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BY Joel Junker

November 2011 Career Conference Results

We just completed the November 2011 Career Conference this week.  43 candidates and 10 spouses and support team members attended the conference, and all candidates have multiple companies pursuing them into the follow-up process.  The candidates interviewed with an average of 12.7 companies and averaged 8.6 companies pursuing them for a 67% pursuit rate, resulting in one of the best conferences we have had in recent years.  The ratio of opportunities to candidates at this conference was  approximately 2:1.  The entire Cameron-Brooks team congratulates the November conference candidates on their first step in their transition to the business world.

When my colleague, Joel Junker, and I discussed what made this Conference so successful, we collectively came up with one key thought – study groups! The majority of the candidates who attended the November Conference had been involved in study groups at their respective bases/posts with other candidates enrolled in the Development and Preparation Program (DPP) prior to attending the Conference and had already begun to develop relationships prior to attending the Conference.  So, rather than 43 individuals having to get to know each other from scratch, there was already a certain familiarity among many of the candidates from day one that lent itself to the overall group quickly becoming cohesive.  Additionally, their work in the study groups helped them enhance their interviewing skills and develop their answers to be more conversant and fluid.  You must practice your answers, and a study group is a great way to do this.  When the candidates are working together and helping each other in their preparation for interviews, the group as a whole tends to have a better Conference and the results of the November Conference clearly demonstrated this.

The size of the companies attending our November Career Conference varied from several companies with 200-300+ employees to companies with 175,000 to over 275,000 employees.  There were privately held companies represented as well as some of the largest companies on the Fortune 500 list.  We also had a handful of new companies attend as we continue to diversify and expand our client company portfolio.  Industries included biopharmaceutical manufacturing, building materials, construction, procurement, logistics, consumer products, semiconductor manufacturing, consulting/risk assurance, oil and gas exploration and production, engineered industrial products, and medical device.

Our client companies brought a wide variety of position titles to the Conference, including Manufacturing Supervisor, Senior Program Manager, Territory Sales Manager, Field Clinical Specialist, Applications Engineer, Distribution Center Manager, Product Marketing Engineer, Pricing Marketing Engineer, Senior Consultant, Control Systems Engineer, Business Analyst, Team Leader, Supply Chain Manager, Asset Availability Leader, Strategic Planning and Financial Analyst, Mechanical Reliability Engineer, Associate Brand Manager, Packaging Engineer, Supplier Quality Engineer, Clinical Specialist, Business Development Analyst,  Sales Engineer, Production Supervisor, Process Engineer, Technical Business Development, Senior Contracting and Procurement Buyer, Procurement Manager, Financial Analyst, and Six Sigma Blackbelt.

The list of client companies at the November Conference included the following:

• The global leader in technology protective services.  From lost, stolen, and damaged wireless handsets to malfunctioning computers or HDTVs, this company provides more than 200 million customers worldwide with best-in-class, next day device replacement, as well as protection of user content and software.  Their primary services include Handset Protection, Electronics Protection, Content Protection, Software Protection, and Roadside Assistance.  This company has recruited from Cameron-Brooks for several years and attended the November conference with Program Management opportunities.
• The world’s largest provider of air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration solutions with a history of innovation developing environmentally sound products to meet customer’s needs.  From Mt. Vernon home of George Washington, to opera houses and airports around the world, to subway systems and universities, this company’s products can be found delivering high quality, energy-efficient HVAC solutions. Recognizing the importance of maintaining a responsible balance between comfort and energy conservation, this company is an industry leader in energy efficiency, dedicated to creating environmentally sound products and solutions that fulfill their customer’ demands while preserving precious natural resources.  This company is a long-standing client of Cameron-Brooks and attending the conference looking to fill various engineering project management positions.
• A world leader responsible for pioneering the modern air/ground express delivery industry. This company is the world’s largest express transportation company, and responsible for more than 8 million shipments for express, ground, freight and expedited delivery services to every U.S. address and to more than 220 countries and territories. This company is a long-standing client of Cameron-Brooks and regularly recruit from us to fill various leadership positions in their organization.
• A global leader in the professional services industry.  This company helps companies in businesses across all industries, from emerging growth companies to global powerhouses, identify and capitalize on business opportunities.  Their more than 140,000 people in 140 countries worldwide can implement a broad array of solutions in audit, tax, transactions, IT security, enterprise risk management, valuation, and other critical business-performance issues.  The company has grown from its beginnings almost 100 years ago to become the global power it is today.  They have consistently been ranked on FORTUNE Magazine’s list of “100 Best Companies to Work For.”  They are a long time client of Cameron-Brooks and regularly recruit for Senior Consultant positions.
• The largest branded food and beverage company in North America and the second largest in the world.  Their North American business spans six core sectors:  confectionary, snacks, grocery, convenient meals, cheese & food service, and beverages.  It is the largest retail distributor of all three major food categories (grocery, refrigerated, and frozen) and produces some of the U.S.’s best known brands.  The company’s products are used in more than 99% of U.S. households and more than 40 of their brands are 100 years old or more.  They are a long-standing client of Cameron-Brooks and regularly recruit for brand management and leadership positions.
• The world’s largest family owned winery with market share of approximately 30% of the domestic table-wine market in the United States.  Founded over 80 years ago, they operate five wineries and 15,000 acres of vineyards throughout northern California and account for over 50% of every bottle of wine exported from theU.S.  This company has been a long-standing client of Cameron-Brooks and attended the November Conference to find dynamic leadership they can invest in for the long-term.
• A global material supplier to the lithium battery industry that develops and markets the highly engineered membrane separators used for leading-edge portable power applications to include Electric Device Vehicles (EDV).  They are investing $2-3 billion in both expansion and Greenfield efforts of their manufacturing facilities in the Southeast.  They have multiple conferences this year and are looking to find top leadership talent through JMOs to help their expansion and growth efforts.

To learn more about the Cameron-Brooks Career Conference experience, I’ve posted several videos from candidates who attended the November conference on our Facebook.

Rob Davis