The Errant Recruiter

On Vacation...

2009-07-17T09:05:00.005-06:00

Very errant...and on vacation from recruiting (have been out of circuit for awhile...). This recruiter will to be on a vacation from the hunt for an indefinite amount of time. As for networking, I am two-three months behind on email, and will not be catching up anytime soon, so please be patient with me, as I do intend to try to get back in touch with everyone in good time.

Happy Trails...

Letter of Reference for Wendy Holstine

2009-01-04T13:14:00.003-07:00

Letter of Refernce for Wendy Holstine

From: Director of Global QA

Company: Quark, Inc.,

Dates: 2004 & 2005-2007

Working Relationship: HR Recruiting Business Partner & Employee Relations

To Whom It May Concern,

During my 10 year career at Quark as Director of Global QA, Wendy always stood out in my mind in regards to her attitude and recruiting methods. She is very personable and always approached her job with enthusiasm while also helping fellow recruiters improve their skills and effectiveness. This approach provided me and other hiring managers the confidence the sourcing and initial interview process would be conducted on time and in a proper manner.

The ability of Wendy to conduct effective preliminary interviews also stems from her knowledge about many of the terms and concepts that are common within the IT sector. This skill is critical for Recruiters and Wendy excelled in this area.

I believe Wendy would be a great addition to a company’s desire to not only source solid candidates but also to improve the recruiting processes as a whole within a company.

Regards,

(If you are interested in receiving a copy of this letter, and/or contacting my referral, please contact me at: wendy_holstine@hotmail.com)

The Errant Recruiter - is open for work!

2008-10-27T20:10:00.006-06:00

Yes. It is true. I am available for work in the Greater Denver Metro Area or Virtually, starting immediately. Am open to full-time, part-time, contract and fill in work.

Will work on 1099 or W-2 or would love to be fully employed as your employee. I am able to work virtually as well, if that is an option. My goal in the next 1-2 month is to move to Bellevue or Seattle, right now I am in North Bend, but a commute will not bother me - depends on the location.

see resume below for your reading pleasure!

Wendy Holstine, CIR
8847 Coneflower PL

Parker, CO 80134

Home: 303.627.2405
Cell: 425.985.6702
wendy_holstine@hotmail.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/wholstine
http://rantercrugger.blogspot.com/

OBJECTIVE: To acquire talent and allow my passion & expertise to contribute to the success and growth of the organization

SUMMARY
Professional AIRS Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR), with over thirteen years of experience in United States with some International exposure to Europe, Asia, and India. Ability to recruit all levels of technical and non-technical positions efficiently to reduce hiring costs by having a thorough knowledge of current market trends in recruitment, gaining a clear understanding of company culture and dynamics, and a pure PASSION for recruitment.

OFFICES HELD: PROFESSIONAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
Global Technical Recruiters Network (non-profit)
· Vice President – 2007-2008
· Colorado State Representative – 2006-2007

Colorado Technical Recruiters Network (Board of Directors: Member 2004 – 2007 ~ non-profit org with 300+ paid members)
· CTRN President, Board of Directors – 2006-2007 (www.ctrn.org)
· CTRN Vice President & Board of Directors – 2005-2006
· CTRN Director, Board of Directors – 2004-2005
· Downtown Chapter Chairman, 6/2003-6/2004, Awarded Chapter of the Year 2003

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

OpenSourced, Parker, CO & Seattle, WA
8/06-Present
Contract Corporate Recruiting ~ Independent/Owner – Director/Sr. Technical Recruiter
Clients: Quark ,continued as a Contract Recruiter thru 2/07; Jones HR Group, sub-contracting w/ Quovadx (Roguewave & CareScience) & Washington Group International; Frey & Associates, sub-contracting onsite @ Rivet Software: contract completed; Discovery Technology, Inc., sub-contracting onsite @ Aurora Loan Services, a Lehman Brothers Company: contract completed; Jones HR Group, sub w/ Washington Group Int. & Lafarge North America: contract completed. Recruiting Point, ongoing sourcing; Jobster.com, Contract Corporate Recruiter, Seattle, WA 12/07 thru 5/08; HR/Recruiting Consultant @ Devon James Associates, Inc., onsite HR/Recruitment Consulting: work completed; Jobster, contingent search completed; Microsoft Managed Partner & National Systems Integrator: completed; Current: National Healthcare Payer integration project(s)

Quark, Inc., Denver, CO (re-hired)
11/2005-2/2007
Recruiting Manager (US Internal Recruitment Downsized 9/06, converted to contract via OpenSourced)
Responsible all US Recruitment and acted as a liaison with the European and India locations to retain top talent. Provided management for entire recruitment process and consulted with hiring managers to determine an individualistic approach to each area of the company in US. Successfully recruited and hired Sr. Staff, Directors, Managers, and high level, individual contributors into the company while maintaining an enthusiastic attitude. Created and developed a college recruiting program and Recruiting Department Team Handbook for the Human Resources Department. Retention rate from hires made in 2004: 95%.

Integro, Denver, CO
2/2005-10/2005
Sr. Technical Recruiter (Managed Internal Hiring for eBusiness Consulting & Training)
Responsibilities include the creation and implementation of a recruiting department to support an existing eBusiness Consulting firm. Recruitment focus included hiring internal consultants for IBM and Microsoft practices in Denver, Chicago, New York, and California. Successfully revised and improved Integro’s Immigration, Hiring, and Employment Policy’s. Clients: Quark, CHFA, AIMCO, IBM, Lennar, Graebel, MX Logic

The TriZetto Group, Inc., Denver, CO
10/2004-2/2005
Sr. Corporate Recruiter (Contract, position relocated to Naperville, IL)
Updated and launched an internal recruiting department by improving current recruitment processes and procedures for national hiring efforts. Manage the presentation, selection, offer, negotiation, closing, and administrative components, including the current use of the job log and involved in full lifecycle recruiting. Hiring responsibilities include areas of Software Development, Implementation Professionals, Business Analyst, Accounting and Finance, Recruiting and Organizational Development. Position was responsible for TriZetto’s Naperville, IL, location, recruitment efforts both remotely and via travel to the location.

Quark, Inc., Denver, CO
3/2004-11/2004
Contract Recruiter 10/04-11/04
Sourced Sales candidates for niche enterprise order management system for online businesses that integrated with warehouse management systems for smooth delivery and a shared data approach for promotion strategies.
National Recruiter (Corporate Recruiter, Contract, contract completed) 3/04-9/04
Update and re-launch recruitment processes and hiring procedures for national hiring efforts. Work with Managers and Directors to determine strategic sourcing and market penetration for passive candidates within the layout design, print, pre-press, publishing and enterprise solutions industries. Hiring responsibilities include areas of Software R&D, Software Product Management, Enterprise Software Sales, and Direct Marketing in the US. Managed outside recruiting vendors and supported hiring mangers.

KBtoys.com / eToys, Denver, CO
2/2000-3/2004
Senior Corporate/Technical Recruiter/HR Generalist & Management
Developed and implemented recruitment/hiring processes and procedures for the dot com HQ, Seasonal Call Center and Distribution Center. Created a successful Internship Program and developed key relationships with local Colleges and Universities. Consulted with Managers, Directors, and Executive Management to determine current hiring needs and develop future staffing plans. Hiring responsibilities include exempt and non-exempt employees; technical and non-technical positions and upper level management openings. Participated with the eToys Distribution Center Start-Up in 2001: hired core employees including, operations, management, supervisors, and administration; this included shared responsibility of the HR Department during initial phase. Also staffed two Seasonal (Peak) Call Centers and had decreased turnover for three consecutive years. KBtoys.com was voted as “One of the Best Places to Work” by the Denver Business Journal in 2003.

ENTEX Information Services (now Siemens), Redmond, WA
8/1999- 2/2000
Senior Technical Recruiter (Consulting onsite at the Microsoft Corporation)
Duties included placing Technical/Information Systems associates onsite at Microsoft for both contract and permanent positions. Recruited and staffed a Help Desk team. Worked directly with Microsoft management to define job specifications and identify viable employees. Positions recruited for included: Help Desk Engineers; Test Engineers; Application Developers; Database Developers, and Web Developers. Recruiting processes included cold calling, networking, interviewing, and hosting community events.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Superior Technical Resources/SDC Computer Services, Kirkland, WA
1996-1999
Account Executive/Information Systems Staffing Supervisor 6/98 to 7/99
Technical Staffing Supervisor 4/1997 to 5/1998
Boeing, King County, and Microsoft Accounts
Assistant Staffing Supervisor 2/1997-4/1997
Payroll Administrator 6/1996-2/1997
Business Computer Training Institute (BCTI), Olympia, WA 1995-1996
Employment Specialist - Awarded Rookie Employment Specialist of the Year for 1996

EDUCATION: Washington State University, Bachelor of Arts, English (106 Credits Completed toward degree) expected to complete by 12/09

TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE – USER: Operating Systems: Windows XP& Vista; Office 2003 & 2007; Email Programs: Outlook 2007, Lotus Notes, and web based email; Web Browsers: Internet Explorer 7 (MSN 8), Netscape Navigator & Firefox; Database: Oracle, PeopleSoft, Access, Act!Contact Manager. Proficient in internet recruiting and web based recruiting databases. Basic ability to hand code in HTML; Ability to build Boolean Search Strings in popular Search Engines (fond of cheat sheets)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: Colorado Technical Recruiters Network since 2000; Global Technical Recruiters Network since 2006; Colorado’s Human Resource Association 2003-06; National Association for Female Executives since 1996; Society of Human Resource Management since 2004; Direct Marketing Association 2004; Human Capital Institute 2004; Electronic Recruiters Exchange since 2004; Alpha Gamma Delta alumni support for the University of Denver since 2003;

ONLINE COMMUNITIES: LinkedIn, Jobster, Facebook, Plaxo, Naymz, Spoke, Ecademy, MySpace, Seattle20.com and more

TRAINING COURSES, EVENTS, AND CERTIFICATIONS:
Supervision: Core Competencies-Mountain States Employment Council 2006
Interview Training (Behavioral, Situational, Technical) – SDC Computer Services 1997
Management Training – KBtoys.com 2002 & 2003
Monster.com Training – 1996 & 1998 & 2000 & 2003
PeopleSoft (HRIS) Training – 1998, 1999 & 2003
HIPAA Training – TriZetto 2004
HIPAA Deputy – KBtoys.com 2003
2005 AIRS: Beyond Google 2006
Next Generation Recruiting 2005 & 2006
Immigration Law 2005 by Stern & Elkind, Esq
AIRS Search Lab 3.0 – 2005 - Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR) 2006 – (may need to re-take test to keep cert current)
Bill Williams – How Monster Board Started – 2006
VB.NET vs. ASP.NET – New Horizons 2007
“Go Google Gadgets Go” – Seth Williams – Pepsi Center 2007
“12 Steps to Getting the Best Results from the Web” – Shally Steckerl (Job Machine) Pepsi Center 2007
“Recruiting on a Shoe String Budget” – Eric Jaquith - Pepsi Center 2007
Ask Liz Ryan – Recruiting Outlook – Longmont, CO 2008

Gen X = Gen Yes....HIRE US & more errant thoughts.

2008-10-18T15:30:00.014-06:00

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Hello,

I have not posted in quite some time and thought I would get back in touch with my Gen X topic, due to some comments I have received.

To start off, I have a quote to share (found it in a fortune cookie!)

"Only she who attempts the absurd can achieve the impossible."

The Errant Recruiter, although Errant in her ways, believes in treating others better than others may treat may treat themselves, her/him/others, etc.

I am Gen X and use Craigslist for everything. I will actually pick up the phone and call. I am technically perceptive and believe that Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y, and Millenniums, are ALL necessary to make up a work force.

Tell me, please, if I am missing something, if so, I will sheepishly crawl back under my troll bridge (for Dave M. :-) ). I am reading HR articles that almost encourage HR Leaders and Hiring Managers to NOT hire from the Gen X labor pool???? Is generation X really the problem? Can we re-word our advice to say, let's not forget Gen Y or Boomers?

To exclude a generation is direct violation of everything our EEO Rights stand for!!! (sounds so scary and extreme...)

Are we blaming our current issues on Gen X? Why Blame? We should be PROBLEM SOLVERS! It is easy to sit back with your charts and graphs but is that valid? Then write some article because you have a Ph. D - not that you have not earned your insight. I respect my Recruitment Leaders, but I also feel that 14 yrs in recruitment is enough to be able to challenge - and question when articles are sent out from the ERE on "Who to Hire" as gospel. Sometimes the messages seem to violate our EEO rights.

I simply suggest that we stop the 'all or nothing thinking.' Try a new approach, such as allowing ourselves to open up our minds to think in grey or color – we are Recruiters!!! It seems like using the "Jump to conclusion Matt" from the cult classic "Office Space" to generalize that Gen Y is more apt to use Craigslist, and Monster.com but no mention that Gen X taught them HOW???

Not a “shout out” to Gen X who have spent endless hours mentoring Gen Y?

My own experience managing gen Y was horrifying! It was like a gaggle of witches who did not know how to stir their own brew and blamed me for making them witches!

I do agree that Boomers have a lot to offer... and we need to figure out a way to bring them back into our workforce. I also agree that Gen Y and their offspring are needed, as well as, all of us offer different life experiences, from our generations. It is also great to point out our strengths and weaknesses, but it is NOT ok to isolate and go against Federal Laws when making hiring decisions.

My point really is this: do not discount Gen X. We sat at the feet of the boomers and listened to every word while growing up - perhaps despised it, but it is ingrained in us... we are have the same work ethic and added creativity, along with the independence to get a job done.

Thanks for listening.

The Errant Recruiter.

The Errant Recruiter: on the prowl...looking for a job...

2008-06-10T20:15:00.004-06:00

Another shameless self advertisement! Yay! But...it is for a great cause. Myself, husband, cat - Gryphon, and our three Blue Heelers. I have moved to Seattle where the grass IS actually greener than Colorado and I need to get to work so my my tiny army of critters (and Dear Husband) can join me in Seattle. Look for the postings of the dogs and hubbers.

I have just relocated back to the Seattle area from the Greater Denver Metro Area. At this time, I am currently searching for a full-time, regular position as a Sr/Lead or Manager level Recruiter within a software company - or - start-up! I come to you with over thirteen years of experience and I am an AIRS Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR). I will work for food (and preferably money - those Aussie Cattle Dogs are quite busy!), and am only found to be errant when given processes that bog down my ability to effectively hire the best person for the job - NOW.

When processes get in my way, I know from years of working inside of HR as well as my experience in Leadership on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Technical Recruiters Network, that the process is slowing them down as well. I have a keen eye and a gentle touch for such opportunities, however, I can also be the "go to" who will see to it that change takes place. Either way, I am all about results. Solid, lasting results who will contribute to your bottom line. And I do it effectively, efficiently, and in a timely manner. One other thing I should mention, I am accustomed to adapting to a set policy and process and making it work for me, however, it there is not a process, I work with anyone to effectively adapt to each individual hiring manager's hiring profile.

Although errant, I do value business ethics and the recruitment profession. There are different folks who take different strokes and it is obvious that recruiters are not immune to having different styles. However, all recruiters should uphold the company vision on recruitment and respect each candidate as a potential customer. Smile and dial is not what I do, I do not place massive amounts of people within a company. However, I will develop lasting relationships with candidates for the now and the future. As well as assist with branding to attract those who should be attracted to a company and those who should keep looking.

My LinkedIn Profile has 18 recommendations and I just noticed 6 on my jobster profile! Not one of the recommendations are any of my usual references either (well, except for Zach, but he is exceptional), so I am very honored and humbled to have a great following from such a tight-knit group. Thank you guys!!

Below is my resume - if you know of anything I should apply for, just ping me! Or if you would like to talk to me about an opening you know, email me or call! I am actively searching and can not wait to find my next home at home!!

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read my post!!

Wendy Holstine, CIR
1036 Riverside Dr North Bend, WA 98045
Mail: PO Box 1468
Cell: 720-985-4341 425-888-5508 (temp home)
wendy_holstine@hotmail.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/wholstine http://rantercrugger.blogspot.com/

OBJECTIVE: To acquire talent and allow my passion & expertise to contribute to the success and growth of the organization

SUMMARY

AIRS Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR) with thirteen years of professional experience recruitment both Nationally, and Internationally with International exposure to Europe, Asia, and India. Ability to recruit all levels of technical and non-technical positions efficiently to reduce hiring costs by having a thorough knowledge of current market trends in recruitment, gaining a clear understanding of company culture and dynamics, and a pure PASSION for recruitment.

OFFICES HELD: PROFESSIONAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Global Technical Recruiters Network (non-profit)
· Vice President/President Elect – 2007-2008, CURRENT
· Colorado State Representative – 2006-2007

Colorado Technical Recruiters Network (Board of Directors: Member 2004 – 2007 ~ non-profit org with 300+ paid members)
· CTRN President, Board of Directors – 2006-2007 (www.ctrn.org)
· CTRN Vice President & Board of Directors – 2005-2006
· CTRN Director, Board of Directors – 2004-2005
· Downtown Chapter Chairman, 6/2003-6/2004, Awarded Chapter of the Year 2003

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

OpenSourced, Parker, CO 8/06-Present

CURRENTLY: Jobster.com, onsite, Seattle, WA, 12/07-Current

Contract Corporate Recruiting ~ Independent/Owner – Director, Technical Recruiting
Clients: Quark – continued as a Contract Recruiter; Jones HR Group sub-contracting w/ Quovadx (Roguewave & CareScience) & Washington Group International; Frey & Associates sub-contracting onsite @ Rivet Software ~ contract completed; Discovery Technology, Inc. sub-contracting onsite @ Aurora Loan Services, a Lehman Brothers Company ~ contract completed; Jones HR Group sub w/ Washington Group Int. & Lafarge North America; Recruiting Point ~ Sourcing ~ ongoing; Devon James Associates, Inc., onsite HR/Recruiting ~ work completed; Jobster ~ remotely & onsite in Seattle 12-07 ~ contract completed; CURRENT: Jobster ~ contingent search

Quark, Inc., Denver, CO (re-hired) 11/2005-2/2007
Recruiting Manager (US Internal Recruitment Downsized 9/06, converted to contract via OpenSourced)
Responsible all US Recruitment and acted as a liaison with the European and India locations to retain top talent. Provided management for entire recruitment process and consulted with hiring managers to determine an individualistic approach to each area of the company in US. Successfully recruited and hired Sr. Staff, Directors, Managers, and high level, individual contributors into the company while maintaining an enthusiastic attitude. Created and developed a college recruiting program and Recruiting Department Team Handbook for the Human Resources Department. Retention rate from hires made in 2004: 95%.

Integro, Denver, CO 2/2005-10/2005
Sr. Technical Recruiter (Managed Internal Hiring for eBusiness Consulting & Training)
Responsibilities include the creation and implementation of a recruiting department to support an existing eBusiness Consulting firm. Recruitment focus included hiring internal consultants for IBM and Microsoft practices in Denver, Chicago, New York and California. Successfully revised and improved Integro’s Immigration, Hiring, and Employment Policy’s. Clients: Quark, CHFA, AIMCO, IBM, Lennar, Graebel, MX Logic

The TriZetto Group, Inc., Denver, CO 10/2004-2/2005
Sr. Corporate Recruiter (Contract, position relocated to Naperville, IL)
Updated and launched an internal recruiting department by improving current recruitment processes and procedures for national hiring efforts. Manage the presentation, selection, offer, negotiation, closing, and administrative components, including the current use of the job log and involved in full lifecycle recruiting. Hiring responsibilities include areas of Software Development, Implementation Professionals, Business Analyst, Accounting and Finance, Recruiting and Organizational Development. Position was responsible for TriZetto’s Naperville, IL, location, recruitment efforts both remotely and via travel to the location.

Quark, Inc., Denver, CO 3/2004-11/2004
Contract Recruiter 10/04-11/04
Sourced Sales candidates for niche enterprise order management system for online businesses that integrated with warehouse management systems for smooth delivery and a shared data approach for promotion strategies.
National Recruiter (Corporate Recruiter, Contract, contract completed) 3/04-9/04
Update and re-launch recruitment processes and hiring procedures for national hiring efforts. Work with Managers and Directors to determine strategic sourcing and market penetration for passive candidates within the layout design, print, pre-press, publishing and enterprise solutions industries. Hiring responsibilities include areas of Software R&D, Software Product Management, Enterprise Software Sales, and Direct Marketing in the US. Managed outside recruiting vendors and supported hiring mangers.

KBtoys.com / eToys, Denver, CO 2/2000-3/2004
Senior Corporate/Technical Recruiter/HR Generalist & Management
Developed and implemented recruitment/hiring processes and procedures for the dot com HQ, Seasonal Call Center and Distribution Center. Created a successful Internship Program and developed key relationships with local Colleges and Universities. Consulted with Managers, Directors, and Executive Management to determine current hiring needs and develop future staffing plans. Hiring responsibilities include exempt and non-exempt employees; technical and non-technical positions and upper level management openings. Participated in a Distribution Center Start-Up (2001), by hiring core employees including; operations, management, supervisors and administration. This included shared responsibility of the HR Department during initial phase. Also staffed two Seasonal (Peak) Call Centers and had decreased turnover for three consecutive years. KBtoys.com was voted as “One of the Best Places to Work” by the Denver Business Journal in 2003.

ENTEX Information Services (now Siemens), Redmond, WA 8/1999- 2/2000
Senior Technical Recruiter (Consulting onsite at the Microsoft Corporation)
Duties included placing Technical/Information Systems associates onsite at Microsoft for both contract and permanent positions. Recruited and staffed a Help Desk team. Worked directly with Microsoft management to define job specifications and identify viable employees. Positions recruited for included: Help Desk Engineers; Test Engineers; Application Developers; Database Developers; and Web Developers. Recruiting processes included cold calling, networking, interviewing, and hosting community events.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Superior Technical Resources/SDC Computer Services, Kirkland, WA 1996-1999
Account Executive/Information Systems Staffing Supervisor 6/98 to 7/99
Technical Staffing Supervisor 4/1997 to 5/1998
Boeing, King County, and Microsoft Accounts
Assistant Staffing Supervisor 2/1997-4/1997
Payroll Administrator 6/1996-2/1997
Business Computer Training Institute (BCTI), Olympia, WA 1995-1996
Employment Specialist - Awarded Rookie Employment Specialist of the Year for 1996

EDUCATION: Washington State University, Bachelor of Arts, English (106 Credits Completed toward degree) expected to complete by 12/08

TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE – USER: Operating Systems: Windows XP& Vista; Office 2003 & 2007; Email Programs: Outlook 2007, Lotus Notes, and web based email; Web Browsers: Internet Explorer 7 (MSN 8), Netscape Navigator & Firefox; Database: Oracle, PeopleSoft, Access and Act; Proficient in internet recruiting and web based recruiting databases: SonicRecruit, ResumeMax, HireDesk, Sendouts and many others. Basic ability to hand code in HTML; Ability to build Boolean Search Strings in popular Search Engines (fond of cheat sheets)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: Colorado Technical Recruiters Network since 2000; Global Technical Recruiters Network since 2006; Colorado’s Human Resource Association 2003-06; National Association for Female Executives since 1996; Society of Human Resource Management since 2004; Direct Marketing Association 2004; Human Capital Institute 2004; Electronic Recruiters Exchange since 2004; Alpha Gamma Delta alumni support for the University of Denver since 2003;

ONLINE COMMUNITIES: LinkedIn, Jobster, Facebook, Plaxo, Naymz, Spoke, Ecademy, MySpace, and more

TRAINING COURSES, EVENTS AND CERTIFICATIONS:
Supervision: Core Competencies-Mountain States Employment Council 2006
Interview Training (Behavioral, Situational, Technical) – SDC Computer Services 1997
Management Training – KBtoys.com 2002 & 2003
Monster.com Training – 1996, 1998, 2000 & 2003
PeopleSoft (HRIS) Training – 1998, 1999 & 2003
HIPAA Training – TriZetto 2004
HIPAA Deputy – KBtoys.com 2003
2005 AIRS: Beyond Google 2006
Next Generation Recruiting 2005 & 2006
Immigration Law 2005 – Stern & Elkind, Esq.
AIRS Search Lab 3.0 – 2005 - Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR) 2006 – (may need to re-take test to keep cert current)
Bill Williams – How Monster Board Started – 2006
VB.NET vs. ASP.NET – New Horizons 2007
“Go Google Gadgets Go” – Seth Williams – Pepsi Center 2007
“12 Steps to Getting the Best Results from the Web” – Shally Steckerl (Job Machine) Pepsi Center 2007
“Recruiting on a Shoe String Budget” – Eric Jaquith - Pepsi Center 2007
Ask Liz Ryan – Recruiting Outlook – Longmont, CO 2008

Taleo & Kevin Wheeler: Really? Just forget about GEN X???

2008-05-04T16:02:00.005-06:00

Alright. That is enough already!!! Come on people have we all lost grasp on reality here?? According to a white paper Taleo recently put out about "Sourcing in a Time of Scarcity: The Evolution of Social Networking as an Aid to Hiring," they say that our old routines (in recruitment/hiring) are killing us.

Killing might be a bit vivid, but to some extent it is true - we as HR and Recruitment Professionals need to get with the NOW.

However, what stopped me in my tracks was the following:

"Recruiters and hiring manager have fallen into a sourcing routine that is slowly strangling them," says Kevin Wheeler, an author and consultant in human capital acquisition and development. "They do this," he says, "by forcing their efforts on hiring people 30-45 years of age, members of Generation X, when they'd be better off challenging their assumptions about older and entry-level workers."

He goes on to say that Boomers and their Generation Y progeny outnumber Gen Xer's by more than 4 to 1.

Have I missed something? Kevin, are you on CRACK? Or is that for Gen X only? Are you suggesting to HR/Recruiting, to um like uh, not hire workers who are 30-45?? Hmm. Interesting.

Aren't Gen Xer's known for there keen sense to figure out how to complete projects and tasks on their own, come up to speed quickly and require little to no hand holding when brought on as an employee or into a project? Perhaps Generation Xer's may have been key in the R&D of the architecture, development, marketing, distribution, fulfillment and sales of those technical gadgets that Gen Y has been notorious for mastering.

Again, did you have a brain tumor for breakfast? (favorite Heather's quote - cult classic 80's movie for Gen X), Who do you think came up with the ideas to create these computers and gadgets AND GET THEM leveraged to the right people to be sold to get them into any one's hands???? The answer is this: BOOMERS, GENERATION X, AND GENERATION Y!! It took THREE GENERATIONS WORKING TOGETHER!

As a PROUD member of Generation X, I am slighted by Kevin's suggestion to disregard a whole generation when we, as Recruitment and Human Resources Professionals are dedicated and passionate about hiring the RIGHT candidate for the RIGHT position.

Taleo? Do you support the discrimination of an age group? Do you condone, the subtle suggestion that in order for recruitment to stop the stranglehold, we should do as Wheeler suggests and ignore a whole class of workers?

To ALL Hiring Managers and Fortune 500 Companies: if you are hiring the right type of recruiters, and have the best HR Professionals within your organization, then you need not worry about what generation pool candidates are being pulled from. Any experienced recruiter who has a strategy in mind, will hire the RIGHT person for the job - and when building teams - will know how to hire from the right places to create an outstanding team which will be felt throughout the organization.

I assure you, top notch recruiters hire the best, no matter if they are Gen Y, X, Boomer, Aliens, Robots...you get the picture.

We know the value Boomers have been to this nation. We know the value that Generation Y is now and will continue to be as leaders, thinkers - caretakers of this land we know and love. People, don't be such a pillow case and forget about Generation X and what we have contributed - and continue to strive for.

Now, I am big enough to have considered that Kevin was suggesting we try this now and again. What do you think?

Written with love,

The Errant Recruiter
who went to high school in the 80's!!

Jobster - Seattle is hiring! SDE, Sr. SDE/Arch, SDET, SDE - expert Java

2008-04-24T11:45:00.004-06:00

Jobster is seeking talented individuals for our Development Team who have a passion for coding and thrive in a collaborative environment! Take a look and feel free to pass this along to your buddies and their friends with mad coding skills!!

See Below:
_______________________________________________________

Software Development Engineer (SDE)
Location: Seattle, WA

Don’t you wish every company you’ve worked at had a top-notch team, but experience has taught you that an excellent team is hard to find and create?
At Jobster we’re passionate about great teams and we build services to find those great people and perfect-fit jobs.

Come join a small but growing superstar engineering team at Jobster. We’re operating on rapid development cycles, so your impact on the Jobster product can be felt immediately! We’re looking for developers with technical brilliance, team fit, and a passion for shipping product.

Responsibilities:

Project ownership and shipping responsibility as a part of a project team.
Participation in technology and product research to introduce new methods and ideas into the product and engineering environment. Past examples include introducing Ruby on Rails as a rapid development environment and new product focuses such as tagging of people profiles.

Requirements:

0-7 years experience building scalable commercial software products or services with ability to work as part of a larger software development team.
Database development expertise is required.
Experience with fulltext search engines like Lucene a plus.
Must be comfortable with an open source-like development environment with a variety of tools and languages including Java/J2EE, Ruby/Rails, Perl, Oracle, MySQL.
Title and salary dependent on experience.

________________________________________________________

Senior Software Design Engineer/Architect - Location: Seattle, WA

We're looking for a senior software engineer/architect to join our rapidly iterating team, offering immediate impact on the product and our growing customer base.

Jobster's product is an innovative web 2.0 Service that takes a distributed, targeted, and social approach to job search. We believe that the best job and people search results aren't going to come from today's walled gardens of resume repositories and job boards but from internet-wide advertising networks targeted to specific communities, blog postings, user generated content, and social networks.

We're looking for a senior software engineer/architect to join our rapidly iterating team, offering immediate impact on the product and a deep dive into challenging technical problems in search relevance, matching jobs and employers to people, ensuring job prospect quality, and distributed job advertising.

Responsibilities:

Hands-on ownership of significant product initiatives around search relevancy, people search, and data analysis techniques, responsibility for architecture through shipping.
Mentoring a team of SDEs through architectural design, implementation guidance and shipping ethos.
Ongoing leadership for cross product engineering problems such as performance analysis, operational costs, and service deployment automation.
Growth potential for project & business leadership as well as engineering responsibilities.

Requirements:

7+ years experience building scalable commercial software products or services with 2+ years at senior/architect level.
Demonstrated ability to work as part of a larger software development team.
Database development expertise is required.
Experience with fulltext search engines like Lucene a plus.
Large scale data analysis background and experience a plus.
Must be comfortable with an open source-like development environment with a variety of tools and languages including Ruby and
Ruby on Rails, Web Service components and interfaces, Java/J2EE, Oracle, and MySQL.

_______________________________________________________

Sr. Software Development Engineer, Test - Location: Seattle, WA

As a Sr. SDET you'll take on the toughest problems in software testing: system-wide test automation, performance/load testing and white-box testing for complex MVC architectures.

As a Software Development Engineer in Test you know the tradeoffs between software quality and shipping product on time. It's a balancing act that makes your job one of the most unique and challenging in software development: building and applying technology that enables teams to deliver quality software on time. You'll take on the toughest problems in software testing: system-wide test automation, performance/load testing and designing white-box test strategies for sophisticated multi-tier architectures. You'll work with developers, test engineers, program managers and product specialists in a high-velocity agile environment, applying cutting-edge technology on Jobster development projects. We use Ruby and Rails-based test frameworks to help ship hosted web apps and platforms.

Jobster is a leading career networking service, enabling millions of individuals to reach people, information, and opportunities to further their careers. Our recruiting tools connect employers with candidates through targeted advertising and social networking. Companies count on Jobster to help them promote jobs, search for candidates, and build talent networks. Our affiliate partner network technology, connecting to hundreds of websites, blogs and job boards, extends the reach of recruiters who post jobs on Jobster.com to huge communities of potential job seekers. With the PoweredBy Jobster platform, launching in early 2008, we'll enable leading brands and publishers to leverage Jobster’s career networking services to power their own sites.

Responsibilities:

Develop automation and tools for functional, performance, load and stress testing
Design and execute tests at all levels of hosted multi-tier applications
Lead test engineers and SDETs in developing test framework architectures and applying advanced testing strategies
Work with development and QA teams on performance optimization; application debugging and test tool development.

Requirements:

Expertise in test design and automation for web applications.
Proven track record leading developers and/or test engineers in designing and implementing technology solutions for software testing.
Solid skills in test design/planning/execution, problem isolation and debugging. Structured performance/stress test experience a big plus.
5-10 years experience in development or testing/QA. 5+ years experience in one or more programming languages: Ruby, Java, Perl, Python, C++/C#. Experience in MySQL, Oracle10g or MS SQL.
Experience with open-source technologies and hosted web services. Solid technical foundation in Linux/Unix.
Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
BS/MS degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Math, or equivalent combination of degree and relevant experience.

____________________________________________________________

Software Development Engineer/Web developer - Location: Seattle, WA

Software Development Engineers/Web developers help us solve challenging user experience problems to build and manage the Jobster network. This role is responsible for building and maintaining the presentation layer. This position requires 2+ years of web development/programming, with extensive experience in HTML, CSS, JSP, JavaScript, and some knowledge of Java. Strong written and verbal communication skills are crucial for any successful candidate. Knowledge and skills to code for cross-browser compatibility are essential.

Essential Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Build and maintain the presentation layer
Participate in user interface reviews
Work with the Program Management team to implement designs as specified
Participate in code reviews of other developers' work
Provide technical assistance to engineers, designers, managers as required

Candidates must have:

HTML, JSP/JSTL, CSS, and strong JavaScript experience.
Java experience using APIs and familiarity with standard Java Libraries (util, string, date, etc.)
Image editing skills with Fireworks, Photoshop, Illustrator and/or other standard graphic design tools

Familiarity with the following is a strong plus:

Spring Framework or Struts development, Homesite and/or Dreamweaver, PERL/XSLT or some other scripting language
Past experience with mass-market consumer web applications
Ability to write clean, coherent code and to follow established coding style guidelines
Strong verbal and written skills, with proven ability to communicate complex ideas and to design and document projects in a clear and concise way

To Apply: email your resume to wholstine@msn.com with the title of the job you are applying for in subject line of the email.

(Rumor has it that employees can bring their "Dogster's" to work!)

Local candidates only, and please, no recruiters. Thanks!

Jobster needs a Sr. Software Development Engineer, Test (SDET)

2008-02-22T12:32:00.008-07:00

Jobster.com Sr. Software Development Engineer, Test (SDET)
Seattle, WA

As a Sr. SDET you'll take on the toughest problems in software testing: system-wide test automation, performance/load testing and white-box testing for complex MVC architectures.

As a Software Development Engineer in Test you know the tradeoffs between software quality and shipping product on time. It's a balancing act that makes your job one of the most unique and challenging in software development: building and applying technology that enables teams to deliver quality software on time. You'll take on the toughest problems in software testing: system-wide test automation, performance/load testing and designing white-box test strategies for sophisticated multi-tier architectures. You'll work with developers, test engineers, program managers and product specialists in a high-velocity agile environment, applying cutting-edge technology on Jobster development projects. We use Ruby and Rails-based test frameworks to help ship hosted web apps and platforms.

Jobster is a leading career networking service, enabling millions of individuals to reach people, information, and opportunities to further their careers. Our recruiting tools connect employers with candidates through targeted advertising and social networking. Companies count on Jobster to help them promote jobs, search for candidates, and build talent networks. Our affiliate partner network technology, connecting to hundreds of websites, blogs and job boards, extends the reach of recruiters who post jobs on Jobster.com to huge communities of potential job seekers. With the PoweredBy Jobster platform, launching in early 2008, we'll enable leading brands and publishers to leverage Jobster’s career networking services to power their own sites.

Responsibilities:

Develop automation and tools for functional, performance, load and stress testing
Design and execute tests at all levels of hosted multi-tier applications
Lead test engineers and SDETs in developing test framework architectures and applying advanced

testing strategies

Work with development and QA teams on performance optimization; application debugging and test tool development

Requirements:

Expertise in test design and automation for web applications
Proven track record leading developers and/or test engineers in designing and implementing technology solutions for software testing
Solid skills in test design/planning/execution, problem isolation and debugging. Structured performance/stress test experience a big plus
5-10 years experience in development or testing/QA. 5+ years experience in one or more programming languages: Ruby, Java, Perl, Python, C++/C#। Experience in MySQL, Oracle10g or MS SQL
Experience with open-source technologies and hosted web services. Solid technical foundation in Linux/Unix
Excellent communication and collaboration skills
BS/MS degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Math, or equivalent combination of degree and relevant experience

If you fit the bill, then we want to talk to you!

To apply: Please forward your resume and cover letter to: wholstine@msn.com with the name of the job you are applying for in the subject line of the email.

Wendy Holstine Contact Information:
C: 720.985.4341

Jobster.com: Hiring a Strategic Account Manager - Seattle

2008-01-24T20:10:00.002-07:00

Strategic Account Manager - Seattle, WA

Have you heard the buzz about Jobster? Do you know what it means to "Walk in a recruiter's shoes"? Promote client success and form Strategic Partnerships? Have you been an Account Manager/Executive with a quota? If so, join us at Jobster and help us promote key fortune 1000 companies to unparalleled success!

What We're All About:Jobster's innovative recruiting technologies connect great people with great opportunities every day. The Jobster difference lies in its ability to help employers reach beyond the most active candidates and target busy professionals who desire a better career and a better life. Built with the help of recruiters from Fortune 1000 companies nationwide, the Jobster service provides companies with measurable results while complementing existing HR software systems. Founded in 2004, Jobster is headquartered in Seattle, WA. For more information, visit www.jobster.com. Great People Know Great People.

Responsibilities Include

Take over client management for assigned Key Accounts once the account is sold.
Drive usage and success. Identify new opportunities.
Be the customer's voice – bringing in Product Management, Development, Marketing, and Sales resources as appropriate.
Basically, drive client success which ultimately drives Jobster's success.
This role will involve 30-40% travel.
Account Management
Work with Key Accounts to drive usage and make them successful users of Jobster
Build relationships with individual recruiters to understand their needs and help them improve recruiting with Jobster solutions
Provide training and best practices for line recruiters to teach them how to successfully use Jobster
Own the account intelligence and be the primary point person on an account

Experienced in Consultative Sales

Identify and share Jobster solutions for recruiting challenges/issues for clients
Identify new opportunities for Jobster in other divisions, with other organizations, and/or with new products and services or product modifications
Expand awareness of Jobster within an account (with Marketing help)
Grow revenue within accounts and partner with Account Executive for renewal
Build trust and loyalty in Jobster services through relationship and consultative approach
Analyze account activity to determine what changes/ additional activities are needed to make them successful
Schedule/ recommend/ deliver training sessions for clients (with Internal Support)
Share best practices among all Jobster accounts (working with other SAMs)
The Ideal Candidate Is
High-energy and sales-focused
Passionate about great client service and partnership
Understands the consultative sales process
Enjoys working with clients, in person, on phone and over email
Superior communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills
Resourceful/creative problem-solver and results oriented
An upbeat, dedicated, customer-oriented professional, dedicated to customer satisfaction
Experienced in Account Management
3-5 years large corporate account management experience, preferably in HR or recruiting products and services, especially software services
1-2 years B-2-B service sales experience
Understands adoption curves and experience in accelerating the adoption
Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage complex and/or critical customer issues
Experience identifying and capturing new opportunities, problem-solving and building client relationships
An Experienced Recruiter
Understands recruiters and what motivates them to adopt new technologies

Can "walk in the shoes" of their clients

Interested? To apply: Please forward your resume and cover letter to:

wholstine@msn.com with the name of the job you are applying for in the subject line of the email. Please indicated what type of quota’s you have held, the % of the quota you met and your salary requirements.

Wendy Holstine, CIR Professional Recruiter wholstine@msn.com p: 720.985.4341

what makes you a workplace superstar? let people know at www.jobster.com 3131 elliott avenue, suite 600, seattle, wa 98121

Jobster.com is Hiring!

2007-12-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

Jobster.com located in Seattle, WA is hiring!

Jobster employees get to work with the latest and greatest technology everyday and solve interesting problems with sharp and creative people. If you've got the skills, the smarts, and like to have fun while you are at work, please contact me ASAP!

I am interviewing candidates for the following positions immediately:

Sr. Database Analyst (Oracle 10G)
Account Executive, Media Sales
Sr. Sales Account Executive, Software Services

If you would like more information, please send your resume to: wholstine@msn.com and indicate what position you are interested in and we will go from there! Referrals are ALWAYS appreciated.

Please note: all positions are located in Seattle and relocation assistance may be available for some openings.

Do you want to change the way the world views a technical ecosystem?

2007-11-08T09:39:00.001-07:00

POSITION STATUS: CLOSED - NOT ACCEPTING APPICATIONS (6/08)

AND be free to use Open Source? Whether you are an engineer, developer, or a product development manager, look down, are your hyper-speed coding hands all a-shaken??? Or perhaps your product development/manager creative processing is tweaking on all the ideas you could try....

I have 12 openings, in a Seattle, WA Metro area, for one of the largest software development companies globally. If you like working on "secret squirrel" stuff (you know - if your friends asked what you are doing, you could say, "I am sorry, but if I told you.... I'd have to _______ you. And we wouldn't want that now would we?").

You likey?

My client (and former place of work) is building an innovative solution that will change the landscape of the greatest growing online platform. Looking for people across the board: DB, Web Dev, backend dev, and we would be interested in folks with 5+ years of experience in one of following: C++, C#, SQL. We would be especially interested in :

industry candidates with experience in Internet marketing or e-Commerce
candidates with experience in development of very high scale systems;
candidates with strong educational background, academic credentials, knowledge of math, statistics, etc.

This is one of the most pivotal strategic initiatives in the company and those hired would be part of creating a fundamentally new and innovative solution to change the landscape of search marketing, and have a great time while doing it!

The multi-billion dollar online advertising business represents one of the greatest growth opportunities for our company. Our team is hiring strong, self-motivated and results driven developers to create a new system that will offer an unparalleled value proposition to both search users and advertisers. This is a rare opportunity to be at the epicenter of innovation on the Web and a key influencer of technology decisions for an important growth area with us.

Short Version of Positions in Seattle

Job One
· 3+ years of experience .Net or J2EE development
· 2+ years of experience in middle-tier or SQL development
· 1+ years of experience in JavaScript, ASP.NET, DHTML or JSP
· 2+ years in role of technical or development lead
· BS in CS, EE or equivalent
Job Two
· 3-5 years of experience in C++ development
· 2+ years of server side development
· BS in CS, EE or equivalent
Job Three
· 3+ years of experience T-SQL development
· 5+ years of professional experience
· BS in CS, EE or equivalent
Job Four
· 3+ years of experience .Net or J2EE development
· 2+ years of experience in middle-tier or SQL development
· 1+ years of experience in JavaScript, ASP.NET, DHTML or JSP
· BS in CS, EE or equivalent
Job Five
· 3+ years of experience .Net or J2EE development
· 2+ years of experience in middle-tier or SQL development
· 1+ years of experience in JavaScript, ASP.NET, DHTML or JSP
· 2+ years in role of technical or development lead
· BS in CS, EE or equivalent
Job Six
· 3-5 years of experience in C++ development
· 2+ years of server side development
· BS in CS, EE or equivalent

If you are interested in learning more about the company, positions, project and team vision or just to say hi and the ROCKIES ROCK OUT, please send your inquiry to: wholstine@recruitingpoint.com Your resumes and referrals are also welcome! I will also accept phone inquiries at my home office: 303.766.9836

Please feel free to forward this to others.
FYI - am not in a position to pay a fee, but we do pay a bounty for excellent referrals who are hired!

Open Position: Director, Sales & Marketing, Aggregates

2007-10-15T15:19:00.001-06:00

POSITION STATUS: CLOSED - NOT ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS (6/08)

Director, Sales & Marketing, Western Region Aggregates
Westminster, CO
Level: Executive
Reports to: VP/GM Western US Aggregates

Are you looking for a new challenge? Are you ready to take your Marketing & Sales Management career to the next level? Do you thrive on pricing, promotion, production and place (distribution)? Can you help our client refine their marketing strategy? If you are passionate about being hands-on, driving a successful marketing strategy and have answered yes to the questions above, then keep reading!! We are looking for an energetic, Sales & Marketing Professional and are actively interviewing qualified applicants now! Qualified applicants will use their intellectual horsepower to drive for results with a precise business acumen of vision and purpose.

Scope
The Director, Sales & Marketing is responsible for the achievement of price, volume and market share objectives across the Business Unit. He/she ensures sales & marketing and customer service & logistics strategies are effectively established for each market area. This individual has direct accountability for setting the vision and priorities of the sales & marketing function. He/she emphasizes the need to understand customer segmentation, optimize product balance, utilize zones of natural advantage, establish key customer relationships, influence key market specifiers, manage market shares, interpret general trends in the economic environment and embrace best practice sales management tools and frameworks.

Responsibilities:

Sales & Marketing Business Cycle: Responsible for the implementation, co-ordination and standardization of the sales and marketing business cycle including: Market Data Collection, Strategic Framework, Marketing Plan, Performance Plan, Monthly Sales & Marketing reports and metrics, Budgets and Pricing Processes.
Systems & Processes: Ensures systems and processes are aligned with business needs and reflect best practices.
Strategy: Work with area commercial teams to develop solid strategies. Assists in evaluating acquisitions in new and existing markets, participating in data gathering and analysis and leading due diligence teams.
Product development: Coordinates implementation of product development and commercialization initiatives within the Business Unit. Helps promoting products with customers, specifiers and other decision makers (Materials Performance, Manufacturing).
Sales structure: Reinforces standard and effective sales structure and position profiles that allow each local market to properly cover the customer base and provide the best cost/benefit relationship.
Strategic Marketing & Communication: Reinforces the use of common language and knowledge sharing. Coordinates with the Marketing Directors in the other product lines (Asphalt/Paving, RMC) and business units to ensure effective coordination across the region.
Reporting, Budgeting & Forecasting: Communicates monthly sales & marketing results and commentary including competitor activity, market trends, and coordinates the completion of forecasts and market indicators. Prepares quarterly market volume and share analysis and commentary. Participates in the annual Performance Plan and Budget process to ensure sales & marketing risks and opportunities are clearly identified across the Business Unit.
Defines sales & marketing skills and competencies. Participates in the recruitment, selection and retention of key sales & marketing positions across the Business Unit. Ensures effective training programs are in place.

Experience & Education Requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Marketing, or Engineering
Masters in Business Administration is highly desired
8 to 12 years relevant experience, not necessarily in the aggregates or construction industry
Successful experience in a strategic marketing role in commodities would be an asset (oil & gas, steel, mining, agriculture)
Must have successful track record working directly in the field
Willing to travel up to 50%
Strong problem solving and analytical skills.
Excellent people management skills: ability to develop effective internal and external relations.
Must possess the ability to command the attention of business leaders with vision, purpose and integrity.

To apply: Please send your cover letter and resume to wholstine@msn.com with “ Application: Director, Sales & Marketing – CO” in the subject line of the email. It is preferred that documents are sent in one the following formats: (.doc), (.txt), (.rtf), (.pdf), however, if that is not possible, please copy and paste your cover letter, resume and contact information into the body of the email.

Job Openings! (STATUS - CLOSED 6/08)

2007-10-05T19:13:00.001-06:00

STATUS for all positions listed below: CLOSED - NOT ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS (6/08)

Just in case any of you job seekers are googling for open positions...or perhaps you are just a friendly soul who sees this post and knows someone who is a great fit...I thought I would share a few positions that I am recruiting for across the US.

East Coast:

Territory Sales Manager for the Aggregates Division of a major supplier of building materials. This position is located in Pittsburgh, PA and is slated for upward growth.
Sr. HR Generalist for an Engineering and Construction Management company in Princeton, NJ. PHR/SPHR is a huge plus and a Bachelor's degree w/ at least 6 yrs in an HR Generalist position required.

Mountain Region:

Director, Sales & Marketing for the Aggregates Division a major supplier of building materials. This position is located in Westminster, CO.
Area Controller for the Aggregates Division a major supplier of building materials. This position is located in Sun City, AZ.
Project Engineer/Plant Manger for the Aggregates Division a major supplier of building materials. This position is located in Sun City, AZ.

West Coast: (referrals who are hired - are worth $1,000 bounty!!!)

Several UI/UX Design positions for large software development company
Several Software Development Engineer positions for major software development company

Thank you for stopping by The Errant Recruiter... if you are interested in any of the above mentioned positions, or know someone who is - contact me ASAP!!

wholstine@msn.com

Job Opening: Senior Designer, User Interface & Experience - Seattle, WA

2007-09-21T15:04:00.001-06:00

POSITION STATUS: FILLED

Decided to use my blog to post open positions. Why not?? This one has a bounty!

Check it out:

Senior Designer, User Interface & Experience (9/07)
Location: Seattle, WA
Length: Full-Time, Regular (may consider contract-to-hire)
Compensation: Competitive

Seeking a Senior Designer with solid User Interface & Experience background. In this position, you will be part of revolutionizing web property.

The successful candidate will have prior experience collaborating with Development teams and Product Management and should be a suave champion for the end-user. The Senior Designer will be responsible for Product Design from start to finish and must be passionate about being a part of something that can influence the way others view technology.

Qualifications

Candidates must have at least 5 years of solid experience designing web UI, ideally with some on sites with a high-degree of interactivity, e.g. social networking, social media, ect.
Proven experience creating customer experience flows, wire frames and presenting design prototypes
Demonstrated Graphic Design, UI Design and IA modeling is highly preferred
A professional portfolio of work that demonstrates a commanding knowledge of user-centered design and architecture is expected.
The Senior Designer is responsible for the architecture, interaction flow, aesthetics, graphic design and presentation from whiteboard to launch.
Knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator, CSS, HTML
Experience with ERB and/or Ajax is a plus

Education

A four-year Degree in Web Design, Graphic Design or related field is preferred

If you are interested in this position, please send your resume to: wholstine@msn.com OR......

Not the right position for you? What about someone you know?

$1,000 Bounty offered for referrals who are hired!!
If you refer someone to me with the right background/experience, who is interested in this opportunity, and who gets hired – I will pay you! Ideally, this will be someone you already know personally in your network.

Instructions & Info:

Find out if the person you know is interested in the position and is willing to find out more (talk to me and perhaps a hiring manager). You can even do this by emailing this information and getting a confirmation response back. Don’t forget to ask for a resume!
Send me the name and contact information of the referral by email. It would be preferred that you forward the confirmation email you received so I have your information as well as the referral’s.
I will also accept direct contact from the candidate. Just be sure that I am made aware of who referred who!
Please understand that once I begin contact with the referral, that person becomes a candidate, and I must respect their confidentiality during an interview process. If you have questions about their progress, it would be best to go directly to the person you referred.
I will notify you when I do make initial contact and after a final decision is made about the position your referral was considering. He/she will be notified in advance.
And don’t forget – you will be contacted about your Bounty if your referral is hired!
Payments may take 60 to 90 days.

Happy Hunting!!!

errantrantercruiterpilly... So What?

2007-08-10T19:56:00.000-06:00

This is an update to my previous post.........

I am going to do the blog thing and blah blah blah my opinion to the www. This url is the rantercrugger.blogspot after all! I dedicate this to anyone who knows how to do their job and would like to just work in a nice office. Is it wrong to say it out loud? Perhaps. Get over it. I am. I am going to SHOUT IT OUT LOUD! (KISS ROCKS!!)

Earlier today, I commented to a very close friend of mine that I am a "Pill" when it comes to finding what I want when it comes to the right job. She asked me why... and I thought that I should share my answer.

I am opinionated, have a problem with authority, constantly side with the candidate, and will not compromise my values. In short, I have the knowledge and experience that comes along with recruiting long enough to know better and too long to not be the one "in charge."

Basically, I had free reign of my own recruiting world and I LOVED it - and I have yet to find that job again...

That place where HR supports a culture of recruitment - or rather HR is supported to spread a "recruitment culture" and it is understood from the Top that recruitment is a "sales function" and can think about hiring as a long term project. Somewhere that recruitment is much more than hiring new talent - where it is also about keeping those gems already on board and can see that recruitment is not a PROCESS but a STRATEGY!

Forget about the checklists and the flowcharts and think about networking and recruitment as "dating," even after the person is hired. While I am creating my dream job, I also like to believe in the company, the vision, sit at the table, love the product and stand behind the recruitment processes, hiring practices and corporate values. I need to believe in what I am doing.

If being vocal about this makes me a pill - SHOUT IT OUT LOUD! So what? I can think of a few companies off the top of my head that are just as pilly, I should know, I have helped recruit for them!

Dedicated to the "Pills" in all of us.

"Social Networking Sites Exposed" By: Keri Yednak

2007-05-21T11:22:00.000-06:00

Why Hello!

The Errant Recruiter has been quoted! I shall post the article by Keri Yednak, written for The College of New Jersey, below:

Social Networking Sites Exposed

by Keri Yednak

We all know that dream…

You know, the one where you are meandering through a crowded public place trying to make it through the day, when suddenly you look down and realize you are stark naked from head to toe. As you scramble for a way to cover yourself up, you notice the flashing and snapping of cameras in the distance. The most vulnerable moment of your life was just captured on film and, probably within the hour, released on the World Wide Web. These photos are now a permanent reminder of what it feels like to be utterly exposed, without the aid of a scapegoat to help regain your dignity.

Sure, this may be just a dream, but the same invasion of privacy can occur on the Internet at any given time. Students should be made aware of the many potential dangers that shadow the benefits of social networking sites.

Social networking is an exciting and innovative way to meet new friends and keep in touch with the old. Sites such as the infamous myspace.com are sufficient tools for freedom of expression, but when looking for an internship or a career after graduation, your personal profile can have detrimental affects on your search. “A recent study by the executive search firm ExecuNet found that 77 percent of recruiters run searches of candidates on the Web to screen applicants. 35 percent of these same recruiters say they’ve eliminated a candidate based on the information they uncovered.”

Upon speaking with experienced corporate recruiter Wendy Holstine of Open Source Services, she confirmed that this screening process is a growing trend in the industry. Ms. Holstine commented that sites such as LinkedIn.com can be helpful when looking for work, but it is also important to remember that your profile acts as your personal billboard and should be kept professional. When Wendy was recruiting a graphic artist for a toy company, she was impressed with a candidate’s artwork but was not enthused about what she came across on their personal webpage. “The profile had content on it that would not be appropriate for our customers,” Holstine said. Eventually, Ms. Holstine “passed” on the candidate.

Many people tend to elaborate on their profiles, perhaps to attract a certain type of friend or love interest. However, if you are trying to uphold an image in the eyes of an employer, you must remain utterly honest and respectful at all times. Look at it this way: if your mother would turn her cheek because of the content on your webpage, chances are recruiters or prospective employers would turn you away completely. Internet blogs are like on-line journals. Would you leave your diary open on the coffee table for anyone to read, even strangers? Images or comments you post on the Internet are permanent and cannot be erased. They can be manipulated, too. Think of your head on Christina Aguilera’s body. Now picture it on Rosie O’Donnell’s.

It is important to stand by your convictions if you genuinely support them. Your profile is constantly under scrutiny by thousands of people. Don’t forget that you are not invincible and can easily be sued for defamation, libel, or copyright infringement. For example, a high school assistant principal in San Antonio, Texas sued two students and their parents for libel over a page that the students posted on myspace.com. The webpage appeared to be the woman’s personal page and falsely claimed that she was a lesbian.

In reply to the lawsuit and other situations such as these, the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) wrote an article warning teachers not to interact with students on the Internet. Since TCNJ is a highly regarded teaching college, prospective teachers should think about how their web space can affect their candidacy for hire at an educational institution. Here’s a simple rule: Never post anything on the Internet or even inside an e-mail that you would not shout in a crowded room. Even e-mails have been used as key evidence in legal cases.

So now, you may be thinking: why are employers placing such a big emphasis on my personal life? Things such as age, gender, and race are not appropriate to ask about on a resume. How can they make career-altering decisions based on my personal online profile? I spoke to Lydia Rios, Vice President and General Sales Manager of Nassau Broadcasting Company, and she also felt the importance to separate business and pleasure.

“Social behaviors should have very little to no presence in the workplace at the onset of a person's employment when first impressions are most influential,” she said. “Work ethic is dominant. In my experience, most sites project some pretty negative and very unprofessional images of their hosts.” So why take the risk? By agreeing to interact socially online, you have waived your right to privacy and therefore are vulnerable to judgment or event attacks on your personal character.

So how can we possibly have the best of both worlds? I have gathered helpful tips from the professionals on how to remain safe while gallivanting around various social networking sites:

Adjust settings of your profile to “private,” so that only your friends can view your personal information. Protect your “wholesome” image!
If possible, do not use your last name anywhere in your profile or webpage. Your parents and/or family might not appreciate the recognition either.
Use E-mail addresses that sound professional. Sexylady@hotmail.com is probably not the best choice when in the midst of a job search. This also applies to the message you decide to leave on your answering machine.
Be selective with importing pictures or video which may appear sexual, or that contain illegal substances. You can be found guilty by association!
Check daily for comments by friends that contain lewd or foul language. Your friends can often be viewed as a reflection of your personality.

As college students, we are all on the same path to success, striving towards that great American Dream. Do not allow Internet screening from prospective employers to keep you from making a professional impression. Be aware that these people have the power to facilitate your future. The choices you make each day help determine your destiny. If you are being trashy or rude on the web, then that is undeniably part of your character. Take it from Lydia Rios, a woman who has worked very hard to be where she is now: “It's not worth diminishing your reputation, and the perception of others to your credibility and ethics.”

(this article can be found on The College of New Jersey's website @ http://www.tcnj.edu/~unbound/article.php?id=86)

2007-03-23T21:03:00.000-06:00

While I was on one of my errant thought rampages earlier today... I was thinking to myself, "Self, why don't companies ever budget enough money for recruiting?" (Now, this is one of those "why" questions that can certainly get a pack of recruiters cackling like hens!!)

So, I decided that my gift/curse/habit of rambling out ideas should be shared with all! Well at least, here on my blog, safe out on cyberspace.

If companies can't budget enough money for recruiting, and we as recruiters are already busy showing ROI (such an impatient, pro-active breed we are!), I propose that we can also raise money for our cause.

Please note: this idea is in its infant stages, I am thinking about possibilities at this point and am not concerned about what rules, and regulations my fabulous ideas might be breaking. (Remember that you are at The Errant Recruiter's Blog. Nay Sayers - Be Aware!!)

Now, let us move forward!

The carwash - offer to detail for donations. People. I am not joking! Bake sales. Yes. Knitted goods, dog walking, people walking, workout partners, errand running for executives...

Recruiting Departments could scrape up some $$ to create merchandise to sell and keep the cash - start their own Staffing Store of sorts?

Heh. Start charging internal departments placement fees (probably not gonna happen).

This topic is fun... more to come soon!

Number One

2007-03-11T19:18:00.000-06:00

I dedicate this first blog post to all those recruiters who have gone around the policy, stepped over the red tape, skipped the job description, ignored the checklist, and foregone the requisition to recruit the best person for the job. That's right kids, I am not talking about stepping over line, I am talking about blazing past like, "Go Speed Racer Gooo!"

If you are thinking to yourself, "that's naughty!!" then you might not like my blog. Truth be told, I don't always enjoy putting X's on checklists either - that busy work just slows me down, but I know it is sometimes a necessary evil. Just as the title of my blog is, "The Errant Recruiter," I would like to suggest that Recruiting Managers encourage their recruiters the occasional guilty pleasure of throwing cautions to the wind, or the right to go outside what is "usually done around here.” Let us be naughty, allow the non-standard into our standard recruitment practices, and help recruiters be more effective.

It seems that a lot of effort and noise goes into creating policies, methodologies, practices, checklists, flowcharts, workflow, etc but what is all of this?? Is it effective, pro-active, and productive to a recruiter's daily routine? We spend so much time trying to put boundaries around a profession, an art that is about intuition and the ever-unpredictable mind of a human being. Yet those of us who thrive on the dynamics of this occupation find ourselves constantly running into the same walls repeatedly, although the ability to hire and retain great talent is never in question.

Now I am not against metrics, structure, tracking, reporting, consistency, and strategy. In fact, I use these tools and believe in them. My hope is to see more recruiters catering toward their product - the human!

Note: I strongly uphold ethics in recruitment and the professional ideals of the human resources industry. Please do not mistake my 'errant nature' in recruiting to mean that I do not understand the ethical and professional standards to which I am obligated to uphold to the company which I represent or any current/past candidate.

Sincerely,
Wendy Holstine, CIR