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| Where to Find People to Work on LIMS Projects | ||
| Maybe
the number one question I am asked is where to find consultants to work
on various LIMS projects. Customers looking to start their projects, recruiters
looking to fill permanent positions, and consulting companies trying to
find subcontractors all ask this question. Of course, the number one source for quality resources for your project work is GeoMetrick Enterprises. However, when GeoMetrick Enterprises is booked-up and unable to take on new projects or on the rare occasion when your project is just not the right fit, here’s a few other avenues to try. Several of the resources listed below charge a fee for some or all of their tools. Within the LIMS Industry Most project and job postings in the LIMS industry appear on LIMSFinder (www.limsfinder.com). There are occasional postings on LIMSource (www.limsource.com), as well. At both sites, you can post an ad for the resources you need and actively look for consulting resources. General Places to Find Resources Besides Web sites specific to the LIMS industry, I see the most postings for LIMS projects and jobs on Monster (www.monster.com). DICE (www.dice.com) is also a place to consider posting your job or project. These sites also allow you to look through resumes, as well. If you’re specifically looking for a project manager, the Project Management Institute (www.pmi.org) is another resource to pursue. If you want a large number of options from the Internet, go to any search engine and type in the keywords that apply (e.g., “LIMS,” “LIMS Consulting,” “LIMS Project Manager”). Although the keywords most often used to find my Web site are “GeoMetrick Enterprises,” I also see that “LIMS Consulting” and “LIMS Consultant” are often used, as well. Unless you want to be overwhelmed with hits, add something more specific, as well, such as the brand of LIMS you use or the type of task. Other Avenues Recently, a colleague of mine suggested I become “LinkedIn” as a contact recourse. LinkedIn.com is a Web tool to make and control contacts with people. It can be used to find people for jobs or projects or to find a job or project for yourself. I haven’t used LinkedIn long enough to have an opinion of it, but I have heard that it’s a particularly good resource for people looking for employees or those looking for jobs. Although it does market itself as a resource for consulting project work, I haven’t run across anyone who has used it for this purpose successfully yet, but I think it’s worth trying. Monster.com also has a contact agent available, but I haven’t tried it and can’t comment on its usefulness. If you belong to any user groups, ask other members if they can recommend someone to you. If you are attending any user group meetings or conferences, ask people that you meet if they can suggest anyone to you. The Future One day, I expect to see many of us on e-Bay (www.ebay.com), offering projects and services to each other. Before you dismiss this idea, e-Bay is supposedly the best way for small businesses to deliver customer service and in the LIMS industry, most companies are fairly small. e-Bay already offers other services, such as Web-hosting, Web design and technical support. Right now, the services offered appear to be more of the commodity variety, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the day comes when specialty services appear, as well. Another Question Once a person has asked for advice on where to find LIMS resources, they often follow that question up by asking how people find GeoMetrick Enterprises. I will admit that no customers have come here via any of the methods listed above except for those who have found the company via an Internet search. Customers have come from the following places, by order of occurrence: 1. Word of mouth is, by far, the method by which most customers arrive here. 2. A significant number of customers come here because they have seen my comments on the LIMS List discussion group. 3. A few customers come here after reading my articles or seeing me speak. 4. A couple companies have become customers after doing an Internet search. If you had found people using these means, you would not be reading this article, but I thought I would answer this question in anticipation of the people that would write to me to ask it. In any case, since GeoMetrick Enterprises is not a recruitment firm, finding it through these means would not have been helpful, either. Finally Start looking for people as soon as you think you’ll need them. The less lead-time you have, the less likely you are to find the type and quality of resources that you require. One caution, however: if you look ahead too far, you run the risk of losing resources that you might find before you can bring them on board. Although it’s difficult to know exactly how early is “too early,” err on the side of caution and start sooner rather than later. Additionally, if you are not finding someone who meets your requirements, consider adjusting your requirements. I absolutely believe there is always someone available out there, although not necessarily meeting every requirement you have; it’s just a matter of knowing where to look. |
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| Production
of This Newsletter Assistance in the production of this newsletter was provided by Teich Technical and Marketing Communications, which can help you find your new clients through marketing communications, technical writing, editing, indexing, and Web content services, along with training and educational materials development. Thea Teich, owner and principal, is currently the immediate past president of the Society for Technical Communication. Contact: Thea@TeichTMC.com |
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