When it comes to job opportunities in Hacienda Business Park, it's a seller's market. Recent college grads, transferring professionals and women re-entering the work force, all have ample opportunities for rewarding positions with the many companies in the park.

"Competition is stiff. We want the best of the bunch and we're out to get our fair share," says Ron Hernbroth of Crum & Forster Personal Insurance. Hernbroth is Human Resources Division Manager at C&F's operation on West Las Positas Boulevard. He points out his firm's regular college recruitment efforts at Stanford, UC Berkeley, San Jose State and Cal State Hayward. But he also talks about the virtues of the more mature worker and women re-entering the job market.

"We urge women to make use of and market their homemaker experience," he says. "When we speak to homemakers, as we did recently at a program at Amador High, we tell them to pull out experiences where they showed leadership, energy and motivation." Everything from a Neighborhood Watch leader to household budgeting can be usefully included on a resume or in a job interview, says Hernbroth.

The insurance industry offers job opportunities in clerical and professional positions. Underwriters and claims adjusters need up-to-date skills and information. Those seeking positions in operations need academic and/or experience in personnel and management.

"We have a unique philosophy," says Hernbroth. "We will try to interview anyone who comes through the door. Competition for good people is steep and if we pass someone up, they'll go next door and we'll miss out on some good people."

On the engineering scene, growth is the key word. "In June, 1985 we had 40 employees, now we have 70," says Joanne Wilson whose responsibilities include business development and recruiting for Bissell & Karn, Inc., consulting engineers located in Chabot Center.

Wilson emphasizes that Bissell & Karn is a "multi-disciplinary firm." On their staff are surveyors, civil engineers, planners, landscape architects, water resource specialists and transportation engineers.

Currently, the field of freeway design and transportation planning is a key area of importance, especially here in the Valley. With the projections for continued growth and the emphasis on transportation issues, engineers with traffic and freeway design expertise are much sought.

Another component of engineering skills that is important to recruiters is the knowledge of computer aided design. "Our firm has state of the art equipment," says Wilson.

In addition to the technical know-how expected of any candidate for employment, Wilson emphasizes the importance of managerial skills. The ability to manage technical personnel is crucial to a project's success. Any engineering curriculum plan should include some basic administration and management classes.

"As our company continues to grow, more administrative support will be needed. This includes accounting, drafting and administration," says Wilson. These areas, in addition to the engineering positions, are some that workers re-entering the work force should consider.

Wilson, herself, is an example of a woman getting back into the workforce after years at home. Her background is in English and she completed her degree work at Cal State Hayward in 1980.

She started at Bissell & Karn as administrative assistant to principal, Pete Ruggeri. She praises the supportive policies of the firm which have enabled her to move on to more diverse responsibilities within a year. She urges candidates of varied backgrounds to consider engineering for their future. Her firm anticipates hiring eleven project engineers in the next fiscal year.

In the next issue, we will review the job outlook in banking and the restaurant and hotel trade.

To see a reproduction of the original article and edition of Pleasanton Pathways, visit: August 25, 1986 Pathways.