Hot Jobs :: Week of 04.06.09

Here are this week’s featured jobs on the NEW Pittsburgh Career Connector. visit pghcareerconnector.com to find more jobs and internships.

SEO Specialist
LunaMetrics

Senior Executives
NUCO

Executive Director
The Crisis Shelter of Lawrence County
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Hot Internship:

SQL Server – Summer Intern
Del Monte Corporation

Job Fair Season

The change of seasons means a new crop of job fairs is sprouting up. Check them out!

CCAC Allegheny Spring 2009 Job Fair 
Date: Wednesday, March 18 
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 
Location: Allegheny Campus Student Services Center 2nd Floor
For more information, including a list of participating companies and organizations, contact Career Services, Allegheny campus: 412.237.2545.

.org Nonprofit Career Fair
Date:March 19th
Time: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Location: Carnegie Mellon University, University Center, First Floor
For more information, visit: http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/pghnonprofitfair/

West PACS Spring 2009 Fair
Date: April 1st
Time: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Location: Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena: www.indoorsportsarena.com
For more information, visit: http://www.westpacs.org/ 

Community College of Beaver County
Date:April 15th
Time: 10:00 – 3:00
Location:CCBC Dome, 1 Campus Drive, Monaca, PA  15061
For more information, contact the Career Center at 724-775-8561 ext. 170, 251 or 276

Monroeville Job Fair & College Expo
Date:April 17th
Time: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Location:CCAC – Boyce Campus Student Union – level 5
For more information, including a list of participating companies and organizations, contact Career Services, Boyce campus: 724.325.6770.

Laid Off? Go Camping.

Driving into work today I heard this story on NPR and thought, “What a great idea!” Laid Off Camp is a grassroots sort of project started by someone who was, what else, laid off himself and wanted to connect with others who were unemployed. These informal groups of job-seekers get together for support, guidance, and potentially – leads to a new career. Their workshops focus on issues like budgeting, how to find affordable health insurance, and how to start your own consulting business. Although started in San Fransisco, new groups have cropped up around the country. No one has planned one for Pittsburgh yet, but I’m sure there are some enterprising individuals out there who will take on this great idea. Just be sure to let me know when you pitch your first tent!

Didn’t your mother tell you to say thank you?

One of the best things you can do to make sure you leave a positive impression after an interview is simply say, thank you. It can get a bit confusing however, when one takes into account the many ways of communicating this simple message. Send an email? Write a formal letter? Use those leftover thank you cards that your Aunt Sally gave to you back in High School? And then, what do you say?

Someone once gave me advice that I found quite refreshing. He told me that nothing works better than a handwritten note. It’s personalized, shows sincere effort and interest in the position, and doubles as a quick reminder of the excellent impression you made during the interview. Just make sure you have some decent, professional looking notecards or stationary. My thank you notes are typically short and succinct:

Dear so-and-so,
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me. It was great to [learn about X] or [meet you and so-and-so]. I am excited about the opportunity and know that [my skills in X] would add unique value to your company.  Yadda, yadda, yadda.

It can certainly get more detailed and formalized than this, and depending on what you pick-up about the interviewer’s personality, you might feel more comfortable sending a typed-written letter instead. Alternatively, if you know that decisions will be made very quickly, within two days of the interview, an email is acceptable. I would only use this as a last resort however, since an email is the least likely to stand out and definitely the laziest option.

Of course, in this day and age the lost art of nice handwriting  is likely also lost on you . If you need a little refresher you can practice by printing out these old school lesson sheets that are sure to bring back some memories. Just make sure to give yourself a gold star when you’ve mastered them.

And, don’t forget to get that note to the post office box ASAP! Employers expect to receive a thank you within 2-3 days of an interview.

Hot Jobs :: Week of 01.19.09

Here are this week’s featured jobs on the Pittsburgh Technology Council’s Career Center. Visit careers.pghtech.org for more job listings.

Server Operations Engineer
Sierra w/o Wires

Maintenance Manager, Corporate
American Textile Company

Strategic Online Marketing Leader
Guru.com
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Hot Internship:

Information Services Summer Internships
Giant Eagle, Inc.

Hot Jobs :: Week of 01.12.09

Here are this week’s featured jobs on the Pittsburgh Technology Council’s Career Center. Visit careers.pghtech.org for more job listings.

Director of Sales
True Commerce, Inc.

Director of Information Technology
One Planet Corporation

Network Tech
WPATECH LLC
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Hot Internship:

Intern Positions
United Cerebral Palsy of Pittsburgh (UCP)

Tip #3: Business Cards

Print your own business cards

It’s simple, but also one of the best things I did during my last job search! When you are at a networking event, or just run into someone on the street, it’s not good to leave them empty handed. There are great, online and inexpensive printers that can create stylish designs for you too! And, after you’ve landed the perfect job you can use them as calling cards like they did in the 19th century. I still use my leftovers for personal connections.

On Friday - Tip #4…

Tip #2: The Personal Elevator Pitch

Develop an elevator pitch for yourself 

When someone asks about you or what type of work you are seeking, don’t get caught looking stumped. I can’t tell you how many times someone has said to me, “And what is it that you are looking for?” or even more simply, “What do you want to do?” and I’ve stumbled and stammered over  what should be an easy question. Prepare yourself by doing a little prep-work. Brainstorm and write down your successes, what you are really good at, and what you want. It doesn’t need to sound fake or cheesy, but it should definitely be honest and leave the person with a clear understanding of your unique assets and what you are passionate about doing next.

If you need a bit of help to get started, check out the 15 Second Pitch website. This site features a “pitch wizard” that asks you questions & creates a personalized pitch in minutes.

Tip #3 is on its way in tomorrow’s Career Incline…

Confessions of an Unemployed Job Seeker

At first, it didn’t sound too bad – being laid off meant more time to do all that stuff you’ve been meaning to do and maybe even find the job of your dreams. But a few months later, you’ve painted the house, caught up on those books you’d been wanting to read, been on several fruitless interviews, and have hit a slump. Now it seems like no one is hiring and things are getting downright depressing. I’ve been there. I get it. But, here are a few ways to dust yourself off and get back to work!

Be sure to check back every day this week for a new tip.

1. Remind people that you exist

This sounds a bit ridiculous, but it’s true. People get caught up in their own lives and their own problems and need to be reminded that you, the well-experienced, amazing, catch of a job-seeker that you are, still needs to find a way to get a steady paycheck. Check in – send them an email, find them at a happy hour, re-connect with your former employer networks and try to attend a seminar or networking event. While you’re there, it’s probably not a good idea to tell them you’ve been lousing about the house for the past few months. Hopefully, you’ve got a few freelance gigs or are active in a volunteer project or two. This will help keep the conversation going and remind them how amazing you are (which will hopefully result in their remembering your name when they run into someone who needs your skill set). You can even place yourself in a busy location where you know you will run into people from your field. Maybe there is a favorite coffee shop where business meetings frequently take place. One of the nice perks of living in a small city like Pittsburgh is that you will likely run into someone you know, which will in turn…remind them that you exist!

Stay tuned for tip # 2 in tomorrow’s Career Incline…

Hot Jobs :: Week of 12.01.08

December tends to be a slow month for job seekers, but don’t go into hibernation mode just yet. There are hundreds of open position posted to the Pittsburgh Technology Council’s Career Center. Here’s a sneak peek of what’s available:

Technical Support Specialist
In-Synch Systems

Tax, Audit and Consulting Professionals
Sisterson & Co. LLP

SAP FI/CO Superuser
Resources Global Professionals
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Hot Internship:

Java Product Development Intern
Vivisimo, Inc.