Happy New Year

Wow - goodbye 2009, hello 2010! Last night, I was reflecting on 2009; in many ways, it was an incredibly long year - the economy, H1N1, political chasms, revelation of unknown weaknesses, etc. However this past year, I traveled to different parts of the world, renewed my passion for exercise, became an aunt again, made new friends, reconnected with family, and experienced both personal and professional growth. For many, this was a long & dark year; there was a lot of loss. I am going to focus on the positive, learn from mistakes, and begin anew for 2010 - I'm really looking forward to it! Here's to the next decade!

Keeping my eyes peeled...

I am starting to talk to technical recruiters in the DC area, given our potential needs. Please ping me at amy.smith@appliedis.com if you can recommend a recruiter that is considering new opportunities.

Enterprise Architect

I am starting a search for an Enterprise Architect with a strong background in networking and infrastructure. I am ideally looking for someone that has been involved with the architecture (from the ground up) of an internal ERP system for a large federal systems integrator. Networking has commenced.

Various Opportunities with AIS

So, I have a couple of needs that I am presently recruiting for. All of these positions are for our Federal team. Below see details below:

SharePoint Support Analyst - This position is with our team on-site at a client in DC. We are looking for somone that can take ownership of SharePoint and provide support to our team and to the client. We need someone that understands SharePoint and MOSS and has developed on the front end and has experience developing web parts. This position can grow into more of an infrastructure role. This opportunity requires the ability to obtain a DoD Secret clearance.

SharePoint Implementer - This position requires full-time presence at the Pentagon. This position requires an ACTIVE DoD Secret clearance. We want someone that can take ownership of a high visibility SharePoint application. This person will be a subject matter expert for SharePoint usability and UI design. This person will additionally be the technical and functional liaison for SharePoint Portal Solutions.

SharePoint/.NET Developer - This is for another one of our teams located at the client site in Arlington, VA. We need someone that has an ACTIVE DoD Top Secret (TS) clearance. We are looking for someone with development experience with ASP.NET and some SharePoint experience. This is an opportunity to learn SharePoint extensivley. This person will be part of a team developing productivity enhancement tools and applications. This person will gain experience with every part of the development life cycle.

Help Desk - This position will be full-time at the Pentagon. An ACTIVE DoD Secret clearance is required. We are also requiring either an A+, Network+ or Security+ certification. This position will provide phone and desktop support to our clients. Remedy is the ticketing system that is being used. Career advancement is available as our team grows.

More detailed information for these positions can be found at our career site http://www.appliedis.com/careers2.html.

How to...

This was a fun article to read from a Recruiter's perspective. http://www.ere.net/2009/06/11/how-to-sabotage-your-recruiting-efforts-in-six-easy-steps/

Interesting Article

Why It May Be Wiser To Hire People Without Meeting Them:
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/136/made-to-stick-hold-the-interview.html?goback=%2Ehom%2Emml_inbox_none_DATE_1%2Emid_1221574179

Take it for what it's worth...just another point of view. Interviews will always be of value, especially if conducted properly. It helps if training is provided and behavioral interviewing techniques are used. You need to evaluate whether a candidate can perform the functions of the job. It should not be a popularity contest.

AIS is Sponsoring the Upcoming Cloud Computing User Group

This Thursday, AIS is sponsoring the Cloud Computing User Group at the Microsoft office in Reston. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Vishwas Lele (AIS CTO) will be presenting on "Architecting an n-tier application for the Azure Platform". I look forward to seeing everyone.

AIS is Sponsoring CMAP Tonight

AIS is sponsoring the CMAP main meeting tonight. One of our consultants, Steve Michelotti, will be presenting on WCF 3.5 REST. Look forward to seeing everyone.

Interviewing Etiquette Regarding Timeliness

To all those either actively interviewing or potentially entering an interview process, I highly suggest making the effort to be on time for said interview. Even better, try and time it out so you arrive to the interview location approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the interview. Planning is very important. Being punctual definitely makes a good impression. If, for any reason, there is a chance that you are going to be late, call ahead and let your point of contact know. Silence or lack of communication is not the best strategy.

Compensation

As a Professional Recruiter, I try to be a straight shooter when it comes to compensation discussions. I don't think it's necessary to play games with a person's livelihood. I stay educated on salary trends and try to understand what the market is bearing and how the competition compensates. There are a lot of variables to consider if an offer is made. One sure way to get a competitive offer is through honest and open communication. If I get to an offer stage with a candidate, my desired end result is a hire. We need to be on the same page up to, and during, the offer stage to ensure that there aren't any surprises at the end of the day. It's hard to accomplish this if a candidate is being evasive about their salary expectations. Recruiters and Hiring Managers are not mind readers. It becomes very difficult to negotiate on the back end if the candidate isn't honest on the front-end. My recommendation - provide your salary history, honestly share what you are looking for in your next position (ideal 15% job stretch - this may include greater responsibility, greater potential and increased compensation) and from your next employer, and be honest about an acceptable salary range. Recruiters are there to be an advocate for the candidate and fairly represent the employer. Recruiters can also be an advisor to provide feedback based on the knowledge that they have. If you are looking for a 20% jump in your base salary, don't be surprised if you're asked why and be prepared to provide a well thought out explanation. If it were me, I would want to understand your reasoning for the proposed increase. Garnering this information allows the Recruiter to better respresent your candidacy. Again, it's about honest communication. If a candidate has unrealistic expectations, a Recruiter should do their best to educate the candidate and offset those expectations. When possible, I want to give a candidate the information they need to get the offer they want.

Social Media

I am borderline Gen X/Gen Y and never thought I would become addicted to social media and networking. Partly occupational hazard...partly intrigue. I check Facebook more often then I should, I love LinkedIn and I am starting to get into Twitter. I enjoy checking out different blogs and reading discussion forums. Although I am a Technical Recruiter, I am still amazed by all of the advances; the huge differences in our recruiting toolbox from when I started my career till now. I choose to grow my networks organically and I am loving every minute of it!

Technical Project Management Opportunities

AIS is currently seeking several Technical Project Managers for our various Practices:

Federal Team: Looking for a Technical Project Manager with an active DOD Secret clearance and either development experience with SharePoint and .NET OR hands on experience with .NET and in-depth experience managing a SharePoint development project.

Southeastern Team: Looking for a Technical Project Manager with experience managing a large team doing custom application development. Hands on development experience with .NET is required.

Eastern Operations Team: Looking for a Technical Project Manager with recent .NET and SharePoint experience to manage multiple clients and engagements and potentially mentor junior Project Managers.

We are also looking for several cleared .NET Developers with SharePoint experience for our Federal team.

All roles require flexibilty in commuting in and around the DC metro area. For more information, please send your resume to amy.smith@appliedis.com or visit our career portal via our website at www.appliedis.com.

Article on Disengagement and Employee Morale

I just read a very interesting article about management/employee relations. Here is a link to the article: http://humannatureatwork.com/articles/employee_morale/The-Movie-Scene.htm.

The author illustrates a too often common dynamic with employers and employees through a scene from the movie "Casino". Even during tough economic times, much can be done with open and honest communication to improve productivity, cost effectiveness and employee morale. I think everyone out there has had an experience with a bad (or poorly trained) manager. Demeaning and disrepectful behavior exchanged from a manager to subordinate can have a costly impact, as demonstrated in this article.

Everywhere you turn...

there seems to be another company "cutting jobs". Everyone seems to be affected by what's happening with the economy. I was ruminating about this with a colleague this morning and we figured that this will have to bottom out at some point. The real question is "when". With corporate perennials like Microsoft purging, it certainly gives reason to pause. I think it goes without saying that the days ahead will be filled with challenge and uncertainty, but we'll forge ahead and we'll persevere.

Cleared Principal Software Engineer in DC

Although the economy is taking a beating and a lot of organizations are scaling back and cutting staff, our Federal Practice is still experiencing growth. We are looking for dynamic individuals to help lead projects. This is not a desk job - we want people that are looking for an opportunity to grow their technical and client interfacing skills. Below is our Activity Based Profile. If you are interested in learning more, please email your resume to amy.smith@appliedis.com.
______________________________________________

Most companies say they have great culture, work-life balance, and exciting opportunities. So, what can we say here that will differentiate us? Only the truth: our corporate culture is different. We value those who want to be on the cutting edge of technology and close to the code. If you’re known in the development community for having great skills and expertise, then you will find your home at AIS. In a time when most companies are scaling back, we remain committed to progressive growth. And this is the reason finding and retaining the most talented people in our domain is so crucial: we want the best team to move forward with us as we continue to experience unparalleled growth.

It is critical to find top people at all levels in order to continue delivering the best customized solutions for our clients. There are all levels of software engineers, from developers to architects, and this is true of all of our positions. Currently, our Federal team is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to help design and develop custom applications on the Microsoft stack.

The Principal Software Engineer will:

• Participate in defining overall solution architectures for enterprise integration, automation, and business process management engagements.
• Lead efforts for design and implementation of the solution.
• Provide technical leadership to other members of the development team and project managers in a positive manner to deliver on-time and above standard applications for our clients.
• Provide technical solution support for RFP and proposal efforts.
• Have a strong desire and keep technical skills current as new technologies emerge.
• Mentor others in the best practices of building solutions and participate in code reviews.
• Utilize problem-solving skills to identify areas of improvement and turn them into solid areas of development.
• Open to commuting in and around the DC metro area to serve clients.
• Currently hold a minimum of a Secret clearance and continue to maintain high ethical and moral standards needed to uphold this clearance level in order to gain access to client sites and networks.

Success Criteria:

• Utilize Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and 4-8 years of experience in object-oriented technologies to develop software applications.
• Guide development team to understand Microsoft Patterns and Practices with different workflow and integration principles.
• Use in-depth experience with C#, ASP.Net, SQL Server, XML, UML, WCF services, and client-facing skills to create innovative business solutions.
• Use an iterative approach to complete project-based work.

Bonus Skills:

• Experience with SOA/web services design and programming.
• Experience with SharePoint (MOSS 2007), LINQ, Silverlight, JavaScript, AJAX, and any type of Workflow development (K2.Net, WF, etc).
• Achieved MCSD, MCPD or MCAD certification.
• Desire to blog or present and speak publicly or internally on technical topics.

Intrigued? Check out these compelling AIS statistics:

• "Top 50 Best Places to Work" recognition issued by the Washington Business Journal.
  AIS currently boasts a 90% retention rate.
• 85% of our original clients from twenty-six years ago are still clients to this day.
  Average tenure is over eight years.
• Paid premium on medical, vision, and dental for the employee, paid overtime, and state of the art development tools are all a part of our outstanding benefits program
• Our best employees belong to user groups, share ideas, value knowledge, and are constantly learning. We are looking for people who recognize this level of excellence in themselves.
  

Applied Information Sciences is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability or any other basis covered by law. Employment decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit and business need.