Greater Milwaukee Jobs

A new CareerBuilder survey of employers indi- cates that 2016 college graduates will enjoy the strongest hiring market in 10 years. That's great news for graduates who have busi- ness, computer and infor- mation science, or engi- neering degrees. Those professions and others that require math, statis- tics, clinical health and other high-tech training have well-paying open- ings. But employers and col- lege career officers report a mismatch in the jobs and the skills of job hunters. Some of the mismatch is due to grad- uates having the "wrong" majors, and some of it (right or wrong) is due to perceptions of employ- ability. About 67 percent of employers reached in the survey said they intend to hire new graduates this year (up from 65 per- cent in 2015), but many expressed concern about graduates' lack of "real- world learning." More worrisome than inadequate hands-on experience was some employers' perceptions that recent graduates lack interpersonal and problem-solving skills. Many of the survey respondents said they need a combination of technical and broad com- munication, leadership and teamwork abilities. The survey focused on four-year college graduates, but the same concerns apply to graduates of two-year community colleges and other technical certi- fication programs. "There is still a frustrat- ing gap between what the employer needs and what the job seeker has, skills- wise," said LeAnn Cun- ningham, an employment relations coordinator in the career development center at Johnson County Community Col- lege in the Kansas City area. That student career office is seeing high demand for its associate degree graduates in draft- ing and design, metal fabrication, and electron- ics, electrical and auto Hiring outlook for college graduates is the strongest in 10 years By Diane Stafford The Kansas City Star (TNS) than 95 percent of the workers are men, accord- ing to the U.S. labor department. Taylor said women who weld deserve the same respect – and pay – as men in the trade. The struggle to add more women to the workforce in certain male-dominated fields has taken on new vigor as a recovering econ- omy demands more skilled workers, and as more women fill top executive positions in business and government. "It is not an easy trade, but it's not impossible," said Samantha Farr, who founded Women Who Weld while attending the Univer- sity of Michigan. "In the end, my goal is not just to teach women to weld, but find them jobs that are welding related." ––––– Women have been fight- ing to enter all sorts of jobs for decades and, along the way, battling sexism and inequality. Millions of women took jobs in American factories during World War II while men were on the front lines, giving rise to the term and image of Rosie the Riveter. Rosie – which, in a pro- motional film was played by a Rose Monroe, a real- life riveter in the Detroit area – became a cultural icon, a symbol of the bene- fits and potential of Ameri- can women entering the workforce, helping pave the way for future genera- tions. "There's a new mindset in women in that they don't have to stick with tradition- al roles," said Jane Owen, a certified executive coach and president of executive group Vistage Michigan. Only about 5 percent of the group's membership is women. "As women ascend, there is potential to bring other women with them. They pull other women up." In January, General Motors board named Mary Barra – the first female CEO of a major global automaker – chairman. Her father was a die maker. She studied engineering, earned a master's degree in busi- ness and has become a role model for other women seeking top corporate jobs. Hillary Clinton, who is campaigning to be the first female president, often talks about ending gender discrimination in her speeches. In March, five members of the U.S. women's national soccer team – champions at the Olympics and World Cup – filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, making the case that despite their supe- rior performance on the field, they're paid far less than their male counter- parts. "You talk about women 2 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS • May 12, 2016 women who weld ... from p. 1 see WOMEN WHO WELD . . . page 6 You weren't co-worker's pick for your new job. Now what? & A Q A. Bring a "clean slate" perspec- tive to the situation, moving from candidate mode to colleague. You might have been better off not knowing that you weren't everyone's first choice. But at this point, it doesn't matter. You're in place and it's time to perform, so have confidence in the strengths you bring to your role. If you find that her lack of support is hanging over your head at an emotional level, it's worth taking some time to process any insecurity or wounded pride that comes from that. Find someone to talk to, if needed, so that you can move beyond this. At the same time, use the infor- mation you can derive from the interview experience to guide your behavior. For example, if you know she had reservations about some aspect of your experience, use that as you'd use any feedback. Consider the relevance of the input and determine whether it'd be useful to give yourself development goals around it. Note – this is a topic to also discuss with your boss. Be sure that you have crystal clear understanding of your success metrics for your role.This needs to be defined at a high level in terms of the goals of your position. Know what you need to deliver to be suc- cessful, and also have a good sense of priority from the points of view of your boss and other key people at your company. Put on her hat for a moment. What do you think she is most worried about? What is going to make her successful? What type of personal style does she have – driven vs. laid back, for example? Even consider if there are ways that she may consider you to be a threat. Insights in hand, focus on relation- ship building. It's in everyone's inter- est for you to work well together. If you haven't already done so, sched- ule a "my new role" kickoff meeting with her. Have some positive mes- sages ready to share about your first bit of time on the job and your vision for success.Then do a lot of listening about her view of your ongoing collaboration and ways to make it work. Communication isn't one and done, of course. Make sure you're touching base regularly, especially if you're not working directly on a project together. Better yet, find a way to collaborate on a tangible activity; it's the fastest way to build bonds. Despite your best efforts, the relationship may prove to be rocky. It's essential that you're also build- ing your credibility and demonstrat- ing your contributions to the larger organization. Develop a set of allies who'll have your back if she moves from skepticism to undermining. Your boss needs to be your best ally in this, so be sure to reach out. In the end, if you're performing well, your work is likely going to speak for itself or position you for a move to a better, more supportive, culture. Q. I recently started a new job and learned one of the people I work with closely had supported the hiring of a different candidate. She is quite influential and my success depends on working effectively with her. How should I handle this? By Liz Reyer Tribune News Service (TNS) Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of business experience. Her company, Reyer Coaching & Consulting, offers services for organizations of all sizes. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliverchange.com/coachscorner or email her at lizdeliverchange.com. A publication of Conley Media Call Center Director: Cindy Shaske 262-306-5016 cshaske@conleynet.com Account Executive: Julie Sears 262-306-5008 jsears@conleynet.com Story Coordinator: Dan Muckelbauer 262-513-2626 dmuck@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262-513-2690 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS Volume 18 • Number 34 May 12, 2016 To place an ad: Call us at 262-306-5008 or fax us at 262-338-5271 deadline: Noon on Wednesdays Distributed by: Conley Distribution 262-513-2646 ©2016 by Conley Media, LLC Waukesha County Independent and Locally Owned GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS is published weekly by Conley Media – Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS assumes no liability for any error in copy or content. It is the advertiser's responsibility to be aware of the laws pertaining to employment advertising. Call 262-306-5008 for information. see HIRING . . . page 7

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