THE AUGUST GROUP NEWSLETTER

FEBRUARY 18, 2008

Volume 2, Number 7

Rochester’s Premier Professional Networking Organization

Newsletter Archives

 

In this Issue.

Words to Ponder

  • "Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at will change." - Anonymous contributed by TAG member Sandy Becker.

  • "If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion" – George Bernard Shaw

  • "Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open" -
    Elmer J. Letterman

Got a thought to share?  Send it to newsletter@augustrgroup.org and put
"Words to Ponder" in the Subject Line.

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Upcoming Events 

MEGA at Johnny’ Irish Pub Wednesday February 20th.

LinkedIn Training morning session – 50 tips, insights, and uses Morning session on Tuesday February 26th. New time 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM. Lunch included with registration fee. Reservations requested via email linkedin@excelsiorsp.com or 585-785-8600. Space is limited.

Digital Rochester – Rising Stars – Seeing things Differently with Kirtas and Vuzix 

Date: Thursday, February 28, 2008
Time: 7:30 am to 9:30 am
Location:
Bausch Auditorium
inside the Rochester Museum & Science Center
657 East Ave
Rochester, NY

Send calendar additions to calendar@augustgroup.org

Are you willing to assist enhance the content of this section of the newsletter?

We're looking for members to populate the calendar with events of interest.
If so, send an email to newsletter@augustgroup.org.  It gets better with your
input and contributions.

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Member Announcements

Have an announcement to share?  

Here you can share so many things. You're a new member and want share your elevator speech.  You never know who might spot it, perhaps a recruiter or business owner looking for someone just like you.

Perhaps you've landed a new position and wish to share the story and gratitude.

Maybe you are coordinating an event for community or charity and seek support.

This is where we'll post it.  This section reflects our members. Make contributions.

It's all about members for members and more here. Send your email to newsletter@augustgroup.org.

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Feature Articles

Have an article to contribute?  We welcome your contributions.  Make a difference. Share a story.  Submit it to newsletter@augustgroup.org.

Got a story idea?  Submit  it to newsletter@augustgroup.org.

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JOB POSTINGS

Hidden jobs are welcomed for sharing at jobs@augustgroup.org.  If the job your neighbor, friend or family shared with you is not right for you, it might be perfect for an August Group colleague.  This is a great place for practicing "give to get." With 1600 members, what can happen here when members own the content?

We welcome volunteers to coordinate the job postings on a weekly basis. Employers and members submit jobs that must be readied for inclusion in the newsletter.  A lack of help means fewer jobs get posted in a timely manner. Why not be the first one to see new postings??!!

NEW Postings this week

Previously posted jobs

See the August Group Newsletter Archives

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News from the Power Networking Groups

The Power Networking  Groups have been the most effective of all programs offered by The August Group.  We hope that the member's will report regularly to the newsletter of their successes and stories shared.   Submit notes to newsletter@augustgroup.org and insert "PNG" in the Subject line.

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Human Resources Professionals - Things Job Seekers Should Know

We've had many HR professionals visit and contribute to The August Group.  Your ongoing contributions are valued and needed by all members.  We know that we'll see great contributions from those who have made their careers about career and organizational development.  If it's not your own writing, perhaps its a link or someone else's, writing that you are sharing and giving credit to the author.  Send your contributions to newsletter@augustgroup.org with HR in the Subject line.

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Small Companies That You Might not Know About

While so many members pursue the major employers in our community, there are numerous small and growing companies that go ignored trying to find talent.  Know of a small company then share it here providing nothing more than a link to its homepage. How easy does it get?  Send your contributions to newsletter@augustgroup.org with Small Company in the Subject line.

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Websites Worth Visiting

Send your contributions to newsletter@augustgroup.org with Website in the Subject line.

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Book Reviews and Good Reads

Have a story, book review or workshop experience to share or something similar to contribute?  

Send your contributions to newsletter@augustgroup.org with Good Read in the Subject line.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

 

Who to Believe
 

Contributed by TAG member Daryl Walczak

 The recent writer’s strike has left the American public with some real “must-see” TV over the last few months. Sure, people have missed “Lost,” “Desperate Housewives,” and “The Office,” but Americans have been introduced to a new round of reality based situations that ask the classic question “Who Do You Believe?” With all due respect to Fox’s new game show “The Moment of Truth,” we are dealing with real situations including real people. And in some cases, the stakes are very high.

Many sports fans were riveted by the testimony Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee gave to Congress recently. And, in the end, the biggest question was “Who was most believable?” Did the steroid dealer seem more sincere than the alleged cheater? Many people, after looking at the information available to them, still cannot agree.

Locally, we are dealing with issues surrounding the selection of a new Public Defender. Again, people are split on their opinions based on what they have learned of the situation. The same happens when discussing the plight of Rochester’s local sports teams.

And for the “piece de resistance” we have the upcoming presidential election. In November, we will select “The Leader of the Free World,” but many of the same “Who to Believe” issues surround the ongoing primaries and the upcoming election.

So what are we to do? In the old westerns, the good guy always wore the white hat and the bad guy always had a black hat. Today we are dealing with an awful lot of “charcoal gray.” I guess the best we can do is to try to educate ourselves on what the issues are and make appropriate decisions. Not too much different than what most of us try to do every day, whether we are looking for employment or working within an organization.
 

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JOB POSTINGS

New job postings this week


IT Project Manager – Preferred Care
 

Senior Software Engineer – VoicePort

Description:

Immediate opening for a highly motivated person to be a key member of VoicePort’s software development team, responsible for designing, implementing and maintaining high-quality self-service speech applications. This position currently reports to Director of Product Development with the potential to become a technical team lead with increased responsibilities as the software development team expands in number.

Job responsibilities include the following, other duties may be assigned:

  • Research and understand marketing requirements.

  • Design, code and unit test new features and/or defect fixes to existing product line. Includes Voice User Interface (VUI) design, development and tuning.

  • Write design documentation.

  • Develop and execute unit tests.

  • Produce unit tested product builds for test team.

  • May be involved in the productization of existing customer trials for roll out to additional customer deployments.

  • May be asked to present technologies to customers and partners.

  • May interface directly with customers to gather requirements.

  • Work with the other development engineers to understand the software application and features/fixes being developed so as to not negatively impact current application performance with the introduction of new features and/or defect fixes.

  • Work closely with the Customer Service team to troubleshoot and fix customer reported issues.

  • Provide accurate task estimates to Project Manager. Report Status to Lead Software Engineer and/or Project Manager.

  • Bring to attention issues/roadblocks that cannot be solved and need management attention. Propose potential solutions.

  • Support Customer User testing for new deployments. Includes clarifying functionality, answering questions and potentially troubleshooting issues reported by customer.

  • Follow established development processes and procedures. Provide input on ways to improve development processes.

  • Interact effectively and professionally with other engineers, vendors and customers.

  • May also require occasional on-call support.

  • Travel to customer sites may be required for requirements gathering.

  • Be a member of cross functional project team.

Minimum Qualifications:

  • A degree in Computer Science/Engineering or equivalent.

  • 3+ years of experience in Java (server-side) software product development.

  • Proven ability to deliver on schedule and to follow through on commitments.

  • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.

  • Ability to write and edit technical documentation.

  • Basic knowledge of Web services, MVC frameworks and SQL scripts.

  • Operating Systems: Linux or Unix.

  • Experience interacting with and capturing requirements directly from clients.

  • Experience creating end-user focused applications.

Additional Qualifications (not required but would be a plus):

  • J2EE/EJB

  • VoiceXML

  • XHTML/CSS

  • Nuance Speech Recognition

  • RedHat Linux installation and administration

  • MySQL

  • Agile development methodologies

  • Source Control systems (CVS/SVN)

  • JUnit / TestNG testing frameworks

  • Human Factors / Usability

  • Test-driven development / Continuous integration

  • Ruby on Rails

Aptitude and Attitude:

  • You enjoy working with customers.

  • Are self-managing, motivated, and organized.

  • Work efficiently under deadline constraints.

  • Are flexible and accommodating in implementing another’s design.

  • Have passion for user interface and making great products.

  • Love to learn new technologies and techniques.

Interested candidates should email a cover letter and resume to kperugini@complemar.com.

Tell them you learned about the opportunity through The August Group newsletter.

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InfoPath Developer – Paychex

 

Responsibilities:

  • Researching, designing, and writing new E-Form solution software programs.

  • Developing existing E-Form solutions by working with cross-functional stakeholders to identify areas for modification and implementing changes accordingly.

  • Connecting existing software products (gets incompatible platforms to work together and creates code to link them).

  • Writing system requirements with Project Manager, system design documentation, use cases, and operational documentation for users.

  • Working closely with other staff, such as project managers, user experience designers, and systems administrators to develop software that meets requirements.

  • Consulting clients and colleagues concerning system design and performance, clarifying details and making system adjustments to ensure software design meets the intended needs of the stakeholders.

  • Solving problems and thinking laterally as part of a team, or individually, to meet the needs of the project.

  • Investigating new technologies to enhance the service to Paychex employees and clients within the realm of E-form and Workflow initiatives.

Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering with a minimum of 1 year related experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience using Microsoft InfoPath is required. Preferred skills include Microsoft SharePoint, JavaScript, C#, SQL statements, relational database scripting, and report writing.

Apply at Paychex using Ref. Code 08010BL.

EOE: Must be authorized to work in the U.S.
Tell them you learned about the opportunity through The August Group newsletter.

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Mechanical Engineer – Vuzix

Analyze engineering proposals to develop designs for mechanical products such as mechanisms, subsystem components, and structures, applying engineering principles and proposed product specifications. Analyze design data to determine feasibility of product proposals, clarify or resolve problems and develop designs, prepare or direct preparation of product or system layouts and detailed drawings and schematics. Direct and coordinate manufacturing and integration of prototype products and systems, plan and develop experimental test programs, and analyze test data and reports to determine if designs meet functional and performance specifications. Confer with other engineering personnel and prepare design modifications as required and evaluate engineering test results.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Responsible for all mechanical designs, structural and thermal analysis, and drafting and documentation.

  • Draft or prepare and direct preparation of detailed drawings of product or system layouts, and existing or new mechanical components and assemblies.

  • Analyze product specifications and performance requirements to determine design form factor, design trade studies, and product modifications which can be produced or implemented by existing manufacturing or processing facilities.

  • Design and modify mechanical portions of existing and future products using Pro/E. Design parts and assemblies for manufacturability and cost objectives.

  • Troubleshoot design and manufacturing issues.

  • Interface with suppliers, work with manufacturing, optical, and electrical engineering to develop robust product designs and improve existing product lines.

  • Design, assemble, and test prototypes.

  • Design production tooling and assign manufacturing engineering in transitioning to production as well as ongoing production support.

Qualifications:

  • BSME or BSAE degree and 3D CAD modeling experience in Pro/E or Solid Works required; Finite Element Analysis, such as Ansys desired.

  • Minimum of 5 years experience working with mechanical design and packaging.

  • Product design experience for military applications. Experience with rugged packaging for industrial and military products. Understanding of military standards and specifications, especially environmental testing and Mil-Std-810F.

  • Ability to effectively present information to top management and/or customers.

  • Technical writing experience, for example on proposal technical volumes.

  • Ability to work on several programs concurrently and work well with others.

  • Experienced with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing in accordance with ASME Y14.5M-1994.

  • Experience with complex tight tolerance mechanical design, preferably opto-mechanical design.

  • Significant experience with design and manufacturing troubleshooting. Experience taking products from concept through production.

  • Must meet the eligibility requirements (US person) for access to ITAR/EAR technical data.

Please send resumes or inquiries to: humanresources@vuzix.com.

Tell them you learned about the opportunity through The August Group newsletter.

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Systems Engineer – Vuzix
 

Works independently. Plans R&D programs and exercises considerable latitude in determining technical objectives. Translates contract requirements into work requirements, processes, and tasks. Plans, schedules, and leads others to produce technical work responsive to customer needs within allocated budgets. Contacts customers, teaming partners, subcontractors, and suppliers to exchange technical data and to discuss project performance. Manages customer and supplier relationships and participates in the development of fundamental approaches to projects.

Owns the following system design processes:

  • Requirements definition.

  • Design solution definition.

Owns the following product realization processes:

  • Product implementation and integration.

  • Product verification and validation.

Owns the following technical management processes:

  • Technical planning.

  • Requirements management.

  • Interface management.

  • Technical risk management.

  • Configuration management.

  • Technical data management.

  • Technical assessment.

Routine travel and extra hours are required.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Apply knowledge of multidisciplinary processes and systems engineering methodology and techniques to develop, validate, and manage product level system requirements and architectures and ensure integration.

  • Postulate alternative system approaches, operational concepts, architectures, and system level attributes.

  • Optimize system effectiveness in terms of performance, cost, risk mitigation, producibility, operational and logistical suitability, and growth capability.

  • Allocate requirements and define integrated functional specifications for systems and subassemblies and to determine the functional, physical, and procedural interfaces between them.

  • Assess interaction of system concepts and products in their projected operating environments and propose optimizing approaches.

  • Conceptualize/create preliminary system design alternatives and manage design risk and configuration data from concept development through product delivery and operational support.

  • Verify and establish valid product level system requirements through predictive modeling, mission analysis, and functional test.

  • Analyze, interpret, and communicate findings in terms of integrated functional specifications (for performance, operation, assembly, and checkout of system) as well as other (e.g. regulatory and interface) design criteria.

  • Synthesize and optimize system concepts within defined cost, schedule, and technical risk parameters.

  • Assess design risks, and develop risk management strategies.

Qualifications:

  • Requires educational credentials meeting the classification standards for engineers and a minimum of 12 years experience in an engineering classification.

  • Experience leading product development and coordinating/leading technical reviews and audits according to the Defense Acquisition Lifecycle.

  • Must meet the eligibility requirements (US person) for access to ITAR/EAR technical data.

Please send resumes or inquiries to: humanresources@vuzix.com.

Tell them you learned about the opportunity through The August Group newsletter.

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HR Manager - Lifetime Care

Our agency is approx. 1200 employees in size and has multiple locations across the Finger Lakes region. Prior experience in health services a plus, but not necessarily required.

Description:

Initiates, plans and carries out policies relating to all phases of Human Resources.

Responsibilities:

  • Administer compensation, benefits and performance management systems programs.

  • Provide current and prospective employees with information about policies, job duties, working conditions, wages, opportunities for promotion and employee benefits.

  • Perform difficult staffing duties, including dealing with understaffing, conflict resolution, terminating employees, and administering disciplinary procedures.

  • Advise managers on organizational policy matters such as equal employment opportunity and sexual harassment, and recommend needed changes.

  • Represent the agency, as necessary, in employment matters such as unemployment and human rights hearings.

  • Plan and conduct the Human Resources component of new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward organizational objectives.

  • Facilitate good employee relations by serving as a link between management and employees in handling questions, interpreting and administering contracts and helping resolve work-related problems.

  • Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate work activities of subordinates and staff relating to employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee relations.

  • Demonstrate high standards of integrity by supporting the Lifetime Healthcare Companies’ mission and values and adhering to the Corporate Code of Conduct.

  • Maintain high regard for privacy in accordance with the corporate privacy policies and procedures.

  • Maintain knowledge of all relevant legislative and regulatory mandates and ensures that all activities are in compliance with these requirements.

  • Regular and reliable attendance is required.

  • Perform other duties as assigned by management.

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree with minimum of 3 years’ human resource management experience or equivalent combination of education and experience, Master’s Degree preferred.

Apply online at Lifetime Care.

Tell them you learned about the opportunity through The August Group newsletter.

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