OCTOBER 2005

We're rapidly approaching the time of the year when most people think that hiring typically begins to slow down. As the holidays approach (and yes it's around the corner!) many folks who didn't use up their vacation over the summer extend their holidays with an extra day here and there. Additionally, candidates don't typically like to interview or think about making a change as we move toward the holiday season. With refining companies doing extremely well this year, most folks will be paying significant year-end bonuses which, of course, require you be employed through end of the calendar year to collect.

The flip side of the coin is that companies go into a "use it or lose it" mode with currently open job requisitions. If a position has been budgeted to be filled in '05 and hasn't been filled as yet, companies often have to "rejustify" positions to get them into the next year's budget. Consequently, there's frequently a big push to get positions filled or at least committed to be filled by the end of the calendar year. Clearly this is a "Catch 22". With the need for qualified professionals at an all-time industry high, companies are willing to be more flexible regarding extending start dates to accommodate bonuses, pushing relocations off until after the holiday season, etc. If one of your goals for '05 was to improve your professional career path and you haven't as yet accomplished that goal, please take a minute to call or email and let us brainstorm with you about how to make that goal a reality.

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