A recent study has shown that the way managers are viewed is likely to change in the future as more women move into management positions.

Currently, only about two percent of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are women.  And so when most people think of leaders, they envision a male in the position.  But in some businesses, women have moved into leadership roles, and in these areas, there is no stereotype of who a leader is.

Another survey has shown that these stereotypes of leaders as men have been an obstacle for women who want to move up the corporate ladder.  Because of these stereotypes, surveys have shown that businesses are not fully using the talents and abilities of the women in their organizations.  Women make up more than half of the people serving in management, professional and related jobs, but only a little more than 15 percent of them were corporate executives at Fortune 500 companies.

The research has shown that it is not women’s management style that is to blame for the dearth of female executives but gender stereotyping.  And because of this stereotyping, companies are losing out on a lot of female management talent.

Men are still seen as capable of better leadership because of gender stereotyping, which often puts women in a no-win situation, as they are faulted for whatever methods they use.  For example, if they act according to gender stereotypes, they are thought to be too soft, but if they oppose those stereotypes, they are thought to be too hard.

Female executives are held to higher standards than men, but they receive less compensation.  They often have to work even harder than a man just to get the same level of recognition.

Women who are assertive as leaders are stereotyped as cold-hearted and not friendly, but if they take on a more feminine leadership personality, they are considered poor leaders.

All the research shows that businesses need to develop plans for how to combat these stereotypes so that they can get the best use out of their female management talent.  Educating employees about these stereotypes and their effects was listed as a key method of changing attitudes about women and leadership.

Organizations need to give all workers the resources to enable them to be more aware of the skills that women leaders have and how stereotypes can harm organizations.  Businesses also need to look at new ways of counteracting stereotypes in the workplace.

RealStreet Staffing can help you find exceptionally talent for all levels within your organization. Whether you’re looking for entry-level architects, engineers or construction professionals on up to project managers and beyond, we can help your Washington Metro firm. Contact us today!

With the new year just begun, many people may have made a career resolution or two: “This year, I’ll get at least a five percent raise.” “This year, I’ll go to my boss before June and ask for a promotion.”

And, while these certainly can be worthwhile plans, resolutions of any type too often  fall by the wayside come Feb. 1.

Instead, why not put together a career plan for 2011? A plan is a bit different than a resolution in that it involves the creation of steps that will get you to your goal, whatever that goal may be.

So here are some steps you can take to follow through on any goal you make for you career in 2011.

• First of all, you’ll need to come up with a goal. You’ll also need to make this goal (or goals), very specific. For example, instead of saying “I’m going to find a great new job,” say, “My goal in 2011 is to find a new job with a company that offers more flexibility and will give me at least a 10 percent raise.”
• If you have more than one career goal for this year, you’re going to have to prioritize them, otherwise it’s too easy to lose focus and accomplish nothing. You rank your goals in priority as well as sequential order. Citing the goal above, for example, in order to get that 10 percent raise, you may have to get certified in another skill, so your first goal would be to “obtain certification” followed by getting that new job.
• Goals can feel overwhelmingly large, so it’s best to break them down into steps, or tasks. Need to get that certification? Well, this week you can have the goal of researching programs. Next week your goal could be to contact the programs that interest you for more information. And the following week your goal could be to enroll, etc.
• You’re going to have to figure out what you’re going to have to give up in order to get your goal. After all, there’s only so much time in a day. If you’re adding something to your to-do list, you’re going to have to remove something else. Looking at the certification goal, above, can you give up watching two hours of TV a night? Could you give up your bi-weekly karate lessons? Can you give up the latte at Starbucks every day on your way to work in order to pay for the certification course? And so on.
• Understand that you will encounter setbacks. Anticipate them as best you can, but don’t give up when they smack you in the face. Aim not to look at any obstacles you encounter as “failures.” Instead, think of them as an opportunity to learn and to change course, if necessary. It’s a cliché, but it’s nonetheless: you only fail if you quit.
• Document your successes. Celebrate and reward yourself for achieving them. If you record your progress you can look over your journal and see that you’re moving forward. This can come in very handy if you meet a roadblock that’s taking you a bit of time to move around.
• Finally, once you achieve a goal, immediately set another goal (if you haven’t already). Humans need something to look forward to, something to achieve. Enjoy your success and them move on to fulfilling your next career goal.

If a professional goal of yours in 2011 is finding another job, contact one of the recruiters at RealStreet Staffing. We have established strong relationships with many of Washington Metro’s top construction, architecture and engineering firms. Take a look at our open positions and apply today!

When it’s tough to find a job, the tough….write a recession-proof resume!

Here are some tips to help you craft a resume that will help your application stand out from others.

Most resume writers craft a resume using the standard chronological format, in which they list work experience in reverse chronological order (current or last job first, followed by previous jobs). But if you’ve been out of work for a while, or if you have some obvious gaps in your employment history, you may want to write what is known as “combination” resume. This type of resume places more emphasis on your skills and accomplishments instead of your previous positions and dates of employment.

So instead of just listing where you worked, your job title and a few of your job tasks, break out your resume into different sections. For example, a system administrator may want to divide his resume into “Project Management,” “System Skills,” and/or “Training Skills.”

Combination resumes also work best when you’re looking to change professions because they can help you better highlight previous work experience, education and skills that can transfer to the new career and help you make the transition. You want an employer to see how what you’ve done in the past will help her in the future.

Focus on results and how you’ve contributed to previous employers’ bottom lines. For example, if you’ve worked as a plant layout engineer in the past, state how your review of one project found cost efficiencies not already in place and how your suggestions saved your company several thousand dollars (be specific as possible with the dollar amount), or saved it a certain percentage in construction cost (be sure to provide that percentage number).

One thing many job seekers neglect to do is to customize their resume to each company and position to which they’re applying. Yes, this takes more work than just using the same resume for every position. But you should study each position carefully and fine tune your resume so that it speaks specifically to the employer’s needs.

Doing so will truly help your resume stand out from others.

Check, check and check your resume some more for mistakes. Write it one day and leave it be until another — you’ll see it with fresh eyes. Ask someone to proof it for you.

Your goal is to make the resume mistake- and typo-free. No misspellings. Hiring managers look at mistakes in resumes as an indication that you’re sloppy, don’t have attention to detail and/or don’t care about how you present yourself.

In these days of high unemployment, businesses are loathe to “take a chance” on someone who appears unqualified, lax and indifferent. Work hard to showcase how you can help solve an employer’s problems in your resume and you’re on the right path towards finding a new job no matter what the economic conditions.

Use RealStreet Staffing, as well as a focused, achievements-oriented resume, to help you find a terrific position quickly in Washington Metro construction, architecture and engineering companies. We look forward to hearing from you.

Never stop networking. Even if you’re currently job searching or you have a position that you believe will be there for you until the day you decide to retire, networking is a wonderful tool to improve your live professionally and personally, no matter what your present circumstances might be.

The primary reason to network is because it gives you the opportunity to meet new people. The more people you know — and the more who know you — the better your chance of using that network when you need it, whether you need a new job or the name of a great dentist.

Most people get the best jobs from people they know. Even if you’re not looking for work now, you may be looking for work sometime in the future. If you have a wide network, you’ll have even more people who can refer you for job openings, to hiring managers, to people who may know people who know people who are hiring, etc.

This is the era of continual learning. Skills become outdated quickly and need to be improved constantly. Meeting others in or out of your profession keeps you on your toes and allows you to learn things you never knew you didn’t know — and needed to learn. Learning goes both ways, of course; don’t be shy about sharing your knowledge with others, too.

Continually networking means people will continually know you exist. When they need a terrific building/coding specialist — or when a friendly firm in another city needs one and mentions it to one of your contacts — you easily could receive a call about a new opportunity, one that will move your career forward even if you’re happy where you are now.

We know the right people at RealStreet Staffing. We know hiring managers at some of the Washington DC area’s best construction, architecture and engineering firms. When you’re looking for a new opportunity, we want to hear from you.

You know the old saying, “when the going gets tough, the tough become successful”?   Okay, well that may not be the exact saying but nonetheless it’s true.

Even though our economy has hit a few rough patches the past year or two, some people continue to be extremely successful.  So how can you mirror that success?  Well you can start by paying close attention to these 10 keys:

1. Continually reevaluate your career.
Is your career path well aligned with your priorities and interests? Do you have the experience and education needed to be successful? If not, consider developing a plan to grow your skills and advance your value.

2. Set clear career goals.
You can’t achieve your goals if you don’t know what they are!  The only way to gauge success is to define exactly what you want to accomplish and start your journey.

3. Create a plan.
Determine the steps you need to take for your next promotion. Include resources and due dates. Schedule these activities in your planner and follow through.

4. Communicate your career goals with management.
If you work in an organization that promotes employee development, communicate your goals to your manager and ask for his or her support.

5. Volunteer for new projects.
This shows initiative, puts you in a visible position, and builds new skills. It also gives you the opportunity to showcase your leadership skills.

6. Stay current in your field–maybe.
Become a leader in your field.  Read industry publications and reports. Be aware of changing trends and position yourself accordingly.  But if your industry is a dinosaur with no growth potential, consider transferring your skill set to another industry.

7. Take classes or obtain a certification.
Use your industry knowledge to your advantage. Take a course in an up and coming area or a specialty that will benefit your organization and give you an edge over the competition.

8. Assume a leadership role.
Offer to mentor a junior associate in your organization, apply for a position on a local board, or chair a committee for a nonprofit organization.

9. Network, Network, Network.
Within your organization and within the community. Increasing your visibility and gaining contacts are vital to your success when climbing the corporate ladder. No one ever got to the top alone.

10. Excel in your current position.
Exceptional performance speaks for itself. You won’t get ahead with mediocre performance, regardless of how many other steps you implement.

I don’t know about you, but quite frankly I’m sick of hearing about the tough economy.  So today, we’re going to focus on 5 ways to turn negative thoughts into positive action.

1. You have a lot of potential – start recognizing it!
   You may not be built like Arnold Schwarzenegger or be mistaken for a supermodel.  But with positive thinking, focusing on your strengths, and self-determination you can achieve some truly amazing things.
2. Decide what you want – and set goals along the way.
   Remember the old saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day”?  Well, it wasn’t!  When setting goals, it’s important to keep your long-term goal in mind, but set smaller goals along the way.  This will help keep you motivated and patient.
3. Get focused and discipline yourself.
   Nothing in life is free.  If you want to meet your goals, you’re going to have to work for it.  Focus your attention on your goals and don’t stray.  Make sure each day you do at least one activity that centers around your goals.
4. Stop doubting your abilities and develop self-confidence.
   Strike the phrase “I can’t” from your vocabulary-because “you can”!  Don’t complain or get frustrated with little roadblocks.  Instead visualize your success.
5. Avoid negative people.
   Negativity is contagious.  One of the easiest ways to become successful is to surround yourself with positive, successful people.

We hope you find these tips helpful.  At RealStreet Staffing we take a great deal of pride in helping people not only find outstanding jobs in construction, engineering and architecture, but also grow personally.