Birth Announcement: The All New CPGjobs Blog

It´s finally here! Later this week we are unveiling the all new CPGjobs Blog to the world, and you´re invited to take a sneak peek as we make our final preparations. With our re-designed site, it will be easy to interact with others in the community.

Our CPGjobs Blog features industry news, information from and about CPGjobs client companies, career advice from industry experts, and much more. In fact, we think the CPGjobs Blog will quickly become one of your "must see" sites on the web. We look forward to seeing your comments on the new CPGjobs Blog and encourage you to spread the word about this terrific resource.

Let us know what you think— we´re interested in hearing your suggestions!

An Appeal for Help from CPGjoblist

Last week it occurred to me that CPGjoblist is about to turn 14 years old. It seems hard to believe. When Michael and I started the company we held a vision of offering a unique set of services to candidates: a business that would combine the convenience of job search on the Internet with on-demand, personal one-to-one service for each and every CPG professional registered on the site.

Two recessions and lots of "love labor" later, CPGjoblist is still here and going strong. Many of the candidates who started with us in 1997 are still with us – through multiple career transitions – and our family of CPG professionals continues to grow. Michael and I are so grateful for each and every one of you, and for your willingness to give us feedback and tell us what you like and would like added or changed. It has been wonderful working with you; we have come to think of you as "Trusted Advisors" in our business, helping us move forward.

CPGjoblist is at a point of transition. The ongoing development of the CPGjoblist features you have requested, the rapid growth of our Linkedin Group CPGpeople, the launch of our fully re-designed blog (see What´s New above), and our ever-increasing candidate population is making exponential demands on our time. We cannot keep up using the present infrastructure.

Also, our hiring companies are looking for us to provide them with exceptional candidates with the background and experience they are looking for – they want an effective way to find, directly connect with, and learn more about YOU!

The Way Forward

As you may know, earlier this year we began surveying our registered candidates to help us understand what features and services you most value at CPGjoblist and what you want to see added. We heard you loud and clear. You want more employers, more information on posted jobs, the ability to interact with employers in a safe and neutral environment, a better understanding of your application status, and the ability to "feature" your skills and background to employers. All this takes money and people to develop.

We Need Your Support

CPGjoblist occupies a unique niche in our industry. We are the only career destination that focuses solely on the Consumer Packaged Goods industry. We are also unique in that we have always provided the means for candidates to talk with us directly, and we give each of you the opportunity to get your paperwork in front of hiring managers.

CPGjoblist does not want to interrupt you with advertising from "sponsors," and we´ve never before charged fees for our additional levels of service. You´ve told us that you appreciate all of our services and want them to continue, but to do so we now need your help.

In considering how to approach funding for the additional CPGjoblist candidate services, we looked at numerous options.

Here´s what we decided to do: This month, we will be giving you the opportunity to support CPGjoblist based on the value you place on our services, and the ongoing development of our growing CPGjoblist community. Basically, you will be asked to make a choice between two options, Paid Membership or Free Membership.

Paid Membership – A voluntary annual payment, the amount of which you decide. You will:

• Continue to have full access to the jobs on CPGjoblist.
• Be able to view all detailed job descriptions and apply to all jobs.
• See how many people have applied for any job and view the status of their job applications.
• Continue to enjoy live, one-to-one help from us and get our help in putting your paperwork in front of hiring managers.
• Have the option to feature your candidacy in the CPGjobs Blog and in communications we send to our hiring companies.
• Receive no on-site advertising messages.

As we continue to add the new features you have requested to CPGjoblist in the coming months, your Paid Membership will give you full access to these features at no additional charge. If for any reason you change your mind about your membership, you can get your membership fee back at any time within 30 days of purchase. We will not automatically renew your Paid Membership. You will have the opportunity to renew each year and choose the level of support you feel comfortable with. We know that many people are currently having a hard time, and we want to help everyone who needs us.

Free Membership –With a Free Membership you will:

• Continue to have full access to view the job summaries on CPGjoblist.
• Be able to view all detailed job descriptions and employers and apply to all jobs over 14 days old.
• Receive Job Alerts and other email notifications from us.
• See a view of CPGjoblist that contains standard Google advertising messages.

What Happens Next

In a few weeks, you will receive an email from us reminding you about CPGjoblist´s membership change. That email will give you a link to the page where you can make your decision about our value to you and what type of membership you would like to have. Also, in a few weeks, when you log on to CPGjoblist, you will be given the option to make your membership choice. Your candidate profile will show you the type of membership you currently have and the number of days before you need to renew.

Please note that the "default" setting of your CPGjoblist membership is a Free Membership. Please upgrade to a Paid Membership by January 1, 2011. You will continue to have a Free Membership until you upgrade to a Paid Membership. You can upgrade at any time.

The Value of Community

Both Michael and I believe we have built something truly valuable over the past 14 years – and your responses to our surveys and our growing CPG professional community certainly bears that out. This appeal for your help was not an easy decision for us to make, but we know you will seriously consider the level to which you can support these services.

Earlier I mentioned the fact that we consider you to be a "Trusted Advisor" in our business. We sincerely value your feedback and we don´t want our relationship with you to begin and end with a credit card transaction. We want to hear from you and look forward to your ongoing participation and suggestions on the newly redesigned CPGjobs Blog. Your requests and needs will specifically determine the development of our services. We are listening.

CPGjobs isn´t just a business that Michael and I built. It is a community – our CPG talent community.

We want to thank you in advance for your decision to become a Paid Member of CPGjoblist before the end of the year, and we look forward to hearing from you very soon.

Best wishes for the coming year,

   

Penny Sallberg-Carrillo and Michael Carrillo
Co-founders, CPGjobs and CPGjoblist

Use The Holiday Slowdown To Your Advantage
Kathy Keshemberg, NCRW, CCMC

There is a big misconception that companies stop hiring during the holidays. Definitely not true! While the holidays do result in somewhat of a slow down, employers are still interviewing and hiring – some trying to use budget allocations before year-end, others getting new hires in place for January 1 new budget dollars. Keeping your job search active between Thanksgiving and the end of the year will not only get you to the front of the line for these openings, but because other job seekers believe the "no-hire-in December" myth and are slacking off, you will have less competition.

Here are a few more reasons why this is an ideal time to be job hunting and strategies to implement.

1. Multitude of networking opportunities

   Holiday gatherings provide a relaxed, festive setting for networking. From local business and chamber of commerce events and trade association meetings to neighborhood gatherings, childrens´ school events, church functions, and family parties, the possibilities are endless. Look at your invitations and prioritize according to who could be in attendance – instead of attending the same events that you´ve been to over the past six months, try something different where there is potential to meet new people who could be sources of job leads.

   When attending any event be prepared with a 30-second sound byte that articulates the ideal position for you, your best "feature" as a candidate, and end by telling the person how they can help (i.e., "who do they know" not "do you know of any jobs"). And finally, be upbeat and positive! This is not the time to complain about how long you´ve been out of work or how grim Christmas morning will be for your kids. Your message needs to be you are excited by new possibilities and the opportunity to utilize your skills to benefit your next employer.

2. Take advantage of the holiday spirit

   From networking to interviewing, everyone seems to be in a good mood around the holidays, plus the topic of the holidays is a great icebreaker. At an interview, chit-chat about the holiday crowds or the "busi-ness" of the season are natural topics that can ease you past those awkward first few moments. Same holds true at networking events, plus people seem more open and generous this time of year, so job leads and suggestions may flow more readily.

3. Connect or reconnect through holiday greetings

   The holidays are a great excuse to reach out to former clients, vendors, co-workers, bosses, mentors, or college buddies. Send a card by snail mail or email and in addition to wishing them a good holiday or happy new year, update them on your job search. You can also reconnect with recruiters or hiring managers that you interacted with earlier in the year to remind them you are still available.

You may not have a job offer at the end of December, but by staying active you will be positioned ahead of the competition when the January hiring boom begins. The relationships you build while spreading holiday cheer can mean a successful end to your job search in 2011!

For more than two decades, Kathy Keshemberg, NCRW, CCMC and her team at A Career Advantage have been providing professionals with world-class resume consultation and writing, career coaching and personal branding services. For more information, visit www.acareeradvantage.com – or take advantage of Kathy´s offer for a free resume assessment by forwarding your resume to cpg@acareeradvantage.com.

Del Monte Foods

Del Monte Foods
One, The Market
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: 415-247-3000
Fax: 415-247-3565
www.delmonte.com

EMPLOYEES
5,400

PRIMARY BUSINESS

Del Monte is one the country´s largest and most well known producers, distributors and marketers of premium quality, branded food and pet products in the U.S. retail market. Del Monte manages a powerful portfolio of brands including Del Monte, S & W, Contadina, College Inn, and more. The company´s pet food and snack brands include Meow Mix, Kibbles ´n Bits, Milk Bone, 9Lives, Pup-Peroni, Gravy Train, Nature´s Recipe, Canine Carry-Outs and more. The company also produces and distributes private label food and pet products and markets packaged food products under the Del Monet brand in South America. In fiscal year 2010, the company generated $3.7 billion in net sales.

VISION AND MISSION

The Del Monte Vision:
Nourishing Families.
Enriching Lives.
Every Day.

Del Monte is committed to enriching the lives of today´s family – everyone in the family, including pets – by providing nourishing, great tasting and east-to-use products that meet the needs of everyone in the home.

At Del Monte Foods, the phrase "nourishing families" refers to nutrition, of course.

But there is another dimension to nourishing: enriching family life. Del Monte believes that there is no better way to make families stronger – to make family life richer – than enjoying a healthy, delicious meal together around the table.

The company nourishes people by providing a vast array of healthy, high-quality foods, including fruit, vegetable and tomato products, as well as broths.

They enrich lives by encouraging and enabling families to eat together with delicious products that offer convenience and ease, as well as quality and nutrition.

And Del Monte offers a comprehensive line of food and snacks for pets – beloved, integral parts of a growing number of families.

The company is driven by the consumer and delivers results through a partnership with their customers that is built upon superior brands and products, continuous innovation, excellent service and a commitment to quality in all they do. Their people are passionate about wining and take pride in Del Monte as they lead the organization towards achieving world-class performance and superior shareholder value.

EMPLOYEE PHILOSOPHY

Del Monte lives its vision by providing employees a healthy work/life balance. From summer hours to onsite fitness, they have created a culture that values and respects their employees' time, skills and energy. The company´s goal is to create a positive and challenging work environment that engages employees through cutting-edge work assignments and project responsibilities.

Del Monte encourages an entrepreneurial environment and provides opportunities for rapid advancement. They provide the resources to achieve business goals and offer diverse growth opportunities for employees to lead meaningful careers.

Core Values:

Winning Together

• Company First, Function Second.
• Share a Vision of Success.
• Collaborate for Best Results.
• Celebrate Wins Regularly.

Respect

• Value the Concerns and Input of Others.
• Develop Yourself & Your People.
• Create an Environment Where People Thrive.
• Honor Your Commitments.

Ownership

• Lead with Passion.
• Be Proactive and Accountable.
• Think Outside of Your Job Description.
• Bring Innovation to Everything You Do.

Courage

• Have Courageous Conversations.
• Take Intelligent Risks.
• Get Comfortable with Discomfort.
• Do the Right Thing.

DIVERSITY POLICY

Del Monte is committed to promoting and preserving a workplace environment rich in diversity— one in which individual differences are not simply tolerated or accepted, but truly appreciated.

Diversity encompasses universally recognized traits such as race, gender and national origin; however, it also includes less obvious individual differences such as socioeconomic background and personal lifestyle.

The Del Monte philosophy holds to the belief that promoting these differences in the workplace is a means of encouraging personal and organizational growth and contribution, and enabling individuals and teams. Furthermore, workplace diversity reflects the changing face of the American workforce and population, as well as their customer base.

Del Monte's commitment to diversity is consistent with their shared values: Winning Together, Respect, Ownership and Courage.

To learn more about careers with DelMonte visit their website at http://www.delmonte.com.

www.cpgjoblist.com

service@cpgjoblist.com
626-535-0143
535 East Jackson Street
Pasadena, CA 91104

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