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To develop a successful career in supply chain management, individuals need to have the right combination of experience and training, not to mention the desire to do well in this field. Supply chain management is the process of moving products or goods from the manufacturer to the distributor on to the customer. Every aspect of the job requires a significant amount of attention paid to the task at hand. You can better your chances of entering and growing in this field, though.

Get Educated

Having a professional certification in supply chain management is an excellent advantage. There are various institutions offering this type of certification. Individuals can even use self paced training programs to help enhance skills that may be outdated.

Love Math

One of the biggest factors in whether an individual will be successful at this job is their ability to understand and use math in the proper manner. Having a mathematical aptitude is going to be one of the strongest attributes of a candidate for this career field.

Take on Projects

On a resume, having experience managing a new project can be an outstanding benefit. Having experience establishing and effectively running a new project can make a significant impact on your long-term career. This looks impressive on a resume, even if it is a smaller project or your first step into this direction.

Have Good Problem Solving Skills

Another important factor for individuals who wish to succeed will be problem-solving skills. Those who have the ability to manage conflicts in demands and scheduling and who have the ability to do it without becoming overwhelmed, will do well in supply chain management. It is necessary for these professionals to have outstanding time management and project management skills. Often it is the case where individuals will have several problems happening at one time and they will need to manage every moment.

Understand Key Systems

To do well in supply chain management, you will need to understand the systems used within this field. Enterprise Resource Planning Systems or ERPs are an important part of this job field. In global organizations, these systems are invaluable. Having experience or an understanding of how they work, can help. It may be possible to take courses to learn these skills long before applying for a position.

Gaining Experience

Perhaps the most important element to doing well in the supply chain management field is simply getting experience. Though most people will need to start with entry-level positions, working your way up the chain of command will help. Choose a company with a strong internal training program and make sure that those in charge know your interest in developing these skills. People will experience in processing and manufacturing can find these to be good skills. Consider the advantages of taking temporary assignments through Stark Talent to gain this experience as well.

Supply chain management is a strong and growing field. Having the skills to perform well in this position will put you in demand in this industry.

The idea that most people picture in their minds when the topic of internships come up is a short term program geared towards high school or college students who’d like to “try on” a job. However, did you know that internships can be a powerful way for candidates of all ages to get more exposure to help land a great career? Most internships allow for on-the-job experience without the commitment, offering both employees and employers many advantages.

In today’s competitive job market, internships can provide valuable learning experience and networking opportunities that anyone can take advantage of at any stage in their career. These internships can be either paid or unpaid, but are based on the same principle of being able to get real-world experience in a new industry or profession, while under the guidance of others. In other words – this is a total win-win situation for both interns and the companies who offer this experience.

Here are some things to consider if you are exploring the world of internships.

• Internships give you a chance to explore a new career in a safe environment. The main reason to consider an internship is to satisfy your quest for knowledge about a specific career field, before you invest too much into it. With so many adults heading back to scholl for more eduction and training, internships can provide an alternative means to learn the skills you need to succeed in a specific career. You may also find that you don’t want to pursue things further in a job type, or find other related jobs that you prefer instead of your original plan.
• Many fields require internships before acceptance for regular employment. As a rule, there are some companies that actually require an internship before granting access to regular placement. These industries include entertainment and creative fields, the medical and social science industries, as well as some technical and engineering positions. While internships are mandatory for final year college students, they can also be required for adults who want to venture into a new career.
• Internship benefits and payment can vary greatly from one company to the next. When evaluating any internship program, keep in mind that companies are not legally required to pay interns because there is an understanding that the exchange of information and college credit is compensation enough. Never go into an internship expecting to be paid, because your reward will be in the valuable experience and contacts you will take with you. In recent times, many companies have implemented special incentives for interns, including bonuses for completing an internship successfully.
• Companies often recruit directly from intern pools every year. When it comes time to hire the best, most companies turn to their interns as a valuable source of manpower. If you work as an intern, you can indicate upfront you would like to be considered for regular employment at some point in the future. Chances are, you will increase your ability to get hired on, simply by being in the right place at the right time as an intern.

To learn more about opportunities to work as an intern, please visit Stark Talent today. You’ll be on your way to a brand new career and success at any age.

Could the Patriot Act slow down the tech industry in the United States? The Patriot Act provided a new opportunity for the military to protect the country after the September 11th attacks. However, now it has some foreign companies not willing to get into business with American companies. The problem is not the companies themselves but the technology they are using. That technology has an incredible impact on the way people do business in the US right now. Cloud computing is very useful but for foreign businesses, it seems like a risk.

What’s the Problem?

The problem with cloud computing is that it allows data to be stored in a “cloud” on the Internet. Anyone with the proper pass codes can access the information in the cloud and use it from virtually any location where there is an Internet connection. The problem is, though, foreign companies are leery about putting their private information on American company’s cloud systems. Could this provide an opportunity for the government to spy on their actions? Foreign competitors want companies to avoid working with American communities as a result.

Actions Under Way

The good news is that something is being done to minimize this worry and to encourage foreign companies that the government has no need or interest in tapping into private, foreign company’s information. The Obama Administration is taking steps to encourage a full understanding of the Patriot Act as well as what it means to business. The White House is working on solutions as this has a potentially big negative impact on many US businesses, especially since other companies are using and already benefiting from cloud systems overseas.

The Patriot Act has worried business owners in Europe, Asia and throughout the world. The worry is that, under this law, foreign companies may be required to provide information at any time upon request by the federal government in the US.

The threat is real. In the Netherlands, for example, authorities seemed to consider the idea of blocking any US based cloud firms from actually bidding on and receiving contract bids from government programs. It was never put into place, but the fear is that other countries will put this type of limitation in place.

The true benefit of cloud management is having free information travel between sources. With some countries now requesting businesses cut into this and to keep communications within the country’s borders there is a risk to American companies in this firm. In a report on cloud computing that came out in 2011, 71 experts from companies such as Microsoft, Amazon and Salesforce have come forward to put pressure on Washington to take control over the situation. It could mean a large problem for companies who want and need to expand their services overseas.

Job recruiters at oil and gas companies often get the cold shoulder from government agencies and politicians. Because they are not in the business of renewable energy really should not matter though. In fact, research indicates that these industries are actually not producing the jobs and careers that many people believed they would for so long. The fact is, there are some pretty good benefits to the oil and gas industry as we know it.

Oil and Gas Companies Create Jobs

One of the biggest benefits to the oil and gas industry is that this industry continues to create jobs. At a time when unemployment remains so high, there’s no doubt this is critically important. The oil and natural gas industry, for example, provides the country with more than nine million jobs. Moreover, there are major projects in the works to add even more jobs. That includes new natural gas production locations in areas like Pennsylvania and adding some 100,000 jobs in Northern Texas in the Barnett shale industry.  Add to this the number of supportive positions added in the manufacturing industry and others, and that job number continues to grow.

Bringing in Tax Revenue

The oil and natural gas industries are also big payers into the coffers of the US government’s tax system. In short, the taxes paid by some of the largest companies in these fields actually exceed the domestic earnings the companies have. In addition, state and local governments also get a chunk of change from these industries as well.

Energy Companies Invest in the Country

The next time you go to hire someone out of your oil company and hear that this business is running the country to the ground, think again. In fact, $266 billion in new capital spending as well as $176 billion in wages and another $35 billion in stock dividends is the big factor. The industry continues to contribute and to reinvest in the country in this way.

It’s an Industry We Need

Hands down, if the oil and natural gas industries were to close down their doors right now, millions of Americans would be without jobs. In fact, it is quite clear to see that jobs in this field continue to be viewed as some of the best to be had. People often understand the importance of the industry. On the flip side, though, solar and wind power jobs are not out there in as much force. More so, many people still wonder about the way those alternative forms of energy will fit into today’s world. Oil and natural gas are stable long term.

As a recruiter for an oil company or natural gas company, you may not feel the impact every day. It is there. Those in this industry contribute to a great deal of the function of everyday lives in the US.

IT professionals are often required to put in long hours and completely dedicate themselves to the jobs and or projects at hand. For this reason alone, many IT candidates face relocation issues that are somewhat unique to them. Here are a few things you should keep in mind before agreeing to relocate for any IT position.

Social Networks and Down Time

Some companies acknowledge the fact that they require their IT employees to put in long hours and go out of their way to create an environment that allows and even encourages socialization. More and more IT companies are beginning to provide recreational equipment for much needed recharge time as well. Find out what kind of environment you’re going to be working in and if it’s one that will be an effective and healthy environment for you. Also keep family in mind and how much time you’ll have to devote to them, if you have family, while also adjusting to a new work situation.

What Kind of Relocation Packages are Offered?

This is a market that is ripe with competition. In many instances good companies have people lining up to work for them. However, the cream of the crop, the jobs you should really consider relocating for, are going to go above and beyond what everyone else is doing by offering attractive relocation packages. They want to hire the most talented IT candidates and they are well aware that this is a great way to attract their target demographic.

Consider the Location

Different IT professionals at different stages of their careers will have a different idea of what the “perfect” location to start a new chapter in their lives will be. You know what your life is like now and you have an idea of how you’d like it to be. Does this relocation get you any closer to your goals? How about your family? Will there be educational and employment opportunities for family that you’re going to bring along? What about your lifestyle? Is the community where you’ll be moving attractive to you and the lifestyle you want to lead? These are all important questions that will matter to you.

Of course, as an IT professional there are additional considerations you’ll need to keep in mind. Is the infrastructure of the community at large fairly modern? It does no good to work in a high-tech IT environment if you live in an area that has aging lines and an infrastructure that should have been extinct a decade ago. Most people today bring their work home with them on occasion. Are you going to be able to find a home with the wiring to meet the demands of the work you’ll need to do at home?

More and more IT professionals are taking the plunge and relocating for work. It’s not nearly as uncommon as it has been in the past. People are leaving home and striking out on their own hoping to strike gold and find a new place to call home and work. For help with finding a new IT assignment, and handling the challenges of relocation, be sure to work with the career experts at Stark Talent!

As an engineer, you have the potential of finding more lucrative positions than many other fields. However, the fact is, the United States has not kept up with the overseas competition and that has driven many jobs out of the country. For those graduating with an engineering degree, there are jobs out there, but getting them means, you will have to shine brighter than the competition. That is often the most challenging aspect.

Tips for Resume Boosting for Engineers

The engineering resume needs to communicate skills and abilities properly. While many engineers are good at providing basic information about the jobs they have completed, that may not be enough. Rather, a resume must provide more details and help to display your talents instead. If you do not plan to have a professional write your résumé, there are some tips you can use to get it right.

• Choose an organized format for the resume. Allow your skill set to shine rather than just your job history. A chronological order may not work for you in this case, but that is okay. Make sure your achievements rank first.
• Rather than an objective, create a summary that outlines the type of job you are looking for and how your skills and experience play into that. A traditional objective may not provide enough information.
• You can and should consider adding a project list to the resume. As an engineer, this will help to pinpoint specific examples of how you will benefit their company. Your accomplishments stand out.
• Use the right buzzwords within the resume. Since most initial screening of applicants is computer based, you will need to ensure your resume contains the right buzzwords those computer programs are looking for through the scan. That way, it lands in human hands. Buzzwords can include the power words and verbs related to your skills and experience.
• No errors allowed! Ensure you pay attention to the details. As an engineer, it is expected of you to do so.
• To stand out, be sure you list your accomplishments clearly rather than just outlining your job duties. This draws in the reader and gets them thinking about you in a positive frame of mind.
• Remember to sell the benefits of your skills, too. How can your skills benefit the company?

For those who have an engineering degree, having a resume that reflects skills and experience is critical. For those still in school or hoping to land that first position, still focus on achievements and your strongest skills. In this very competitive market, these traits make the most impact on the prospective employer. Display how you can be a benefit to the company – and be specific. There is no room for guesswork here. You want to entice them into working with you.

While the career market did experience some promising growth at the end of 2011, the New Year is looking to be promising for many companies in the administrative, technology, energy, health care and engineering industries. According to the US Department of Labor, the national average of unemployment at the end of December 2011 was at 8.5 percent, but there were several states that saw a nice decline in the number of claims filed. However, these industries are growing at a steady pace, which means plenty of career opportunities for job seekers.

Unemployment and hiring trends should change the way you hire people. Employers can learn a great deal from the trends occurring in today’s very challenging and every changing employment field. There are ideal candidates out there. There are also highly competitive employers looking to get the best they can.

What’s Going on Today?

According to the LinkedIn Recruiting Trends 2011 report, there are some interesting changes occurring in the employment field. For example, about 60 percent of companies in the United States say they plan to hire more professionals than they did the previous year. However, of those, 55 percent say they do not expect to increase their hiring budget to do it.

Social Media is the Route to Take

How do companies plan to hire more without paying more to find those employees? Many are turning to social media to do the work for them. The top recruiting trend in the country, in fact, is using social and professional networks to locate the ideal candidate for open positions. The same report indicates that about 35 percent of business worry that competitors will learn to use social media more effectively than they are using it and therefore land more of the best candidates in the field. Ninety-six percent of those who responded noted that LinkedIn was their choice for social networking for recruiting needs. Is your business using it?

Who Is Hiring?

Express Employment Professionals, one of the largest staffing companies in the country, released a report indicating where hiring trends are in North America at the end of 2011 and start of 2012. Here is a look at where jobs are.

• The commercial and light industrial sector accounts for about 32 percent of all job openings.
• About 28 percent of businesses plan to hire administrative or office staff.
• About 32 percent are hiring for other positions such as customer service, food service, healthcare, sales or general labor.
• 14 percent of those that responded to the company’s survey indicated they plan to hire for engineering positions.
• 13 percent plan to hire marketing professionals.
• Another 10 percent say they plan to hire into their finance and accounting sectors.
• Information technology jobs account for about nine percent.

This should help businesses to gauge just how much competition there is in the market. The survey conducted by the company was given to more than 17,000 businesses that plan to hire.

There is more demand today for skilled workers than previously. Most employers are talking about hiring again. Some sectors will not likely begin hiring until the economy is performing far better, including those who are unskilled laborers or those who are highly skilled engineers or architects. The housing market is simply not growing. According some experts, salaries will increase but not by high levels and the money in salary increases is unlikely to be spread around evenly to all workers.

Keeping these factors in mind, where is your business headed? Are you conducting the same types of hiring or is your sector skill holding back to see if the economy improves? Employers must compete in a very different world today than they did pre-recession, but for many employees that is a good thing.

The US job market has taken a huge hit in recent years. Even before the recent economic downturn, manufacturing had been fading fast in the US. Manufacturers were leaving the US in favor of lower wages and more favorable taxation and regulation.

Things had begun to shift just prior to the “Great Recession” of 2007. More manufacturers were beginning to move back to the US. The recession definitely slowed the growth of these manufacturing positions. As we are beginning to see signs of light on the other side of the tunnel however, we’re also seeing a distinct rise in the need for new hiring in manufacturing industries.

There are quite a few reasons companies are making the move back to the states. Chief among these reasons are: rising costs for transportation, increasing expenses in production overseas, strong productivity within the US, and a greater understanding of the headaches involved in long supply chains.

This is great news that we should all be over the moon about. The problem is that many questions remain before companies are going to be willing to go out and begin hiring new workers en masse.

Mistrust and Fear are Fading

People still remember feeling the first sting of the recession even as politicians promised that all was well five years ago. Then there was an overnight shift in position and policy. Suddenly the economy was a political proxy that must be fixed immediately.

Five years later, fixes have been slow to arrive. That is why the growth we’re seeing in manufacturing and factory employment is such welcome news in many circles.  Current projections have US factory jobs growing by 1.3 percent this year and an additional 3.1 percent in the following year.

The fact remains that there is a growing demand for trained and skilled labor to accept these new factory jobs and it’s going to have a significant impact on hiring across the board. But not all manufacturing positions require experience. There are many that anyone with a decent head on his or her shoulders can be trained to do. This means that traditionally “white collar” employees are going to begin to turn to manufacturing positions.

Supply and Demand are Trading Places

In other words, for those who deal with human resources, there is likely to be a shift in the job search over the next years. People will gravitate towards careers where jobs are available.

For the past few years there has been a massive surplus of qualified candidates for the few positions that were available. That is about to change. The more growth we see in manufacturing here in the US, the fewer people are going to find themselves out of work for prolonged periods of time.

Human resources and hiring managers have a lot to deal with and haven’t had to actively recruit for quite a while. Companies have been tightening belts, adding hours, and cutting benefits in order to stay in business. Now they are going to have to compete with these manufacturing positions that offer overtime pay for extra hours and attractive benefits packages.

What this really means for business is that the search is back on for the best and brightest among the highly capable fields of job applicants and manufacturing companies are hiring! Find out more by contacting Stark Talent today for many part time and full time jobs in the manufacturing sector!

Photo Credit: think4photop / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Last year, was an incredible adventure for the IT/Tech industry. We saw the introduction of many new forms of technology to mainstream consumers, from cloud computing to tablets. With 2012 just barely in it’s first few weeks, experts are predicting that 2012 will continue to see an explosion of technology that will continue to focus on average consumers and small business. Let’s take a look at 2011, and make a few predictions of our own.

2011 was the year of Social Media. Giants on the scene included Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Zynga and many others who have become an international obsession for billions of attention starved, self-promoting consumers and businesses alike. Although Facebook has taken some criticism from users who are tired of the constant changes, possible privacy issues, and issues with the new timeline format, it is predicted to increase membership over the coming year to hit a new record. Look for continued integration with multiple applications that use your Facebook log into to access.

Last year, the mobile technology market also boomed with some 5.3 billion mobile subscribers worldwide, that’s 77 percent of the world population, according to a recent survey from MobiThinking as of November 2011. This number is led by China and India, two areas that have typically produced the cheapest mobile devices, including the $35 Akash tablet, which made its way on the scene late in 2011. The International CES 2012 revealed even more mobile awesomeness, which included Toshiba’s “world’s thinnest notebook” and Samsung’s 5” Galaxy Smartphone.

Just like in 2011, consumer gadgets rule the landscape with Vizux Smart Glasses , LG’s 84” HGTV, and Nikon’s impressive D4 DSLR 16.2 MP camera, which has them running for the nearest electronics retailers. According to a recent article in Forbes, consumer electronics purchases increased by 10%, and that’s in the midst of an economic recession faced by the world. “For 2011, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) sees 15% growth in North America, 23% growth in Western Europe, 15% in China, 12% in Asia, 5% in Eastern Europe, 4% in the Middle East, 10% in South America and 7% in Africa.” (Source: Forbes) . Estmated sales are expected to top $1 Trillion in 2012.

What does this mean in terms of careers in It and Technology in 2012? You can expect to see a massive demand for new jobs at all levels in the New Year, from product development to sales. To get on board now with a great IT career, consider signing on with a top IT and Technology recruiting firm like Stark Talent today!

From Angry Birds to Hog Heaven
HR.com Virtual Conference – January 17, 2012
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Central

Stark’s Doug Douglas will be continuing as a featured speaker and subject matter expert for HR.com’s Virtual Conferences in 2012. On January 17, Doug will be leading “From Angry Birds to Hog Heaven,” a session that looks at how an organization’s recruiting efforts impact corporate branding initiatives. RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) engagements can help organizations focus on streamlining application processes, provide feedback throughout the application/interview process, and other process improvements that give the job seeker a more favorable opinion of the hiring company. In a fight for the best talent, the biggest and most recognizable company doesn’t always win. You’ll find out how your organization (whether big or small) can win!

Doug has led previous virtual conferences with HR.com – the most recent being “RPO – Without Raising Your Debt Ceiling.” This session focused on the basics of RPO and what benefits an organization might see if going to this type of engagement. This was the #1 rated session for all HR.com Virtual Conferences with the largest number of pre-registrations recorded and superior evaluation marks following the presentation.

Register now for this free virtual conference, and invite other HR leaders to join as well.
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