INDEX SAYS: WASHINGTON EMPLOYMENT DECREASED BY 0.07 PERCENT IN OCTOBER

Intuit QuickBooks’ Small Business Indexes are monthly reports providing unique and almost real-time insight into employment and revenue trends of the nation’s small businesses with fewer than 20 employees.
 
The Intuit Small Business Employment Index found that national small business employment remained flat in October, posting a slight increase of 0.01 percent from the September figure. The Intuit Small Business Employment Index

Autism Works: Why More Big Companies are Hiring Those on the Autism Spectrum

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month

It’s a growing employment trend that has made recent headlines: big name companies are announcing new initiatives to hire autistic employees. The development is cause for cautious optimism, said Paul Louden, autism awareness advocate and host of the Theories of Mind radio program. “As we reflect on the current state of employment for those with autism and other conditions during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we’re starting to see a change in the workplace that is encouraging.”

This past April, Microsoft announced a pilot program aimed at bringing on board autistic individuals to fill fulltime positions at its headquarters in Redmond, Washington. German software heavyweight SAP and British telecommunications corporation Vodafone

6 Reasons to Hire That 'Lazy' Millennial Today

By CEO of Peak Sales Recruiting Eliot Burdett

Here's why those Millennials you're overlooking are critical to long-term business growth.

If given the choice, many companies shy away from hiring Millennials because they are believed to be “lazy” and don’t understand the value of hard work. 

AT&T NOW HIRING IN WASHINGTON WITH 165 JOBS AVAILABLE

Wireless Carrier Seeking 95 Customer Support Specialists in Bothell and 70 Retail Sales Associates Throughout the State

AT&T Hosting Hiring Fair for Customer Support Positions on Friday September 11, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at AT&T Bothell Call Center, 3755 Monte Villa Pkwy, Bothell, WA 98021

BOTHELL, WA. – SEPTEMBER 2, 2015 — AT&T today announced the company is recruiting candidates for 165 positions available in Washington state.  The company is seeking to fill 95 customer support specialist jobs in Bothell, Washington, and 70 retail sales associate positions at its 43 retail stores throughout the state. 

Michelle Flandreau is New Vice President Of Marketing at GuidantFinancial

Bellevue's Guidant Financial Names Michelle Flandreau VP Marketing

Bellevue-based small business financing specialist Guidant Financial has hired Michelle Flandreau as vice president of marketing. Based in Guidant's Bellevue headquarters,  Michelle Flandreau's hiring is in Guidant's 12th year in business.  Guidant Financial's state goal is to put $350 million to work for small business in 2015.  Reaching this goal will help empower entrepreneurs to help realize their dreams of business ownership. Michelle Flandreau will drive marketing and communications for Guidant and lead the strategic direction of the company.  She will also oversee earned and social media, email marketing and advertising and hopefully be working to renew a former partnership with Bellevue Business Journal.

Eastside Employers Invited to Commute Advantage WorkSmart Telework Workshop in Bellevue

Eastside Employers to Learn How to Profit from Workplace Strategy

Eastside Employers Will Find Predictable, flexible and efficient commute options keys to employee retention and productivity

Teleworking allows employees to do more while commuting less with Eastside employers seeing a return to their bottom line. Eastside Employers could save 25 to 90 percent in overhead, in situations where employees do not require permanent workspace at the office, according to WorkSmart, a King County Metro program specializing in workplace strategy. Eastside employers can hear more from WorkSmart at a free Telework Lunch-and-Learn 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17, in Downtown Bellevue.

The first 25 people to register and attend receive a $10 coffee card. The event is free but a registration is required. RSVP by emailing commuteadvantage@cywb.org.

Commute Advantage Telework Lunch-and-Learn

Date: Wednesday, June 17^th, 2015

Location: The Summit (PSE Building), 10885 NE 4^th St, Bellevue

Paid parking available

(Access off of 108^th Ave NE or 110^th Ave NE – Parking cost: $11)

 

Doors open 11:30 a.m. Program noon to 1 p.m.

Complimentary lunch will be served

 

According to WorkSmart Telework and Flexible Work Hours can help businesses:

• Improve productivity by up to 20 percent


• Reduce absenteeism by two to four days per worker per year


• Improve employee recruitment and retention


• Eliminate tardiness


• Save on overhead costs


• Ensure business continuity during construction or other disruptions

Eastside Employers will learn:

• How an effective telework or flexible work-hours program benefits your business’ Bottom line and improves work/life balance.


• What other local business leaders have done to implement successful programs.


• About WorkSmart’s free consulting services for developing or expanding teleworking and flexible work hours

About Commute Advantage

Commute Advantage is a Choose Your Way Bellevue program made possible by a partnership between the City of Bellevue, King County Metro and the Bellevue Downtown Association. Choose Your Way Bellevue is Bellevue's one-stop shop for learning about your travel options. Bellevue's transportation system offers a range of travel options that provide people who live and work in the City with viable alternatives to the single-occupant vehicle. Strategies to balance the options for how people travel into, out of, and through the City are considered under the heading "transportation demand management" or TDM.

About WorkSmart

The WorkSmart program offers workplace strategies to help your company increase employee productivity, improve business continuity and contribute to environmental sustainability. These cutting-edge strategies include telework, coworking, compressed work week, and alternate scheduling. WorkSmart services are free to employers, thanks to the Washington State Department of Transportation, King County Metro, the City of Seattle, and the Federal Transit Administration.

Covenant Retirement Communities Promotes Terri Cunliffe to CEO

Terri Cunliffe Promoted to CEO After 25 Years at Convenant Retirement Communities

The board of directors of Chicago-based Covenant Retirement Communities (CRC), owner and operator of 14 senior living communities nationwide, has named Terri Cunliffe as its chief executive officer, effective June 1, 2015. Cunliffe, who has served as CRC’s COO since 2010 and has been part of the organization for more than 25 years, succeeds current CEO Rick Fisk.

Beginning her career as a nursing home part-time receptionist, Terri Cunliffe has held a series of progressive leadership roles within CRC, including nursing home administrator and executive director at Covenant Village of Florida. As CRC’s senior vice president of health and wellness and executive vice president of operations, Cunliffe effected change by developing and implementing the company’s LifeConnect approach to whole-person wellness. The program enables CRC to connect residents with resources and opportunities to help them fulfill their needs, interests and goals through educational and cultural programming, on- and off-campus activities and excursions.

While serving as COO Cunliffe developed the organization’s new customer service and hospitality platform – ‘We Believe.’ The platform, which is currently being implemented across CRC’s 14 senior living communities, focuses on enhancing the communities’ customer service and resident relations by focusing on individuality, hospitality, congeniality and spirituality.

“It has been a privilege to be a part of an organization that is committed to the Evangelical Covenant Church’s mission, and provides its employees the opportunity to impact the lives of others on a daily basis while practicing their faith at work,” says Cunliffe. “Our residents and staff inspire me daily, and I look forward to continuing to work with our executive leadership team and board of directors to further Covenant Retirement Communities’ strategic vision of assisting and meeting the needs of future generations of residents and staff.”

Covenant Retirement Communities Knows Cunliffe is Right Hire

“Throughout her tenure with Covenant Retirement Communities, Terri has earned the respect of the staff and board members as well as colleagues in the senior living industry,” says Neil Warnygora, executive director at Covenant Village of Northbrook. “With her long history with the organization and strengths – enthusiasm, experience, business savvy, and wellness perspective – Terri Cunliffe is the right person for this position and will effect positive change that will continue to reflect the mission of the Evangelical Covenant Church and Covenant Retirement Communities.”

A licensed nursing home administrator in the state of Florida, Cunliffe has been an active leader in LeadingAge Florida, formerly known as Florida Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, since 1995. She was named FAHSA Executive of the Year in 1999, received its chairman’s award in 2005 and was the organizations’ chair from 2009-2011.

Cunliffe earned a Bachelor of Science degree in long-term care administration from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn. and a master’s degree in health services administration from Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

About Covenant Retirement Communities

Covenant Retirement Communities is one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit senior services providers. It serves 5,000 residents at 14 retirement communities nationwide and is a ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church. For more information, visit www.covenantretirement.org.

SIP Adds Emran Chowdhury as Executive Chef

Sip at The Wine Bar & Restaurant has hired Emran Chowdhury as their new Executive Chef.

Born in Bangladesh, Emran Chowdhury moved to Toronto, Canada at the age of 3. He started gaining his kitchen experience at the age of 15. His early training took him to Terroni and Intercontinental Hotel in Toronto. Chowdhury had a strong affinity for the lures of the kitchen and travel.  He continued to advance his career on a luxury cruise ship while traveling through Europe, Asia, and South America. The thrill of travel and new cuisines will take Chowdhury to Brazil and Australia next. He relocated to Seattle in 2009 and brought his passion for cuisine with him. Shortly after becoming Chef at Cantinetta, (Wallingford) in 2010 and the additional Bellevue location in 2011, Chowdhury worked at developing new recipes and dishes. Much of Sip’s fresh ingredients are grown in our organic garden on Mercer Island, and Chowdhury is very excited about using the garden to create food with simplicity and consideration. Chef Chowdhury uses classic techniques with an inventive edge to create flavors that are complex, yet soulful.

When he’s not mastering the art of cooking, Chowdhury is relaxing with a great book or watching sports. Come into Sip and get acquainted with Sip’s new Executive Chef.

WSU Creamery Announces New Manager

John Haugen will manage the Washington State University Creamery effective Aug. 1. He has been assistant manager since 1999.

He will replace Russ Salvadalena, manager since July 2000, who plans to retire in January after assisting with personnel transition and special projects.

Information about the assistant manager vacancy can be found at https://www.wsujobs.com/postings/18564. Those interested may apply at http://www.wsujobs.com; search for position number 121370.

Haugen will oversee Ferdinand’s Ice Cream Shoppe retail store, cheese and ice cream production and the direct marketing department - where two-thirds of the cheese revenue is generated through phone, Internet and mail orders.

During Salvadalena’s tenure, revenues more than doubled, the warehouse and telephone call center were expanded in 2006 and the retail store was expanded in 2013. Cheese production capacity increased and dozens of students received training and experience to make them valued prospective employees in the food industry.

The creamery is preparing to break ground this summer on a $4 million facility for whey processing training and research and to improve milk delivery from the university-owned dairy farm.

ABC of Western Washington hires new Membership Development Manager

[caption id="attachment_10192" align="alignright" width="225"] Katie Anfinsen ABC Membership Development Manager[/caption]

Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Washington has hired Katie Anfinsen as Membership Development Manager. She has taken over responsibility for membership growth from Wendy Novak who became president of the chapter in April.

Anfinsen has a strong background in relationship sales and customer service. She returned to the Seattle area after spending eight years in Whitefish, Mont. where she held positions with the Whitefish Mountain Resort and First Interstate Bank. She earned her bachelor of science degree in Recreation and Tourism Management from Central Washington University and where she also worked as an account executive for KXLE radio.

About ABC      

ABC of Western Washington represents more than 300 companies and their nearly 15,000 employees from both open shop and union contractors, professional service firms and suppliers. Its membership includes general and subcontractors as well as associated firms that are dedicated to promoting the free enterprise system through improved business conditions, increased training and safety and promoting positive employee/employer relations.

Michelle Leroux Hired as Director of Public Relations at Fairmont Chateau Whistler

Michelle Leroux, Whistler local for over ten years, joins Fairmont from Whistler Blackcomb, the No. 1 ranked resort in the world, where she managed teams for Public Relations, Communications and Social Media.

Leroux’s experience as a public relations professional within the sport, tourism and destination travel industry spans almost thirteen years. Three of those years were spent as a consultant where Leroux represented a wide variety of clients including luxury hotel, spa and major sporting events in the media relations and social media realms.

Now at the helm of Public Relations for the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Leroux will work to leverage the strong media relationships she has made through her career, and develop new connections and partnerships, to ensure North America’s largest ski in, ski out hotel is known as Whistler’s preeminent luxury hotel. With a passion for community and environment, Leroux is excited to bring her brand of story telling, engagement and awareness building to the Fairmont Chateau Whistler.

Leroux earned her Bachelor of Communications, with a specialty in Public Relations, from Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta.

Mikayla Morgan Promoted to Marketing Integration Manager at LoanStar Home Lending

Mikayla Morgan was recently promoted to Marketing Integration Manager and Coordinator for the Marketing Department at LoanStar Home Lending.

“Mikayla has been with our core team since before LoanStar was founded and has a very intimate knowledge of how our marketing systems work best for our originators.  And now as a licensed originator herself, she brings even more experience to the team and will be a tremendous asset to new loan officers and branches that join LoanStar in the future,” said Kenn Bartley, SVP Marketing and Business Development. Mikayla has been with the company since November 12, 2013 and has held positions as Marketing Coordinator and Regional Marketing Manager.  She will continue to serve as a marketing concierge for LoanStar’s Bellevue, Vancouver, and the Walla Walla branches, supporting those loan officers with all of their marketing needs from on-boarding and beyond.

We are excited about this new position at LoanStar, the Marketing Integration Manager, will be responsible for coordinating and facilitating all marketing onboarding activities for new employees.  Kenn Bartley added, “LoanStar recognized the need for a robust onboarding process since we founded the company, and elevating Mikayla Morgan to the new position of Marketing Integration Manager is another sign of our commitment to make the transition to LoanStar seamless and smooth.”

Hilton Worldwide Appoints Frank Welton as Area General Manager of Seattle/Northwest

Frank Welton general manager of Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center and DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport, a position he has held since 2005 has been promoted to the position of area general manager of Seattle/Northwest region.  Welton’s expanded responsibilities encompass supervision of the teams and operations at five additional hotels: Hilton Portland, Embassy Suites Portland Downtown, Hilton Vancouver, DoubleTree Spokane City Center and Embassy Suites Seattle – Tacoma Airport.  He will continue to oversee the management and operations of the Hilton and DoubleTree hotels at Seattle Airport with a combined flexible function space of over 80,000 square feet and 1,250 guest rooms.   Welton will report directly to Area Vice President of Operations, Jerry Gibson.

“Frank has a proven track record of creating a long-term vision, said Gibson.  “He also has a wealth of industry knowledge, participating in the company mergers/acquisitions of Red Lion Hotels, Doubletree Hotels, Promus Hotels, and Hilton Hotels Corporation making him an excellent choice for this key regional position and expanding market.”

A hospitality industry veteran, Welton has been recognized with industry and Hilton awards for superior performance including the Washington Lodging Association “General Manager of the Year.”

Active in community leadership, he currently serves on several boards including:  Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority, SeaTac Tax Advisory Committee, vice chairman of the Washington Lodging Association and past director of the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

Welton attended Central Washington University and resides in the Seattle area. When time permits, he enjoys boating, golfing and spending time with his family which includes three grandchildren.

16,000 Jobs Lost Under House Bill 1355

Washington state could lose more than $7 billion in economic output and 16,000 jobs should House Bill 1355 become law, according to testimony given today by Patrick Connor, Washington state director for the National Federation of Independent Business, America’s largest and leading small-business association.

Connor presented the findings from a report conducted exclusively on HB 1355 by NFIB’s Research Foundation to the Senate Commerce & Labor Committee at this afternoon’s hearing on the measure. “Common sense alone should warn what would happen if you shocked employers with a nearly 30-percent spike in the state’s minimum-wage rate,” said Connor, “but our study, which uses the most sophisticated economic modeling available, puts in graphic detail the economic peril contained in HB 1355.”

Michael Chow, senior data analyst for NFIB’s Research Foundation, used the Business Size Insight Module to produce the report on HB 1355. BSIM is a dynamic, multi-region model based on the Regional Economic Models, Inc. structural economic forecasting and policy analysis model, which integrates input-output, computable general equilibrium, econometric, and economic geography methodologies. The BSIM has the unique ability to forecast the economic impact of public policy and proposed legislation on different categories of U.S. businesses differentiated by employee-size-of-firm.

HB 1355 would raise the state’s hourly minimum-wage rate to $12 from its current $9.47, already the highest of any state in the nation (the District of Columbia’s rate is $9.50). The federal minimum-wage rate is $7.25. HB 1355 squeaked out of the House on a 51-to-46 vote on March 3. Today’s hearing in the Senate was its first in that chamber.

“It will forever bear repeating that the minimum-wage rate is an entry-level wage earn almost entirely by teens and young adults starting out on their working lives,” said Connor. “Raising it has mainly one effect, and that is to remove the first rung up the economic ladder for tens of thousands of young people. This state also has a disingenuous history with this issue, after voters were promised that a 1998 ballot initiative linking future increases in the minimum-wage rate to rises in the Consumer Price Index would forever solve the issue and remove it from politics.”

The entire 19-page BSIM analysis can be read here.

For more than 70 years, the National Federation of Independent Business has been the Voice of Small Business, taking the message from Main Street to the halls of Congress and all 50 state legislatures. NFIB annually surveys its members on state and federal issues vital to their survival as America's economic engine and biggest creator of jobs. NFIB’s educational mission is to remind policymakers that small businesses are not smaller versions of bigger businesses; they have very different challenges and priorities.

8 Scientific Steps for Hiring the Best Salesperson

Is selling an art or a science?  Do new school algorithms and big data trump old fashioned methods such as a charming smile and a firm handshake?

This has become an industry-wide debate, in fact, using more science and data is now a debate across all industries including “Money Ball” in sports or native advertising in marketing.

While the science and data debate persists among salespeople, with each side having valid points, the issue becomes clearer when discussing the best practices of hiring of a salesperson.

The fact is, while old school sales and hiring techniques are timeless, a hiring manager would be remiss not to use all the latest data, tools, and techniques at their disposal when  making a decision as critical as hiring.  Bad hires not only affect the company’s bottom line but can ultimately impact the lives of its employees.

Eliot Burdett, CEO of Peak Sales Recruiting, a leading B2B sales recruiting company, explains that a scientific approach is essential to hiring and that when hiring managers “go with their gut”, it can be a recipe for disaster.

Why? In the absence of science, subjectivity enters the equation.  Methods such as a rigorous and consistent process, using third party psychometric testing, and hiring based on score not feel, have proven to achieve better results.

Burdett offers the following 8 scientific steps proven to hire the best salespeople, a process that has led his company to achieve a success rate 50% higher than the industry average:

1)    HAVE A STRUCTURED AND CONSISTENT PROCESS: Everything begins and ends with a consistent hiring process for each and every candidate.  This will offer an ‘apples to apples’ comparison and allow the company to determine with the highest degree of certitude who the best hire will be.   Multiple interviews involving all stakeholders in the hiring decision should be used for each candidate.

2)     REMOVE SUBJECTIVITY, BE OBJECTIVE: Without science, an interviewer’s mood - good or bad - can come into play.  The Halo Effect, a cognitive bias based on preconceived notions can also falsely determine the best candidate. Removing subjectivity also has the added benefit of protecting a “green” interviewer who may not yet possess the battle-tested ability to spot salespeople who ‘blow smoke’.

3)    EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND RESEARCH: Every person will play up their successes.  Were they real or not?  Verify everything the candidate claims and cross-reference it to double check.  This is an often overlooked step and taking a candidate’s word at face value can lead to a failed hire.  

4)    CONSTRUCT A HYPOTHESIS AND THEN TEST IT: Determine why the candidate will be successful in the organization.  Is it because they have consistently exceeded their quota?  Worked in the same industry for years dealing with target buyers?  Are they an ‘up-and-comer’ who is hungry to move up the corporate ladder?  Then put them through a rigorous test including multiple rounds of behavioral based interviews with trained interviewers, with a focus on the candidate’s experiences, selling approach, personal and professional objectives, and behavioral traits. Look for correlations between a candidate’s selling success, their selling environment, and DNA to determine situational selling results.

5)    HIRE BASED ON SCORE NOT FEEL: Create a unique point system using set criteria.  Award points if they have met or exceeded their quota for the past five plus years, fit into company culture, and other categories based on a particular role.  While certain intangibles don’t always show up in the stat sheet, when it comes to an industry where meeting numbers is king, hiring based on score, not feel, has a proven success rate.

6)    USE THIRD PARTY PSYCHOMETRIC AND BEHAVORIAL TESTING: These standardized tests or procedures give insight far beyond what an untrained mind can see. Psychometric tools vary in the degree of formality but have enormous predictive ability.

7)    NON-TOKEN REFERENCE CHECKS: Calling a reference and meekly accepting canned answers about how the candidate is a “go-getter” will not get the job done.  Dig deeper and really find out about their strengths and weaknesses, why they lost deals, and how they responded.  This thorough approach can tip the scales between two finalists.

8)    ANALYZE THE RESULTS: Tally up the results and include all the stakeholders in the final decision making process.  By making the final decision based on score, not feel, in addition to the stringent, scientific approach listed above, a company will have a much higher success rate when hiring salespeople.

About Peak Sales Recruiting:

Peak Sales Recruiting is a leading B2B sales recruiting company that specializes in finding sales professionals in the technology, professional services, telecom, manufacturing and industrial sectors.

Founded in 2006, the company has achieved a success rate 50% higher than the industry average, working with a wide-range of clients including mid-size and world-class companies including P&G, Gartner, Deloitte, Merck, Western Union and others.

A proven, rigorous, scientific methodology is specifically tailored to meet each client’s unique needs.  This includes detailed role profiling, targeted headhunting, comprehensive candidate assessment, a unique fee structure and guarantee, all complemented by on-going advisory services.

Peak Sales Recruiting has proven to help clients accelerate and ensure superior long-term sales growth; enhance the effectiveness of HR teams; reduce operating costs, and; enhance company valuations and investor confidence and attractiveness.

The company was founded by CEO Eliot Burdett and CSO Brent Thomson.  They share 40 years of experience leading and recruiting high performance sales teams and co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast.

 

About Eliot Burdett:

Eliot Burdett is the Co-Founder and CEO of Peak Sales Recruiting, a leading B2B sales recruiting company launched in 2006.

Under his leadership, the company has achieved double digit annual revenue growth and has a 90% success rate working with many leading boutique, mid-size and Fortune 500 companies such as Gartner, Deloitte, P&G, and others

Prior to Peak, Eliot spent more than 20 years building and leading companies by recruiting and managing high performance sales teams. He co-founded Ventrada Systems (mobile applications) and GlobalX (e-commerce software) and served as Vice President of Sales for PointShot Wireless.

Eliot received his Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Carleton University and has been honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Award winner.  He co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast

JLL Adds Matt O’Brien to Boost Industrial Expertise in Seattle

In a move designed to further enhance the firm’s successful service offerings and support continued growth in the Puget Sound region, JLL recently announced the appointment of Executive Vice President Matt O’Brien to its regional industrial team.

O’Brien will operate out of the firm's office in Seattle. O’Brien partners with the firm’s existing industrial team of Chris Spofford and Casey Trees. Additionally, O’Brien will work with JLL's Seattle and West Coast Capital Markets teams in an effort to expand the company's Pacific Northwest Industrial Investment sales practice.

“Matt is highly respected in the industry and is one of the top industrial brokers in the region,” said Joe Smurdon, Market Leader for the Seattle-Bellevue region, JLL. “His strong work ethic and commitment to client service makes him a perfect fit for JLL. We are thrilled to have him on our team.”

An 11-year veteran of commercial real estate, O’Brien has become an accomplished institutional agency leasing and investment sales broker in the Southend industrial market. O’Brien has extensive experience in tenant representation, land sales and development underwriting, and owner-user sales. In 2014, Matt leased over one million square feet of space and participated in investment sales totaling well over $100 million.

O’Brien has been named a CoStar Power Broker in six of the previous seven years.

He joins JLL from CBRE.  Prior to his career in commercial real estate, O’Brien was a collegiate and professional baseball player, pitching up to the Triple-A level with the Oakland Athletics organization.

CITC Hires New Regional Coordinator and Opens Spokane Facility

The Construction Industry Training Council of Washington (CITC) has hired Ken Hill as the Eastern Washington regional coordinator. He will be responsible for CITC’s newest facility in Spokane, Wash. CITC also has facilities in Bellevue and Vancouver, Wash.

Hill graduated from CITC and became a journeyman electrician in 1993. Then, after working in the field, he took further training with CITC and earned an administrator certification for the state of Washington in 1999. He was the president of Mastercraft Electric for two years then opened his own firm, KM Electric.

He has served on CITC’s electrical apprenticeship committee since 1995 and has been an instructor for CITC since 2014. He will split his time between Bellevue and Spokane until June so he can fulfill his teaching commitment at CITC’s Tacoma location for the balance of this school year.

“Opening this new facility fulfills a huge need for trained construction workers in Eastern Washington,” said CITC president, Halene Sigmund. “We currently have more than 60 apprentices who will be attending classes in Spokane and have the capacity to easily double that number.” The nearly 13,000-square-foot space will house classrooms, labs and staff offices. “Within the next two years we anticipate some major growth in the Spokane area and plan to meet the needs of the industry with excellent apprenticeship and craft training opportunities for those who want to become skilled craft workers,” said Sigmund

When begin classes begin this September CITC will provide apprenticeship training for carpenters electricians, laborers and plumbers, If there is sufficient demand, HVAC classes will also be offered. In addition the facility will run continuing education classes for electrical and plumbing license renewals and task training courses such as crew leader and project supervisor certificate classes.

The Spokane facility is located at10424 W. Aero Road in Spokane. For information call 1-877-707-2482m or visit the CITC website at: http://www.citcwa.com/

About CITC

CITC provides state-approved apprenticeship and craft training in the carpentry, electrical, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, heavy equipment operator, painting, plumbing, laborers, residential electrical, low energy and sheet metal trades. CITC also runs continuing education classes for license renewal for plumbers and electricians. The program is dedicated to training, developing and retaining a skilled labor force for the construction industry and is both a nationally accredited and state-approved apprenticeship training program.

10 Tips to Working With Executive Recruiters

Let's make one thing clear right from the start - executive search firms, recruiters and employment agencies are not in business to help you land a job. These firms work for the employers, not for you - and they are merely channels through which you may secure an employment opportunity.

Placement agencies that charge a fee should be avoided completely. Contingency-fee recruiters are paid a percentage of the candidate's salary - but only if they actually place a new employee.  Retained executive search firms are the classic "headhunters," who are granted an exclusive right to conduct a search on behalf of their client company and are paid their consulting fee (or at least some of it) even if the search is unsuccessful.

"When working with any type of executive search firm or recruiter, you must maintain control of them and their activities. In fact, even though the search firm is not working for you, I tell my clients to 'supervise' the work of recruiters as though they were managing a group of employees," adds Ford R. Myers, Career Coach, Speaker and Author of "Get The Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring," (John Wiley & Sons, http://www.getthejobbook.com). This means following some important guidelines:

1.      Be careful and selective in choosing which recruiters you want to work with, and politely decline to work with those who don't appeal to you or are inappropriate for your situation.

2.      When speaking with external search firms (not "recruiters" who work inside the human resource departments of the companies where you want to work), be totally honest and direct about your job objectives, past compensation, desired salary, geographical preferences and other details.

3.      Never pay any sort of "registration fee" or any other money - for anything in the whole recruiting process! All the search firm's fees should be paid by the employer.

4.      When interviewing, make sure that the job is exactly what the recruiter described. Confirm (and re-confirm, if necessary) the salient job details, responsibilities and compensation.

5.      Remember that you are the source of the recruiter's income (indirectly). You are entitled to courtesy and respect, as well as honest and prompt answers to your questions.

6.      Do not sign any contract or make any agreement that obligates you to work exclusively with one search agency. Have all forms from the search firms reviewed by an employment attorney (not a "general" attorney).

7.      Ask that your resume and other information not be forwarded to any prospective employer without your prior approval.

8.      Be sure that the recruiter does not edit your resume or any other documents without your permission.

9.      At the point of negotiating your compensation for a new position, do not rely on the recruiter. You must either conduct the negotiations yourself, or at least be actively involved in the negotiation process.

10.     Focus only 5-10% of your job-search energies on recruiters. You must not "absolve yourself of responsibility" and rely on recruiters to find you a job. Remember that most of your job-search time should be spent on more productive activities, such as professional networking.

"Some Executive Search Consultants will also provide vital information about such things as industry conditions and local business trends, as well as insightful feedback about your campaign strategy, your compensation level, etc. However, never confuse Executive Search Consultants with Career Coaches - they play very different roles," adds Myers.

If you don't know which search firms to contact yet, the best research tool by far is "The Directory of Executive and Professional Recruiters." It is published by Kennedy Information, and you can find this book at most libraries.

Once you have a basic understanding of how the search industry works, and follow the guidelines above, you will find that search firms and recruiters can serve an important role in your successful job search or career transition!

For more information and other useful tips for achieving career success, visit http://www.getthejobbook.com .

Copyright (C) 2015, Career Potential, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it includes the following attribution: Reprinted by permission of Ford R. Myers, a nationally-known Career Coach and author of "Get The Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring." Download your free bonuses now at http://www.careerbookbonuses.com .

Tyler Burkland Returns to US Bank, Leading Commercial Banking Team in Bellevue

U.S. Bank has named Tyler Burkland to lead the commercial banking team in Bellevue, Wash. He is making a return to U.S. Bank, where he previously worked from 2005 to 2008 as a commercial banking portfolio manager and credit analyst in Seattle.  

“We are pleased to have Tyler back and leading our middle market banking in Bellevue,” said Chris Heman, president of U.S. Bank in Washington. “He brings solid experience managing a large portfolio and bringing clients exactly the type of credit and banking products they need to grow their business. We look forward to sharing his expertise in the region.”

In addition to past experience managing a $1.3 billion middle market portfolio throughout Washington, Oregon and Western Canada, Burkland has expertise in technology and special industries, along with strong deal structure experience that includes syndications.

Burkland leads a team of 13 in commercial banking. He is based at the U.S. Bank offices at 10800 NE 8th Street in Bellevue.

Burkland is a University of Washington graduate with a business degree in finance.

About U.S. Bank
U.S. Bank has 130 employees and 5 branches in Bellevue, with 1,377 employees and 92 branches in the greater Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area.  U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), with $403 billion in assets as of December 31, 2014, is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association, the 5th largest commercial bank in the United States. The company operates 3,176 banking offices in 25 states and 5,022 ATMs and provides a comprehensive line of banking, brokerage, insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses and institutions. Visit U.S. Bancorp on the web at www.usbank.com.

Alan Thain Joins RPM Mortgage as Senior Loan Advisor

RPM Mortgage, Inc. is proud to welcome Alan Thain to its Bellevue office as a Senior Loan Advisor.

With more than 22 years of experience in the mortgage industry, Alan is committed to providing outstanding service and communication to his clients.  His extensive knowledge and passion for lending allow him to confidently and efficiently guide his clients through the loan process.

With access to RPM Mortgage, Inc.’s expert lending services and innovative mortgage solutions, Alan can offer his clients exceptional service and best-in-class home loan options. RPM’s “Can Do” attitude is a perfect match for Alan’s proactive approach to educating his clients and communicating with them throughout the loan process. Alan personally attends all of his closings to ensure his clients are well taken care of. Alan believes the success of his business is based upon building strong and successful relationships, and he takes great pride in helping his clients achieve their financial dreams.

Alan has been a 5-star Professional award winner for five years, and has over $400 million in career production.