Some ugly truths about job hunting

Wes Bucey

Prophet of Profit
An ugly title for a thread about some ugly facts.

A lot of anecdotal information is trickling in from employment agencies, job counselors, and state unemployment bureaus, soon to be followed, I think, by some hard statistical data:

After the brutal layoffs beginning in 1982 (mild compared to the current rounds), The U.S. Social Security Administration reported these statistics:
People who lost stable jobs in 1982 suffered an immediate 30% drop in annual earnings. As a group, they never recovered Ten years later (1992) SSA reported their net earnings were down 20% from a similar statistical group who had NOT been laid off. After 15 years they were still down 10% from the control group. As of 2002, they still hadn't caught up.

A laid off employee, depending on the industry he's leaving, has a less than even chance of making at least as much as he was making before being laid off if and when he finally gets another job.

In the investment banking industry, many of the laid off employees are receiving job offers at only about 60% of the previous wage.

The older an employee is when laid off, the longer it takes to land a new job; the higher the probability the replacement job will pay less than 75% of the previous job.

Projections are that an average laid off employee will never earn enough in the rest of his career (adjusted for inflation) to break even for the lost wages during unemployment combined with the lower initial starting salary when re-employed even accounting for periodic raises at the new or subsequent jobs.

Some rays of sunshine:

Despite all the gloom and doom, some folks are making job transitions which pay more than the previous job AND supply some work satisfaction to boot.

We need to remember statistics are based on large numbers of individuals. The first question in our minds should be: "How can I separate myself from the pack and stand out in a prospective employer's eyes so I can earn the optimum salary and improve my lot in life instead of falling behind?"

First, let's examine some of the factors that go into most of the folks who fall into the doom and gloom category getting into such a predicament.

  1. They got laid off. That means they weren't paying enough attention to the handwriting on the wall to do one of two things - get out while the getting was good or make themselves invaluable so they survived the job cuts.
  2. They were ineffective in the job hunt to find a good employer who would value their skill and experience and pay accordingly. This usually means they weren't systematic and efficient in choosing targets for their job campaign or that they had vague or erroneous ideas about their own skills and experience and how those could be communicated to an employer to demonstrate their value to an employer.
  3. They didn't have sufficient resources to sustain an effective job hunt. Sometimes, saddled with debts and daily living expenses for themselves and families, job hunters find themselves forced to accept the first job that comes along, regardless of wage, just to put food on the table.
  4. They stopped aggressively looking for the ideal job once they landed just any job. The frustration and stress of a less than successful job hunt creates a depression which casts a pall over everything in the job hunter's life. His relations with individuals (family, friends, coworkers) suffers, contributing to a poor work relationship, further limiting success factors which will enable him to beat the statistics.
  5. They repeat poor habits which enhance chances for being the victims in the next round of layoffs. Addicts of all sorts are notorious for relapses and recidivism because they find their old habits comfortable and easy compared to the stress of reinventing themselves. Many of the addicts (whether it is chemicals or habits) have such a big blind spot, they don't even recognize they have an addiction.
Some answers:

  1. They got laid off. Even when the top managers of an organization do not practice or promote Deming's theory about the System of Profound Knowledge (SoPK), employees need to make themselves knowledgeable about the big picture of the organization. When we know about products, markets, suppliers, customers, and competitors, we CAN see the handwriting on the wall. We can make value judgments whether to invest time and energy trying to help our organization excel or whether to seek greener pastures. AA, sometimes known as Friends of Bill, uses the Serenity Prayer to help its members. It might be a good mantra for us all to adopt, regardless of our affinity for organized religion, when engaged in that decision making.
    [FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]God grant me the serenity
    to accept the things I cannot change;
    courage to change the things I can;
    and wisdom to know the difference. [/FONT]
  2. They were ineffective in the job hunt. There are countless books and websites out there which can help folks learn the basics of a good job hunt. Unfortunately, there are also a lot out there which are pure dreck and absolutely worthless. At the bottom of this post, I list some threads here in the Cove which include references to good sites and contain some valuable advice. Current or prospective job hunters (we almost all fall into either or both categories) owe it to themselves to at least read through those threads.
  3. They didn't have sufficient resources to sustain an effective job hunt. This is tough. If you are out of work now, without resources, you might consider part-time or contract work to help keep the wolf away from the door. Just don't fall into the trap of stopping or putting your search on hold. Even the part-time job you take on should involve some planning to assure flexibility for job research and taking time off to pursue job interviews.
  4. They stopped aggressively looking for the ideal job. This is primarily a psychological issue. Don't be ashamed or embarrassed to pursue outside help in the form of groups, counselors, even therapists if you suspect you are in this category.
  5. They repeat poor habits. Just like New Year's Resolutions, many folks find their resolve to change dissolves in a month or so. The first step is awareness. When you make that resolution to change, have you really thought through what actions you need to undertake to maintain that resolution? Most change initiatives, whether personal or corporate, fail simply because there was insufficient planning to enable the nitty gritty details necessary to implement the change. It's hard, for example, to maintain a clean plant environment if management doesn't supply funds for brooms and dustpans and wastebaskets. The situation goes back to Biblical days (Exodus 5:1 - 6:1) when Pharoah didn't provide straw for his slaves to make bricks. In our personal lives, if we want to create our own SoPK, it means we have to take steps to get that knowledge: reading trade journals, asking questions and paying attention to the answers, anything we can do to acquire that knowledge, not just sit back and hope to have it ooze into our brain by some sort of passive osmosis.
Got any comments?

  1. Is this stuff too obvious?
  2. Is it too scary?
  3. Does it motivate you to change your present way of dealing with your career?
  4. Why or why not?
 
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P

Polly Pure Bread

Got any comments?

1. Is this stuff too obvious?
yes
2. Is it too scary?
sometimes
3. Does it motivate you to change your present way of dealing with your career?
either yes or no
4. Why or why not?

yes
- because i don't lose hope that i will succeed. i aim to get paid more at my present work.
Wes, question.
Is it ok to ask my boss for a salary icnrease?
- i also strive to get a promotion
question. i'm not a 'yes' man (don't agree to everything my boss says)
will i score negative point for this?
no
- if my best effort will not result in a promotion or salary increase,then i will transfer to a better paying job or change career where i can find happiness and perform at my best. why stick to a dead-end job?
- i want to seek a part-time job. want to use idle time to make productive
- i can start a part-time busniess
- or even operate a fulltime business
 

Wes Bucey

Prophet of Profit
yes

sometimes

either yes or no


yes
- because i don't lose hope that i will succeed. i aim to get paid more at my present work.
Wes, question.
Is it ok to ask my boss for a salary icnrease?
- i also strive to get a promotion
question. i'm not a 'yes' man (don't agree to everything my boss says)
will i score negative point for this?
no
- if my best effort will not result in a promotion or salary increase,then i will transfer to a better paying job or change career where i can find happiness and perform at my best. why stick to a dead-end job?
- i want to seek a part-time job. want to use idle time to make productive
- i can start a part-time busniess
- or even operate a fulltime business
Here's the deal:
you can ALWAYS ask for a raise if you know enough about the company business and competitors to know your job function deserves more (Deming theory of the System of Profound Knowledge [SoPK]) AND you can demonstrate by your past and present work that you exceed the value to the company for what you currently are paid. You also have to be aware whether the company is making enough profit to afford your increase.

"Happiness" is VERY subjective. No two people have exactly the same things in mind when they talk about happiness.

It takes a certain kind of personality to actually go out and moonlight with a part-time job and keep a regular dead-end full time job. (subject for a new thread, perhaps?) Not everyone is able or capable of getting the right mix.

If you want to start your own full time business, please at least read through the US government's Small Business site starting here before you commit to such a course of action.

Whether a "yes" man will succeed depends on the boss's personality almost more than the yes man's.
 
P

Polly Pure Bread

It takes a certain kind of personality to actually go out and moonlight with a part-time job and keep a regular dead-end full time job. (subject for a new thread, perhaps?) Not everyone is able or capable of getting the right mix.
But everyone can fast forward their own career.
 

Wes Bucey

Prophet of Profit
But everyone can fast forward their own career.
I once met Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich (I'm old, remember!) I also had several conversations with Bob Ringer, author of Looking Out For Number One.

Over the years, I've met a number of these guys as we criss-crossed on the lecture circuit. Some of them were out and out charlatans (my opinion of Robert Allen, author of many books on exploiting people to make money in real estate - see http://www.ripoffreport.com/searchresults.asp?q1=ALL&q4=&q6=&q3=&q2=&q7=&searchtype=0&submit2=Search!&q5=robert+allen )

Most, however, are really just entertainers. The bulk of these entertainers commit only one real sin in my book - they, like a former US Presidential candidate, H. Ross Perot, tell their readers and audiences, "It's just this easy!"

The sad fact is it is NOT easy. The years when I made lots and lots of money, I was just like most folks who made a lot of money - we sacrificed something of ourselves to accomplish it. In most cases, the sacrifice is in sleep and general health from long hours and stress, but often those also lead to destroyed personal relationships with lovers, family, friends.

It may be true everyone can fast forward his or her own career, but it takes planning and personal sacrifice. There's an old adage, "Be careful what you wish for!" A career improvement is like any other improvement - a well-executed Failure Mode & Effects Analysis (FMEA) goes a long way toward smoothing out some of the bumps, but I'm also minded of another adage, "Man plans; God laughs!" (the realization events outside one's control can upset the most meticulous plans.)
 
P

Polly Pure Bread

I once met Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich (I'm old, remember!) I also had several conversations with Bob Ringer, author of Looking Out For Number One.

Over the years, I've met a number of these guys as we criss-crossed on the lecture circuit. Some of them were out and out charlatans (my opinion of Robert Allen, author of many books on exploiting people to make money in real estate - see http://www.ripoffreport.com/searchresults.asp?q1=ALL&q4=&q6=&q3=&q2=&q7=&searchtype=0&submit2=Search!&q5=robert+allen )

Most, however, are really just entertainers. The bulk of these entertainers commit only one real sin in my book - they, like a former US Presidential candidate, H. Ross Perot, tell their readers and audiences, "It's just this easy!"

The sad fact is it is NOT easy. The years when I made lots and lots of money, I was just like most folks who made a lot of money - we sacrificed something of ourselves to accomplish it. In most cases, the sacrifice is in sleep and general health from long hours and stress, but often those also lead to destroyed personal relationships with lovers, family, friends.

- yes, if i'm going to do that i'll ensure that i still have enough time for my family. it's ok to work hard to be a good provider to my family so they can enjoy the good life. but i will not work so hard that i will sacrifice quality time with them.

It may be true everyone can fast forward his or her own career, but it takes planning and personal sacrifice. There's an old adage, "Be careful what you wish for!" A career improvement is like any other improvement - a well-executed Failure Mode & Effects Analysis (FMEA) goes a long way toward smoothing out some of the bumps, but I'm also minded of another adage, "Man plans; God laughs!" (the realization events outside one's control can upset the most meticulous plans.)

those who want to fast forward their own career should keep on improving themselves in so many ways.

1. learn to love your work and find ways to make it interesting. people who love what they do are more likely to suceed.
2. keep learning. constantly acquire new knowledge and be updated of developments in your field; attend seminars and training courses. i believe that the key to career advancement is non-stop learning.
3. analyze your strengths and weaknesses. get feedback from others e.g. boss, co-workers/colleagues and, of course, take advantage of your sthrengths to improve whatever.
4. accept new responsibilities or volunteer to work on important projects beyond your usual work load (just make sure you can do it).
5. like what you have said plan, plan, and plan your activities well; learn time management and be systematic so you can get more work done in less time.
6. improve people skills.
7. get a professional license or certification like what Wes Bucey did.
8. join a professional organization, attend conventions, conferences, trade fairs, expos, etc.
9. learn to make your boss look good; share with him or her the spotlight when you accomplish something great.

and many more

it requires a lot of planning and sacrifices. i know that no one succeeded or became rich by acident.. besides, opportunity favors the prepared...
 

Wes Bucey

Prophet of Profit
Update:
Some reports say the job market is improving. As I see it, though, many of the folks who were out of work for six months or more who do find new jobs are settling for lower pay and fewer benefits. It may be better to have "some" job than "no" job, but I would hardly call it "improvement," considering the full range of a person's job history, rather than the immediate past.

Worse, some reports are hitting the general press that a number of job listings are including the phrase "only currently employed applicants considered" or some similar variation. (http://www.11alive.com/news/news_story.aspx?storyid=144719&catid=40)

Have you seen (or heard from a recruiter) such a phrase in a job listing while on your own job hunt? How do YOU feel about a company that posts such a restriction? Can you find any justification for an employer to impose such a restriction?
 

Chennaiite

Never-say-die
Trusted Information Resource
Update:
Some reports say the job market is improving. As I see it, though, many of the folks who were out of work for six months or more who do find new jobs are settling for lower pay and fewer benefits. It may be better to have "some" job than "no" job, but I would hardly call it "improvement," considering the full range of a person's job history, rather than the immediate past.

Worse, some reports are hitting the general press that a number of job listings are including the phrase "only currently employed applicants considered" or some similar variation. (http://www.11alive.com/news/news_story.aspx?storyid=144719&catid=40)

Have you seen (or heard from a recruiter) such a phrase in a job listing while on your own job hunt? How do YOU feel about a company that posts such a restriction? Can you find any justification for an employer to impose such a restriction?

Sounds intersting, even if I have not come across one such recruiter in this part of the world. Probably, because I am not on a job-searching spree, of late.
Wonder what exactly unemployed would mean to such employers. Somebody can be unemployed for a month or a quarter or a semester or even more. Putting it in a perspective, normally we dont prefer a product that are not fast-moving in the market. Reason being, they may not possess the latest features or may be expensive or of bad quality or of bad durability and so on. Unemployeds are probably considered as one such product by the employers and rightly so IMO, provided unemployment period is taken into consideration.
 

Wes Bucey

Prophet of Profit
Sounds intersting, even if I have not come across one such recruiter in this part of the world. Probably, because I am not on a job-searching spree, of late.
Wonder what exactly unemployed would mean to such employers. Somebody can be unemployed for a month or a quarter or a semester or even more. Putting it in a perspective, normally we dont prefer a product that are not fast-moving in the market. Reason being, they may not possess the latest features or may be expensive or of bad quality or of bad durability and so on. Unemployeds are probably considered as one such product by the employers and rightly so IMO, provided unemployment period is taken into consideration.
Here's a listing (excerpted, not complete details) of one recruiter specializing in lawyers
  • Litigation Associate

    E M Messick Consulting - Washington, DC

    Our client, a large national law firm with offices throughout the United States, seeks a junior to midlevel litigation associate for their Washington, DC office. Must be currently a junior to mid-level (1st- 3rd year)litigation...
    30+ days ago from Recruiters Online Network
  • Food & Drug Associate

    E M Messick Consulting - Washington, DC

    Our client, a leading international law firm, seeks a junior to midlevel Food & Drug associate for the Washington, DC office. Must be currently employed as a Food & Drug associate in a large law firm or boutique; have 2-6 years...
    30+ days ago from Recruiters Online Network
  • Employment Litigation Associate

    E M Messick Consulting - Washington, DC

    Our client, a leading international law firm, seeks a junior to midlevel Employment Litigation Associate for their DC office. Must be currently employed as a 1st - 4th year employment litigation associate or a junior commercial...
    30+ days ago from Recruiters Online Network
  • Patent Associate

    E M Messick Consulting - Washington, DC

    A leading international law firm, with over 500 lawyers practicing in Washington, New York, San Francisco, London, and Brussels, seeks a Midlevel Associate for their Intellectual Property / Patent Department in Washington, DC. Must...
    30+ days ago from Recruiters Online Network
  • Antitrust Associate

    E M Messick Consulting - Washington, DC

    Our client, a large national law firm with offices throughout the United States seeks a midlevel to senior Antitrust associate for their Washington, DC office. Must be currently employed as a 3rd - 5th year associate in a major law...
    30+ days ago from Recruiters Online Network
  • Tax Associate

    E M Messick Consulting - Washington, DC

    25+ tax lawyer group. Opportunity to work on significant M&A, joint ventures, international and other corporate transactions. Must be a corporate tax associate with 1-2 years experience in a top international law firm or corporation.
    30+ days ago from Recruiters Online Network
  • Intellectual Property Litigation Associate

    E M Messick Consulting - Washington, DC

    Our client, a highly regarded major law firm, seeks a junior to midlevel intellectual property litigation associate for the Washington, DC office. Must be currently employed as a 2nd - 4th year IP Litigation associate in a large law...
    30+ days ago from Recruiters Online Network
  • Litigation Associate (Sr.)

    E M Messick Consulting - Washington, DC

    Our client, a prestigious international law firm, seeks senior commercial litigation associate for their DC office. Must be currently employed as a 5th 7th year commercial litigation associate in a major law firm; excellent academic...
    30+ days ago from Recruiters Online Network
The ugly truth is that the firms seeking such lawyers are not so much looking for competent lawyers as they are looking for lawyers who can bring clients with them (rainmakers.)

As some know, I was an investment banker for a number of years. That industry is notorious for body snatching rainmakers. There were and continue to be a number of headhunters who specialize in body snatching (sometimes to "buy" knowledge about a specific company or industry.)

There are also corporate spies masquerading as headhunters who cold call executives at target companies, dangling a "job offer from an unidentified company" and proceed to subtly extract inside information under the guise of an "interview."
 
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