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How to use a GILT Job recruiter
Keeping your career afloat can often feel like you’re navigating through hazardous, murky waters, especially during times of company mergers and acquisitions, downsizing, “right sizing,” and “offshoring.” Indeed, many things might lead us to reinvent our careers, and we invariably need to understand our job markets. Every career-minded person faces this reality, and the world of localization offers no exception. I recently went through a job change myself. After being a longtime devotee and advocate of “all things globalization” at Hewlett-Packard, I found that moving to a new city and having a second baby brought the question of starting a new career front and center. I looked at some of the things I had done and at things I would like to do, and I faced that moment of reality for myself: where do I turn to find a new job in the localization industry? I contacted the people I know, scoured job ads, and went on a few interviews. Since I have worked as both a vendor and a client, I had some varied perspective. I wanted a job where I would make a difference and where I would fit in with the culture. I eventually decided to use a recruitment agency, although I was a bit apprehensive. I’ve heard regretful tales about either getting completely ignored or getting my unsolicited resume mass e-mailed to companies. Lucky for me, I happened upon a recruiting firm in the localization space. Inger Larsen and Gretta FitzGerald are the founders of Larsen Globalization (or rather “Globalisation” as they say). They have been in the field for a number of years in Europe, with interests in the US. I say “lucky” because they asked me to join their team and support the US market. I did join, of course, but had that offer not materialized, I would have continued struggling down the dreary— and financially straining—path of looking for new employment. And since part of my job in this new position is to help people through this same reality, I have put together some ideas that can help you. Maybe you are someone who is on the market, or maybe you are a hiring manager. Maybe you are a hiring manager who is also on the market. In either case, these tips are for you. FIRST, HOW IS THE MARKET FARING FOR LOCALIZATION? Generally speaking, about 75 percent of the vacancies we manage are for the vendor (or supplier) side of the business. This is easily explained: most localization activities are outsourced to vendors by clients, and most client companies employ people only in vital positions. So the majority of openings in this field will be on the vendor side. Clients Any job on the client side will be attractive to for experienced client managers and to vendors looking to hop the fence. Generally speaking, client-side jobs pay about 10 percent more than vendor positions. Individual contributor and mid-manager openings might find themselves listed on the open market, but the higher ranking positions in client-side localization are few. And most often they are filled from within. In other words, these jobs are competitive and coveted. For those who desire the client side, remember that the grass might seem greener, but be warned—there certainly are weeds. Even though it might seem appealing to run the show, choose the suppliers, manage the projects, give direction, and so forth, there is a whole dimension of being inside an organization, trying to pull off localization and globalization, that is particularly challenging. For those of you already working on the client side, there can come a point when you hit a ceiling, or you grow tired of waiting for the next senior opening. In those moments, we encourage you to look on the vendor side. Vendors Generally speaking, the vendor side offers far better career opportunities for localization and globalization professionals. There are more complex hierarchies, more people management opportunities, more technical and product-development positions, and a greater variety of geographic locations to choose from. As well as offering an array of permanent positions, vendors have also started hiring contract staff. From a recruitment point of view, we have mixed experience with this scenario. Most candidates want the job security, commitment, training, and career advancement typically included with permanent positions. As a result, the best candidates might not consider contract positions, and the quality of candidates in the pool for contract positions can reflect this. There are times, however, when all parties find a contract situation desirable. For example, Larsen Globalization is currently seeking contractors for a large gaming company. To date, we have successfully placed several people from smaller vendor companies. For these candidates, a six- or nine-month contract with a large player will look good on their resumes. The experience and exposure will make it easier for them to find their next ideal jobs. Growth sectors Traditional sectors, such as automotive, medical, and IT, are doing as well as they ever have. They replace headcount lost to attrition, they expand in times of growth, but they also downsize in times of decline. This is the normal ebb and flow of recruitment. We have seen large growth in the online traveling, tourism, and interactive games industries, with expansion on all levels, including very senior positions. We have also seen growing demand from the financial sector. Another growing sector is online gambling, but they usually hire people off the street—with the quality of their localized sites reflecting this trend. ADVICE FOR JOB SEEKERS
ADVICE FOR HIRING MANAGERS
IN SUMMARY Staffing and recruiting is an organic process. The perfect position or candidate can appear at any time. With some strategic planning and advanced consideration, you can make the process of finding a new job or adding talent to your organization much more effective and inviting.
ClientSide
News Magazine - www.clientsidenews.com
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