Connecting People

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Roanoke Firm Attracts Young Knowledge Workers...cause it is already perceived as hip

Duncan Adams of the Roanoke Times wrote an outstanding, positive front-page article about Roanoke-based firm Spectrum Design's new young professionals hires.

Probably the best thing about this article is that these YPs came to their own conclusions about the perception of Roanoke without any of our direct input or communication. Perhaps they were affected indirectly, but not directly as the article stated.

This is important because we are getting closer and closer to this imaginary tipping point by which enough YPs coming and staying in the area will give us the critical mass we desire. Once this critical mass is achieved and the underground perception of the region is cool and hip among YPs, then retaining and attracting YPs will be easier and much more accepted by this demographic audience. Ultimately, this entire initiative is about future population and economic growth of the region.

Kudos to Duncan for writing this story.   

Baby Boomer Jack Call's Op-Ed Piece - "It's Time to Confess - We Blew It"

Wow! What an op-ed by Radford professor Jack Call in today's Roanoke Times entitled, "It's time to confess - we blew it."

Jack directly talked about the differences we are seeing between generations - communication barriers, confidence in each other, outlook on the future, etc.

Open public forum discussions between generations, opening up some of the decisions being made for the future, and more aggressive succession planning are just some of the ways these issues Jack raised can be addressed - and many folks are working to make it happen.

If you want to help, then let me know...

James Sawyer Beyond Marketing Blog Post on Exit Interviews

James Sawyer's new blog Beyond Marketing had an interesting post on asking young people leaving the area to participate in an exit interview. While we do not have a formal process of interviewing, we have informally been doing it for quite some time. Thanks to champions like James, we can bring even more attention to this broad initiative.

A couple of things to note and add to James comments...

1. Roanoke Connect has over 2500 people - some living in the region and some not - who are primarily Generation X and Y. We have been able to track about 60 success stories through this online tool of about 18 months. Of those 2500, I have had at most maybe 10% contact directly by phone, email or visited with them in person. I keep a file of these folks and follow up on a regular basis until they find a job or leave the area. Of the 10% about 20% of those will actually follow up with me. I have found that those who follow up with me typically get a job locally in due time. Follow up is so crucial.

2. The easy thing for job seekers to do is to say there are no jobs in the region. That is simply an untrue statement. Of course there are not as many jobs here as elsewhere, but they are here. The two questions we have to ask job seekers - and these are tough questions - are (1) what are you doing to make yourself employable in the local labor market by obtaining the skill sets that are in demand, and (2) are you spending enough time in your job search and how are you spending that time?   

Question 1 - We have young professionals leaving colleges and univeristies with good skill sets, but very few billable skill sets. They are a dime a dozen and therefore, are having a difficult time getting noticed, recognized and differentiating themselves. They think Northern Virignia has more jobs and they do, but often times they go there and a "professional job" is waiting for them and a couple of years later they figure out their "professional job" was not that great, coupled with the realization that their quality of life has suffered, and you see many wanting to return to Roanoke.

Question 2 - The experts will tell you to get the job you want, you must spend 40 hours a week for 3 months, just job searching, to get the job that you want. That equates to about 500 hours. I assure you few spend that much time before giving up and moving on. Second, up to 80% of jobs are never advertised and are uncovered through personal networking. In addition, only about 10% of jobs are obtained via the Internet. What is interesting is that you ask job seekers how much time they are spending and what they are doing during that time, and you can begin to see why they have not been successful.

3. James is right that we cannot ask everyone to move or start a business, but the option must be presented to them. If the recruitment of companies is not yielding the type of jobs young professionals want, if existing companies are not growing at rates we hope, then more entrepreneurs creating jobs for others is needed similar to what Pat Matthews has done with Webmail.us. This is growth we have yet to tap and more resources are needed to facilitate this growth.

4. TOLERANCE - this is a key component. Making people feel welcomed no matter what the background is. Do we have a welcoming environment among young people and all people in the region?

If jobs are the single most critical component, then why does Austin, TX have the highest percentage of PhDs who are grossly underemployed by serving as bartenders?

If jobs are the single most critical component, then why is that a job seekers who has a family with two kids continue to stay in Roanoke despite being unemployed for over 18 months?

If jobs are the single most critical component, then why in recent study do 75% of young adults under the age of 28 select location first, then the job?

The old sitcom CHEERS says it best, "sometimes you want go, where everybody knows your name, and they are always glad you came..."

5. Bottom line - the attraction and retention of young adults can be summed in offering programs and events focused on things to do and jobs available. The perception is that in the region there are very little of each, the reality is that there are more than you think. The critical element in focusing on this topic for 5+ years is that the real issue is a lack of effective promotion and communication of things to do and jobs available between everyone. Because each generation is using an entirely different communication outlets, inefficiencies are occurring. I would argue this as an explanation as the root cause of the exit interview comments.

Thanks to James for getting this conversation going. Would love to hear another comments. 

City Elixir October 17 to Benefit City Arts Festival

City Magazine will be hosting another of its popular City Elixirs on Wednesday, October 17 at Blue 5 one of downtown Roanoke's newest establishments. The Octoberfest Celebration begins at 7:30 pm. The $10 donation will benefit the 2008 City of Roanoke Arts Festival.

Live music will be played by the Fat daddy Band and complimentary hors d-oeuvres will be served from the chef. A series of door prizes will be given out as well. Come check it out.   

Email as a communication tool...is it dying?

A student sent me this article today about email overload and one company shutting it out on Friday. What? Why don't we just turn off the phones and keep silent.

This article brings up a couple of questions. Are we getting too much email or not enough? Is email your preferred communication style? If not, then what is?   

I have seen my email campaigns getting less and less effective in terms of the number who open them from Constant Contact. However, other than email, how am I suppose to communicate with vast numbers of people?

I think this question gets to the point that mass media is dying and niche media is growing. Marketers will have to spend more time with a much more diverse mix of outlets to reach the same mass market.

We see all the time that recruiters and event marketers seem to not be spending as much time as they should on effective communication and promotion of jobs and things to do. As a result, inefficiencies occur - positions remain open for a long period of time, and attendance at events are less than expected.

If not email, how do you effectively communicate with groups of people?

Vote Roanoke native Ashlee Holland for I Wanna Be a Soapstar

It is down to the final two of this TV reality show and Ashlee Holland, a Roanoke native, is still alive, but she needs your help by voting for her. You can vote by calling 1-888- 4- SOAP- 01!

Radford U. Committed to Student Entrepreneurship

I had the good fortune to participate in Radford University's Entrepreneurship Workshop today and found it to be quite impressive and exactly what is needed on our local college campuses.

Led by the efforts of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs and specifically graduating senior Chris Pund, the event highlights a half-dozen regional and national speakers, including Roanoke's own Cameron Johnson.

There was an elevator pitch competition that highlighted 20 student ideas and the winners received cash prizes.

The university is also making big plans for its Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (more on this in a future post).

Thanks to RU for taking the lead on this very important topic.

Now this is a college entrepreneurship program

In the latest edition of INC magazine, a guest column by the former editor of the magazine discussed the formation of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program at Clark University. He meshes e-ship courses in ALL disciplines, not just business where they typically reside. A wonderful read and something for our region to strive towards. We need more emphasis and encouragement of our people to become business owners.

Current Jobs at Virginia Tech

The following attachment are current classified positions at Virginia Tech.

Download classified_employee_bulletin_100807.pdf

The following attachment are current faculty positions at Virginia Tech.

Download faculty_employee_bulletin_100807.pdf

Why you want to live in Roanoke, Virginia - Trifter.com

Trifter.com - an extensive travel site - has written a very positive story about the advantages of living in Roanoke. The author lists eight attributes of the city that sometimes many local overlook.

More online stories like these contributes to the region's growing online presence among people not living in the region. Thanks to Trifter.com for this piece.

Roanoke Entrepreneurship Fair Friday, October 5

Cultivating the Business of Arts and Culture in the Roanoke Valley is a free workshop sponsored by Woods Rogers for people interested in starting a business in the Roanoke Valley.

On Friday, October 5 starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Roanoke Civic Center Exhibit Hall experts from local, state and national entities will present material and resources that will help you begin a business or grow your existing business. A panel discussion from successful local entrepreneurs and more personalized breakout sessions will occur following the morning presentations.

This workshop is a featured event in accordance with the City of Roanoke's 1st Annual Arts Festival. Please plan to attend and bring someone with you. The event is free, but it requires you to register by clicking below.

So far we have about 130 who plan to attend, including about 40 high school students.

SHRM .jobs

The Society of Human Resource Management have found an interesting way to better connect job seekers to company web sites who are posting jobs through a .jobs URL (SEE LETTER I RECEIVED BELOW). We had a high school student pull job specific URLs of local companies earlier this year and have been distributing it to folks via our eNewsletter and we have seen it to be a success. Therefore, this seems like a good idea to better assist the job seeker, however, only 10% of jobs are received through online channels. Folks still must network with other individuals to obtain job leads making yourself unique against the masses.

Dear SHRM Member,

A recent SHRM study found the majority of job applicants now come from on-line recruitment. Given the reliance on the Internet for job searches, an important question to consider is: can job seekers find your job postings?

It is for this reason SHRM has supported the creation of a new URL developed especially for HR professionals called .jobs (pronounced "dot jobs"). With a .jobs URL, you can direct potential employees straight to your job postings.

The .jobs URL can be purchased in the format of "www.[companyname].jobs", such as

www.att.jobs or www.hertz.jobs . This format provides human resource professionals with an exact destination to send job seekers and is compatible with the URL their company currently uses. For example, SHRM has registered the Web domain address of www.shrm.jobs

, so anyone looking for a job at SHRM can simply type in that URL to find the Society's job postings.

SHRM Research studied the effectiveness of .jobs URLs and found that companies using .job URLs to guide candidates directly to the career section of their website had 74% more candidates apply. Also, 71% of these companies believe direct navigation to the career section of their website has improved the effectiveness of their advertising. This research demonstrates that a .jobs domain name in recruitment advertising provides a crucial missing element -- direct navigation.

It is for this reason we are encouraging HR professionals to be sure their company purchases and uses a .jobs URL. To make it easier for you to purchase one, we have negotiated a special SHRM member rate of only $114.95. With your purchase, you will also be giving back to the profession as SHRM will receive a small royalty that we will use to help us fund important programs, and to keep your membership dues low. For more details on how to sign up, please visit

www.shrmspecial.jobs

.

Sincerely,

Sue Meisinger

President & CEO

SHRM

Please Complete Survey for Hollins Student Thesis Project

A Hollins graduate student needs your help in taking a survey for her thesis project on attracting and retaining young adults in Roanoke. Below is the survey.

Download tiffany_price_survey.doc

If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you will remember that a similar study was done by a graduate student at Virginia Tech.

Download battista_study_final_082107.pdf

I am appreciative of the work being done by these folks and ask that we help Tiffany with her project by taking the survey and sending it back to her.

Online Job Search Tips for New Graduates

The following content is given by guest blogger Donna Tatum of Express Personnel . The job market is still favorable for fresh college grads, according to a new report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Their survey showed that employers plan to hire 17.4% more recent college grads this year than last. On top of that, this is the fourth straight year of double-digit job growth expectations for new grads. Plus, Baby Boomers are beginning their mass exodus from the workforce, which is opening up jobs to newer workers.

That’s why now is a great time for new graduates to approach their job search with zeal, applying for jobs in a range of industries, locations and areas to discover all their options. Thanks to many innovations on the World Wide Web, this is possible. Traditional job searching techniques such as networking through parents, friends and acquaintances, securing internships and sending out résumés are still important. But, now graduates must tailor their job-search efforts to the demands of an urgent, online world as well. So, how can graduates and other job seekers use the Web wisely and not drown in a turbulent online job environment? Here are some ways you can make traditional job search techniques work in the online world.

Networking

Traditional networking techniques are still critical for job seekers, and having a personal connection with a company is usually your best bet for getting your foot in the door. But when conducting an online job search, it’s important to think about how you network online. First, realize it works both ways. You may be looking for jobs online, but employers are looking for candidates on the Web as well. In fact, NACE reported recently that 41% of employers occasionally search for candidates through Google or online networking sites such as Facebook.com or MySpace.com. A similar survey by ExccuNet, an online career networking site, found that 77% of executive recruiters used search engines to research candidates, and 35% eliminated a candidate because of what they found. For many new graduates, this should be sobering news.

Your online brand, reputation and image are just as vital these days as your résumé and cover letter. Often, images, profiles and Web content on social networking sites can be even more telling. That’s why experts suggest that before applying for jobs online, you should conduct a Google search on yourself and examine what social networking site profiles say about you. Typically, anyone can access this information. Even limiting restriction to groups or schools may not keep potential employers from seeing your profile, because they may be school alumni or group members.

The bottom line is, if there’s information online you don’t want potential employers to see and you have access to it, take it down. If you didn’t post the content, such as photos, quotes, etc., ask the person who did to take it down for you, especially if they didn’t have your consent to post it to begin with. If you have a common name or share a name with someone whose profile isn’t flattering, consider putting your first or middle initial on your résumé and creating Web content that uses this moniker so the hiring manager can find real information about you.

Editing your existing online persona is vital to surviving the online job search world. But there’s more you can do as well. Many professionals are joining online networking sites that focus on careers, such as LinkedIn.com, to help them establish a professional online image. Another great way to control your online persona is to begin a professional blog about the industry, field or niche you want to work in. This will show your passion, knowledge and initiative to potential employers, and it can help you go far in your career.

Job Search

When it comes to searching the net for jobs, there are many avenues to pursue. Instead of choosing one method, the best bet is to hit them all. Look at sites such as Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com, but also go to Web sites of companies and organizations in your target geographical locations and job boards specializing in your field or desired location. Don’t just trust one Web site to find all the available listings. Also, think outside the box with the terms you use to search for jobs. Simply searching for job postings with the title of your major limits the positions you will find. Using your skills, knowledge, certifications and abilities as search terms will greatly increase your online job search success. The job description – not just the job title – can be a great way to find good job leads.

Résumé

It’s important to consider your résumé format when applying for jobs online. Have both a polished, designed résumé available in a read-only format such as a PDF or locked Word document and a text-only format ready for you to cut and paste into online application forms. Also consider creating a Web site for your résumé so you can simply link to it. You can make your online résumé shine by focusing on using key terms that highlight skills, qualifications, and buzz-terms in your field. Look at the job posting to ensure that you phrase your experience in terms of the qualifications and skills the job requires.

Applying

When applying for a job via the Web, some sites want candidates to fill out online applications and job seeker profiles, while others require documents to be e-mailed. First, whatever you do, follow the instructions and requests of each job opening specifically. If they state they don’t want résumés faxed, don’t fax them. Failure to follow directions will be the first way applicants get their résumés tossed in the “no” pile. If you are e-mailing your application, include your cover letter as the body of the e-mail, and attach your résumé as a document. Make sure when using e-mail that you send it to the hiring manager listed, and use their name in the e-mail itself.

Follow Up

Follow up is the big differentiator for online job seekers. Experts agree that the No. 1 mistake most applicants make is failure to show initiative, eagerness and drive by following up after applying for a job. And in the online job realm, following up can be your way to stand out from the crowd. Research shows that an overwhelming majority of employers value follow up within 1-2 weeks of application. How you follow up is less important. You can consider calling the organization, e-mailing the person you sent the application to or sending a hard-copy of your résumé and cover letter in the mail, specifying that you wanted to verify their receipt of your information. However you follow up, it’s important to emphasize your eagerness about the position, clarify skills and qualifications, and ask if there are any questions or clarifications the employer needs. This proactive approach can truly set you apart in a sea of applicants.

It’s a great time for new graduates to start searching for jobs, and your employment possibilities are perhaps broader than ever before, thanks to online capabilities. Using these tips can help you navigate the online job search so you can find a great new job. Approach your job search with enthusiasm and persistence, and your dream career may be right around the corner.