September 2011 « Laufer and Associates

Instead of: "The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!" — to quote an old movie title, I am inclined to yell down the streets: "The jobs are coming! The jobs are coming!" Massachusetts is roaring out of the "red" into the black. We're seeing pre-recession activity on the job front, and I am happy to report that our candidates are moving quickly into jobs in this brisk 3rd quarter. Won't you join us in that new 'front' and send your resume? Check out our latest jobs and see if your name is on one of them!

Success Story: Rachel Sonnenberg

"I had the pleasure of meeting Julie right as I was departing from a luxury hospitality company that I had been with for five years. Coming from such a well-known and prestigious company, I felt some trepidation as I began my job search. Julie and her team were phenomenal in every stage of the process; describing each position in detail and always checking in with me after the interviews. They kept me updated on prospective positions and displayed a genuine care for placing me in the best role possible for my skill set. Laufer and Associates is incredibly professional, and quite frankly, the best recruitment agency in Boston!"

– Rachel Sonnenberg

Temp of the Month: Maya-Jade Hallett

Temp to Hired!

"I relocated to Boston from Maine last year in September. A few months later, I began working in a temp-to-perm role through another agency that ended up not being the right fit for me. However, a co-worker of mine strongly recommended Julie Laufer, so I decided to contact her and see what might happen.

On the day of my interview with Julie, she was able to assist me with a job prospect. Soon after meeting with Julie, I was placed into a temp-hire role. Within a month, I secured a permanent position with the company, and I owe it all to Laufer and Associates.

In this job market, having someone like Julie on your side who understands what you are looking for and works to ensure that you have your perfect fit is certainly an amazing talent. I strongly encourage anyone who is thinking of a change or needing some help with their search to meet with Julie as soon as possible. Thank you, to Cristin and Julie, for all of their support and assistance to a newcomer like myself!"

– Maya-Jade Hallett

Changes of the Ages

During our younger years, most of us dreamt of growing up to be a replica of someone we admired. Whether you wanted to be an astronaut, just like Neil Armstrong for taking a giant leap for mankind, or perhaps you wanted to be like Cinderella, the beautiful princess who lost her glass slipper at the royal ball. Chances are, you did not place a flag on the moon or take a ride in a pumpkin-turned-carriage. Needless to say, most of us never got a chance to fulfill our childhood dreams.

According to a study released in 2010 by the US Department of Labor, people hold an average of 11 jobs over the course of their lifetime. It is human nature to get bored of the same routine, and it is human nature to want change. You are never too young or old to be looking for the next opportunity for change.

Please don't mistake the following breakdown as guidelines you must follow, we are simply offering a categorization of what certain age groups may be interested in. Let's filter through the decades to see where you may want to end up.

60s

Somewhere during this po
nt in your life, you might be thinking about finishing up your career and looking into retirement. Many people choose to continue working, sometimes on a part-time, temporary, or volunteer basis, after retirement. If you so choose, Laufer and Associates has opportunities, both in the part-time and temporary categories. In lieu of keeping an active mind and an open heart, these types of positions leave you with your work/life well-balanced.

50s

Bill Kirchmann, a man in his 50s in search of a new career, was quoted on boston.com, "I feel very positive. You look at where you are and go forward. Go forward." He is absolutely right-this is the time in your life you might consider taking an inventory of your successes, skills, and interests. Something to consider is staying in the same company, but looking into different departments, or the complete opposite. You may decide to look elsewhere, but stay in the same type of role. The most important thing is to focus on your strengths, and go forward.

40s

This is possibly the most difficult time to make a career change, but you can do it. You can become your own career coach and be open to the help from others, like our recruiters at Laufer and Associates. If you choose to stay in your career, you could be in it for the long-haul, but if you choose to change, this could bring great happiness to your working life.

30s

At this point in your career, you are most likely in or trying to find your long-term career. The important thing here is doing extensive research to determine whether the desire to switch careers is practical or even possible. If you feel it is truly right for you, making a move can be very beneficial. Be sure to think this decision through, because if you decide to change careers and land a position elsewhere, reverting can make the situation even more difficult.

20s

For most, your 20s are the time in your life where you are exploring your interests. Often times you may find yourself hopping from job to job. Our best suggestion is for people in their 20s, who aren't sure where their occupational hearts lie, is to take on temporary positions to find out where you can best expel your skills and find what types of business interest you. No matter what you choose to do, we're here to help you find your dream job.

And remember, you're never too old or too young to make a change. But, be smart about your decisions, do your research, and come to us if you need any help!

LauferTrend: The Relativity of Time

Time is a relative concept, meaning that time flies when you're having fun, or time drags when you're not. Since your time spent at work often feels like it is dragging on for hours, Kaitlin Madden of careerbuilder.com decided to look into some data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The following are various industries and the average amount of hours worked by individuals each week.

-Mining and Logging
-Utilities 41.7
-Durable goods 40.6
-Manufacturing 40.3
-Goods-producing 39.8
-Nondurable goods 39.8
-Wholesale trade 38.6
-Transportation and warehousing 38.6
-Construction 38.3
-Financial activities 37.4
-Information 36.6
-Professional and business services 35.7

These statistics cover broad industries, where you may find some workers, contractors, and subcontractors putting in much more time than others. For example, those who work in investment banking, a subsector of the "financial activities" industry, typically put in longer hours than the weekly average suggests.

Some other interesting data shows the top ten states with the longest working hours. What are your thoughts, maybe New York, Massachusetts, or California? Think again–I guess we are taking it easy out here in the Hub (or maybe we're working long hours, while Western Mass throws off our average). Here are the states with the longest work weeks:

-Nevada 37

-Wyoming 36.7
-Louisiana 36.5
-Texas 36.3
-Kentucky 36.2
-Alabama 36.0
-District of Columbia 35.8
-Mississippi 35.6
-South Carolina 35.6
-Oklahoma 35.5

Referral Program

Loud Speaker Include "How-to" articles or hints and tips on related subjects. Try a reader's poll. People love to give their opinion, and you can publish the results in your next newsletter. Drive traffic to your website by entering teaser text for the article with a link to your website for readers to view the full text.

The rules are simple. Tell everyone you know about Laufer and Associates and have them view our website and contact us directly, or provide us with the names of qualified professionals. Once a person whom you have referred works as a temporary employee or gets placed permanently by Laufer and Associates at a client company, you will receive the cash amount listed below.

$100 Permanent Bonus– You are eligible for our $100 Referral Bonus if Laufer and Associates place your referral in a permanent position. Referral must stay employed in position for the length of our guarantee period, commonly 90 days.

$100 Temporary Bonus– You are eligible for our $100 Referral Bonus if Laufer and Associates place your referral in a temporary position. Referral must work as a temporary employee for at least 1,000 hours to qualify. There is no limit to the number of employees you may refer.

Our experience has also taught us that great candidates often know other great candidates, so be sure to take advantage of our referral bonus program.

Cristin We love hearing feedback, stories, and suggestions from past and present candidates; please email them to: [email protected]

Regards,

Cristin Skjegstad

Marketing Coordinator & Office Manager

Laufer and Associates

45 School Street, 2nd floor | Old City Hall | Boston, MA 02108

tel: 617-367-2800 | fax: 617-367-1600

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.lauferandassociates.net