Author: Jim Sullivan

Construction and Engineering Recruiting on Long Island: What Employers Need to Know

By Jim Sullivan | Galaxy Management Group

If you’re trying to hire a project manager, civil engineer, or construction superintendent on Long Island right now, you already know the market is tight. The talent pool for experienced construction and engineering professionals in this region has been shrinking for years, and competition for the best people is as intense as I’ve seen it.

I’ve been placing construction and engineering professionals on Long Island and across the New York metro for many years. What I see consistently is that the companies getting the best hires aren’t necessarily offering the highest salaries. They’re working with someone who knows where the talent is and how to reach it. Here’s what that looks like in practice.

The Long Island Construction and Engineering Market Is Not Like Other Markets

Long Island has a distinct hiring environment for construction and engineering. The infrastructure projects, commercial development, and residential construction activity here create steady, high demand for qualified professionals. At the same time, many of the most experienced people in this market are deeply embedded in long-term projects or long-standing employer relationships. They’re not browsing job boards.

Add in the licensure requirements for many engineering roles and the certification standards that construction employers rightly insist on, and you’re looking for a genuinely narrow pool of people. Posting a job opening and waiting for applications is not a strategy. It’s a hope.

Where Most Employers Go Wrong

The most common mistake I see is treating a construction or engineering hire like any other professional search. Companies post on the major job boards, collect resumes, and spend weeks interviewing candidates who looked good on paper but don’t fit the actual requirements of the role.

A few specific patterns come up repeatedly:

Relying on active candidates only. The strongest project managers and senior engineers on Long Island are almost never actively looking. They’re employed, respected in their organizations, and not updating their resumes. Reaching them requires a direct, personal approach from someone they trust or at least recognize as legitimate. That takes time to build, and it can’t be automated.

Underestimating the compensation market. The salary expectations for experienced construction and engineering talent in the New York metro have shifted considerably. Employers who are benchmarking against national data or against offers they made three years ago are consistently losing candidates late in the process. Before you start a search, you need accurate, current data for this specific market.

Moving too slowly. Good candidates in this space don’t stay available for long. When a qualified superintendent or structural engineer is open to a conversation, the window is short. Companies that require three rounds of interviews and two months of deliberation are losing people to faster-moving competitors. Having a clear, efficient hiring process before the search begins makes a real difference in outcomes.

What Construction and Engineering Recruiting Actually Requires

Filling these roles well requires more than sourcing. It requires knowing enough about the work itself to have a credible conversation with a candidate and to accurately evaluate what they’re telling you.

When I work on a construction or engineering search, I’m asking candidates about specific projects they’ve managed, the size and complexity of the teams they’ve led, their experience with permitting and regulatory processes in New York, and how they’ve handled the inevitable complications that come with this kind of work. A candidate who can answer those questions specifically and confidently is very different from one who speaks only in generalities.

That kind of screening takes industry knowledge. It’s the reason a generalist recruiter, even a capable one, is at a disadvantage in this niche.

The Value of Long Island-Specific Market Knowledge

Construction and engineering hiring on Long Island also has geographic nuances that matter. Commute tolerance, project locations, union versus non-union environments, and relationships with local municipal agencies all factor into whether a candidate is actually a fit for a specific role.

A candidate who is excellent for a project in Nassau County may not be the right fit for work in Suffolk, not because of ability but because of practical realities. A recruiter who doesn’t know this market will not ask the right questions. You’ll find out the hard way, usually after an offer has been extended.

Why Companies Choose Galaxy Management Group for These Searches

At Galaxy Management Group, construction and engineering recruiting is one of our core practice areas. We’ve been doing this work on Long Island for decades, and our network in this space reflects that. We know the people, we know the companies, and we know what a strong candidate for these roles actually looks like.

When we take on a construction or engineering search, you’re not getting a recruiter who learned about your industry last week. You’re getting someone with real relationships in the talent pool and a track record of successful placements in this specific market.

If you’re currently looking to fill a construction or engineering role on Long Island or in the New York metro area, I’d welcome a conversation. Call me at (516) 739-0815 or reach me at jim@galaxymgt.com.

Jim Sullivan Galaxy Management Group, Inc. (516) 739-0815 | jim@galaxymgt.com

How to Choose the Right Executive Search Firm for Your Company

By Jim Sullivan | Galaxy Management Group

Choosing an executive search firm is one of the most consequential hiring decisions a company can make, and it’s often treated as an afterthought. Most organizations reach out to a recruiter when they’re already under pressure to fill a role. That’s the wrong time to be evaluating your options.

I’ve been in this business for over 30 years. In that time, I’ve seen companies make expensive mistakes not because they hired the wrong executive, but because they partnered with the wrong firm. Here’s what you should actually be looking for.

1. Look for Specialization, Not Generalization

There’s a significant difference between a generalist staffing agency and a firm that specializes in your industry or function. Executive search is not a volume business. The best firms develop deep relationships within specific sectors, and that depth is what gives them access to candidates who aren’t on the open market.

Before you engage anyone, ask: What industries do you primarily serve? What functions do you recruit most often? If the answer is “everything,” that’s a red flag. The best search firms know your competitive landscape, your talent pool, and your industry’s compensation benchmarks by instinct, not by doing a quick Google search after you hang up the phone.

2. Assess Their Network, Not Just Their Database

Every firm will tell you they have a large database of candidates. That’s table stakes, and largely meaningless. What matters is the quality of their network: the relationships they’ve cultivated over years with passive candidates who aren’t circulating their resume on job boards.

Ask them directly: How do you typically source candidates for a role like this? A strong answer will reference referrals, direct outreach to specific individuals, and industry relationships. A weak answer will reference job postings and resume databases.

3. Understand Their Process from Start to Finish

A reputable executive search firm should be able to walk you through their process in detail: how they define the role, how they build a target list, how they approach candidates, how they screen, how they present, and what happens after an offer is made.

Pay particular attention to the screening and presentation step. The best firms don’t just send you resumes. They send you a prepared candidate summary that connects the individual’s background to your specific needs. You should receive fewer candidates, not more, and each one should be someone worth your time.

4. Evaluate Their Communication Style Early

The single biggest complaint I hear from hiring managers about search firms is lack of communication. A recruiter who’s hard to reach during the sales process will be harder to reach once you’ve signed an agreement.

Pay attention to how they communicate before you engage them. Are they responsive? Do they ask smart, specific questions about your role and organization? Do they listen? The way a firm treats you as a prospect is a preview of how they’ll represent your company to candidates, and how you’ll be treated as a client.

5. Ask About Fees, Guarantees, and Timelines Upfront

There’s no standard fee structure across the industry. Some firms work on retainer, some on contingency, some on a hybrid model. Each has its place depending on the role and the urgency. What matters is that you understand exactly what you’re agreeing to before you sign anything.

Also, ask about the guarantee period. If an executive doesn’t work out within the first 90 days, what happens? A firm confident in its process will stand behind its placements. A firm that hedges on this question is telling you something important.

6. Check References, Not the Ones They Give You

Ask for client references, but don’t stop there. Do your own research. Talk to people in your industry who have used executive search firms. Ask your network who they’ve worked with and who they’d recommend. A firm’s reputation in your market matters more than its website.

Look for a track record of repeat business. When companies keep calling the same firm, that’s the clearest signal in the industry.

Why Local Expertise Matters, Especially on Long Island and in the NY Metro

If your business is headquartered on Long Island or in the New York metro area, there’s real value in working with a firm that knows this market. Commute patterns, salary expectations, competitive dynamics, and candidate behavior all differ meaningfully from national norms.

At Galaxy Management Group, we’ve spent decades building relationships in this market. We know which candidates are open to the right opportunity, which companies are our clients’ competitors for talent, and what it takes to close a strong candidate in a tight market. That local knowledge shortens your search and improves the quality of who you see.

The Bottom Line

The right executive search firm isn’t necessarily the biggest one or the one with the most impressive-sounding client list. It’s the firm that knows your industry, has real relationships within your talent pool, communicates professionally, and stands behind its work.

If you’re filling a leadership role on Long Island or in the New York metro and want to discuss what that process looks like, I’m happy to talk. No pressure, no pitch, just a straightforward conversation about your hiring needs.

Jim Sullivan Galaxy Management Group, Inc. (516) 739-0815 | jim@galaxymgt.com

The dictionary says that Spring (when used as a verb) means to rise, leap, move, or act suddenly and swiftly, as by a sudden dart or thrust forward or outward, or being suddenly released from a coiled or constrained position: to spring into the air; a tiger about to spring. As an adjective it says spring is a season pertaining to, characteristic of, or suitable for the season of spring: spring flowers. We also consider spring a season. It’s a season of growth and renewal. Just as bulb or root grows from a seed or germ, they eventually grow into plants, flowers, or trees.

Have you recently been laid off or do you sense a layoff coming? Are you a passive job seeker frustrated with the slow pace of your search? If you’ve been out of work for a while and finding it tough getting back into the work force or just beginning your search, spring is a great time to sharpen or update our professional skills. How long has it been since you’ve finished school, taken a course, or attended a training class? What books have you read? What seminars or online classes have you attended? Have you considered attending a class at a local Community College? College graduates earn on average more money than workers who only have a high school diploma and graduates with a Master’s degree earn many more times than high school graduates. Candidates that have additional coursework and professional certifications more desirable than those that just say they are interested in learning and advanced skills training.

Earning more money is reason enough to sharpen your skills but there are many other benefits to continuing your education. It is well worth the investment. Approach your education as a sound business investment. Make that investment and you will soon see a return throughout your career. After all, it’s important to ensure that your knowledge and skills are up-to-date with the changes affecting your industry so employers will continue to view you as a core asset. By continuing your education, you can acquire new skills and specializations that will allow you to become a more versatile employee and increase your long-term value.

Demonstrate to your boss that you are committed to your career by asking for additional training, webinars, or seminars that you can attend. By investing time and money in continuing your education, you will send a powerful message to employers that you are serious about improving your education and applying new skills to your job. Employers are more likely to hire and retain professionals who show the desire and commitment for lifelong learning, and many even provide tuition reimbursement as added encouragement.

If you are considering switching careers, one of the best ways to learn more about a potential field is through a degree program or by taking related courses. By continuing your education, it can help you better understand what the new career would entail and how to apply your current skill set in the new position. It is best to “test the waters” before jumping into a new career to make sure you are making the right decision. You can even pursue an online program if you’re working full-time and you need flexibility.

So, take time out this spring to sharpen your skills. The benefits gained by continuing education will help you to improve your skill sets, achieve career advancements and add enrichment to your life.

In For CandidatesTags skills, spring skills education training careers

We are asked all the time about whether we source passive or active candidates and what tools and tactics we use in reaching those candidates. A popular term for recruiters is Purple Squirrel when asked to describe the hardest candidate to find. And BTW, I did see one in Indiana last fall!

When you find a very strong candidate who does not have his/her resume on a job board, you look good to your client. After all, I’m told all the time, “We don’t need you to find resumes that are on the job boards”. We can do that ourselves!

Some hiring managers have decided that candidates found on the job boards are not good or they are damaged in some way. When I hear that I think to myself, I hope that they don’t find themselves a victim of a layoff or an outsourcing effort because their resume will be in a job board database whether they like it or not. Somehow we have to fight the perception that active candidates aren’t as strong as passive candidates. It simply is not the case.

We recruit both active and passive candidates. Why?

We strive to get the very best candidate interested in your opening. Why miss anyone? Whether the candidate is active or passive, they will talk freely with us and probably not as freely with you. Just because you have a great opportunity (a very pressing opening), the candidate has needs and wants also. Candidates need to be ready and prepared to leave their current job. Starting out fresh and evaluating a job opportunity takes the average passive candidate a lot of time to process it all. Candidates tell me all the time that they have built a reputation and a group of friends at one place and it’s very hard to cut ties and leave. A new job is not just a career move, it’s also a new commute and a new office to sit in. There are lots of things to think about; from a daily routine, to the relationships you’ve made to the summer picnics and parties. It’s scary to think about leaving and starting all over.

Active candidates want a new routine, a new group of friends and relationships, and a new challenge. They desperately want a new challenge. They are eager to hear about a company’s job opening so that they can have the opportunity to earn a good paycheck and contribute to solving new problems.

We focus on recruiting both active and passive candidates and I urge you to also. When you do reach out to passive candidates, find out what motivates them because that is what will attract them to your opportunity. It’s not the money or a shorter commute. All candidates want the same thing. They want to work with great people, to be challenged every day, and be seen as a person of value to the organization.

If you struggle with balancing recruiting both active and passive candidates, give us a call so we work with you to map a strategy to target both effectively.

In For Employers

Putting a resume together or just updating an old one can be daunting for many candidates. What is it about writing a resume that gets some of us apprehensive and uneasy? Do you find it hard to put your resume together? Do you start from scratch or do you go to your hard drive and pull up your old one? Many candidates simply grab a file and write a paragraph about their most recent responsibilities. A few weeks ago I called someone I knew about a job that I thought would be perfect for them but a week later I was still waiting for their resume. Why the procrastination? When it finally arrived, he said it wasn’t very good and wanted to know what I thought of it. After reviewing it, I could tell quickly that he slapped a paragraph in there and hadn’t given it a lot of thought. It did not make a strong impression and I told him so.

We hear from people all the time about how difficult resumes are to write. When they finish, they are usually not satisfied with it. Some good questions to ask: Are you satisfied with what it says about you and are your accomplishments highlighted? Does it tell the reader what you are passionate about? Is it grammatically correct and have you spell-checked? In this challenging job market you must have a resume that generates interest in having you in for an interview.

There are thousands of consultants, trainers, and paid websites out there to help you write a solid professional resume. But, will it be targeted to the appropriate job? While I’m all for seeking advice, an effective resume should be targeted to the job you are applying for. I look at resumes every day. Each is different and tells a personal story. Whether it’s one page or multiple pages, a good resume details employment history and highlights your past responsibilities and accomplishments. In a sense, it sets the stage for a good conversation in an interview setting.

With on-line applications and social media, candidates ask whether their resume will make a difference. In a competitive job market like the one we’re in, an interesting, well written resume can make the difference between one candidate getting an interview over another. You want the resume chosen to be yours. Hiring managers and recruiters look at so many resumes that they make interview decisions quickly. Managers have told me that every once in a while, a resume jumps up and speaks directly to them. When it does, they’ll read it completely through to the end.

So, what is the number one reason to have a great resume? It’s to get an interview! Your resume is your calling card. It tells the hiring manager that if you hire me, you’ll get these same contributions and accomplishments. It convinces the hiring manager that your past performance is indicative of your future performance and success.

A great resume targeted to a particular position will help to set up a great interview. The hiring manager will anticipate meeting you in person and learning more about you.

It should provide current and accurate contact information (no silly email addresses please!)

It should highlight your professional profile and highlight your excellent writing skills – based on the fact that the resume is so well written

To provide professional references and background information

To help you articulate your objective, professional qualifications, and accomplishments

Next time you think about dusting off that old resume, stop! Set some time aside to put your thoughts together and write a really good resume that “sells you” and excites the person reading it.

Tags writing resumes, job search, good resume, employment