Message to Recent College Grads

Did you graduate college last spring and still are not working? Have you focused on finding that perfect dream job and found interviews are nearly impossible to obtain? Are your parents getting on your case to find something, anything at all? If so, you are definitely not alone!

When I worked for a trade school, we classified jobs as directly related to your training, closely related, somewhat relate, unrelated. The current economy makes the first option is a real challenge but the second and third might be reachable.

Let us assume for a minute that you have a degree in Elementary Education. If you happen to live in NJ, a man they are touting as one of the greatest governors of all time, took away your chance of a directly related job this year. Closely related is still a possibility as I see postings all the time from learning centers, such as Sylvan and smaller privately owned groups, looking for qualified teachers to teach basic skills, SAT prep, etc. Certainly, this is not an awful alternative. Somewhat related jobs would include working in a before or after care program providing homework assistance or getting a job in a religious school teaching youngsters. At the minimum, the alternative jobs put some money in your pocket and give you something for your resume.

This process applies to any educational path you have just completed. Contact me if you want some ideas and directions!

New Poll

I just posted a new poll and would like all of you to vote. Disturbingly large numbers of people seem to feel they are entitled to remain on unemployment as their primary income indefinitely even if jobs are offered to them for less than they previously earned. A few folks have told me they have taken contract work then tried to restart their unemployment benefits when the job was finished and it is an absolute nightmare. My solution is to have a graduated benefit where the government makes up the difference between your prior and current pay rate. Please vote on my poll!

Watch Yourself!

Imagine yourself sending your resume to a recruiter, waiting several weeks before making a follow-up call then chastising the recruiter when he can not remember your resume! When he asks you for a quick overview of your background, you answer him with "come on, you have to remember me! If not, I guess you already decided I am wrong for the job. Hey man, we are in a recession, have a heart. If you cannot remember me I am hanging up!!""" ........................click, dial tone.

Names and voices stick in my brain for a very long time. Most recruiters remember their best success stories and their worst experiences!!

Remember this, professional recruiters are paid by their client companies. While we all try very, very hard to provide excellent service to candidates at all times, we must give our client companies the type of potential employees this wish to interview. All of us are in this ugly recession together and must play by the very limitted rules we have been forced to adhere to.

Seasonal Work

This week's Sunday newspapers started carrying some ads for seasonal help in distribution centers. My assumption is that retailers who kept their shelves bare all summer want to start stocking fall and winter goods early. For those who have just about exhausted all their resources, seasonal work could be a great stopgap. At the same time, one never knows who might discover you and refer you to a hiring manager who could better use your skills at present and for the long haul. be open minded and created and success might not be far behind!.

More Etc.

• Phone call from a candidate today:"I sent you my resume and you did not call me." From me:"When did you send it?" Candidate:"I sent it as you picked up the phone!"
• My posting for a job clearly state that all candidates have a B.S. in either Mechanical or Biomedical Engineering. I guess that explains why I almost lost it on a candidate who called insisting a BSEE is the same as a degree in Biomedical Engineering!
• A client interviewed someone who asked if he could use his lunch break to watch a specific show on his personal sized TV and proceeded to discuss the history of the sitcom rather than answer job related questions!
• Several resumes crossed my desk this week with the candidate's first name misspelled!

ETC.

• Attention candidates: Do not list a skill on your resume if you have never used it at work or at least had some formal training!
• Attention hiring managers: No matter how rough the economy is, you still will get what you pay for!
• Those with full time jobs need to be happy with what they have right now.
• Those who are collecting unemployment checks need to think twice before rejecting employment offers.
• Prospects for lower unemployment rates in August are still in doubt as far as I can tell.
• Prospects for recent grads hedge on how aggressive they are in the search process.

$$ for Teachers?

The U.S. Senate suddenly found around $10 Billion to restore teaching jobs in public schools. if the Congress approves this week, the money will be poured back into the economy. Where was all this money hiding until now? Assuming it is to be distributed, how will this take place? I hope the Obama Administration does not allow each governor to totally control the process. Stay tuned as it looks like interesting news will follow!

Dealing With the Unemployment Office

This morning, a gentleman who sounded genuine in his job search efforts, contacted me. He tried to apply for a job I posted online through the NJ state unemployment office (who, by the way, copied my listing from a paid site and made it look like their posting) and was forced to navigate through a series of unneccessary application forms which were not issued by me! Exasperated, he walked out after jotting down my phone number, called me, explained his problem, and sent his resume straight to my email account. Whether or not he secures this job is not the point of this article. The point is, something is exceptionally wrong with the unemployment assistance process in our country and we better get it repaired immediately!

The 8th Month Has Arrived

August is here and not sure what that means other than seven moths are down with five to go. Will August be the month that the economy starts to recover or will it be more of the same? My impression is we still have a very long way to go. Before we really begin recovery, someone has to find a way to restore the confidence of our populous in our country and perhaps the world. Right now, I am hard pressed to identify a state governor, a U.S. Senator, or anyone connected to the White House who is giving off anything close to positive energy. Across the world, it looks to be more of the same. Attitude adjustment is critical to recovery. let's hope it happens soon.