Princeton POEM’s Venture Workshop
Corrections or additions?
These articles by Kathleen McGinn Spring were prepared for the May
22, 2002 edition of U.S. 1 Newspaper. All rights reserved.
New Skill Set For Job Hunters
Get out there and tell everyone you know that you’re
looking for a job. That is the conventional wisdom, but Robert
Schwartz, owner of ROBELE Career Solutions, says it is no good.
Or at least it does not go nearly far enough.
“You’ve got to get out of your comfort zone,” says Schwartz.
Networking at trade shows, association meetings, and among decision
makers, no matter where they gather, is a lot better, in his opinion,
than spreading the word among friends, family, and the delivery
people.
Schwartz speaks on “Professional Career Marketing” on Tuesday,
May 28, at 7:30 p.m. at a meeting of Jobseekers at Trinity Church
in Princeton. The group, organized by Niels Nielsen, owner of
Princeton Management Consultants, provides a free place where the
downsized — and career changers of all kinds — network and
learn effective job search techniques. Call 609-924-2277.
Before forming ROBELE, named for his daughters Robin and Elena,
Schwartz
worked for the Robert Jameson career counseling firm in Princeton.
He was introduced to that company as a client, and stayed on to become
a counselor. His background before that career switch was in chemical
engineering. He holds an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering
from the City College of New York (Class of 1964) and a master’s in
chemical engineering from Cleveland State University. He started his
company in 2000. It has nine employees and locations in Morristown
and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.
Schwartz says even seasoned executives, even those with years
experience
in hiring and firing, are ignorant of the essential basics of a
successful
job search. “Some have been downsized,” he says. “They’re
good at what they do, but they’re not good at marketing
themselves.”
He identifies some common problem areas:
Switching to a new career. “It’s easy to slideover,”says Schwartz. Moves to a similar position, in other words, are asnap compared with taking on a whole new career. But sometimes sucha change is necessary. A surgeon, he gives as an example, may havesuffered nerve damage that makes operating impossible. Or, morecommonly,a telecommunication middle manager may find there are simply noopeningsin his field. It then becomes a matter, he says, of not onlyidentifyingtransferable skills, but of leveraging them to gain entry into a newcareer.Taking the first job that comes down the pike. Someclientsjump at any offer, and while this will put food on the table, Schwartzsays it is not a good long-term strategy. Neither, in his opinion,is accepting less money than the former job paid. He does admit,though,that “it’s supply and demand.” Sometimes an executive in afield going through major downsizing is facing so much competitionthat he might have to consider a cut in compensation. Still,”overall,it’s not a good idea.”Failing to manage a job interview. Lots of interviewersare terrible at their jobs, says Schwartz. So it is up to thesuccessfuljob hunter to take over, and to make sure the interviewer knows aboutthe ways in which he would contribute to the company’s success.Tellingstories, he suggests, is an excellent way to do this. Everyoneremembersa good story, and it is up to the job hunter to leave the interviewerwith several, each illustrating how he handled tough situations orcontributed to successful outcomes at his former jobs.Flubbing networking opportunities. Few people are goodat working a room, says Schwartz. It is not necessary to speak toeveryone, but it is necessary to seek out and speak with decisionmakers. When doing so, he implores, avoid the Big Mistake. “Neverask for a job!” he exclaims. Make friends, establish connections,and then, before saying good-bye, ask if the person with whom youare speaking knows anyone you should talk to. Then go talk to thatperson, and get more names.Being spooked by lay-offs. XYZ Corp. has announced thatit is laying off 16,000 employees this quarter, and axing a fewthousandmore later in the year. Does this mean you should forget aboutcontactingXYZ for a job? Absolutely not, says Schwartz. For one thing, thecompanystill needs to hire for some positions, but, aware that cost-cuttingis roundly applauded by Wall Street, will not be eager to publicizethat fact. For another thing, when heads begin to roll, many of thebest people in the company will head for the exits. They will haveto be replaced, though, again, this fact will not be publicized.Not keeping up with the business news. Someone is alwaysmaking money, Schwartz observes. Study the business news to find outniches where the economy is strong. Also take note of any majorpersonnelchanges. New CEOs and vice presidents often like to bring in theirown teams, and may be looking for good people.Considering the Internet the Holy Grail. Everyone nowlooks for jobs on the Internet, and that, says Schwartz, is why sofew find them there. Classified ads are over-used too. By all means,check out both, but make them a small part of your search strategy.Blowing the negotiation. “Make the sale before youclose the deal,” says Schwartz. It is a terrible idea, heexplains,to bring up salary, benefits, or vacation before an offer is made.Once an employer does commit to hiring you, drive for the best dealyou can, making sure to do research beforehand to determine what aperson with your experience is now commanding.Job searches are now taking three to four months for those whowork hard at formulating and following through on a job search plan,says Schwartz. The economy isn’t what it was three years ago, but,he says, there are still good opportunities for those with good skillsand the good sense to market those skills effectively.Top Of PagePrinceton POEM’s Venture WorkshopOrganic electronics can include anything from flat paneldisplays and next generation smart cards to organic solar cells andlarge arrays of organic sensors and actuators. In Princeton, theposterchild for this technology is the Universal Display Corporation, whichincubated at Princeton University starting in 1994 and is now onPhillipsBoulevard.The Center for Photonics and Optoelectronic Materials (POEM) isholdinga full day venture workshop on this technology on Tuesday, May 28,from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Princeton University’s Friend Center onOlden Avenue. Cost: $100. Venture capitalists, angels, and theinvestmentand technology business communities are invited, and a limited numberof spaces are open to the public, but preregistration is required.Go to the website (www.poem.princeton.edu) or call Barbara Vargaat 609-258-2553. For additional information contact JoeMontemaranoat E-mail: jmonte@princeton.edu. The co-hosts are the PrincetonMaterialsInstitute and the Princeton University Office of Licensing andTechnologyTransfer.Among the opening speakers are Amy Gutmann, provost of PrincetonUniversity, James C. Sturm, POEM director, and Adam M.Pechter,president & CEO of Prosperity New Jersey.Steve Forrest, the electrical engineering professor whoseorganicelectronic (OLED) research was responsible for the founding ofUniversalDisplay Corporation, will speak on “Organic OptoElectronics:TechnologyUnderpinning Promising Applications.”Julie Brown, representing University Display Corporation, willdiscuss “Organic Light Emitting Devices: Today for Displays,Tomorrowfor Lighting.” Markus Schwambera of AIXTRON AG will tellabout his company’s new OLED production system, now being tested atUniversal Display.Robert Tulis will discuss DARPA’s plans for how U.S. SpecialForces can use OLED technology.After lunch, Sigurd Wagner, a faculty member at PrincetonUniversity,will tell about “diagnostic pajamas” and giant blankets thatcan identify faults on an airplane’s skin, followed by two otherscientistswho work with large area electronics.To add a note of financial reality to the technology fantasizing,Dan Gordon of PricewaterhouseCoopers will make some predictionsabout how OLED can be commercialized. Sid Rosenblatt of GlobalPhotonic Energy Corporation will consider the knotty problem oftiming.Just when will an IPO window open? In science and in finance, timingis everything.Previous StoryNext StoryCorrections or additions?This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
