COPIER CAREERS NEWSLETTER


	IN THIS ISSUE: The Feed: insiders make predictions for 2008 The Top 7: Characteristics of the millennial generation News In Brief: Announcements from Copier Careers, Konica Minolta, Sharp, Xerox, and Toshiba Q&A: Careers talks to Mark Gasior of Simile Imaging Solutions Job Listings
	THE FEED Predictions: 2008 Last month, we asked industry insiders to comment on the most significant events of 2007. This month, we gave them a more difficult task-to predict what's to come in 2008. Here's what the crystal ball revealed: "The thing we keep hearing-and this is sort of ancient history-is that there seems to be huge pressure on the dealer network to make a reasonable profit on the product that they're selling. And that seems to also be impacted by most of the OEMs either putting more pressure on the dealers or opening up direct operations. Those things have impacted the industry very directly, and I think that's going to continue into 2008." Paul Youngberg, Vice President of Marketing, Ross International "From a training perspective, some of the networking technology is becoming more of an issue. Employers are requesting that our graduates have some sort of networking experience or are Network+ certified. I think that the networking is something that more and more dealers want to handle in-house…which means they want technicians who are able to understand the [networking] side of things. As we see it, networking training is going to be a big coming attraction." Steve Say, President, AZ Technical Institute "One thing that scares me is the skyrocketing price of fuel. We have a fleet of vehicles, and I'm paying out the nose to keep it running. I'm getting very worried about the cost of doing my business, and I can't keep hitting my customers to cover my fuel expenses. I see this as a big concern for 2008." Steve Kelley, Service Manager, Print Manage "I believe [an] important trend in the new year will be an increasing emphasis on managed print services. Dealers are seeing the opportunity to capture more printed pages by approaching customers with a 'single source' for managing printed pages and the hardware used to produce them. Increasingly, I believe more dealers will see the strategy as a way to capture more clicks and, ultimately, place more hardware." Brent Hoskins, Executive Director, BTA
	THE TOP 7...Characteristics of the Millennial Generation Tips from the trenches to keep your copier career on track "Stand back all bosses!" warned Morley Safer in a recent 60 Minutes report. "A new breed of American worker is about to attack everything you hold sacred, from giving orders to your starched white shirt and tie." He was referring to the "millennials", those Americans born between 1980 and 1995. Millennials have only just begun to enter the workforce, but already they're shaking up American corporate culture. What's so different about this generation? Plenty. For all of you fogies born before MTV was launched, we've compiled a fact sheet on the people who will eventually take over your jobs. Whether you use this information for good (to improve the way you communicate with your young colleagues) or for evil (to excoriate today's youth) is up to you. 1. Technological literacy. To the first generation of people to grow up with personal computers, using technology is as natural as walking. Millennials blog, they podcast, they game, they google, they text and facebook one another, and they don't care that five years ago none of these activities were verbs. 2. Team spirit. Millennials spent their school days brainstorming with classmates, their desks arranged into "discussion pods" instead of rows and columns. In the workplace, they enjoy working in groups more than their older colleagues do, and many millennials prefer joint projects to individual assignments. 3. Appreciation of structure. After classes, millennials were shuttled from soccer practice to trombone lessons to Girl Scouts to dance class by nervous mothers driving minivans with excellent safety ratings. They're used to knowing what they need to do and when they need to do it, and they expect their managers to provide structure for them. 4. Expectation of feedback. For previous generations, not being laid off was validation enough that their job performance was adequate. Millennials are different-they actually like being evaluated, and they seek frequent feedback from their employers. They expect you to notice when they do a good job, and to gently criticize them when they don't. 5. Expectation of rewards. Millennials were told by their parents and grandparents (aka you) that hard work pays off. And they believed it. In exchange for their labor, they expect pay raises, bonuses, and promotions. And if they don't get them, they'll demonstrate their… 6. ...Willingness to walk away. Millennials don't expect to spend their lives with a single company, or even in a single field. They're concerned more with their work/life balance than with ascending corporate ladders. Says Jason Dorsey, author of My Reality Check Bounced: The Twentysomethings' Guide to Cashing in on Your Real-World Dreams, "We're not going to settle. Because we saw our parents settle. We have options-no longer is it bad to have four jobs on your resume in a year….That's the new reality for us." 7. Permanency. For better or worse, millennials are here to stay. Make sure to read next month's Top 7, when we'll provide tips for managing these hard-to-handle whippersnappers.
	NEWS IN BRIEF Copier Careers Publishes New Article. The article, available at www.copiercareers.com, examines CompTIA's forthcoming PDI+ certification, the first vendor-neutral certificate to measure the knowledge of printer and copier service technicians. To read this and other articles from Copier Careers, visit www.copiercareers.com/copier_industry.shtml. Konica Minolta Establishes New Manufacturing Subsidiary. Konica Minolta Business Technologies (Dongguan) Co., Ltd. is located in Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China. The factory is wholly owned by Konica Minolta and it will employ approximately 5,000 people. Sharp Corporation Receives Green Contractor Award. The Green Contractor Award, granted to Sharp by the Coalition for Government Procurement and the U.S. Government's General Services Administration, is awarded to the government contractor who has demonstrated the strongest overall commitment to environmentally-sound manufacturing and operating procedures. Xerox Opens Ink Manufacturing Plant. Xerox Corporation has opened an automated ink manufacturing plant to serve growing demand for its proprietary solid ink color printers. The factory fills 10,000 square feet of previously-unused space on the company's campus outside Portland, Oregon. Toshiba Establishes Donation Program. Toshiba Business Solutions-New England has established the "Toshiba Donation Program," a local initiative benefiting nonprofit organizations. This charitable program will provide New England nonprofits with refurbished Toshiba printers, copiers, fax machines, and other office equipment.
	Q&A with Mark Gasior, President of Simile Imaging Solutions in Charlotte, NC Mark, you opened Simile Imaging Solutions in 2002. What were you doing before that? I started in the copier business in 1982 as a district sales manager with Mita, where I spent fourteen years. After I left Mita, I worked three years with Sharp. And then I started Simile. Why did you open your own dealership? I'd been in the business my whole life and it was time for me to be my own boss and start my own company. I saw an opportunity in the Charlotte market, and I took it. This city is growing tremendously-80 thousand people are moving to Charlotte every year. People and businesses are realizing that Charlotte's a great place to live and work, and we realized that the growth in this city will provide us with a lot of opportunities for many years. What's the best part of your job? I enjoy seeing our business and our employees grow. But what I enjoy most is having happy customers-taking care of customers who have been neglected by other vendors and making those customers raving fans of Simile. Our best customer is the one who recommends us to new customers. And the worst part? The worst part is the long hours and having to sacrifice family time for work. That's the tough part. Being the president of a company requires a lot of time and energy. What are you looking forward to in 2008? We have recently partnered with the Pater Group, one of the largest independent dealer groups in the country. As a result we will be adding to our staff, especially our sales staff, and we expect to see dramatic increases in revenues and profits. I'm excited about bringing on new clients and achieving our goals. I'm looking forward to having our best year ever. Is there anything you're dreading in the coming year? We're a little concerned about the credit environment right now. It's had an impact on our ability to work with companies that don't have the best credit ratings. What that means is that we have to continue to look for and work with good clients. What advice would you give new salespeople? I'd tell them that if your company asks you to meet a certain goal, you should make it your personal goal to double that number. Don't be satisfied with the status quo. Go above and beyond, and watch yourself become successful.
	JOB LISTINGS Field Service Technician - Central Oklahoma Field Service Technician - Long Island New York Field Service Technician - Philadelphia/Delaware/So New Jersey Sales Manager - Houston, TX Sales Representatives - Charlotte NC Field Service Technician - Coastal North Carolina Sales Manager - Washington DC/Northern VA
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