As the end of summer approaches, construction deadlines become more impending. After all, the industry sees an increase in work during warmer weather, while many employees schedule their vacations during this same time. If your company did not plan accordingly, schedules may become increasingly difficult to meet. 

Do you need qualified professionals to help wrap up any loose ends? Don't waste your last month of summer working overtime. We can help connect you to some of the most qualified architecture, engineering and construction professionals the industry has to offer!
 
Best wishes in all of your endeavors! 

Sincerely,
  
Katy Cook, CSP
Marketing Coordinator
 
A Once in a Lifetime Experience!
Total Solar Eclipse
For the first time in nearly 100 years, a total eclipse will cross the entire country on August 21st! According to the NASA website, 
  • The path of totality is a relatively thin ribbon, around 70 miles wide, that will cross the U.S. from West to East.  
  • The first point of contact will be at Lincoln Beach, Oregon at 9:05 a.m. PDT. Totality begins there at 10:16 a.m. PDT.  
  • Over the next hour and a half, it will cross through Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and North and South Carolina.  
  • The total eclipse will end near Charleston, South Carolina at 2:48 p.m. 

Image source: NASA 

 
The NASA Eclipse website is full of great content, such as: 
  • Resources - e.g. downloadable materials, helpful related website, apps
  • Educational materials for various ages
  • Activities - e.g. art projects, pin hole projectors and science challenges
  • Event information - where to go or how to host your own eclipse party
If you aren't able to see the full eclipse where you are, you can always watch NASA's live streaming video throughout the day.

What's New at RealStreet
RealStreet Hires Two Recruiting Coordinators!
We  are thrilled to announce the addition of two new Recruiting Coordinators to the RealStreet team: Funmi Alabi and Paige Gemmill. Funmi joined the Marriottsville, MD office and Paige joined the Aberdeen, MD office. 
 
As Recruiting Coordinators, their responsibilities include supporting the Recruiting team by searching job board databases and social networking sites for potential candidates. They will also assist in coordinating the candidate application process by scheduling candidate interviews, formatting resumes, creating ScoreCards and assisting with basic HR functions including processing background checks, conducting reference checks and recording/verifying new hire start dates.
 
Prior to joining RealStreet, Funmi was a Collections Specialist for PayPal Credit and has worked as a Brand Ambassador for companies such as Target, Verizon Wireless, PowerAde, US Army and National Guard. 
 
Before joining RealStreet, Paige graduated from Millersville University with a Bachelor's of Art degree in Psychology with a minor in Business Management. While at Millersville University, Paige completed an internship with Hershey Entertainment & Resorts where she assisted with the interview process, scheduled orientations and performed other HR-related functions. 
 
View their bios on the RealStreet website.


Examples of Recent Placements
RealStreet Recently Hired...
  • QA / QC Analyst
  • Program Manager
  • Electrical Engineer
  • Field Superintendent / Quality Control Managers
  • Construction Manager II
  • General Planner II
  • Director of Facilities & Construction Management
  • Estimator
  • Owner's Representative
  • Auto CAD Designer /Drafter
  • Project Coordinators
  • Document Control Technician 
  • Mechanical Designer/Engineer
  • Assistant Project Manager
  • Architectural Historian
  • Architectural CAD Operator
  • Project Coordinator
  • Payroll Clerk
  • Project Manager
Do you have an open position?  Contact us  to learn how we can help!
Interesting Industry Information
How is the Overall Workforce?
The U.S. Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a "M onthly Jobs Report"  soon after the beginning of each month. Each report describes the previous month's employment situation, based on data such as the number of jobs that were added to the economy and the unemployment rate. The US economy added 222,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate increased slightly to 4.4%. For more information, check out the BLS' interactive graphs, one of which is provided to the right. 
 
June marked the eighth anniversary of the end of the recession, at which time the unemployment rate was nearly double what it is now (as shown in the June 2012 release). The US 
has seen many signs of recovery from indicators such as the employment, especially from a long-term stand point. Despite the recent jobs report, many are still worried about the overall progress. Many of these are lingering concerns, such as the skills gap, availability of jobs by location and uncertainty with the current administration. 
 
The Federal Reserve gained the confidence needed to begin increasing interest rates. Despite this, a growing apprehension has become nature of the slow growth of wages, as stated in recent New York Times publication. Unfortunately, only time will tell whether these concerns are premature.
Cloud Computing and The Growing 
Importance  of Continuous Monitoring
The use of cloud (serverless) platforms is becoming a more widely accepted IT practice throughout both the private and government sectors. According to:
  • the TechTarget 2017 IT Priorities Survey, 45% of respondents are planning to deploy cloud-based storage initiatives during the year
  • Gartner, cloud system infrastructure services is expected to grow 36.8% $34.6 billion this year
  •  IDC, cloud computing is projected to increase from $67 billion to $162 billion (from 2015 to 2020) amassing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19%
After all, cloud computing could enable significant costs savings and more streamlined management of mission-critical information technology, data processing and storage needs. However, with the rise in cyber threats - made especially prominent by the numerous high-profile malicious attacks made against government agencies and large enterprises, not only throughout our country, but also across the globe - cloud security is developing into a top concern.  
 
How to Minimize Risk 
   
TechTarget states that "cloud computing is a continuous security game", and that "given the fast-paced and self-service nature of cloud computing, IT teams need to adopt a more proactive and continuous security approach". To best mitigate cloud security threats, organizations need to go one step further, regularly testing systems as well. 
 
CSO also points out the importance of the relationship between cloud providers and clients. There is a shared responsibility for security, but it essential that organizations understand what they are responsible for, and have access to the data and/or system to monitor and test for issues. 
 
According to the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) of 2014, and as stated in the GAO publication, Best Practices and Leading Practices in Information Technology Management, organizations can protect themselves by: 
  1. Periodically assess the risk and magnitude of the harm that could result from the unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction of its information and information systems.
  2. Develop risk-based policies and procedures that cost-effectively reduce information security risks throughout the life cycle of each information system in its information security programs.
  3. Develop subordinate system security plans for providing adequate security for networks, facilities, and systems or groups of information systems (as appropriate).
  4. Provide appropriate security awareness training to personnel, including contractors and other users of information systems that support its operations and assets.
  5. Test and evaluate the effectiveness of information security policies, procedures, and practices as frequently as the risk level requires but no less than annually.
  6. Create a process for planning, implementing, evaluating, and documenting remedial action to address any deficiencies in information security policies, procedures, and practices.
  7. Establish procedures for detecting, reporting, and responding to security incidents, which may include using automated tools; mitigating risks associated with such incidents before substantial damage is done; and notifying and consulting with the information security incident center and other entities, as appropriate, including law enforcement agencies and other relevant officials.
  8. Establish plans and procedures to ensure continuity of operations for information systems that support its operations and assets. Test plans to ensure they work.
  9. Develop, maintain, and annually update an inventory of major information systems.
Seeking additional insight? 
 
Refer to the following sites for more information:

Featured News Post
Communication Breakdown: 
Are Your Employees  Failing to Understand You?
Businesses are conglomerates of unique individuals. While your employees are all working towards the same overall company goals, they each come from different backgrounds, have varying strengths and experiences, and have their own ambitions, personalities and work-styles. Consequently, getting everyone on the same page - and staying there - can be a challenge.

If it seems as though conversations with your employees are lost in translation, address the issues and bridge the gap. When ignored, communication issues can spiral out of control, impacting both your bottom line and your retention rates. RealStreet - one of the most trusted  architecture, engineering and construction employment companies - understands the importance of effective communication.

Read the full article for four ways to get back in touch with your employees.

Keep in Touch!
Feedback Wanted! 
We Value Referrals!
Would you mind taking a moment to
write a few sentences about your experience working with RealStreet?
Thank you!
Who in your network is looking for a new opportunity? 

Check our  open positions  to see if any of them are a match to the job seekers that you know.  At RealStreet, we value great candidates and when it comes down to it, we know you're the Real Deal! We have a great referral program that compensates you for every qualified referral you provide us.