big influx of people that every single industry -- from hospitality to retail -- has been hit with overwhelming demand as a result.
Contact Black-Peak Technology for more information and employment opportunities.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Alaska USL&H Insurance
Black-Peak Technology is happy to announce we are now covered for USL&H and Workers Compensation insurance in Alaska and surrounding waters.
What is USL&H you ask?
USL&H is a Federal act (sometimes referred to as the United States Longshoremans & Harbor Works Act) designed to provide compensation to an employee if an injury or death occurs upon navigable waters of the US - including any adjoining pier, wharf, dry dock, terminal, building-way, marine railway or other adjoining area customarily used by an employer in loading, unloading, repairing, dismantling or building a vessel.
Black-Peak also has workers compensation insurance coast to coast for all your staffing needs.
What is USL&H you ask?
USL&H is a Federal act (sometimes referred to as the United States Longshoremans & Harbor Works Act) designed to provide compensation to an employee if an injury or death occurs upon navigable waters of the US - including any adjoining pier, wharf, dry dock, terminal, building-way, marine railway or other adjoining area customarily used by an employer in loading, unloading, repairing, dismantling or building a vessel.
Black-Peak also has workers compensation insurance coast to coast for all your staffing needs.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Top 10 Jobs for 2014 - Black-Peak Technology Staffing with Jim Bernier
10. Natural Sciences Manager
This job is considered to be one of the top paying jobs and it is standing
on the number 10. These are expected to work as the land managers and are
responsible for the higher production.
9. Marketing Manager
Marketing has no limits and you can make a lot of profits. These jobs are
globally recognized and these include some of the serious areas that are
related to the economic sector. Presently this job is standing on the number
9.
8. Computer and Information Systems' Manager
Information technology is one of the best areas that is in demand forever.
The main thing about this job is the security and management in some of the
sectors that are public or private in function.
7. Air Traffic Controller
The main industry is one of those industries that are related to the
locomotion. This sector is more popular as compared to that of other sectors
because this job needs expertise and skills.
6. Lawyers
Crimes are present in every society and there is a need to defend some of
the cases. Best thing about this job is that you can earn your money at any
part of the world. The legal systems are always praised.
5. Dentist
The medical fields are always liked and there are many prospects. But there
is a great difference between the culture of the developed and the
developing nations. The main thing about this sector is that you can make a
lot of profits.
4. Airline Pilot
This industry is also considered as one of the highest paying jobs in the
world. The main thing in this job is the responsibility because this job
needs a lot of efforts.
3. Engineering Manager
The engineers are best known due to the works that are conducted by these
specialists. Construction, designing and execution of any project are
directly or indirectly dependent upon these managers.
2. Chief Executive Officers
CEO are directly or indirectly involved in some of the serious decisions
that can take a company to new heights. Some of the serious jobs come under
this category.
1. Surgeon
This job is considered as one the highest paying jobs that have very good
future. Currently surgeons are being apid at the highest pays in the United
States. There is fact that surgeons are also demanded all over the world.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Black-Peak Technology Staffing with Jim Bernier
Three Ways to Make an Offer
Let's assume you've got a candidate and an employer who have wrapped up their interviews and want to work together. How, exactly, do you choreograph an offer and get it accepted?
I take the position that an offer is worthless or even counterproductive unless it's accepted. Therefore, a "clean" offer is the gold standard to strive for.
A clean offer is an offer that's been pre-accepted by the candidate. In other words, you've closed the candidate at a salary lower than what you know or anticipate the company is planning to offer, and tied up any loose ends that might present a problem. So, when the company tells you they've decided to make an offer, you reply that the candidate has already authorized you to accept. To seal the deal, you ask the employer to call the candidate to shake hands over the phone, and generate a letter of acceptance for the candidate to sign and date.
A less desirable option is the "conditional" offer, in which the offer is extended and accepted, but with one or more components to be determined prior to the start date. Conditional offers are fairly common in sales positions, in which there might be two or three different commission plans to choose from, or territories that need to be carved out. Generally, these deals can be put to bed with a simple meeting between the candidate and his or her prospective supervisor. But if the stumbling blocks are significant (as in dealing with a relocation), you might need to make eleventh-hour adjustments to protect the placement.
Avoiding a Train Wreck
The most risky offer is the "hope and pray" offer, in which the company extends an offer and waits for the answer. As a spectator, you're stuck in the middle, hoping and praying the offer will satisfy the candidate.
If the offer is accepted, congratulations. If the offer is rejected, the employer has to decide whether to up the ante, negotiate the sticking points, or find another candidate. I really dislike "hope and pray" offers, as there are too many unknowns. For example, is it the terms of the offer driving the candidate's decision – or is it the job itself? You can always adjust a compensation package; but you can't easily change the job, the company or the culture. And if the candidate isn't thrilled, you've got no Plan B to fall back on.
Most "hope and pray" offers allow the candidate time to "think it over," which creates a recruiting dilemma. Do you coax, bully or beg? Play good cop or bad? Shut up or make a nuisance of yourself?
I've found the best thing to do is stay calm, go to a neutral corner and wait it out, unless the candidate has a question or needs factual information. To increase your leverage, you and the employer can set a "drop dead" date, after which the offer expires.
Not long ago, I found myself in a potential train wreck situation. The candidate, after completing two strong interviews, said he wanted to work for my client company. The company also was interested, but wanted me to do some due diligence before they extended an offer.
The candidate then confessed that he had somehow attracted the interest of a couple other companies, and had scheduled interviews with both. When I asked how my company ranked in comparison to the others, he was unwilling to say. When I asked if he could name a price at which he'd shut down all other activity and accept an offer from my client, he couldn't do it.
So, rather than wage a bidding war we were certain to lose, my client and I decided to pass on the candidate and find someone who really wanted the job and was willing to commit. While it was heartbreaking to let an otherwise qualified candidate slip through our fingers, it reminded me that my role is to help the employer hire great talent -- not hand over a bargaining chip to a wily candidate.
Let's assume you've got a candidate and an employer who have wrapped up their interviews and want to work together. How, exactly, do you choreograph an offer and get it accepted?
I take the position that an offer is worthless or even counterproductive unless it's accepted. Therefore, a "clean" offer is the gold standard to strive for.
A clean offer is an offer that's been pre-accepted by the candidate. In other words, you've closed the candidate at a salary lower than what you know or anticipate the company is planning to offer, and tied up any loose ends that might present a problem. So, when the company tells you they've decided to make an offer, you reply that the candidate has already authorized you to accept. To seal the deal, you ask the employer to call the candidate to shake hands over the phone, and generate a letter of acceptance for the candidate to sign and date.
A less desirable option is the "conditional" offer, in which the offer is extended and accepted, but with one or more components to be determined prior to the start date. Conditional offers are fairly common in sales positions, in which there might be two or three different commission plans to choose from, or territories that need to be carved out. Generally, these deals can be put to bed with a simple meeting between the candidate and his or her prospective supervisor. But if the stumbling blocks are significant (as in dealing with a relocation), you might need to make eleventh-hour adjustments to protect the placement.
Avoiding a Train Wreck
The most risky offer is the "hope and pray" offer, in which the company extends an offer and waits for the answer. As a spectator, you're stuck in the middle, hoping and praying the offer will satisfy the candidate.
If the offer is accepted, congratulations. If the offer is rejected, the employer has to decide whether to up the ante, negotiate the sticking points, or find another candidate. I really dislike "hope and pray" offers, as there are too many unknowns. For example, is it the terms of the offer driving the candidate's decision – or is it the job itself? You can always adjust a compensation package; but you can't easily change the job, the company or the culture. And if the candidate isn't thrilled, you've got no Plan B to fall back on.
Most "hope and pray" offers allow the candidate time to "think it over," which creates a recruiting dilemma. Do you coax, bully or beg? Play good cop or bad? Shut up or make a nuisance of yourself?
I've found the best thing to do is stay calm, go to a neutral corner and wait it out, unless the candidate has a question or needs factual information. To increase your leverage, you and the employer can set a "drop dead" date, after which the offer expires.
Not long ago, I found myself in a potential train wreck situation. The candidate, after completing two strong interviews, said he wanted to work for my client company. The company also was interested, but wanted me to do some due diligence before they extended an offer.
The candidate then confessed that he had somehow attracted the interest of a couple other companies, and had scheduled interviews with both. When I asked how my company ranked in comparison to the others, he was unwilling to say. When I asked if he could name a price at which he'd shut down all other activity and accept an offer from my client, he couldn't do it.
So, rather than wage a bidding war we were certain to lose, my client and I decided to pass on the candidate and find someone who really wanted the job and was willing to commit. While it was heartbreaking to let an otherwise qualified candidate slip through our fingers, it reminded me that my role is to help the employer hire great talent -- not hand over a bargaining chip to a wily candidate.
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