Amanda, a director from our Health Services division, talks a little bit about our upcoming HEDIS/QARR Training for RNs in the New York City area:

HEDIS/QARR TRAINING

WHAT: The Execu|Search Group is offering local RNs an extensive HEDIS/QARR training course run by a reputable healthcare consulting firm. A consultant will train the RNs on medical record abstraction for the latest HEDIS hybrid measures.
WHEN: Choose from the September 24th, 2010 OR October 1st, 2010 sessions (NOTE:These are full-day, 8+ hour training sessions)
WHERE: The Execu|Search Group, 5th Floor, 675 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
WHY:

• This training course will make you a viable candidate for consideration on all future HEDIS/QARR projects.
• If you end up working 40+ hours on a HEDIS/QARR project for The Execu|Search Group, your training fees will be reimbursed!
• HEDIS/QARR projects will begin in January 2011 with positions available in all NYC boros as well as Long Island and New Jersey.

TRAINING FEE: $150/person (Training fee will be reimbursed if you work 40 hours on a HEDIS/QARR project for The Execu|Search Group in 2011)

How to Apply: E-mail kylem@execu-search.com a copy of your most recently updated resume. This is a highly competitive program and slots will fill up quickly, so submit your resume as soon as possible.

In the current job market, the recession is so severe that jobs are unavailable for many people…many people besides Programmers. While other professions have been getting cut during the current state of the market, the number of Programming jobs has increased dramatically. Demand for Programming professionals is supposed to increase by 21% in the next ten or so years.

In order to land one of these positions, here are a few tips to help you along the way:

Learn More Than Programming Language- Learn People Language.
Programming involves an enormous deal of human communication, so companies do not want their programmer to have the language mannerisms of a robot. It is important to be conscious of grammar and composition when completing your cover letter and exchanging e-mails. If you are a socially awkward individual, consider seminars or books that might help you improve your communication abilities.

Check Your Ego
Companies are looking for the most intellectual and competent Programmers, and that sometimes lead to one problem:  arrogance. Many companies don’t care how skilled the candidate is—if they carry a hefty ego, they aren’t worth putting up with in the long run. Show your willingness to learn new things and don’t be picky about which projects you’ll be working on.

Be Truthful
Never ever exaggerate the number of proficient skills on your resume. Not only can it get you fired down the road, it can be very embarrassing in an interview. Also, don’t try and talk your way around programming questions that you aren’t familiar with. Once again, it won’t work in the long run and you’ll look like a fool.
Pandora Radio’s VP of Engineering, Chris Martin states, “If you don’t know this stuff, saying you don’t know would be a good place to start”. Most companies aren’t looking for people who are experts in every single language. They are looking for Programmers who can learn new languages.

Polished Resume
When you come across a well-paying position at a prominent company, it means that they have a ton of resumes being generated daily. It doesn’t matter how qualified you are at the moment, DO NOT make ridiculous mistakes to get your resume thrown in the stack of trash. A few minor words can help you through this. Proof read. Everybody makes little mistakes here and there and it is easy to pass them up, even through a resume. Misspelled words will disqualify you from the screening process and your dream job will be gone because of “teh”.
There are plenty of tools to help you along the way so use the internet and use your head and you’ll be on your way!

Be Prepared For The Interview—Prove Yourself!
The most important part of a job interview is being able to prove your capability. Companies have different ways of testing the candidates. Some companies will ask potential candidates a number of programming questions, but will never sit someone down in front of a computer and ask them code. On the other hand, some hiring managers will always ask people to write code during the interview.

Be prepared for random questions! It’s not important whether you answer the question right… it’s important that you demonstrate a logical thought process and that you never give up on the problem if it sounds too difficult.

Whether you’re a recent grad or an experienced Programmer always follows these tips and soon you’ll be on your way to the perfect job fit! If you are a programmer looking for work, be sure to check out some of our current IT opportunities, and Good luck!

  Dustin Willoughby
  Interactive Resources

Happiness and productivity at work go hand in hand. According to research done by author Jessica Pryce-Jones, the happiest employees are 180 percent more energized than their less content colleagues, 155 percent happier with their jobs, 150 percent happier with life, 108 percent more engaged and 50 percent more motivated. Most staggeringly, they are 50 percent more productive too. Read the full article here

Do you agree with what this research suggests?

With the current state of the economy, it’s important to keep track of important economic indicators such as the employment situation across the country. The national unemployment rate for July, released earlier this month, was unchanged at 9.5%. At first glace, this seems to be a very good sign as it looks in recent months that the unemployment rate is beginning to fall.

However, when you break down the numbers the situation is much trickier than first perceived.  While the national average remains unchanged, employers cut 131,000 jobs in July with 14 states reporting an increase from June’s unemployment numbers. Additionally, 11 states posted rates of 10% unemployment or higher, though this is a decrease from 18 states in June. Currently, Nevada boasts the highest unemployment rate at 14.3% with North Dakota at the lower end at 3.6%. In general, the Midwest seems to be doing better than the country as a whole with unemployment rates well below the national average.

Another important employment indicator is weekly initial jobless claims. Jobless claims is the number of people filing new unemployment insurance claims, released every Thursday. Last week, jobless claims rose to 500,000. This continues a recently upward trend in jobless claims, indicating weakness in the labor market. However, it is important to note that this is still well below the highs of the recent recession.

The employment numbers are sending mixed signals to the public. While national unemployment is steady, the economy lost jobs last month. Yet fewer states are reporting rates over 10%. Jobless claims increased again for the 4th straight week, but is still well below last year’s numbers. Overall, the employment situations looks to be improving, but there is still severe weakness in the economy.

Marina Gurland
Recruiting Coordinator – Legal Division

The workplace has historically been synonymous with gossip and idle talk—around the water cooler, the coffee machine, the kitchen. While at your average 9-5 job, talking about non-work related topics can make the day go by faster, strengthen workplace camaraderie, and develop friendships with coworkers. But obviously, (or if you have access to HR complaints, not so obviously), some topics are best reserved for after-work happy hours.

Religion: Unless you’re working for a religious organization or mission, specific conversations about religion should absolutely be avoided in the workplace. Aside from the obvious implications for political incorrectness, religion is a highly sensitive issue to some, and the slightest discussion of it can result in an explosive and hostile confrontation. No one wants to come to work each day and have others’ religious beliefs thrust onto him/her, so be considerate and conscientious when the subject of religion comes up, and avoid the topic altogether if possible.

Politics:  Discussing politics at work can be just as explosive as discussing religion, because similarly, it’s a sensitive and passion-fueled subject for many. What’s more dangerous about discussing politics is that even casual conversation about the day’s news events can trigger a full-blown political debate, leading your coworkers to feel alienated and oppressed. Especially during election years, charged political discussions should be avoided; a coworker’s political alignment can drastically (oftentimes negatively) affect how others perceive, and even respect, him/her. If you don’t want to labeled at work by your political beliefs/alignment, avoid discussing them!

Sex/Relationships: This is a prime example of TMI (Too Much Information), but you’d be surprised at how many people in the workplace don’t have a filter when it comes to discussing their personal lives and relationships. Personal matters are just that—personal, and meant to be kept to yourself or between you and your significant other. Publicly discussing your sex life or your relationship with your spouse has no place in the office, even if your coworker happens to be a close friend. It makes your other coworkers who are within earshot extremely uncomfortable and can even result in a sexual harassment complaint. Avoiding discussions about your personal life doesn’t make you a prude or goody-goody, it makes you a respectful coworker.

Money: This should be obvious; discussing how much money you earn/earned/wish you would earn is a ticking time bomb and an all-but-guaranteed method of getting your coworkers angry with you. You either make more or less than your coworkers—getting into specific conversations about your salary, or even your bonus (especially your bonus!), is a sure-fire way to turn a harmonious work environment into a hostile one.

Career Goals/Aspirations: Talking about your career goals in your place of work may not seem like a delicate topic, but if your aspirations are not aligned with the company’s goals, it may be best to avoid discussing them. If your goal is to leave the company as soon as something better becomes available, there’s no need to inform your fellow workers about your plans. Discussing your desire for moving up (and eventually out) will get you noticed by the higher-ups in your company, and not for good reason. If/when your boss finds out (and he/she eventually will), it might the last thing you discuss at your job before you get fired.

Health Problems/Death: When someone in your immediate or extended family is ill, you may seek comfort in commiserating with coworkers. But there’s no need to burden your fellow employees with your excessive and/or detailed tales of sorrow and pain. It’s sufficient to say that a recent illness in the family or the death of a loved one was the cause of your absence from work, but there’s no need to dwell on details. Reserve your discussions for after-work hours.

Having a comfortable working environment is essential to productivity and uplifted office morale. Keep your work place happy and comfortable for everyone by avoiding discussions that are inappropriate.

  Melody Yaghoubi
  Interactive Resources

Some of you may have heard the term “The 99ers” being used to describe unemployed people who have used the maximum 99 weeks of unemployment benefits the government allows per person in this country. The previous high for number of weeks allowed for unemployment benefits was 55 weeks in the early 1980’s.

Many Americans have exhausted the 99 weeks of benefits during this recession. Many of these same people are asking for more, claiming the economy is so bad that they are unable to find employment in this time frame. The obvious question is whether or not 99 weeks is enough. That is almost two years of unemployment benefits. Many jobless people claim that they aren’t being hired for jobs they are over-qualified for.

If you were an executive before the recession and were forced to work at Walmart, would you do it? This is a deep issue that can be argued from many different perspectives. Each person in this country has a different situation that they live in and deal with on a daily basis. We are in the worst recession since the great depression. There are roughly 15,000,000 unemployed people in this country, battling for about 3,000,000 open jobs. The odds are obviously leaning quite heavily towards people remaining unemployed.

What do you think? Is 99 weeks an adequate amount of time to find a job in this economy? Take the poll on our home page!

  Michael Denny
  Interactive Resources

You have probably heard this before, but searching for a job really is a full-time job – and searching for a career can take even longer. As a job seeker, you have a variety of responsibilities to fulfill if you want to have a successful job search:

• 

  Get the wheels in motion – get the momentum going – do your due diligence and find the right recruiter. 
• Define what you want and map out a path of how to get there – and a recruiter can certainly help you with this plan.
• Break out of your comfort zone – sometimes the most rewarding opportunities are the ones you might be most afraid of.  Utilize uncertainty and lack of familiarity as motivators – you’ll never know what you’ll find outside your comfort zone until you take that leap. 
• Take control of your situation, your career, and your life. Your future will be a definition of your thoughts and actions – take the time to make the most of both – and really focus – for this exercise might lead you to exactly where you want to be, both in your career and in life. It might not be immediate, but it will happen eventually. 
• Enlist a professional recruiter to help you – one who has knowledge, has patience, has the time to listen to your requests; one who is very proactive, and one who is very well networked.  There is a lot of competition out there and if you have someone in your corner who has a direct line to the hiring manager and the partners of those specific companies, your chance of starting or continuing your career greatly increases.

Spencer Smolinsky
Director – Legal Support

What motivates employees most depends mostly on your age, but also where you live. In a recently published study by Kelly Services’ Global Workforce Index, it was found that 61% of Americans most desired a profit sharing/incentive based pay structure. Of working professionals between the ages of 18-29, 39% of respondents said they would be motivated to work harder if their pay was influenced by reaching performance targets, compared to 30% of workers between the ages of 48-65. The overwhelming majority of American workers (86%) said that employers should be responsible for their employees’ health and well-being, while 34% thought health insurance was the most important benefit.

Most intriguing is the divide between generational workers; here’s a rundown of key findings, sorted by age, from the study, including info-graphs. To read the study in its entirety, click here! (http://www.easyir.com/easyir/kellyservices/KGWIGlobal_Benefits_Perks.pdf)

• Aside from salary, the highest rated benefit for all generations is training, but it is much more important to Gen Y and Gen X.
• Approximately half of all generations rate employer-provided health benefits as “very important.”
• Roughly 80 percent of all generations think that employers should take some responsibility for employee health and well-being.
• Well over half of all generations believe that employers should provide an incentive or reward to employees for adopting a healthier lifestyle, changes which may include quitting smoking, losing weight or taking up exercise.
• The employer-provided health benefit that is most attractive to all generations is health insurance, while gym access or discounts are relatively popular with Gen Y.
  
  

  Melody Yaghoubi
  Interactive Resources

Be careful at your next networking event or job interview where alcohol is served. A recent study by researchers at the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania found that merely holding an alcoholic beverage can be hazardous to your (perceived) intelligence. The researchers coined a term for the observed bias: “The Imbibing Idiot Bias.”

According to the study, “Job candidates who ordered an alcoholic beverage in simulated interviews were perceived as less intelligent and less hireable than those who did not, even when the boss had ordered an alcoholic beverage first.”  (Read a copy of the study here)

If you are at a networking event or dinner interview, order a non-alcoholic beverage to make the best impression. Although dinner interview etiquette commonly advises the interviewee to base his or her drink order off of what the interviewer orders, we advise job seekers to pass on the alcohol, because it will allow you to keep a clear head (and avoid the imbibing idiot bias).

  Stephanie Urban
  Interactive Resources

You may or may have not heard about JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater losing his cool (to put it lightly) on a flight into JFK airport in New York from Pittsburgh, PA yesterday. As the plane was landing and the passengers were supposed to remain seated, Slater allegedly got into an argument with a passenger on the flight that was attempting to get a bag from an overhead compartment. At this point, Slater may have been struck in the head with either the passenger’s bag or the compartment door. This is the point in the story where things go a bit haywire for Slater, as he proceeded to curse out the passenger over the PA system, take off his tie and throw it at a group of passengers, grab a beer, and exit through the emergency shoot of the plane onto the runway. He then ran to his car and drove home. Police arrived at Slater’s home about a half hour later and arrested him for reckless endangerment and criminal mischief.

With the current state of the job market, one has to wonder what this man went through while working as a flight attendant to finally reach his boiling point. I believe most people would admit that we all have “those days” on the job, but is it worth reacting in such an extreme way? I say no, but that’s me.

Slater is currently facing charges in the court of law, but he is also facing a brand new life as a quasi celebrity via the worldwide web. You may remember my last post on this blog about marketing yourself on the internet. This is not the type of online marketing that I was referring to, although Slater just might find himself on a C list celebrity reality show soon. He is garnering a cult-like internet following, with a whole group of supporters claiming that he is their “hero,” and there have been a few Facebook support pages dedicated to Mr. Slater.

On the one hand, I can understand why people are happy Slater did what he did. Many people would like to do the same thing, but most people don’t go to such extremes. On the other hand, the media sensationalism of such unimportant things boggles my mind. Everyone has a bad day at work every now and then, but it is not on the front page of your local newspaper. Almost everyone will forget this story in a very short time and Steven Slater will most likely be left without a job for a while.

So in summary, since this is a blog about the job-search: JetBlue is probably accepting resumes and applications right now. Good luck and be happy.

  Michael Denny
  Interactive Resources