CareerAlley

“The winner ain’t the one with the fastest car its the one who refuses to lose” – Dale Earnhardt. That is exactly how you have to approach your job search.  Fast is good, winning is better. So to with the fastest growing companies. Not all of these companies will be winners (and some may not even be with us in the next few years). So, how do you determine which companies will also win? Well, if you had the formula for that you would probably be a retired billionaire, but absent that analysis, there are things you can do. For instance, what industry is the company in (energy is good, I would probably stay away from the auto industry for now)? You should also look at the overall profitability of the company and read analyst reports (if the company is public). Check out sites like LinkedIn to see if you know anyone who works there (or know someone who knows someone – you get the drift). Do your homework before you bet on the race. I will be skipping any company that does not have any careers page (otherwise what’s the point), so don’t think I forgot how to count.

• Central European Distribution – This company, ranked 49 on the list is the maker of Polish vodkas Bols and Soplica distributes hundreds of brands of alcohol (don’t know if you get free samples as an employee). Their career site is fairly basic. There are 10 HR guidelines but no place to actually contact them for employment .  I would suggest going to the contacts page.
• Steel Dynamics – Ranked 51 on the list (up from 76 last year), Steel Dynamics is the “fifth-largest producer of carbon-steel products has expanded scrap-metal segment” according to Fortune. Their careers page has a brief overview and then explains that each division hires separately (so no consolidated employment list). Each division is listed on the careers page (with a link). Click on individual links to get the contact information for employment opportunities.
• Ion Geophysical – Ranked 52, but a significantly better careers site, Ion provides seismic services to the oil and gas industries. Their careers page provides a brief overview, followed by a section for experience hires (left middle of the page) and a Recent Grads section (right middle of the page). The left hand side of the page also has a careers opportunities section with Search Jobs, Submit a Resume, Recent Grads and Experienced Hires. A section on benefits follows. Clicking on Search Jobs leads to a page where you can create a jobs agent, perform a search or submit your resume. There were 5 job opportunities when I checked the site.
• K-Tron International – K-Tron produces industrial machinery and was ranked 53 on the list (and was not on last year’s list). Their careers page is fairly robust, with links at the top for Careers Overview, US Benefits, US Jobs, Swiss Jobs and Jobs at other locations. This is followed by a description of benefits (with additional links for more detailed information). At the bottom of the page are additional links for job opportunities by location with the addition of a link for opportunities at an affiliated division. There was on job opportunity when I checked the site.
• Concur Technologies – Concur is a leader in online corporate travel and expense management software and was ranked 54 on the list (up from 80 last year). Their careers page is filled with lots of info on the company (including the fact that they were listed on Seattle Business Magazines 100 Best Companies to work for – so this one is fast and good). The company information (very well put together) is then followed by the “Top Ten Reasons to Work at Concur). There is a Careers section on the left hand side of the screen, with links to View Current Openings, Campus Recruiting and more. Click on View Current Openings for a robust search engine and the ability to create an account (to save job search agents, etc.). A general search returned 32 job opportunities when I checked the site.

Okay, so I do feel that today’s post left something to be desired since the employment information on some of these sites is lacking (to say the least). So I’ve added an additional link this post to make up for some of the shortfalls (but have kept with the “fastest” premise).

• Fastest Growing Jobs – Okay, some statistics for you (in the event you are thinking of changing or confirming your career).  This link, from the United States Department of Labor, shows a table listing the fastest growing occupations long with occupations have the greast numerical job growth. The list covers the full range of careers, from professionals to skin care specialists to Aircraft cargo handling supervisors. There are addtional links on the left hand side of the page, but the ones that you will be interested in are at the bottom left hand side. These include Career Guide to Industries, Career Articles and Employment Projections. Last, but not least, is the link to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Opportunities Web Site, which provides employment opportunities with this government agency.

Good luck in your search.