As we inch closer to 2020, a statistic by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) sits looming as a reminder of the massive gender gap in the technology industry. According to the BLS, there will be 1.4 million computer science jobs available in the US by 2020, but women will be on track to only fill 3% of these positions.

Additionally, the BLS states that 68% of women enroll in college (compared to 63% of men), and women increasingly outnumber men in college graduation rates. Yet women still make up only a quarter of the tech industry workforce.

Where is the disconnect?
According to Code.org, nine out of 10 high schools in the United States fail to offer computer science classes, and in 33 of 50 states, computer science classes do not count towards high school math or science graduation requirements.

In a recent Google study, the company surveyed approximately 1,600 men and women. Their findings indicated that girls aren't taught what computer science actually means, and are half as likely to be encouraged to study it. Females that had no association with computer science used words such as "boring" and "difficult" to describe the industry.

Companies are well aware of these shortages and the disconnect that exists among young women. Therefore, many are taking great strides to change the stereotypes; to engage girls at an early age; and to encourage young women to enter into fields that include technology; whether it is computer science, engineering or IT.

​OpTech is one of these firms. We are partnering with several organizations to change the trend with the ultimate goal of hiring more women for IT roles, even if they haven’t been in the workforce for several years. According to NCWIT, 56% of women in technology leave their employers midcareer. Of the women who leave, 24% take a non-technical job in a different company; 22% become self-employed in a tech field, 20% take time out of the workforce, and 10% go to work with a startup company. This is double the turnover rate of men.

Although this seems like an unfortunate statistic, there is promise within it. There are several women that have taken time out of the workforce, but are looking for a way to get back into it. OpTech is partnering with Harman International on an initiative called “Silicon Lakes.” The program’s mission is intended to re-engage and bring tech professional women with a career gap back to work and help them reach their full potential.

Silicon Lakes’ objectives are the following:

• To make it easier for qualified women to return to work after a career break
• To provide avenues through which MI employers can find a pool of high caliber professionals
• To facilitate access to resources, networks, and learning opportunities to succeed and to institute innovative and concrete tactics to ease women back to work.

What is the end goal?
Our goal is to create a large, rich pipeline of talented tech women in Michigan and bridge the gender gap while promoting creativity, diversity, and experience in the workplace. We want to bring tech women with career breaks together to reinforce their identity, and open up opportunities to re-engage in the Michigan economy.
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It Makes Business Sense
Customer demographics are changing. In much of our research, woman are changing the way business is done and how it is done. Did you know that 90% of the financial decisions in a household are made by women, and guess what? Women have become significant household earners and the key decision makers. According to the Wall Street Journal, by 2022, women will control over 60% of the wealth in the United States. Companies with women in leadership roles crush the competition according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
 
Over the course of the next six years, it is projected that there will be a gap of 811,000 career openings to fill in Michigan alone. We must act swiftly to change the current patterns and design sustainable pipeline approaches for highly-skilled talent to fill the anticipated open positions. The shortage of qualified talent is a major concern as it poses a real threat to the economic growth and prosperity of our state and our nation.
 
Next Steps
If you or someone you know, in the field of IT or engineering, is trying to get back into the workforce, contact our Director of Recruiting, Debbie Blair at dblair@optechus.com or call her directly at 313-879-6211. To learn more about Silicon Lakes, please contact Director of Marketing, Laura Ziegler directly at 313-879-6234 or email her at lziegler@optechus.com. 

As most of you are probably aware, OpTech believes strongly in charitable activities, especially those having a direct impact on children and STEM Education. Yesterday, OpTech team members participated in Boulan Park Middle School’s A.P.T. to Succeed program.

A.P.T. to Succeed is a project in which local 8th grade students experience a professional interview by members of the Troy business community.  The A.P.T. interview focuses on the following:
A = Academic Achievement
P = Personal Time Management
T = Teamwork

For some of our staff, this is their sixth year volunteering for the program and interviewing students. When asked about the experience, one team member said “I am always impressed by the enthusiasm and talent of the young people I interview. I love evaluating their work and giving them pointers on building their resumes but also encouraging the effort they’ve put forth. It truly is a rewarding experience.”

Thanks OpTech team for representing our firm and giving back to our community.   
 

We have all heard time and time again specifics do’s and don’ts for a job interview. Do be polite and talk to the receptionist. Don’t slouch. Do mimic the interviewers body language. Don’t text or take calls during your interview. Do ask questions. These pieces of advice are incredibly useful to anyone, but what about the lesser known details that truly affect your chances of getting the job.

We’ve revealed six seemingly minor details that could change the future of your career path and whether you land your next job interview.

Drum roll please…Here are the things you should never overlook when interviewing (and that are in your complete and utter control).

1. The time you schedule your interview Have you ever considered the time of day that you schedule your interview with a hiring manager? The timing of an interview could actually make or break your interview. Here’s an example: Let’s say your competitor schedules his interview on a Tuesday at 10:30 am. The interviewer is ready for him, has checked his email, attended to any issues from the previous day, and is fully engaged in what your competitor has to say. On the flip side, you schedule your interview before, during or after lunch. What is the outcome? You guessed right. Your interviewer could be a) hungry and anticipating lunch, b) hungry and anticipating lunch, or c) in a full food-coma post lunch or worse yet, late to get back from lunch, making you late too. Take it a step further, let’s say you schedule your interview late in the day. Again, it is possible that your interviewer is “out to lunch” (figuratively) as he is anticipating his evening engagements and needs to rush off, therefore not giving you his/her full attention. <insert mind blown emoticon here> So you ask, why hasn’t anyone shared this sage advice before? We don’t know (because we felt the same way when it was shared with us), but from now on, if possible, schedule your interviews at 10:30 am on Tuesday morning or any other day for that matter. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are ideal.  
2. The time that you arrive for your interview It seems advantageous to arrive to your interview early and you should get there 5-10 minutes before the start of any interview, but if you are arriving 30 minutes early, reconsider. Imagine yourself on the other side of the interview. If the receptionist notifies him/her that you are 30 minutes early, it automatically makes him feel anxious and pressured to take you back early. Knowing someone is sitting out in the lobby and waiting is an uncomfortable feeling. In the future, if you arrive early, review your notes in your car. Take a quick power walk in the parking lot to get your blood flowing, or stop in the bathroom and freshen up.  
3. What color you wear Do you remember your very first job interview? Did you wear a navy-blue suit to it? Believe it or not, color choice still affects your interview and a CareerBuilder survey shows that conservative colors still make the best first impression – anything from navy blue, black, grey or brown. Feel free to add a splash of color with your tie or blouse, but stay away from full on bold colors if possible.
4. Whether you are sweaty Sweatiness is a sign of nervousness and is sometimes out of your control, but if you find you are getting nervous and sweaty, first take a few deep breaths. Another great trick is to ask the receptionist for a cold bottle of water. Hold it in your hands and against your wrists. This will help to regulate your body temperature and hopefully reduce the sweaty palm affect in time for your first handshake.
5. Tattoos and piercings According to a recent survey of more than 2,600 people conducted by Salary.com, “a whopping 76% of respondents feel tattoos and piercings hurt an applicant’s chances of being hired during a job interview. And more than one-third – 39% of those surveyed – believe employees with tattoos and piercings reflect poorly on their employers. If you have tattoos and piercing, try to cover them up as much as possible for your interview. If you are thinking about getting a tattoo or piercing, think about its location, the permanency of your decision and how it could affect other parts of your life – like your career path. 
6. The time you send your thank-you note The cover letter may be dead, but the thank you note is alive and well. Timing on sending your thank you note is a critical piece to your interviewing process. If you wait too long, a hiring manager may think you aren’t interested any longer. As a rule of thumb, always send your thank you note within 24 hours of your interview. If you interviewed with multiple people, don’t forget to send different thank you notes. They may compare notes.  

​References:
https://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=11/21/2013&id=pr791&ed=12/31/2013
https://www.salary.com/articles/tattoos-hurt-chances-getting-job/

Did you make a personal New Year’s Resolution for 2019? How about one for your career growth? This year, setting firm, measurable career goals can improve your quality of life and work/life balance. 

Here are some suggested workplace goals:
1) Get Healthy - Getting healthy is the most common New Year’s resolution made among people of all ages. Because you spend a lot of time at work, incorporating a healthy lifestyle while you are there is crucial for your physical and mental well-being. It doesn't have to be complicated either. For example: pack a lunch 2-3 times a week filled with fruits and vegetables. Take the stairs. Drink an extra glass of water each day. Get up and stretch every hour. Use a standing desk or sit on an exercise ball. Think small, and you’ll find that those little things add up to big results.
2) Learn a new skill - No matter what your title is at work, there are hundreds of new skills to be learned that will benefit your performance and ultimately your career. Pick one skill that you want to learn and use tutorials to aid you. You can find these on sites like Lynda.com and even for free on YouTube. Pick just one skill and set it as one of your work goals for the year. Then get it done. Once you do, don't forget to add it to your resume.
3) Read a career-related book - Reading is great for your mental health and does wonders for your body. Instead of reading a fictional book, find one that aligns with your work goals -- maybe one focused on boosting your performance, your outlook, or even focused on your personal habits. Reading a great book on professional development can give you a new perspective, increase your energy and motivate you during the year.
4) Review and improve your LinkedIn profile - Set a calendar reminder every quarter to assess your LinkedIn profile. Your profile is more or less your online resume so make sure it is up-to-date. You might be surprised when a dream job comes your way or a recruiter reaches out. If you don't know where to begin, assess other profiles of people with similar titles or at similar companies. See what you like or dislike from their profiles and make changes to your accordingly. 

Career resolutions aren't required but can set you on a path to success for the entire year. Even if you only choose one of these, it is well worth the effort because you are sure to see results. Best of luck to you in 2019. 

OpTech is committed to providing its customers with exceptional talent to fit their business needs. We also believe strongly in helping and giving back to the communities in which we work and reside. As a result, a few years ago, we developed a dedicated program for veterans returning to the workforce after completing their active duty. The program not only places a veteran in a new position, but allows him/her to transition into civilian life seamlessly.

The Value of Hiring a Veteran                                           
Veterans generally bring the core values of discipline & commitment to all aspects of their work. They are trained to think and react logically and be a valuable team player in the workplace.

Program Outline
OpTech works directly with a number of organizations and partner companies to place Veterans. Some of these groups include: Hiring our Heroes, Inforum's Next4Vets and MI Virtual Career Fairs, which help Veterans find civilian jobs. OpTech's program is multi-faceted and has been established to accomplish several objectives, including identifying, recruiting, training and assisting veterans in finding jobs and advancing their careers after their military service.

Our success in employing veterans has earned us a Silver Level Employer certification status by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency.

OpTech's President and CEO, Ronia Kruse was recently featured in the Detroiter Magazine, alongside other industry experts. The article posed a question to each visionary about the role talent played on Detroit's failed bid to host Amazon's second world headquarters. Amazon cited several reasons why Detroit was not a contender, but the main reason was that our city lacks existing talent. So the question is this: What comes first, talent or business? 

Ronia said the following: 

“Certainly some talent follows companies but more often, companies will follow talent. In fact, studies by renowned economists have proven this theory.  The unemployment rate is under 4%, which is extremely low; IT and Engineering positions are below 2%. Clearly the talent pool in the U.S. is in a crisis. Michigan has some of the finest universities in the country but is being challenged with retaining talent in Michigan, as it is losing about 36% of its students to other states. Michigan is making strides to change this paradigm via the Marshall Plan for Talent and ChooseMichigan.org initiative – programs that are building talent pipelines, retaining students and upskilling talent.”
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The world of interviewing has changed so much over the past 10 years. Not only has the cover letter died but the phone interview has become a true first step to getting a foot in the door, literally. Most companies require you to pass their phone screening process before you can step foot into the office and meet with someone face-to-face. For some of you, this is an easy step to get past, but for many of us, we are much better at meeting someone one-on-one. Unfortunately, your voice and your words must sell you and that can be nerve-wracking and daunting all at once.  
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If you find you are struggling during your phone interviews, here are a few suggestions that could make all the difference in the world:

1. Dress Professionally: Sounds crazy, right? Yes, you could wear your pajamas or gym clothes, but the way you are dressed does impact your demeanor and performance. Psychologically speaking, have you ever noticed that the way you dress, really impacts how you behave during the day? So, when you dress in something professional or an outfit that makes you feel confident, it will show in your voice and will come through over the phone.
2. Keep Your Notes Out in Front of You: This is one of the biggest perks to phone interviews. You can set your notes in front of you to make sure you highlight particular skill sets or experiences. Bullets are best; don’t script your notes. Reading them word for word will sound exactly like that. Having notes out can ensure you hit the topics you want to cover and make you feel more confident.
3. Take the call in a private place free from all noises and distractions: The last thing you want during a phone interview is to be distracted by other people, the radio or a pet. This is a time when you need to focus, so finding a distraction-free space is absolutely essential. If you're unable to be home during your phone interview, you could take the call in a private room at your local library or even in your car.
4. Remain calm and speak at a moderate pace Phone interviews put people at a disadvantage because we don’t have facial cues or body language to gauge how to redirect or moderate our behavior, tone of voice, etc.  It is imperative that you try your best to avoid talking fast and saying filler words such as "um," "like," or "kind of." If you need to, take a few moments after each question is asked to gather your thoughts before you give your answer. You can always acknowledge the question by saying something like "of course" or "definitely," and buy yourself a little bit of time before going into your full answer. 
5. Do smile: Smiling will project a positive image to the listener and will change the tone of your voice. It can also be helpful to stand during the interview, since this typically gives your voice more energy and enthusiasm.

​Similar to any interview, be sure to ask questions and thank the interviewer for their time. Be sure to ask for the interviewer's email address, if you don't already have it, and send out an email thank you note immediately, reiterating your interest in the job. Finally, take a deep breath, and remember, like most things: practice makes perfect. 

​When was the last time you submitted a cover letter with a resume? If you can’t remember, you aren’t alone. Cover letters are quickly becoming a thing of the past with the advent of speed, technology and the sheer volume of resumes submitted for any particular job post, but it wasn’t always this way. Years ago, the cover letter was a tool that recruiters or hiring managers used to get the bigger picture about you and what you had to offer an organization.  

Today, however, the average recruiter spends 5-7 seconds reviewing any single resume. In that amount of time, the last thing they are going to do is read a cover letter. In addition, most companies today use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that allow talent to upload their resume which in turn, strips the information, only leaving the most important data for quicker perusing.

Regardless of all of this, the end of the cover letter also signals the end of personalizing your pitch and highlighting information that doesn’t shine on a bulleted job history. To stand out now, applicants need to get creative and change the traditional resume format to serve their needs. Here is what we suggest:

1. Add a summary At the top of your resume, provide two to three sentences that highlight what makes you different compared to other applicants. This is a great place to share your career-focus or maybe the high-level of competency you offer. Note: this is different than the old-school “objective” that once adorned resumes. The summary should focus on your skills and not your career intentions.
2. Highlight your accomplishments Under each employment heading, include bulleted points listing critical elements that hiring managers are seeking. For example, answer the questions: “What were your major accomplishments?” “What results were achieved? By offering concrete examples, your resume will stand out compared to your competition.
3. Include your Social Media Handles (Where Applicable) On your resume, always be sure to include your customized URL for LinkedIn in particular. If you are active on Twitter and FB (in a professional way) include these too. Think of your LinkedIn profile as the modern cover letter. Here you can provide detailed information about the value you bring to a company. Your social profiles are a direct reflection of you and whether you are a culture fit for the company you are potentially interviewing with. As a result, use discretion and judgement in whatever you choose to share.

There is one caveat to the death of the cover letter. Sometimes it is used as a test to see how interested and committed you are to the position. So if a company asks for a cover letter, be sure to include one. It may not even be reviewed but those resumes received without a cover letter may be a weeding factor and could automatically be dismissed.
Beyond everything else, focus on the elements of the application process – a strong resume, a professional online presence, and skillful networking – elements that will separate you from the crowd each and every time.