As the seasons change and life begins to settle in, we often think we need a change of scenery ourselves. Fall is one of the most popular times for job opportunities to arise. So here are some tips from our technicians on how to fall into place with your new position successfully.

Be Prepared

Check out your new job site on Google Maps, familiarize yourself with the area. What local stores are nearby? Gas Stations? Convenience stores? Can you find parking?
Pack your essentials the night before and get plenty of sleep! Starting your new assignment well-rested will help you succeed!

The First Impression

Review your orientation schedule and job aids.
Get to know you supervisors by engaging in conversation and asking questions.
Carry a pen and notebook with you, jot down notes during the day!

Become a Networking Guru

Introduce yourself to your coworkers, learn about their interests, you can even add them to your LinkedIn network!
Be mindful of suggestions within the workplace – constructive criticism can help you grow in your field.

Take A Deep Breath

Remember that this is just the beginning of your transition. Adjustment takes time!
Confidence is key, perform your best!

As a working parent, a celebration for ‘Working Parents Day’ (I say with sarcastic air quotes) seems like extra work, because I know I’m the one throwing the party or begging my kids to give me a break. Considering so many of us live a working parent’s life every day (more than 60% of U.S. families have working parents or dual earners), I will admit I appreciate the idea that our children should take 24 hours to reflect on all we have sacrificed for them and celebrate it on a day other than the 2nd Sunday in May or the 3rd Sunday in June. (End sarcastic tone… 😊)

When my husband and I started talking about having kids early in our relationship, I knew being a stay-at-home mom was not going to be something that kept me satisfied. Stay-at-home parents are a special kind of person. I absolutely look up to them and admire them, but I knew I didn’t have it in me to be one of them.

Fast forward to our children being born. Heading back to work after 12-weeks of leave was really difficult but it was something I knew I had to do for my own sanity. When we moved from central Illinois to the Minneapolis metro when our youngest was just 6 months old, the cost of living more than doubled and it felt like every kid in my daughter’s preschool class had a mom who stayed home and could volunteer at every teachers request. I struggled with what the expectation was of our community and if we were going to be able to give our children everything they needed while both my husband and I worked all day.

Today, as our girls head back to middle school, I appreciate the fact that I have a success story to share with them, so they know what they are capable of. That you can go from working at a truck-stop diner right out of high school and finally graduating with your bachelor’s when you are 27 years old, to being the Director of Human Resources at a really great company that appreciates the importance of quality time with your family. I get to show them every day what being a successful businesswoman looks like and to the same effect, their father does too, just with his own story to back it up.

In the end, I feel like Working Parent’s Day (minus the sarcastic air quotes this time) is almost more of a day for me to appreciate myself: that I’ve done everything I’ve done to be a positive example for my children. I must preface that by saying stay-at-home parents likely feel the exact same way, and for goodness sakes, they absolutely should feel that way – what they do is a full-time job as well. What it really comes down to is that I’m happy doing what I do every day and I get to share with my girl’s what happiness at work looks like.

If you are like most of us, you will not find happiness and contentment in your first job, or your second job, or your third job, or even your tenth job but you will find it if you keep following your passion and doing what feels good to you. Just keep doing what you believe in, and all that work will pay off in the end. And then, that’s when you get to throw yourself that party or ask for a break.

This week was National Payroll Week which is observed in recognition of all employees and the payroll professionals who pay them. These groups are put together because they collectively handle, report, contribute or otherwise touch 70% of the US Treasury’s annual revenue. Wow! In honor of the week, we asked our accounting department what they think your accounting department wants you to know. We learned 5 big things from them.

Regularly Review Your Pay Stub

This is not only to ensure your pay is accurate either. Things to review include other pay items such as deductions and taxes.

Please be sure to send any updates, changes, or information as soon as possible. There is processing time between when information is received to funds being paid, and this will help ensure timely inclusion in payroll.

Make Sure to Keep Them Updated

Please be sure to send any updates, changes or information as soon as possible. There is processing time between when information is received to funds being paid, and this will help ensure timely inclusion in payroll.

It’s Just Math

“Accountants aren’t any more qualified than you to divvy up the bill at a restaurant.” Bring a calculator and figure out the tip yourself. You’ve got this.

Fun Fact

The most common pay frequency in the U.S. is biweekly, which is used by 37 percent of private businesses. Surprisingly, weekly beats semimonthly as a runner-up at 32 percent.

More Tips & Tricks

I hope you found value in this list. If you’d like to learn more about your accounting department, give them a call or email and I bet you’ll be glad you did. If you’d like more lists check out our blog page to see more. Did we miss something about accounting that you’d like to share? We’d love to help you do that! Send to our Writing Team and we’ll be happy to share them in a future blog. Stay cool and be safe this summer!

September is International Update Your Resume Month. Most careers require a resume as part of consideration for employment but too often people try to write a resume at the last minute. Since a well-done resume takes time and research to create, the last minute is the worst time for jobseekers to make one. Making this month the perfect reminder to get YOUR resume ready for the next unexpected opportunity to pop up. With that in mind, here are some tips to help you craft a resume that work for you rather than against!

Honesty is the best policy

According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, 1 in 4 hiring managers spend less than 30 seconds reviewing a resume but 75% of them have still caught a lie while doing so, leading them to not follow up with that candidate. This means that honesty is your best policy when applying for a job. Not only because it can hold you back but because you’re not setting yourself up for future success even if you do get a call back!

Proof(reading) is in the pudding

“You’re not hiring me to write so why does my resume matter?” I hear that all the time from those working more technical roles, like machinists and welders. But, in the era of online applications and telephone interviews, even for the technical trades your resume matters more than ever today. Why? Because a hiring manager sees your resume before they ever see you or your work, making it your best opportunity to put your most (or least) professional foot forward first. Thus, proofing for proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling help subconsciously reflect your strengths like thoroughness, attention to detail, and willingness to take the extra step.

Be specific and detailed

If nobody has told you yet, everyone in a hiring position uses resume-reading programs. If your resume is found on an online platform it’s found because it contained certain keywords that were used as search terms. This means that even the right experience can be missed by hiring managers if it’s not being represented by the words and phrases they’re using to search for candidates. How then does a jobseeker succeed? By using this knowledge to their advantage when writing their resume. For example, if you’re a welder looking to highlight your TIG (GTAW) welding experience a quick Google search will show you that kind of welding is searched for most commonly as ‘TIG’ or ‘GTAW’. Therefore, you should make sure to use both terms within your resume and you should avoid other punctuation marks like hyphens or backslashes. If you do so, more eyeballs will see your resume, and you’ll get more interview requests and job offers as a result.

References: Professional vs Personal

When asked to provide references most of us generally submit the people that know us best because they are the ones most likely to say good things about us. But remember, no matter how good, or true, the things your friends and former coworkers have to say about you are it doesn’t make them a professional reference. A truly professional reference is not just somebody that knows you or someone you’ve work with before. Rather it is somebody you’ve worked FOR (shift leads, supervisors, foremen, trainers, etc.) because those are the kind of references that can speak about you as a technician, person, coworker, AND employee. When you have a reference like that to make sure you have good contact information for them and give them a heads up you’ve used them as a reference. This last part is important. Make sure they reliably respond to outreach, because even the best reference in the world doesn’t do you any good if they don’t answer when called.

I hope these tips encourage you to update your own resume and, hopefully, make doing so a little easier. If you’d like to find other ways to celebrate International Update Your Resume Day, there are many more options on the web. We’ve done blogs on other topics jobseekers might find helpful, interview tips. Check them out on our blog page. And, of course, if you have other resume tips or questions just send them to our Writing Team and we’ll be happy to cover them in a future article.

As a Project Manager there are many responsibilities to ensure that the entire operation is running smoothly. We sat down with a few of our project managers to hear how they keep their team and clients happy.

Stephen DeTombe and Daniel O’Driscoll shared their best practices when it comes to keeping everyone content.

Tips to keeping the team happy:

Respect every team member
Fully present during each conversation
Follow through with their requests
Remember the personal things they share with you (family, hobbies, favorite teams… etc.)
Daily walk throughs on-site
Face-to-face communication whenever possible

Tips to keeping the client happy:

Stay professional, courteous, and friendly
Anticipate their needs
Responsive to issues with efficient solutions
Be an ally in their successes
Face-to-face interactions with the client

These simple actions ensure that we all reach success and completion!!

The future of manufacturing lies in the hands of automation. Industry 4.0 is where it’s at and that means robotics, PLCs, and CNC. If you’re in the CNC machining trade now, or would like to be, growing your career from CNC Operator or CNC Machinist to CNC Programmer is a great way to pave your career path and going back to school is a great place to start.

If you’re committed to becoming a CNC Programmer, start by enrolling into a local technical college to get a CNC Programmer or CNC Programming certificate, diploma, or degree. Consider the following items when you’re determining where to go.

- Does the school have curriculum approved by the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS)? NIMS establishes standards for CNC Programming and CNC Programmer Certifications within trade schools.
- Does the school have quality equipment and software for hands-on experience? Mastercam is a very common programming language in the CNC world and will open doors for you in the programming world.
- What is the length of the program? What amount of time can you commit to this endeavor? Getting a CNC Programming certificate will take less time than getting a CNC Programming Diploma which takes less time than getting an associate degree.
- What is the cost of the program, can you commit to the cost, and is there value in what you’re getting for the cost?
- Location, location, location. Do you need online options, or can you do in-person learning?
- Consider working for PMG. One of the great benefits we offer our technicians is training reimbursement. We have a great program in place that allows you to build upon your current skills and education by reimbursing up to $2,000 for approved courses relevant to your trade.

Day one seems like a distant memory,
A leaf swept away by the icy breeze,
Distant—
—yet familiar.

A year ago, I was a leaf
Shaking in the cold air, pleading for the sun to rise;
Sweeping me up in its warm embrace.

Oh, the sweet wind carried me here.
Where pastel pink tulips dance under the breeze—
Blue jays warm the sun.

A year later I stay,
Within the comfort of my new home surrounded by light.
Each ray filled with adventure.

New leaves sprouting nearby,
Each whispering their own lovely tales
as I dance along the breeze
Eager to start again.

Inspired by the author’s first year working at PMG.

Jazmin Crittenden

Technical Solutions Administrator

PMG Technician Spotlight: Tremayne W.

Each of our Technicians bring a set of colorful skills and abilities to help complete tasks. At PMG, we believe that every individual deserves the opportunity for success, and we give credited technicians the resources to flourish.

Our featured technician is Tremayne W. He is an exquisitely talented manufacturing technician who has been in the industry for 29 years! His career began at the age of 18 when he started welding and after some years of experience, he found a job at PMG. When asked what the main reason was for joining PMG, he stated, “Machine operator growth is a reality with PMG.”

Since the start of working with PMG, he’s been able to adapt to different roles, relocate to assignments in other locations, meet countless individuals, and gain new skills. A few abilities that Tremayne has gained since beginning work at PMG include:

Forklift and machine operations
Problem solving with teammates
Leader that individuals can seek for support

Tremayne W. Technician Spotlight Flyer

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JOIN US

Tremayne is proud to show off his abilities to perform multiple tasks when on assignment with PMG. We are thankful to have such a talented individual as a part of our team. If you or anyone you know is a skilled tradesperson and wants to join our team, click here!

What Not to Do – Edition 1

First Day at a New Job

There’s a lot of information available today about what we SHOULD do when searching for or starting a new job. Whether you’re looking for phone interview tips or you’re trying to spruce up your resume, we have answers for you. But most of that information, including ours, primarily focuses on what you SHOULD do. Far fewer keystrokes across the web are devoted to explaining what you SHOULD AVOID doing in any particular situation. We want to help fill the information gap with this first installment of a new semi-regular series – What Not to Do!

Without further ado, here are three things NOT to do during your first day on a new job.

1. Don’t Self-Destruct

This may sound simple, but it’s still a common problem. The biggest hurdles most people encounter their first day at a new job are self-inflicted. Do not self-destruct.

What can help:

Go to bed early the night before
Eat breakfast
Arrive on time or early

2. Don’t Be A Know-It-All

You’re there and you’re new, act like it. Whether you know a lot about your industry or position, you don’t know much about your new employer or how they do things yet. There may come a time to be a change agent,but, we promise, it won’t be on your first day.

What can help:

Ask questions
Attend orientation
Accept meeting invitations with coworkers
Take good notes

3. Don’t Use Your Phone

In the pre-cell phone era, nobody brought a newspaper with them to their cubicle or onto the production floor. But technology has changed everything about our work lives, including the availability and convenience of distractions. Cell phone usage is the single most common employer complaint of employees while on the clock. If you’re someone that can have your phone in your pocket and keep it there, pat yourself on the back for being a good example to your colleagues. But, if you are one of the folks who struggle with this, there’s a simple way to avoid your phones too. Leave them in your car or locker! Out of sight is out of mind and, in this case, it’s just good business too.

If you found value in this list, you might find value in these tips for those with new hires, or who are newly hired. And remember, if you have ideas for things not to do (or places and situations in which you shouldn’t do them) we’re happy to share those too! Just send them to our PMG Writing Team and we’ll cover them in a future blog too.

Josh Erickson, ReTool Public Relations & Engagement Specialist

When it comes to industry-specific knowledge, there’s no replacement for experience. We all know that experience takes time to build.

At PMG ReTool, we’re big believers that anyone preparing for a career in the trades can reduce their learning curve by exposing themselves to a wider cross section of professional influences, regardless of experience level.

Use YouTube to Increase Your Exposure

The internet and video are great tools to help future technicians increase this exposure. Now, PMG even has an easy way to help the next generation of tradespeople learn to use these tools for their own benefit!

Our PMG ReTool YouTube Channel is full of example videos created or curated by our ReTool Team to help anyone, inexperienced or otherwise, grow their exposure to the trades and various sectors of the manufacturing industry.

Want to see facility tours at some of the world’s best producers? What about How-To’s from some of the industry’s best troubleshooters? This channel has a little bit of everything for anyone interested in technical education or skilled trades careers.