Past Five

Unemployment Jumps the Shark

Unemployment jumped the shark today.  The elusive 10% barrier has been crossed.  What does this mean? 

 

As I was waiting for the report this morning, I "knew", as much as anyone can know, that it would cross 10 percent today.  The healthcare bill is up for grabs, two democratic states in 2008 (NJ and VA) elected Republican governors....the tide was coming and it was spouting, "No good news for D.C."

 

My thought is that as unemployment rises and this "jobless recovery" continues and the DJIA goes above 10,000....is this good for the current administration?  Does it scream to the American public, "do more, fast!!!" in order to save us?  I hope not.  All cycles are just that, cycles.  The government did the right thing in stepping in to save GM and the financial services bail out, now we need to let the market settle in...let capitalism take over...and let small businesses grow!

 

We need to encourage small businesses to become large businesses.  To encourage companies to go public.  To foster the creation of start up companies.  We must, as a society, embrace people who are willing to risk everything, reputation, savings, etc. to start a company.  Entrepreneurs are the job creators of America; hopefully our politicians will realize this.  Extending unemployment benefits another 20 weeks is not the answer.  Giving an incentive for people not to take any job is a disservice to the countless men and women who will do anything to put food on their family's table. 

The Millenial Generation

I was traveling back to Chicago from NY on a business trip on Friday when I met a college senior from Howard University.  She was getting a degree in international business, with an emphasis on finance and was interviewing at Goldman Sachs for a job in their Human Resources department. We talked about NY and how crowded it is and how people are cramped into apartments...she said she grew up in tight quarters in Saint Lucia, so NY would be ok. 

 

She said she expected nothing less than 60 hour work weeks...mostly because she knew if she didn't, there were others who would.  I asked about her education and coming to the United States; she told me how she started at a junior college and then transferred to Howard.  Started at a junior college and now was interviewing for a job at Goldman Sachs!!!

 

This "twenty-something" was articulate, intelligent, poised and motivated to continue to grow and get a job.  She wasn't looking to make a million dollars, but simply an opportunity to work hard, make her parents proud and accomplish something. 

 

Sometimes society and the media are quick to stereotype people...most recently with the millennial generation as the “entitlement generation”.  I disagree with that, and I meet twenty- something’s all the time who prove to me that individuals are just that...individuals!  All employers should search for the right person, not based on media-created stereotypes.  Sometimes they are hard to find...but when you get the good ones...they prove how powerful one good employee can be. 

Happy Holidays - You're Hired!

Contrary to common job search myths, most companies don’t cease hiring during the holidays. The months between Thanksgiving and the New Year are often the busiest of the year. With many managers scrambling to make the most of their annual budget, and others planning for January, companies are looking to add staff, or research for next year’s hires, before midnight on December 31, 2009.

Showing up when others are taking off may land you that new position to ring in the New Year!

Swim in the Smaller Pool

The holidays are swiftly approaching, and the majority of Americans will use this time as a welcome vacation from their tedious careers. Don’t make this mistake. The pool of job seekers actively pursuing open positions is significantly smaller during the holiday season, and unemployed job seekers should capitalize on this smaller pool of competitors. In a time of gluttony and excess, when others are focused on the holidays, utilize this time to prove to employers your determination and focus.

Stave away the winter blues by vowing to advance your job search one day at a time. Set a goal to complete one substantial step towards employment each day. For example, connect with 15 new contacts on LinkedIn, research five companies and apply to postings on their Web site, or attend a networking event.

Earn Extra Holiday Cash and Career Experience

Regardless of your employment status, seasonal or part-time work during the holidays is an effective way to earn extra cash and gain valuable work experience. Job seekers who take on additional part-time employment within their desired career path are viewed as going above and beyond the expected employment strategy. In some cases, a part-time or seasonal position can even lead to a full-time job within the company or industry of your career dreams.

Capitalize on Gatekeeper Absence

During the holidays, many administrative staff members request time away from the office. Gatekeepers, executive assistants, for example, who protect the process of connecting with management, will often be absent, making it more likely to reach the decision-makers within a given organization. Also, many managers spend more time in the office in the winter months to compensate for time off taken by their staff. Use this time to your advantage; call the company and ask for the hiring manager directly. In this economy, managers receive a plethora of responses to each job opening, and making a tactful and professional phone call inquiring about the status of your application can go a long way.

Don’t wait until the week before Christmas to inquire about open positions. Increase your chances of getting hired this holiday season by submitting your application early, and beat the post-Thanksgiving rush.

Observations from a Job Fair

Job fairs are an invaluable resource, and in this competitive job market, a great way to set yourself apart from other candidates. Are you making the most of your school’s career fairs? You should be and I’ll tell you why.

 

Career fairs are a prime way to practice networking and/or obtain job leads. Networking is an activity in which you will participate your entire working life, no matter your profession.  It doesn’t stop once you land a job. Job fairs are just the place to practice putting yourself out there and building a professional network. The more people who know you’re looking for a job, the better your chance at getting a job!

 

As campus recruiter for my company, the LaSalle Network, I spend a good deal of time at career fairs. And I’ve seen it all. Career fairs showcase a unique cross-section of candidates, and not just in the areas of academic pursuits or career aspirations.  Some job fair attendees are more prepared than others. Some slink by my booth - their body language begging, “don’t talk to me, don’t talk to me, don’t talk to me.”

 

Now, I tend to be chatty and motivated by being around college students at job fairs, so I engage a lot of students in conversation. Not every representative you talk to will be as engaging. Not everyone will coax a conversation out of you.

 

So, once you’ve arrived at the fair, don’t be afraid to step up, put out your hand, smile, and introduce yourself. Job fairs are usually pretty busy for recruiters because we want to speak to as many folks as possible, too! Therefore, it’s important that your introduction briefly describes who you are, why you’re there, and what unique qualifications you bring to the table.  

 

 Other students will come up to me with that confident handshake and strong verbal communication, but are dressed for a night in “da club.” I am here to tell you that, yes, even in today’s increasingly casual culture, a suit speaks volumes. The students who visit my booth at job fairs dressed as if they are on an interview stand out every time over those in hoodies and Chuck Taylor sneakers.

 

Based on my observations, here are a few tips on how to make the most of a job fair:

 

· Obtain a list of employers attending the fair from your career center

· Research the companies in which you are most interested. You won’t have time to talk to everyone, so plan to talk to 5-10 employers once you’ve arrived

· Prioritize your time once you arrive, meeting first with employers at the top of your list

· Make a strong, first impression. Dress professionally. Offer a firm handshake. Smile. Make eye contact. Communicate briefly and enthusiastically who you are and why you’re interested in each employer

· Before leaving each employer, obtain contact information, find out what hiring procedures are and what you can expect as far as next steps. To make it fun, I suggest setting a goal for yourself before the fair such as collecting a certain number of business cards

 

Finally, just because the career fair is over, doesn’t mean you’re done. Now it’s time for follow-up!  This job market is competitive, so remember that you want to stand out. In order to do that, I suggest you follow-up by

1. sending a thank you note or email depending upon preferred method of contact and 2. call a week later to see where each company is in their hiring process.

 

 

 

 

Entitlement Generation Versus Disgruntled Employees

I am sitting outside a Jamba Juice at 7:30 A.M. on a Saturday morning watching two girls who can't be older than 17-years-old, wearing their Jamba t-shirts and working efficiently to open up the shop.

I read and hear so much about the entitlement generation, and I just don't buy it. Are there 22-25-year-old kids who want to be President tomorrow...yes, there are. I have to believe there always have been. Many of them see peers their age start Facebook or some other company, and think they can too. Same thing happens with 35, 45, 55-year-olds. I have interviewed many 45-55-year-olds who say, “And now they have me reporting to a 35-year-old “punk.”

Well, maybe it's time to take an introspective look and say, “What am I missing?” or “What skills don't I have?”

Companies staying in business is a win/lose game. I started LaSalle Network 10 years ago, and daily, I have feared going out of business, losing a client, employee, whatever. When I make a decision to promote, terminate, etc., it is based on what I believe is necessary to push the company forward and maintain the jobs, careers, livelihoods of the people who work with me.

Mark, Rick and Sue may be nice people, throw great parties and buy you a bagel on Wednesdays...however, they don't pay your check, and they don't realize their performance directly affects something bigger than friendship...it affects mortgage payments, car payments, vacations, schools loans, kids’ tuitions, etc.

So, I look at these kids preparing to open the store, and I think, "Will they become part of the so-called entitlement generation, or will they become disgruntled employees at mid-life?”

Or, will they go to work for a good caring manager who will allow them to thrive, pull them in when their heads get too big and allow them to show the responsibility they did when they were just 17-years-old working at the juice stand.

At the end of a day, titling and stereotyping a generation sells books, magazines and TV shows....but it’s no different than stereotyping a class of people. The loud minority ruin it for the entire population.

Every individual is made up of something different. Finding the uniqueness and greatness in each one is what business...is what life....is all about.

Getting Back Into A Career

Eve Tahmincioglu over at Career Diva interviewed me a few weeks back for her career column on MSNBC. She received a question from a women who had taken a good deal of time off of work and was looking to jump back into a career. This is a big issue for many of today's talent, especially the older set, who oftentimes feel their failed job search is a result of age discrimination. Here's some of the advice I offered, as written in the column. You can find the rest of the column here.

I was laid off from my computer programming position four years ago after the company was bought out of the IT-only recruitment because IT jobs had dried up so badly here in Cincinnati. My husband works for GM and we are okay without my paycheck.

Then GM starting failing. Needless to say, we needed another paycheck two years ago to make up for the lost overtime and no yearly increases at GM...Now my husband is pressuring me to find a better paying job. That means getting back into the career field I left four years ago. I realize my programming skills are not up to the requirements for PCs since I did mainly mainframes. So, I modified my search to find a better fit...business analyst.

...I tried talking to a headhunter, but he says it's nearly impossible to find a better job after being out of the field for any length of time...I was told to I had to lower my salary expectations, which I did by $10,000 a year, but that does not help either.

What does it REALLY take to get back into a career? Am I looking at the wrong issue with my search? Could it be my age instead? I am 55.

-K.C. from Cincinnati

One of the hardest things to do is get back into an industry you've been away from for more than a year. But it's not impossible

You must be ready to take a step down and enter the world of the entry-level worker, says Tom Gimbel, CEO of staffing firm The LaSalle Network. "You have to take one step backwards to take two steps forward," he says.

You've already accepted that you have to expect less money, but you also have to accept a lower-level position such as a help desk employee. Business analyst may be aiming a bit too high, Gimbel adds. "If you really have the passion for the job" and the drive to prove yourself, he says, you'll move up the ladder quickly.

When applying for a job, if a hiring manager says you seem overqualified just stress that you're looking to learn and get back into the industry you love.

And you could be onto something about the age bias issue. There are employers who shy away from older workers, but you can't let that get you down. Focus on what you can bring to the table and make sure to show your enthusiasm for the job.

Your best bet, Gimbel advises, is to go to a temporary staffing agency and get a position to get your feet wet.   

The Interview

My company is currently on a hiring binge and we're looking to add 24 people before the end of the year. In doing this, I have interviewed a ton of candidates, many of whom are recruiters. We are a recruiting firm, so we interview people all the time anyway, however on this front, I'm surprised by how many of the people I interview can't demonstrate their motivation.

I find great irony in hearing people state obvious answers without examples. For example, I ask people what they want out of their careers, and so often the response is "to be happy." I always reply that I have yet to meet someone who tells me they want to be miserable!

I realize that people right out of college may not know exactly what they want out of their careers yet. However I usually get, "I want to be in management." Although it's generic and basic, at least it's a tangible goal.

I believe the best managers have great empathy for their teams and staff, and then try different styles and techniques to find the potential of their players. Job seekers need to bring empathy into an interview and think about what a manager wants from an employee. I'm not implying that a candidate should lie or say what they think someone wants to hear, however they should attempt to understand what the interviewer is looking for, see if they're a match and respond to that. When asked what you want out of a career, a unique response may be:

"While I am not sure the exact destination of my career at this point, what I am looking for today from a company and position is the opportunity to seek out new challenges, have the opportunity to be rewarded with responsibility and compensation, and work in an environment where individual efforts are acknowledged as part of the team's accomplishments. So as I work harder than my peers, I can rise up and take on more and become a leader in the eyes of senior management."

Now if you don't want those things, that's okay, too. It's fine to say you are looking for a career where you can come in and excel for eight hours a day, and that your desire is to be the best at that position without the ambition to move up. It says a lot about your ability to manage expectations by saying you realize that too much pressure isn't healthy for your lifestyle, however you can excel in this job without the added pressure to get promoted.

The problem many people have is they think they know all the answers, but never really ask themselves the difficult questions. For the most part, the reason is people don't want to acknowledge they are in the wrong career path because it's a lot easier to be "unhappy" in a given field or position. They can say they are leaving to find a place where they can be "happy." Otherwise, you have to admit your made a poor choice in a career path, which means in order to find true happiness you may have to start over.

It's tough because it's the truth.