Below is a list of tactics/phrases that are a “no go”:

1. Addressing a cover letter as “Dear Sir or Madam.” No one uses those phrases anymore. Find out who
the HR Director or hiring manager is, and use their name. Also, while we are discussing the addressing
of cover letters, don’t use “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Hiring Manager”, this too is out of date.

2. Most resumes are received electronically today but if you are inclined to mail yours, do not use colored
paper with a matching envelope. I realize you are trying to get their attention and stand out, don’t! Let your
resume do the talking for you.

3. Endless bullets. It used to work but today, more than ever, people are rushed and want to quickly scan
the information in front of them. Two or three bullets is good and make sure you say what you accomplished
for the company, don’t make it about “me, me, me.”

4. Do your homework on the company before you go, but don’t use it in a way that comes across as someone who is “trying to win brownie points.” Ask legitimate questions that show an interest and lets them know you did your research and are trying to have a business conversation. Also, do not ask a question about the company that you could have gotten had you looked at their website.

5. Groveling does not work and is not becoming. When you write your thank you email or note after the interview, do not give the potential employer a “list” of why you are the best candidate. Give your “thank-you” a human touch, keep it light and reiterate something that they said that you agree with or is important regarding the company. It is okay to state that you are interested or even want the position but do not launch a two page essay as to why you are the best candidate. If you are the best candidate, they knew it when they were interviewing you.

Posted on: February 6, 2012
Source: Calculated Risk
Construction jobs head north after 5-plus years

The data on diffusion in the latest employment report showed broad recovery among industries, with especially encouraging gains for construction jobs. Calculated Risk’s Bill McBride is seeing an inflection point in housing, with construction having bottomed and prices soon to reach the nadir.

To continue reading: http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2012/02/construction-employment-duration-of.html

Key Responsibilities:
• Prepare accurate and timely financial statements
• Ensure necessary journal entries are booked on a monthly basis
• Assess and modify accounting systems to ensure effective and efficient recording of accounting transactions
• Prepare financial reports for management
• Evaluate, develop and implement policies and procedures for internal controls
• Monitor adherence to established operating procedures and internal controls
• Prepare/review general ledger accounts to ensure the integrity and accuracy of accounts
• Manage and perform accounting and month end closing
• Review and approve accounts payable procedures
• Prepare various cash, AP and capitalization reports on a daily, weekly or monthly basis
• Monitor delinquent A/R at times
• Manage cash flows, collections and payments
• Hire, train, manage and retain competent accounting staff
• Manage corporate banking relationships
• Coordinate activities with external auditors
• Prepare support schedules for year-end work papers
• Perform internal audits
• Forecast future financial and budget requirements
• Oversee cash management
• Perform budget vs. actual analysis for funds and properties on a monthly basis
• Assist with tax functions as well as special projects

Requirements:
• CPA helpful but not necessary
• Minimum 10+ years experience in real estate, preferably in commercial real estate
• Strong technical accounting skills, including GAAP
• Thorough knowledge of accounting controls, processes and systems
• Involvement with complicated financial transactions such as acquisitions, joint ventures and partnerships
• Ability to build relationships with all levels of the organization
• Detail oriented
• Advanced proficiency with Excel, MRI proficiency is preferred

The company values personal integrity, excellent customer service, a fantastic work ethic and the desire to achieve in a fast-paced setting.

Contact: Mark Hall, Executive Partner at: markhall@josephchris.net

Companies hire recruiters to find the “perfect passive” candidate because they know that people who are not looking are happy!  It also saves the client a tremendous amount of work and time to deal with a recruiter because most recruiters have a large network of people they deal with and are able to produce that “perfect passive” candidate in a timely manner.  Clients also appreciate the fact that recruiters do all the necessary screening up front, either by phone or in person and can give them a considerable amount of information before the candidate even walks in the door.

Recruiters also take the “messy” out of negotiating the salary.  Money is a difficult but necessary component that needs to be discussed and it keeps the client and candidate from having to do it.

Companies really don’t “see” a person when they look at a piece of paper but when a trusted recruiter recommends a candidate, they are willing and excited to start the process.

Give us a call at 281-359-0060 or visit our website at www.josephchris.com, we would like to be your personal recruiter!

FLSA Classification:
Salary, Exempt

Supervisor:
Senior Vice President of Community Management

Job Purpose:
The Director, Facility Management is responsible for oversight and management of facilities program throughout company footprint including but not limited to management selection, training, and safety compliance.

Typical Physical Demands:
Regularly use hands to manipulate tools, controls, phones and computer keyboard. Frequently stand, reach with hands and arms, climb, balance, and stoop. Sit and stand to do clerical work. Regularly lift and move office supplies up to 75 lbs.

Typical Work Conditions:
Work is performed in a maintenance environment as well as at multiple residential sites. Employee frequently interacts directly with community management and other staff members during the workday. Employee regularly travels between communities throughout company footprint.

Essential Job Functions:
1. Interviews and participates in the selection process of all Facility Manager and Area Facility Managers hires and promotions.
2. Establish and monitors training requirements and timelines for all Facility personnel in areas of OSHA, Safety, Environmental, Mechanical/Technical skill sets.
3. Direct and maintain the national Safety Program.
4. Write and amend the Communities Facility Manual as necessary
5. Ensure that all sites are in compliance with the Comprehensive Safety Program, Environmental Management Plan, Lead Based Paint Plan, Communities Facility Manual, Operations and Maintenance procedures per the individual closing document and the Ground Lease Agreement.
6. Develop and implement preventive maintenance schedules and comprehensive scopes of work at each location.
7. Negotiate all national service contracts and obtain critical approvals.
8. Collaborate with Area/Regional Managers and Human Resources on staffing and salary levels of Facility personnel throughout company.
9. Review operating costs with Area Managers and Regional Managers to ensure most cost effective contracts, vendors, and processes.
10. Provide input and recommendations on capital improvement plans.
11. Establish facilities budgets and staffing levels for pre acquisitions and new development projects.

Performance Factors:
1. Planning/organizing – Ability to organize work, set priorities and make productive use of time.
2. Adaptability – Ability to accept changes in the work environment, manages competing demands and is able to deal with frequent changes, delays or unexpected events.
3. Communication and Contact – Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing with superiors, colleagues, and individuals inside and outside the Company.
4. Attendance and Dependability – Ability to consistently report to work on time at the scheduled time and is seldom absent from work. Employee can be depended upon to complete work in a timely, accurate, and thorough matter and is conscientious, about assignments.
5. Relationships with Others– Ability to work effectively and relates well with others including superiors, colleagues, and individuals inside and outside the Company. The employee exhibits a professional manner in dealing with others and works, to maintain constructive working relationships.
6. Safety – Provides a safe working environment for employees, co-workers, and individuals inside and outside of the company.
7. Values – Ability to work effectively and display the Company values of:
a. Integrity – We always do what is right.
b. Teamwork – We are better together.
c. Excellence – We strive to improve and to exceed expectations.
d. Respect – We appreciate others and care about the wider communities.

Job Requirements/Qualifications:
• 10 years experience in a facility management leadership position.
• HVAC Certification
• Electrical Certification
• OSHA 10 Hour Safety Training
• Accuracy, attention to detail and strong analytical skills a must.
• Possession of a valid state issued Drivers License and safe driving record is required.
• Ability to work in a fast paced environment and adept at supporting multiple team members and members of the management team with changing responsibilities.

Leadership and Organizational Responsibilities:
Requires ongoing coordination, communication and/or team problem solving between departments, service branches and functional areas of production and service.

Employer’s Rights:
This job description does not list all the duties of the job. Incumbents may be asked by their supervisor or managers to perform other duties. Incumbents will be evaluated in part based upon their performance of the tasks listed in this job description.

The Company has the right to revise this job description at any time. The job description is not a contract for employment and either you or the Company may terminate employment at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice (subject to applicable laws).

For an exploratory and confidential inquiry, contact Mark Hall, Executive Partner at 281.359.2102, or email markhall@josephchris.net

Are you feeling stuck in your career or work for yourself and are barely surviving? Discover how to determine where you want to be and develop a plan to get there! Whether you are looking for a new job or move up opportunities, or need ways to either change your business plan or come up with a new career, this session will help you ask the tough questions about your opportunities for growth and give you the steps to open more doors. To get ahead, you may need to assess if you’re in the right place for right now. You may need more — or more specialized — education to reach the next level, or connecting with mentors and colleagues could be the key. Let us help you find your way through tips, real-life examples from the panel and answers to your career development questions. The professional world can be cutthroat, but you don’t have to be a barracuda to survive!

Friday, February 10
1:30-3:00
W 308 C-D

Learning Outcomes:
• Attendees will identify the steps for career growth and come away with a workable plan that they can begin implementing on their return home.
• This program will demonstrate to women how to advance in a company or career without hurting themselves or their peers.
• The panel of women will relate their own stories of success provide advice and answer participant questions on how they can make a change.
• Attendees will learn how to decide when their plans do not fit with their current professional situation and if a change is needed, as well as how to identify and act on new opportunities.
Speakers: Joanne Theunissen, Linda Hebert, Lorraine Martin, Veronica Ramirez

Company Description
A privately held Real Estate Company with a diversified portfolio of industrial, office, retail and multi-family residential real estate assets nationwide. With the corporate location in Los Angeles and asset work-sites in 3 states, we are presently looking to strengthen our Property Management team in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Position Responsibilities
The candidate will report to the Director of Property Management. You will be a key member of the property management process; managing buildings, supporting tenants, problem solving and reporting.

Duties and Responsibilities:
• Conduct regular property visits as required and prepare inspection reports
• Prepare and issue work orders as needed and maintain appropriate logs
• Supervise on-site maintenance team and ensure quality of work assigned
• Bid, negotiate, and supervise contracted services for assigned properties
• Ensure competitive bidding process for vendor required services
• Oversee the construction of tenant improvements
• Ensure tenant compliance with lease requirements
• Participate in regularly scheduled property status meetings with detailed and accurate information
• Tenant Relationships
• Some travel required

Requirements:
• Minimum of 3 years of broad based commercial property management experience
• Strong communication skills with both internal & external customers and at all levels within the organization
• Understand contracts, leases and leasing objectives
• Skilled in customer service and tenant relations
• Ability to initiate bid requests, vendor and contractor management
• Ability to present self and company in a professional manner in all customer communications and actions
• Solid time management skills with the ability to prioritize, organize and successfully balance multiple tasks and requests
• Must be able to exhibit initiative and work independently
• Must have a strong work ethic and ability to work in a fast paced environment
• Must be a team player and work well with Senior Management, tenants, contractors and other daily contacts
• MS Office proficiency expected – experience with Yardi a plus.
• College degree preferred

Career Opportunity:
We offer an excellent compensation package, an exciting career opportunity, and the chance to grow and develop with a well- capitalized entrepreneurial investment group.

For more information, please contact Mark Hall, Executive Partner at 281.359.2102, or email: markhall@josephchris.net .

Our client, a successful privately held Real Estate Investment Company, is seeking an Acquisitions Director to focus on real estate opportunities in the United States.

The company has a rapidly growing portfolio of real estate now valued at more than $2.5 billion, which includes apartments, residential development, senior housing, hotels, office, industrial, retail, and land for development. They are looking to significantly expand their real estate portfolio. Our client is seeking an experienced individual to assist in this well funded effort. The selected individual will have the vision, determination, and street smarts to uncover and acquire promising real estate, where the company can add value.

The Acquisitions Director will:

• Identify real estate opportunities which meet their investment strategy;
• Maintain relationships with potential deal sources including Brokers, Owners and other Real Estate Professionals;
• Determine which markets and product types should be targeted for acquisitions;
• Monitor and analyze economic, legal, political and overall market conditions within targeted markets nationally;
• Evaluate the potential to add value to properties and communicate this to the principals;
• Negotiate deal terms, and conduct and coordinate due diligence activities;
• Prepare investment loan packages as required; and
• Most importantly, manage acquisitions to a successful close.

Qualifications:

• BA or BS in Real Estate or Finance, MBA/MSRE a plus;
• Five plus years experience in real estate related activities;
• Must be experienced with a high volume project deal flow;
• Proven ability to work independently;
• Well-established relationships within the real estate community;
• Talent to excel in a fast paced dynamic environment;
• Ability to successfully interact with all levels of management and staff;
• Possess excellent verbal and written skills; and
• Be proficient in financial modeling (especially in Microsoft Excel, and Argus).

Competitive compensation package. Qualified candidates please send your resume and cover letter in a Word formatted attachment to markhall@josephchris.net

Source: BIG BUILDER Magazine
Publication date: September 1, 2011

By Tony L. Callahan

I am often asked should sourcing operations be centralized to one or a few locations or decentralized to each operating location. Before I get to my response, let’s look at the strengths and weaknesses of each model within the home building industry. A Centralized Sourcing Model (CSM) is often associated with lower costs, managed risk, and leveraged resources. Some drawbacks of CSM are reduced flexibility, less local autonomy, and elongated response time. On the other hand, a Decentralized Sourcing Model (DSM) is often associated with flexibility, responsiveness, and greater local autonomy. Some drawbacks of DSM are higher costs, more risk, and additional resources.

There are pros and cons to both approaches. So how do I respond when asked whether or not a company should centralize or decentralize? I say use a hybrid approach. Centralize those categories where leveraging the company’s spend makes sense. Specifically, centralize areas in which you can lower your costs, improve quality, or increase responsiveness from the trade, distributor, or manufacturer. If you cannot do that, then leave the operations decentralized. However, help the decentralized locations by implementing strategies where they share information with each other to help control costs. Also, make sure you have good sourcing policies and procedures to minimize your risk.

Now let’s look at what categories you should consider for centralization. There is a strong business case to be made with leveraging the material specification with a limited number of manufacturers through national accounts. Incentives, brand alignment, product consistency, training, and manufacturing resources are just some of the benefits of leveraging this area. Recommended categories include appliances, siding, HVAC, roofing, flooring, engineered lumber, faucets, lighting, paint, cabinets, and doors. There may be other categories that make sense for your company, but consider them carefully.

Implementing any national account is disruptive to the trade base. Fragmenting the trade’s spend makes sense if you can lower your total costs. There are some instances where a trade has more volume within a given category than you do. Talk with them about combining your volume with theirs in your next RFP. You may be able to lower both your costs and implement the new agreement much faster.

There is also something to be said for leveraging your spend with large regional trades and distributors if providing them more business will lower your costs, reduce your cycle time, and improve the level of service that you receive. Recommended categories are pro dealers, electricians, plumbers, framers, flooring installers, insulation contractors, drywall applicators, foundations, and flatwork trades. Many builders have even asked existing trades in one market to open operations in a new market. This can make sense if there is a lower cost for the builder and enough volume to support the trade’s additional overhead expenses. Involve the trades and the manufacturers in the product development process. They can provide you with insight on everything from cost effectiveness, ease of installation, and design for warrantability. Part of their value proposition should be to help you build a better home. Most trades welcome the opportunity to give input on a new design.

To continue reading this article click here: http://www.bigbuilderonline.com/Industry-news.asp?articleID=1641940

To meet with Tony at the 2012 International Builders Show in Orlando, FL  or via phone, call Veronica at 281.359.2108

Source: BIG BUILDER Magazine
Publication date: November 22, 2011

By Tony L. Callahan

Knowing your costs is important in any market. In a bear market it can help you drive cost reduction initiatives. In a bull market, knowing your costs and the corresponding cost drivers can help you avoid unnecessary increases. Truly knowing your costs and what they should be is resource intensive. However, there are techniques that you can use in a resource-light environment to give you a better understanding of your costs.

Start by looking at your costs at a trade level. Each stage of home construction should have a target cost per square foot for the same or similar floor plans. During your next sourcing event, request that trades break out their bid into material, labor, and overhead components.

One disclaimer, for the sake of simplicity, this article will focus on the direct cost elements of material and labor. However, you should also consider overhead in your analysis. That said, let’s dive in.

Knowing the material and labor buckets can help you determine if a prospective trade is 1) purchasing their materials eff ectively and utilizing them efficiently and 2) efficient and competitive from a labor standpoint. This approach is still at a pretty high level, but it will provide you with a wealth of information that is not available in a lump sum bid.

Another approach is to further break those costs down into elements. From a direct cost element standpoint, we will look at labor hours, labor rate, material quantity, and material costs. Knowing these four cost elements will enable you to develop an abbreviated Lowest Achievable Cost Model (LACM).

The LACM is based on the lowest reported cost in each category. Comparing the LACM with the competing trade’s price for the four elements will enable you to look at the bid in a more meaningful way.

To continue reading this article click: http://www.bigbuilderonline.com/Industry-news.asp?articleID=1774373

To meet with Tony at the 2012 International Builders Show in Orlando, FL  or via phone, call Veronica at 281.359.2108