Planning is Key to Success

The Staffing View
On business, the workplace and employee relations
June, 2011



Micro Tech's Featured Job Openings for June



Manufacturing Engineer, Cranston, RI

Salary: $15 - $21 per hour

The employer is looking for an entry to mid-level engineer Responsibilities include translating customer documentation including prints, schematics, and drawings into work instructions (Assembly Process Tech); providing technical support to first-time builds; approving first time build APS for follow-up on production orders; providing technical support to production process; developing lean process for existing products; troubleshooting floor problems; participating in legacy process development and continuous process development initiatives as well as other projects as necessary




Electronic Assembly, Research Triangle Park, NC

Salary: $13 per hour

Company seeks an individual with the ability to assemble small electronic components with good manual dexterity and the ability to work 10-hour days Clean room environment experience a plus



Senior Linux Administrator, Needham, MA or Watertown, MA

Salary: Up to $100,000

Two well-established and successful software companies are looking for senior level Linux administrators to join their teams The ideal candidate will have experience with Bash or Perl scripting and have a strong grasp on the Linux command line



Reliability Engineer, Wilmington, MA

Salary: $120,000

Employer seeks an individual to develop, manage and operate an extensive reliability improvement program for the company's electron beam products This effort will include the deployment of new test infrastructure, the design of reliability test programs, execution of those testing programs and reporting of results towards the goal of continuous product improvement Applicants should have a BS degree in engineering, minimum of 10 years experience in the testing and continuous improvement of hardware products in a high tech industry Experience in high vacuum, high voltage systems such as X-Ray tubes or other vacuum electronics products is also a plus



Business Development Representative, Waltham, MA

Salary: $35,000 base/$65,000 on target earnings

This is an inside sales position The ideal candidate will have two to three years of experience making outbound calls Software and technical sales experience is a plus



Manufacturing Engineer, Wilmington, MA

Salary: $75K

Candidates should have three to six years working in a medical manufacturing environment is desired but not required Manufacturing experience with a "hands-on" ability and intuitive mechanical knowledge Ability to manage a project from concept through completion Familiarity with cGMP's and ISO requirements is a plus



Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance



In a recent interview in the New York Times, Barry Salzberg, the new chief executive officer of the global accounting and consulting firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, was asked what he looks for when hiring people His answer: what makes a person different ?
Salzberg says he looks for speaking and writing skills in job applicants, but also intangibles that will convince him a good marriage would be formed if he hired that person So while there may be standard questions about job experience, past responsibilities, and accomplishments and failures, he also asks questions to prompt the candidate to reveal more about themselves
For example



"What are the values that are most important to you and how have you demonstrated your commitment to those values in the last two years?"



"Tell me about something in your life during the past two years that didn't go well Why didn't it go well and what did you do about it?"




Salzberg's point is that when he interviews a person for a position he assumes they have a certain skill set that will enable them to do the nuts and bolts of the job Additionally, he wants to understand their values, priorities and personality to determine if his company is the right fit for them


But how does one prepare for an interview during which any question is possible? Practice As Salzberg says, "proper planning prevents poor performance" Take the time in advance to write down questions that have more to do with who you are as a person and not as an accountant, software developer or computer technician What are the most important things in your life? Who is the most important person? What are the experiences that have shaped your life?


Then pick one and interview yourself If there's a significant event that occurred, what was it? Why was it so important? How did it change you? Are you glad it happened? It might be that none of those questions will be asked in a job interview or they might be asked in a different way Thinking about them however forces you to recall benchmarks in your life or sort out your priorities If you're ultimately asked some variation of the question, you won't be caught cold




Starting a New Job on the Right Foot



According to the US Labor Department, unemployment rates fell in more than three-quarters of the nation's states in April, the largest number of states to see a decrease since November 2003 Obviously that means more people are going back to work, in many cases, after long layoffs And that means getting back into a work routine with a new company and a new group of coworkers


In politics newly-elected officials usually get a "honeymoon" period to adjust and start working effectively That's usually the case in the workplace as well Whether you're a temporary employee or a permanent hire, new bosses and colleagues are usually open and available to help where they can The fact is, just as you're getting adjusted to new surroundings and coworkers, the other people in the office are adjusting to the presence of another living breathing being in meetings and in the hallways


So the honeymoon period for new workers can be a critical time to set the tone for how you'll be viewed by everyone else in the future Handle it well and you'll have a bank of credibility to draw on in office relations Mess up and you'll see your effectiveness diminished and your bosses wondering if they assumed too much during the hiring process


Here are a few ideas on how to make a good beginning:



Get a head start In that time between the phone call offering you the job and the day you begin, learn as much as you can about what you'll be doing Contact your boss and ask for any background research that would help Find out who your immediate co-workers will be and give them a courtesy call It's a nice social step and they'll probably offer an overview on projects in the works

First things first You may arrive on the job with a head-full of ideas Great But make sure you take care of any immediate tasks you're given first By handling your first assignments well you'll generate confidence in others in your skills

Be savvy About those ideas, be careful how you roll them out at first Develop an understanding of how the company or your department works before you try to make things better You might be trying to improve something that a colleague worked hard to create in the first place

Personable, yes Overbearing, no You don't need to be Mr Personality to make friends in the office Establish your professionalism first Your coworkers will respect that, then give you ample opportunity to fit in in more casual ways

There are no stupid questions You can't do your job well if you don't understand what you're doing Many new hires are reluctant to ask questions because they fear they'll sound stupid Better to ask a question and avoid a mistake then to do something wrong and need even more help correcting a problem



Biking Saves Bucks

Now that the warm weather has arrived, it's really time to break out the bike wheels and thumb your nose at the local gas pumps Prices for a gallon of gas have come down slightly from a month ago, but still hover close to $4 around the country So if you can manage it, think green and save a few bucks by biking to work Here are some basics of biking to work, courtesy of Commute By Bike
(http://commutebybikecom/), a helpful web site for commuters looking for a change Don't forget your helmet!


Check the weather nightly - Keep an eye on your local weather so you can plan to dress for the temperature and precipitation


Wear your normal clothes - Do you really want to arrive at the office in full-body spandex? Unless you wear Armani at work, your normal attire is probably fine for the bike Protect your pants leg from getting caught in the chain and you should be fine


Plan your route ahead of time - The roads you take to work by car may not be suitable for bike travel You can probably find several alternatives with some research Use a tool such as Google Maps to plan a route that avoids dangerous roads and is a more pleasant ride


Store hygienic necessities at the office - Keep an extra of everything you need to clean up from your commute (deodorant, towels, wipes, etc) at your office No need to lug them back and forth each day


Always carry flat repair materials - A small investment in a seat bag, backpack or saddle bag will allow you to store an extra bike tube, tire levers, patch kit, pump and hex wrenches that you can keep on your bike If your tire goes flat on the ride, you can change it without ever touching a tire iron or car jack If you don't want to deal with bike repair at 7 am, bring your cell phone and call a friend They're like AAA for bicycle riders



Check your bike every weekend - Regular riding will cause wear on certain parts of your bike that you'll want to monitor Notice your tire pressure and any wear or damage Check your brakes where the rubber meets the wheels and the break grips Feel your bike chain for still links, rust and dryness