Relocating to Houston?

Let's talk about the job market in Houston. We are the 4th largest city in the world, with the lowest cost of living and the best weather 9 months out of the year. No state taxes (property owners make up for that with property taxes), makes our state and Houston, one of the fastest growing cities in the country--in fact, League City, Texas (a suburb of Houston) is said to be the fastest growing city in the country. We have Nasa, near League City, the ocean (albeit Galveston is not the most beautiful), the ever-changing and highly profitable oil gas/energy industry. This is our focus, people know Houston by the traditional oil gas--80's style upstream/land admin/royalty, perspective. It is so much more than that. We have leading corporations for new energy, ngl, refining, offshore production, etc. Every type of position you can possibly imagine exists within these companies. Many are smaller, yet growing exponentially. Houston is busting at the seams, I don't think it's so bad after-all...--and the humidity is only for about 6 weeks during the summer, even more manageable with a boating hobby...

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Waiting for the 1st to make your move?

I hear this from 9 out of 10 people we talk with these days. When considering a career move, if they take an interview or test the market-- they are smart cookies. They know the competition is waiting, and they'll likely find an ideal opportunity by being proactive. Some people we talk with want to wait for their bonus. Yes, they worked all year for it, and they should. But not pursuing something that has interested them is idiotic. Bonus time is a way for companies to reward you for your hard work......and try to keep you happy.

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Trust in a Recruiter?

Yesterday I came across at least a half dozen people that no longer have trust in recruiters...none of them. They either came out and told me this after a breif conversation or plainly said, "I'm not interested"...which is a blow-off. Anyone's interested in an opportunity, most people will listen. So back to my point. Why is it that Recruiters are a notch above, or even-Steven with used-car salesman? What's your experience with a recruiter? I'm very interested.





Technorati Tags: recruiter, jobs, working, carreer

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Myspace for your Career??

O.k., You've put yourself out there, on the street--you're awesome, so everyone wants you. From a recruiters perspective, don't get cocky--it happens to everyone that's worth a crap. You already know the obvious, compare the salary, benefits, job function, upward mobility, etc. I'm not spending time writing on the obvious, though.

* If there is an uninterested 3rd party, that thinks the way you do, contact them---even if it's been years. Talking to the sig/other is great, but they have their own interests in giving feedback...Other recruiting partners are great at this.


* Think really hard about the interview. Is everything cool, but you didn't really connect with the person who'll be working with you the most?--RED FLAG. Here's why. People who can't engage in the other party during the interview will always view their employees as employees, not people....watch out for that one, big time.

* Read body language, did they ask about you, or throw up about hte company and how awesome it is---their product might be exciting, but it's living hell working there.

* Upward Mobility: Is there any, or do you even care? Some people are at the top of their game. Being put in a position your boss thinks you qualify for could be career suicide. If you're a star salesperson, for instance, why would you want to be a sales manager? You're not compensated on YOUR production, which is the driving factor of salespeople.--Think about that one

* Stability: This is a big one! Stability is only a perception. We can't qualify a company as stable any longer.

* The only thing that's stable is your committment to your position. If you strive to blow past your peers in your role and are someone they look to for guidance--you're stable, the company longevity is irrellevant--need I remind you about Enron?

* Go with your gut....Guys, don't talk yourself out of this---Girls, we go with instincts because they are 99% accurate. Your instincts are powerful and they are usually your first impressions, first thoughts--if you go with your first thoughts, second guessing yourself will likely not happen

Too Many Offers?

O.k., You've put yourself out there, on the street--you're awesome, so everyone wants you. From a recruiters perspective, don't get cocky--it happens to everyone that's worth a crap. You already know the obvious, compare the salary, benefits, job function, upward mobility, etc. I'm not spending time writing on the obvious, though.

* If there is an uninterested 3rd party, that thinks the way you do, contact them---even if it's been years. Talking to the sig/other is great, but they have their own interests in giving feedback...Other recruiting partners are great at this.


* Think really hard about the interview. Is everything cool, but you didn't really connect with the person who'll be working with you the most?--RED FLAG. Here's why. People who can't engage in the other party during the interview will always view their employees as employees, not people....watch out for that one, big time.

* Read body language, did they ask about you, or throw up about hte company and how awesome it is---their product might be exciting, but it's living hell working there.

* Upward Mobility: Is there any, or do you even care? Some people are at the top of their game. Being put in a position your boss thinks you qualify for could be career suicide. If you're a star salesperson, for instance, why would you want to be a sales manager? You're not compensated on YOUR production, which is the driving factor of salespeople.--Think about that one

* Stability: This is a big one! Stability is only a perception. We can't qualify a company as stable any longer.

* The only thing that's stable is your committment to your position. If you strive to blow past your peers in your role and are someone they look to for guidance--you're stable, the company longevity is irrellevant--need I remind you about Enron?

* Go with your gut....Guys, don't talk yourself out of this---Girls, we go with instincts because they are 99% accurate. Your instincts are powerful and they are usually your first impressions, first thoughts--if you go with your first thoughts, second guessing yourself will likely not happen

Bonus time cometh

So, your boss is really getting on your nerves, but that bonus is RIGHT around the corner. How much is it? Anything less than 10K, is worth a move, or at least a looksie. Most companies anticipate that you're going to get paid incentive for working all year long...they'll likely make it up in the salary or a sign on bonus. So, is NOT looking into a better opportunity because your bonus is a couple months out, the right choice?
I work with people daily that know they're worth a good bonus...they'll get one, or probably both, sign on and a large salary increase.
Have fun at work tomorrow! If you have any questions, don't be shy...

Is the Attorney Market Crappy?

This is an email I received last night from an attorney in Houston needing some advice—and my response to this Attorney—perfect for Today’s Blog…

The Email:
“
Dayna,
Is it me or is the market for attorneys crappy?  Like I said, the salary is horrendous, but it's understood I'm trying to build my client base.  I recently applied for an in-house position, but think my base salary (which I listed as slightly less than my last firm) may have been too high for consideration.  If there are things I can do to increase my marketability, please let me know.”

Response:
“It’s not you—the market is very crappy.  Firms can now get dust lawyers for pennies b/c of tort reform, they can get med-mal attorneys for the same price b/c of House Bill 4 and the bankruptcy attorneys are not far behind.  So, as far as litigation goes—the market is terrible.  I can’t tell you the last time I placed a general, everything goes-attorney.  Now my clients are wanting 3-5 years (only) and specialized experience.  My advice, since you are a Sr. Associate would be to tailor your resume to EACH and every position for which you submit.  Highlight that specific experience as your top bullet point on the resume and don’t even mention your salary during the submission process.  HR will turn you down before they send you through for the attorney to view.  Also, I would be very specific on your accomplishments—using dollar amounts and where you excelled that others didn’t.  If they’re going to pay for you, they need to know why.  I think you are doing the right thing—if you have the ability to build your client base—do it.  You will be so much more marketable than all the other Sr. Associates out there that have nothing to show for all the hard work they did.  I can probably help you when you have a sustainable book of business of 200-250K or more—and want a larger firm for presence and support.  Be sure to have a niche---what niche are you thinking of??  I’m sure you know most of this—but I will tell you that I have a ton of 96-98 grads that are “un-place-able” even with stellar grades.  Don’t feel bad—it’s not you—its’ the market.  Let me know if you have any other questions.  I hope this helps!”

Tort Attorneys

Tort Attorneys--Are you finding it hard to wipe off the dust?

The majority of litigation attorneys have this experience...what to do? Well, you're going to need to re-create yourself. You'll need to go back to those days when you did the general litigation and tout it to potential employers. Everyone knows you'll be looking for a job and why--there's no need to even explain it. You're not the only one's with a difficult job search--med-mal and bankruptcy attorneys are 2nd and 3rd in line. This will be an employers market--we now have an Enron-like exodus on our hands for Attorneys. To play it safe--set your bar high and drive home the experience you had before you started travelling and sitting in depo's 24-7. Stay close to your partners/mentors--they have something else in mind for their future--I assure you-they won't go hungry. Now is not the time to make waves--keep your job and wait patiently for another to come along. Contract Attorneys are not in demand any longer, either--no matter how bad your situation is, my advise: stick-it-out.