WELCOME TO TORONTO TALKS

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WELCOME TO TORONTO TALKS

• HOW TO GET YOUR NEXT CONTRACT
•  
• By
•  
• NADINE CHRISTIE
• PLANET PERSONNEL AGENCY INC
• www.planet4it.com

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How to get your Next Contract
Brutal Markets require clever strategies and
great preparation

• What are you marketing?
• Relationships Who is in your distribution
  channel?
• Your resume
• Interviews
• Pricing
• Customer Relations/References
• Where is the action?

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What are you Marketing?

• Your product is obviously you.
• How do you invest in your product, your business,
  you to ensure you can maximize the return?
• Risk Obsolescence

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Invest in your skills during low market
periodsMaximize returns by contracting during
strong market periods
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Add Productsto your shelf
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How are you representing yourself?What is your
distribution channel?

• Internet Job Boards
• Extensions 6 weeks
• Former Customers
• User Groups
• Vendor Sales Reps
• Friends Family
• Placement Agencies

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JOE CONTRACTOR 123 Any Street Toronto,
Ontario Home 416-555-0000 Cell
647-555-1111 Email joecontractor_at_hotmail.com Edu
cation Year University - Degree
Obtained Courses/Certifications Year Designations
or Courses Completed Technologies Platforms Lang
uages Tools Databases Communications Methodolo
gies   Professional Experience Month Year Self
Employed to Present Toronto, Ontario PROGRAMMER
ANALYST   Opening paragraph what you do, on
what platform for clients in the Southwest
Ontario market. Specific accomplishments
include   Bank of Montreal (Month Year to
Month Year) What you did, on what project, team
size, the technologies, the process followed, the
result.   Additional Contracts listed in reverse
chronological order   Month Year GE Medical
to Month Year Toronto, Ontario PROGRAMMER
(CICS, COBOL. DB2 - Distribution)  
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• Pauline Project Manager
• Education
• McMaster Univeristy Masters of Business
  Administration
• McGill University B.Sc. Mathematics
• Technologies
• Project Management PMBok, MS Project
• Platforms Unix, Windows, IBM Mainframe, IBM
  AS400
• Web Tools Java, WebLogic
• Languages C/C, Visual Basic
• Databases Oracle, SQL Server, Sybase, DB2
• Package Solutions Saba LMS, PeopleSoft
• Professional Experience
• September 1997 Self Employed
• To Present Toronto, Ontario
• CONTRACT PROJECT MANAGER

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Pauline Project Resume
Page 2 ABC
Brokerage (November 1999 to December
2000) MANAGER Project Management
Office Directed a team of 3 Project Managers
and a Project Analyst and worked with up to 40
Project Managers leading 500 projects for this
major brokerage firm. Specific activities
included Compiled a project inventory where
non existed. Interviewed both project managers
and the finance group responsible for the
project budgets to gather the progress and
spending status. Improved the gathering of
project costs and budget flow through
data. Mentored project managers and guided
the project processes, particularly for 5 new
project managers. Implemented and published a
methodology (based on PMBOK) on a web
site. Examined systems for PMO control and
reporting. Prepared presentations and
presented to the IT Steering Committee to
continue support for existing initiatives and
gained approval for the launch of new projects.
Recruited a permanent PMO Manager DEF
Mutual Funds (May 1997 to October
1999) PROJECT MANAGER/BUSINESS
ANALYST Established and ran the Y2K Project
Management Office to successful completion.
Oversaw the assessment and testing of all
computer systems and components in the company.
This sometimes involved teaching business
units how to test their own applications.
Analyzed business processes
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Pauline Project Resume
Page 3 August 1993 ZZZ
Manufacturing To April 1997 Toronto,
Ontario MANAGER, Systems Development Led the
development team of 13 using Visual
Basic/C/C/Sybase/DB2 providing programming
services to all departments of this computer
manufacturing organization. Provided project
management. Managed a team implementing
PeopleSoft Payroll. January 1989 Paris Bourse To
July 1993 Paris, France MANAGER, Market Systems
Development Managed up to 15 developers and
project managers providing development services
to support systems for member firms of this
Stock Exchange. Delivered trading,
market surveillance and settlement applications
on UNIX/Oracle platforms. 1988 OPQ
Brokerage To 1989 Toronto, Ontario PROJECT
LEADER, Trading Systems 1987 LMN Brokerage To
1988 Toronto, Ontario PROJECT LEADER, Support
Systems (Block Trading and Back Office
Applications) 1982 GHI Bank To 1987 Toronto,
Ontario PROGRAMMER ANALYST, IBM Mainframe
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Interviews
3 Goals

• Make sure they know you can do the job
• Get the chemistry going
• Make sure they know you want the job

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Interview Tips

• Be Positive
• Firm Handshake
• Know the best thing you have done in the last 2
  years
• State your strengths with conviction
• Never criticize a former employer

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Current Market Sample Rates

• POSITION RATE
• Project Manager 80
• J2ee Senior Designer/Developer 70
•  
• ETL Programmers 55
•  
• DBA 50 to 60
•  
• Senior Quality Assurance Testors 40 to 55
•  
• UNIX Systems Administrators 48
•  
• Desktop Technical Support Analysts 22 to 25

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Customer Service and References

• Keep the Customer Happy
• Communicate with your Project Manager
• Collect Contact information before you leave

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Where is the action in Todays Market

• Government
• J2EE Design
• Packaged solution implementation
• Seibel, SAP, Peoplesoft
• Project Management and Project Coordination
• Data Warehousing ETL and Decision Support using
  Cognos, Essbase
• Infrastructure capacity and security management

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Questions and Answers
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