THE AUGUST GROUP NEWSLETTER

Presented by Greg Taylor, Founder of The August Group - LinkedIn – A job-seekers guide. Making connections with employers, employees and jobs. Want to search for connections in an industry or at a target employer? Seeking to connect with professionals in your field? Trying to connect with former co-workers, classmates or friends? Join in this interactive session that will make this tool work for you in ways unimagined while protecting your privacy.

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Success Stories, A Panel Presentation

Tuesday, November 27th, 5 - 6:30 p.m. at RochesterWorks

Learn how to improve your job search from August Group members who have made it through the job search and landed. The panel is made up of people from diverse backgrounds. The insights shared will include:

Being proactive.
Time management tips.
Maintaining motivation.
“Mastering” networking.
Identify your 2008 job search resolutions

See the TAG website for details.

Limited Space. For reservations, please contact RochesterWorks at (585) 258-3500 or Register on line at www.rochesterworks.org.

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"Prioritizing and Productively Tracking Your Contacts – Jumpstart Session

Wednesday , Nov 28th, 11:00 – 1:00 at the Bagel Bin Café

So you’re ready to begin making all those networking meetings.

Are you ready to handle all of the contact names you will receive and the follow-up that’s required.

How do you prioritize and productively track the large number of contacts that are about to fall into your lap.

This session will help you get ready for the onslaught of information that is about to come flowing your way. Successful networkers do not want items falling through the cracks!"

Cost: $25/month. Contact John Bayley at jbayley@augustgroup.org for more details.

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August Group Job Fair – MCC Campus R. Thomas Flynn Campus Center

Thursday, November 29^th, 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.

A team of August Group members has been recruiting area employers to participate in our 4^th Job Fair. See the August Group website for a complete list of Companies currently committed to attending.

Parking for the event will be in lot M.

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Managing Stress, Joanne Sims

Wednesday, Dec. 12th, 9:30 - 10:30 at RochesterWorks

Where: 255 North Goodman - RochesterWorks
Presenter: JoAnne Sims, Career Counselor @ DBM, Adjunct Instructor @ Medaille College and MCC, Employment Specialist @ Lifespan

Topic: Managing Stress

Description: JoAnne has presented numerous times over the years to The August Group offering this interactive session that will you identify your stressors and provide exercises to alleviate and manage stressful situations. The holiday season heightens stress for many on top of the stresses one faces while in job search. Come ready with your questions. Be prepared to learn how you can reduce and better manage stress at this time of year and into the New Year.

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"Prioritizing and Productively Tracking Your Contacts – Jumpstart Session

Wednesday , Dec 12th, 11:00 – 1:00 at RochesterWorks

So you’re ready to begin making all those networking meetings.

Are you ready to handle all of the contact names you will receive and the follow-up that’s required.

How do you prioritize and productively track the large number of contacts that are about to fall into your lap.

This session will help you get ready for the onslaught of information that is about to come flowing your way. Successful networkers do not want items falling through the cracks!"

Cost: $25/month. Contact John Bayley at jbayley@augustgroup.org for more details.

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TAG Holiday Celebration

Wednesday, December 19th, 5:30 -7:30 at Johnny's Irish Pub

We're looking for members current and long term to join in planning this seasonal success as in years past. Contact Tracey Aiello, John Bayley or Greg Taylor to offer your talents.

This is always a special event gathering about 100 members and spouses.

Details to follow.

Save the date. See you there!

Contact Tracey Aiello at taiello@augustgroup.org
Contact John Bayley at jbayley@augustgroup.org
Contact Greg Taylor at gtaylor@augustgroup.org

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OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS

Holiday Job Search Clinic FREE - Tuesday, November 27th 9 - 11:30 at Career Development Services, 150 State Street, 3rd Floor. FREE parking!

Facilitator: Sharon Melville, Director, Business Services
Q & A Session: Deb Koen, President & CEO

Register by calling (585) 244-0765 or email: pdebrucker@careerdev.org

Participants will:

Match the Top 5 Success Factors to your current approach.
Generate new options to overcome barriers.
Project confidence in networking and interviewing.
Manage your motivation and morale

Services Panel Discussion - Job Search Success Stories at RochesterWorks

Digital Rochester - Networking - Festivus Celebration
The Date: Tuesday, December 4th, 2007 - 5:30 - 8:00pm
The place: Rochester Museum and Science Center, 657 East Ave
The deal: Festivus! Festivus! A festival for the rest of us!

Further details on the Festivus web page!

We need a volunteer to collect events of interest for all members. We welcome professional events with broad appeal. Events can sent to calendar@augustgroup.org

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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Each week we will post announcements of members comings and goings as submitted on a first come, first served basis, with preference given to new members. All others will remain in queue for future publishing.

We welcome postings from all members, upon joining the group or landing a new job. Entrepreneurs may participate, too, identifying the services they offer and contacts they seek. All announcements are limited to 4 lines.

No new member announcements this week.

If you would like to be announced to the group, send an email to AnnounceMe@augustgroup.org. In the subject line describe your announcement as "Member Announcement," "Now Working," or "Seeking Contacts." The last descriptor is good for entrepreneurs. If you have suggestions for this section, you can submit them to the same email address with "Suggestion" in the Subject Line. We suggest that you include your contact information in your announcement, but it is NOT required that you share your email address or phone number. It’s a matter of personal choice, but if you leave out this information, you are limiting the effectiveness of your announcement.

The following is the recommended format:

Member
Name - thatsme@augustgroup.org, h - 585-000-1234 LinkedIn member
Role/Job Title - List roles or job titles and recent previous employers

Former Employers - List prior employer(s)

Target - list job titles, roles, employers or industries sought

If you are member of LinkedIn and wish to make others aware of this, do so and they will see many of the details you share in lines 2 and 3. If you are not a member, consider joining. Visit linkedin.com and attend the LinkedIn training offered the last Tuesday of each month. See the August Group calendar for details.

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FEATURE ARTICLES

Lessons Learned as I Journey - Chapter 2

Contributed by Christopher Burns christopher@c-burns.com

I was downsized at the end of the summer. Now that I'm a full-time job-seeker, I wanted to share some insights based on my job-search experiences so far and what I have learned. If you're looking for work, or contemplating a move professionally, read on:

One poignant statistic is that on average it takes 48 days between when a position is first posted and ultimately someone is hired. This requires patience, dedication, and if you’re looking while unemployed, a significant level of savings or other liquid assets to consume. Being on unemployment will probably cover only a fraction of your ongoing expenses unless you have

a truly Spartan existence and no debt to speak of. And keep in mind you need to be prepared for the expenses of your networking activities, have a freshly-pressed suit for your interviews, etc. I didn’t adequately “plan” for the contingency of being unemployed, which has created certain challenges.

A key take-away is that it is never too soon to make sure that your resume (and cover letter!) is fresh, relevant and targeted. Are you ready at a moment’s notice to e-mail your resume off to someone who asks you for it? Do you have your resume on the job posting boards? As a job seeker, nothing feels better than getting the call for an interview from a recruiter, rather than always being the one initiating the calls, looking for opportunities. Be sure you use the current keywords for your industry, and do your best to be where the people (recruiters) who are looking for candidates can find you!... to be continued

If you have a story to share or feedback, send it to newsletter@augustgroup.org

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RECRUITER’S TIP – Share your Salary Expectations.

Contributed by Gene Voss voss@frontiernet.net

Recruiters screen to ensure a candidate’s pay expectations are in the ballpark of what the company can offer. Candidates “open to negotiation” often are not and are passed over for interviews in favor of candidates whose expressed expectations are within the hiring range. Set your range of salaries that you would consider and share it when asked. A rough rule of thumb is to make the range go from the lowest pay you would consider to about 20-40% more (i.e. if you want to earn at least $40K, then say: “salary expectations are between $40-55K/year”). When setting your bottom salary, consider the job market for your skills so you don’t price yourself out of a good job.

Have a question, you’d like to ask of a recruiter?

Send it to Q&A@augustgroup.org

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LINKEDIN TIP - Complete Your Profile

When you register as a new member you are only asked to complete your employer and education. This is a skeletal presentation. The more content you add, the more likely you'll attract the attention of recruiters, employers, business partners and future clients or customers. Adding all your employers permits you to connect with former "colleagues" and co-workers. Many, many times I have heard LinkedIn members stunned to hear from former co-workers who found them on LinkedIn. after losing contact of fifteen, twenty years and more.

In addition, LinkedIn permits you to browse LinkedIn members who worked where you worked when you worked there in early years. You can then invite them to connect without knowing their email address. Similarly by adding your education you can also connect with former classmates from all the schools you include in your profile.

Additionally, a descriptive summary chockfull of buzzwords is desired. Adding your interests, groups and associations at the end of the profile is prudent. Add a photo to. Putting a name and face together is always a smart move.

Join the 16 million worldwide who've joined LinkeIn. It's free and effective, when used wisely.

Have a question, you’d like to ask on LinkedIn? Send it to Q&A@augustgroup.org

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Have a story, book review or workshop experience to share or something similar to contribute? Send it to newsletter@augustgroup.org

JOB POSTINGS

New job postings this week

Data Migration Engineer

The purpose of this position is to champion the process of migrating data from legacy billing systems to CostGuard. The process includes developing solutions, leading and enabling discussions with customers, vendors and internal team on the process of data migration and executing the process.

Data Migration Engineer adheres to the schedule of Program Management tasks.

Develops SQL code and other tools for migrating and integrating data for customer implementations and upgrades.

Develops auditing tools to ensure complete and accurate data migration.

The Data Migration Engineer assists Customer Support, Billing Services and Program Management groups when necessary to diagnose and correct data problems. This position also creates SQL scripts for ad-hoc report generation and produces weekly status reports. Must interact with Program Management and other Engineers to firm up technical requirements. Fulfill other duties of a Program Manager that is technical in nature.

EDUCATION:

Requires a Bachelor's Degree or equivalent in Computer Science or related field plus three years of proven success in related work.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Expertise in Relational Database Programming; SQL experience preferred.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Proven skills in working within a software team environment.
Must be detail oriented and have excellent presentation and customer
facing skills.
Must be willing to travel 25%.

Contact Greg Taylor at gtaylor@excelsiorsp.com or call (585) 785-8600.

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Chemical Process Engineering

Provide process engineering assistance and technical support to production personnel.
Provide process control support and troubleshooting support for current operations.
Optimize current operations and increase departmental operating knowledge.
Document process knowledge, link key process parameters to department costs and effectively transfer process knowledge and linkages to operating personnel.
Identify continuous improvement opportunities and drive yield, cycle time, quality and cost improvements.
Comfortable working in a manufacturing and union environment.
Strong troubleshooting and problem solving skills Possess a drive for continuous improvement.
Desire to share, communicate and teach improvement ideas and cost driver linkages.

Education / Experience:

BS Engineering or Chemistry.
Proven track record of accomplishment in a production setting.
3+ years experience Distillation, process control and process modeling experiences a plus.

Employer: A large, specialty chemical manufacturing company.

Location: South central Connecticut.

Salary range: $65 - 85,000 a year.

Good relocation package and excellent long-term growth potential.

Contact Rene Menard, TAG member, for referral forward.
rmenard@rochester.rr.com or by phone @ (585) 797-4890.

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Safety, Health, Environmental Director

Qualifications Required

Major Responsibilities:

Senior professional responsible for leading staff of experienced safety, health and environmental (SHE) professionals who provide services to manufacturing leadership and to the businesses.
Leads center of excellence for SHE program support.
Has global responsibility for benchmarking of best practices, development and implementation of tools to assist in improving safety and environmental performance.
Ensures hands-on support to manufacturing sites in SHE performance as needed by operating units and SHE partners.
Provides program support and strategy development in all areas of environmental and safety programs.
Responsible for training the SHE professionals. Leads teams, advises on policy matters, as assigned.
Responsible for maintaining efficient work flow processes for services to sites and businesses.
Some project management involved, such as support to capital projects, energy and waste reduction projects, working with manufacturing and engineering groups.
Work processes include SHE standards development and maintenance, SHE communications, SHE data management, SHE web site and documentation control, and others as needed or requested by management.

Business/Technical Skills & Experiences:

Significant leadership experience and competency, 10 – 15 years in operations or SHE, operational leadership experience.
Strong strategic planning skills, including effective analysis of data and ability to review trends and communicate at a high level on performance. Ability to plan longer term projects and see through their execution.
Management experience required.
Process flow design and improvement experience required.
Must have excellent communication skills, including written, oral, presentation, and know how to roll out programs and gain stakeholder support.
SHE industry benchmarking experience preferred, or the candidate should come from a world class SHE company. (Dupont, Exxon, BASF, Rohm & Haas, etc.)

Behavioral Skills:

Strong Leadership skills, including change leadership and strong team leadership skills.
Strong ability to attract and retain talent, identify team members and form effective teams, strong organizational influence skills.
Strong bias for action, decision making and confidence. Ability
to manage multiple and competing priorities effectively. Strong results focus. Strong customer focus.

Education “Required”:

Chemical Engineering degree preferred.

Education “Preferred” (Additional):

Six Sigma/Lean Skills a plus.

Travel 25 – 50%, including both international and domestic travel

Direct reports - 4

Employer: Chemical company

Location: Northern New Jersey

Salary range: $100,000 - $125,000, plus bonus

Good relocation package

Contact Rene Menard, TAG member, for referral forward.
rmenard@rochester.rr.com or by phone @ (585) 797-4890.

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Senior Production Planner / Materials Manager

Ultralife Batteries, Inc.

Description:

Ultralife in Newark, NY, has a wonderful opportunity for the candidate with Production Planning and Materials Management experience. Under minimum supervision, the Senior Production Planner / Materials Manager is responsible for the management of inventories, purchasing, production planning, receiving and stockroom control to ensure timely and cost effective availability of products.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Accountable for capacity requirements planning and managing inventory.
Continually monitor sales order backlog and forecast needs to ensure all required materials are ordered within lead times.
Plan annual production material sourcing, purchase contracting and supplier alliances while providing required material to meet volume and customer delivery commitments.
Responsible for the leadership and direction of Purchasing, Materials, Planning, Warehouse and Support Staff.
Monitor delivery performance and quality of purchased material and develop cost control and improvement plans.
Participate in safety, loss prevention lean manufacturing activities and various site and corporate cost reduction activities.
Participate and interface with corporate procurement activities.
Understand, support, and maintain requirements outlined in the quality management system as it relates to the materials department.
Accountable for internal communication of customer order status to ensure timely and satisfactory resolution of product delivery and availability problems.
Identify and communicate training needs. Ensure that training is executed and documented. Assist in assessing the effectiveness of training.
Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.
Follow environmental and safety regulations to ensure compliance with US laws.
Comply with all corporate guidelines on safety and business ethics.
Perform other duties as requested, directed or assigned.

Education:

Bachelor degree in Operations, Business, or related field; or equivalent education and experience. Advanced degree or certification is preferred.

Experience and Skills:

3-5 years applicable work experience in role of increasing responsibility, preferably in a manufacturing environment.
Purchasing (CPM) or Materials management (APICS) certification a plus.
In-depth understanding of MRP/ERP systems, specifically in a job-shop setting.
Manufacturing experience, preferable in a job-shop environment.
Proficient with MS Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access.
Solid decision making skills.
Must excel at working in a team environment.
This position requires that the person be a highly organized individual, who is self-motivated, and can work independently.
Must have very strong leadership skills, with excellent oral and written communication skills.
Must be able to manage multiple tasks and or priorities and easily adapt to changing situations.

Contact Mark Lynch at MELRecruiter@yahoo.com and tell him you read about in The August Group newsletter.

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UPCOMING August Group meetings - See the website calendar for details.

Orientations:

Wed., Nov. 28, 9-9:30 at Bagel Bin Café (Brighton)
Thurs., Nov. 29, 9-9:30 at Bagel Bin Café (Brighton)

General Sessions:

MORNINGS every Weds. & Thurs., 9:30 – 11 a.m.
EVENINGS every Thurs., 7 - 8:30 p.m.
sometimes Tues., see the website.

Power Networking Groups:

Singularly the MOST SUCCESSFUL of programs offered by The August Group. Visit the website to learn when and where they meet.

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