November 2018 Newsletter
State of The Industry
2018 has been a very good year for the electronic connector industry with every sector reporting strong sales and growth. This strength is driven by trends for applications in the medical, automotive and communications industry. The most notable increase is in communications, where they are continuing to make their networks faster and more dependable for everything from simple phone calls and texting to applications that demand more band width and faster speeds. In 2019, we will see the roll out of the next level of wireless communications systems as we go from 4G to faster more robust 5G networks. This will redefine what you can do with and expect from your smart phone or other wireless devices. We will see support for all types of hi data usage applications like streaming of videos, transfer of large amounts of data for a wide range of applications, powering the internet, connecting everything from your home security system, HVAC systems, refrigerators, hot water heaters, lights and much more remotely. Commercial applications are driven with the theme of complete autonomy and efficiency to include vending machines that remotely re-order product, perform self-diagnostics for maintenance and repair to autonomous cars that will require fast dependable networks, so they can inter-face safely with other connected vehicles and traffic control devices, as well as the sophisticated sensors and on board computers needed to recognize pedestrians, animals and other non-autonomous vehicles. There is also, an initiative to if you can believe it, to make golf carts autonomous on the golf course and the development of small golf cart “like” vehicles to operate in small closed systems for college, business and government campuses to shuttle people from one place to another eliminating the need for drivers. These trends will continue to fuel the growth of the electronic connector and cable assembly industries well into the future all pointing to very bright future for the connector industry.
Mergers & Acquisitions & Other News
DUBLIN, July 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Aptiv PLC (NYSE: APTV), announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Winchester Interconnect from an affiliate of Snow Phipps Group for $650 million. Based in the United States, Winchester is a leading provider of custom engineered interconnect solutions for harsh environment applications. Aptiv is a global company that develops safer, greener and more connected solutions enabling the future of mobility. Visit aptiv.com.
SCHAFFHAUSEN, Switzerland – TE Connectivity (TE), a world leader in connectivity and sensors, and ABB, a world pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, announce that TE has closed its previously announced acquisition of ABB’s ENTRELEC® terminal block business.
Infinite Electronics International, Inc. Announces Acquisition of Integrated Network Cable(INC) IRVINE, Calif. – Infinite Electronics International, Inc., an operational holding company providing management and back office support for globally recognized electronic components brands, announced that it has acquired Integrated Network Cable (INC), a leading online distributor of cables and connectivity products that also specializes in IT and network-installation services.
A subsidiary of Taiwanese consumer electronics firm Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., or Foxconn, announced that it has agreed to acquire Belkin International, Inc., an American manufacturer of consumer electronics that specializes in connectivity devices, for approximately US$866 million in cash. Foxconn Interconnect Technology Limited (FIT), the Hong Kong Exchange-listed unit of Foxconn, expects to tap into the premium accessories and the smart home market through the acquisition.
Job Interview Questions? Beat the Personality Test!
Personality tests are used by HR departments during the interview process to avoid risk. So, they will choose the candidate that the test results show to be the best choice. Corporate use of the pre-employment screening test has increased 300% in the last five years alone because of complex computer modeling that employs powerful mathematical algorithms, making the results far more accurate than ever before.
Another reason employers love these tests is simply because there is nothing else out there to evaluate you with. Your previous employer will refrain from saying anything negative about you because they may risk litigation. So today, your previous employer(s) will only confirm your dates of employment.
Are Personality Tests Reliable?
First, you must understand that personality tests are unreliable and can be manipulated.
- They only measure different attitudes about things from different people. Your attitude about something in general cannot be used to predict how you’ll react to business situations.
- They cannot predict behavior because behavior is context sensitive. People act differently in different situations.
- They associate success with different personality types. In fact, personality requirements are different for different jobs.
With that said companies do use them and so you need to learn how your answers will be interpreted by employers so you can influence them positively here is an Example:
- Q. I have never told a lie.
- 1. Strongly Agree
- 2. Agree
- 3. Neutral
- 4. Disagree
- 5. Strongly Disagree
So, when you come across this question, if you answer is 1 or 2, you’re going to set off some red flags. In fact, you’ll probably set off some fireworks. Your best answer is 4 ‘Disagree.’ When you answer 4, the employer will interpret this as you are an honest person as everyone has told a lie at some time.
Answering 5 will make you unrealistic and paint you as someone that lie’s a lot.
With a little preparation and study, you will have a better understanding of the psychology behind these tests, and an understanding of what companies seek to learn from these tests, so you will have a better idea of how to answer the questions.
In our next newsletter we will look a few more test question examples and how to answer them.
On the Move
Drop me a line, call, or email me if you have had a change of address, phone number, email address, or employment since we last spoke, so that we can stay in touch.
If you are near retirement, retired, no longer in the electronic connector industry, or do not wish to receive this newsletter, please let me know and I will remove your name from the mailing list.
Keeping Our Data Base Current
To keep up with our growing database, and in order to be able to contact you with potential career opportunities, we must have an electronic copy of your resume on file. Therefore, if you have not already emailed me a copy of your most recent resume, please do so in Word format. Your resume will be kept in our files and never be sent anywhere unless we first speak with you about the potential opportunity.