MAY 2001

IEEE-USA Council Corner

The following items have been reported by IEEE-USA Council Vice Presidents to the IEEE-USA Operating Committee.

Member Activities — Submitted by Robert D. Adams, Vice President IEEE-USA Member Activities

IEEE-USA Will Roll Out Enhanced Consultants On-Line Directory in June

The IEEE-USA Alliance of Independent Consultants Networks Committee is enhancing its on-line consultants directory and upgrading its search engine. The upgraded site is due to be released in June. The directory, located at http://www.ieeeusa-consultants.org/, will allow consultants who are IEEE members to list their contact information and areas of consulting specialty for a small fee. 

Industry leaders, hiring managers and project managers will be able to search the on-line directory to find consultants by area of specialty, state, years of experience, or a number of other parameters.  The new directory will feature improved search capabilities, eCommerce options, and better user interface, making it easier for members to update or change their data.

As a companion piece, the Committee will create business card-sized CD-ROMs that consultants can distribute to potential employers.  These enhancements should make the directory more attractive to more consulting engineers.

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Employment and Career Services Committee Formed to Help Members Protect Themselves and Their Careers

The newly formed IEEE-USA Employment & Career Services Committee (ECS) is focusing on the career and employment needs of working engineers. The ever-changing economy and environment in which engineers work, including the fast-paced development of technology, makes it difficult for the IEEE's U.S. members to accurately forecast what will happen with their jobs and their careers. ECS will offer products and services that will provide guidance so members can maintain their career vitality.

Using the results of the IEEE-USA Member Opinion Survey as a guide in determining which services members consider most important, ECS has two major focuses for services:

• IEEE Job Listing Service — During 2000-2001, IEEE-USA joined forces with IEEE Spectrum and partnered with Hire.Com to provide IEEE Members and their employers with the best and most sophisticated on-line employment and recruiting services.  For 2002, we expect this site will be even more robust. 

The site provides IEEE members with the ability to register their employment profiles anonymously. Once their profile is registered the system can assist in matching job openings with the individual member’s skill sets.  This system allows hiring managers to pre-screen candidates so that they do not have to sort through thousands of electronic resumes.  We are working to make this the best job listing service available on the Internet.

• Quick Response Team Workshops — The ECS Committee developed several workshops that can be delivered in quick response to certain employment conditions, particularly during downsizing and layoffs.  Such workshops include:

• Interviewing
• Networking
• Resume Writing and Posting
• Career Transitions 

If you are interested in having these workshops presented in your area, contact your Section PACE Chair or Section Chair, or contact the Committee at: http://www.ieeeusa.org/committees/ecsc/

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Professional Activities — Submitted by C. Lee Stogner, Vice President IEEE-USA Professional Activities

Professional Activities: A Way to Give Back - by Janet L. Hill, IEEE-USA Student Professional Awareness Conference Committee

Let me share with you my experience with the IEEE and how professional activities have given me an avenue to give back to my career field.  As an undergraduate at The University of Akron, I was President of my IEEE Student Branch.  During my senior year at school, I decided to put together a committee to host a Student Professional Awareness Conference (S-PAC). During the planning stages, I was in constant contact with IEEE mentors in charge of supporting students during the S-PAC process.  This event was my first taste of real "professional activities."

I graduated a month after the S-PAC.  I knew I would continue my IEEE membership as a professional, but I wanted to do more.  I wanted to give back.  I wanted to be an active professional IEEE member.  Furthermore, I found myself wanting to give back to other students.  So, the most logical choice was to join the S-PAC Committee.  This committee gave me the opportunity to share my knowledge and help others plan and execute S-PACs of their own.  Participating on the committee was my way of giving back.

As I continued work with the S-PAC Committee, I was asked to give back in a different setting.  I was asked to judge middle school students in the Future City competition (for more information about the Future City program, click here).  Not only did I have an opportunity to share my knowledge with middle school students, but I also networked with other IEEE members who were serving as judges.  I left the competition with the feeling that I had given back.

It is important to give back and share your knowledge with others; it’s what keeps the cycle going.  Think about it. Where would you be if no one had taken the time to share their knowledge and experience with you?  Besides, getting involved makes you feel good!  I challenge you to get involved with your local IEEE section.  Don't "just belong" to IEEE.  Be active and make a difference.