FPC of Huntsville-Nationwide Electronics and Defense Industry Recruiting

What’s the difference between job risk and career risk? David Rogier, CEO and Co-founder of MasterClass, puts it this way: Job risk: the chance your job might disappear Career risk: The chance you’ll damage your career over the long run He puts it in the context of deciding whether to go work for a startup. Working for a startup is a job risk because you can’t be sure the company or the job will still exist in a year. But it’s typically not a career risk, because even if the job itself doesn’t work out, chances are, you’ll gain valuable skills and have a chance to take on responsibilities you may not have at a more established company. And “if the startup is successful,” he says, “you'll be seen as a big part of the reason and climb fast.” I often work with candidates who are nervous or unsure about which job to take. Weighing job risk versus career risk is one of the benefits of working with a seasoned recruiter.

This might seem incredibly counterintuitive, but I recently told a client not to hire a candidate they thought would be a great fit. Over the years I have learned that technical and culture fit are equally important. Just because a candidate checks all the right marks on paper and interviews well does not mean that candidate will be happy in a role — or that they’ll perform. There’s a large cultural component to job satisfaction. Some cultural factors can be figuredd out on paper or in an interview. A candidate who works best in a highly collaborative interpersonal environment won’t thrive in a company where independence and working remotely are priorities. But there are also aspects to culture that are more or less intuitive. They can’t be deduced with a quiz or checklist. Instead, you have to pay attention to interview conversations and read between the lines of dialogue. Bottom line is you really need to spend time getting to know a candidate. Thirty minute interviews spread out over two hours does not cut it. In addition, if you’re working with a recruiter, you can often get a deeper sense of that candidate based on the conversations the recruiter has had with them.

You can’t fake leadership on a resume. If you want to move into a leadership role, but you don’t quite have the experience, it can be pretty tricky. Who’s going to take a chance on you after reviewing your resume? What you can do, in a completely candid and authentic way, is highlight leadership experience beyond professional managerial roles: - Projects you spearheaded and owned — even better if you can cite success metrics. Within your roles, what have you taken initiative on and gotten great results from? - Language in your resume that conveys vision and teamwork. In the same way they say, “dress for the job you want, not the job you have,” you should “talk like the person you want to become.” If you are unsure what to include and not include, talk to an expert. I am always happy to take a look at your resume to see if it accomplishes what you want.

Historically, the first working day of January is a very popular day to start a new job. If you have someone starting a new job in the next few weeks, pick up the phone and call them today. A few reasons why: 1. Reaching out sets a good precedent about your enthusiasm for the hire and your willingness to work together as they onboard. 2. The more you set expectations and feed the person information before they begin, the smoother the onboarding process will go. 3. The truth is, if you made a really good hire, their current employer may not be so excited to let them go. Keeping the new hire focused on the future will reassure them they’re making the right choice. I always encourage my clients to stay in touch with fresh hires before they actually begin. If you need some coaching on this, I’m here for you.

Deciphering IPC sentiment reports is a lot like reading a crystal ball but it appears that, overall, the market is improving. "Total North American EMS shipments in October 2024 were up 14.7 percent compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, October shipments were up 3.4 percent. " "EMS bookings in October increased 6.6 percent year-over-year and decreased 4.5 percent from the previous month. " “Shipments, which had been subdued earlier this year, have now increased for four consecutive months, suggesting improving momentum.”

Another Thirsty Thursday in the books! Thanks to everyone who came out to The Casual Pint last night. Looking forward to the December social, details coming soon! #casualpint #WID-TVC #networking #defense

What does a bad hire really cost your organization? It is far more than just the expense of a rehire. When you bring on a leader who doesn’t align with your values, the ripple effect can be devastating. You risk losing the talented individuals who drive your success. The resulting turnover can be become a nuclear explosion – feeding itself until it runs out of fuel. If you know me, you may get tired of me saying that “like attracts like.” A leader who lacks the right qualities will draw in individuals with the same mindset, potentially destroying the culture you’ve worked hard to build. It is difficult to prevent bad hires but searching for the best goes a long way. Don’t limit your search to the best of those who are looking—strive to interview the best that can found. Your business depends on it.

Every bit of advice you’ll read will about interviewing will encourage you to do your research on a company before you head into an interview. A lot of people google the company’s website and stop there. But that is not enough to truly be prepared. You should also: ✅ If you have people in your LinkedIn network who work or have worked at the company you’re interviewing with, proactively reach out and ask them for their feedback ✅ Find the people you will be interviewing with on LinkedIn so you’re familiar with their roles and experience as well ✅ Google the company to find out what others are saying about it — trade publications, business journals, newspapers and magazines ✅ Don’t rely on Glassdoor!!! All of this sleuthing helps you come to an interview

Are you a leader or a driver? If you’re in a leadership position, you might think, of course I am a leader. But according to Enterprises Speaker & Consultant Rich Diviney, there are two possible archetypes of leader out there. Drivers sit at the head of an organization and come up with ideas they then implement using their teams. Diviney says “every person in their care is a button, a switch, a lever” — all of which are replaceable. A real leader, on the other hand, “understands that he or she is part of a human system, and every person in their span of care is an invaluable part of that system.” For the leaders I work with at FPC - Huntsville, it’s important to understand the difference. Leaders lead human beings. Drivers simply drive machines. Which type of leader would you like to be?