This has become a real problem in our industry. My stats show the average Quality Manager stays an average of 2 ½ years and Quality Engineers last just a bit better at three years. It is very common to see 6-9 months here, 1-2 years there and so forth. And as some of you will … Continued
(But first, a friend of mine was not interested in voting for either candidate and decided to do a write-in for “God.” God is very important in his life and felt our country needs God now more than ever. He, however, decided against it because both candidates would likely think he was voting for them:) … Continued
When ZF stunned the automotive world with their takeover (or buyout, or whatever you wish to call it), my phone starting ringing off the hook with worried TRW folks asking my opinion about what to do. Now, Bain Capital, of Mitt Romney fame, has strolled in to buy TI Automotive. As a joke, when my … Continued
There is an old joke when one is married: “You are only as happy as the least-happy member of the household.” There isn’t anything much that’s truer than that, in this world. Career moves, along with a possible geographical dislocation, significantly affects everyone in your family. The impacts can be enormous, both positively and negatively. … Continued
It doesn’t take much research to see that auto sales predictions for 2014 will top 16 million units, as sales will grow for five years straight (only the second time since World War II). In my opinion, it looks as if we will see a sixth year, since suppliers are starting to expand their plants … Continued
A client of mine on the East Coast needed a Supplier Development Engineer. This manufacturer is located in a smaller city, far from the coast. Not many people usually consider a move there, however, it is an excellent company in a nice area offering reasonably priced homes. The search was not easy. After a hundred … Continued
A candidate called me back immediately after a phone interview. “How did it go?” I asked. “It went OK. The conversation started out slow, but it seemed to get better at the end.” He replied. After 22 years, upon hearing, “The conversation started out slow” I know this is not positive feedback. It is also … Continued
What a heart breaker! An automotive quality engineer contacted me after moving to a new city to be nearer to family. He is degreed with a terrific background in automotive: from APQP to dealing with the customer. I found this out by doing a reference check with his last boss. All his feedback was positive, … Continued
This is one of the most difficult positions in which any quality professional can find themselves. If you don’t answer it correctly or handle the topic with skill, you are most likely out of the interview process. Over the last twenty two years, I’ve seen candidates in this quandary either tackle the situation adeptly or … Continued
Before I begin my list, it is important that automotive quality professionals understand exactly what we do at Automotive Quality Solutions, and how we pay the bills. Placement fees are paid exclusively by the hiring company; our candidates are never charged for the personal service we provide. Without exception, not one cost conscious automotive supplier … Continued
If you could see what I see every day in the automotive quality field, you would be shocked. The amount of openings for automotive quality professionals lists in the hundreds. And, I am not just talking quality technicians and lower level folks. I am talking about engineers, supplier quality engineers, quality managers, supplier quality managers…the … Continued
Not sure? Don’t know? If you are looking for stronger opportunities, the recruiter who you sent your resume to most likely isn’t charging you a penny. It’s a “win-win” situation, right? Not so fast! Aside from the fact that you should not just hand out your personal information without knowing exactly what the recruiter will … Continued
I am asked this all the time. First, it is important to look at the role and perception of the ASQ in the automotive industry and what achieving certification really means. We will then explore how much it can help you to land that dream job. Let’s start by looking at the ASQ itself and … Continued
My father always told me, “As a man, if you work hard, everything will work itself out. You may be tall or short, thin or fat, have hair or lose your hair…it doesn’t matter because everything will be OK in the end. Keep your discipline and work hard the rest will work itself out.” These … Continued
#1. Failure to show specifics. There has always been a fine line between using the word ‘I” too much as compared to using ‘we.’ There is no hard or fast rule regarding this, but it is quite simple. If you use the pronoun “I” for almost everything, it shows you are a prima donna who … Continued
Recently, I found myself at dinner with friends here in South Florida. They hailed from Boca Raton down to Miami Beach and all, coincidentally, have one thing in common. They are all attorneys. We had barely been seated and the whole group was already talking shop. Listening in, it all seemed like a bunch of … Continued
This letter was a response to an article I posted on this site “I’m Grateful for Being a Part of the Automotive Quality Community. Thank You All!” Jon, Thanks man, I really enjoyed that. It matches my life philosophy really well. My mission statement: “To extend the average life expectancy of mankind.” … Continued
We all know the importance of sending follow-up thank you notes to hiring managers and interviewing team members. The follow-up note shows your interest in the position. It also gives candidates the opportunity to describe what, about the position, they like and why they are interested. Almost all of these in our current day are … Continued
Of all the issues for an automotive-quality professional to deal with in an interview, this can be the “stickiest” part of all. The ease or difficulty also depends quite heavily on if you are negotiating for yourself or if you have a recruiter doing it for you. In either case, what do you do when … Continued
There is one habit most of us human beings carry with us long after school is over. ..not doing our homework. As we gather experiences and get even more pressed for time, we start to trust or gut feeling about people and situations or even worse, don’t pay any attention to them at all. All … Continued
Over the last 20 years, I have found many hiring managers outside of our process make decisions based primarily on logic or ‘gut feeling.’ Many times, the results can be disappointing or outright disastrous because we all know how easy a terrible person is to get rid of compared to the mediocre player that bleeds … Continued
“If I only had a dollar for every time I helped someone pull this off.” As a career doctor, I see both sick and healthy patients all the time. My assessment of almost everyone seeking stronger work opportunities always begins with examining what I refer to as their “career wounds.” The wounds can range from … Continued
Auto Division Member