Meet My Heroes

Meet My HeroesMeet My HeroesA few months ago, Readers, I asked you to send in pictures of yourselves to remind Ladders.com team that its all about you the heroes of this economy.This week Id like to introduce you to a few of Ladders.coms everyday heroes your fellow subscribers who have found great new jobs here on the site. After all, folks like Sandy, Susan, Chris, Kurtis, Michael and Jim and you are the reason were here.Ex-Military Fire Chief Returns to War ZoneSandy Sanders is a hero by any measure. After 20 years in the Air Force, the last 10 as a fire chief, and several more as a civilian fire chief, he was looking for a job that would use his skills managing a big fire department or multiple operations. Working through OpsLadder, Sanders landed a position as fire chief for construction- and engineering-services giant KBR. After he finishes a training program in Houston this June, he will be in charge of fire stations in 44 locations in Asia and the Middle East. His job is to make sure all these locations, many of them in war zones, are running smoothly.Read moreAfter a Break, a New Door Opens in Real EstateUpLadder member Susan LoGiudice used the time after getting laid off from her real-estate management job to explore work toward her MBA, roles as a TV extra and a trip to Europe. When she returned from that trip, LoGiudice had not one, but two job interviews waiting for her. She is now working as director of leasing for Vantage properties of New York, one of the citys leading investors in residential and retail properties. If you are laid off, you should definitely post your resume, maximize your use of recruiters and tell everyone you meet that you are looking for a job, LoGuidice said. You do have to put yourself out there. But look at it as an opportunity to do something youve always wanted to do but couldnt because you were stuck at work.Read moreTuning Up a Career in Music MakingChris Anderson loves to make music, and the MktgLadder members new job brings his profession and passion together. After he was laid off as national director of shopper marketing for Pepsi Co., Anderson used Ladders to score his dream job, global product manager for Gibson Guitars in Nashville, Tenn. This is an opportunity to get paid for something I love, and Im so glad I had the patience to really think my priorities through before I got into the search, Anderson told Ladders.com. I had the patience to wait and make sure I was getting the right job for me, not just taking the first thing that comes along.Read moreAfter 35 Years, a Change of GearsKurtis Tatum had been working as a consultant at Unisys for the past 35 years and enjoyed his work. Hed done many different jobs there, and for the past five years had been traveling worldwide optimizing data centers. But last June, he decided that he needed to start thinking about looking for another job. He said he needed to be proactive, rather than react to the market. Through TechnologyLadder, he lan ded a job as practice lead for Siemens IT Solutions and Services. They have money to invest and innovate, Tatum said. The job is doing very similar work to what I am doing now. And they were looking to bring in senior people to help them grow. They liked the experience and skills I could bring to their team.Read moreRegional Sales Manager Finds Higher Pay in Medical SalesSome days, in sale you can feel like you are on top of the world. Other days, you feel like you have been stepped on and trampled on. But I have done the cubical job and I have done the hard-labor job and I have done the sales job, and even at my worst day in sales, I will take that any day over any of the other industries, said SalesLadder member Michael Meyer of his position as regional sales manager for Sleep Solutions Inc, a privately held diagnostic service provider focused on products for patients suffering sleep disorders. There is no doubt that this is where I see myself. And every day, I love it.Read moreHi red From Army Reservist to Veterans HRJim Deimer faced a real challenge at the end of his active duty. A former human-resources professional in the financial sector, the Army reservist was coming up on the end of a long activation in support of operations in Iraq and islamische republik afghanistan as a personnel officer. So, as he prepared to come off active duty, Deimer turned to Ladders to help him network. I found The Ladders to be a good resource not just for the $100K jobs. It gets your name in front of people. Deimer is now a human-resources manager for the Department of Veterans Affairs, helping other military veterans bridge the gap.Read moreOK, Readers, I hope you enjoyed these six stories of success in the trenches. Now lets write yours

Working Mom Career Tips

Working Mom Career TipsWorking Mom Career TipsField trips. Daycare germs. Babysitting backfires. Morning meltdowns. Pediatrician appointments. Class parties. These are just a few of the extra demands that the working mom has to juggle along with job responsibilities. And while we want to be a patient, present motzu sich for our little ones, we want to be an indispensable employee, too.More employers are starting to get it Nearly half of human resources managers surveyed by OfficeTeam said their organization had made policy changes in recent years to better accommodate working parents. But however family friendly the company, a woman raising children and working toward an administrative professional career will often be stressed by the constant push and pull of competing demands.OfficeTeam is here to help with tips on how to juggle career and family, impress the boss, and maintain a peaceful kingdom at home and at work. Here are five common challenges the working mother faces and how to deal with them in a professional manner.Youre andrangning late for a meeting due to a morning hiccupBeing a working mom requires excellent time management skills, including the ability to cope with the unexpected. If a tantrum, sick kid or forgotten permission slip causes you to run late for a meeting, here are some suggestionsCall ahead and let the organizer or attendees know youre running late. Provide an estimate of when you expect to be in the office.Offer a sincere apology, especially if its a one-on-one meeting. But keep it brief. Youre not the only mother (or father) whos been in this situation.Email any information or documents you were responsible for bringing so others dont have to wait for you to arrive to get started.If possible, dial in to the meeting so you can join from the road.If youre running more than a few minutes late, or youre a key presenter, propose a time to reschedule the meeting.When you do arrive, take a minute before stepping in to compose yourself, d rop your coat and bag off at your desk, and silence your phone.Slip in without interrupting the meeting or calling attention to yourself.Make yourself available for questions after the meeting and let your colleagues know youre happy to follow up with them individually for updates as necessary.If the meeting had to be postponed, arrive early for the rescheduled appointment.You need a day off to be with your kidWhether your daughter develops a fever, and youve got no one to care for her while youre at work, or you want to request a vacation day to coincide with a school holiday, field trip or class party, a working mother is very familiar with the need to take scattered days off. Consider these options when you need to be out of the office, but the job still needs to get doneMake your time off requests as much in advance notice as possible so you - and your manager - can plan ahead.Team up with another mom or dad in your department and make a pact to pick up the slack for each othe r in a pinch. Share your calendars with each other and schedule a regular touch-base to go over any important items that might need to be covered if parenting duty calls. Be sure your manager is informed about your plan.If your company offers remote work options, utilize them. You may be able to do some work while your kid naps or plays during the day, or you could catch up on email in the evening. Check that you have the necessary technology and tools at home to allow for this before you find yourself suddenly needing to telecommute.Also talk to your boss about flexible work hours. If your baby is sick, you may be able to work in the morning, then return home to relieve your spouse in the afternoon. Although not a full day, such an arrangement could allow you to be in the office for key meetings or deadlines.At the start of the school year, network with a few other parents, and agree to take turns caring for one anothers children on school holidays. Establish a schedule and get cle arance from your manager for needed day offs.Read about the best work-life balance benefits and get tips for juggling your partal and professional obligations.Youre called to pick up your kid from daycare or schoolWeve all had those periods in parenting where a week doesnt go by without getting a call to pick up a sick child, particularly during the daycare and preschool years. Heres our advice for minimizing the impact on your jobFocus on critical work first thing in the morning, before the calls from school or daycare are likely to arrive. Work on longer-term or lower priority projects in the afternoon.While its admittedly difficult to identify someone who is willing to watch a sick kid (especially if the person has healthy children at home), make it a point to find a back-up babysitter. A relative or close friend who is retired or doesnt work outside the home could be a good option. The goal is to have someone you can call in an emergency when you absolutely have to get that repo rt filed by 5 p.m.Review your work schedule with your spouse Sunday night and discuss days and times its critical for you to be at the job - and vice versa. Its a proactive way to avoid scrambling to determine which working parent is going to respond to the call if it comes.Let your boss know if your child has a chronic health condition, or a nasty cold is making its way through your daycare facility. Together, you two can discuss priorities and ways of keeping up with your work.If you have a child with a chronic illness, you may be able to apply for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Consult your human resources department about your eligibility or about other leave of absence options.Learn how to craft an effective out-of-office message if you need to be away from work for an extended period of time.Youre exhausted from being up all night with a sick babyIf youre a sleep-deprived working mother whos been up all night caring for a sick baby, try these tactics to keep yo ur energy high throughout the workdayIts OK to reach for the caffeine, but remember to start the day with a good breakfast. A healthy balance of carbs and protein will give you instant energy and help you sustain it.If your workday allows it, think about taking a 15- or 30-minute power nap.Try to tackle your most pressing work first-thing in the morning before your energy starts to wane in the afternoon.Drink lots of water and take short breaks from your workstation to stretch and rest your eyes. Getting your blood flowing, and stepping out for a little sun and fresh air will help you shake off the brain fog.Keep a stash of healthy snacks at the office for days like these when you dont have the energy to pack them in the morning.Resolve to work hard and make the most of the hours in the office so you can leave on time and go to bed early.Check out this list of healthy snacks to increase your stamina at work.Youre distracted by family obligationsYoure thinking about the call from you r childs teacher discussing your daughters difficulty acclimating to kindergarten. Your sons winter recital is scheduled for the middle of the school day. Your spouse needs to vent about a rough morning with the kids. These struggles can eat away at your productivity. Here are some tips for a working mom dealing with common interruptions or unavoidable gaps in the workdayIf you need to leave early to make it to your daughters soccer game or take a couple hours in the middle of the day for your childs dentist appointment, check in with your boss first. Let him or her know when youll be gone and how youll make up the time.Try to catch up on work in the evening or come into the office on the weekend if you cant use paid time off to cover your hours away from the job. Just be sure to communicate with your manager so the two of you can come up with the right solution.Schedule appointments as far in advance as possible and put them on your work calendar so you can plan ahead and adjust yo ur workflow accordingly.If you cant make it to every school program or class party, ask a fellow parent to snap a few photos of your kid and email them to you. Then, offer to return the favor. Or commit to chaperoning a field trip with each of your children once a year. This can help you stay involved at school without sacrificing all your time off.Hopefully, you work in an environment where your boss and coworkers are sympathetic to your unique challenges as a working mother. You can minimize the impact on your workflow and colleagues if you plan ahead, anticipate how youll respond to spur of the moment issues, and build a support network at work and home.Read How Ive Changed Since Becoming a Working Parent for more great balancing tips for the working mom and dad.More work-life balance tips4 Work-Life Balance Tips for the Real WorldOffice Humor Redefining Work-Life Balance

Sales Manager Trades Flex Time for Family Time

Sales Manager Trades Flex Time for Family TimeSales Manager Trades Flex Time for Family TimeMatthew Marshall had wearied of telecommuting with a California office then OpsLadder and a networking campaign helped him find a job in his hometown of Reading, Pa.Matthew Marshall had well-defined criteria for his next job.The schlussverkauf manager wanted to move into procurement, and he wanted to work for a global company, somewhere he could use the multiple languages he speaks and the experiences he had living in Germany, Mexico and the U.K.He also wanted to work in an office again, but without a long commute. After years of telecommuting from Reading, Pa., to his companys California headquarters and two-week-long trips every month, Marshall wanted a way to be part of the gruppe everyday, without missing his family for weeks at a time. It also needed to match his salary or come close. He wanted the best of all worlds, and he had little hope he could find what he welches looking for near h is home.When he found the perfect job, Marshall pulled out all the stops and operated an unorthodox job search to land it.I did much more than I had ever done in any previous job search, he said. How many times do you find a global manufacturing company five minutes from your house? I needed to stay hungry and keep pushing.He also kept looking for other procurement jobs and landed a backup in case perfection proved impossible, he said.Time to leaveWhen Marshall began his last job, as a national schlussverkauf manager and senior business leader for a modular-buildings manufacturer, he was happy to telecommute. It seemed a good fit for a father with two young children. When I was first offered the job, I thought, Hey, flex time, thats great. But it doesnt work for me. He wanted to get back in the office.He didnt like being out of the loop. He missed interacting face to face with colleagues. I think it helps to be in the office if you want to move up in the company, he said. Those side conversations you have in an office - What do you think about this? - could be the icing on the cake that could get you the next position.When he got his wish, it created another problem. The company began demanding Marshalls time on site. I was traveling one week each month. That turned into traveling once a week, every other week. It was time to look for a new job.Close, but so farMarshalls first fruitful lead on the job search was a job with a federal agency about 90 minutes from his home. The job appealed to him on many levels, and it would mean he would work in the office and be home every night with his family. But the thought of a 90-minute commute seemed arduous to him. Thats when he found another job, the perfect job.Marshall found the job listed on OpsLadder. The employer was a publicly traded, global company with nearly 7,000 employees globally. And the job was in Reading.It was a surprise to find this company, he said. Reading is a small city, and my wife has lived he re since she was six years old, he said. We didnt know about this company, which is the global leader in industrial-battery manufacturing.He sent his resume immediately. He wasnt surprised by the slow response from such a large organization, but he decided the job was too perfect to chance. He launched an all-out campaign of contact and persuasion. He wasnt going to wait for the company to contact him.I called the headquarters, got the name of the hiring manager and her e-mail address, and started sending her notes and cold-calling her, he said. It took over a month of phone calls and e-mails until an HR person and I connected. Finally, I had a foot in the door.While Marshall waited for a response from the Reading company, he did all he could to find out more about the battery-manufacturing company, so that in case I did get an interview, I would have some background about the people and the company, he said. Finally, in May, he got an interview. After a second interview a few weeks later - a dinner with an international team member - he was offered the position of senior procurement manager with the company.By that time, he had already been offered a position with the government agency for a higher salary. But, Marshall had other priorities. After thinking about what was most important to him, he was happy to accept the local job. He started work in June.It fit my salary range, it was a global headquarters right in my backyard, and it has career potential for me, he said. Its run by very dedicated managers its a family-oriented environment but global players. Hes back to traveling once a month, but its planned in advance for a shorter period of time, its not every other week, so its much more manageable.And for Marshall, work and life are once again in balance. Im back in a competitive, energetic environment. But I can also do some exercise and pick up my kids. Those are the positive things you cant put a dollar value on.