"Veterans in Wind" Panel at WINDPOWER 2010 Conference

James Haley, Director of Operations at Gemini Energy Services, recently moderated a session called Opportunities in Wind for Veterans as part of The WINDPOWER Job Fair & Careers In Wind Seminar. The event was affiliated with the AWEA WINDPOWER 2010 Conference & Exhibition and was held in Dallas, Texas, on May 24 – 26.

Haley’s session, held on May 24, featured a panel of managers from Horizon Wind, Clipper Windpower, and Airstreams, who provided insight to veterans on entering the industry. Topics included the transferability of a military skill set into the industry, positions that are specifically suited for veterans, and advice on finding a career within the Wind Industry.

The Opportunities in Wind for Veterans session was designed to educate veterans on the transferability of their skills to this growing industry. Indeed, Orion International has placed over 450 military candidates into the Wind Industry, into Operations, Technical, Managerial and Engineering positions, with a retention rate greater than 90% at two years.

One such veteran is Timothy Poe. Poe was a Naval Aviation Electronics Technician and was hired as a Lead Technician in Kansas by Clipper Wind Power in 2008. He found his position to be an ideal match for him in terms of his qualifications, interests, and what he was looking for in a civilian career. Poe is now working as Site Supervisor in the same location.

Gemini Energy Services, a division of Orion International, is a full-service Operations and Maintenance provider to the Wind Industry. Gemini’s traveling teams of former military technicians perform O&M, commissioning, inspections, and warranty and retrofit services at client sites throughout North America. For more information on Gemini Energy Services, please visit www.geminienergyservices.com.

Transformational Leaders

When Steve Rizley took over Cox Communications’ Arizona branch in 2000, they had not met budget in 3 years. Today, the branch is a model for organizational effectiveness. What caused the dramatic change? Rizley went to work and immediately focused on the people in the organization. And within two years his transformational leadership style resulted in outstanding growth.

Rather than the transactional leadership mentality which is “I have something you need (money) and you have something I need (labor),” the transformational leader recognizes that there are four human needs that must satisfied in order to encourage efficiency and growth.

1. The need to love and be loved. The transformational leader understands that tough-minded caring is important to being a leader and helping develop a powerful and fully expressed workforce.

2. The need to grow. A transformational leader is able to create a culture that allows people to flourish and to grow as leaders, employees and human beings.

3. The need to contribute. When we contribute in a significant way, we know we belong. To feel empowered, employees must feel their thoughts and ideas are part of a contribution to the whole.

4. The need for meaning. We have to see a bigger purpose. If there is not a clear picture of meaning we are not fully satisfied.

The transformational leader understands that when you meet all four of these needs, people become more passionate about their work and become more engaged and efficient.

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Veteran Spotlight: Brian Schulz

Brian Schulz separated from the Navy in 2007 after having served for eight years as a Naval Flight Officer. Soon after, he accepted a job offer with Medtronic Spinal and Biologics as a Spine Consultant, through Orion International. Three years later, his continued success at Medtronic is a great example of the typical experience found among veterans in the civilian workforce.

Schulz attributes much of his career success to his military background, which he states taught him about teamwork and staying focused on team goals instead of individual goals. “The leadership positions I had in the military have proven invaluable in my civilian career…I have also found the flexibility, adaptability, and ability to manage multiple priorities I learned in the military to be extremely useful,” says Schulz. He goes on to say that veterans have a great sense of professionalism and know how to get things done.

Now working on the hiring side of the interview process with Medtronic, Schulz has great advice for hiring managers interested in hiring veterans. “If I had to tell civilian hiring managers one thing about hiring veterans, it would be ‘Hire them!’”, declares Schulz. He also suggests having someone on the hiring team that’s been in the service and can help interpret resumes, although he does encourage veterans to make their resumes as easily discernible to civilian hiring managers as possible.

Schulz was recently voted the “most valuable person” on his district sales team by his peers. This was personally rewarding for Schulz and illustrated that while he had the least sales experience on the team, he was still seen as an asset by his teammates. He discovered that the leadership, teamwork, and mission focus he learned in the military were directly transferable to his civilian career.

Survey Reveals Bizarre Excuses for Being Late

According to CareerBuilder’s most recent survey, released today, 16 percent of workers said they arrive late to work at least once a week, down from 20 percent who said the same in last year’s survey. Eight percent of workers said they are late at least twice a week, down from 12 percent last year.

The recent decrease in tardiness could be an indicator that employees’ worries over job security has them taking their jobs more seriously, including punctuality.

With fewer employees arriving late to work, you would think that the bizarre excuses would subside as well. As CareerBuilder has found, that is not the case. The following were the most uncommon excuses employees have given for being late according to their survey.

• “I got mugged and was tied to the steering wheel of my car.”
• “My deodorant was frozen to the window sill.”
• “My car door fell off.” • “It was too windy.”
• “I dreamt I was already at work.”
• “I had to go to the hospital because I drank antifreeze.”
• “I had an early morning gig as a clown.”
• “A roach crawled in my ear.”
• “I saw an elderly lady at a bus stop and decided to pick her up.” • “My dog swallowed my cell phone.”

It is likely excuses like these are the driving factor behind 34% of hiring managers reporting they’ve terminated employees for being late, up from 30% last year.

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