I’ll share advice with students on how to create a stellar career, truly rise above peers in their profession and get employers to go “gaga” over them.

Perhaps most importantly, I’m offering all attendees of my session a FREE mentor match. I’ll introduce them to a seasoned professional with whom they have common interests and can build a long-term collaborative relationship.

Read more in the press release below.

SJSU Student Organization Conference Release

Business at High Tech Connect is up, up, up and, apparently, we aren’t the only one. Online freelance marketplace Elance just released its Q4 2010 highlights and is reporting both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter growth — during a quarter that is normally slow.

For the fourth calendar quarter of 2010, Elance reports employers spent $27M through its service for freelance work. Compared to the previous year, that’s a 44% increase.

As if that isn’t impressive enough, here’s the kicker: Growth from Q3 to the normally slower Q4 was 11%. Let’s be sure we see that: During Q4, normally the slowest quarter of the year, the spend on freelancers through Elance grew 11% compared to Q3.  Thanksgiving? Christmas? Bah, Humbug! Perhaps Dickens’ Christmas Carol gets turned upside down this year and the best gift we could get is the chance to work.

At High Tech Connect our consultant placement business is booming — so much so I had to cancel my planned Week Off this week. (It’s far more fun to make magic for my clients than tackle neglected closets and household repairs.)

Contact us if you need some help, or know someone who does. No fees from High Tech Connect. Just part of the community trying to get more talented colleagues to work—especially in this challenging economic climate.

And follow us on Twitter #HAPPOSV and #HighTechConnect.

Mine Your Address Book: See who you already know who might be available. They might not have the exact skills and experience you need, but you already know them and may be familiar with their work. Keep in mind however, if the project is mission-critical, it’s usually not worth it to “try” someone just because they are available right now.

Post to a Free Job Board: Free is good. But you still need to screen for out-of-work wanna-bes who are applying to any and all posted jobs. KIT List and Craigslist are two examples of free job listings, but don’t be surprised if unemployed engineers who worked with marketing are responding to your post for marketing help.

Pay for an Ad: Professional organizations like PRSA and IABC have national and regional chapter job boards. But Bill Warren, former president of Monster.com, one of the leading internet job search sites, admits most employment websites are too expensive for clients and aren’t fruitful for applicants. Warren is starting from scratch on a new job search concept. The problem: it’s still an automated web-based system that relies on exceedingly busy clients to narrow the search using technology.

Search LinkedIn: You can do a search based on job titles and keywords in your geographic area, but it still takes time to check the availability of each candidate. Verifying the accuracy of their achievements and experience is also a daunting, time-consuming chore. And are you ready to bet your career on the consultant who says they wrote amazing speeches for C-level execs?

Call an expert to find your expert: Clients want to work with the absolute right people, not just a keyword match. And there is no software yet that can detect real human chemistry or B.S. Clients call high-touch agents like High Tech Connect who understand the difference between internal and employee communications, white papers and tech briefs, and ITIL, SOX and SaaS. Reputable agencies also take care of work statements, background checks, taxes and insurance; offer employee benefits and ensure timely and accurate payment to freelancers. And you only pay if the agent finds your perfect match.

Many expert consultants sign with agencies because they appreciate being able to concentrate on their projects without the administrative headaches and payment hassles. High Tech Connect is proud to represent 1300 of the nation’s best marketing and communications professionals — and to work with outstanding clients from coast to coast.

If you want to focus on your core business and can’t afford the time to find a perfect consultant on your own, drop us a line.

The San Jose Mercury News sheds light on the growing numbers of independent contractors at work in Silicon Valley, complex compliance issues for independent contractors, increased fines for corporations and tougher audits for contractors.

“Tech companies are nervously eyeing proposals in Washington to beef up enforcement and increase fines for violations of a complicated set of rules covering the use of independent contractors. The issue has special resonance in Silicon Valley, where thousands of engineers and programmers work as independent contractors for companies ranging from startups to some of the area’s tech giants.”

But the same issues apply to marketing and communications consultants, like those High Tech Connect represents. Anyone who wants to be a sole proprietor and start their own business providing services needs to understand the IRS has explicit rules about how you can work with your clients. Check out that IRS definition of Independent (Self-Employed) or Employee? here.

Intel said it uses “very few” independent contractors, preferring to hire employees. Cisco said it has “processes” in place to make sure its workers are “properly classified and managed in compliance with the policies set forth by the state and federal governments and their regulatory agencies.”

That’s one of the reasons companies like Cisco work with High Tech Connect to safely and legally employ independent contractors.

Ultimately, independent contractors are just as responsible for managing their business as a BUSINESS, and knowing how to operate within the laws and definitions is key to your success. Read the Merc’s article here.

Needle in the haystack

In today’s San Jose Mercury News, the former president of Monster.com, one of the leading internet job search sites, admits employment websites are too expensive for clients and isn’t fruitful for applicants. Bill Warren is now listening to his clients and starting from scratch on a new job search concept. The problem: it’s still an automated web-based system that relies on exceedingly busy clients to narrow the search using technology.

People work with people, not web-based search results. And there is no software yet that can detect real human chemistry… or b.s. Until then, clients will gladly pay high-touch firms like High Tech Connect to find exactly the right professional for the job.

• Between the announcement on Feb 5 and Feb 20th HAPPO had more than 10,000 mentions in social media!
• More than 250 mentions of HAPPO in blogs
• More than 9,693 #HAPPO tweets
• 4,334 Tweets the day of the event

HAPPO Facebook Site

• 1,218 Fans (61 active fans)
• 84 interactions this week 43 likes, 12 comments, 51 wall posts

HAPPO Twitter handle

• 1,038 followers, 73 lists, 315 tweets, 672 link clicks

We are all looking forward to the next HAPPO event, prepared with even more open jobs and information for the PR crowd.

High Tech Connect’s Michelle Stewart and René Siegel are proud to be the Silicon Valley market champions, and will participate in this virtual event via Twitter. HAPPO “market champions” like High Tech Connect will help by retweeting and connecting job seekers on Twitter with potential employers in their specific market.

Leading up to Feb. 19, job seekers are encouraged to develop creative blog posts, pitching themselves to prospective employers and sharing via Twitter during the event on Feb. 19 using the hashtag #HAPPO. Please join us and help spread the word so we can get more people working.

100 Essential Skills for Geeks