By Miriam Salpeter, GreatPlaceJobs Career Expert
www.keppiecareers.com

Is it just me, or do many movies for young people tend to have a career theme? I first noticed this back when I watched the Bee Movie. (I blogged about this HERE), and then again with Bedtime Stories -  a comedy about a hotel handyman (Adam Sandler) whose life changes when the outrageous bedtime stories he tells his niece and nephew start to actually come true. (Am I the only one who thought that movie was a career story?) Now, it’s Night At the Museum – Battle of the Smithsonian. Larry (Ben Stiller) realizes that running his own business isn’t half as much fun as hanging out with museum objects that come to life at night. Concluding that happiness is the most important thing in life, Larry makes a move.

What about you…Have you thought about the most important things in life? Given any thought to how happy (or unhappy) you are in your current job?

Alexander Kjerulf, author of Happy Hour is 9 to 5 – How to Love Your Job, Love Your Life and Kick Butt at Work, notes that studies show that people who pursue the career they like, rather than the career they think will make them rich, are more likely to become millionaires. However, when he studied U.S. workers, he found that “You get paid to do your job, not to like it,” seems to be the attitude of most US managers and workplaces. Further, he found that American employees “seem to be willing participants in this arrangement..When I ask Americans what makes them happy at work, they rarely talk about the work itself – many tend to see it as a means to an end, rather than as something to enjoy.”

He also reminds us that “happy companies make more cash.” This agrees with research that award-winning workplaces outperform and weather the recession better than their counterparts.

Alexander offers these questions to help evaluate your work happiness:

• What went really well for you at work?
• What did you do that you’re proud of?
• Who have you helped out?
• How have you grown and developed professionally?
• How have you grown and developed personally at work?
• Who has really appreciated your work?
• Who has helped you out and been there for you?
• Who have you admired at work?
• What have been some fun moments at work?
• Which 5 things from the last few months that you would you like to have more of?

Is it important for you to be happy at work? ARE you happy? Or, is it time to consider a change? Award-winning employers, such as the ones who post positions on GreatPlaceJobs, are less likely to experience lay-offs during a downturn. Now you can search our database for free and download a free toolbar to help you get started: http://greatplacejobs.ourtoolbar.com/

You deserve a job with a terrific company!

By Miriam Salpeter, GreatPlaceJobs Career Expert
www.keppiecareers.com

Are you the job seeker who, when asked what you’re good at, or what you want to do, who says, “I am really good at a lot of things. I have many skills, such as X, Y and Z, and I am a quick learner, so I can really do anything and I am open to just about any job.”

If that sounds familiar, it is time to re-work your pitch! As Shawn Graham, author of Courting Your Career, notes in the book, being willing to do anything is akin to saying you would date just about anyone, as long as they have teeth!

Shawn’s useful and informative book helps make the job search process more accessible to readers by comparing a job search to a search for a mate.

The first step for both processes? Figure out who you are and what you want! Look beyond physical appearance and cast a wide enough net to include a variety of types of companies to “romance.”

While some may believe that “fate” should play a big role in their love life and career paths, it’s a good idea to incorporate a good dose of planning in both areas for success.

Shawn weaves the dating analogy through the “meet market” – networking, and reminds readers that “Before you can date someone, you need to meet someone” (p. 33).  He offers three principles of effective networking:

• Assess – figure out who you know
• Expand – grow outside of your existing network
• Maintain – keep up your ongoing relationships

He reminds us that leveraging skills learned from past relationships is as useful for job seekers as it is for dating!

A tip I particularly enjoyed that also is perfectly aligned with both dating and job seeking is “it isn’t all about you.” Shawn asks, “Have you ever been on a date with someone who talked about him- or herself all night long?” (p. 111). You don’t want to be the self-centered job seeker! Remember that looking for a job is just as much about connecting to the employer’s needs as it is about what you have to offer!

There are some differences between job seeking and dating…For example, Shawn reminds readers that they should NOT send flowers to thank an interviewer!

Courting Your Career is a great (and fun) read for anyone in job search mode. The message is an optimistic and useful reminder – so much is in YOUR hands! Take advantage of it and move forward successfully!

YOU have a chance to win a copy of Courting Your Career! All you need to do is comment on any one of my blogs (comment on as many as you’d like to increase your chances). Share a story, ask a question…Let us know why you could use this book. I’ll pick one winner at random on Friday to receive a copy.

Did you know that you can search GreatPlaceJobs for FREE? You deserve a job with a terrific company! Download a free toolbar to help you get started: http://greatplacejobs.ourtoolbar.com/

Our affiliate, The People Group, shared some interesting information on their blog describing how to identify when you are being bullied. These signs are from “You know you’re being bullied when…” by Dr. Gary Namie, Workplace Doctor and Founder of the Workplace Bullying Institute:

1. You attempt the obviously impossible task of doing a new job without training or time to learn new skills but that work is never good enough for the boss.

2. Surprise meetings are called by your boss with no results other than further humiliation.

3. Everything your tormenter does to you is arbitrary and capricious, working a personal agenda that undermines the employer’s legitimate business interests.

4. Others at work have been told to stop working, talking or socializing with you.

5. You constantly feel agitated and anxious, experiencing a sense of doom, waiting for bad things to happen.

6. No matter what you do, you are never left alone to do your job without interference.

7. People feel justified screaming or yelling at you in front of others, but you are punished if you scream back.

8. HR tells you that your harassment isn’t illegal, that you have to “work it out between yourselves.”

9. You finally, firmly confront your tormentor to stop the abusive conduct, you are accused of harassment.

10. You are shocked when accused of incompetence despite a history of objective excellence, typically by someone who cannot do your job.

11. Everyone – co-workers, senior bosses, HR – agrees (in person and orally) that your tormentor is a jerk, but there is nothing they will do about it (and deny saying what they said later when asked to support you).

12. Your request to transfer to an open position under another boss is mysteriously denied.

If this describes your situation, follow THIS LINK to information that will help you deal with a workplace bully.

Is it time to look for a job in an organization that supports and appreciates its workers? Join GreatPlaceJobs to find positions with award-winning organizations! Our premium members also receive a free copy of G.L. Hoffman’s ebook, Dig Your Job (a $9.99 value)!

If you could ask a recruiter anything you wanted to know about how hiring really works, what would you ask?

Every first Friday of the month at 1p EST, GreatPlaceJobs affiliate SixFigureStart (Career Coaching By Former Fortune 500 Recruiters) hosts a free coaching call to answer your career questions.  Email questions to caroline@sixfigurestart.com.   To join the call:

Dial 712 775 7100
Use code 151675#

No need to preregister but if you want to submit your question in advance or if you want to be notified when the call recording is available, email info@sixfigurestart.com.

——————–

SixFigureStart is a career coaching firm comprised of former Fortune 500 recruiters.  SixFigureStart co-founders Connie Thanasoulis and Caroline Ceniza-Levine have a combined 40 years of HR and business experience, including recruiting for Accenture, Booz Allen, Citigroup, Disney ABC, Merrill Lynch, Oliver Wyman, Pfizer, Time Inc, TV Guide, and others.  Connie and Caroline are career columnists for Vault.com, CNBC.com and Conde Nast’s Portfolio.com, and teach Professional Development at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs.

Campbell Supply Company LLC is interested in hiring a Senior Technologist, Product Development for their R&D department in Camden, NJ.  Here’s a description of what this award-winning employer is looking for:

Imagine…working for a company that knows that its people are the key to its success in the marketplace. A company in which achieving extraordinary results and having a stimulating work experience are part of the same process.

At Campbell, we cultivate and embrace a diverse employee population. We recognize that people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives fuel our growth and enrich our global culture.

We are looking for an individual who enjoys working in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment, likes to be challenged, and values the opportunity to make a difference.
 
General Summary:

Opportunities within our NASSB Product Development organization are available. Senior Technologist positions reside within our Sauce and Beverage, Soup, and/or North America Food Service businesses. Seeking talented Technologists who will be responsible for managing multi disciplinary projects from concept through commercialization for the development of new products, product platforms, product improvements and/or process optimization.

Internal candidates please reach out to Marcy Martin, Campbells Global Talent Acquisition Recruiter, for more information regarding the openings.

Key Responsibilities:

1. 60%-70% Lead development from concept through implementation all aspects of product development projects of moderate to high level visibility.
2. 30% Interact with business and build partnerships to advance programs. Collaborate with and manage multi disciplinary functions within R&D as well as in partnership with Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing and Sales to drive and commercialize initiatives.
3. 0-10% Supervise organizational effectiveness of direct reports. Responsible for the individual development, objective setting, performance management and ongoing coaching of direct reports.

Job Complexity:

• Understand growth business goals and create direction and balance product quality with cost constraints
• Work across manufacturing systems
• Understand and identify project constraints and overcome these barriers through collaboration and alignment with cross functional teams
• Define R&D timelines and ensure smooth transition of technology transfer from innovation teams
• Understand and mitigate risk with respect to customer implementation. Understand customer needs and translate them into product executions. Understand consumer and customer research methodologies and results and lead the process to implement findings into product formulation.
• Balance multiple project initiatives simultaneously and work under conditions of ambiguity.
• May supervise organizational effectiveness of 1-2 direct reports. Responsible for individual development and performance management. 
 
Education and Experience:

• Product development experience required: 2+ years with Masters, 5+ years with Bachelors Degree
• Sound understanding of recipe development for transformation to manufacturing
• Development experience in thermally processed/refrigerated/frozen foods or beverages preferred
• Presentation skills and ability to interact with cross functional teams fostering a team approach
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Ability to deliver against key objectives and timelines
• Knowledge of experimental design is beneficial
• Requirement to taste all products

Working Conditions:
• Must be able to travel to various manufacturing sites. While in the office, 50% of the time is working in the labs or kitchens and 50% in meetings and desk work. Up to 30% travel required.

Campbell…the ingredients to be extraordinary. Where icon brands thrive.
People are valued. And you can make a difference.

Apply here, and tell them that you heard about the position GreatPlaceJobs!

Another in a series of posts highlighting GreatPlaceJobs’ workplaces.
By Natalie Roig, GreatPlaceJobs Research Assistant

AstraZeneca is one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. Active in over 100 countries, the company is experiencing strong growth in the corporate offices of London, Sweden and the U.S. AstraZeneca employs over 66,000 people world wide. Employment opportunities range from research to management.

AstraZeneca focuses on the following core values:

1.     Integrity and high ethical standards.

2.     Respect for the individual and diversity.

3.     Openness, honesty, trust and support for each other.

4.     Leadership by example at all levels.

AstraZeneca expects these core values to result in good ideas that turn into effective medicines. They rely on their employees for the company’s success. AstraZeneca aims to make work at their facilities an energizing and fulfilling experience.

AstraZeneca provides inspiring and effective leadership, open lines of communication, excellent learning and development opportunities, a safe and energizing workplace, competitive reward and benefits and a culture of equal opportunity in which individual success depends solely on personal merit and performance. To look for jobs with AstraZeneca, join GreatPlaceJobs.

AstraZeneca in the news

AstraZeneca contributes to over 140 nonprofit organizations nationwide. These organizations tend to focus on health, disabilities, seniors, science and math education, families, women and children, youth development, community services and the arts. For example, AstraZeneca collaborates with the United Way of Delaware’s Healthy & Independent Communities, AstraZeneca Hope Lodge in Boston, Healthy Delawareans Today & Tomorrow, and Christiana Care Healthy System Helen F. Graham Cancer Center.

On February 4, 2009, AstraZeneca announced the signing of legislation to extend the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. For many years, AstraZeneca has helped patients receive affordable medication. In 2008 alone, AstraZeneca helped more than 440,000 Americans afford medication and saved patients $612 million on their AstraZeneca prescriptions.

Is the job hunt getting lonely? My colleague Alexandra Levit recently wrote about how job seekers are turning to “accountability groups,” teams of job seekers whose goal is to help each other stay motivated and on track.

She shared information from a New York Times article that reported on one such group in suburban Chicago. The article notes what we all recognize: being out of work and job hunting can be difficult and demoralizing. It may be a very lonely process, especially for those unaccustomed to job hunting and for job seekers who don’t know how to conduct a successful search.

The benefit of an accountability group is that job seekers encourage and support each other, network and keep each other motivated and on task in what might otherwise become a very unstructured time.

Alexandra notes,

According to the Times, membership in various networking organizations across the country for unemployed executives and other professionals has ballooned in recent months as the recession has continued its march, sparing not even the highly educated and skilled. Providing a spur as well as solace, the groups offer transition assistance for people who previously led comfortable lives in the middle and upper-middle class.

One thing that struck me about the group described in the New York Times article was that it was organized and run by the job seekers themselves. “Seven of nine members have been out of steady work for six months or longer; the other two are approaching the six-month mark.” The organizer of the group lost his job 16 months ago, struggled to get interviews and wondered if he was “spending too much time applying for jobs online.” The article quotes him as saying, “I’m not doing something right yet.”

Honestly, reading about this group breaks my heart! Clearly, these job seekers could benefit from some professional job hunting advice. What if they knew how much time to spend sending out online applications and had expert feedback about their resumes and other job search correspondence? I am sure they could benefit from up-to-date information about using online tools and social networks. I wonder how different their stories might be if they had engaged the services of a coach before things began to look so glum?

I am happy to announce that I will be facilitating “virtual” accountability groups to help job seekers succeed in this difficult and competitive market. Help is just a phone call away! Participants will benefit from targeted professional coaching, an understanding team of other job seekers for networking and support and a structured program to help keep their job hunt on track.

Please CONTACT ME if you are interested in learning more about how to join a group that is right for you!

Don’t miss the rest of this series:

Read Part I – On-line resources
Read Part II – In-person resources
Read Part III – Your alma mater and other resources

Miriam Salpeter
GreatPlaceJobs Career Advice Expert
www.keppiecareers.com

In today’s economy, it is tough to counsel “choice” to job seekers. When bills need to be paid, and jobs seem few and far between, many don’t consider “options” as part of their job hunting mentality. That said, taking a bad job probably is not the wisest career move.

Forbes.com recently advised that it is “probably never” a good idea to take a job out of desperation.

They suggest:

Resist the urge to apply for just any job that’s even remotely related to your field. If you are selective about your targets, it is less likely that you’ll be in a situation that requires you to make a tough choice to take a less-than-ideal position. If you research the organizations and effectively network to learn about opportunities, you won’t blindly apply for jobs that aren’t suitable.

Forbes quotes  Sandy Gross, founder of Pinetum Partners LLC, an executive search firm that specializes in the financial services industry as saying, ”I advise clients to strongly consider whether they want to compromise everything they’ve learned, take a lower compensation package and work their way back up in a company…I encourage them to think of their next opportunity as a long-term career move, not something they’ll take for six months and then relaunch their job search.”

Consult a professional financial adviser. If you are lucky and have saved for a rainy day, you may find that you have some time to really focus on your search, or even to take a class to enhance your skills 

Potentially risky proposal. If you don’t have much of a cushion and taking a sub-par job is a necessity, Gross suggests, “Instead of signing on full-time, explain to the hiring manager that you respect the team and believe in the business but you’re not sure it’s the right move for you long term. Are they open to you signing on for six months or a year, to help with certain projects, and then re-evaluating your role?”

The article notes that this is a risky play, but that it could “appeal to employers who don’t necessarily want to pay health insurance or young firms that are willing to take guidance from senior level professionals on a short-term basis.” Note, this may come back to  haunt you if you DO want to stay with the company down the road.

Position yourself for the future. Remember, you are going to have to account for the time you spent at this less than ideal job when you go for your next opportunity. Think what you might market about the job before you jump in with both feet. Will you be able to explain why you took a short-term gig?

Evaluating the job opportunity is key, but when it comes right down to it, paying the bills will trump everything else. However, if you conduct a strong search that yields many opportunities, it will be easier for you to make a choice that propels your career forward.

GreatPlaceJobs offers an opportunity to search for positions in award-winning organizations, which have been shown to have less layoffs and higher returns, even in a recession.

Take a look at what we have to offer. It might be just the thing to jump start your search!

Miriam Salpeter
GreatPlaceJobs Career Advice Expert
www.keppiecareers.com