If you're a safety director looking to switch jobs, this might be a good time to make your move. If you're currently out of work, your luck might be about to change. Here's why.

Pleased to Meet You

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lauryn Franzoni. I'm the director of career and networking programs at ExecuNet, the country's leading Internet-based source of career information and networking for managers. My bio will tell you more about me. (You can also click on the link below to go to the ExecuNet website.) But what's important for you to know is that I've been tracking the management job market across many industries for most of my career.

What am I doing here? SafetyXChange asked me to join its board of advisors. My job is to make the vast resources of ExecuNet available to you and help you find jobs and build your careers. This is my first day on the job. And I came prepared.

CEOs Like the Economy and Expect to Hire

A group called the Business Roundtable recently published the results of a survey of CEOs and the state of the economy. These CEOs think the economy is strong and will continue to grow in the next six months.

Here's the part that I think will interest you: Sixty percent of the respondents said they expect to increase capital spending in the next six months. That translates into more jobs for managers including safety professionals like you.

Search Firms Expect More Business

It's not just the CEOs who like what they're seeing from the job market. In an exclusive survey of 141 executive recruiters, ExecuNet found that the professionals who get paid to place managers in new jobs are expecting a 23 percent increase in business in 2005.

Where Will the Jobs Be?

So, the overall picture for management jobs looks very promising. But where does that leave you? I admit that I'm not exactly sure how all of this affects the safety professional in particular, other than to say that a rising tide lifts all boats.

But I can offer some reasonable suggestions of what this all might mean for safety professionals based on who is expected to do the hiring. The top five industries that expect to generate the most management jobs in 2005 are:

1. Healthcare
2. Medical/Pharmaceuticals (including biotech)
3. Financial Services
4. Business Services
5. High Tech (manufacturing and services)

The good news is that the two most likely prospective hirers, healthcare and pharmaceutical companies, have a definite need for safety professionals. But banks, insurance and service companies tend to need fewer safety professionals. Of course, that's not to say that these companies don't hire safety professionals. But if you're a safety professional looking for a job, you'd probably like to see manufacturing, construction, mining, transportation and agriculture at the top of the list of likely hirers.

Manufacturing was in fact part of the top five for 2004. But the industry slipped to 6 th place - strong but not top five - in 2005.

Conclusion

The next six months looks like a good time for managers to look for jobs. Economic growth is expected to be strong and CEOs are looking for talent. True, safety managers might not be at the top of every CEO's shopping list, but if you're waiting for all the stars to be perfectly aligned to make your move, you could be in for a long wait.

Wishing you career success,

Lauryn Franzoni
ExecuNet

From the Editor-in-Chief

ASK LAURYN

If you have a question about the job market or your career, send it to me, Glenn Demby, at glennd@bongarde.com, and I'll pass it along to Lauryn. All questions will be kept confidential. To check out the ExecuNet website, go to www.execunet.com.

Glenn Demby
Editor-in-Chief
SafetyXChange

REAL LIFE SAFETY HEROES

Charlie Simpson

View Art's Bio Here

Submitted By Art Fettig

I always say that you shouldn't be in the safety profession unless you yourself are sold on safety. When I say sold on safety, I'm talking about people like my friend Charlie Simpson. Before retiring, Charlie was safety manager with a company called Inco Alloys International, Inc., in West Virginia.

When you'd call Charlie at work you didn't expect him to answer the phone. You'd expect him to be out of the office making the rounds at his massive plant. I once accompanied Charlie on his rounds and discovered that he is one of the most beloved persons I've ever met. He called everybody by their first name and even asked about their spouses and kids by first name. Charlie lives safety. It oozes from his every pore. And I honestly believe that if you looked into it, you'd discover that over the years Charlie has saved numerous lives and prevented literally hundreds of accidents because of his dedication.

Although he's a special guy, Charlie is by no means one of a kind. On the contrary, Charlie's commitment and passion represent what should be the baseline for any person who wants to be a safety director - or at least a successful one.

Who's Your Safety Hero?

Tell us about somebody you consider a true safety hero. Just a couple of paragraphs about the person and why you admire him or her. Send it to glennd@bongarde.com . If you can, include a photo. We'll make sure your unsung hero gets sung.

Glenn Demby
Editor-in-Chief
SafetyXChange

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