THE PATHFINDER

Chesapeake Energy Scales Back Marcellus Drilling

2012-01-26T12:57:00.002-06:00

Citing slumping natural gas prices, a major Marcellus Shale natural gas company has announced significant cutbacks to its drilling efforts. Will other companies follow suit and how will this affect employment in the oil and gas industry. Read the full article by clicking here.

What to do FIRST when looking for work

2011-10-30T12:41:00.001-05:00

Changing your career industry can be a daunting task, especially if you are unemployed while you are attempting it. Yet today, many people looking for work are forced to look outside of their comfort zone and into another industry. You only have to look as far as Clear Lake to see this happening on a daily basis. Many professionals have lost their job in the aerospace industry and are now turning to the oil and gas industry to find work.

If you find yourself in this situation, what would you do to find work in a brand new industry you know nothing or little about? Your first step should be to figure out what type of job title you would like to target.

In some instances, this may be a simple task. For example, if you are an Accountant working in the Financial Services industry, then most likely you will continue to be an Accountant in whatever industry you choose. There are some instances where your current job responsibilities may not easily translate into a new industry. An example may be a bank teller. Transitioning into a new industry will prove to be more difficult but certainly not impossible. Finally, you may be in a situation where your skills may be easily transferrable but you no longer wish to follow your current career path.

The first step in any job search is to quantify what type of position you want to target.

This may be one of the most difficult tasks to complete in your job search but it is clearly the most important. Zig Ziglar once said, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” This is true in your job search. If you don’t know what type of position you are looking for, then you may spend the majority of your search wandering aimlessly. Even worse, you may end up in a job you don’t enjoy.

In his book, “48 Days to the Work You Love”, Dan Miller writes:

“The most effective job-hunting method is this: know your skills, research the potential companies that use those skills, arrange to see the person who has the power to hire you, and request the interview.”

Know Your Skills

This is by far the most important step and yet this is the step that is most often ignored. Every day, I take calls from people who want to get into the oil and gas industry. When I ask them why they want to transition into oil and gas, I usually get one of the following responses:

You can earn good money.
I hear there are a lot of jobs.
I want to work in a more stable industry.

These may be true and valid reasons (I could argue that oil and gas is not a more stable industry) but when I ask them what they want to do in the oil and gas industry, usually I hear silence on the other end of the phone.

Start by knowing your skills. Get alone where there will be absolutely no distractions. Write down on a piece of paper what business or technical skills you bring to the table. These are those skills that you would normally list on your resume.

Research and Network

Next, start researching career opportunities in your target industry and talk to people you know who work in the industry about what types of jobs they would recommend. LinkedIn groups is a great way to network with other professionals with similar interests. There are thousands of job specific groups for the oil and gas industry. LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50 groups. Select those groups with large number of members in them. Once you are a group member, you can post questions for discussion and ask questions of individual members in the group.

Now that you have an idea of the type of job within the industry you would like to target, you are ready for the next step which I will discuss in my next article.

PathFinder Staffing is an oil and gas recruiting agency located in Houston, Texas. To learn more about oil and gas jobs in Houston, visit our web site at www.PathFinderStaffing.com.

Breaking into an Industry

2011-08-19T17:14:00.001-05:00

It seems that a lot of people are trying to find a job in the oil and gas industry. Every day we take phone calls from people asking if we can help. If you are a graduating college student or a seasoned employee looking to get into a new industry, how would you go about it? In upcoming articles, I will discuss some very simple steps that anyone can take to improve their chances for finding a new job in a new industry. (Anyone can use these tips to search for a new job in any industry, not just oil and gas.)

What doesn’t work?

Surprisingly enough, using a Recruiter will not yield the best results if you are trying to switch industries. Most people mistakenly think that a Recruiters job is to go out and find the candidate a job. In reality, the Recruiters job is to find candidates for their clients that they usually can’t find on their own.

Think about it this way. ABC Company is having a difficult time finding an Engineer with a special type of experience. When they can’t find the engineer on their own, they will hire a Recruiter to go out and find the best candidate available. A typical fee for finding someone can easily be in the tens of thousands of dollars. Your experience may very easily translate over into another industry, but very rarely will a company pay a fee for someone without specific experience.

It’s not what you know…

You have heard the old saying, “It’s not what you know but who you know.” This principal is gold when it comes to finding a new job. In a March 2011 study by CareerXroads, they found that “nearly 65% of all openings are filled through internal movement and referrals.” The report also went on to say that “Referrals are the #1 source of External Hires.”

Don’t buy into the gloom and doom of the economy…

“If it bleeds, it leads” is the old newspaper adage. The sad truth today is that bad news sells. It is true that we are probably already in another recession and unemployment levels are at their highest rate in over 30 years but if you buy into the attitude that “it’s the economy’s fault, there are no jobs available.”, then you have already lost the battle. Zig Ziglar used to say, “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”

In his article “The Truth About Unemployment”, Dave Ramsey writes, “…we have decided that we're not going to form our lives around the negativity coming out of the media and government. We're intensifying our efforts and going to have the best year of our lives in spite of things slowing down.”

Let the Good Times Roll

Now is a great time to be in the oil and gas industry. We are leading the way in job creation. The majority of all companies in our industry or related to our industry are having a difficult time finding employees. Our largest client (a medium sized engineering firm of 450 employees has already hired 130 people so far this year). You wouldn’t know it reading the Help Wanted section of the local newspaper or by searching online job boards. Out of 130 hires so far this year, our client has posted probably 10 ads on job boards and none in the local newspaper. The majority of their hires have come from employee referrals, campus recruiting and their internal recruiting department.

How to Find Hidden Jobs…

If our client is an average company in the industry today (and I believe they are), then the majority of job openings today are not being advertised. If that is true, then how do you go about finding these Hidden Jobs? Over the next few weeks, I will walk you step by step in how to find these hidden jobs and if you are trying to break into the industry, I will show you how to do that as well.

Follow us on FaceBook by becoming a fan of our company page at www.facebook.com/pathfinderstaffing. If you would like to register with our agency, visit our website at www.pathfinderstaffing.com and click on the “Submit Resume” button. You can sign up for email alerts and search jobs in the Oil and Gas Industry.

On Fathers Day

2011-06-19T16:59:00.000-05:00

While shopping at Jos A Bank, a thoughtful friend found a small book entitled "Father to Son. Life Lessons on Raising a Boy" by Harry H. Harrison, Jr. Each page in this book gives one life lesson that a father can give to his son. As I thumbed through this book, I noticed that some lessons are practical while ohers made me laugh. As a father of two boys ages 4 and 7, I found myself smiling as I skimmed through the pages. I won't give away the last "life lesson" in this book, but it made me stop and ponder the importance of what we as dad's are tasked to do.

For all fathers reading this, being a dad is by far the most important role in life you will ever have...bar none. Below is the opening chapter to this book, simply titled:

The Five Keys

Turning a boy into a man is a man's job. Since the beginning of time, it's been up to a father to make his son responsible. Kind. Courageous. Honorable.

A young boy doesn't come with instructions. He just comes with boundless love and an adventurous spirit. But the journey to manhood begins very early...the first time he looks at his dad and thinks, "I want to be like him."

Be around.
Be his father, not his friend. If you don't understand the difference, imagine his confusion when you must discipline him.
Be a good husband. Show his mom respect at all times.
Be home for dinner.
Be his hero.

I enjoy being a dad. To me, there is nothing more rewarding in life. If you are the father of a boy, then I highly encourage you to pick up this book and start applying its lessons.

How To Prepare for an Interview

2011-04-08T09:17:00.004-05:00

By: Tim Cook

Having recruited in the oil and gas industry since 1995, I have prepared countless number of people for interviews with my clients. What I have found, for the most part, is that people do not know how to interview. As a matter of fact, on average, people may only go out on a couple of interviews every 4 or 5 years. So when it comes to interviewing, most people are not prepared...they wing it.

Over the years, I have developed 7 tips on how to prepare for an interview. For the most part, they are "no brainers" but if you follow these tips that I am about to share with you, you will be much more prepared than the majority of people that you are interviewing against.

Tip # 1

So Tell Me About Yourself

I have found that almost every interview will start off with this seemingly simple question. How you answer it could affect the course of the entire interview. When asked the question, "So tell me about youself." most people tend to respond by regurgitating their life history. They talk about where they grew up, where they went to school, and places they have worked in the past. Very little is accomplished by this type of response.

I believe this question gives you the perfect opportunity to "take control" of the interview and start selling yourself. In other words, you begin the process by answering the most important question of all, "Why should I hire you?"

Before every interview, you should do your research. Think about the position that you are interviewing for and then answer this question with your qualifications that will fit their needs.

Tip # 2

Ask Probing Questions

You are interviewing the company just as much as they are interviewing you. During the interview, you should always ask probing questions. A great question to ask is, "What is the #1 priority for this position?"

The reason why I believe that this is such a great question to ask is because the answer to this question will tell you not just whether you can do the job, but more importantly, it will tell you if you really want to do the job.

For example, extensive travel overseas might be a top priority that you might not be able to live with and knowing this up front will help you better compare this opportunity with others that you are interviewing for.

Another reason why this is such a great question to ask is because it can also put you in a great position to "resell" your qualifications for the position. After the interviewer as answered this question, you could then answer with a few examples of your accomplishments with this #1 priority in mind.

Other good follow up questions that you may ask are "What problems have you had in this area?" or "How are you currently addressing this problem?"

Tip # 3

More Great Questions

Two other important questions to ask are, "What would be my first project or production goals?" and "What obstacles would prevent me from reaching this goal?" After these two questions, you can take a minute and talk about yourself having accomplishing a tough goal.

Tip # 4

Career Path?

Your future goals and the future goals of the company are an important comparison for you to evaluate. Don't forget to ask, "If I perform well, where can I go in the company?"

Tip # 5
Write down your questions.

Before your interview, be sure to sit down and write key questions you want answered during the interview. This should include everything that's important to you. Don't forget to take your note pad and pen with you during the interview. You'll have your questions handy so you won't forget them and you will be able to take notes during the interview. (This will be very helpful when you follow up with a thank you note or e-mail!)

Tip # 6
Show me the money?

Compensation discussions are usually very awkward but the subject can't be avoided. This part of the interview is very similar to a poker match. Nobody wants to reveal their cards too early. Candidates don't want to leave money on the table and employers want to get the best qualified employee at the best salary. Avoid compensation and benefit discussions early on.

If you are going through a Recruiter, let him do the negotiating. He knows the salary the client is willing to pay and how much you require. Be honest and up front with your Recruiter and make sure they know exactly what salary you are targeting and what you will walk away from. Any Recruiter with experience knows how to negotiate offers that make both the employee and the client happy.

If you are not using a Recruiter, it's best to be honest and up front. Give accurate salary history on the application and make sure you include any bonuses you received in the past. Before you determine what your salary requirements are, make sure you have a clear understanding of the following:

Career path. Does this company have a clear and defined career path.
Performance Reviews. How often will your performance be reviewed and how often can you expect a pay raise with a successful review.
Pay increase. Historically, how often does the company give raises and typically what percentange increase can you expect if you do well.
Bonus. Are you eligible for any bonus? How often are they paid out? What is the bonus based on and what amounts have been paid out over the past three years?

You cannot give an accurate salary request until you have a complete picture of how you will be compensated. Be prepared to justify your salary request.

Tip # 7
Show Interest

Somewhere in this interview, you're going to have to ask for the job. This may seem a bit awkward but it's the best way to gauge how well you are doing. One way to do this is to ask, "As I understand it, you are looking for someone who does..." and read back the primary duties. Then ask, "Do I have the qualifications to fulfill the requirements for this position?" If the hiring authority feels that you are weak in an area, you can reassure him with a past accomplishment in the same area.

Another less direct approach would be to say, "From everything I've read about the company and what you have told me, this sounds like an excellent opportunity. What's the next step?"

By asking this simple question, you can gauge how well you have done. Their response could range from, "We have other candidates to interview" to "When can you start?" or something in between. At least by asking this question, you should have a good idea of where you stand and what the next steps are.

The key to interview success is preparation. Take the time to learn about the company and the people you are interviewing with by looking up their profile on LinkedIn. Know what you are going to ask ahead of time and don't dominate the interview. Listen carefully and keep your answers brief and to the point. If you follow these steps, you should do well.

Tim Cook is the founder and president of PathFinder Staffing, an oil and gas recruitment agency located in Houston, Texas. The recruiters at PathFinder Staffing specialize in placing oil and gas professionals at all levels including engineering, design and drafting, project controls, business desvelopment and sales, project management, accounting and finance, engineering managment and C-level positions. Visit our web site at http://www.pathfinderstaffing.com/ for more information about us or to register.

Should I Add LinkedIn to My Resume?

2011-02-07T09:55:00.003-06:00

By: Heather Eagar

The social networking world has become a major part of daily life. You can meet new people, catch up with old buddies, join groups, and even play games with others. One major aspect of the social networking realm that has become vital to workers is job seeking. On sites like LinkedIn, you can not only post your resume and garner recommendations, but also network with others as you search for opportunities.

Because LinkedIn in particular has become such a major cornerstone of job seeking, some seekers have begun to question whether they should add a link to their LinkedIn profile on their resume. It’s definitely not a bad idea. In fact, it can increase an employer’s knowledge of your career. However, you want to make sure that if you do add the link, you do it the right way. So if this idea has also crossed your mind, consider the following tips …

Your Resume and LinkedIn Page Should Match

Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if you sent your resume to a prospective employer with your LinkedIn link, only to realize later that day that a date was incorrect on your profile, or you forgot to add a former position to your resume? It’s bad enough to have an error on your resume, but if there are inconsistencies between your LinkedIn page and resume, you will undoubtedly look bad in the employer’s eyes.

Make Sure You Enhance Your LinkedIn Profile

What’s great about LinkedIn is that you have options to enhance your profile that can’t be achieved with a resume. For instance, you can take advantage of recommendations where those you’ve connected with can write personal professional references. Giving employers this virtual reference list can cut down a lot of work for them. Also, you’re giving them access to potentially dozens of opinions of you versus the three to five they would receive through the standard job application.

Leave the Dirt on Your Private Profiles

There’s nothing wrong with having a fun Internet life, but as you know, there are always risks involved. If an employer sees pictures of you slumped over with your drinking buddies, this may very well work against you in the application process. Of course, anyone with half a gnat’s brain should know not to post a crazy picture on their LinkedIn profile; however, choosing the appropriate contacts and even what’s written for your recommendations can make just as much a difference when employers are studying your page to determine who they may be dealing with.

Be Prepared for Employers to Follow Up with Your Connections

If you have 100 connections on your LinkedIn page and you offer your link on your resume, be prepared for any employer you apply with to try to follow up with any one of those connections. If you feel leery about this possibility, you may want to think about leaving the link off your resume because it could occur.

Adding your LinkedIn page to your resume can be a great idea as long as you have covered all of your bases in the process. If you have, then you might take advantage of this option as it may increase your chances of being hired for your desired position.

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Are You Wasting Your Time Looking for Work?

2010-12-21T09:43:00.000-06:00

If you are looking for work, are you spending the majority of your time using the most ineffective methods? We recently conducted an informal poll and the results may indicate that what used to work for an effective job search may no longer be as effective. Unfortunately, many people currently looking for work may still be using techniques that may be outdated and inefficient.

The goal for any job seeker should be to get back to work as quickly as possible. The longer you remain unemployed, the harder it is to find work. Even if the work you find is irrelevant to your career path, doing something quickly is better than doing nothing at all. It is always easier to find a job when you have a job.

Last month we conducted an informal poll and we asked the simple question, "How did you find out about your current (or most recent) job?" The respondants were given 5 choices and could only choose one answer. Here is what we found out. (262 people responded to our poll)

41% found their job through somebody that they knew.
30% found their job through a Recruiter.
22% found their job through an online ad.
4% found their job through a newspaper ad.
3% found their job through a job fair.

When I talk to job seekers, I typically ask them how they are conducting their job search. The overwhelming majority are searching for work mainly from newspaper and online job advertisements. What surprised me from the results is that most efforts are spent on the things that yield the least results. People who are actively looking for work typically spend most of their time going to job fairs, reading the want ads in the Houston Chronicle or surfing online ads through Monster and CareerBuilder. Yet those efforts yield results less than 30% of the time. What's even worse, those same efforts tend to consume the majority of the time spent looking for work.

Most people tend to focus on responding to ads because it's the path of "least resistance". It's easy to submit resumes online and hope for a phone call from an employer requesting an interview. The truth of the matter is that when you submit your resume on newspaper or online ads, you are competiting with possibly hundreds of people responding to the same ad.

Looking for a job in today's economy takes a lot more effort. A job search is a numbers game. The more contacts you make, the more calls you make, the more resumes you send out, the better your chances. An effective job search combines multiple stratgeies. Just make sure you are spending your time on those activities that will yield the greatest return.

To review the results of our survey, click here.

Tim Cook is the founder and president of PathFinder Staffing, an oil and gas recruitment agency located in Houston, Texas. The recruiters at PathFinder Staffing specialize in placing oil and gas professionals at all levels including engineering, design and drafting, project controls, business desvelopment and sales, project management, accounting and finance, engineering managment and C-level positions. Visit our web site at www.PathFinderStaffing.com for more information about us or to register.

How Did You Find Your Last Job? (An Informal Poll)

2010-11-18T09:44:00.000-06:00

Has finding a job changed much over the past 20 years? I was 15 when I got my first job. It was the summer of 1980 and I worked for the Tampa Tribune going door to door selling newspaper subscriptions. I wanted to work that summer to save up money to buy a car so I poured over the newspaper classifieds looking for part-time work that summer. It was a miserable job! Rain or shine, every afternoon and every Saturday morning, I would go door to door selling subscriptions. Straight commission. I made $1,000 that summer.

My next job came my junior year in High School through a school sponsored work program. I was an Operations Clerk for Exchange Bank in Tampa. I worked at that bank for seven years while working towards, my college degree.

Most people still find their next job usually through someone they know or an online ad. As a matter of fact, most every job I have had, I got because of someone I know or through a classified ad but a lot has changed since the summer of 1980. I suspect that the number of people who find their next job through a newspaper print ad has declined while the majority of ad responses now probably come from online ads (via Monster, CareerBuilder, company web sites, etc.).

We have put together an informal, nonscientific poll, asking the simple question:

"How did you find out about your current or most recent job?"

Five options are given and you can only chose one. The results are given in realtime. You can answer the poll question by clicking here.

Tim Cook is the founder and president of PathFinder Staffing, an oil and gas recruiting agency located in Houston, Texas. He has been a recruiter in the oil and gas/energy industry since 1995. PathFinder Staffing provides contract and direct hire professionals to their clients. For more career opportunities in the oil and gas industry, or to register with PathFinder Staffing, visit their web site at http://www.pathfinderstaffing.com/.

You Do What??

2010-07-29T09:08:00.000-05:00

When you read your resume, does it make sense to you? Of course it does but the more important question is will it make sense to your reader. Here is what I mean.

In my search for Project Managers yesterday, I came across this resume and I thought that this is a perfect example of "what not to do" when putting a resume together.

Sancela

2003 - 2005

 Project Engineer

Initially hired as an Intern as a Mechanical Engineer. Promoted within first 4 months of starting with the company to Project Engineer. Responsible for designing, estimating, planning, executing and starting up projects assigned by supervisor, engineering and process standards development, testing/performance evaluation, documentation and reengineering. Managed cost and quality installation of such projects. Directed and supervised technician’s staff.

I'm sure that in the authors mind, he probably thinks that he conveyed to the reader exactly what his job responsibilities were at Sancela. He obviously knows who the company is and what they do and he is quite familiar with what he did there. Now step into the shoes of the recruiter or hiring manager reading your resume.

After reading the resume, I know that this person is a Project Engineer and has a Mechanical Engineering degree but that's where it ends. Can this person actually do the job that I am trying to fill? I really don't know because the resume doesn't really tell me much of anything. For example, is Sancela an Engineering company, a manufacturer, a consulting firm? I have no idea. I suppose that I could Google the company to find out but with all of these resumes that I am reviewing, I don't have the time.

He talks about "process standards development". What is that exactly? Did he develop quality standards for the company, ISO standards, manufacturing process standards? I have no idea! And look, apparently he is also testing something. That's probably a good thing. It's also probably good that he is evaluating it and documenting it as well.

I remember as a child watching "Charlie Brown" on TV. Charlie would ask the teacher a question and the response was some kind of horn noise. "What in the world did the teacher just say?" I remember asking my parents. It was frustrating to me because Charlie could understand what the teacher was saying but I couldn't. I thought that something was wrong with me. I get the same feeling when I read IT resumes. IT folks have a acronym for EVERYTHING!!

When putting your resume together, be brief and specific. Do not assume that the reader is familiar with the companies with whom you have worked for. Give a one line description after the company name. Do not give "vague generalities" about your job duties and responsibilities. Be specific.

Here's a simple test that you can do. Have someone read your resume and then have them explain what you do. If it makes sense to the reader, it should make sense to the recruiter.

By the way, I Googled Sancela and I'm still not sure who they are.

Tim Cook is the founder and president of PathFinder Staffing, an oil and gas recruiting agency located in Houston, Texas. He has been a recruiter in the oil and gas/energy industry since 1995. PathFinder Staffing provides contract and direct hire professionals to their clients. For more career opportunities in the oil and gas industry, or to register with PathFinder Staffing, visit their web site at www.PathFinderStaffing.com.

Sales Engineer

2010-06-23T12:57:00.001-05:00

Sales Engineering Jobs in Houston

Bring your skills and passion and join our team and put your innovative thinking and business skills into high gear. Our client is a global consulting firm located in over 100 countries. You are supported through a network of connections within your role, your discipline and the regions in which you operate. We are currently seeking an energetic and talented Sales Engineer with a strong focus in Remediation Consulting and Engineering to join their Houston, TX office. You will have the opportunity to help drive the growth of the Houston office. You will partner with regional and district sales and management team to help capture new clients and close transactions. To be considered for this role, you must have experience in upstream oil and gas, refining and manufacturing and associated regulatory groups. You will serve as a technical resource and lead within the organization and be recognized by clients as a leader in this capacity.

PathFinder Staffing is a Oil and Gas Recruiting Agency located in Houston, Texas. If you are an oil and gas professional and are open to exploring better career opportunities, visit our website at www.PathFinderStaffing.com and click on the "Submit Resume" button at the bottom of the page to register.

In Summary...How To Increase the Odds That Your Resume Gets Noticed

2010-06-21T08:13:00.001-05:00

The purpose of your resume is to get noticed, to get the hiring manager to want to bring you in for an interview. In its most basic sense, the resume is your "advertisement" that leads a company into making a "buying" decision. It represents who you are and what you have to offer. With this in mind, take a step back and look at your resume. Does it "sell" your services?

In my last article, I suggested that a good resume should include a Summary statement. A lot of resumes I read, do not include a Summary statement. Instead, an Objective statement is given or nothing at all. As a reader, and potential employer, it is my preference to read a summary statement rather than an objective statement. A Summary statement tells the reader who you are and what you've accomplished. It can open doors and cause your resume to be given consideration. An Objective statement tells the reader what you want.

A well written, well thought out Summary statement sets the entire tone of the resume. Because the Recruiter, Human Resource Manager or Hiring Manager can not read every resume they receive, they usually give each resume a cursory glance and then determine whether or not it gets a full read through. They look at (usually in this order):

The name/address (to see if the candidate is local or not).
Names of companies where you have worked along with job titles held and duration of each employment.
Finally, the Summary statement (to get an overview of what you have done in your career).

[NOTE: With this in mind, make sure your resume if formatted in such a way that the reader can easily identify and locate these three areas of your resume.]

It is usually after this third step, they make the decision to either dig deeper into your resume or to disregard it and move on to the next. A well written summary can move the employer to read your resume in entirety even if you are not local and haven't worked at (what they perceive) are the right companies.

Do not get me wrong. The Summary statement is not a magic bullet that will magically pursuade the hiring authority give you an interview. What a well written Summary will do is take a qualified individual and motivate the hiring manager to read your resume in full, giving it more attention and thought.

In summary, a well written, well thought out Summary statement will include the following:

One sentence that summarizes your entire career or the type of career that you wish to pursue. Start by asking yourself, "What type of job am I targeting?" and then craft your opening sentence around your target. For a broad target, your opening sentence should be broad. A Mechanical Engineer with over 20 years experience in the upstream oil and gas industry. For a targeted focus, you could write: A Mechanical Engineer with over 20 years experience in the upstream oil and gas industry with 10 years as a Project Manager of Pipeline facilities projects.
The next couple of sentences should motivate the employer to want to call you to set up an interview. Take some time to write down a list of your career accomplishments. What are you the most proud of? What are some of your skills? Are you a Professional Engineer? Are you an expert on ProE? Use these to create the "sizzle" of your summary. Let's continue with our hypothetical summary. A licensed Professional Engineer in Texas, Oklahoma and Alaska, I have successfully managed 5 Compressor Station projects totaling $900,000,000. All on-time and under budget.

Remember, it is perfectly acceptable to create both a broad and focused summary depending on the job you are applying for.

Do not overlook the importance of this simple little paragraph that can set the whole tone of your resume. Give it some serious thought and consideration. If you are targeting several different types of positions, you should craft a different summary for each resume.

Tim Cook is the founder and president of PathFinder Staffing, a oil and gas recruiting agency located in Houston, Texas. He has been a recruiter in the oil and gas/energy industry since 1995. PathFinder Staffing provides contract and direct hire professionals to their clients. For more career opportunities in the oil and gas industry, or to register with PathFinder Staffing, visit our web site at www.PathFinderStaffing.com

Estimator (Upstream Industry)

2010-06-16T07:48:00.008-05:00

Estimator Jobs - Houston

Our client is a well established EPC firm located in Houston's Energy Corridor. They have an immediate opening for an outgoing, enthusiastic individual with 5-10 years Estimating experience preferably in the upstream industry. Previous estimating experience within the Pipeline Industry is preferred (including terminals, pumping stations, compressor stations, and/or metering stations) but not required. Must have some estimating experience in the oil and gas industry.

Our client provides competitive benefits to meet you and your family's needs, including a flexible 9-80 work schedule, competitive total compensation packages, 401(k) savings plan with 100% match of your first 6% of savings withy immediate vesting, comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage and the Company pays for the employee's basic Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment and Long Term Disability Insurance. All insurance coverage is in effect on your first day of employment.

Click here to be directed to our web site to apply.

PathFinder Staffing has many new and exciting "direct hire" postions in the Oil & Gas Industry just like this one that we are currently interviewing for. Visit our Jobs page to see what we are working on today.

Be the first to receive Job Alerts, Industry News, and Career Tips by following us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/energycareerz.

Will Your Resume Get Read?

2010-06-10T21:25:00.017-05:00

Are you having a hard time getting an interview? Do you see job postings that you know that you are a strong fit but after submiting your resume, your phone never rings? How many times have you been told by HR or the Recruiter that your resume is being reviewed and someone will get back with you? I know these calls happen every day because many times, I am on the receiving end. I hear the desperation in voices of people who haven't worked in over a year. In this article, I want to discuss what you can do right now to increase the odds of getting an interview.

It has been said that "you only get one chance to make a good first impression." In the job search, that first impression is your resume. I read several resumes each day and believe me, I have read my fair share of horrendus resumes. Let's discuss the steps involved in putting together a resume that will get you noticed. Having a well written, well thought out resume is probably the most important aspect of your job search. TAKE THE TIME TO CREATE A RESUME THAT SELLS.

How do you make sure your resume gets read? It needs to be solid. In the book, "The Robert Half Way to Get Hired", the author writes:

"And while a resume may not necessarily get you the job-indeed, it usually won't, on its own-a poorly prepared resume can knock you out of the running." [The Robert Half Way to Get Hired. (c) 1981 pg. 77]

Follow these eight simple steps to increase the odds that your resume gets read:

Keep your resume to a 2 page minimum: Anything more than two pages increases the likelihood that your resume WILL NOT GET READ. I have heard countless times, "It's hard to list everything I have done in less than two pages." A good resume highlights your relevant skills. It is not a laundry list of every project you have ever worked on. RULE OF THUMB: Anything over 10 years becomes less relevant.
Contact Information: Make sure your resume contains your name, address (do not use a PO Box), both home and cell phone numbers and an email address. Do not make it difficult for potential employers to contact you. If you do not have an email address, get one...they're FREE!! Make sure your email address projects a professional image. GetOuttaMyFace@anymail.com is not an address I would include on my resume.
Summary: Do not include an OBJECTIVE statement, instead consider a Summary. Summarize your career and strengths in 4 sentences or less. I have seen 1 page summaries. Guess what? They get trashed too!!
Employment History: Include dates. If you leave them off, it indicates that you have something to hide. Your resume may not necessarily get discarded but you will not be the first person called...GUARANTEED!! Also, do not assume the employer knows who your previous employers are. After the company name, give a 1 line description of the company's industry and what they do.
Do not belabor the obvious: A common mistake in resumes is that people belabor the obvious in their work experience. If you are an Administrative Assistant, it is assumeed that you type and file documents, answer the phone, put reports together, etc. Instead of focusing on "tasks", focus on "accomplishments".
Education: List only the education that you have completed. The employer does not care that you are currently working on an MBA or that you have completed 80 hours towards your Bachelors degree. Listing unfinished degrees can have more negative consequences than positive. If you have advanced degrees, list them in reverse order and always list the year completed.
Special Skills and Training: If you have any experience with any formal training, certifications, hardware or software, list them here. DO NOT list any out of date training, weekend seminars, or tools that you have not used in the past three years. Many times, people will list experience with sofware they have casually used but not proficient in. Do not fall into this temptation. If you are a casual user and not proficient, chances are it may come up in an interview and it may cost you the job.
Take a break: Once you have your resume put together. Save it and come back to it to review after a day or two. After a couple of days, your mind is clear and you can review your resume with a fresh pair of eyes.

If you have any questions about your resume and how it relates to this article, please post a comment and I will answer them promptly. For continued reading about resume preparation, read my blog article "I've Been Laid Off...Now What?"

Tim Cook is the founder and president of PathFinder Staffing, a Houston-based oil and gas recruiting agency. He has been a recruiter in the oil and gas industry since 1995. PathFinder Staffing provides contract and direct hire professionals to their clients.

The Applicants’ Invisible Land

2010-04-22T13:55:00.002-05:00

How can developing a personal “brand” increase your chances that your resume will get noticed? What steps can you take today that will help you get back to work quicker? One of the main reasons clients come to me is because of the perception that their resume never gets seen. They apply to positions they feel are a ‘perfect-fit’, they navigate the job boards like kids looking for candy and though they believe they’ve got what it takes to do the job, nothing ever happens. These people live in, what I like to call, the applicants’ “invisible land”. They exist, but no hiring manager seems to see them. Over the years, I have found some common elements that make you seem ‘invisible’ to the eye of the employer.

1. The resume does nothing to catch attention. Most Resumes lack a clear objective and a unique positioning statement that motivates the employer to want to talk to you. What makes you different? What have you achieved? What is your “value add” to the company?

2. Too much of one thing and not enough variety. Do you limit yourself to a few job boards or a few meager attempts at networking before giving up? Many job seekers have lack of vision and strategy. Get out of your comfort zone and “your old way of thinking” if you want to move towards your job vision.

3. No planning and no agenda. An effective job hunter knows that a good job strategy requires clear priorities and planning. Scheduling meetings with key contacts and expanding your network while targeting potential hiring companies make a big difference in the final outcome. It’s been said that the definition of insanity is doing things the same way over and over again while expecting a different result. In order to get ahead of your competition, you’ve got to deal with “your personal professional brand”. Check the efficiency and effectiveness of your networking resources. Create key performance indicators so that you do not waste your time with a particular network that does not add any value to your job search or your visibility.

4. No social media existence. Employers are using more and more social media sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook to look for passive job seekers. Do you have a strong business profile on these sites? Do you have referrals that support your track record or does your profile lack relevant information?

5. Do you add value to your Network? Make it easy for your network to facilitate your job transitioning process. Give them something they can sell on your behalf like a strong professional brand. By doing this, they will be much more likely to put a word on your behalf to a potential employer. Never forget to thank them and to give back! Because you are job transitioning you have valuable insight into the job market trends and information that could be useful to those contacts, as well.

6. CEO. Can you imagine a corporation that blames everyone for its failures not taking accountability for its actions? That corporation could be YOUR BRAND and YOU ARE ITS CEO! Most people run away from job seekers that talk negatively. It does not sell a brand that can’t do anything to overcome its own circumstances. It actually provides all the wrong features of that added value you want to advertise to your potential employers.

7. Lack of Creativity. Reinvent yourself. I know many professionals that have become entrepreneurs or have changed careers. What are the job market hiring trends? What can you do to get on that competitive edge? What skills can you acquire or transfer?

8. Get real! Most of my clients have not looked for a job in a very long time and don’t really know how or what it takes to network. What worked in the past may not work in today’s economy.

9. You have to be strategic, dedicated, vision oriented, consistent, and persistent in order to get the required visibility to land that job over time.

In conclusion, to get out of the ‘Invisible Land’, create your own Brand that sells using all the resources available. Don’t come up with excuses but play the job market game by its new rules and get ahead.

“A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.” – Vincent Lombardi

Mariela Tinoco-Aramburu
Professional Branding and Career Coach
Career4change@yahoo.com
http://www.career4change.com/

Note about the author: Mariela Tinoco-Aramburu is an experienced Professional Branding and Career Coach at Career4Change. With over 10 years of Human Resource and Recruitment experience in the Oil and Gas Industry, she delivers career progression/transition coaching to help increase career satisfaction and job success. Visit her web site at www.career4change.com for more information or her LinkedIn profile for referrals.

A Networking Pro Learns Some New Tricks

2010-03-30T15:58:00.002-05:00

George Langis, a veteran turnaround executive, dispelled doubts by learning new networking steps that may hasten his job hunt. He went from conventional handshake networking to creating a personal brand that would be easily marketable online.

A recent article from the Wall Street Journal Online chronicles three career counselors as they teach a "seasoned executive" new tricks about networking in the 21st Century.

Click to read full story

Buy The Drilling Boom

2010-03-08T14:11:00.003-06:00

“The oil-service business is on fire,” CNN's "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer said Thursday, and Weatherford International is the best way to play it.

Last Friday’s Baker Hughes Rig Count number, which is a weekly count of the rigs drilling for oil and natural gas, showed a 28% increase over the previous seven-day period. That’s the biggest jump in 17 years, and the ninth straight weekly gain in nat-gas rig use. This is great news for the oil-service names, Cramer said, which supply these rigs with essential products and services.

Click here for full story.

Iraq's oil revival could be a gusher for Houston firms

2010-02-17T09:01:00.005-06:00

With Iraq poised to begin the first major overhaul of its energy sector in decades, Houston stands to benefit in a big way from the multibillion dollar effort to redevelop the country's battered oil fields, a project one analyst described as the greatest opportunity in the oil patch today.

This is an interesting article that I am reposting from the Houston Chronicle. What do you think?

Can Victory in Massachusetts Bring Hope to Houston?

2010-01-19T21:19:00.019-06:00

"Is anybody hiring?"

Day after day, I hear this same question over and over as people call our office looking for work. The good news, and my answer to them, is "Yes, there are companies that are hiring right now." If there weren't, then I would be out of business. Companies are still hiring because people are still retireing, moving and changing jobs and these positions still need to be filled. There is just not the level of hiring that we have seen over the past six years and to find work today takes a lot more effort. Ask anyone looking for work right now and they will tell you it is much tougher. Gone are the days where you could float your resume on Monster and receive 5 job offers before the week was out. The pendulum has swung the other direction and now employers are having an easier time filling their requisitions.

If you have been in the oil and gas industry for any length of time, you have seen the "boom and bust" cycle played out repeatedly. It's hard to believe that 25 years ago, as the country was coming out of a recession, people in Houston were walking away from their homes because cheap oil nearly devastated a thriving Houston economy.

This downturn seems a little different to us however. What makes it so different is the price of oil has rebounded and has remained relatively stable. The price of oil is up 251% from its February 2009 lows of $31/bbl. The global rig count bottomed out in May 2009 and has been steadily increasing ever since and is up 18.4% over last years lows.

The difference this time around can be summed up in one word...PROJECTS...or the lack thereof. Engineering companies thrive on them. It wasn't too long ago that our clients were having to turn down project work because they couldn't find enough engineers to fill their openings. As a result, salaries, hourly rates and day rates were going through the roof as the demand overtook the supply. As speculators drove the price of oil towards $150/bbl, E&P companies couldn't open new wells fast enough, refiners were over capacity, E&P companies built new pipelines to transport oil and natural gas. Every aspect of the industry was affected. Adding fuel to this rapid expansion, cheap credit made it easy for companies to finance new and bigger projects.

All of this came to a screeching halt last year and the implosion began. The price of oil tanked from $150/bbl down to around $30/bbl. The credit market came to a standstill as banks were afraid to lend to each other. As project work began to wind down, there were no new projects in the forseeable future. With no project work, more and more engineers were put on "overhead"and eventually fired due to lack of work. As more and more engineers started competing for fewer and fewer jobs, salaries started to decline and so the cycle goes.

Which brings us today. The price of oil has stabilized but oil and gas companies are slow to start new projects, due to some degree because of uncertainty in the industry. Small businesses are afraid to add new employees. Partly because banks are not as willing to extend credit to finance new projects, and partly because of pending legislation that may be coming out of Washington that will affect both small and large business.

Health care reform has dominated the headlines since this summer. Polls show the the majority of people are happy with their health coverage and they do not want health care reform. Anger has built up due to the perception that the democrats in congress are trying to ram reform through against the will of their constituents. Many conservatives believe that there is a radical liberal agenda that this administration is trying to socialize America and they point the fact that under President Obama, the US has nationalized the auto industry and the financial industry and attempting to nationalize the the healthcare industry. The biggest battle is yet to come within the energy industry. Prior to his election, Barack Obama promised that he would put an end to the coal industry as part of his goal to create cleaner energy.

The biggest amount of uncertainty for our oil and gas industry comes from the pending "cap and trade" legislation in Washington which critics believe will create a huge tax burden on the energy industry. Is it possible that a lot of new expansion and drilling projects are being placed on hold until we have a better idea of how all of this will play out? One thing is certain. The Democrats who are pushing this legislation have control of the Whitehouse, Senate and House and until Tuesday, there was really nothing that the Republicans could do to stop them. But with the election of Scott Brown as Massachusetts new Republican Senator, and with the upcoming midterm elections in November, there is hope that Republicans in Congress can slow down this runaway train. Can victory in Massachusetts bring hope to Houston?

Take the Salary Survey (Project Controls)

2009-08-26T08:20:00.004-05:00

If you are a Project Controls professional in the Oil & Gas Industry, we would like to hear from you. Periodically, PathFinder Staffing will conduct salary surveys in various segments within the oil and gas industry in order to monitor salary and experience trends. Taking the survey is quick, easy and totally anonymous. There are only 7 questions to answer.

Every participant who wants a copy will receive a detailed report of our results. The survey is scheduled to end September 18th. To continue, click on the link below.

Please take our Online Survey

Why do we work?

2009-07-10T11:21:00.006-05:00

Do you have a job or a career? Do you enjoy your work? Do you find meaning and fulfillment in what you do? If you don't, then ask yourself, "What would make my job fulfilling?"

Would it be more pay, better location, better benefits, more appreciation in what you do, better co-workers? In other words, does your job satisfaction come from the internal or the external sources? Do uncontrollable outside forces determine the factors that go into a fulfilling career or do they come from within? Are we victims of fate? Do we have to settle for what life has handed us or are we created for something bigger, something better? Can we find fulfillment and purpose in our work?

I believe that not only we can find fulfillment and purpose in what we do, but we are all "hard-wired" with different gifts and talents and it is up to each of us to discover what our talents are. In order to find out how we can find satisfaction, accomplishment and fulfillment in our work, lets start from the beginning.

Why do we work?

This may seem like a simple, meaningless question but take a few minutes in thought and write down your answers before you read on. Brainstorm! Whatever comes to mind, write it down. Take the next five minutes to write down a list of the reasons why you work.

I’m positive that if you have completed this exercise, your list will contain some of the obvious answers. I work so I can:

Pay the bills
Take care of my family
Save for retirement
Eat

You are probably familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:

First, I need food, water, air rest, etc (basic physiological needs).
Second, I need safety and security.
I need to belong and feel loved. (friendship, family)
Next comes self-esteem. (confidence, achievement, respect of others)
Lastly, I need self-actualization. (Am I doing what I’m suited for?)

Your career is no different. At the bottom of this pyramid are our basic physiological needs. We work for food, rest, etc. The higher we move up the pyramid, the more satisfaction and fulfillment we find in our career. If you review your list, you can probably categorize your reasons for working in these five categories (Physiological, Safety, Love/Belonging, Esteem, and Self-Actualization). If your reasons for work are categorized as mostly the first two groups, then I would venture to guess that your work is NOT very fulfilling.

We all work to meet our basic physical needs but ponder this question. Can our work also be spiritual in nature?

The Bible teaches us that King Soloman was the wealthiest man of his time. He had it all. He had wealth, fame, power and wisdom. There was nothing that he denied himself. God had allowed King Soloman to experience everything that life had to offer and in the end, Soloman wrote about what he “discovered”. You can read about it in the book of Ecclesiastes. So, how did Soloman sum it all up?

"A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God." (Ecclesiastes 2:24) That's right! God, the Creator of heaven and earth, who is madly in love with you, wants you to find satisfaction in your work.

Would it be unreasonable to expect to find fulfilling, enjoyable, spiritually significant, income producing work? Dan Miller in his book, "48 Days to the Work You Love" writes:

"...money is ultimately never enough compensation for unhappily investing one's time and energy. There must be a sense of purpose, meaning, and accomplishment." (emphasis mine).

So how do you go about finding a career that gives you purpose, meaning and accomplishment? I remember when I was in college at the University of Florida, as I was nearing graduation, I had a conversation with a close friend. I felt like I was meant to do something, to be somebody but I didn't know what that was. I think that everybody has that inner feeling. I also believe that God has given every human being a call to something higher.

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." As a parent, it is my responsibility to recognize my children's individual gifts and talents and nurture and develop them. We all have a God given ability, differing talents. I believe to truly find satisfaction in your work, you need to give some serious thought to how you are "wired". What are your natural God given gifts and talents?

Think about this for a moment. Are you a good "story teller"? Can you paint a verbal picture when you are describing a complex subject? Maybe you have the heart of a teacher, a people person. You might to well as a teacher or a career in sales. Do you like to take things apart and see how they work? Do you have an inquisitive mind? Maybe you would do well as an engineer. Do you find joy in serving others? Maybe you would do well as a minister or a career in health care.

Ask yourself these questions:

How has God gifted me?
What do I enjoy doing the most?
How would others describe me?
If money were no object, what would I do?
What was I born to do?

Some people choose a career based upon family expectations. (My father was a lawyer, his father was a lawyer, etc.) Or maybe you chose a career because you thought it paid well. How did you choose you career? A lot of people I talk to chose their profession because they thought that there would be job security in that industry, it paid well or because of family. When I was growing up, my father always told me that a career in insurance would be a wise choice. After all, everyone needs insurance and his agent (which he had known for the better part of 30 years) was doing quite well financially. My first job out of college was working for a major, well-known Insurance company. I spent 3 years there selling life, health and variable annuity products. After a while, I discovered that I hated selling insurance. I hated calling strangers at home at night while they were eating dinner to tell them that one day, they would die and by the way, "would you like to buy some insurance?"

Choosing a career because it pays well is a mistake. Chose a career because you enjoy doing it. I guarantee you, the money will follow.

If you are not finding fulfillment in your career path and you would like a game plan that will point you in the right direction, there is an excellent book that I would strongly recommend. "48 Days to the Work You Love" by Dan Miller. Another book I would strongly recommend is "Thou Shall Prosper" by Rabbi Daniel Lapin. Both of these books can radically change your thinking about your money and your career.

Tim Cook is the President of PathFinder Staffing, an Oil & Gas search firm based in Houston, Texas. He has been recruiting in the oil and gas industry since 1995. You can write to him at tcook@pathfinderstaffing.com.

Poll Question: What if you had a $5,000 emergency?

2009-06-18T12:06:00.004-05:00

This is a quick, one question poll I posted on LinkedIn for fun.

Happy to Say I Found a Position

2009-06-12T18:29:00.002-05:00

Greetings

I am happy to say that this will be my final post on this site due to the fact that I have been blessed with a new position at Southwestern Energy as a Financial Analyst.

For those of you out there looking, Southwestern is hiring, although I am too new to know in what capacities or who to talk to (I just started this week).

Tim asked me to explain how I garnered this position in order to benefit the community of job seekers. The answer was in my network (although not my LinkedIn network). I am another one of those to testify to the power of the network. I have a relationship with an executive at the company who was able to get me in front of 2 very important people in the company who were looking for quality people. The position that I was offered was not publicly posted anywhere...so without the connection...there would be no job.

Southwestern Energy seems to be a great place to work. I have been thoroughly impressed with everyone and everything there through the entire process.

My soapbox theme is that "I will not let this happen to me again". The "this" that I am speaking of is letting my network get stale. It is not a pleasant situation to be calling on people that I had not spoken with in over a year to ask them about any positions they might know about. You can imagine how that goes..."Hey...How are you doing?...I know...its been a long time....by the way...I need a job".

I have taken to heart some of the good advice that I have gotten from people throughout this whole ordeal....spend time each week networking!!!! I will not let my network get stale so that it will work much better for me in the future. I do not mean this in a shallow or abusive way. It has actually been great getting back in touch with people that I had lost touch with. I just don't want to have to do it again when I am looking for work.

LinkedIn is a great tool that I will continue to use. I highly recommend using it and the many other tools available to keep relationships up with as many people as you see fit.

I wish everyone the best of luck in their job search!

How to Find a Job When None Seem to Exist

2009-06-06T08:19:00.004-05:00

Bringing it all together…

Previously, I discussed the advantage of using Job Search Aggregators such as Indeed and Simply Hired to search for job leads (see Blog post dated April 3rd). Aggregators not only save you considerable amounts of time finding out who is hiring, but you can also gain invaluable research and insight into the companies that you are trying to target.

Once you have determined who is hiring, you need to talk to and get your resume in front of the hiring manager. That is where social networking sites such as LinkedIn come into play. By using powers of The Human Web, you should have no problem locating either the hiring manager or at least someone close to the hiring manager. Talking to someone in the Human Resource department should be your last resort…do this only after you have tried unsuccessfully to reach a hiring manager. Why do I say this? Because a lot can go wrong. Here are just a few examples:

The HR Generalist may be getting bombarded by hundreds of resumes and calls for just one advertised opening.
The HR Generalist generally must support several departments or even an entire company and may not fully understand the position they are hiring for. Many times, they are trained to look for certain key words that may or may not be on your resume.

You are now armed with a name and a company phone number. What do you do next? You make the phone call! What you say and how you approach the initial phone call depends totally on your comfort level and personality. Just remember to keep it brief and to the point. The purpose of this call is to introduce yourself. Do not start into a long speech about who you know and why you are qualified. This turns most people off. Just keep it simple. Here is a sample script:

"Hi, my name is Tim Cook and I am a Project Manager from ABC Company. How are you doing today? (Wait for a response and then ask them if they have a few minutes to talk. If they are busy, ask them for a good time for you to call back.) I saw that your company is currently looking for a Project Manager and I got your contact information from LinkedIn. Are you the hiring manager for this project?"

(If they are not, ask them if they know who you should talk to). If they are, ask them, “Would you mind if I emailed you a copy of my resume for you to review?” and then get a date and a time that you can follow up. Now you have an appointment. Make sure you call back exactly when you said that you would.

If you are like most people (unless you are in sales), you may not feel comfortable picking up the phone to market yourself to a total stranger. Believe me, this is by far the best way and most efficient way to find your next job. Write down a script and practice it. The more you say it, the more natural it will sound. The first few calls may seem awkward but I’ve been doing this for fifteen years. People in general will not mind helping you out as long as you approach the contact in a professional manner.

If however, you absolutely cannot pick up the phone to make a call, you can always send an email through LinkedIn. Typically, for the free version of LinkedIn, you are limited to 5 outstanding emails at a time. An outstanding email is one that has not yet been responded to.

The way around this, is to join as many Professional Groups as you can. For instance, if you are a Pipeline Engineer, there are Pipeline Engineering groups in LinkedIn. These groups are not only great ways to network with likeminded professionals; you can also send unlimited emails to other members in your group.

Your next step in your job search strategy is to make a target list of companies that you would like to work for but may not necessarily be hiring. Talk to a hiring manager within the company. If they are not hiring, ask him if he knows who might be. If he tells you a company who may be hiring, try to get a name of a contact at that company so when you call, you can say John Jones at ABC suggested you call.

Send your resume to each hiring manager you talk to and ask him if he would mind if you follow up in a month. If he agrees, put a follow up in your planner. Historically, if you make about 50 calls per day, you can expect to get about 2 qualified job leads. That’s 10 job leads per week.

Do not get discouraged and do not get lazy. Companies hire even during recessions. In recessions, people still take jobs with other companies, move, retire, etc. What may surprise you is that typically, most companies don’t advertise their openings. I have consulted on-site for many companies and what I have noticed is that the average company will rely on employee referrals or their resume database so just because you don’t see any advertised openings in the newspaper or online, don’t assume that they are not hiring.

If you are looking for work your job right now is to find a job. Don’t approach it half-heartedly. NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK. Pick up the phone and make 50 calls per day, talk to people, ask who is hiring, and make more phone calls. Get your resume in front of as many people as you can, and sooner rather than later, the interviews will come.

Kevin Bacon and Your Job Search

2009-04-28T15:19:00.007-05:00

You may have heard of the game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” which theorizes that the actor Kevin Bacon is the center of the Hollywood universe and that every actor who ever existed is connected to Kevin Bacon by no more than six degrees. No matter how hard you try, it is nearly impossible to find an actor, no matter how obscure or old that is more than six degrees away from Kevin Bacon. For example, by using the Oracle of Bacon website, I found out that Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle has a Bacon number of 3. It goes like this:

Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was in “Character Studies” (1927) with Buster Keaton. Buster Keaton was in the “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (1960) with Patty McCormack. Patty McCormack was in “Frost/Nixon” (2008) with Kevin Bacon.

Wikipedia defines Six degrees of Separation (also referred to as the "Human Web") as “the idea that, if a person is one step away from each person they know and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people they know, then everyone is at most six steps away from any other person on Earth.”

So what does this have to do with LinkedIn and looking for a job? EVERYTHING! One of the key components to a successful job search is networking. And, the ultimate goal of networking is to land an introduction to the hiring manager of the company for which you are trying to go to work. The hiring manager may not be in your immediate “circle of influence” but you will be amazed at who your second and third level of contacts are. Here is how networking on LinkedIn can be useful:

When you sign up for your free account on LinkedIn, you have to create a profile. Most people just gloss over this stage and don’t put a lot of effort into creating one. It would almost be like posting your resume on Monster but not including any details. The key to successful networking works two ways. You not only want to find business professionals to help you network, but you also want to be a provider of information for someone looking to network, as well.

Once you have your LinkedIn profile up and running (this really acts as an online resume), you will want to invite people into your network. Here is how LinkedIn works. I’ll use myself as an example:

I currently have 234 people that are in my personal network. These are all of my first degree contacts. If I include all of the 1st degree contacts that my 234 contacts have in their network, I now have access to over 99,100 people. These are all of my 2nd degree contacts. If I include all of the contacts that my 2nd degree contacts have in their network, I now have access to over 6,922,600 contacts. These are my 3rd degree contacts. Currently, LinkedIn allows you to have access up to your 3rd degree network. So if you total up the users that I can contact through an introduction, my network total adds up to over 7,022,000 people. This past week alone, I had 41,536 people join my network as either a 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree contact! That’s a lot of people that can potentially help me in my search by making introductions on my behalf.

You can build up your personal, 1st level network, rather quickly. The easiest way to see who you know that may already be on LinkedIn is by downloading a free LinkedIn tool for Outlook. This tool will search your Outlook address book to see who is already on LinkedIn and invite them to join your network. For those who are not on LinkedIn, you can choose who you wish to invite to join. Some people aggressively build up their network by networking with anyone. Others are more select and only invite those people they know.

Once you have your network established, you can now start to make connections. Here’s how:

Suppose that I am a Financial Accountant in the Oil and Gas industry and I am looking for work. I would start by making an extensive list of companies in the area for whom I want to work. I would further subdivide my list of companies into 3 separate categories (A, B and C). A companies are my first preference, B my second and so on. I WOULD NOT include in this list any recruiting agencies or search firms (I will explain why later).

The next step is to try to determine who I would need to talk to in each company (by title). This would typically be the person for whom you would directly report to. In this example, I might try to locate the Controller, CFO, Accounting Manager or Vice President of Accounting. I would not try to locate someone in Human Resources at this point simply because they are not the person who makes the hiring decision. Remember, the goal of any good networker is to get your resume in front of the hiring manager.

Finally, you will use the “Advanced” link under People Search. Start with your “A” companies and work your way down the list. In this example, I may want to try to find a hiring manager at Halliburton. My recommendation is to start your search off broad and narrow as you go. So, I would click on the “Advance” link and under Company, I type “Halliburton”. There is a drop down box under company, select “Current” companies only. The only other box I complete is the “Location” drop down box. I select “In or near” and I enter my zip code and search within a 50 mile radius and then I hit search. I come back with 1, 782 results of current employees working at Halliburton within the 50 mile radius. Obviously, I want to narrow this number down so I start searching by title and enter “Controller” which narrows my results down to 10. Do this for every possible title at every possible company and create a spreadsheet of all of your possible networking contacts.

Now you are ready to start networking and requesting introductions. I will discuss strategies and what to say in my next post. Please write back and let me know your thoughts and questions. If you would like to join my network on LinkedIn, you can invite me using my email address tcook@pathfinderstaffing.com.

Tim Cook is President of PathFinder Staffing, a Houston-based Oil and Gas Search firm. Visit our web site at www.PathFinderStaffing.com.

US News Magazine Article on Online Networking

2009-04-27T21:13:00.003-05:00

In my US and News and World Report this month I came across an article entitled "Turning Social Networking into a Job Offer" written by David LeGesse. I searched their free sections of the website and was unable to find a suitable link to the article to share. I would appreciate it if anyone out there who is able to have better luck with getting a link would share it.

This article, of course, caught my attention since I am currently in search of said "job offer". This article states that for most of 2008 LinkedIn was averaging 1 million new users per month. Then, during the latter portion of 08, the monthly rate doubled to 2 million.

Another aspect of the article that I found interesting was the list of "netiquette".
-Explore a network before diving in
-Fill in your profile - fine tune your bio, add links to your blogs (I haven't done this yet), showcase your thoughts
-It's about sharing, not selling - "Shameless self-promotion is as distasteful online as it is at a cocktail party" Quote from article
-Know they're watching - The article says that a key source of income for LinkedIn is from companies that pay to have access to more information that is available for free
-Search for people, not just for jobs
-Get creative
-Understand privacy - this is one that I struggle with in today's open society online
-Join in - join different discussion groups and contribute meaningful ideas to them

Those of you out there who have been using online tools - Would you agree with this list?

I found this article to be very interesting. You may want to consider purchasing the May issue of US News. There were a number of articles related to careers and the job search that I found to be helpful.

Introductions on LinkedIn

2009-04-21T14:01:00.006-05:00

Greetings

I wanted to do a post on Introductions using LinkedIn. As I have stated earlier, my connections are limited in terms of LinkedIn users. A few of my connections have hundreds of connections, however. So, as I also stated earlier, when I was laid off I decided to work harder to use LinkedIn to connect. One of my connections has been extremely helpful and willing to share resources and time with me to help me in my "transition". I cannot even begin to say how appreciative I am for this person. One of the things that he offered to me was to introduce me to his connections that I had an interest in on LinkedIn. This was a very generous offer so I set out to look at his contacts and decide which of them I would like to be introduced to.

Once I started, I realized that I had not established any real strong criteria for who I wanted to be connected to. When I went through the list I realized that I had over 75 people on my list! OOOOPS.

Then I decided to narrow it down to recruiters and people that were marketing managers in Houston area. This was a more manageable list of 10 people. Now those of you reading this who have done introductions with a free account before know what is coming next....but I didn't know it at the time.....you can only do 5 at a time.....another OOOPS.

So I set out to do the introductions for the first 5 on my list. 3 recruiters and 2 marketing managers. Those of you who have done this before....What is the response rate that you tend to get? I got responses from 3 out of the 5 - I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised. I was able to speak with a couple of people over the phone. In fact, that is how I came to do this blog. Tim Cook contacted me after being introduced and asked if I might be interested.

Now here is the question that I am wrestling with. What should you say in your introductions. My connection who did the introducing felt that I should not ask for information about jobs, just ask for information about their company, etc in order to be non-threatening. I agree, as does most of the literature out there, but what exactly should I say??? What do you say when you go through this process???? I am really confused as to the best method of approaching this. So much so that I have not moved forward with anymore introductions until I can figure out how to approach them. Can anyone help me here with advice? Does anyone else feel this way??

I know that this connection has offered me a great service that I need to take advantage of.....but I am gun shy on what to say. Are we all just kidding ourselves by not just saying "Do you know of any jobs for me?" Wouldn't it be more useful to cut to the chase?

I really enjoyed getting to talk the people that I was introduced to about general topics...not just finding a job. I really do enjoy learning about what other people do and think. I just feel this overwhelming urge for efficiency right now in finding a position. And anyone who has read the 7 habits knows that efficiency is not good for building a relationship.....so.....here I stand.

By the way....if you would like to meet I am open to discussing any job opportunities that you might have for me :)

Should you even bother to set up a LinkedIn Profile?

2009-04-11T13:39:00.003-05:00

For my first official post on an actual topic I decided that I would give my thoughts on the question of "Should I even bother to set up a LinkedIn profile?"

If you are currently in the middle of a job search (as I am) I would imagine that the last thing you want is another task to complete at a computer. It is amazing to me how much job search time is spent on the computer. Between searching for job postings, customizing resumes to each job posting, creating custom cover letters, and updating resumes on CareerBuilder and Monster to try and stay high on lists, not to mention the fact that the unemployment benefits system is all online (better than standing in line I guess) - who really wants another thing to do in front of the computer.

Even in the face of all of this....my simple answer to the question is YES. One quick example of why I feel that it is worth it is that within 3 days after posting "Jim is looking for information on potential opportunities and available positions." on my page I had 2 contacts get in touch with me and let me know that they were going to talk to their HR dept. for me. Had one of those panned out...wouldn't you agree that the investment in time would have been minimal compared to the reward?

Another reason that I feel it is beneficial is that it provides a framework for expanding and organizing your network. As I stated in my first post, my LinkedIn network is tiny in comparison to many. That being said, it has allowed me to have a formal system to maintain and expand a portion of my network beyond what would have been possible without it (in another post I will address the introduction system and how beneficial it has been).

I recommend taking the time to create a top notch profile on LinkedIn. I do not recommend just setting up a quickie little profile in 5 minutes time. I feel that this would do more harm than good. Spend some time and think about what you would like to portray to other professionals. I looked at what many other people had on their profiles in order to get some ideas. Since my focus was on marketing, I looked at what other marketing people had on their profiles for some ideas. This approach took a great deal of time but I felt it would be worth it. Any public representation of "Brand Me" needs to be positive.

So, in conclusion, I recommend taking the time to set up a quality profile in LinkedIn. Further posts will begin to discuss in more detail the features and benefits that lead me to that conclusion.

Introduction of New Blogger - Topic - LinkedIn Job Search

2009-04-07T21:43:00.005-05:00

Greetings to all of you out there who are checking this Pathfinder blog out.

I was asked by Tim Cook of Pathfinder if I would be willing to post my experiences in the job search - specifically my experiences using LinkedIn as a job search tool. We are hoping to provide some information to others out there who might be interested in using LinkedIn. We would also love to hear comments and suggestions from anyone who is willing to share.

I believe that protocol requires that I post a brief introduction/background on myself in order to give some idea of where I am coming from.

My name is Jim Johnson and I reside just outside of Houston in Northwest Harris County. I hold an MBA in Finance and consider myself to have over 11 years of professional experience in a variety of environments. I am currently in the middle of a job search after being laid off from my job at Baker Hughes as part of a major reduction in our marketing group. Before my 2 1/2 years at Baker I was at National Oilwell Varco. Before that, in what I call my previous life, I was a high school teacher/coach/administrator for nine wonderful years (High School kids are a lot of fun!).

Probably about a year ago I read an article in either Fortune or Fast Company (I can't remember) about LinkedIn. I went online to check it out, set up a quick profile, and proceeded to look around for people like my wife looks for people on Facebook. That was about the extent of my use for quite some time. Then, more recently, I began to try and use it some more....and that takes us to today.

I do not claim to be a power user of LinkedIn. There are thousands of people out there with more contacts than me (actually probably millions). I do feel, however, that I may be able to help some people get rolling on LinkedIn and be able to facilitiate discussions about its benefits, weaknesses, etc.

Well that ends my "BREIF" introduction. I will be back later to make my first official post.

A Quick Start Guide to your Job Search

2009-04-03T10:50:00.001-05:00

Searching for a new job can be overwhelming and extremely time consuming. Most people will tell you that the best time to look for a job is when you have a job. That is true, but the reality is that most people do not find themselves looking for a job until they have to. They have been laid off, downsized, let go, terminated, fired...whatever you call it, having to look for a job unexpectedly can add great stress to an already stressful situation.

Before we get into the "mechanics" of mapping out a job search strategy, I would like to discuss a few tips to get your search off to a quick start.

Job Search Aggregators

An aggregator is a search engine that searches the internet, including all the major job boards and employer job postings on their web sites and gives you the results in one easy to read format. A good search engine can save you a lot of time. Instead of having to constantly check Monster, HotJobs, CareerBuilder and your local newspaper, a good aggregator will search these sites for you and combine the results into one easy to read listing. It should also filter out duplicate postings so you are not reading about the same job on different boards. If you Google "job search aggregators" you will find over 2 million hits for these search engines.

One that I like and have found to be very helpful is Indeed.com. Indeed is extremely useful because it lets you filter your search results by salary, title, company, location, job type, employer or recruiter posting and it will even show you your recent job searches. In addition, you can set up an alarm so when new job postings come online that match your search parameters, you can receive an email alerting you.

Other neat functions to Indeed.com are a "Salary" tab that gives you local and national salary trends to the jobs you are searching and a "Trend" tab that displays job trends in the industry that you are searching. An interesting feature is also their “Forums” tab. You can join discussions about specific company, job, city or general discussion. For example, I typed in “Baker Hughes” and found 27 results including the following discussions:

How to get a job at Baker Hughes.
I found a job!
What are typical Field Service Technician salaries?
Applying for Directional Drilling.
Baker Hughes Salaries, Bonuses and Benefits.

The Bottom Line

Make sure you post your resume to all the major job boards (HotJobs, CareerBuilder, Monster and Jobvertise) but save yourself a lot of time by “one stop shopping” and use Indeed to do your searching. If you have used Indeed or a similar search engine, I would like to hear about your results. Please post your comments.

I've been laid off...now what??

2009-02-19T16:42:00.017-06:00

If you have lived in Houston for any length of time, then you are all too familiar with the cyclical nature of the Oil and Gas Industry. This current cycle started over 4 years ago and peaked last summer. During this last "boom cycle", we saw the price of oil start off at about $34/bbl and peak at around $140/bbl. Last summer, when the price of oil went through the stratosphere, so did employment demand. Engineering professionals at all levels were extremely hard to find and as a result, salaries skyrocketed as companies scrambled to staff their projects with a limited pool of engineering professionals.

And what goes up must come down. Now we are starting to see the beginnings of layoffs, downsizings and hiring freezes. If you are one of the unfortunate victims of the tanking economy, you may be thinking, "Now what"?

The news isn't all that bad. There are still sectors in the industry that are hiring. The bad news is that it's not as easy as it used to be to get a job offer as quickly and as easily as it used to be. Whereas last year, you may have had the luxury of choosing from several offers, now, it may take two or three months just to land an offer. Over the next series of posts, we will be discussing ways and strategies of networking and searching for new career opportunities to help you land on your feet quicker. I invite your comments and thoughts as you read over these articles and hopefully share your experiences and ideas for others to learn from.

I've Been Laid Off...Now What??

Generally, the first place you should start is with your resume. This is sometimes the most difficult task for people who suddenly find themselves looking for work. A lot of people worry needlessly about the format. A well-done professional resume should only highlight your work accomplishments and history and not chronicle them. I can tell you from experience that those resumes longer than two pages in length generally do not get read.

Lets talk about how a good resume should be formatted:

Font size: Do not make it so small that it is hard to read. If you have problems keeping your resume down to two pages, you probably need to trim it down a bit. If you still can't get it down to two pages, three is acceptable but no more than three.

Contact information: If you don't have an email address, get one! You can get a Google or Yahoo! address for free. Make sure you include both home and cell phone numbers on your resume along with an updated email address.

Objective verses Summary: As someone who has read thousands and thousands of resumes, I tend to prefer a Summary statement as opposed to an Objective statement. A well written summary will highlight your career accomplishments. It should include your most recent job title, the amount of years that you have been working in your industry and of course the industry or industries that you have solid experience in. You may also a sentence or two of your biggest career accomplishment.

Example: "Consistantly increased profit margin for my group by an average of 15% per year over a five year period."

The next step in creating a resume is to target specifically what type of position you are trying find. If you have been working for any length of time, you may be qualified for more that one type of position. It is perfectly okay to create seperate resumes for each type of job that you are targeting. You may have a Project Engineering resume, a Design Engineering resume and a Business Development resume depending on which type of position that you are applying for.

Did you know most resumes don't even get read?

It's true! Unless you are applying to a small company, the majority of resumes don't even get read. If they do, the person initially screening the resume may only give your resume a quick, 30 second read. Keep this in mind as you craft your resume:

"How can I get the greatest impact with only a quick scan?"

The key here is that the resume screener is looking at (in no particular order) your job title, where you have worked, education level and job tenure. At this point, if you pass this "pre-screening" phase, your resume may get set aside for further review. Eventually, your resume is going into a large resume database only to be seen again if your resume matches certain keywords.

Which brings me to my most important point. If you were looking for you, what keywords would you use to search a database? I cannot stress this point enough because having these keywords in your resume and having them often will get your resume found and sent to the top of the stack for a human to read. This may sound like an obvious point but I have seen (especially among engineers) resumes that would painstakenly go into great detail about a project they worked on but not mention at all if it was a compressor station, pumping station, refinery, pipeline, onshore or offshore project. So unless you are in the industry and know that Thunderhorse is in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico and not in the middle of Nigeria, the reader may have no idea what you are talking about. Take less time explaining the project and more time making sure certain keywords are included. The more important the keyword, the more often it should be repeated.

Most resume tracking databases today will rank resumes after a search based on the number of times a certain word is found in the resume. The theory goes like this; the more often a word is found in a resume, the more experience that person will have. So, if you are a "pipeline engineer", I would list "pipeline engineer" and its related terms as often as possible. Also, some words may have different industry spellings ("downhole" versus "down hole"; "ProEngineer" versus Pro/E versus Pro-E; "Professional Engineer" versus PE). Try to include all variations.

Remember, the primary purpose of your resume is to get noticed. You need to do everything you can to get your resume to the top of the stack as often as possible.

In my next post, I will discuss about how to get your resume to the right people. If you have any questions or comments on this blog for others to read.