Job Leads - Out of Town, many many leads.

Greetings!

Part of any job search is evaluating when, if ever, you will be willing to relocate to find the next job. When I was laid off from Motorola in Dallas in 1986 it was a no-brainer. I had wanted to move back to Virginia anyway and the layoff gave me an opportunity to do so. That was one of two layoffs that helped shape my career (and my life) for the better.

For most of you the relocation decision will be more difficult. My advice to you is:

• Make a Plan - Decide in advance at what point you will be looking at employment out of the area. Immediately, 3 months, 12 months, never.
• Talk to the Family - There is an impact to them too, even if you relocate and they stay here.
• Understand the Opportunities - I wouldn't advise uprooting the family for a mediocre job, and research on which areas have the best jobs is very valuable.
• Tolerance for Flexibility - There are many options with taking a job out of the area. Telecommuting, weekend home trips, relocating the family after the job proves stable, relocation assistance as a negotiated part of the compensation, etc. How flexible are you? Be realistic with yourself!

Check this list out. There are companies out there that are hiring technology professionals. Some are doing significant hiring. Use this list as a starting point for making your decisions about approaching relocation. There is a real mix in this list. Note at the bottom of the list is some reference articles that may be helpful.

Good Luck!

Barry

Job Lead - Markel Corp

Have you checked out Markel Corporation? I have a friend that was just hired there into a dream job. Their business is doing well, and they may offering opportunities. Here is the blurb from their website:

Markel Corporation (MKL-NYSE) is an international property and casualty insurance holding company headquartered in Richmond, VA. We sell specialty insurance products and programs to a variety of niche markets and believe that our specialty product focus and niche market strategy enable us to develop expertise and specialized market knowledge. We seek to differentiate ourselves from competitors by reason of our expertise, service, continuity and other value-based considerations. Our financial goals are to earn consistent underwriting profits and superior investment returns to build shareholder value.

The website has several interesting jobs listed under careers including Business Analyst, IT Governance Manager, Network & Security Manager, others.

I wonder if as an industry, Insurance is something that is doing well in this economy?

Check it out!

Job Resource - LESR on Twitter

Hey,

Get an account on Twitter (www.twitter.com) and follow LESR

The bio is: The hotspot for IT experts - jobs you will only find here!

They appear to be almost all Richmond IT jobs. It is run by Collins Denney, the same guy that organizes the Virginia Career Network "meetup" networking sessions in Richmond.

Check it out.

Barry

Job Article - How To Deal With Recruiters

I ran across this article, and thought it had some good points in it.

Recruiters will be part of your job search strategy at some point. They provide a valuable service. Unless you have been a contractor before, probably your sweet spot job is a full time permanent gig someplace. I've head lots of people say "contracting isn't right for me...".

Consider the following strategy. Be flexible, work with a recruiter on a contract placement. When you get it, keep looking for that permanent placement, keep networking, keep in circulation. This has the following advantages:

1. You get to make some money.
2. You add a company to your resume.
3. The contract firm may offer a benefits package, or at least access to group rates.
4. You get exposure to a whole bunch of new networking contacts. Huge plus.
   
5. You may get to expand your skills, take training, etc.
   
6. You may find the style of work is to your liking!
   

The downside is that there are only 24 hours in the day, and the job may cut into your job search time! Gotta find a balance.

I can make recommendations on recruiting firms via email if you are interested.

Good luck!

Barry

Job Networking Lead - Twitter

Okay, last post for the morning ...

If you are not on twitter, you need to be. Go to www.twitter.com and signup for an account.

You can follow me, barrycondrey and get the names of some of the folks that are heavy posters.

There are several job-opportunities services that post right into twitter. Specifically, check out RichmondJobNet and I am sure there are others.

Check out tweetdeck, and adobe AIR application that allows you to manage your tweets better.

Google "twitter beginners guide" or something, there are a ton of quick FAQs on twitter. One of my favs is at http://tinyurl.com/aveccl

Welcome to twitterville!

Barry

Job Lead - IT Director & Senior Java Developer CapOne

Two Leads:

1) I heard from a friend, there is a Sr. Java Developer position available at Cap1. I have a friend there, if anyone needs a contact, just email me.

2) IT Director - The Department of General Services (DGS) has posted the IT director position for that agency. It was in the paper on Sunday. I know people who know people over there, so let me know if you put your app in. Probably 50 people in that shop, and it is a large agency.

Good luck!

Barry

Job Lead - Multiple Positions - Mapcom (Richmond)

Holy Cow! Look at all this. They need everything from a developer to a software development manager. In Chesterfield County (the best place to live and work, BTW).

This was passed by an alert job networker friend of mine.

Please note they are very specific about not getting phone calls. Be respectful of that, and find another way in. Research them, find a contact and get your name mentioned like that. It is all about networking!

http://www.mapcom.com/index.php/about-us/careers

Good Luck!
Barry

Job Lead - Senior Software Engineer (Richmond)

A friend passed on this lead from a local Richmond Company. C#, C++, .Net. Looks like an interesting position. Check it out. I don't know anyone there!

http://www.amctechnology.com/company/Sr_Software_Engineer.html

Good Luck!

Barry

Reading Material -- Hottest IT Skills

Check out this article http://tinyurl.com/bj2xc8 for an assessment of the most in-demand jobs.

And, then think about how you and your skills map into those jobs.

Barry

Job Lead - Process Automation Engineer

This is manufacturing / industrial controls engineering position.

Boehringer Ingelheim is a privately held multinational chemical / pharmaceuticals company based in Germany. They have a big plant in Petersburg that is undergoing expansion. My brother works there, and my daughter interns there in the summer/winter.

They post a job or two every month. They are a good site to register with, and then receive the updates via email.

Go to the career website below, and search for the Process Automation Engineer position in Petersburg.

http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/corporate/career/index.asp

Good luck!

Barry

Job Lead - IT Client Services Analyst

This is PC / Desktop Support / Customer Service position.

Boehringer Ingelheim is a privately held multinational chemical / Pharmaceuticals company based in Germany. They have a big plant in Petersburg that is undergoing expansion. My brother works there, and my daughter interns there in the summer/winter.

Go to the career website below, and search for the job.

http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/corporate/career/index.asp

Here is the description of the job:

The IT Client Services Analyst will provide excellent customer service and technical support as well as administer all client services activities. This position will coordinate the PC Operations (desktop) workload as well as serve as the primary back-up for system security administration activities.

• Manage the IT Client Services activities (Inventory, licensing, and intranet)
• Produce and organize site-wide printed and electronic publications and communications
• Serve as the primary backup for Security Administration Activities
• Maintain and update IT Knowledgebase and procedures
• Conduct IT 101 Training and other ad hoc training
• Support other IT initiatives and projects as assigned

Good luck!
Barry

Job Lead - PM, Network Engineers, AD, 6-12 Month Contract

This was offered by Collins Denney, a recruiter with Leading Edge. A good guy. He has a job lead blog too at http://jobsabound.blogspot.com/ Check it out.

Friday Feb 6th, Legends, 6pm. Drinks & Networking for the ex-CCS crew! Be There!

Details are sketchy, but if you have skills in these areas, need your resumes sent to collinsd@lesr-it.com . Send salary or rate range. This is all contract work. 6-12 month contracts in VA. All require US Citizenship or Green Cards. No EAD's.

1) Project Managers, must have experience in IT infrastracture transformations, working in politically charged environments, PMP required

2) Network Architects/Engineers, cisco certs, exp with juniper or sidewinder, MPLS, VoIP

3) Network Security Architects/Firewall Engineers, antivirus, intrusion detection/prevention, firewalls, security systems developemtn, penetration testing IV&V,

4) Active Directory & Messaging Migration Engineers with heavy emphasis on migration between dissimilar systems

Job Lead - AFLAC in Georgia, many positions, recruiter in town next week!

This was received from a friend, passed on from the CCS outplacement guy. The career fair mentioned is the Circuit City Career fair, taking place next week I think. You should have already received an email about that.

I would suggest contacting this person ASAP. Tough to contemplate relocation, I know.

Aflac would be interested in meeting any and all IT professionals who would be willing to relocate (we do offer relocations assistance) for professional opportunities at Aflac Corp. Headquarters in Columbus, GA. We will take a close look at everyone interested in this opportunity with our organization and try to find a fit asap.

We will be at the career fair and we have reserved a conference room from 3-7 for pullouts and meet and greets with more senior individuals.

Specifically we are currently looking for:

• Applications Developers (Server Side- Java, J2EE w/ some mainframe experience would be ideal)
• Applications Developers (C, C++, C#, .net- strong programmers here not web developers, but internal Applications developers)
• Business Intelligence Applications Developer
• IT Project Managers, BSA’s)
• IT security with strong SOX regulatory background
• Sr. Managers/Director Level
• Enterprise Systems Administrators w/ Disaster Recovery experience

All of IT can send any questions or resumes to directly to me:
Lwilliams5@aflac.com
Lwilliams5@aflac.com
706-320-4681

Thanks,

Louis Williams