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Chairman's Corner How To Find Clients: As I promised in earlier issues, I will continue to use this column to share some successful meth-ods for finding clients. These are some of the methods (more than twenty) I have used, and which I discuss in detail in my seminar on consulting. This method is one of my favorites. It is easy, comfortable, and it gets results. I visit the universities and colleges in my area. The two people I seek on each campus are the Chairman of the Department of Electrical Engineering (or related area) and the Faculty Advisor of the IEEE Student Branch. I introduce myself as a consultant and make two offers. I offer the Department Chairman my availability as a speaker to talk to the students about industry and what it is like to be an engineer. This is very valuable to the Chairman, and I am often referred to another faculty member to implement this offer. I also offer the Student Branch Advisor my availability as a speaker about many aspects of the engineering profession. Most of the time they are anxious to get speakers for their meetings. How does speaking to students and student groups enhance your consulting business? Indirectly the students may be helpful, but the principal person in this scenario is the Department Chairman. When there is an engineering problem in industry, managers often call the university to seek help. Most of the faculty members do not have the time or desire to accept consulting assignments. But the Department Chairman who gets the call remembers the consultant who introduced himself and offered to speak to the students. This has worked for me. It will work for you too. THANK YOU, CHRIS CURRIE -- Following the death of Bill Anderson we experienced a period of difficulty since Bill was so crucial to the functioning of AICN. The IEEE-USA staff rose to the occasion. I especially thank Chris Currie who acted as our temporary liaison in addition to his many other duties. On short notice he helped us to put the Fall 1999 workshop and meeting together in Connecticut, get our newsletter out, and performed many other tasks, and kept us growing. He is a pleasure to work with. Chris is still involved with us in many ways. He is the Manager of Product Development and Marketing for IEEE-USA. He is also involved with IEEE-USA Employment Services. His e-mail address is c.currie@ieee.org. Thank you, Chris. AICN appreciates you. WELCOME, SCOTT GRAYSON -- Scott Grayson is our new AICN staff contact. He worked for IEEE-USA from 1989 to 1998, took a year off, and we are glad to have him back now. Prior to leaving IEEE-USA he was Manager of Career Activities. In that role he managed the Career Activities Council. He served as a lobbyist and staffed the Licensure and Registration Committee, Intellectual Property Committee, Career Maintenance and Development, and the Ethics Committee (when it was a part of IEEE-USA). He has been rehired as the Director of Career, Member, and Professional Activities. He is responsible for the Member Activities Council, Career Activities Council, and the Professional Activities Council. Scott is very much in tune with the activities of AICN since he worked with Bill Anderson on various issues. Scott has been doing a marvelous job and, on behalf of the AICN, welcome, thank you, and I look forward to working with you. His e-mail address is s.grayson@ieee.org. [ Contents ] LA OLE’! On Saturday 10 June 2000 at Universal City Hilton Hotel an IEEE/PES All Councils Conference There will be four Tracks:
The Consultants Network Track will have two parallel sessions in the morning and a combined Session in the afternoon. One morning session is for Practicing Consultants and the other morning session is for newer consultants and people considering Consulting as an Option. Rough Schedule
Any questions, send to Ralph Hileman at r.hileman@ieee.org. [ Contents ] YOUR DIRECTORY Although the Electrotechnology and Information-Technology Consultants Directory has already gone to press, you can still register for the on-line directory and data base. Last year, more than 15,000 visitors used the consultants database on the Web and nearly 3,000 copies of the directory were distributed to potential clients. For 2000, the database and directory will be bigger and better than ever, with a new promotional campaign to spread awareness of en-rolled IEEE consultants throughout industry. Register now at http://www.ieeeusa.org/business/consultants to establish your listing in the database through March 31, 2001. For more information please contact Marnie Clark-Pool at <m.clark@ieee.org> or at (202) 785-0017. Also, you can call Scott Grayson for information Scott Grayson
[ Contents ] WHAT WORKS FOR YOU? I get most of my work as repeat business and referrals from past clients. You probably do too. And you probably have all the work that you can handle right now. When you are busy, it is easy to overlook the ongoing need to develop new clients. One of the ways to find clients, or rather for them to find you, is through directory listings, such as our own Directory, Electrotechnology & Information Technology Consultants. The Directory works for me and I hope that you are using it too. [ Bob has more on this in the next issue of the AICN Newsletter] [ Contents ] ANYONE FOR H1-B? (AN EDITORIAL) The H1-B is a nonimmigrant visa that allows foreign workers to live and work in the U.S. Such high-tech workers have received notoriety recently because they have been used to replace U.S workers including IEEE engineers, and for good reason. They work for less, work longer hours, they are effectively indentured for about five years to the company that hired them and they can't move except back home. If they become serious about living and working here, they can apply for a Green Card. Congress has just passed a bill that would allow increasing the present limit of 65,000 per year up to 115,000 in 2001. The issue raised here is one of "unfair" competition that results from the world trade of engineers and programmers working, as it were, right under our noses for less money and less freedom. The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), an industry trade organization, is pressuring Congress again to allow more H1-B workers. The ITAA maintains there is a severe shortage of skilled labor here. However, there is good evidence to the contrary. Dr. Matloff still maintains there is no such thing as a labor shortage of high-tech personnel (see http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/itaa.real.html). This importation of foreign labor since 1990 has resulted in a severe intrusion into the US labor market. It is now estimated to account for 50% of the programmers in Silicon Valley. This is a serious invasion. Because this has affected IEEE members' employment so seriously, IEEE-USA President, Merill Buckley, Jr., has suggested alternative legislation, namely: cancel the H1-B program and have any foreign workers apply directly for a Green Card. How this will protect U.S. engineers and programmers is not clear, but it certainly will be better than now. Also the IEEE-USA officially opposes expansion of the H-1B program, and has requested that President Bill Clinton veto the bill. [ Contents ] THE CONNECTICUT CONSULTANTS NETWORK As the local point of contact for last Fall's AICN Workshop held in Hartford, CT, I'd like to share some of the things I learned by being involved in the planning and running of the Workshop. To begin with, the AICN (Alliance of IEEE Consultants' Networks, for the "newbies") is not a group of corporate types, looking for ways to spend your dues. The members of the Coordinating Committee and the IEEE staff who supported us were real professionals and it is unlikely that things would have gone as smoothly as they did, without their help. The Coordinating Committee members are all volunteers, all have successful, fulltime practices and all are dedicated to furthering the consulting profession. If you stop to think about it, why would anyone with a successful business care if anybody else makes it? They do. As an officer in the CT Network, I was invited to attend the Committee's semiannual meeting, which was held the day after the Workshop. It was interesting to see the ideas that were kicked around, both in services to the local networks and to the networks' membership. I was asked my views on the topics of discussion and was given what I consider valuable advice on how to make the CT network more successful. I took a few of their recommendations and have implemented them. The results are an increase in meeting attendance and the formation of a core group who are actually making things happen. We have a new domain name (see http://www.ctconsultants.org), and are working on a new and improved website. Another interesting item was the makeup of the attendees. Few were members of the CT Network. Most were either starting out or were considering the move to consulting. Some were actually there looking for consulting expertise or to network themselves. Some have begun attending our meetings. The speakers were all seasoned consultants with many years of experience between them. Even the "oldtimers" had to admit to learning something. The evaluation forms filled out by the attendees rated the overall Workshop as excellent and well worth the price of admission, which was about 3 times higher than the upcoming Workshop in LA. In short, if you have the time, the AICN Workshops are valuable learning experiences, not just as an attendee, but more so if you decide to participate. If your local network gets the opportunity to host one, it is well worth the time and effort (minimal) to get involved. [ Contents ] PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE IEEE-USA is holding its 2000 Professional Development Conference at Marriott's Camelback Inn Golf Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, AZ, 1-4 Sept. With the theme, "The Millennium and Beyond," the conference explores professional and career issues of interest to new and experienced engineers. Topics range from career planning and professional skills management to engineering leadership, mentoring, financial planning, organizational ethics, diversity and public policy. The third millennium is spawning new technologies and business models that change the world engineers face. To help engineers thrive, sessions are slated on career planning, networking, and entrepreneurial skills, as well as building customer relationships and satisfaction. Additional sessions will focus on developing the skills engineers need to move into leadership positions such as project, time and influence management. Legislative issues that affect engineers' careers will also be covered. Further, the conference offers opportunities for younger engineers to interact with experienced engineers. The IEEE's Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) program will sponsor sessions specifically geared for younger engineers. The program includes a mix of plenary sessions with keynote speakers,concurrent one-hour tutorials, two-hour workshops and poster board sessions.Registrants earn continuing education units (CEUs) for conference participation from the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). For additional information, go to http://www.ieeeusa.org/prodevcon; or contact: Linda S. Hall [ Contents ] E-ZINEs OFFER TARGETED INFORMATION If you're not already one of the more than 5,000 subscribers to IEEE-USA TODAY and IEEE-USA EYE ON WASHINGTON, issued monthly and biweekly, respectively, then you're not up-to-date on the latest targeted news on the organization's career and policy activities. The 14 April IEEE-USA EYE ON WASHINGTON includes blurbs on House legislation to promote teacher development and private-sector involvement in math and science education, plus a White House report on reversing under-representation of ethnic and gender groups in the sci-tech ranks. The 17 April IEEE-USA TODAY includes blurbs on the organization's improved online job board and resume referral service at www.ieeeusa.org/jobs, as well as on how to be listed in the 2000 DIRECTORY OF ELECTROTECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION-TECHNOLOGY CONSULTANTS at http://www.ieeeusa.org/business/consultants. Subscribe now to one or both of the update services at www.ieeeusa.org/emailupdates or contact: Pender M. McCarter, APR, Fellow
PRSA, [ Contents ] CAN YOU IMAGINE THIS? "Of the two, imagination is more important than knowledge." When Albert Einstein said this, he illustrated a simple truth. Without the application of imagination, knowledge does not necessarily bring progress or create value. But with informed imagination, such possibilities emerge. This is the principle by which visionaries develop technologies that help change the way things are done. Practice Imagination! Hoard Knowledge. [ Contents ] IS THAT REALLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO? Have you ever been in the position where your boss or client tells you to do something that you don't think is really right? What do you do besides stew and sweat? Talk to your wife? Your pastor? A colleuge? What the heck do they know about your problem? The Ethics Help-Line is intended to provide advice for engineers, scientists, and trainees encountering ethical problems in their work. A principal goal of this Help-Line is to assist scientists and engineers in maintaining high ethical standards and in acting wisely when confronted with multiple and potentially conflicting responsibilities, even where this may lead to conflicts with organizational superiors. The Ethics Help-Line is sponsored by the Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science and is cosponsored by the National Institute for Engineering Ethics (NIEE). An engineer or scientist can initiate contact with the Help-Line by sending an email message briefly indicating the nature of the problem to: helpline@onlineethics.org. This message will be read by the Director of the Online Ethics Center, Caroline Whitbeck, or her administrative assistant, Renee Agnew, and routed to an appropriate Help-Line responder, who will try to respond within three days. The Help-Line responders are experienced engineers, scientists and ethicists knowledgeable about the ethical problems faced by engineers and scientists. These include the people who were the principal responders for the Ethics Hotline operated successfully for a year by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The Help-Line is intended to supplement, rather than replace other sources of advice on ethical matters. It should be understood both that difficult situations may arise in which intelligent, knowledgeable, people of goodwill may disagree as to the best course of action, and that the Help-Line can only offer information and advice; it cannot guarantee a good outcome. Note also that the Help-Line is not intended to deal with employee grievances unrelated to ethics, and that the Help-Line will not give legal advice. The wishes of Help-Line callers with respect to confidentiality will be respected. An important rule of the Help-Line is to protect the interests of the caller to the greatest extent consistent with our adherence to ethical practices. However, although every effort will be made to preserve confidentiality, it must be recognized that confidentiality might be breached due to imperfect electronic security or to special legal circumstances. We do not intend to replace other sources of help, such as, perhaps, an ombudsperson or ethics office in the scientist or engineer's own organization. For more information about the former Ethics Hotline project, see: "The Assault on IEEE Ethics Support," by Stephen H. Unger. [ Contents ] RESOURCES FOR CONSULTANTS If you look on the AICN web page http://www.ieeeusa.org/business/aicn.menu.html and go the AICN menu, you will find a list of a number of resources for consultants. Just clicking on their name in the AICN page brings up their web page.
The list below of 27 IEEE Consultant Chapters are active in their Sections with help and news for the consultants in their area. These chapters or Affinity Groups have been going for several years and have proved to be a very effective means for "networking". If you don't have a group in your Section please contact Scott D. Grayson. Advice and help is available.
[ Contents ] IEEE-USA'S NEW & IMPROVED JOB SERVICE: If you haven't checked out IEEE-USA's online job board and resume referral service lately, you're in for a pleasant surprise. The IEEE-USA Job Service has a new home at http://www.ieeeusa.org/jobs and a fresh, new look to go with it. Job-seekers can search the database right from the first page or click to an advanced search page with full features. And the database now has more than twice the number of jobs as last year, with the total increasing day by day. The resume service is also one click away, and it's easier now to upload your information into the database where hundreds of major employers will see it. Employer searches of the database have increased 50 percent in the past three months; your next job could be trying to find you today. The one thing that hasn't charged is the cost. All of our employment services are provided at no charge to IEEE members, proving the adage that the best things in life are free. There are even more exciting changes coming in the near future that will generate still greater employment opportunities through our service. Be sure to bookmark the site and check back frequently. And happy hunting! [ Contents ] | Previous Issues | Top of Page | Consultants Services | IEEE-USA | PUBLISHER’S NOTICE: The AICNCC NEWSLETTER is published three times a year by the Alliance of IEEE Consultants Networks Coordinating Committee, IEEE-USA in print and in this special no-line edition. Newsletter editor: Neil Clark, n.clarke@ieee.org. Copyright
© 2000 The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. Last Updated: 19 May 2000 |
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