Available Jobs in Hermoforming

Injection Molding Technician Position – Iowa City, Iowa

Posted July 20th, 2023

A custom plastic injection molding company, with 60 years in business, is searching for a Plastic Injection Molding Technician due to increased business demands. The company is 100% Employee owned!

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Setting-up, operating and processing acceptable quality first piece parts on injection molding machines.
Checking process of machines to regulate pressure, temperature, and speed and feed rates, and to set cycle times.
Installing molds into machines to meet production schedules.
Verifying; machine processes, and recording temperatures, pressures, and cycle times.
Detecting injection molding press jams and malfunctions, adjusting as required.
Measuring and visually inspecting products for surface and dimension defects in order to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments.
Removing molds from machines after production runs are finished.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Candidates must have strong background in injection mold tooling and resins.
High School Diploma or GED
Scientific molding experience and training a plus!
Be mechanically inclined
Responsible for starting and testing tools and resins,
Trouble shooting molds, establishing processes,
Must have automation and robotics experience
Working with other departments and customers.

In addition to an hourly rate of $24 to $28, the company offers excellent benefits package including health, dental, life and disability insurance, medical and dependent care reimbursement accounts, vacation, paid holidays, 401(k) and ESOP. Competitive hourly wage depending on experience, plus shift differential of $.65/hour for 2nd shift and $1.00/hour for 3rd shift.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#3 of 101

Management Sales

Plastic Resin Sales Manager – Southeastern, US

Posted June 27th, 2023

A growing company specializing in the masterbatching and compounding of plastic resins, located in South Carolina, is searching for a Sales Manager. The Sales Manager will be responsible for leading a group of five salespeople selling plastic resins made by compounding, master batching and extrusion operations. The Sales Manager will work from a home office located in Southeastern United States.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

A minimum of 5 years of plastic resin masterbatching and compounding sales experience.
A minimum of 3 years of sales management experience.
A four-year degree is desired and/or equivalent experience.

In addition to an annual salary in the $130,000 to $150,000 range, the company offers very good benefits including 100% company paid healthcare benefits and bonus potential.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#4 of 101

Injection Molding Management Plastics Sales

Molding Equipment Service Technician – Atlanta, Georgia

Posted June 20th, 2023

A rapidly growing plastic injection molding machine manufacturing company wants to hire a Service Technician to support that growth. The Service Technician will install and service plastic injection molding equipment and provide customer training support as necessary. The Service Technician needs to be located within 200 miles of Atlanta and will work remotely.

Job Responsibilities:

Performing injection molding machine installations.
Trouble shooting and repairing injection molding machines and robots including; conducting tests and inspections on all mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, electronic or software components.
Performing all safety checks on injection molding equipment.
Instructing customers on equipment and proper operation.
Assisting/advising customers via telephone, Zoom, or on site when technical difficulties arise.
Managing resolution of customer issues, including ordering and installation of replacement parts as necessary.
Providing follow up support to customers post resolution of technical issues.

Position Requirements:

Ability to working independently with minimal supervision.
Strong communication and customer service focus.
Strong knowledge of mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, electronic and software components.
Plastic injection molding technical training and a minimum of five years progressive experience maintaining and repairing injection molding equipment.
Ability to read and interpret drawings and specification sheets.
Computer programming knowledge and/or experience is a plus.
Ability to travel on short notice and travel is Monday through Friday.

In addition to an annual hourly rate in the $26 to $35 range, the company offers, overtime pay, competitive healthcare benefits and a 401(k) with 3% matching.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#5 of 101

Injection Molding

Injection Molding Set-up Technician – Fort Worth, TX

Posted June 12th, 2023

A captive injection molding company wants to hire an Injection Molding Set-up Technician to; set up molds, start up, and troubleshoot molding processes.

Injection Molding Set-up Technician Responsibilities Include:

Setting molds in presses and running production using; pre-existing processes.
Training process trainees as required.
Troubleshooting molding process and making basic adjustments to ensure quality and production efficiency.
Troubleshooting molding machine and tooling malfunctions and communication information to repair technicians.
Providing and implement ideas to improve the efficiency of the molding department.
Solving quality problems and work with the quality department to identify root causes.
Communicating problems, needs and important information to the shift supervisor.
Practicing good housekeeping.

In addition to an hourly rate in the $25 to $30 range, the company offers competitive benefits including; medical.

Job Requirements

High School Diploma or equivalent.
A minimum of 2 years of experience setting injection molds and injection molding processing in a manufacturing environment.
Injection molding troubleshooting experience.
knowledge of plastic raw materials and their processing characteristics.
Ability to read and understand work orders.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#6 of 101

Sales and Marketing Manager – St. Charles, Illinois

Posted June 9th, 2023

A custom plastic injection molding company is searching for a Sales and Marketing Manager. The Sales and Marketing Manager is responsible for the strategic planning, development, and execution of the company’s business objectives, in addition to, leading the Sales Department.

Sales and Marketing Responsibilities:

Managing a very strong and capable team consisting primarily of managers.
Focusing on the existing base to build organic growth and manage the overall sales side of the business.
Preparing and updating forecasts covering projected new-business sales, bookings, proposal activity and investment requirements by customer and/or program.
Working with cross functional teams to initiate and direct new business proposal efforts and new programs.
Ensuring customer relationships are effectively developed and managed to achieve business objectives.
Developing marketing plans, sales strategies, and action plans for identified B2B targets of opportunity.
Manages the performance of the Sales Department including interviewing, hiring, training, recognition, and discipline.
Directing the Company’s advertising and sales efforts through attendance at trade shows and oversight of various forms of marketing and media.
Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of industry trends, competitor and customer intelligence and various sales and marketing tools and methodologies.
Hosting business meetings with existing and prospective customers.

Required Skills/Knowledge:

A minimum of 10+ years of experience in a senior level Sales and Marketing role.
Strong Sales and Marketing leadership skills.
Demonstrated successful execution of sales strategy and business growth.
Skillful negotiator, managing successful marketing initiatives.
Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
Ability to successfully manage key business relationships.
A business degree would be a plus but is not a requirement.

In Addition to an annual salary in the $150,000 to $175,000 range, the company offers competitive benefits and bonus potential.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#7 of 101

Injection Molding Tooling

Plastic Injection Mold Maintenance Repair Technician – Lancaster, PA

Posted June 6th, 2023

A custom plastic injection molding company, that has been in business for over 40 years, wants to hire an experienced Plastic Injection Mold Repair/Maintenance Technician with strong machining skills who knows their way around injection molding tools, minor tooling repairs and preventative tooling maintenance. The company purchases its molds and major repairs or refurbishments are sent out to capable mold tool shops. This is a first shift position.

The Mold Repair/Maintenance Technician will assess tooling specifications, lay out metal stock, fabricate and repair; cutting tools, jigs, fixtures, and gauges by operating machine tools and machinists’ hand tools.

Mold Repair/Maintenance Technician Position Responsibilities:

Studies specifications, such as blueprints, sketches, models, or descriptions, and visualizes product to determine materials and machines to be used to fabricate parts.
Computes dimensions, plans layout, and determines assembly method and sequence of operations.
Measures, marks, and scribes metal stock for machining.
Sets up and operates machine tools, such as lathes, milling machines, shapers, and grinders, to machine parts, and verify conformance of machined parts to specifications.
Lifts machined parts manually or using hoist, and positions and secures parts on surface plate or worktable, using devices, such as vises, V-blocks, and angle plates.
Smooths flat and contoured surfaces, using scrapers, abrasive stones, and power grinders.
Fits and assembles parts together into assemblies and mechanisms, using hand tools.
Verifies dimensions, alignments, and clearances.
Heat-treats tools or parts as required.
Connects wiring and hydraulic lines to plastic injection molds.
May examine standard or previously used dies, tools, and jigs and fixtures, and recommend design modifications regarding tooling construction and function.
May develop specifications from general descriptions for specialty tools and draw or sketch design of product.

Mold Repair/Maintenance Technician Education/Qualification Requirements:

High School diploma or GED required
A minimum of 3 years of experience repairing and maintaining plastic injection molding tooling.
Experience setting up plastic injection molding machines.
Strong mechanical aptitude.
Good verbal and written communication skills.

In addition to an hourly rate in the $25 to $32 range the company offers competitive benefits and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#8 of 101

Extrusion Molding Plastics Resins

Plastic Compounding Production Supervisor – Brownsville, Texas

Posted June 1st, 2023

A growing company specializing in the compounding of engineering grade resins is searching for a Plastic Extrusion Compounding Production Supervisor.

The Production Supervisor is responsible for:

Being the Technical Lead for new product development in manufacturing
Improving plastic compounding and the extrusion operation
Supporting the twin screw extrusion machine and compounding equipment to increase the resin compounding capacity of the facility
Supporting manufacturing with Quality objectives, such as, productivity improvements and waste reduction
Providing technical support to the sales force on product and processing related questions
Proving technical support to the operations team on equipment maintenance and installation projects.
Providing direct technical support at customer trials
Supporting manufacturing training of new employees

Production Supervisor Requirements:

Must have hands-on plastic extrusion experience
Must have nylon and polyester hands-on compounding experience
Must have the ability to train others on plastic twin screw extruder operation and compounding
High School Diploma or GED
Must have very good verbal and written skills
Must have good interpersonal skills

The company offers an annual salary in the $45,000 to $60,000 range in addition to healthcare benefits, a 401(k), and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#9 of 101

Management Packaging Plastics

Packaging Products Plant Manager – Wausau, WI

Posted May 31st, 2023

A company that manufactures packaging for multiple products wants to hire a Plant Manager. The Plant Manager position supports the packaging product manufacturing efforts with effective leadership and communication in the development and implementation of Operational Continuous Improvement systems supporting the achievement of the organization’s strategic targets.

Plant Manager Responsibilities

· Meeting or exceeding safety standards through personal example and safety-first leadership of the plant.

· Leading the implementation of operational improvement strategies enabling the organization to achieve Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost targets.

· Assisting in defining and implementing organizational goals.

· Developing and implementing Lean systems and activities to achieve targeted performance improvement goals.

· Improving the organization through training and education to create a culture of continuous improvement.

· Building and managing effective teams by developing team members through coaching and mentoring.

Plant Manager Qualifications

· A minimum of 5 years of Plant Management experience.

· A minimum of 3 years of management experience in a packaging materials manufacturing facility.

· Business and Organizational strategy experience.

· Strong Leadership skills.

· Proficiency in developing Lean Manufacturing Systems.

· Ability to communicate and work well with others in a team environment.

· Ability to work well with customers.

· Excellent collaboration and interpersonal communication skills.

· Experience using Microsoft Excel, Word, Power Point, Outlook, and ERP systems.

· A bachelor’s degree in a technical or business is preferred, but equivalent and proven work experience is acceptable

In addition to an annual salary in the $100,000 to $115,000 range, the company offers a bonus, competitive benefits, relocation assistance etc.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#10 of 101

Engineering Injection Molding Plastics

Plastic Injection Molding Machine Operators – Spartanburg, SC

Posted May 30th, 2023

A manufacturer of plastic injection molded plastic closures is searching for Plastic Injection Molding Machine Operators to work a 12-hour shift both days or nights.

The key responsibilities for the Plastic Injection Molding Machine Operators are:
• Ensuring that all work undertaken or supervised is carried out safely and without injury
• Ensuring that all food safety issues are reported to the appropriate manager or supervisor
• Initiating corrective action, such as, issuing work orders for non-conformance’s related to injection and vision system processes.
• Operating: injection molding machines, vision systems, down-stream equipment, and material feed equipment
• Monitoring critical process parameters on the injection machines, vision systems, color feeders, color blenders and secondary systems
• Establishing optimum calculated alarm parameters around the baseline process
• Packaging and tagging product
• Troubleshooting of process and auxiliary equipment
• Auditing box counts and vision system to verify that the equipment is working correctly.

Skills
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Intermediate computer skills
• Molding knowledge related to troubleshooting and resin behavior
• Good math and mechanical skills
• Working knowledge of basic hydraulic/electric/pneumatic/vision systems
• Ability to lift 35 pounds unassisted and work standing for 12 hours

Experience
• At least 2 years of experience with processing injection mold machines and secondary equipment
• Experience operating Husky and/or Netstal molding presses preferred
• Formal plastic process training such as scientific molding, Paulson or equivalent preferred
• ISO or similar quality system and SQF or similar food safety system

Education
High School Diploma or Equivalent

In addition to an hourly rate of $21 to $27 per hour, the company offers; competitive healthcare benefits, a 401(k), a $3.00 night shift differential, and a $1,000 retention bonus.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#11 of 101

Injection Molding Process Engineer – Newnan, Georgia

Posted May 29th, 2023

A captive manufacturer of plastic injection molded parts is searching for an Injection Molding Process Engineer.

The Injection Molding Process Engineer:

Develops, configures and optimizes processes from inception through to start up and certification.
Designs, runs, tests and upgrades molding systems and processes.
Assesses processes, takes measurements, and interprets data.
Develops best practices, routine, and innovative solutions to improve production rates and quality of output.
Performs process simulations.
Performs risk assessments and clearly articulate issues or opportunities to upper management.
Holds meetings with technical staff to brief on currently state of processing (I.E. Tools, Machines, Test run results, etc.).
Provides process documentation and operating instructions to reduce product variations.
Participates in new mold procurement as a process advocate.
Helps close loop between new or troubled molds and final release to Manufacturing.

Education and Experience Requirements

A four or two year technical degree related to plastic injection molding.
Robot programming ability.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, and customers.
Ability to calculate figures and amounts, such as; discounts, interest, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume.
Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office Applications; Word Processing software; Spreadsheet software and Web-Based Software.

In addition to an annual salary in the $80,000 to $95,000 range, the company offers competitive benefits, a 401(k) and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#12 of 101

Injection Molding Maintenance Plastics Supervisor

Plastic Injection Molding Technician – Wall Township, New Jersey

Posted May 27th, 2023

A progressive, high quality, custom plastic injection molding company wants to hire an experienced hands-on Plastic Injection Molding Technician to lead seven operators, maintain molds, and molding equipment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Setting-up, operating and processing acceptable quality first piece parts on injection molding machines.
Checking process of machines to regulate pressure, temperature, and speed and feed rates, and to set cycle times.
Installing molds into machines to meet production schedules.
Verifying; machine processes, and recording temperatures, pressures, and cycle times.
Detecting injection molding press jams and malfunctions, adjusting as required.
Measuring and visually inspecting products for surface and dimension defects in order to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments.
Removing molds from machines after production runs are finished.

POSTION REQUIREMENTS:

High School Diploma or GED.
Minimum of 3 Years of Injection Molding process and equipment maintenance experience.
Strong Mechanical Aptitude
Team Leader experience
Good Communication Skills

In addition to an annual salary in the $70,000 to $80,000 range, the company offers competitive benefits.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#13 of 101

Engineering Injection Molding Plastics

Injection Molding Machine Service Technician – Chicago, Illinois

Posted May 22nd, 2023

Job Responsibilities:

Performing injection molding machine installations.
Trouble shooting and repairing injection molding machines and robots including; conducting tests and inspections on all mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, electronic or software components.
Performing all safety checks on injection molding equipment.
Instructing customers on equipment and proper operation.
Assisting/advising customers via telephone, Zoom, or on site when technical difficulties arise.
Managing resolution of customer issues, including ordering and installation of replacement parts as necessary.
Providing follow up support to customers post resolution of technical issues.

Position Requirements:

Ability to working independently with minimal supervision.
Strong communication and customer service focus.
Strong knowledge of mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, electronic and software components.
Plastic injection molding technical training and a minimum of five years progressive experience maintaining and repairing injection molding equipment.
Ability to read and interpret drawings and specification sheets.
Computer programming knowledge and/or experience is a plus.
Ability to travel on short notice and travel is Monday through Friday.

In addition to an annual hourly rate in the $30 to $40 range, the company offers, overtime pay, competitive healthcare benefits and a 401(k) with 3% matching.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#14 of 101

Injection Molding Process Technician – Minneapolis, MN

Posted May 10th, 2023

A rapidly growing Plastic Injection Company is seeking a qualified individual to be the Injection Molding Process Technician. The Process Technician will be responsible for ensuring equipment and processes support the required throughput of scheduled production demands and capable of meeting established quality standards while maintaining a safe working environment.

PROCESS TECHNICIAN RESPONSIBILITIES:

Troubleshooting equipment and processes to meet acceptable throughput and scrap rates during production.
Operating and setting-up: injection molding machines, vision systems, down-stream equipment, and material feed equipment.
Supporting the start-up of new equipment by developing process parameters.
Developing Operator training plans and training Operators and Process Technicians.
Monitoring critical process parameters on the injection machines and secondary systems.
Developing and implement data-driven continuous improvement initiatives to enhance productivity and reduce scrap.
Testing new materials and processes to meet validation requirements.
Assisting in new product development, and tooling reviews.
Implementing error-proofing methods to prevent the manufacture of defects.
Assisting with in-house training programs for assembly personnel to learn new production parts and processes.
Recommending new equipment and providing cost justifications.
Technical contact for equipment vendors.
Maintaining a continuous improvement mindset and continually working to identify opportunities to gain efficiency and improve quality in production.
Managing tooling inventory.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

High School Diploma or GED.
A minimum of 3 years of plastic injection molding technical experience.
Strong Oral and Written communication skills.
Must have the ability to perform basic math calculations such as metric conversions, decimals, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions and procedure manuals.
Ability to work well in a team environment, treating others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position and following through on commitments.
Adapting well to changes in the work environment; managing competing demand changes, frequent production changes, delays, or unexpected events.
Dependability – Follows instructions, responds to management direction, and takes responsibility for own actions.

In addition to an annual salary in the $60,000 to $70,000 range, the company offers competitive benefits and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#15 of 101

Injection Molding Logistics Management Plastics

Materials Manager – Lancaster, PA

Posted March 15th, 2023

A custom plastic injection molding company, that has been in business for over 40 years, wants to hire an experienced Materials Manager. The Materials Manager administers materials management functions, such as; planning, procurement, storage, inventory control, and distribution of plastic materials and products to meet company objectives and customer requirements.

MATERIALS MANAGER RESPONSIBILITIES

Managing the flow of raw and packaging plastic materials, finished and unfinished goods, parts, and assemblies within or between plant departments, suppliers and customers to meet production and shipping schedules.
Maintaining the inventory control system to assure it is timely and accurate.
Developing policies and procedures to ensure timely and accurate flow of materials within the plant and to ensure physical inventory variance meets corporate objectives.
Assessing material availability/need and coordinating requisition of materials with other departments and establishes delivery times according to customer due dates and production priorities.
Arranging for in-plant transfer of materials to meet production schedules.
Arranging transportation for purchased materials, work in progress, and finished goods using company box truck, LTL, FedEx and UPS
Examining material delivered to the production departments to verify it meets
Investigating and solving problems resulting from out of stocks, material shortages and delays.
Keeping abreast of new sources for supplies and materials.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Associates degree or minimum 2 years college equivalent, Bachelor’s Degree preferred
Minimum of 3 years of materials management experience required
Strong experience working with ERP systems.

In addition to an annual salary in the $60,000 to $70,000 range, the company offers competitive healthcare benefits and a 401(k) with matching.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#16 of 101

Injection Molding Management

Injection Molding Production Manager – Bethel, Vermont

Posted February 7th, 2023

A custom injection molding company is seeking to hire a Production Manager to oversee plastic injection molding production operations. Responsibilities include the execution of production schedules through the efficient management of Mold Set-Up, Material Handling, and Injection Molding Processing. The Production Manager works collaboratively with multiple departmental and plant disciplines to execute production with emphasis on quality, delivery, and efficiency while maintaining a safe and organized work environment. The position also requires a systems approach with an emphasis on Lean and Six Sigma methodology to deliver value as defined by the customer

PRODUCTION MANAGER RESPONSIBILITIES:

Managing a staff of Team Leaders, Process Technicians, and Mold Setters.
Maintaining a rigorous quality system, which includes, mold trials, validation activity, process audits and continuous improvement projects.
Promoting a collaborative, efficient and safe working environment.
Working with Human Resources to coordinate staffing, training, and disciplinary action.
Coordinates Daily Machine Assignments.
Performance Reviews/Level Recommendations for Direct Reports.
Leading Housekeeping/Organization process implementation and support.
Meeting machine utilization goals.
Achieving Production Efficiency Metrics. Quality & Delivery Performance Metrics.
Plant operations in the absence of the Plant Manager.
Develop and execute departmental goals aimed at productivity and safety.

PRODUCTION MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS:

A minimum of 5 years’ experience supervising a Production Team and Quality Assurance Department preferred.
BS or Associate degree in engineering or technical field, and/or equivalent experience.
Strong analytical problem solving and decision-making skills.
Ability to create and drive change and effectively communicate.
Someone very knowledgeable in troubleshooting injection molds and injection molding processes.
Process capability, troubleshooting, SPC and robotics.
Excellent external/internal customer and presentation skills.
Strong multiple project management skills.
Able to thrive in a fast-paced environment characterized by high growth.
Experienced in Six Sigma, 5S and Lean Manufacturing implementation.
Microsoft Office application skills a plus.

In addition to an annual salary in the $110,000 to $130,000 range, the company offer, a bonus, very good benefits, and a generous relocation package.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#17 of 101

Injection Molding Management

Injection Molding Production Supervisor – Spartanburg, SC

Posted November 18th, 2022

A leading manufacturer of plastic closures for food, beverage and industrial markets has a full-time, salaried opening for a Production Shift Supervisor reporting to the Production Manager.

Responsibilities for the Production Shift Supervisor:

Ensuring that all work undertaken or supervised is carried out safely and without injury
Initiating corrective action for product non-conformances
Constantly monitor shift output to ensure attainment of schedule and customer delivery targets are met
Ensuring that shift production is achieving quality standards through personal inspection and quality assurance reports
Ensuring quality procedures are being followed at all times
Administering plant rules and policies in a fair and consistent manner
Conducting employee appraisals and develops/implements training plans
Planning, documenting, and carrying out sufficient cross training to provide adequate back up of all job functions
Inputting shift production data accurately and on a timely basis
Approving all work orders
Ensuring all equipment and tooling is operating up to standard

Qualification Requirements:

A minimum of 2 of years manufacturing experience in a supervisory
High school diploma
Good verbal and written communication skills
Plastic Injection Molding processing and troubleshooting knowledge
Ability to use Microsoft Office software

In addition to an annual salary in the $70,000 to $75,000 range the company offers competitive medical benefits, a 401(k) with matching, relocation assistance, etc.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#18 of 101

Engineering Extrusion Molding Plastics Thermoforming

Thermoforming Process Technician – Burlingame, CA

Posted October 17th, 2022

A leading plastics thermoforming manufacturer is searching for an In-line Thermoforming Process Technician. The Thermoforming Process Technician will provide Extrusion & Thermoforming technical capability, with regard to process optimization, product specifications and technical decision making.

The Thermoforming Process Technician will also be responsible for;

Following Standard Operating Procedures
Setting-up new operating procedures as required for future department development.
Technical set up of machines to run at optimum speed, as per GPC benchmarks, including machine speed increases if required.
Completing parts changeovers as per production schedule and in accordance with established procedures and time frames and assist with tool changeovers.
Providing support to ensure machine efficiency targets are achieved (trouble-shooting).
Assisting with management of machine downtime, including breakdown & maintenance.
Preparing and checking changeover trolleys, and ensuring components are ready prior to tool change.
Ensuring all products conform to required quality standards, product quality optimization.
Minimizing waste & scrap and record relevant data.

Qualifications:

Strong technical capability, evidenced by a minimum of 3 years of experience in a similar Process Technician role and experience in Plastics/Extrusion/Thermoforming.
Excellent troubleshooting skills Technical and Mechanical background experience.
Lyle and Brown Thermoforming machine experience preferred.

In addition to an annual salary in the $65,000 to $80,000 range, the company offers competitive benefits and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#19 of 101

Extrusion Molding Management Plastics

Plastic Extrusion Manufacturing Manager – New Haven, Connecticut

Posted October 16th, 2022

A captive plastic profile extrusion company has an immediate opening for a Manufacturing Manager to manage all manufacturing related functions, including; production, scheduling, shipping, inventory control, purchasing, and quality control. Direct reports include, Production Supervisors, a Shipping Supervisor, and an Inventory Control/Production Scheduler.

Manufacturing Manager Responsibilities:

Leading Supervisors to coordinate daily activities of the Production and Shipping Departments totaling approx. 15-20 employees.
Determining proper staffing by working with the Human Resource Dept. to achieve appropriate levels and addressing other personnel related issues.
Interfacing with Customer Service regularly on shipping schedules and other issues impacting customer

Inventory Management Responsibilities:

Maintain Kanban inventory system and interface with Purchasing to ensure orders are placed for ongoing needs and for large customer orders.
Negotiate directly as needed with vendors and carriers for cost reduction and to address quality issues.
Monitor finished goods and raw material inventories for accuracy and appropriate stocking levels.
Determine root cause of inventory variances and make needed corrective actions.
Ensure accurate raw material and bill of material files in ERP system.
Interface with the Maintenance Department for equipment repair and preventative maintenance of all equipment.
Working closely with Production Department and Engineering/Tool Room on tooling issues, process improvement projects, and new product tooling/set-ups.
Coordinating trial run of new tools.
Monitoring quality, scrap, on-time shipments, and other metrics and take corrective action as needed.
Implement and/or maintain 5S and Lean manufacturing practices.
Improving and maintaining product quality as per specifications while minimizing cost
Reviewing products with sub-standard profitability and implement changes in process to correct.
Conduct performance reviews for all direct reports.

Education/Experience Requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree, preferred but, not required
Minimum of 5 years of production management experience preferably, in plastic profile extrusion.
Thorough understanding of plastic product manufacturing, ERP, and Lean principles.

In addition to an annual salary in the $80,000 to $95,000 range and an excellent benefit package, including medical, dental, vision, vacation, paid holidays, life insurance, currently a 40% match up to 5% on 401(k) plan.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#20 of 101

General Logistics Quality

Marketing Manager – New Haven, Connecticut

Posted September 26th, 2022

A company that manufactures natural gas burners and components has an immediate opening for a Marketing Manager. The Marketing Manager is responsible for the planning and execution of marketing initiatives to assist the growth and profitability of multiple divisions within the company. Responsible for planning, development, implementation and measurement of all marketing strategies, marketing communications, digital and public relations activities, both internal and external.

Marketing Manager Responsibilities

Overseeing integration, implementation, and measurement of the corporate brand strategy across all aspects of the natural gas business.
Establishing an annual Marketing Plan and Budget in support of the business and established initiatives.
Bringing fresh approach to apps, website design, social media and company communications.
Manage and promote on/off site technical training programs including evaluating needs, guiding curriculum and scheduling sessions.
Writes and edits sales and marketing materials, which includes articles, sales collateral, literature, digital content, presentations and advertising.
Manage CRM. Integrate into daily territory activities and develop customer profiles and contact points.
Maintain pricing files and publish annual Wholesale lists.
Providing market intelligence and maintaining files on current OEM boiler, furnace and water heater price publications.
Managing tradeshow presence including booth content and design, logistics and scheduling.
Promoting and supporting of company sales objectives.
Engage customers, including Wholesalers, Installers and OEMs to identify needs and design programs and materials to satisfy identified needs.

Education/Experience Requirements:

Familiarity with CMS and other common digital marketing tools.
Project management experience.
Understanding of new gas burner technologies and applying them to marketing principles.
Writes reports, procedures and business correspondence.
Ability to work individually and on self-driven projects.
Solves problems, analyze systems and data and finds appropriate solutions.
Superior organizational skills, prioritization and time management.
Meets aggressive project deadlines and has extreme attention to detail.
Highly self-motivated.

Compensation

In addition to an annual salary in the $75,000 to $90,000 range, the company offers an excellent benefit package, including medical, dental, vision, vacation, paid holidays, life insurance, and matching 401(k).

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#21 of 101

Engineering Injection Molding Maintenance Plastics

Plant Maintenance Engineer – Minneapolis, MN

Posted July 28th, 2022

A rapidly growing Injection and Extrusion Molding Company is seeking a qualified individual to be the Plant Maintenance Engineer. The company needs an individual that can make a difference in a progressive, privatively owned company. The Maintenance Engineer will be responsible for the increasing the operational uptime of the facility and plastic molding equipment.

MAINTENANCE ENGINEER ACCOUNTABILITIES/ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Monitor and maintain preventative maintenance program.
Repair, adjust, maintain and re-assemble plastic molding machines, mechanical and hydraulic equipment.
Install and maintain multi-axis Industrial Robots
Install and qualify plastic molding and auxiliary equipment.
Support and improve the Preventative Maintenance (PM) program
Continuing education to update and expand skill set
Document custom equipment and modifications
Specify and order replacement components to maintain spare parts inventory
Communicate with multiple departments in a professional, positive, team-oriented manner
Operate a personal computer, utilizing the Microsoft Office Suite.

QUALIFICATIONS:

High school diploma or equivalent required
Education in electrical and hydraulic training preferred.
Minimum 3 years of experience maintaining injection and/or extrusion molding machines.
Hydraulic and Electrical proficiency.
AS in electronics preferred.
Good troubleshooting and mechanical skills with ability to read blueprints.
Strong background in hydraulics, pneumatics, electrical and robotics.
Knowledge of OSHA regulations.

In addition to an annual salary in the $75,000 to $80,000 range, the company offers competitive benefits and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#22 of 101

Engineering Injection Molding Tooling

Injection Molding Engineering Manager – Santana, CA

Posted June 15th, 2022

A custom plastic injection molding company is searching for an Injection Molding Engineering Manager to lead the Engineering Department.

ENGINEERING MANAGER POSITION REQUIREMENTS

· Planning, directing, managing and coordinating engineering tooling design and manufacturing processes in injection molding plant.

· Leading tool makers in a fast-paced tool room making precision custom molds for a diverse range of clients utilizing EDM, conventional, and CNC machining.

· Sourcing, purchasing and managing the building of precision plastic injection molds.

· Performing extensive design reviews to ensure the molds follow client specifications.

· Identifying mold designs where steel condition, cycle time or tool life could be improved.

· Maintaining regular contact with tool maker and client utilizing Microsoft Office tools.

· Managing supervisors in the Project Manager, Tooling Manager and Molding Process Engineering departments.

ENGINEERING MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS

· High School Diploma or Equivalent, BS Degree preferred.

· A minimum of 5 years of Plastic Injection Molding Management experience.

· Experience leading a Plastic Injection Molding tooling operation

· Plastic Injection Molding processing experience.

· Familiar using Microsoft Office products.

In addition to an annual salary in the $100,000 to $150,000 range, the company offer competitive healthcare benefits.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#23 of 101

Injection Molding

Financial Controller – Santa Anna, CA

Posted June 15th, 2022

A plastic injection molding company is searching for a Financial Controller. The Financial Controller will support the owners and function as a key advisor and help manage the business and execute the company’s strategic plans.

FINANCIAL CONTROLLER RESPONSIBILITIES:

Working with the owners to develop and execute the financial strategy of the company.
Supervising all accounting operations including, month-end, quarter, and yearly closings.
Improving the cash conversion cycle through better management of and reporting on inventory, accounts payable, and credit and collections.
Developing a cash flow projection process and reporting to ensure adequate capital for operating needs.
Developing analysis and reporting on key performance indicators.
Managing the annual planning process and long-term business planning.
Managing the banking relationship and reporting to the bank.
Ensuring internal controls and related processes.
Identifying opportunities to improve processes and increase profitability
Recruiting, training, and mentoring staff

FINANCIAL CONTROLLER QUALIFICATIONS

A minimum of 5 years in financial leadership roles with progressively increasing responsibility.
BS in Business or Accounting preferred but, will give consideration to someone with a High School diploma and equivalent experience.
Experience managing all elements of finance including; bookkeeping, accounting, financial planning and analysis, cash, and banking relationships.
Strong experience in an inventory intensive business.
Good communication skills and leadership capabilities.
Ability to manage multiple projects.
Experienced using Microsoft Office effectively.

In addition to an annual salary in the $90,000 to $130,000 range, the company offers competitive healthcare benefits.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#24 of 101

Management Plastics Thermoforming

Chief Operations Officer – Mateo, CA

Posted June 9th, 2022

A rapidly growing manufacturer of plastic thermoformed products serving the medical and food industries wants to hire a Chief Operating Officer (COO). The COO must have experience in the thermoforming manufacturing environment or other plastics manufacturing and be willing to take a strong leadership role implementing growth strategies to increase revenues while developing opportunities for cost savings. The COO will also be responsible for providing strategic financial and operational leadership for the company.

PRIMARY CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER RESPONSIBLILITIES

Planning, developing, implementing and directing the organization’s operational and fiscal function and performance.
Leading the overall day-to-day operations of the company, ensuring company priorities, goals and objectives are being met.
Mentoring, coaching, and leading the management team in order to meet the company goals and objectives.
Evaluating the company’s financial operational, sales and marketing structures to plan for continual improvements and increasing efficiencies.
While leading company growth, keeping a focus on; product quality, meeting customer requirements, social impact, and product sustainability.

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university.
A minimum of ten years of management experience in the plastics industry with some thermoforming experience preferred.
Experience in the use of Microsoft Office and ERP Systems.
Knowledge of production, costing inventory control and purchasing principles.
Ability to communicate effectively at all levels of the organization.
A minimum of two years of experience at a VP of Operations.

In addition to an annual salary in the $180,000 to $250,000 range, the company offers competitive benefits.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#25 of 101

Injection Molding Plastics Plastics Sales

Plastic Products Account Manager – Anaheim, CA

Posted June 2nd, 2022

A custom plastic injection molding manufacturer of consumer products wants to hire an Account Manager, for the: Customer Service Department. The Account Manager will:

Process orders for material or merchandise received by mail, telephone, or personally from customer or company employee.
Edit orders received for price and nomenclature.
Inform customers of unit prices, shipping date anticipated delays, and any additional information needed by customer.
Prepare order forms and enter data into computer to determine total cost for customer.
Recommend scheduling adjustments to fulfill needed order per customer demands.

Qualifications:

A High School Diploma or Equivalent. An Associates or Bachelor of Science Degree would be a plus.
Experience working in a sales or similar role for a plastic injection molding consumer products manufacturing.
Experience using Microsoft Office Products, i.e., Excel, in an office setting.

In addition to an annual salary in the $65,000 to $80,000 range the company offers competitive Healthcare benefits.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#26 of 101

General Injection Molding

Plastic Buyer – Hillside, NJ

Posted April 29th, 2022

A company that manufactures custom injection molded products is searching for a Plastic Buyer. The Buyer will work closely with the Supply Chain Manger and will be responsible for assisting in monitoring plastic resin inventory levels and processing Purchase Orders for materials to replenish those inventory levels. The candidate will be responsible for placing daily orders with vendors, following contracts/pricing, maintaining and building vendor relations, and follow up on shipments.

The ideal Buyer will have great customer service, and advanced skills in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and familiarity with vendor relations/purchasing.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience: Purchasing Materials, Using Microsoft Excel, Pricing, Contracts, Inventory Planning & Reporting.
Experience working with IQMS would be a plus.

In add addition to an annual salary in the $70,000 to $85,000 range the company offers competitive Healthcare Benefits and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#27 of 101

Plastic Injection Molding Production Scheduler – Anaheim, California

Posted April 18th, 2022

A custom plastic injection molding manufacturer of consumer products wants to hire a Production Scheduler.

Production Scheduler Job Duties Include:

Receiving communications from customers: order dates, changes, quantities, part numbers, prices, etc.
Analyzing orders from customers and convert to various internal injection molding machine time demands.
Giving each order a ship date based on demand urgency and internal production capacity.
Creating multiple production schedules (one for each department to follow) to support orders.
Creating shipping schedules, based on promised ship dates, for others to follow.
Tracking order fulfillment, and correlate with customer’s PO for proper billing.
Maintaining all company information in a Master Schedule:

-shipment history, future ship dates, and forecasts

-all part numbers, BOM’s

-all parts inventory quantities

Production Scheduler Job Skill Requirements:

Must have a minimum of 3 years experience using of ERP IQMS in a plastic injection molding facility.
Must be able to understand and work with a facility in Mexico using Spanish.
Must be able to work in a fast paced, scheduling environment & make proper decisions quickly.
Must be detail oriented, fastidious, exacting, and able to work without errors.
Must be able to work & communicate well with customers: internal and external.
Must be able to work on a computer most of the day.

In addition to an annual salary in the $70,000 to $85,000 range, the company offers competitive benefits.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#28 of 101

Injection Molding Tooling

Plastic Mold Repair Technician – Mebane, NC

Posted April 17th, 2022

Description

A company manufacturing consumer plastic packaging products is searching for Plastic Mold Repair Technicians to polish, maintain and repair plastic molds.

Mold Repair Technician Responsibilities Include:

Performing mold repair work on cavities and cores due to damage or wear.
Noting any changes to molds, inserts, parts, etc.
Documenting work and keep accurate records.
Dissembling and assembling molds, analyzing and solving basic mold problems including flashing conditions, galling, venting, cooling problems, etc.
Assembling, repairing, inspecting, cleaning and polishing molds using skill and care while handling and polishing critical surfaces, laying out, fabricating and assembling metalworking dies, molds, and machine tool fixtures by analyzing blueprints, sketches, models and engineering or shop specification.
Using a variety of machinist’s hand tools and precision measuring instruments. Sets up and operates lathes, milling machines, electrical discharge machines, surface and cylindrical grinders.
Interpreting drawings, evaluating machining methods on assignments and occasionally instructing other toolmakers and apprentices in the operation and setup of tool room equipment.
Computing dimensions; determining machining and material or parts required. Perform precision work to exacting tolerances and dimensions. Solving problems relating to unusual material, work-holding arrangements, machine settings, fabrication methods, and production processes.

In addition to an opportunity to work for a growing company, offering an hourly rate range of $25 to $30, the company offers; standard medical, dental and vision first of the month following 30 days of employment. tuition reimbursement, PTO, 401k, profit sharing, a employee stock option purchase program and Profit Sharing after 1 year of continued employment.

Requirements
•Minimum of 3 years experience in the injection molding industry.

•Prior background in plastic injection mold maintenance, repair and troubleshooting.

•CNC experience would be a real plus.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#29 of 101

Extrusion Molding Injection Molding Management Plastics

Plastic Injection Molding Plant Manager – Minneapolis, Minnesota

Posted April 13th, 2022

A growing custom injection molding company in the consumer and general industry field has an immediate opening for a Plant Manager. The Plant Manager will lead a team in a injection molding manufacturing facility.

Responsibilities:

Manage production operations of an injection molding facility.
Full Profit and Loss responsibility driving continuous improvement in safety, quality and profit performance.
Increasing and maintaining productivity/efficiency of the overall plant output.
Testing and monitoring plant processes.
Maintaining compliance with facility OSHA standards.
Preparing, analyzing and issuing production and performance reports as required.
Controlling costs to achieve company budget goals.
Maintaining a comprehensive preventative maintenance program.

Qualifications:

Must have a High School Diploma, a bachelor’s degree would be a plus.
Must have at least five years of management experience in a plastic injection molding operation, some extrusion experience would be a plus..
Must have excellent written and verbal communication with leadership capabilities supporting the company’s goals, objectives and philosophies.
Knowledge of Profit Loss (P&L) statement preparation and application.
Skilled in the use of Microsoft Office Products.

In addition to an annual salary in the $80,000 to $100,000 range, the company offer competitive benefits.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#30 of 101

Engineering Thermoforming

Injection Molding Machine Operators – Spartanburg, SC

Posted March 30th, 2022

A manufacturer of plastic injection molded plastic closures is searching for Injection Molding Machine Operators to work 12 hour day or night shifts.

Responsibilities:

*Ensuring that all work undertaken or supervised is carried out safely and without injury
*Ensuring that all food safety issues are reported to the appropriate manager or supervisor
*Initiating corrective action for non-conformance’s related to injection and vision system processes.
*Operating: injection molding machines, vision systems, down-stream equipment, and material feed equipment
*Executing sample requests issued and process related activities focused on identifying root cause problems
*Auditing box counts and vision system to verify that the equipment is working correctly.

Skills/Education

*Effective written and verbal communication skills
*Effective organizational skills with an attention to detail
*Advanced injection molding knowledge related to troubleshooting and resin behavior
*Advanced problem-solving skills focused on root cause analysis and lessons learned
*Working knowledge of basic hydraulic/electric/pneumatic/vision systems
*Ability to lift 35 pounds unassisted and work standing for 12 hours
*A minimum of 3 years of experience with injection mold machines and secondary equipment
*High School Diploma or equivalent

Hourly rate is between $24 and $26 with competitive benefits.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#31 of 101

CNC Router Programmer – Saint Michael, MN

Posted March 11th, 2022

A manufacturer of heavy gage custom thermoformed products wants to hire a CNC Router Programmer who is knowledgeable using Mastercam software. The CNC Router Programmer will be responsible for managing, programming and maintenance of computer numeric controlled 5 axis (CNC) equipment for prototype (first run) and production thermoformed plastic products. The company operates a large rotary thermoforming machine, as well as, 9 basic thermoforming machines and 3 CNC Routers.

CNC Programmer Responsibilities:

Review electronic or written blueprints or specifications for thermoformed products.
Review and obtain proper tooling.
Program extremely close tolerance parts.
CNC programming in Mastercam 3, 4, and 5 axis geometries, proving programs prior to machining of parts and tools on a 5-axis CNC router.
Work with operators, program managers, engineers to determine project scope, schedule and important job details.
Determine methods, tooling, feeds, speeds and all other necessary requirements necessary for manufacturing of plastic parts and components.
Knowledge of machining various plastic materials.
Directing or training other employees in CNC router setup, running, maintenance and cleaning
Maintain appropriate records and documentation

Qualification Requirements:

Prior experience with Mastercam programming 5 axis CNC routers.
Must have strong GD&T knowledge to interpret engineering drawings from sketches to determine cutting or grinding tools to be used, method of holding, and machine speeds and feeds.
Must have worked in CNC programming, demonstrating a high degree of proficiency.
Experience machining a variety of plastic materials.
Solid understanding of manufacturing processes for layup, trim, and assembly of thermoformed products.
Ability to read and interpret company documents, such as safety rules, operating/manufacturing instructions, policies and procedures
Ability to read/interpret engineering drawings and specifications
Able to perform basic mathematics (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division)

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#32 of 101

Engineering Injection Molding Management Tooling

PLASTIC INJECTION MOLDING ENGINEER – Lancaster, PA

Posted February 25th, 2022

A state-of-the-art custom injection molding company, producing high quality injection molded products, wants to hire a Plastic Injection Molding Engineer. The Plastic Injection Molding Engineer is a “hands-on” technical position that plans, directs, and coordinates manufacturing equipment and injection molding processes. The Plastic Injection Molding Engineer is also responsible for overseeing customer mold design, mold procurement, mold de-bugging and managing a small in-house tool shop and staff.

PLASTIC INJECTION MOLDING ENGINEER RESPONSIBILITIES:

Developing new injection molding processes and documenting new and existing processes.
Implementing and evaluating changes to existing injection molding processes and tooling to; improve product quality, productivity, and overall equipment efficiency.
Leading the injection molding tooling design efforts.
Managing new customer injection molding tooling projects and overseeing customer-owned tool inventory.
Monitoring and tracking plastic molding tooling conditions.
Developing recommendations for tooling modifications and repairs.
Preparing quotes for new tooling and refurbishment projects.
Providing technical leadership and mentorship to tool shop personnel.
Providing technical support/solutions to manufacturing processes, improve yield, drive cost reduction activities, and improve on part quality.
Working with contractors to resolve tooling issues.
Interacting with customers to resolve issues and provide new project updates.
Generating customer tooling and part quotes.
Implementing technical solutions including statistical methodology to meet customer cost, quality and deliver expectations.
Facilitating and supporting facility and manufacturing safety, environmental, and ergonomics efforts.

POSTION REQUIREMENTS:

B.S. Degree in Engineering is preferred and/or comparable work experience in a Plastic Injection Molding Operation.
A minimum of 3 years of plastic injection molding processing and tool design experience.
Strong knowledge of tool validation and development.
Self-starter must be able to work with little direction and with a high level of self-motivation.
Ability to manage multiple projects within project deadlines.
Demonstrated superior communication (written and verbal), teamwork, and organizational skills.
Excellent Microsoft Office skills; Excel, Word, PowerPoint etc.

In addition to an annual salary in the $80,000 to $90,000 range, the company offers a potential bonus, competitive healthcare benefits and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#33 of 101

Blow Molding Extrusion Molding General Injection Molding Plastics

Plastic Blow Molding Technicians – Riverside, CA

Posted January 3rd, 2022

A well-established company that that manufactures blow molded products, such as, bottles and plastic cases wants to hire Blow Molding Process Technicians and Operators for all three shifts. The company is operating 3 different types of blow molding machines; SBO-4, SBO-10, and SBO-18 (Vtek). The company is also willing to consider anyone willing to be trained with couple of years of plastic processing experience.

Process Technician Responsibilities:

Check work quality continuously, making adjustments to equipment and other related changes if necessary.
Perform operator-based preventive maintenance on machines to include disassembly, cleaning, and reassembly.
Performed mold changes, resin changes, for machine set ups.
QA inspection on bottles and other products every 15-30 minutes.
Enter daily production logs and follow all GMP and PPE regulations.

Process Technician Requirements:

A High School or equivalent diploma.
A minimum of 2 years of experience operating blow molding machines.
Anyone willing to be trained with couple of years of plastic processing experience.

In addition to an hourly rate between $25 and $35 per hour the company offers competitive health care benefits and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#34 of 101

Plastics

Plastic Regrind and Recycle Buyer – Houston, Texas

Posted December 17th, 2021

The Plastic Buyer is responsible for purchasing plastic scrap (PP&HDPE), and regrind to ensure that all aspects of the sourcing process meet quality, surety of supply, and cost to meet corporate procurement requirements. May be able to work remotely.

Duties and Responsibilities

Procure inventory: plastics for recycling and plastic regrind for production processes.
Participate in cross functional teams to develop strategies to source assigned commodity-based items at the lowest total cost of ownership;
Participate in planning group with production scheduling, implementation, inventory, and updating of item information in ERP system;
Monitor items received, issued and returned to ensure accuracy of inventory;
Provide regular updates and reports to the sourcing and management staff on cost improvements and new technologies or services;
Follow up regularly with suppliers to ensure part availability, expediting as required;
Analyze MRP and other data and propose/implement process improvements that reduce waste of all kinds.

Qualifications and Work Experience

Associate or bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (or related field) and/or six plus years of direct work experience without formal education.
Position typically expects a minimum of three years of direct/relevant experience based on scope of position.
Technical purchasing and sourcing skills.
Relies on clearly defined instructions and pre-established guidelines to perform the functions of the job.
Demonstrate flexibility when confronted with change.
Self-motivated and self-managing individual.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Must be able to calculate and analyze financial data such as ROI, make vs. buy, and other commercial requirements.
Microsoft Office Suite and other PC skills;
MRP/ERP system expertise.

In addition to annual salary in the $90,000 to $120,000 range, the company offers competitive healthcare benefits, a 401(k), profit sharing of 3% of corporate profits and relocation assistance, if needed, because the buyer may be able to work remotely.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#35 of 101

Blow Molding General

Injection Blow Molding Technicians – Thomson, GA

Posted December 12th, 2021

A custom blow molding manufacturer of consumer-packaged goods is searching for Plastic injection Blow Molding Technicians. The company manufactures plastic bottles and containers.

Essential Blow Molding Technician Job Functions:

– Experience operating blow molding machines
– Experience with programmable parison heads
– Assist with mold changes
– Starting-up blow molding lines
– Making adjustments to machines to improve bottle quality
– Basic understanding of the properties of HDPE
– Able to run the bagging and de-bagging tables
– Understand and perform quality checks on bottles that including; leak and-tests, and dimensional checks.
– Fully complete all associated QC paperwork
– Adjust and maintain leak detection PLC on the lines
– Set-up cooling beds
– Make adjustments to the trimming machines and keep them clear and running
– Perform material compounding and maintain grinders
– Able to complete all shift paperwork
– Able to lift up to 50 pounds

Qualification Requirements

– Blow Mold experience is required
– Basic computer knowledge (Microsoft Word and Excel) is needed
– Must be able to multi-task
– Must have good oral and written communication skills
– Must be a team player who leads by example
– Possess mechanical skills and aptitude

Benefits:

In addition to an hourly rate in the $20 to $25 range, the company offers very competitive benefits including; health, wellness, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#36 of 101

Plastics Sales Resins

Business Development Manager – Western United States

Posted December 6th, 2021

A growing company specializing in the compounding of nylon and polyester resin, located in South Carolina, is searching for a Business Development Manager to sell resins made from plastic compounding, masterbatching and extrusion operations. The Business Development Manager will work from a home office preferably located in Western United States.

In addition to a competitive salary, the company offers very good benefits including 100% company paid medical benefits.

Requirements

Must have plastic resin and compounding sales experience.
Must be knowledgeable about nylon and polyester compounding.
Four year degree.

In addition to an annual salary in the $90,000 to $120,000 range the company offers 100% paid healthcare benefits.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#37 of 101

Extrusion Molding Supervisor

Plastic Extrusion Molding Production Supervisor – Thomson, GA

Posted November 28th, 2021

A manufacturer of plastic blow molded and extruded film is searching for a Production Supervisor to lead the company’s plastic extrusion operation on a 12-hour shift, Friday thru Monday. The Production Supervisor oversees and directs the production personnel to achieve optimal production and safety. The position will require previous experience leading others and excellent communication skills. In this role. The Production Supervisor must be well organized and take ownership of his/her crew with little supervision. Reports directly to Plant Manager

Primary Responsibilities:

Assign work duties for each employee
Ensure schedule is being followed on each line
Monitor the floor and ensure everyone is working safely and is on task
Complete/enter work orders into the system for record keeping
Complete daily toolbox talks with employees to keep open lines of communication
Communicates goals for production and safety to employees daily
Assists/assigns training for all employees at the floor level
Records safety and disciplinary actions
Evaluates employee’s performance and communicates this with management/employees
Completes/enters daily reports
Promotes teamwork and safety to create a positive and inclusive work environment

Qualifications and Skills Requirements:

High school diploma/GED with proficiency in math and reading.
A minimum of 2 years working in a manufacturing environment (preferably thermoplastics industry)
Technically inclined with interest to learn new skills in manufacturing environment.
Equipment maintenance experience preferred.
Experience leading a team
Good communicator with ability to articulate problems and solutions verbally.
General computer skills and experience with Microsoft Office products such as Outlook and Excel.
Strong work ethic and organizational skills
Good communication skills

In addition to an hourly rate in the $35 to $40 range, the company offers competitive healthcare benefits and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#38 of 101

Blow Molding Extrusion Molding Injection Molding Plastics

Extrusion Blow Molding Technicians – SOUTHERN, NJ

Posted October 12th, 2021

A custom plastic molding company is looking to hire Extrusion Blow Molding Technicians to work in a clean room environment manufacturing a new line of medical devices. The Extrusion Blow Molding Technicians will operate multi-cavity Extrusion Blow Molding machines and auxiliary equipment. The right candidate will have experience in clean room environments, medical focused molding processes, and advanced manufacturing technologies. This is a Full-Time, 12 hour day or night shift position with paid overtime.

Molding Technician Responsibilities

Perform and maintain safe and efficient tool and machine set-up, operation, and process capabilities to meet customer on-time delivery and quality expectations.
Perform extrusion blow molding startups including completion of all required quality management system documentation.
Troubleshoot quality/part issues by confirming plastic conditions and performing root cause analysis to determine true root causes.
Verify process parameters prior to start up and assure process is running to validated parameters.
Identify machine problems and communicate to maintenance as required.
Follow all required Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Documentation Practice (GDP) procedures.
Work flexible shifts and overtime as needed and maintain reliable attendance.
Perform required maintenance and cleaning per Clean Room procedures.
Maintain the integrity of the clean room requirements in all job duties.
Keep machinery, work area and floors neat and orderly.
Wear company issued required personal protective equipment (PPE) for an ISO-8 Class clean room environment.

Molding Technician Education/Experience Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Computer user skills – proficient in basic computer use – able to quickly learn and efficiently use new systems.
Basic math skills – add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
Working knowledge of molds, molding machinery, and vision systems.
A minimum of 2 years’ experience operating extrusion blow molding presses.
Reliable and dependable attendance.
Flexibility with work schedule and willingness to work overtime when needed.

In addition to an hourly rate in the $24 to $26 range, the company offers competitive healthcare benefits, a 401(k) with matching, a $2,000 sign on bonus and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#39 of 101

Engineering Injection Molding Sales

Technical Sales Engineer – Chicagoland

Posted August 31st, 2021

A global leader linking the virtual world of simulation software with the real world of the plastic injection molding industry for over 20 years, wants to hire a Technical Sales Engineer. The purpose of Technical Sales Engineer position is to assist in the growth of software sales.

Technical Sales Engineer Responsibilities:

Supporting the company’s technical business solutions for the simulation of injection molding processes with proprietary software by building trusting relationships with customers that instills confidence in injection mold design and production.
Assuming the mantle of a sales hunter/gatherer developing new customers for the corporation.
Exhibiting professionalism and product expertise with customers.
Ability to thrive in a changing sales environment.
Providing excellent spoken and communication with customers and company management.

Technical Sales Engineer Skills/Qualifications Requirements:

A skilled and organized sales professional with 3-5 years’ with displayed outside sales success selling high end products preferably related to the plastics manufacturing markets.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance or Engineering related field.
Confident communicator demonstrating excellent spoken and written skills.
An added plus would be Sandler Sales Training Knowledge (Foundations or Mastery Certified).

In addition to an annual salary in the $80,000 range plus commissions, the company offers very competitive Healthcare benefits, employer funded HSA account, 401(k) retirement plan with employer contributions, and tuition and fitness reimbursements.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#40 of 101

Interviewing Job Hunter

The Interview Thank-You/Follow-Up-Note

Posted August 20th, 2021

Recently, we were working with an excellent company to fill a management position for them. Fortunately, we had an excellent candidate that met all of the company’s experience and educational requirements. The company and the candidate met and both were very happy and we thought the position was filled, but a few days later the head of Human Resources expressed a hiring reservation, the candidate had not sent any of the interviewers a Thank-You-Note. We were very surprised to hear this because, we knew the candidate was too professional to overlook sending a Thank-You-Note. We contacted the candidate and he stated he had sent Thank-You emails to the company’s interviewers. The candidate sent us a copy of the Thank-You-Note. After a little investigation, we determined the candidate had left a period out of the email address. We contacted the company, a recruiting disaster was adverted, and the candidate was hired. This demonstrates how important a Thank-You-Note is to the interview process. Also, if emailing a Thank-You-Note, how important it is to check and make sure the email was delivered (my computer is set-up to automatically check and make sure my emails are delivered and opened (I tend to make a lot of mistakes).

According to a survey published by CNBC, one in five hiring managers will automatically dismiss a candidate if they haven’t sent a thank you note by email. But more than that, the thank you note gives prospective job seekers a last chance to add any details left out of the interview or to reaffirm other elements and strengths you want to emphasize. The following is a list of suggested items to include in the Thank-You-Note:

Convey your continued interest in the position. If at all possible, send the follow-up email within 24 hours of the interview, basically stating the interview confirmed your interest in position. Be specific and reference some of the information shared by the interviewer about the role which enhanced the appeal of working with the organization.
Tell them why the job is a fit. Include a short paragraph providing a examples of why the position is a good fit for both of you. Mention key strengths that will allow you to excel in the position, tailoring your most critical qualifications for the position.
Add more information to support your candidacy. Was there something that that you wished you had said during the interview but did not mention? This could include something the interviewer did not ask or a response to a question that stumped you during the interview.
Provide information requested during the interview process. If the potential employer asked for examples of your writing or design skills, they could be attached to the Thank-You-Note.
Ask for the job. Hopefully you asked for the job at the end of the interview but it never hurts to ask again. Make it clear you want the job and are willing to accept a reasonable offer.
Don’t forget to express you gratitude for the interviewer for taking time away from his or her busy work day to interview you.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#41 of 101

Plastics Supervisor Thermoforming

Thermoforming Supervisor – Oakland, California

Posted August 10th, 2021

A progressive and innovate thermoforming company that has been in business for over 40 years is searching for an Thermoforming Supervisor to lead the operation and set up Lyle Thermoforming machines. Salary will be commensurate with Lyle Thermoforming experience and the ability to supervise others.

Thermoforming Supervisor Requirements:

At least 5 years of hands-on thermoforming operating experience.
Experience with thermoforming equipment preventative maintenance.
Must be able to trouble shoot mechanical issues.
At least 3 years of supervisory experience.
High School or equivalent diploma.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $70,000.00 – $80,000.00 per year plus competitive benefits and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#42 of 101

Chemicals Compounding Management Plastics

Laboratory Manager – Conyers, Georgia

Posted July 29th, 2021

A leading manufacturer of quality printing inks, coatings, and plastic colorants is looking for a Laboratory Manager. The Laboratory Manager must have experience with color concentrate and/or compound, pigments, resins, additives, and processes. The ideal candidate is looking to build a career and grow. Experience is necessary, a strong work ethic is essential.

Laboratory Manager Position Requirements

Ability to lead the development, processing, and testing color concentrates and/or compounded pigments resins and additives.
Ability to lead a development and testing laboratory with up to fifteen direct reports.
Knowledgeable of Masterbatch – Pellets (LEM, LPM), Pigment Dispersions – Powder (AGD, LED, LWF), and Colored Compound – Pellets
Ability to work closely with closely with and support plant operations management

Experience/Education Requirements

A minimum of 5 years of experience working with color concentrates and compounded pellets.
A four year technical degree in Chemical Engineering or a related field.
A minimum of three years of experience as a laboratory supervisor or manager

In addition to an annual salary in the $90,000 to $110,000 range, the company offers competitive benefits.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#43 of 101

Thermoforming

Lead Thermoforming Process Technician – Providence, Rhode Island

Posted July 28th, 2021

A major player in the thermoformed colored plate, bowl and cup market is searching for a Lead Thermoforming Process Technician. In addition to leading a 12 hour night shift, the Lead Process Technician must be capable of trouble shooting in-line Brown thermoforming machines, correcting, and starting-up new processes. Hands-on experience is a must along with 6 years plus experience processing with Brown or similar thermoforming equipment.

Starting hourly rate for the Lead Thermoforming Process Technician position is based on experience with a target range between $30 and $35 per hour plus overtime. This is a 12 hour night shift, Monday through Thursday, with optional Friday additional paid overtime. The company also offers a competitive benefit package, relocation assistance, and bonus potential.

Lead Thermoforming Process Technician Requirements:

At least 6 years of hands-on thermoforming operating experience.
Experience with thermoforming equipment preventative maintenance.
Must be able to trouble shoot mechanical issues.
Ability to make repairs on small labeling machines would be a plus.
Ability to repair Renco machines would also be a plus.
High School or equivalent diploma.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#44 of 101

Chemicals Management Plastics Resins

Laboratory Supervisor – Burrillville, Rhode Island

Posted July 27th, 2021

An industry leader in the manufacturing and distribution of PVC and PU laminated and coated technical textiles is searching for an Laboratory Supervisor to; coordinate quality control efforts, contribute to product development efforts, and be part of the ISO team. The company’s goal is to expand its position as a leader in the industry by optimizing employees’ skills.

LABORATORY SUPERVISOR DUTIES:

Develop and test coatings for mildew resistance and flame retardation qualities.
Using a spectrophotometer, test for color matching to meet customer requirements.
Interpret applicable standards (ANSI, ASTM, AATCC, etc.) and ensure testing performed is appropriate and meets requirements.
Help maintain a cutting-edge, QLL-certified laboratory.
Review work performed by other lab personnel and provide guidance as required.
Perform mechanical and chemical testing.
Conduct lab scale trials to support Business Development and daily Production.
Support Production and Quality for incoming, in-process, and final inspections.
Perform visual, chemical, and physical evaluation of raw and manufactured material for defects and deviation from specifications
Provide documentation and reports for results for activities as required.
Keep clear and comprehensive notes for testing and development performed.
Participate as a team member and resource for on-going projects and support ISO based root cause analysis and documentation.
Ensure safe work practices are followed and in places for all laboratory areas and activities
Participate in Production, Engineering and Quality Focus Area Teams to assist in Continual Improvement activities.
Assist in determination of work priorities, current status and development of routine lab schedule.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

A bachelor’s or associate’s degree in chemistry.
A minimum of 5 years’ experience in manufacturing.
A minimum of 3 years’ experience in organic / polymer chemistry and polymer engineering.
Color matching experience.
Experience operating in an ISO 9001-2015 quality management system or equivalent.
Experience applying lab safety protocols.
Advanced working knowledge and use of Microsoft Office (i.e.: Word, Excel, Outlook).
Ability to maintain accurate, legible, and complete documentation.

In addition to an annual salary in the $60,000 to $80,000 range, the company offers competitive benefits, 3 weeks of vacation, and a potential bonus, and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#45 of 101

Injection Molding Plastics Supervisor

Plastic Extrusion Production Supervisor – Augusta, GA

Posted July 20th, 2021

Primary Responsibilities:

Assign work duties for each employee
Ensure schedule is being followed on each line
Monitor the floor and ensure everyone is working safely and is on task
Complete/enter work orders into the system for record keeping
Complete daily toolbox talks with employees to keep open lines of communication
Communicates goals for production and safety to employees daily
Assists/assigns training for all employees at the floor level
Records safety and disciplinary actions
Evaluates employee’s performance and communicates this with management/employees
Completes/enters daily reports

In addition to an annual salary in the $75,000 to $80,000 range, the company offers competitive benefits, potential bonus of 10%, and relocation assistance.

Promotes teamwork and safety to create a positive and inclusive work environment

Qualifications and Skills Requirements:

High school diploma/GED with proficiency in math and reading.

A minimum of 2 years working in a manufacturing environment (preferably thermoplastics industry)
Technically inclined with interest to learn new skills in manufacturing environment.
Equipment maintenance experience preferred.
Experience leading a team
Good communicator with ability to articulate problems and solutions verbally.
General computer skills and experience with Microsoft Office products such as Outlook and Excel.
Strong work ethic and organizational skills
Good communication skills

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#46 of 101

Extrusion Molding Injection Molding

Assembly Technicians – Southern, New Jersey

Posted June 30th, 2021

A custom plastic molding company wants to hire Assembly Technicians to work in a clean room environment manufacturing a new line of medical devices. The purpose-built clean room will house industry leading molding, automation, and robotic technologies and will be managed by a small, highly skilled, and cross trained team

ASSEMBLY TECHNICIAN POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Inspect, maintain, and assist machine production.
Conduct daily inspections of production assembly equipment to monitor performance, recommend appropriate preventative maintenance (PM) repairs, and record findings.
Perform routine preventive maintenance for production systems & equipment to sustain optimal availability and reliability, and safe operating status.
Disassemble, repair, and reassemble equipment according to operating manual, schematics, blueprints, and external technical assistance.
Perform in-process parts inspection to company standards.
Validate that equipment is operating safely and to OEM / company standards.
Maintain, troubleshoot, and repair machinery as needed.
Write legibly and practice proper Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in a manufacturing area.
Responsible for production recording, and maintaining a safe work
Responsible for maintaining the highest quality parts produced, production performance, Statistical Process Controls (SPC) and documentation.
Assist in training fellow team members in the work cell to drive for optimum performance.
Follow all required Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Documentation Practice (GDP) procedures.
Maintain the integrity of the cleanroom requirements in all job duties.
Keep work area and floors neat and orderly.
Wear company issued required personal protective equipment (PPE) for an ISO-8 Class cleanroom environment.

ASSEMBLY TECHNICIAN POSITION EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

High school diploma or general education degree (GED).
A minimum of a year of product assembly experience.
Basic math skills – add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
An understanding of continuous improvement, six sigma or lean manufacturing concepts.
Good time management practices. Lift and/or move up 25 pounds and occasionally more 50 to 100 lbs. with assistance of equipment.
Reliable and dependable attendance.
Flexibility with work schedule and willingness to work overtime when needed.
Stand for most of the work shift. Occasionally walk, sit, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

In addition to an hourly rate in the $20 to $22 range, the company offers competitive healthcare benefits, a 401(k) with matching, etc..

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#47 of 101

Injection Molding Maintenance Plastics Tooling

Maintenance Supervisor – Southern, New Jersey

Posted May 1st, 2021

A company that specializes in custom plastic molding for the medical industry wants to hire a hardworking and enthusiastic Maintenance Supervisor to join the Plant Maintenance team and help drive operational excellence in its newest facility.

MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Supervising the implementation of first shift plant maintenance, machine maintenance, and preventative maintenance programs using a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS).
Using the CMMS data, develop and justify cost saving opportunities and improve equipment performance.
Supervise the installation maintenance and repair of production, facility, and support equipment.
Comply with Environmental/Safety Equipment/Facility requirements and regulations.
Manage the assigned record keeping of service and maintenance performed on the machinery.
Coordinate with production on the job setups and scheduling of down times for repair and maintenance of equipment.
Maintain an effective parts system.
Ensure the regular and preventative maintenance on production and support equipment is performed in a timely and effective manner.
Assign and supervise work of hourly staff.
Train maintenance team on job duties, safety, and proper use of the CMMS system.
Give guidance to the hourly employees in the Maintenance Department.
Participate in the interview and performance appraisal processes.
Address complaints and resolve problems, escalating issues as appropriate.
Oversee vendor activities.
Develop maintenance processes to reduce failure modes on machines.

MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

Training, Certifications, and Education in support of Maintenance processes.
Minimum of four years of Maintenance Supervision and/or Team Lead experience.
Experience in a plastic molding manufacturing facility. High School Diploma or equivalent.
Strong engineering knowledge including basic electrical, hydraulic, and mechanical systems.
Ability to interpret specifications, blueprints, and schematics.
Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office Word, Excel, Outlook.
Ability to work in a fast-paced work environment, handle multiple tasks simultaneously, and prioritize tasks/projects based on business needs.
Ability to effectively communicate with employees, management, vendors, customers.

In addition to an annual salary in the $65,000 to $75,000 range, the company offers competitive healthcare benefits, a 401(k) with matching, and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#48 of 101

Plastic Mold Repair Technician – Atlanta, GA

Posted April 28th, 2021

A company manufacturing consumer plastic packaging products is searching for a Plastic Mold repair Technician to polish, maintain and repair plastic stack molds on second shift.

Maintenance Technician Responsibilities Include:

Performing mold repair work on cavities and cores due to damage or wear.
Noting any changes to molds, inserts, parts, etc.
Documenting work and keep accurate records.Dissembling and assembling molds, analyzing and solving basic mold problems including flashing conditions, galling, venting, cooling problems, etc.
Assembling, repairing, inspecting, cleaning and polishing molds using skill and care while handling and polishing critical surfaces.Laying out, fabricating and assembling metalworking dies, molds, and machine tool fixtures by analyzing blueprints, sketches, models and engineering or shop specification.
Using a variety of machinist’s hand tools and precision measuring instruments. Sets up and operates lathes, milling machines, electrical discharge machines, surface and cylindrical grinders.
Interpreting drawings, evaluating machining methods on assignments and occasionally instructing other toolmakers and apprentices in the operation and setup of tool room equipment.
Computing dimensions; determining machining and material or parts required. Perform precision work to exacting tolerances and dimensions. Solving problems relating to unusual material, work-holding arrangements, machine settings, fabrication methods, and production processes.

In addition to a hourly salary in the $24 to $26 range, the company offers; standard medical, dental and vision first of the month following 30 days of employment. tuition reimbursement, PTO, 401k, profit sharing, a employee stock option purchase program, Profit Sharing after 1 year of continued employment, and relocation assistance.

Requirements

•Minimum of 3 years experience in the injection molding industry.

•Prior background in plastic injection mold maintenance, repair and troubleshooting.

•CNC experience would be a real plus.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#49 of 101

Blow Molding Extrusion Molding Injection Molding

Blow Molding Extruder Operators – Thomson, Georgia

Posted April 28th, 2021

A blown film manufacturing company is searching for set up technicians/operators to support their operations. The company is a leading manufacturer of plastic bags, stretchwrap film, flexible packaging, etc.

Job Requirements

The Blown Film Set up Technicians/Operators are responsible for setting the molds in, and operating, blown film machines.

Experience/Education Requirements

High School Diploma
A minimum of 3 years of extrusion blown film or injection molding experience.

In addition to an hourly rate in the $18 to $25 range, the company offers; Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision insurance, and a simple IRA with up to 3% of salary matching.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#50 of 101

Injection Molding Management Plastics

Plastic Processing Manager – Fort Worth, Texas

Posted April 27th, 2021

A plastic injection and profile extrusion company that manufactures door frames and components wants to hire a first shift Manager . The Manager will lead a 10 hour day operation from Monday thru Thursday. The ideal candidate the company would like to hire is someone who can manage the injection molding and extrusion departments but, if a candidate lacks the background in profile extrusion, the company will look consider hiring an injection molding processing supervisor. The company operates large tonnage injection molding presses in the 400 to 1,000 ton range, in addition to, extrusion molding presses.

Plastic Processing Manager Requirements
- Hands on injection mold experience with molding presses up to 1,000 tons
- Experience with processing parameter set up and mold qualification
- Rapid changeover experience
- Main materials are ASA, HIPS, PVC, and Polypropylene
- Experience with holding tight tolerances on color

Experience/Education Requirements

Plastic Injection Molding Supervision and/or Management experience (3 – 5 years minimum) of at least 8 -14 direct reports
High School Diploma, two or four year technical degree preferred.
Preferred:
- Experience with plastic extrusion of lineal profiles
- Automotive experience (Toyota production system, lean, etc.)

In addition to an annual salary in the $75,000 to $85,000 range the company offers a retirement plan, medical, dental, vision, and paid leave time.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#51 of 101

Plastic Injection Molding Process Technician – Burlington, IA

Posted April 9th, 2021

A custom plastic injection molding company, located near Burlington, IA, wants to hire a 12 hour night shift Process Technician to maintain production yields by directly inspecting and/or reviewing reports and coordinating with other shifts to keep the process at peak efficiency and quality. The Process Technician position refers to the entire molding process, including; equipment, settings, auxiliary units, robotics, etc… In addition, this role directs and executes tool changes, utilizing RTC (Rapid Tool Change) techniques, per the production schedule.

Job Qualifications

Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
Ability to operate a personal computer including using a Windows based operating system and related software.
Ability to write simple correspondence.
Read and understand visual aids.
High school diploma or equivalent education.
Knowledge and experience with Injection Mold Presses.
A minimum of two years of experience in manufacturing environment.

In addition to an hourly rate pay range between: $21 and $25, the company offers; benefits Coverage (Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO, Paid Holidays, Tuition Reimbursement, Site Profit Sharing (after completion of 1-year service) 401K and Employee Stock Purchase Plan) and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#52 of 101

Injection Molding Maintenance Tooling

Injection Molding Process Technician – Atlanta, GA

Posted March 21st, 2021

A custom plastic injection molding company, located in Atlanta, GA, wants to hire a Process Technician to maintain production yields by directly inspecting and/or reviewing reports and coordinating with other shifts to keep the process at peak efficiency and quality. The Process Technician position refers to the entire molding process including; equipment, settings, auxiliary units, robotics, etc… In addition, this role directs and executes tool changes, utilizing RTC (Rapid Tool Change) techniques, per the production schedule.

Job Qualifications

Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
Ability to operate a personal computer including using a Windows based operating system and related software.
Ability to write simple correspondence.
Read and understand visual aids.
High school diploma or equivalent education.
Knowledge and experience with Injection Mold Presses.
One to Two years of experience in manufacturing environment especially food packaging

In addition to an hourly rate pay range between: $20 and $23, the company offers, benefits Coverage (Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO, Paid Holidays, Tuition Reimbursement, Site Profit Sharing (after completion of 1-year service) 401K and Employee Stock Purchase Plan).

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#53 of 101

Injection Molding

Injection Molding Automation Technician – Mebane, North Carolina

Posted March 18th, 2021

A custom injection molding company wants to hire a 12 hour day shift Automation Technician. The Automation Technician, plans, maps, sequences and performs assembly of complex electrical, mechanical and pneumatic robotic and equipment from verbal and written instructions. Performs layout of mechanical, pneumatic and electrical schematics.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
·         Performs a variety of diagnostic troubleshooting activities on assembly automation equipment.
·         Makes mechanical, electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic repairs to assembly automation equipment
·         Performs equipment failure analysis, repairs, and scheduled preventative maintenance on robotic and automated equipment.
·         Sets up manual and semi-automatic assembly lines and assists in operating pre-production runs.
·         Assists in installing new automated equipment and in moving equipment to new locations.
·         Creates new robot programs and edit existing robot programs.
·         Updates manuals and programs for automated equipment.
·         Keeps accurate reports of all activities performed on each piece of equipment.
·         Provides input to engineering staff on areas for machine improvements.
·         Sets up and maintains production maintenance schedule and parts inventory.
·         Ensures all software is backed up and up-to-date.
·         Works with Maintenance and Process Technicians to maintain daily production operations through preventative and corrective maintenance.
·         Supports all company safety and quality programs and initiatives.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS/KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS

·         Ability to use advanced trades mathematics together with use of complex drawings, specifications and charts.
·         Ability to use all varieties of precision measuring instruments
·         Must be able to apply judgment to perform more difficult work with use of complex drawings, specifications and charts.
·         Ability to program and troubleshoot PLC (programmable logic controllers) and ladder logic.
·         Ability to read and understand electrical drawings and schematics.

In addition to an hourly rate in the $24 to $26 range, the company offers a 401(k), competitive health care insurance, and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#54 of 101

Plastic Mold Tooling Technician – Tucson, AZ

Posted February 3rd, 2021

A company specializing in providing complex injection-molded thermoplastic products for the medical and automotive markets wants to hire a Plastic Mold Tooling Technician to; disassemble, clean, repair, and reassemble complex, multi-cavity tooling, using hand tools, milling machines, grinders, lathes and EDM equipment.

SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS:

Clean and perform scheduled inspection/PM on molds as required.
Must be able to use, engineering drawings and verbal instructions, with the ability to determine accurate and efficient methods for repairing molds.
Selects appropriate metals and materials. Layout work using precision instruments, shop mathematics and pertinent formulas.
Checks own work by making complex set-ups, interprets various gages and measuring devices such as micrometer, caliper, gage blocks, Vernier, dual indicators, working within extremely close tolerances.
Troubleshooting of molds running on the production floor as required.
Ensure that their work area is kept clean and in order.

QUALIFICATIONS:

High school or GED diploma
Mold-making apprenticeship, 4 years minimum
Flexibility to work overtime and weekends

In additional to an hourly pay rate of $24 to $28, the company offers competitive healthcare benefits, a 401(k) and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#55 of 101

Senior Metrologist – Tucson, AZ

Posted January 22nd, 2021

A custom injection molding company specializing in medical plastic components is searching for a Senior Metrologist. The Senior Metrologist is responsible for:

Performing reverse engineering.
Developing reliable and repeatable measuring setups used on any programmable measuring system or in open setup.
Programming state of the art measuring equipment like Optical or Coordinate Measuring systems, and understanding corresponding output.
Developing data acquisition macros and or linked spreadsheets to be used in report spreadsheets, i.e.; Microsoft Excel.
Performing First Piece Inspections, capability studies, Measuring System Analysis, and any other engineering / metrology related activities.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

Support the engineering and tool divisions metrology needs, i.e; performing reverse engineering activities using suitable methods including laser scanning and CAD software, handling complex metrology problems, as well as developing measuring methods and / or fixtures.
Solve complex Metrology problems to obtain measurements with either programmable measuring systems, or open setup measuring methods
Correctly interpreting different data/ print schemes, i.e.; GD&T
Develop and effectively document reliable and repeatable measuring setups, to be used on any programmable measuring system or in open setup.
Program sophisticated measuring equipment, i.e; CMM, RAM, Smart Scope using a CAD models or engineering drawings.

Assist engineering and tool divisions by programming part simulations using complex alignment schemes.
Perform first piece inspections, capability studies, and DOE (Design of Experiments) using measuring and test equipment with include, but not limited to:
- Programmable CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine) and video equipment
- Profilometers or surface finish testers Gear and roundness checkers
- Hand held measuring tolls such as height gauges, micrometers, calipers, and pin gauges
- Precision flat plates
Conduct Measuring System Error (MSE) analysis, i.e.; GRR studies, to validate measuring setups and or measuring systems
Generate MSE, 1st Piece Inspection, Statistical Process Control (SPC) studies, DOE, and other metrology related reports using Microsoft Excel and other database software packages
Thoroughly understand MSE, First Piece Inspection, SPC, DOE theory
Ability to interpret Measuring Software calculations
Adhere to and comply with the Metrology Lab procedures

QUALIFICATIONS:

Ability to program Video and CMM equipment
Strong skills in all aspects of mechanical dimensional inspection.
Complete knowledge of blue print reading, and Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerance (GD&T).
Strong skills in Microsoft office, i.e.; excel, word, access, etc.
In depth understanding of relevant subjects like MSE, SPC. DOE theory, Measuring software interpretation, Program validation systems, etc.
Experience in designing gages and fixtures
Attention to detail – a must
Bachelors Degree in math, science, or the equivalent in education and work experience
Excellent communication skills.
Excellent organizational skills.

In addition to an annual salary in the $80,000 to $90,000 range the company offers competitive benefits and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#56 of 101

Maintenance Technician – Spartanburg, SC

Posted January 18th, 2021

A company manufacturing plastic injection molded closures wants to hire a Maintenance Technician to work 12 hour night shifts and maintain plastic injection molding machines and auxiliary equipment.

Responsibilities include:

Ensuring all work is carried out safely and without injury.
Executing corrective actions for non-conformance related to production equipment and plant utilities.
Performing Electro/Mechanical trouble shooting.
Providing support to the maintenance/tooling department as required.
Coordinating contractor support as necessary.
Performing maintenance and repairs on the following equipment: Injection molding machines, downstream support equipment, high speed packaging equipment, and plant utilities.
Completing work assigned work orders in Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS)

Requisite Skills:

Competent in several of the following areas: windows based programs, blueprint reading, pneumatics, hydraulics, mechanical principles, basic plumbing and welding.
General electrical code, PLC, electrical controls.
Ability to operate machine shop equipment, metal fabrication equipment.

Education:

Technical college diploma in related field or Industrial Trade License is preferred

Experience:

Two plus years’ experience in the following areas: PLC/PC controlled machinery, injection machine troubleshooting, high speed packaging equipment repair and maintenance and repair of plant utilities.
Working knowledge of injection molding processing preferred.
ISO or similar quality system and SQF or similar food safety system would be a plus.

In addition to an hourly rate of $27 to $29 per hour, the company offers competitive healthcare benefits and a $500 sign on bonus.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#57 of 101

Automation Technician – Burlington, IA

Posted January 3rd, 2021

JOB QUALIFICATIONS/KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS

In addition to an hourly rate in the $20 to $25 range, the company offers a 401(k), competitive health care insurance, and relocation assistance.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#58 of 101

Blow Molding

Blow Molding Operator – Roanoke, VA

Posted January 2nd, 2021

One of North America’s largest independent manufacturers of consumer-packaged goods is searching for second shift plastic injection Blow Molding Machine Operators. The company manufactures plastic bottles and containers to hold its own products.

Essential Blow Molding Operator Job Functions

– Experience operating UNILOY blow molding machines would be a plus
– Experience with programmable parison heads
– Assist with mold changes
– Starting-up blow molding lines
– Making adjustments to machines to improve bottle quality
– Basic understanding of the properties of HDPE
– Able to run the bagging and de-bagging tables
– Understand and perform quality checks on bottles that including; leak and-tests, and dimensional checks.
– Fully complete all associated QC paperwork
– Adjust and maintain leak detection PLC on the lines
– Set-up cooling beds
– Make adjustments to the trimming machines and keep them clear and running
– Perform material compounding and maintain grinders
– Able to complete all shift paperwork
– Able to lift up to 50 pounds

Qualification Requirements

– At minimum of 2 years of Blow Mold experience is required
– Basic computer knowledge (Microsoft Word and Excel) is needed
– Must be able to multi-task
– Must have good oral and written communication skills
– Must be a team player who leads by example
– Possess mechanical skills and aptitude

Benefits:

In addition to a competitive salary the company offers an hourly rate of and comprehensive benefits including; health, wellness, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance. The company also offers relocation assistance and a 401(k) with matching.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#59 of 101

Chemicals Management Plastics Resins

Plastic Compounding Operations Manager – Corona, CA

Posted September 9th, 2020

A custom compounding facility wants to hire a Operations Manager to oversee manufacturing activities in a three-shift custom compounding facility. The company has been in business for over 40 years compounding: polyolefins, nylons, ABS, TPU, and reinforce plastic resins. The Operations Manger will ensure products are produced to high quality standards, on time and meeting established standards. The Operation Manager must also be able to; utilize their polymer compounding knowledge to improve machine efficiencies, procedures, and training of team members.

Operations Manager Responsibilities:

Creating and maintaining a safe working environment.
Providing daily “hands on” management of extrusion and secondary operations personnel.
Ensuring that all machinery is running at or above budgeted cycle times.
Managing, assisting and facilitating changeovers and setups.
Managing the material mixers to ensure prioritizing material mixes such that all machinery is ready for product changeovers.
Working with the scheduler for proper allocation of resources to start up prioritized job orders.
Ensuring that all process log sheets are being filled out correctly by all employees.
Performing required inspections, tests and audits and process capability studies as assigned.
Inspecting the work of the production crew to ensure that product specifications are adhered.
Training shift personnel on full scope of job functions and established procedures.
Implementing the instructions of the VP of Operations regarding Quality, Safety, ISO, and Productivity issues.
Ensuring compliance with all company policies.
Developing daily/ weekly manpower and material requirements for manufacturing and scheduling personnel to meet or beat company labor goals.

Position Requirements:

Extensive experience leading plastic extrusion and pulverizing processes and operating related machinery.
Proven track record of managing, achieving goals, and maximizing results in a 3-shift plastic resin compounding manufacturing operation.
Capable of working and functioning in a “smaller” company environment.
Bilingual is a plus

In addition to an annual salary in the $80,000 to $90,000 range, the company offers competitive healthcare benefits and a 401(k) with matching up to 4%.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#60 of 101

Blow Molding Plastics

Plastic Extrusion Blow Molding Process Technicians – Cortland, NY

Posted June 24th, 2020

A rapidly growing bottle manufacturing company wants to hire two Plastic Extrusion Blow Molding Process Technicians. One of the extrusion blow molding process technicians will work second shift and the other will work third shift. Experience with the ability to perform set-ups and maintain process control related to time, pressure, and temperature adjustments on BEKUM, Uniloy, Rocheleau and Automa shuttle blow molding equipment is required. General machine, secondary equipment, and support equipment maintenance is also required.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#61 of 101

Blow Molding Plastics

Blow Molding Operator – Riverside, CA

Posted April 25th, 2020

A custom blow molding manufacturer of consumer-packaged goods is searching for a second shift plastic injection Blow Molding Machine Operator. The company manufactures plastic bottles and containers.

Essential Blow Molding Operator Job Functions

Qualification Requirements

Benefits:

The company offers very competitive benefits including; health, wellness, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $25,000.00 to $30,000.00 /year

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#62 of 101

Extrusion Molding

Profile Extrusion Process Technicians – Columbus, OH

Posted April 18th, 2020

An expanding plastic profile extrusion manufacturing company wants to hire several Process Technicians in addition to Operators. The Profile Extrusion Process Technicians will manage the development, efficiency and documentation of profile extrusion processes while meeting continuous improvement objectives

ESSENTIAL PROFILE EXTRUSION PROCESS TECHNICIAN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Selecting machine dies.
Determining setup procedures.
Extruding plastic into shapes and diameters.
Setting-up secondary equipment to product specifications.
Specifying lengths and weights of structures.
Replacing worn dies.
Setting controls to regulate vacuum, air pressure, sizing rings, and temperature.
Synchronizing the speed of profile extrusion.
Reading and interpret blueprints and drawings.
Locating defects on extruded products.
Checking for conformance to specifications.
Adjusting controls as necessary.
Installing, connecting, testing, and adjusting equipment.
Cleaning tools.
Removing excess, entangled, or completed material from machines.
Ability to operate machines that extrude plastic structures.
Starting metering pumps.
Activating and adjust extruding machines.

QUALIFICATIONS:

High school diploma or GED
Minimum of 3 years experience in plastic profile extrusion or extrusion molding
Ability to work 12 hour shifts
Technically sound and hands-on in troubleshooting extrusion molding process issues
Mold set-up experience with a preventive maintenance background
Ability to use sound judgment and to prioritize workload
Strong written and communication skills.
Strong work ethic and results-oriented
Time management skills
Basic knowledge of Lean Manufacturing Practices – desired
Basic Microsoft suite computer skills

In addition to an hourly pay rate in the $25 to $31 range, the company offers; overtime pay, competitive health care benefits, a 401(k) with matching, relocation assistance and more…….

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#63 of 101

Recruiters’ Top 10 Resume Pet Peeves

Posted March 24th, 2018

I was just looking through a listing of Recruiters’ Top 10 Resume Pet Peeves by Norma Mushkat, from a Monster.com posting that I had downloaded from the Internet several years ago. Since I was one of the 2,500 recruiters who contributed to the ResumeDoctor.com survey, I received a copy. The original list had 20 items and is listed at www.iscworld.com/Top20.htm. Norma Mushkat shortened the list and added some recruiter comments. I will list everything verbatim and just wanted to make a note that the number 6 pet peeve is functional resumes. I was going to devote a blog to writing functional resumes but since I really dislike them, and I don’t seem to be alone, I decided to provide this listing instead.

Recruiters’ Top 10 Resume Pet Peeves:

10. Personal Information Unrelated to the Job

With the limited time recruiters spend on your resume, you don’t want to distract them with your age, height, weight and interests unless they’re directly related to the work you want to do.

9. Unqualified Candidates

You may want a job, but if you don’t have the skills and experience needed, recruiters will feel you’re wasting their time. Look at the job description. Be sure to highlight the skills the are looking for with a bulleted list of your related qualifications at the top of the document.

7. Long Resumes and 8. Paragraphs – Long Paragraphs instead of Bullet-points.

“I simply don’t have the time to read them,” says Bob Moore of Computer Recruiters, Inc. Focus on the skills and accomplishments that directly apply to the job you’re trying to get. Every word counts so don’t dwell on the specifics of each job, but rate the highlights specific to you.

6. Functional Resumes

Whenever possible, recruiters advise you go with chronological resume and focus on the skills and accomplishments that pertain to the job you’re seeking. If you are concerned about a layoff, be assured that “nowadays, unemployment is quite prevalent, and recruiters regard it differently,” says Jeanne Pace of Pace Search Services. “Most people do something to keep their work (skills) going.” Use that information to fill in the gaps.

5. Poor Formatting

Different typefaces and boxes may look nice on paper, but if the resume needs to be scanned, they can cause confusion. Recruiters suggest keeping your resume in plain text.

4. Inaccurate or Missing Contact Information

“You create a resume for one reason: To get a phone call,” says Kim Fowler of Fowler Placement Service Inc. How can someone contact you if the phone number is missing a digit or your email address is incorrect? Be sure every resume you send has you correct contact information, including name, phone number, email address and street address. Recruiter will not look you up; they’ll move on to the next candidate.

3. Inaccurate Dates or None at All

Recruiters need to know when you worked where to get a better understanding of your work history and to use the dates for background checks. According to Kathi Bradley of Bradley Resources, “Missing dates, especially for long periods of time, could send up a red flag, and the resume may be discarded as a result.”

Include specific ranges in months and years of for every position. If you have gaps, explain them either in your cover letter of introduction, but not you resume. “It always helps to continue your education and training and to list any volunteer work during a slow period,” says Bradley. “listing these under education or volunteer work should explain some of the gaps.”

2. Too Duty-Oriented

“If you’re using your company’s job description, you’re missing the point of your resume,” says Paul Schmitz of Hufford Associates. Recruiters already know what the job is; your resume should highlight your accomplishments in that position. Schmitz advises you show what you’ve really done by outlining the process, outcomes and results that are specific to you.

1. Spelling Errors, Typos and Poor Grammar

According to Bruce Noehren of J. Douglas Scott & Associates, this directly reflects your reputation. “You don’t gain anything by getting it right,” he says. “This is credibility you should already possess.”

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#64 of 101

Job Market Job Seeking

How Is The Plastic Industry Job Market?

Posted July 6th, 2017

“How is the Plastic Industry Job Market?” remains the primary question I am asked by candidates looking for positions in the Plastics Industry.

In my role as a Third Party Recruiter (Headhunter) to the Plastics Industry, I have been talking to many plastic manufacturing companies about their current hiring plans. The good news is that most of the companies report they are hiring, and in addition, many of them are hiring sales people. The hiring of plastic sales people, especially resin sales people, is viewed as a very strong indicator because, from our experience, companies hire sales people when the market is on an upward swing and, strangely enough, companies downsize sales people when the plastics market is going south.

Overall, I believe the plastic industry job market is going to continue to grow in 2017 but probably at a slightly reduced rate from 2015 and 2016, so if you are looking at a great job offer this year, you might want to take it.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#65 of 101

Client List for Discovery Personnel

Posted July 1st, 2017

I am often asked to provide a list of companies that have used our recruiting service. Very often this is a verbal request, and I can never remember all of our clients off the top of my head. So I am providing the following list of companies where we have placed candidates:

2017: Sabert

2016: Nypro/Jabil and Bericap

2015: Zeller Plastics

2014: Garner Industries, Western Industries, Vish Group, and Lenco Plastics

2013: Trugreen, Semco, Bergen, and Samsung Chemical

2012: Commercial Plastics, Pacific Allied, Semco, Dekko and Chemtainer

2011: GW Plastics, Bericap, Plastics Color Services, and Conductive Containers

2010: TriPack, Cortland Plastics, Rexnord and Priority Plastics

2009: Sukano Polymers, Midland Plastics, and ASK Plastics

2008: Water Gremlin, Rexnord, Cascade Plastics

2007: Trim-Lok, Advanced Composites, Forte Products, Cascade Plastics, Flexsol, Dixie Poly Drum, Texas Extrusions, Lenco, Tupperware, Premier Plastics

2006: Entegris, Al Morrell, CH Recycling, Brotex, Victor Plastics, Graham Packaging, Leon Plastics, Prairie Packaging, Trim-Lok, Advanced Composities

2005: Climatech, Vision Ease, Merrills Packaging, Zadepack, Entegris, Greystone

2004: Quality Culvert, Entegris, Ecowater, GY Packaging, Desert Plastics

2003: Ecowater, Novapak, Cycle Plastics, Amcor, Community Health Partners, Randy Hanger, NCM in Iowa (custom injection molder)

Some of these companies are no longer in business (not our fault!) but this list does provide a good representation of the type of companies we have worked with over the last 30 years. The level of these placements range from a janitor (no one is more surprised that we placed an janitor than me) to company Presidents and General Managers (not so surprising).

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#66 of 101

Many Job Seekers are Still “Not Getting It”!

Posted January 26th, 2017

I am a third party recruiter who receives over 100 resumes per week. Most of those resumes are responding to postings I have place on several thousand job boards, or on my own web site. When I post a job opening, I carefully spell out the job requirements. Job seekers responding to my posting often have very few, or none, of the job skill and experience requirements in their resumes. When I respond to the candidate via e-mail, or call them, and inform them that they don’t fit the job requirements, the job seeker often responds by telling me that they have the requisite skills but they failed to include the information in the resume.

A Resume is not just a formality, it is the key to unlocking the company’s hiring door. If the information on the resume does not include the information the hiring company wants, no amount of cajoling by the recruiter will get the hiring company to interview the candidate. With the easy access to word processing software these days, there is no excuse for not tailoring a resume to fit the job description unless the job seeker does not have the requisite job skills and experience. If a job seeker does not have the experience and job skills the company wants, they should not be responding to the positing by a third party recruiter for that particular position anyway. If the job seeker is responding to the posting in order to get help from the third party recruiter with their job search, that should be clearly stated somewhere in the response.

I know many candidates believe that third party recruiters should “think outside the box” and present them to the hiring company anyway but that is not what companies are paying us to do. Companies provide lists of qualifications they want met and that is that. Companies are not looking for creativity when they hire a third party recruiter, they are looking to have their hiring needs met period.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#67 of 101

Job Hunter Job Seeking

CELL PHONES – DANGER WILL SMITH

Posted April 29th, 2015

A recruiter that is a member of the same recruiting network I am a member of, had what appeared to be a stellar Big-4 CPA candidate sail through a phone and follow up SKYPE interview with one of my top clients. They discussed money and responsibilities on the SKYPE and he was ready to accept an on the spot offer when they flew him in for the in person interview. As part of the interview process, the team took him out for lunch and twice during the luncheon discussion he looked down and checked his cell phone, once returning a text message. He was devastated when I told him that is why he is not getting the offer. He mentioned that all of his 20 something friends and fellow Big-4 CPAs text during meals.

I found this kind of amusing until, the very next day, one of my candidates who was suppose to be being trained could not quit texting an lost his job on the first day of work. He is in his low twenties. Now I am concerned this may be reoccurring problem with the Millennials.

The moral of the story is whether interviewing or being trained, turn the cell phone off and more importantly; do not text.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#68 of 101

Job Hunter Job Seeking

FINDING A JOB IN THE 22nd CENTURY

Posted April 8th, 2014

Once upon a time, in America, all that was needed to start a very good paying career was a four year college degree but, unfortunately, that is no longer the case. Companies no longer just care about what you know, they want to know how well you can apply that knowledge. After all, companies are looking for employees that can solve their problems and solve them immediately. Gone are the days when companies were willing, and could afford to, train promising talent coming straight out of college. Technology is changing so rapidly, and most schools lag behind industry, that a degree, even in an engineering or computer technology field, is no longer considered an adequate proxy by employers for candidates to do a particular job. Many employers are designing, or purchasing, tests to determine if the candidate can apply their knowledge. Unfortunately, most schools (High Schools and Colleges) are so busy trying to force feed knowledge into students’ brains, and then testing to make sure it is there, that they do not have time to teach students how to apply that knowledge. Now many technical companies are asking candidates questions, such as, “how many tennis balls will fit in a school bus and what was your thought process that led you to this solution?”, instead of asking; what is the value of Planck’s constant?

What does this mean for individuals looking for their first or a new job (obsolescence occurs very rapidly in todays job market)? Obviously, demonstrated experience and training in the field that the employer is trying to fill is a must. As a Technical Recruiter in the Plastics Industry, I am constantly amazed that after advertising for an Injection Molding Engineer, almost 90% of the respondents do not have any experience in the plastics field, much less, injection molding experience. If you have the requisite experience, the next step is preparing a resume that not only shows that you have the experience and training in the field you are applying for, but in addition, it is very important to provide examples of how you have used that knowledge to solve your employer’s problems and, therefore, increase sales and profits. Obviously, most college students lack the experience and skills upon graduation that employer’s want so desperately. That is why it is important, more than ever, for college students to perform internships, or summer positions, with companies that can provide some of the experience and skills that you want to pursue upon graduation from college and emphasize them on your resume.

Keeping your resume current is also very important. Not listing skills or experience that you have that a company wants, based on the posted job description, is the kiss of death. I never cease to be amazed how many individuals send me resumes that do not contain any reference to the experience required by the hiring company and when I reject them for consideration for the position they e-mail saying they have the experience requested but they have not had time to update their resume or “you are a recruiter and should have been able to tell that I have the right experience”. Despite of what some people believe, Corporate or Third Party Recruiters are rarely clairvoyant.

Companies are constantly looking for overqualified people these days or “purple squirrels” as those of us in the recruiting industry call them. Usually, if a company asks that a candidate meets 10 criteria, as soon as I submit a candidate that meets all 10 criteria, the company comes up with a 11th. Being under qualified in areas of experience, training and skills will also keep the company from seriously considering you for the position. This means that someone that has been out of school for a years should be continuing their education, usually through seminars conducted by whatever technical society they belong. Companies use to provide continuing training to their employees but that is rarely the case anymore. It has fallen upon the individual to assume much of the responsibility for keeping expertise and skills current, much as it is the responsibility of the professional athlete to run and lift weights to stay in shape in the off-season. An example is; currently almost all plastic injection molding companies want engineers and technicians with “Scientific Molding” or RJG experience but some companies do not do scientific molding and their engineers or technicians lack that expertise and then when the get “downsized or rightsized” they have trouble finding another position because the lack the scientific molding skills. Scientific Molding and/or RJG training is offered by some very good trainers and should be pursued by everyone in the industry if for no other reason than to keep themselves marketable.

In summary, candidates get rejected for jobs for two main reasons; the candidate cannot demonstrate to the company that they can solve the problems they are being interviewed for, or they don’t know what the company needs, and it comes through because the candidate has not developed the expertise and learned the skills that are needed.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#69 of 101

Companies Ask, Why Can’t Headhunters Find The “Right Candidate?”

Posted March 12th, 2014

As a third-party recruiter for the plastics, packaging and medical device industries, I enjoy reading postings and spam e-mails telling people how easy it is to make “big bucks” as a recruiter. These e-mails usually say the only tools needed to earn $30,000 a month as an executive recruiter are a telephone, computer, and a list of companies—which the spamming company will provide at a nominal price. Even with the low cost of entry into the recruiting industry and the large number of trainers wanting to help new recruiters, one of the most difficult parts of being a recruiter is trying to figure out whom (or what) the company really wants to hire.

As a job opening moves higher up the corporate ladder, the harder it is for the hiring company to accurately define the attributes and skills needed for the position they wish to fill. I recently worked with a firm that was trying to start a new business in bio-degradable plastic film. This company initially told me they wanted a salesperson with lots of experience selling plastic films to the packaging industry. I gave them a couple of individuals that could fill that position rather well. These candidates were interviewed, and the company liked one of the interviewees well enough that they did reference and background checks. Then they decided they probably needed a Technical Manager with bio-degradable plastic film development experience. I provided them with an individual who possessed all of the updated qualifications and he was likewise interviewed. The company then decided a less experienced individual contributor with any plastic experience at all would probably be better. Again, I presented a couple of candidates that met the new requirements, but never received any feedback. Numerous attempts to contact the HR Manager went unanswered.

Filling a position requires a lot of valuable time and monetary resources for the company as well as they recruiter. When recruiters are trying to hit a moving target it can be very frustrating for everyone in the hiring loop. Candidates waste vacation time traveling to a company that is usually not conveniently located. Human Resources has to set up several interview trips and perform reference checks, and managers have to make themselves available to interview the candidates. This does not even include the time spent by the recruiting firms or in-house recruiter trying to find suitable candidates. This situation can often be blamed on poor business planning, or sometimes a changing business environment. Nonetheless, often this loss of time and money can often be avoided if the hiring manager honestly answers some the following basic questions before starting the job search:

Do we really have a job to fill (or are we putting the cart before the horse)?
Do we know what we want (or are we hoping that we will know when we see it)?
Do we have a current accurate job description for the position we are trying to fill?
What will success in the position look like?
What problems are we hiring the candidate solve?
What type of individual will best fit our culture?
Are we trying fill a position that requires two or three levels of skills (e.g. Laboratory Worker, Salesperson, and Tech Manager)?
Are we trying to hire a strategic thinker to fill an individual contributor role?
Are we really listening to the recruiter when they tell us the salary being offered is too low, or search area needs to opened up, etc.

The next time a human resources or a third-party recruiter fails to find you the employee you desire, review these nine questions and make sure you are part of the hiring solution and not part of the hiring problem.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#70 of 101

TIPS FOR WRITING AN EFFECTIVE RESUME

Posted March 10th, 2014

The perfect resume probably has not been written but a resume does not have to be perfect, it merely has to be good enough to get you a job interview. The following 13 items should help in your efforts to write an effective, if not perfect, resume.

Never, never lie on your resume. Even stating that you are still working for a company when you are merely collecting some type of unemployment compensation from the company is a lie. Intentionally misleading people into believing you have a degree when you do not is a lie. Leaving a job off the resume that you worked at for six months can be construed as a lie. Leaving positions off the resume that are so old as to be irrelevant for the position you are applying for is usually a good idea, because; it makes the resume easier to read and, if you think you might become a victim of age discrimination, leaving old positions off the resume makes it more difficult to guess your age.
Make sure all contact information is correct. I once had an executive, making over $250,000 a year, get very angry with me because my client company would not send him his interview expense check. When I checked into it, I found out the check had been returned to the company several times. The candidate had an incorrect address on the resume. I have seen many resumes with incorrect telephone numbers. This is not as important in the email era, unless your email address is wrong also, and that is not a good thing.
Make sure you have NO spelling errors on the resume. Virtually everyone has access to word processing program with a spell checker. If you do not, invest in a word processing program and use the spell checker. Spelling errors send everyone who reads the resume a message that you don’t really care or you are sloppy. I once had a candidate who after interviewing with a company felt compelled to write a thank you letter, which is normally a good thing. Unfortunately, the thank you note was hand written and full of spelling errors. The company’s offer letter and the candidate’s thank you note passed each other in the mail. After receiving the thank you note, the company withdrew the offer.
Talk about your accomplishment’s not the team’s accomplishments. The team (in most cases) is not trying to get the job, you are.
List accomplishments, not your job description. The hiring company wants to know what you did to make your company more successful, not that you watered the plants every morning. This can be very important. I rewrote an executive candidate’s resume (for a fee) that had been out of work for six months. The main thing I changed was his to list his accomplishments and eliminated his duties. A few weeks later I received a letter from him stating he had 6 interviews and was deciding between 3 offers. He also sent me an additional check.
Minimize or eliminate the use of fancy graphics. My computer reads most of the resumes sent to me before I do and it gets very upset if it has to sift through cute winking happy faces. Also, more and more hiring companies are reading resumes directly into data bases and bullet points and graphics make this a slow process.
Do not use tables. Tables present a whole host of problems if the recruiter has to make a change to the resume or if the company is trying to feed the resume directly into their data base.
Try to keep the resume to two pages. One page is usually too short but more that 2 page resumes often get ignored because no one has time to read more than two pages.
Focus on what your can do for the company not what the company can do for you. Remember, the company has a problem that has to be addressed or they would not be using their limited resources to make you happy. Hopefully, the hiring process will be a win-win for both of you but remember the golden rule “he who has the gold rules”.
Do not list references on your resume. There are so many reasons not to do this that I do not want to list them here. One of the biggest reasons not to list references is that the person you have listed as a reference may quickly become your strongest competitor for the job after the recruiter talks to him or her.
Do not put your Social Security Number on your resume. This seems obvious in this era of identity theft but I still see resumes with Social Security numbers.
Do not list personal items such as hobbies, number of children, church affiliations, etc. These can only hurt you because most Human Resource Managers are amature Psychiatrists and if they see you like to read, they automatically assume your are introverted and this could be bad if you are interviewing for the Plant Manager or sales position. Also, deep down most companies believe you should not have a life outside the company. If you have time for hobbies that means you could be working longer hours developing that perfect report no one is going to read.
Objective statements are passé. You have submitted your resume to the company so, obviously, you are looking for a job you can be happy performing. Do not waste valuable resume space and the recruiter’s or Human Resources Manager’s valuable time.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#71 of 101

Job Searching Using Social Media

Posted March 9th, 2014

I am reading Job Searching with Social Media For Dummies by Joshua Waldman, MBA among several other books. I started reading this book to get a better feel for how Social Media can help the job seeker. After spending several chapters reviewing what Social Media is, the author basically tells the reader to use Social Media to find individuals to network with—first using Social Media alone, but eventually establishing personal relationships. This tells me that even in the Internet era, personal relationships, which many job seekers seem to avoid, are still necessary to find jobs. In spite of changing technology, as the Bible says, “There is nothing new under the sun”. When looking for a job, use the Internet, Social Media, etc., but remember that the best way to find positions is through face-to-face networking.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#72 of 101

Are All Plastics Recruiters Created Equal?

Posted September 8th, 2011

We know that finding qualified personnel for the plastics industry is difficult—and that you may need a bit of help in that area right now. Have you wondered why that is? With internet sites boasting of “smart” searches and “targeted” ads, shouldn’t it be simple to find expert candidates? With the myriad of recruiting firms clamoring for your business, shouldn’t it be easy to find a recruiter to fill your requirements?

Well, the reality is that for some positions the job boards work great. For certain industry segments, just about any recruiter can find good candidates. But when the position requirements are a bit more restrictive; when the right person is more likely to be a passive candidate; when evaluating a candidate’s fit with your organization’s culture is significantly more important than matching up resumes with keyword checklists—then things get a little tougher. And in plastics, where the technical requirements for a position are usually process and equipment specific, finding good people can be nearly impossible in today’s market.

Of course, you hate to spend money on a recruiter—especially when you know that you could find a good match yourself if you just had a bit more time. But extra time is hard to come by, job postings are pretty expensive in their own right, and even posting on a corporate web site carries the cost of wading through stacks of resumes. Even after filtering out the most promising resumes, you know that you’re not necessarily looking at the best candidates; just those that happen to be actively looking for new employment, and those that possess enough writing talent to convey a sense of their capabilities (whether real or imagined).

So, perhaps with some reluctance, you may decide that you need the services of a “plastics” recruiter. There are lots of plastics recruiters to choose from. If you do a search for “plastics recruiters” on Google, you’ll have no trouble finding them. Just to save you the trouble, here are links to six plastics recruiting firms we found on a recent search:

So, whom do you choose, and why in the would you choose Discovery Personnel instead? After all, each of these firms claim to know the industry. Most are members of industry organizations, such as the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) or the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI). They all claim to know where to find the best candidates, with access to the most complete databases, and unmatched industry insight. (Some of their websites look pretty nice, too.) So again, whom do you choose?

What makes Discovery Personnel unique is our experience in the plastics industry. For the last 24 years, we have recruited solely for the plastics industry. We are not just a branch of a larger recruiting organization. We know plastics, and we know it well. The recruiters in our office have manufacturing and management experience in plastics that most recruiting firms simply cannot provide. While other recruiting firms can find candidates that match resume keywords, they often lack the depth of plastics manufacturing experience needed to identify the intangibles that make or break a new hire. Not only do we know the plastic industry’s hiring needs, processes, and equipment, we know when to seek outside resources from our industry contacts to successfully address our clients’ hiring needs.

Lisa Carpenter, founding partner and President, has a BS degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. After receiving her degree, she joined the Materials and Plastics Division of General Electric where she worked as a process engineer and supervised production in several facilities. Jim Heilman, Vice-President, earned a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and later an MBA from the University of Dayton. His 25-year manufacturing career encompassed the development and manufacture of containers, devices, and packages that were thermoformed, extruded, blown, cast, blow molded or injection molded, including stints as design manager, maintenance manager, and production manager.

Discovery Personnel has placed candidates ranging from CNC machine operators to CEOs. We’ve found talented individuals for companies hiring their first employee, and for Fortune 100 firms. When asked to perform a job search, we work with you to minimize your effort during the search process so you can concentrate on more pressing business needs. In addition to supporting your hiring needs through traditional recruiting methods, we also have the flexibility to provide recruiting support on a contract or hourly basis. Details can be determined and arranged on a case by case basis.

Discovery Personnel, Inc. takes every possible measure to be sure we are finding the right candidate for your company. We post positions at discoverypersonnel.com, on over 400 job boards, on the Top Echelon Network (which is the largest network of independent recruiters with over 1,400 recruiters), and with approximately 100 recruiters that specialize in recruiting for the plastics industry that are members of our informal network. Discovery Personnel, Inc. also has a database of over 7,000 candidates and, of course, we do the traditional recruiting thing: getting references and calling into companies that are not, and have not been, our client companies.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#73 of 101

How Does Discovery Personnel Find Candidates?

Posted September 7th, 2011

I was once asked, “How does Discovery Personnel find its candidates?” At first I was worried that the company making the inquiry might be trying to learn my hard learned secrets, with the intent of circumventing our services (just remember that even paranoid people have enemies). After thinking about the question, and realizing that the individual asking me the question was not the sinister type, I realized this was a very good question. I quickly sent her an email with an outline of how we go about finding candidates. Most recruiters use many of the same methods as Discovery Personnel, so I thought that writing a brief summary of how we recruit candidates might be worthwhile for companies considering the services of a recruiting firm.

Discovery Personnel usually starts the job search process by posting new jobs (but not all) on our own web site (see our Job Listing). We also post the position with the Top Echelon Network of independent recruiters, which is the largest network of independent recruiters in the United States. Discovery Personnel is a Preferred Member of the Top Echelon Network. Then the job is listed on approximately 400 job boards nationally and some internationally.

After posting the positions on all these sites we run a database search on our own database, which has over 17,000 qualified job seeker resumes, most having experience in the Plastics Industry. The candidates have responded to previous job openings, to our advertisements in plastic industry related magazines, are found by our spider that scours the internet for candidates, or from job seeker resume services such as ExecutiveResumes, ResumeRabbit, etc. After searching our database we search the Top Echelon Network Database which contains approximately 50,000 current and qualified candidate resumes. Recently we have started working with a large and rather well known outplacement service, McKenzie Scott Partners helping to place executives that are being outplaced.

In addition to all of these methods, we contact other recruiters who specialize in placing people in the plastics industry and request their help. Last but not least, Discovery Personnel utilizes the traditional method of calling into companies that our not our client companies to find those hard to find candidates who may not be looking at all.

Needless to say, we look at a lot of resumes and talk to a lot of job seekers before sending a half dozen, or so, targeted resumes to our client company. And then the fun begins…………….

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#74 of 101

Can’t Recruiters and Client Companies Be Friends?

Posted September 1st, 2011

As a third-party recruiter myself, I’m frequently confused by companies wanting to hire recruiters on a contingency basis. A company will call and ask that we perform searches while they continue to run newspaper ads, place job board listings, and make internal postings. We’re not talking about companies that throw recruiters a bone just to get them to stop calling, I’m talking about companies that call us, and other recruiting firms, and unmistakably ask for our help. If the company believes they can find the employee on their own, why bother dragging recruiters into the process? I suppose Human Resources (or whatever they are called today) believe that by calling a recruiter they will increase the odds of finding the best candidate. Usually, though, they hold the recruiter’s candidates to a higher standard because the recruiter is being paid a fee.

Sometimes I get the feeling that Human Resources Recruiters and Managers are playing a perverse game where, if they find the candidate on their own after hiring a recruiter, they will have demonstrated just how valuable they are to the company. After all, a recruitment fee has been saved. This, unfortunately, presents potential problems for the corporation:

The third-party recruiter might not be willing to work with the company again. This may not be seen as a problem, at least not in the short term, because there is always another recruiter willing to take the job, even if they are not as competent as the original recruiter.
A lawsuit may ensue if the third-party recruiter presents a candidate and the company later “finds the candidate on their own.” Finding candidates after being provided with a name and a resume is not too difficult in the age of the Monster and other job boards. After all, if the candidate already has his or her name on the job board you would have found it eventually, right? The jury is still out on this, so to speak, but why take the risk?
The Human Resources Department could be making better use of their time by doing what they do best and letting the outside recruiter do what he or she does best.
The hiring manager, without knowing it, could be settling for the second, third, or fourth best candidate because the HR Department did not present the best candidate to the hiring manager in order to save a recruiting fee.
Hiring a critical employee might be delayed, and untold profits lost, while the search for a “free candidate” continues.
Running advertisements in newspapers and on job boards is not cheap and hiring people to sort through hundreds of resumes is even more expensive.

My point is that, if you really feel you do not need a third-party recruiter’s help, don’t hire them. The main thing an outside recruiter has to offer is their time and expertise. If they do not spend their time well, then they are not making money. If third-party recruiters are not making money, then they will soon be out of business. If third party recruiters all go out of business where will the corporate world be? Maybe I don’t want to go there, but you get the general idea.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#75 of 101

Interviewing

Interviewing Tip #1

Posted October 14th, 2009

During a telephone or face-to-face interview, the key thing to remember is the company is trying to solve a perceived problem. The company hopes that you are the solution to their problem and that is why they are interviewing you. If for any reason, the company perceives that you are not the solution to the problem, or that hiring you presents a greater risk to the company than the problem you are being interviewed to solve, you will not be hired. You must be seen as a “safe bet” and not as a work in progress or someone who will require a great deal of training before you can start solving the problem(s) you were hire to solve. Your whole function in you new position will be to reduce your manager’s pain, not increase it.

I am working with an excellent engineeering candidate that my client company flew him to their corporate headquarters for multiple interviews. The company and I perceived him to be an outstanding and very reliable individual. The company knew that he was not an exact fit for the position but he had most of the experience and training that the company wanted so they were very interested in hiring him. After two telephone interviews and three face-to-face interviews at considerable expense to the company, the company hired someone with no work experience from a local college. I believe he did not receive an offer because he was somewhat insecure and spent quite a bit of time during the interviewing process asking about training that he would be receiving instead of selling his experience and abilities. The company did not provide me with any reasons for not hiring the candidate but based on conversations with the candidate I felt that he was a little too focused on closing his self perceived gap between his experience and the job requirements instead of selling his existing abilities to the company.

Please remember that when interviewing getting the job offer is job one. That does not mean you should lie about any deficiencies or gloss them over but do not dwell on them. If the company makes you an offer, they must believe you have the requisite skills and education to be successful in the new position. If you decide later that you do not really want to work for the company, or that you do not believe you cannot perform the job satisfactorily, you can always turn the offer down.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#76 of 101

Is It a Good Time to Embark on a Plastics Career?

Posted June 21st, 2009

Our company was asked to provide input on a couple of questions by one of the Editors of a well known plastics magazine because he is going to interviewed at the 2009 NPE Show. Since, I don’t really expect our answers to the questions to be published, I thought I would share them with the readers of this blog.

a) Is it a good time to embark on a plastics career? and

b)What are the areas of job growth in the plastics industry?

One of the best reasons to embark on a plastics career is that plastics will continue playing a large role in our lives. Existing uses of plastics will continue to expand as companies seek to extend product reliability, reduce component weight, and improve energy efficiency. Meanwhile, new use for plastics will grow as emerging technologies, such as nanomaterials and biopolymers, create new applications for plastic materials.

Unfortunately for United States manufacturers, domestic labor costs and the recent economic downturn have driven much of the traditional plastics business overseas. As a result, many plastic manufacturing and molding companies have been forced to cut their staffs in recent years. Nonetheless, job growth in the United States based plastics industry will eventually rebound as novel uses of plastics materials and innovative approaches to plastic processing are developed. Economic growth will follow as designers find new ways to utilize the ever-increasing capabilities of plastics into everyday products.

When plastic manufacturing picks up, even modestly, companies will once again add technical and management personnel. However, they will be looking for employees who are familiar with recent developments in plastics manufacturing. In an effort to stay small and nimble, plastics companies will seek out individuals who can wear a great many hats and feel very comfortable doing so. They will need people who can work closely with customers, possibly working on the customer’s factory floor to develop new products and manufacturing methods. By embarking on a plastics career now, you will be ready when the economy turns around. This pattern has repeated itself in the past, and there is no reason to believe that it won’t happen again.

A plastics engineer must have strong expertise in equipment operation and die design, and must possess a strong knowledge of plastic materials. There is less time available for individuals to develop technical expertise through on-the-job-training, so attending a college or university with recognized technical training in plastics is more important than ever.

Highly creative thinkers are needed who can take two or more seemingly unrelated ideas and blend them into a new product or process. Perhaps you can envision a disposable scalpel that fits comfortably in a surgeon’s hand and is still inexpensive enough to be thrown away after use. How about an automobile hood that reduces vehicle weight while acting as a solar panel?

The point is that the plastics industry needs new product ideas and manufacturing methods more than ever.

In spite of the current slowdown in manufacturing, this is definitely a good time to embark on a plastics career. Many of the people downsized in the plastics industry over recent years will not be returning. They will have changed careers or retired. Some will have started new plastics businesses, thus creating more openings. The plastics industry is constantly growing and changing, thus providing challenges that you may find quite rewarding. Now is the time to prepare for the next wave of advances in plastics manufacturing.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#77 of 101

An Answer to “How is the Job Market”

Posted June 18th, 2009

As bad as the economy is at the moment, there must be more to life than toys, travel, newer cars, and larger homes. As Viktor Frankl, who wrote, Man’s Search For Meaning, stated a half a century ago,

People have enough to live, but nothing to live for, they have the means but not meaning.

I know this may not mean much to many people who are out of work and watching their retirement savings dwindling but most of us will make it through this economic crisis and many of us will be the better for it. As Fredrich Nietzche once said,

That which does not kill us makes us stronger

As a third party recruiter working in the plastics industry, I know it is very difficult, if not nearly impossible, for individuals that are out of work find employment but I believe there will be improvement in job market fairly soon. Even though there are few companies hiring now, I still come to work every morning and work at least 8 hours because when the job market opens up, I believe there will be many opportunities.

As that famous philosopher, Bill Clinton once stated, “I feel your pain”. I continue to talk with, and add candidates to my data base because I want to be in a position to help as many people as I can when the job market improves. Hang in there just a little longer. Keep sending out those resumes, network with everyone you can, and keep returning recruiter telephone calls.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#78 of 101

Searching for a Job???

Posted June 10th, 2009

I just read an article by the self proclaimed largest Job Search Board, providing ten reasons a job seeker may not be able to find a job. I totally agree with the first reason, which was, the job seeker may not be networking enough. The other nine reasons dealt primarily with not utilizing the aforementioned job board properly. Since using job boards to find jobs, is not regarded as one of the top job search methods, I am going to discuss networking further.

Networking with established contacts is, without a doubt, one of the best ways to find a job. I was at a church service one Sunday, a few years ago, and overheard one church member tell another he had lost his job. The other church member said he could use someone like him in his business and hired him the following week. Serendipity rarely happens to this extent but if an individual is out of work and does not let anyone know it will never happen. For the most part, people do want to help other people as long as they are not put on the spot.

No mention was made in the job board article on finding a job about using social networks such as LinkedIn. According to the author of LinkedIn for DUMMIES, Joel Elad, “Currently 130,000 recruiters are members of LinkedIn, constantly using the search functions to go through the database and find skilled members that match their job search requirements”. He goes on to say, “Instead of companies paying big money for resume books, they now have tens of millions of qualified professionals, each of which has a detailed profile with skills, experience and recommendations already available”. LinkedIn is an obvious social networking choice for Professionals seeking work because it is targeted to Professionals, but other social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, etc. are being used by recruiters to find candidates. Some recruiters are even trying to use Twitter to find candidates but the jury is still out on how effective a tool Twitter will be for recruiters.

Since I am a Third Party Recruiter (Headhunter), I would be remiss if I did not recommend networking with Third Party Recruiters. Very often Third Party Recruiters have access to positions that are not posted on Job Boards, Company Web Sites, or Newspapers because Human Resource Recruiters know that they would be so inundated with resumes that they would be overwhelmed. Networking with headhunters involves more than sending a resume to a third party recruiter and then disappearing. Networking with a third party recruiter should at least include answering the telephone when recuiters call. Recruiter networking should also include follow up every few weeks. Not including headhunters in the job search process will result in the loss of a valuable resource. I recommend using third party recruiters that specialize placing job seekers in the industry or services area where the job seeker wants to work. If a definite geographic location is desired, working with recruiters who recruit for a specific region is also a good idea.

There are many job seeking tools available and they all should be used in this very tough market but networking should not be overlooked, or under utilized, in favor of easier job search methods, such as, placing a resume on a Job Board and waiting by the telephone for the job offers to roll in.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#79 of 101

Headhunters, Friend or Foe???

Posted April 19th, 2009

I am a Third Party Technical Recruiter who likes to feel that I am a friend of any job seeker who asks for my help to find them a new position, or responds to my postings at various job posting sites on the Internet. However, in this rather difficult economy so many of us are going through, I believe a large percentage of job seekers see me and my compatriots as foes. The main reason for much of the present friction between third party recruiters (headhunters) and job seekers is that every job opportunity is very important to the job seeker, and this creates a lot of anxiety and a desire to lash out at anyone who stands in the way of them getting the job. The other major reason for the friction between job seekers and third party recruiters is that the job seeker does not really understand the role of the Headhunter in the hiring process, and that is what I want to address in this blog.

Headhunters do not create jobs, we merely fill them. This sounds very basic but many job seekers feel that after they submit their resume to a recruiter, the recruiter should contact them within a week or two with positions that might be of interest to them. The truth is, sadly, that even in a good economic times a typical recruiter only places about 5% of the job seekers they receive resumes from. There are a lot of reasons for that low percentage, which is not a reflection of job seeker quality or headhunter skill, it just is. I will deal with this topic in a future blog.
Third Party Recruiters (Contingency or Retained) work for the company that contracts with them or hires them to fill an open position. This means that the hiring company is the boss and the recruiter must supply only candidates that fit the company’s criteria. To do otherwise will result in the headhunter losing the client company’s confidence in them at the least, and possibly losing the company as a client.
Headhunters are given criteria by their client company that job seekers must meet, and if the job seeker’s resume does not demonstrate the required experience and training, the company will reject the resume. Gone are the days when a recruiter could pitch a candidate to the client company just because he or she is an exceptional individual with exceptional education.
The third party recruiter does not work for the job seeker. If I could guarantee a position for every job seeker that contacts me, I would be charging the candidates and not billing companies. Headhunters do, occasionally, market exceptional candidates into companies, but this is very time consuming, and in an era where most companies are not hiring, and job seekers post their resumes to several job boards before even contacting a recruiter, marketing job seekers into companies can be very frustrating.
If a job seeker responds to one of my postings, I like to let them know that they are, or are not, being considered for the position. Sometimes this elicits a rather negative response from the job seeker who is not being considered for the position. The negative response is often due to their perception that they should be considered for the position because they are an exceptional individual, even though they do not meet the company’s experience and/or educational requirements. Again, the headhunter works for the company and does not have the option of presenting individuals who do not meet their client company’s job requirements.
Many job seekers believe that the only job the headhunter has is to send all the resumes they receive directly to their client companies. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most Human Resources Managers and Department Managers are short staffed and over worked these days. One of the main reasons companies hire third party recruits is to reduce their manager’s work load. Out of the 200 or so resumes I receive in response to postings on the Internet, in magazines, or my web site (discoverypersonnel.com), only about a half dozen of the resumes are sent to the client company, and then only after I, or someone in my office, talks to the job seeker at great length about the position, their skills, job requirements, etc.
Sometimes job seekers have some or all of the criteria the hiring company wants but they make no, or a cursory, effort to present this experience in their resumes. I know this to be the case because, sometimes when I send an e-mail to a job seeker saying they lack the experience the client company wants, I get a response back saying they have the requisite experience or degree but they did not have room on the resume to include that rather significant piece of information. I could almost understand not updating resumes to reflect job related experience if candidates were still using typewriters, with no memory, to prepare resumes but, with word processing available to almost everyone, why would a serious job seeker not revise their resumes to show their job related experience?
Recruiters (both headhunter and company) are not mind readers. If the key words that are provided in the job description are not included somewhere in the resume, or on a cover letter (on the resume is preferable), the recruiter will reject the resume. Time is money to a recruiter, at the end of the day selling their time and experience is all they have to offer. Trying to contact everyone who submits a resume for a position is not practical and will lead to the recruiter going out of business very quickly.
Many recruiters (both third party and company) do not respond to job seekers who submit resumes, and I talk to a lot of job seekers who are very upset by this. I do try to respond to everyone who sends me a resume but it is very time consuming, and the time spent responding to someone who sent a resume for a Custom Plastics National Sales Manager position, but whose only experience is selling lawn services, might be put to better use. If you are responding to a job posting but you do not have at least some of the requisite job skills, please, do not waste your’s and the headhunter’s time by submitting your resume for a job in Florida and you just because you want to move to Florida.

There is much more I would like to write on this topic but I am a recruiter and both time and money are very tight at this point in time, so I must return to running my business. I hope I have been able to clear up some misconceptions about headhunters and that this blog will proactively reduce some headhunter/job seeker frustration.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#80 of 101

Reason For Leaving

Posted April 14th, 2009

As a Third Party Recruiter, recruiting for the plastics industry, one of the least pleasant things I have to ask a job seeker is “why did you leave your last employer?”. This question must be asked because, it is one of the first questions the company’s hiring manager or human resources representative asks us, and if the candidate has had several recent job changes, they want to know the reason for all of the recent job changes.

I am writing this blog to suggest to unemployed job seekers, as many unemployed job seekers are now doing, to place a brief reason for each recent job change on their resume. Reasons for being unemployed include; downsized along with 1/3 of the plant production employees, plant is closing, operations are being relocated to Asia, company has ceased doing R&D, etc. Stating the reason for being unemployed on the resume can be a big help for the job seeker because some potential employers feel that anyone who is out of work is because of poor job performance. The hiring manager may pass on a candidate simply because they are not currently employed, if the reason for unemployment is not included on their resume.

Obviously, some companies have used the economy as an excuse to shed poor performers but the majority of unemployed job seekers are unemployed because companies have to make deep cuts (sometimes deeper than they probably should have). If you were terminated from a company for performance reasons, you might not want to include that on you resume, but if you were merely downsized, I see no reason not to include an explanation on the resume.

There has been a great deal of upheaval in the plastics industry over the past couple of years and being unemployed in the plastics industry should no longer have the stigma attached it once did.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#81 of 101

THE HISTORICAL RESUME

Posted January 13th, 2009

I am a Third Party Recruiter (Headhunter) specializing in finding employees for the Plastics Industry. In today’s buyer (employer) driven market, well written resumes are even more important than ever. Unfortunately, I continue to see many poorly written resumes. In order to help job seekers write better resumes, I am relisting a Blog I wrote a couple of years ago. This is a basic chronological resume in an outline format that you can use to develop your resume. The Chronological resume is good to use for mailing, hand delivery or sending to recruiters. This assumes you are using a word processor, which should be Microsoft Word 97 or more recent. Adobe .pdf files are also acceptable.

I. PERSONAL INFORMATION
      A. YOUR NAME IN CAPITAL LETTERS  WITH BOLD PRINT.
          a. Use Ariel, New Times Roman or Courier. Nothing fancy.
      B. Your Mailing Address in slightly smaller type.
    C.  Your Telephone Numbers.
           a. Home telephone number
           b. Cell phone number
           c.   No work number. Just too dangerous if working.
      D. Your email address.
           a.   If you are still working, do not include your company’s email address because the company has access to it.

II. OBJECTIVE – This is the most controversial part of this type of resume, and I recommend that you do not include it.
A. Provide an objective only if you know where resume is being sent and it matches the job.
B. Probably better to attach a cover letter to the resume and leave off the objective.

III. WORK HISTORY
        A. List every major position since starting your career in descending order (military service is optional but should be include if it relates to the position you are appling for).
               a. If you have worked for many years and can bunch some jobs, do so.
        B.   Show dates that jobs were worked starting with most recent.
               a. If you had several jobs at the same company, make sure the
                    first date covers entire time at the company.
               b. Then provide dates for different positions held within the company.
        C.   List company where you worked in bold print.
               a. If company name has changed, reference the new name.
        D. Write a single sentence telling what the company manufactures or sells, this is very important.
               a. In today’s market, this is one of the most important things you can write because companies want people who have experience in their industry.
        E.   Job title or titles
        F.   Write a brief statement of job responsibilities, do not provide a job description.
               a. The key here is brief so you have room for accomplishments.
        G.   List your major accomplishments!
               a. This is the most important part of your resume.
               b.  List accomplishments using specific accomplishments, i.e. saved $2
                    million on project xxxx.
               c. Make sure to list your accomplishments, not a team’s. Estimate your
                  part of team savings.
               d. Do not be afraid of looking like you are bragging.
               e. If your list of accomplishement do no make you look like you are bragging, write more accomplishments.
         H. Mention any significant awards the company may have received.

IV. EDUCATION
         A. List Degrees with the most recent first.
               a. If you list part of a degree, make sure it does not look like you have a
                   degree.
               b. If you have a A.S. degree and you received a B.S. in the same field,
                    do not list it.

V. SKILLS
        A. Try to chose skills that relate directly to the job you think you might
              be applying for.
               a. Do not list skills that everyone is expected to have these days.
                      i. Microsoft Word.
                     ii. Excel
         B.  Technical skills that relate to you degree(s) are best, i.e. product design, injection molding, etc.

VI. PERSONAL INTERESTS OR INFORMATION
        A. Never, never list personal interests, even if you think they relate to the
             job.
              a. An exception might be if you know the company supports
                   Junior Achievement, etc.
        B. Do not mention your family on the resume.
        C. Never list Church or Secret Society affiliations on a resume.
        D. Never mention any physical or mental problems on the resume.
        E. Even though it is easy to figure out, do not list age.

VII. LIST PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
A. This is not a requirement but it is a good thing to do.

IIX. DO NOT LIST REFERENCES
A. Just state that references will be supplied upon establishment of mutual
interest.

Finally: The optimum length for a resume is probably two pages so expect to do several re-writes. Also find someone that can be brutally honest and ask them to critique the resume. This is very important.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#82 of 101

Even GOD Has A Resume

Posted August 20th, 2008

I have been a third party recruiting doing staffing for the Plastics Industry for the last 12 years. I receive about 100 resumes each day and after all this time I am still amazed by how poorly written so many of these resumes are. I am not talking about the obvious mistakes such as misspellings (is it possible that there are still people in the US that have not heard of spell checkers?) but about structural problems such as listing job duties instead of accomplishments and not giving any indication about the product(s) their employer manufacturers.

Since my past posts on resume writing appear to have gone unheeded, I am appealing to a higher power, GOD, to help resume writers. God’s resume can be found in the first two chapters of Genesis in the Bible.

The first thing worth noting is that GOD used a chronological format for his resume. He carefully lists each of his six jobs or tasks and states that each one of them took a day. Theologians can argue how long each day really was but the important thing to note is the basic format GOD used. He did not start the first chapter of Genesis with a list of key words. The keywords are contained within the text.

The second thing to note is that GOD told us his accomplishments intead of presenting us with his job description. I don’t know that a job description for being GOD would have been very informative, just as a candidate providing his or her job description is not very informative for the recruiter reading the resume.

The third thing worth noting is that GOD went to a great deal of effort to describe his products, e.g. “In the beginning GOD created the heaven and the earth.” He went on to describe the animals, humans, etc. that he created. Companies today want to hire individuals that understand their products and clients. Long gone are the days that individual were hired based on their potential with the belief that they could learn everything they needed to know to make them successful. Companies just don’t have the time to train like the use to. Companies want to know that you can hit the ground running so showing that you are familiar with the products and customers that the company makes and serves in paramount. So many candidates think that recruiters should be familiar with all the companies in the United States (the World?) that they do not have to provide any information about the company(s) where they have worked. This is a big mistake because third party and corporate recruiters do not know or have the time to research every company on a resume. If information about the candidates past companies is not on the resume the recruiter must assume the candidate does not have the requisite experience and pass over the candidate.

Also worth noting is that GOD provides the method(s) he used to create his products in Genesis, chapter 1 verse 9, “GOD spoke”. Obviously, we cannot create planets by speaking but we can motivate people or lead product launches by speaking. More importantly we can improve the products our company manufactures by using methods, such as, Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Six Sigma, etc. methodologies to get the job done so make sure they are included in the resume.

I know that I am a lowly third party recruiter so taking advice from me might be difficult but hopefully looking at a resume written by God will help with resume writing process.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#83 of 101

“Foreman says these jobs are going boys and they ain’t coming back”

Posted May 25th, 2008

Before starting my latest tirade about how both white and blue color workers’ belief that their wages should be constantly going up in today’s labor market is not realistic, I would like to reestablish my credentials.

Before becoming a Technical Recruiter at Discovery Personnel, Inc., I worked primarily as an engineer manager in the Medical Industry for 25 years. I have an MBA from the University of Dayton and a BS ME from Purdue. I have now been a technical recruiter for over 10 years, recruiting primarily for the Plastics Industry. During most of my career, conventional wisdom said that every time an engineer or manager changed jobs, he or she should get a 10 to 20 percent increase in salary and that held pretty much true during my career.

In my second career, as a Technical Recruiter, I have seen major shifts in the labor market due to globalization. The percent loss of jobs in the Plastics and Rubber Industry alone from 1995 through 2005 is about 12%. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, in Der Spiegel Spec. Int. Ed. 7, 2005. I am sure the job loss percentage in the plastics industry has increased even more over the last couple of years.

Obviously, The Boss (a.k.a. Bruce Springsteen) is just as correct today as he was in 1985 when he sang about the steel mills, “The foreman says these jobs are going boys and they ain’t coming back.” Assuming The Boss is correct, and who I am I to argue with The Boss, why do a large percentage of the downsized plastic industry job seekers expect a salary, or hourly rate, increase when looking for a new job?

I am currently reading The Entrepreneurial Society, By David B. Audretsch. On page 87, Mr. Audretsch states:

Perhaps the iron law of globalization will inevitably force wages down in the developed countries toward the lowest common denominator found on the globe. Certainly, if you ask the textile worker or auto workers in the United States who are still lucky enough to to have jobs, they will no doubt enthusiastically endorse the validity, if not virtue of the iron law of globalization. Their wages, in real terms, have been diminishing steadily for decades now.

It should be pointed out theat David B. Audretsch is an award winning economist and a director at the Max Planck Institute of Economics in Germany and professor at Indiana University. Who am I to argue with David Audretsch?

Why then do I upset injection molding machine set up technicians when I tell them they are more likely to see a pay decrease, instead of an increase, when they get their next job? Most people like to believe they are special, and some are, but most are not and I believe that is one reason they have unrealistic expectations. Another reason is that in a society where people are taught to believe they should see the glass is half full instead of half empty, many people have trouble facing reality.

A small percentage of job seekers will actually see increases in their salaries because of their education that makes them a rarer commodity. Companies are lining up to hire graduates from colleges that train plastics or polymer engineers. They are in demand because so few students today want to work in manufacturing. Why work hard in manufacturing when you can make ten times as much money managing a hedge fund? but, as usual, I digress. Unfortunately, these individuals are few a far between.

Plastics engineers, who have worked for one of the automotive suppliers for twenty years and do not have a degree are going to make less money, not more when they are downsized or they are going to remain unemployed. This just a cold hard fact. The reason engineers are being downsized is because globalization has made it difficult, if not impossible, to compete effectively, and a new employer will almost be forced to offer less money.

Skilled laborers, such as machinists, are finding the job loss/pay reduction even more difficult to accept. Machinists are very intelligent people who once had very rare skills. Fifteen years ago, I remember seeing big signs in front of machine shops offering signing bonuses and vacations along with the potential to reach a six figure salary with overtime. Those days a long gone when a machinist in China or India is being paid one tenth as much (China and India are now outsourcing work to countries with even lower wage rates). Most machinists I talk with conceptually understand the effects of globalization but they still refuse to work for lower wages believing something will change or the government will help them. Unfortunately there is little the government can do except offer retraining or the extension of unemployment insurance payments.

I say all of this to implore job seekers not to kill the messenger when the poor Technical Recruiter has to provide a reality check. If you have been downsized, there may be a job out there for you but probably not paying what you are use to making and it is only going to get worse.

Brains not brawn will be required to achieve an acceptable standard of living in the future, in the developed countries. Good luck, or God speed, because most of us are going to need it.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#84 of 101

Article About Career Sites Failing Job Seekers

Posted May 20th, 2008

Job Seekers often ask me if they should post their resumes and/or search on Career Sites. Depending on the circumstances I tell them that it is their best interest to post or not to post. Since I get so many questions about web sites, I wanted to share the following:

Career Sites Fail Job Seekers

By DENISE DUBIE, Network World, IDG
Published: April 9, 2008

Career Web sites such as Dice.com and Monster.com could be making the search for work more difficult for job seekers and causing potential employers to leave positions unfilled, according to Forrester Research, which this week reported the majority of online job sites failed to pass usability and performance tests.

Forrester examined 12 career Web sites in its report. The research firm chose the top four companies in two industries, financial services and retail, based on revenue, and the top four job boards. None of them received a passing score in the research firm’s Web site review.

“As a group, the job boards outperformed other industries, while financial services firms fell to the bottom of the list,” the Forrester report “Best and Worst of Career Web Sites” reads. “Due to numerous flaws revealed through our evaluation, all sites received failing scores.”

Poorly performing career sites not only deliver a negative experience for job seekers, Forrester says, but also hurt employers. “Firms often overlook their career Web sites in favor of other revenue-generating sections of their site. Bad move,” the report reads.

According to the research firm, more than 60% of 25- to 34-year-old job seekers rely on the Internet to find employment information, making career sites the second most common source of new hires for large companies. Forrester expects that popularity to increase as Generation X and Y employees begin to comprise a larger percentage of the total workforce. Yet the study showed that job seekers can expect poor performance from career sites across the board.

“Ten of the 12 sites reviewed scored below zero,” the report reads. A passing score on all 25 criteria Forrester examines would be a +25 or higher, with a score range of between -50 and +50. “Yahoo! Hotjobs fared the best at +10, which is 15 points shy of a passing score; Merrill Lynch fared the worst at -18. The average score across all of the sites evaluated was -8.8,” Forrester reports.

Forrester evaluated American International Group (AIG), Citigroup, Merrill Lynch and The Goldman Sachs Group in the financial services industry. For retailers, the research firm examined JCPenney, Kroger, Macy’s and Rite Aid. And for job search Web sites, the research covered CareerBuilder.com, Dice, Monster and Yahoo! Hotjobs.

Common problems across all industries including missing content and functions, flawed navigation flows, illegible text and poor use of space, as well as poor error handling and missing privacy and security policies. According to Forrester, companies need to design career sites with the user in mind and begin revamping by first fixing problems that inhibit site usability.

“Once the fundamentals are sound, firms can focus on ways to further differentiate their experience by dedicating resources to finding innovative solutions,” Forrester advises.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#85 of 101

How Did The Headhunter Find You?

Posted April 1st, 2008

Very often candidates are asked by company hiring officials how the Third Party Recruiter (Headhunter) found them. This rather innocuous seeming question is often asked early in the interview process, why?

There is an obvious answer to this question. The company is gathering intelligence so they can do a better job of recruiting candidates directly, and since the job seeker wants to ingrate themselves to the company, they are more than happy to answer the question. After all the candidate has nothing to lose, right? – WRONG!

If the job seeker responds that the Headhunter found him or her on a Job Board, or they responded to a Job Board posting by the Third Party recruiter, the candidate may ultimately actually be hurting them self. How can this be?

The company now knows that you are an active job seekers and decides not to hire you. Companies that hire Headhunters to find candides to fill their job openings want to believe they are getting passive job seekers. Passive candidates are perceived to be a rarer commodity by companies and, therefore, move valuable. The logic is that if the candidate is not looking for a new position, the company must be taking care of him or her and they must really be good at what they do. In fact, I have found many “passive” candidates to be too lazy or scared to look for a new job and are not necessarily that “valuable” to their current company but they are hanging on for dear life.
The company now believes they know where individuals with your skills and training “hang out” when looking for a job so they pass on hiring you so they can find their own candidates on the same job board. Many years ago I found a candidate for a President’s position on Headhunter.net. He interviewed well and was basically hired. The last step in the process was to have dinner with the company’s CEO and the head of the Personnel Department. The dinner went well but at the end of the dinner the CEO asked the candidate how I found him. When the candidate replied the Headhunter found him on Headhunter.net the CEO told the Personnel VP not to hire the candidate and to begin using Headhunter.net to find their own candidates.
The company now knows you are an active candidate but decides to try to hire you anyway. Obviously, you were not hurt by revealing you responded to, or you resume was found, on a job board, or were you? I have worked with companies who after finding out that the job seeker was found on a job board, the company decided to offer the candidate less money than they were originally planning, because they perceived the job seeker was not a valuable as they originally thought.

These are just a few of the reasons I believe it is in a job seekers best interest to be very careful when answering the, “How did the Headhunter find you?”, question. Even if you know the Headhunter found your resume on the Internet via a Job Board, such as Monster, Hotjobs, Careerbuilder, etc., try to sidestep the question, or if cornered, respond with “He/She told me his/her Research Department found me.” However you decide how to respond to the, “How did the Headhunter find you?” question, never guess and say they probably found me on a Job Board.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#86 of 101

Preparing For a Job Search – Questions That Need To Be Answered

Posted March 25th, 2008

When beginning a job search Discovery Personnel’s Technical Recruiters ask the following questions:

Why would someone want to work for your company?
What will the candidate actually be expected to accomplish in the position (not just be able to lift 50 lbs.,)?
What sets you apart from your competition?
What do you offer your workers that is unique?
What Healthcare benefits are being offered in the Obamacare era?

Often these questions irritate hiring managers because they find it difficult to understand why anyone would not want to, leave a comfortable position, uproot their family, and come to work for their company. However, these questions are very important, especially if the company is trying to fill a position requiring specific skills or education. Today’s candidates are searching for more than just a pay check, and being able to provide a credible answer for these questions goes a long way toward identifying and eventually hiring the best candidates.

Many companies do not want to hire candidates who are currently out of work, believing that gainfully employed individuals must be the best-of-the-best (not always the case, but that is a blog for another day). How can we (or any other recruiting firm) entice a passive candidate to leave their job if your firm is not offering a better opportunity? Candidates find it far easier to deal with the devil they know—and are not easily convinced to leave a satisfying or relatively safe position. If you hope to hire top talent, these questions need to be answered before starting, or hiring someone to start, a job search.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#87 of 101

Interviewing Job Hunter

Getting the Offer is Job 1 when Interviewing

Posted December 24th, 2007

Previously, I have talked about the fact that when an individual interviews for a job, the purpose of the interview is to get the job. Recently another of my candidates lost an excellent job that he fit perfectly because he was worried about the potential commute during the interview. The company took his reticence during the interview as an indication that he really was not interested in the position or the company, when really he was worried about driving to work in heavy traffic. When told that he was not getting a job offer he was very disappointed because he had decided he really wanted the job. When asked why he acted so cool during the interview process he explained that he was worried about the potential commute. He asked to have the company reconsider him for the position but the opportunity was lost and the ironic thing is that he was probably the best candidate I could have placed with the company.

Unfortunately, the traffic he saw was from the airport to the plant site and the company was located in a suburb and had he driven a few miles west he would have found that he could have lived virtually in the country. The moral of this story is during the interview, concentrate on the interview process and getting the offer. The details can be worked out later and if the concern is real and cannot be eliminated, the offer can be rejected.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#88 of 101

The Future of Plastics Sales? – NO MORE WILLY LOMANS

Posted December 24th, 2007

The Future of Plastics Sales? – NO MORE WILLY LOMANS

Arthur Miller’s Willy Loman in The Death Of A Salesman has always defined what is a salesperson for me, possibly because I am an engineer by training and never truely understood salespeople. Willy Loman always worked very hard creating relationships with everyone from the receptionist to the Chief Executive Officer. I doubt that Willy would have understood that what he really did was reduce friction in the sales process, even though he believed creating relationships was what he was all about. Through Willy’s sales efforts, he was able to bring together people who needed whatever product he was selling at the time with people wanting to purchase that product or something very similar. What he really got paid to do was simply to find a buyer and seller and reduce the friction in the selling process.

Willy would be shocked today to find out that sales relationships are not nearly as important today as they were in his era. The flattening world and the Internet have taken much of the friction out of the sales process. Buyers can look up the price of copper, coffee, plastic resins, paper bags, etc. on the Internet and get a very good price if not the very best price. Getting the very best price or product value still may require some help and that is where the salesperson of today enters the fray.

In my capacity as a Third Party Recruiter for the Plastics Industry, I have several clients who are looking to sell plastic bags, plastic resins, plastic colorants, etc. The companies are all struggling to find the salespeople they need. Part of the reason for the paucity of sales candidates is money. If you are not a salesperson, you must understand that money is very, very important to salespeople. Salespeople often depend on money to help establish their self worth. Taking a new sales position with less base pay may have little affect on them financially, especially if they can make up the money through commissions, but the lower base salary may impact the salesperson’s self worth. Let’s face it, scientists and engineers usually determine their self worth by unique knowledge or skills, others do not have. Self worth is very important to all of us.

Unfortunately for salespeople who have grown fat on reducing friction in sales process, keeping the high base salaries and incomes in an increasingly hypertransparent world is becoming increasingly difficult. I have the resumes of several hundred plastic salespeople who once had a six figure base salary and are now out of work. They are not out of work because they have poor sales skills, most are very good salespeople but the loss of friction in the sales process has reduced their value to potential employers. The Web’s price-deflating impact and the ever Flattening World, as described in Thomas L. Friedman’s book titled The World is Flat, has reduced the ability of companies to pay the salaries many salespeople believe they should still be earning.

Instead of six figure base salaries, our clients want to pay experience salespeople with industry contacts base salaries of $40,000 to $65,000 plus commissions and/or bonuses. Obviously, cutting the base salary in half that a salesperson is use to making will not only negatively impact them financially if they cannot make us the difference with commissions or bonuses it will also negatively affect their self worth. I believe that the potential loss of salespeople’s self worth is the reason they turn down these positions with lower base salaries even though they are unemployed. Salespeople are also very optimistic, they have to be, and they may also believe a position paying their old base salary or more is just around the corner and I hope for their sakes it is.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#89 of 101

Plastics as a Career?

Posted December 24th, 2007

One of the most famous lines in modern movies (The Graduate) is when Mr. Robinson takes Dustin Hoffman aside at his college graduation party and offers him some career advice, which was one word, “PLASTICS“. Unfortunately, Dustin Hoffman’s character spent the summer having an affair with Mrs. Robinson so we will never know if he followed Mr. Robinson’s advice and made plastics his career. Plastics is the fourth largest manufacturing industry in the United States and probably China (if anyone has any numbers to prove me right or wrong please email me) but it remains a distant career choice for most people in the United States, including many who have actually entered the plastics industry. In my role as a third party technical recruiter for the plastics industry, most candidates tell me they kind of fell into plastics.

Currently, there are several good colleges for training engineers (and hopefully future managers) to enter the exciting world of plastics manufacturing; Ferris State University, The University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Pittsburg State University, Penn State University, and Ball State University. One advantage of these schools is that the curriculum does not have the entry level emphasis in Mathematics and the Sciences that most of the major universities use to weed out engineering schools. These schools actually want students to graduate and the math and science is included in the plastics curriculum. Not everyone has the math aptitude that engineering schools such as MIT, Purdue, Georgia Tech, The University of Michigan, Stanford or any of the other major engineering schools expect of their entry level engineering students, but most of these students still have exceptional mechanical, and electrical aptitude that is sorely needed in the plastics industry.

Recently I attended the National Plastics Exposition in Chicago in order to stay current on plastics equipment and manufacturing processes. Fortunately, I was able to find (not easy, it was well hidden) and stop by the Ferris State University booth to talk to Robert Speirs who is the Department Chair for the Ferris State Plastics Engineering Technology National Elastomer Center. At a time when many Engineers with IT related degrees cannot find jobs, nearly every graduate from Ferris State receives 3 job offers and companies are very disappointed that they cannot hire more plastics engineers. Many of the engineers I place in the plastics industry come from India and China where they have a strong emphasis on more vocational (less theoretical) engineering training. If you think Ferris State University (located in Michigan) might be for you, you can contact the school at www.Ferris.edu/plastics. Companies that recruit from Ferris State University includes; General Electric, Johnson Controls, Visteon, Parker Hannifin, Delphi, Federal Mogul, etc.

I realize most recent High School Graduates have already chosen their colleges but if things don’t go as well as hoped, or you find that traditional engineering is not really for you, consider plastics engineering. The plastic engineering schools will welcome you with open arms.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#90 of 101

Things Inquiring Recruiter Minds Want to Know

Posted December 10th, 2007

Ken Nunley, a third party recruiter and owner of Ken Nunley Gate House Consulting gave me a Questionnaire that he asks candidates to fill out and submit if they are interested in one of the positions listed on his web site www.QualityEngineerJobs.com. I am sharing this Questionnaire, with Ken’s blessing, with my avid readers four a couple of reasons. The first reason is that Ken is a very successful third party recruiter and this list provides excellent insight into what information a recruiter wants from a job applicant. The second reason I am sharing this questionnaire is that before Ken became a very successful third party recruiter, he was a very successful human resources manager and has inside knowledge of what information companies want from job applicants.

The following questionnaire should be used as a guide by anyone preparing a resume, responding to a company job advertisement, responding to a third party recruiter job advertisement, or during a telephone or face-to-face job interview. The questions are not in any particular order of importance but yet, they are all important.

As a part of our QUALITY process please indicate your SALARY and RELOCATION preferences, what type of products and/or industries you’re experience with?
What is prompting you to leave your current or last employer?
What prompted you to leave your next to last employer?
What is your completed BS degree and/or your advanced degree in?
Your SALARY or RELOCATION preferences?
Salary Range?
Relocation – Urban, Suburban, Rural?
Is the salary posted for this position within your interest range?
Will you consider CONTRACT work?
Are there any required skills in this job description that you are not experienced with?
What types of products and/or industries are you experienced with?
How many years of experience do you have in each industry?
What is your availability to travel domestically and internationally?
For DOD and DOE job submittals or no-US citizens – what are your current citizenship/VISA status and/or past or current security clearance?
Do you require relocation support because you are a current home owner?
Please list the contact numbers at which you can be reached, HOME #, CELL# and WORK#.
Employment tenure of less than 36 months with any employer should be explained, i.e., lay off, plant closure, released, etc.
Employment gaps of more than 1 year should be explained!
Please provide us with the following information from your last two jobs:
– What was produced at that site? – Include:  Employer/Company name and product/services produced?
– Who were your major customers? – Include: Employer/Company name and services/products sold to?
– With what process were you most involved? – Include: Employer/Company name and your focused contribution   and accomplishments?
ALL resumes MUST have dates of employment, employer name and job title!!!

Obviously this Questionnaire is written for anyone applying for a job. I have a similar questionnaire on my web site discoverypersonnel.com that is tailored for someone requesting Discovery Personnel’s help with their job search. Either questionnaire will provide a good overview of what information a company or third party recruiter needs from someone applying for a position or requesting help with a job search. BE PREPARED!

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#91 of 101

Resume Writing 101 – Include A Brief Description of Past Employer Products or Services

Posted November 30th, 2007

When writing a resume be sure to include a brief description of what the company manufactures or the service(s) it provides for each company listed on the resume. These statements can be as brief as “manufactures injection molded plastic components for the automotive industry” or “manufacturer of non-invasive blood glucose monitoring devices”.

Including a brief description of your past employer’s services or products seems very basic but probably 30 percent of all the resumes I read lack this information. I realize that a lot of job seekers believe that if they have an engineering degree they can engineer anywhere or if they have sales experience they can sell anything. Maybe this is true, but it does not matter if the company will not hire an engineer or a salesperson who does not have experience in their specific industry. Companies do not hire recruiting firms just to send them resumes of all engineers or all salespeople. They pay us to find people that match their job requirements and if there is no product or service experience on the resume recruiters have no way of knowing if it is worth contacting the job seeker.

It should be remembered that the average recruiter receives over 100 resume per week, and Corporate Recruiters at large companies receive many times that number. If 20 minutes are spent talking to each person who sends a resume, approximately 33 hours of the Third Party Recruiter’s work week will be spent just talking to candidates that may or may not have the experience their client companies want. Third Party as well as Corporate Recruiters depend on the employer’s products or services being stated on the resume as one of the primary screening criteria. If there is no mention of past employer’s products or services, the person doing the screening usually assumes the job seeker does not meet the job requirements and discards the resume.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#92 of 101

Eliminate all False/Misleading Information From Your Resume!

Posted November 24th, 2007

A recent straw poll of approximately 1,700 recruiters, members of the Top Echelon Network (the largest group of independent recruiters), found that over 33% of all job seekers lie on their resumes. The lies range from stating that they have degrees, that they do not have, to vastly overstating their job skills and experience. Probably the largest single lie is the candidate stating that they are still employed by a company when they are not. I know a lot of job seekers feel justified stating they are still working for a company when they are receiving some type of compensation but if they are not physically going to work every day, they are not working for the company. The first question I ask every potential candidate is, “are you still working for the XYZ Company?” If the job seeker is not working for the company but the resume indicates they are, I still work with them but my write up on the job seeker that I present to my client company or a fellow recruiter (headhunter) states they are not working.

Why is telling such a seemingly white lie bad for the job seeker?

When the recruiter (corporate or headhunter) sees on the resume that the job seeker is still employed, they do call during the day because they believe the job seeker is not available. This forces the recruiter to call at night which they may or may not do if their schedule is too busy. I call on the average 10 potential candidates every evening and find out half of them are not working. This takes time away from my family and when I find out the job seeker is not working its me with the feeling that I may not be dealing with an honest job seeker. Starting out on the wrong foot with a corporate or third party recruiter is not something a job seeker really wants to do.
When the recruiter finds the candidate has lied on the resume, they may not present the job seeker to their company manager or their client company for ethical reasons.
In my previous life, I spent 16 years in engineering management. I withdrew several offers when I found out my potential employee had lied about still being employed.
I felt that if they would lie to me about that, what would they lie to me about when they reported to me? How could I trust someone to handle hundreds of thousands and sometimes millions of dollars of corporate dollars who was less than honest on their resume?
If one of the first things the hiring manager sees on the resume is not true does it then make sense to take what the job seeker says about their contributions to their past employers at face value. Does the job seeker really want statements made on their resume discounted unnecessarily?

Maybe the hiring company or recruiter is not appalled by the lack of honesty on a resume but do you really want to roll the dice with your career when really good jobs are hard to find? Really good jobs are getting scarcer despite the less than honest government reports to the contrary. Being unemployed in this era does not carry the stigma it once did but being dishonest still does.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#93 of 101

Interviewing Job Hunter

Common Job Interview Questions and How to Respond to Them

Posted November 17th, 2007

Another recruiter, Diane Sobota, President of The Plastics Group, and I decided to make a list of commonly asked interview questions we have encountered in our manufacturing and Third Party Recruiting (Headhunting) careers to give to our candidates before their interviews. We thought these interview questions, and our recommendations on how to respond to them, might help other job seekers so we are offering them to anyone who is getting ready for that big interview. This is not an all inclusive list and we plan to add to it as we become aware of additional questions. We hope this helps.

Do you have any weaknesses?Few of us want to admit that we have any weaknesses, except maybe for chocolate candy. I recently had a candidate that answered the question with a strong NO! which did not set well with the hiring manager. The important thing to remember when answering this question is to think of a trait you might have that could be a weakness turned into a positive. Thinking about how you would answer this question ahead of time will allow you to be better prepared and answer this question easily. An example of a weakness that would benefit the employer is, “I am a workaholic who is not happy if I am not at work.” Another good answer might be that you fail to delegate enough because you are something of a perfectionist.
You mentioned that you were the Project Manager on the Widget Project, was the process successful and what did you contribute to the project?First of all, if the project was not a success you should not have listed it on your resume, so the correct answer is: “Very successful.” The project was completed under budget, on time, and greater cost savings were achieved than originally anticipated. Realize that you will be quizzed about achievements on your resume and you had better be prepared to answer them quickly. Bringing along any samples of your work to the interview is also a good idea it confirms the validity of your project and shows the potential employer some examples of your work.
When answering the “what did you contribute to the project” question, this is no time to get modest. The interviewer wants to know what YOU contributed so don’t give an answer such as; “I had a great team so all I really had to do is act as a conductor”. You have to detail how that on the eleventh hour the project was on the brink of disaster due to no fault of your own (contractor going bankrupt or some such thing) and you stepped in to save it and then provide the details about how you snatched the project from the jaws of disaster. Remember, the company is hiring YOU, not your project team!
Tell Me About Yourself!
If you are not prepared, this can be a very scary question. Just remember the company wants to hear about you and any experiences or education that will make you an outstanding employee. This is your opportunity to sell yourself to the interviewer/company. Knowing as much about the company as possible is very important because everything you have to say about yourself should relate to the employer and/or the position you want.
Talk about how your experience as a salt miner will help when you come to work for the company designing salt mines to hold nuclear waste. The answers to this question should be thought out ahead of time and practiced on someone who knows you. If they laugh at you, practice some more until you can answer this question without making them laugh. Remember, “In business sincerity is everything, once you learn how to fake it you have it made”.
Why do you want to leave your current employer?
An important thing to remember is to always be positive about the companies you have left. No company wants to hire someone who bad mouths a company because they then will worry could this person bad mouth us? In every interview you will have to go through the “why you left” question for every company you worked for in the past. Again, always be honest but it is how you answer this question that can really set the tone of the interview. I always advise my candidates to give short, to the point answers and then move on. Spending time talking to the hiring manager why a company closed or why you left is not necessary and takes away the valuable time needed to really sell your self.
Unfortunately, some candidates seem to think positive spin equates to a license to lie. Most of the time a quick but honest answer such as, “I am looking for a better opportunity” is adequate. Be as positive as possible without lying or misleading the interviewer.
What is your greatest strength?
Obviously, the interviewer does not want to know how much you can bench press but what you can bring to employment party. To answer this question correctly you need to know why the company is interviewing you and what you can do to relieve the company’s pain. If the company was not in pain, because some skill set or expertise is missing, they would not be interviewing you. If you are interviewing for a Human Resources position, you best answer is usually your ability to work with and motivate people.
If you are interviewing for a machine design position and the company is running SolidWorks Cad Software, your greatest strength had better be using SolidWorks Cad Software to design specialty machines. Many candidates cannot think well enough on their feet to figure this out. In other words, look closely at the job description or what your recruiter has told you are the “hot buttons” for the company. Even though you may have a multitude of experiences, you want to highlight the skills you believe are important to the company. If they list something on the job description, assume it is important.
Do you have any questions?
Before you leave the house you should have a list of questions prepared. This is probably the easiest question to answer but it is probably the most often missed and it is a great opportunity to set you apart from the competition. Weak answers such as; “Not really, you have answered them already” are a major mistake. Not only have you missed an opportunity to set yourself apart from the competition, you are telling the interviewer that you are not really that interested in the position or the company. Obvious questions are better than no questions because they show you care enough about being hired that you are willing to put forth a minimal effort. One of my favorite questions is “assuming I get the job, how can I prepare before reporting to work to be able to hit the ground running when I get here?” Not only does this question show that you are a go getter, the answer should give you more insight into what is expected when you start work.
When you leave that interview, you also want to know that this is the right company for you. When making your list of questions, not only do you want to learn about the position and company, but think about what it is that is important to you to see in a company or position for you to make a move or relocate your family.
Depending on the position and the rapport that you have developed with the interviewer, don’t be afraid to tell them that you are very interested in the position and why, and then sometimes you might want to ask them if there are any concerns or questions that they may still have about your background. I said that in an interview once and the interviewer was quite surprised. I continued with a statement such as “I am very interested in this position and when I leave here I want to make sure that if you have any concerns about my background that we take the opportunity to discuss them now”, or something like that. Well, the interviewer did ask me something again about a relocation issue and turns out that he was not convinced about my original answer on my ability or desire to relocate. If I had not asked that I would have never have gotten the job and never known why. He still had some unanswered questions about me. I was able to re-state my situation and overcome that objection, and I did end up getting the job.
Do you know how to listen?
This question is rarely directly asked but answering it correctly is very important. An interviewer can usually tell a lot about the candidate’s ability to listen by how well their questions are answered, body language, and to what extent the candidate tries to monopolize the interview process. Short, well thought out answers are best, long diatribes are not.
Many years ago, I was being interviewed for a Maintenance Manager position in a large plant. I was interviewed by several people including the Plant Manager who was formerly the Director of Human Resources for the entire Division of this Fortune 100 Company. He was increasing his value to the company by taking a tour as the Plant Manager. The Plant Manager told me to take a seat and began a monologue as he turned to look out his office window without looking at me. He talked for the solid hour about his management philosophies and how he expected his management staff to conduct themselves. I did not say a word. At the end of the hour he stood up shook my hand and told me that I was the kind of person the company needed. I got the job and for years was very confused by the interview. I can only assume this was his way of determining if the interviewer can listen.
Where do you want to be 3 to 5 years from now?
If you are interviewing for a Supervisor position at General Electric, stating that you want to be the CEO of GE in 3 to 5 years brings your reasoning process into question. However, saying that you want to move into a manger position is quite acceptable and demonstrates that you are motivated and that’s a good thing.
Have you ever managed anyone?
This is usually only asked if you are interviewing for a management role or if the company is planning on promoting you into a management role shortly after hiring you. If you have managed others, elaborate on how many people and the type of reporting relationship. If you have not managed anyone in a corporate setting, answer the question by showing that you have managed others in a volunteer setting (even managing cub scouts counts, believe me). I got my first management position by showing that I had managed several engineering projects without having direct reports, ergo managing without authority, and by demonstrating that managing without authority is actually harder than managing with authority.
Of the jobs listed on your resume, which one did you like the best and why?
The interviewer is asking this question to determine how well you will really like the position that is being offered. If you favorite past position has little to do with the position being offered, the interviewer is going to be concerned especially if he or she perceives you are desperate. It is also in your best interest to accept a position you will be happy or content filling.
How would your direct reports (or peers) describe you?
This is the type of question that the interviewer learns more from the body language and time it takes you to formulate an answer than the actual answer. Answers such as; decisive, team player, born leader, great mentor, etc. are solid answers that you should be able to give almost immediately after being asked the question.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#94 of 101

RESUME, RESUME? I DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ RESUME

Posted August 24th, 2007

Recently, an individual sent me a resume for a management position that I was trying to fill (for the few of you that have not read this blogg before, I am a third party recruiter) but I did not respond very quickly because the resume was so poorly written I saw no reason to send it to my client company. The candidate followed up with a telephone call (always a good idea) and wanted to know why I had not contacted him. I told him his resume needed to be rewritten because the resume did not provide any compelling reason for my client company to be interested in hiring him. The candidate agreed to update his resume but instead, sent an addendum, which provided little more insight into his qualifications for the position. When the candidate called again and I told him he still had not not done an adequate job of presenting his skills and accomplishments. He demanded that I give him the name of the company or call the company and get them to call him because once the owner of my client company talked to him they would be so dazzled by his qualifications and his oratory abilities. He went on to say that his background was so complicated that he could not write it down (he also said he had paid someone to write the original resume). At this point in the telephone conversation, I had to let potential candidate know:

I work for the client company not the candidate.
One of the reason I am paid by a client company is to screen candidates and not just throw resumes at my client company.
It is unethical to provide my client company’s contact information to anyone who demands it.
Client companies still want to see resumes. If everyone that saw an add for a position at Ford called Ford, the Human Resources Department would
soon be overwhelmed.
If you cannot write down your career qualifications and achievements as they relate to a position you probably should not be applying for the position.

I realize there are some people who have writer’s block when they try to write a resume. If you are one of those individuals who feels you can articulate better than you can write, I recommend buying a tape recorder, get someone to role play being the hiring manager, and record the conversation. Then you can take the salient points off the tape and place them on the resume. After all, writing started as a means of recording information that had been handed down in the spoken form for hundreds or thousands of years.

The main point I want to make with this particular article is that the resume is not dead and you do need a well written resume that relates work experience, qualifications and accomplishments to the particular position you want. The talking part comes after the resume peeks someone in the company’s interest in you

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#95 of 101

JOB SEEKERS – GET BACK IN THE BOX

Posted July 24th, 2007

I just read another Internet article about how job seekers should get out of the box. After reading the article I still could not figure out why the author seems to thing job seekers should “get out of the box”. Of course the writer is just a writer, trying to tell corporate recruiters and job seekers, trying to work directly with corporate recruiters, how to dance together. The only problem with his advice is that it is wrong for the most part.

In this era of job hunting, companies are looking for people with skills that match the job description exactly. Why?

Most companies do not have the personnel needed to train someone for six months (almost everyone in Corporate America is overworked or perceive themselves to be overworked.
Companies are operating on tighter and tighter profit margins, especially in the plastics industry. They cannot afford to pay someone for several months who is not adding anything to the bottom line.
Overworked Human Resource Departments do not have the time to read a resume and try to figure out if the individual has the qualifications the functional manager wants.

As a third party recruiter, I try my best to define my candidate’s qualifications for the position so no one in the company has to deal with ambiguity. Some candidates want to think of themselves as “out of the box” kind of people (an enigma wrapped in a …………….) which very often works against them when they are hunting for a new job. I usually ask these individuals, “what do you want to do when you grow up,” in order to get them to focus on what they are really looking for in a job or a career.

The “thinking outside of the box” concept is so old that I keep hoping it will die of old age but it seems that when writers or motivational speakers cannot think of anything better to say, they reach for the old “out of the box” cliche. Thinking outside of the box is fine when solving a problem but if you want to increase you chances of getting a job, get in the box and wrap a yellow ribbon around it.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#96 of 101

“I Just Have Too Much Experience To Put It All In My Resume”

Posted April 5th, 2007

Frequently, in my role as a Technical Recruiter for the Plastics Industry, I respond to resumes sent to me for specific positions via e-mail with “your experience does not fit the job requirements” and almost as frequently I receive the following in response “I just have too much experience to put it all in my resume”. Resume writers are told to keep their resumes to one or two pages, so why do I expect job seekers to put so much information on their resume? The answer is, I do not expect job seekers to put all of their experience in their resume, what I expect them to do is to put the experience on the resume that is pertinent to the job they are seeking. If the candidate is responding to a posting for a position on a job board for a Maintenance Manager, two words that should appear somewhere in the resume are Maintenance and Manager.

Ten years ago or more writing only one resume and having it printed on fine or colored paper made a lot sense because it was so difficult to change a resume but in this era of cheap (free on Google) word processors, writing only one resume makes no sense. Each resume should be tailored for the position the job seeker wants. Trying to respond to every position with the same resume is a mistake, especially if the position calls for experience the job seeker has, but does not have in the resume. If the job seeker does not have the required experience, then he or she should probably not be applying for the position in the first place. Just responding to a job posting because one lives in the same town and wants to stay there wastes everyone’s time, and may prevent a good candidate from getting the position.

Some experts say that a cover sheet can be used to fill in experience that has been left out of the resume. I agree with using a cover sheet to tell the recruiter the position being applied for and to highlight some pertinent experience, training, and/or education, but the resume should still relate to position the job seeker wants. If the resume gets too long (sometimes a well written 3 or 4 page resume is not that bad), try leaving things out of the resume such as; I worked my way through college as a sack boy at A&P. Paying your own way through college twenty years ago may have been important when applying for the first, or second, position after graduation but twenty years later it is irrelevant.

The bottom line is that when applying for a job, read the job description thoroughly and respond only if the experience and educational requirements are shown somewhere in the resume. No recruiter, be it a headhunter or a company Human Resources Recruiter, has the time to sift through a resume and try to read between the lines to determine if the job seeker is worth interviewing. Also, there is almost never a second chance to change the recruiter’s mind once they have decided to reject the job seeker’s resume. An indignant response to the recruiter’s rejection e-mail or letter rarely gets them to change their mind, they have moved on to the next candidate.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#97 of 101

Secret Headhunter Conspiracy Keeping Recent College Graduates from Getting Jobs – Details at 10:00

Posted March 30th, 2007

Most college students receive their degrees in May or early June and many still do not have jobs (much to their parents horror). How do I know this? I am a third party recruiter, recruiting for companies in the Plastic Industry at Discovery Personnel, Inc. and my electronic in-basket is overflowing with resumes from graduating college students. Don’t get me wrong, I welcome the resumes because it gives me a chance to develop business relationships with engineers starting their careers in plastics and associated industries but there is one ugly secret that keeps me up nights, THE ODDS ARE VERY HIGH THAT I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FIND ANY OF THESE YOUNG ASPIRING COLLEGE GRADUATES A JOB!

Is this because I am not a good recruiter? My boss would probably answer yes to that question but the truth is, I am a successful recruiter by most standards. So why is it so unlikely that I will not be able to find these recent college graduates their first meaningful position in the business world? The answer can be summed up in one word, MONEY. Most companies do not want to pay recruiters for finding employees with no experience when they believe they can find all the recent graduates they need.

Am I writing this blog to ask graduating college students not to send Third Party Recruiters (Headhunters) their resumes and as for help? – NO! The reason I am writing this blog is to tell graduating college students not to rely on Headhunters solely to find jobs. Third Party Recruiters should be only one arrow in the job hunters quiver. Networking through the college is without a doubt the best method of finding an entry level position when graduating. Be sure to utilize all the resources that your college provides and don’t be afraid to let friends a neighbors know you are graduating from college and looking for your first career position.

And don’t even get me started about using job boards to find your first job after graduating from college.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#98 of 101

Planning To Go On Strike For More Money? – Don’t

Posted January 11th, 2007

Recently in my role as a Third Party Recruiter for the Plastics Industry, I have run across what seems like an epidemic of people leaving their jobs in order to find a better job. Not being employed while looking for a job might have okay in the late ’90s, but this is 2007 and things have changed. Companies are much more selective about who they hire than they were about 17 years ago in spite of the Government “statistics” (lies, damn lies and statistics) to the contrary. If you have a great resume and good contacts in the industry, getting a new position is not too difficult but anyone with multiple job changes in the last few years (often through no fault of their own) and limited contacts is finding job searching much more difficult than they imagined.

One individual I talked with recently left her job because she had not received a pay raise in the last two years and she “had to pay the rent”. The problem is that when she left the job she did not have another position. Now she has been out of work for several weeks and cannot understand why recruiters and job boards cannot find her another job. Unfortunately, being out of work and a couple of job jumps recently makes helping her find a new position very difficult. Another job seeker I talked to has been out of work for several months and he said “I would not have left my job if I had known finding another would prove so difficult”. He had a very good job but became disenchanted with his company and decided he wanted to leave to provide more time to seek a new employer. He has had 20 plus interviews but no offers.

Leaving a job to devote ones self to finding a new one sounds good but too much time on ones hands can work against you, especially if desperation sets in. Interviewers, like sharks, can smell blood in the water and that can really work against the interviewee. The job seeker can also become too aggressive when search for a position and alienate the very people he needs help from. My advice is; if the job is not totally broke, don’t leave until you find another position.

There really is enough time in the day when you are still working to search for a position especially in this era of cell phones. Even if you get caught looking for a new job and are fired, I believe being fired while looking for a new job sounds better than leaving a job to devote more time to finding a new job. My grandfather worked for the Nickel Plate Railroad and when I was young it always seemed like he was out on strike. The strike would finally end and he would get $.10 more per hour after being on strike for weeks and it would be years before he would achieve any real benefit from that raise because of all the pay checks lost while he was out on strike. I never understood the economics of leaving a good paying job just to try to make a little more money then, and I certainly don’t now.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#99 of 101

Plastics as a Career?

Posted September 2nd, 2006

One of the most famous lines in modern movies (The Graduate) is when Mr. Robinson takes Dustin Hoffman aside at his college graduation party and offers him some career advice, which was one word, “PLASTICS”. Unfortunately, Dustin Hoffman’s character spent the summer having an affair with Mrs. Robinson so we will never know if he followed Mr. Robinson’s advice and made plastics his career. Plastics is the fourth largest manufacturing industry in the United States and probably China (if anyone has any numbers to prove me right or wrong please email me) but it remains a distant career choice for most people in the United States, including many who have actually entered the plastics industry. In my role as a third party technical recruiter for the plastics industry, most candidates tell me they kind of fell into plastics.

Recently I attended the National Plastics Exposition in Chicago in order to stay current on plastics equipment and manufacturing processes. Fortunately, I was able to find (not easy, it was well hidden) and stop by the Ferris State University booth to talk to Robert Speirs who is the Department Chair for the Ferris State Plastics Engineering Technology National Elastomer Center. At a time when many Engineers with IT related degrees cannot find jobs, nearly every graduate from Ferris State receives 3 job offers and companies are very disappointed that they cannot hire more plastics engineers. Many of the engineers I place in the plastics industry come from India and China where they have a strong emphasis on more vocational (less theoretical) engineering training. If you think Ferris State University (located in Michigan) might be for you, you can contact the school at www.Ferris.edu/plastics. Companies that recruit from Ferris State University includes; General Electric, Johnson Controls, Visteon, Parker Hannifin, Delphi, Federal Mogul, etc.

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#100 of 101

Marketing To Job Seekers

Posted November 14th, 2005

Companies looking to fill a new or replacement position within the company usually post a job description on their web site, run an advertisement in the local newspaper with an abreviated job description, or hire a third party recruiting firm (headhunter) to fill the position after giving them the job description. There is nothing wrong with providing candidates a job description, per se, but in order to run an effective job search the hiring company needs to provide more information to the job seekers and/or the third party recruiting firm(s). Information rarely included in the job description but often requested by job seekers includes:

“What will I get to do and will my contributions to the company be recognized?” (You would be surprised by how many job descriptions do not include an accurate description of the work that needs to be done)
“What will I earn?” (I know job seekers should only be worried about the job and not the $ but to some people money is important and the word “competitive” just does not get it done)
“What are the benefits?” (An increasingly important issue for job seekers as benefits go the way of the dodo bird)
“What will I get to accomplish?” (Job seekers do not want to feel like a very small cog in the company drive train)
“Who will I be working with?” (Can be very important for younger job seekers looking for a mentor)
“Are there promotional opportunities in this position?” (Companies that have a policy and a record of promoting from within have a real advantage answering this question).
“What will I get to learn and is their any training provided?” (Very important for entry level job seekers)

For additional information about this position, please contact Jim Heilman at Discovery Personnel: (952) 431-2500.

#101 of 101