The Healthcare Forum invites you to join them as they tour the Philips Respironics’ Kennesaw, GA Facility Wednesday, August 21!  This facility designs and manufactures medical devices for the Home Respiratory Care market. The 130,000 sq. ft. facility is comprised of 296 full-time associates and a temporary work force of 115 to support growth. This FDA-registered facility houses Manufacturing, Distribution, New Product Development, Research and Development, Quality Assurance, Global Sourcing, and a Service Center. Manufacturing includes high-volume/mixed model as well as low-volume/mixed model production lines, ranging from electromechanical assembly to machining and metal fabrication.

For more information about this event, CLICK HERE.

Register Here!

The Professional Growth Session: “Telecommunication on the Rise” panel focused on the telecommunications industry, the current needs, trends,  and necessary skill sets.  The panel consisted of:

•  Karen Jackson, VP of Marketing, PMI Atlanta and AT&T Project Manager, Network Planning & Engineering
•  Steven Shapiro, VP of Communications, PMI Atlanta and AT&T Global – Senior Data Analyst
•  Chris Layton, AT&T Area Manager
•  Chris Lytle, AT&T Senior Product Development Manager
•  Rodney Armstrong, Cox Communications Network Engineering Analyst

The panel advised that, due to growth and customer demands in voice, data and video, the Telecommunications Industry offers numerous opportunities; therefore, job seekers are encouraged to:

•  Keep options open; consider contractual and consulting positions
•  Be flexible and do not be afraid of the challenges 
•  Be ‘forward thinkers’ and assess your skills to ensure that they meet business needs
•  Network in PMI, LinkedIn, and other avenues because networking is essential.

If your job search consists of going online and applying for any and every project or program posting, you just may be wasting your time. Many job seekers forget that positions have very unique requirements.  Recruiters want to understand how they can best help in positioning you for success in getting placement. Recruiters are looking to build solid relationships with job seekers to ensure that career goals are met and job matches offer satisfaction for all parties involved. While recruiters have always wanted to help others find jobs, placing job seekers has gotten “broadly’ specific over the last few years. Transferrable skills across various industries seem to be what hiring managers are demanding.  Hiring managers are looking for unique candidates who offer cross-functional and cross-discipline skills and business acumen. These are requirements and expectations of knowledge areas not easily communicated to potential job seekers during the job interview.  Strength in building relationships is the key soft skill that companies are looking for in their workforce.

Passe’ is the generic cover letter and resume submittal. Today, companies require resumes tailored to highlight specific key knowledge areas. Just like Google and Bing, hiring managers are doing word searches on resumes to filter through the hundreds of submittals.   If the term “specialized” skills lead job seekers to planning and managing a career like an ongoing project, then leveraging project management training for other opportunities will open more doors.  Realize that you are never going to stop learning and identify a career coach or mentor to help you succeed and elevate to the next level. Here are a few points that recruiters want all job seekers to keep in mind:

By: David Tennant, PE, PMP, MBA
2013 Chair, PMI Atlanta Chapter

What is Leadership?

There have been numerous studies done on leadership and dozens of books written on this topic.  But what does leadership really encompass?  And, how does a leader differ from a manager?

Leadership is a quality or skill that can be acquired, but many people are not sure how to do this.  Also, leaders exhibit certain qualities such that people are willing to follow them.  I define leadership as the ability to influence people to reach a common goal.  Additionally, successful leaders usually possess a certain amount of charisma, though this is not necessarily a requirement.

If we define charisma, it is the ability to create rapport with all kinds of people—from varied cultures and different generations as well as up, down, and across the business.  Many of our national and world figures have natural charisma.  But how do we obtain leadership skills?  Is there anything I can do to increase my leadership abilities?  The answer is “yes.” 

In my years of serving clients, doing research, and leading teams and companies, a clear picture has emerged on what are considered good leadership qualities.  If you are aware of these qualities, you can take steps to acquire them yourself.  Are you ready to start?  The following list should get you thinking and working on your personal plan to increase your leadership skills.