Mapping Out the Right Job Process for 2013 College Grad
July 8, 2013
Picking the right job candidate is not easy. I was given the task of recommending college students for summer employment for my organization. I promptly pulled together a team of both seasoned professionals and recent college grads to make the job selection. We reviewed more than 100 resumes and interviewed several candidates. We had to make these selections quickly.
To my surprise, I was flabbergasted at the lack of employment preparation for by some people. For example, some students did not have the correct phone number listed on their resumes. We did not have time to waste tracking down candidates.
In one situation, we had called a prospect to interview him but missed him on our call to set up an interview. He called us back with a list of times he was available to be interviewed. In other words, he expected us to work our interview schedule around his. Needless to say, we did not call him back.
In other cases, we contacted prospects and asked them two basic questions: (a) why did they want the job and (b) what separated them in terms of skills and abilities for the job. In some cases, the students could not answer those questions. I am sure in hind sight; they would have understood that those types of questions would be asked.
We were fortunate to land two quality candidates. The team continued to be concerned about the lack of understanding by these college students about the job interview process. Because of this, we developed a job strategies checklist to provide universities and college students for our campus visits or university interactions.
Sadly, these miscues in understanding the financial climate and the hiring process of employers could jeopardize their future. In this blog, we will examine the current economic crisis and how students and parents can better position themselves for more employment opportunities.
The current economic forecast looks bleak in the near term for college grads and those preparing to graduate in 2013. The U.S. Labor Department estimates that the unemployment rate for recent college grads between ages 21 to 24 has averaged over 8%.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, recent grads will probably need to settle for low-level positions.[1] In fact, about 52% of employed college grads under age 25 were not working jobs that require a college degree according to a Northeastern University economist.[2]
College grads and current students must find alternative strategies to overcome employment obstacles. Rising tuition costs, a stagnate economy, and lack of career advancement continue to haunt ambitious young professionals.
Seasoned professionals are too cautious to retire early due to the uncertainty in their own future with the rising health care costs as they age. In fact, getting a college education appears to be a big liability and financial load for students.
As the clock struck midnight several days ago, interest rates on federally subsidized Stafford student loans jumped from 3.4% to 6.8% until Congress can change it.[3] Some estimates conclude that the average college student will see an additional $2,600 cost for his or her loan.
According to the Project on Student Debt, two-thirds of 2011 college graduates had an average debt of more than $26,000. Consequently, millions of college grads will see themselves carrying massive college debt loads with dim hopes of finding jobs in their majors.
Columnist Hadley Malcolm summed up this situation best, “Like countless Millennials across the country, they find themselves tethered to that debt load, stuck between the desire to become fully independent adults and not being able to afford the financial and cultural milestones traditionally associated with young adults.”
Employment opportunities have changed because the hiring processes have changed, yet most individuals do not realize this fact. A process is defined as any part of an organization that inputs and transforms them into outputs in hopes of greater value to the organization than the original inputs.[4]
Robert Jacobs, Richard Chase, and Nicholas Aquilano, authors of Operations & Supply Management, note, “Understanding how processes work is essential to ensuring the competitiveness of a company.”
Yet, understanding the hiring process would be an asset to college grads who are competing with their college peers and seasoned professionals. For most college grads, this reality makes it vital to find a good, well-paying job. Yet, most people are in the dark about the job strategies necessary.
Peter Cappelli, author of Why Good People Can’t Get Jobs, explains that employers have shifted their expectations on prospective employees: “With an abundance of workers to choose from, employers are demanding more of job candidates than ever before…To get a job, you have to have that job already. It’s a catch-22 situation for workers – and it’s hurting companies and the economy.” Regardless of where you stand on today’s college students, it is clear that some intervention is necessary if they are to be successful in this troubled market.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4EeaP8SVSI]
With the increases in college debt and decreases in significant job opportunities, both college grads and college students must understand today’s hiring process. Additionally, with the rising cost of a college education, parents cannot afford to idly sit by and watch their child wander aimlessly through college. Individuals can help themselves by becoming knowledgeable in all aspects of the employment process. The road will not be easy, but planning will create the right environment for success in the future.
Please discuss employment processes that have changed since you graduated. Provide valuable employment strategies to recent college grads and current college students.
© 2013 by Daryl D. Green
[1] “Class of 2013 faces grim job prospects” by Annalyn Kurtz
[2] “Class of 2013 faces grim job prospects” by Annalyn Kurtz
[3] “The cost of student debt loan” by Hadley Malcolm
[4] Operations & Supply Management by Robert Jacobs, Richard Chase, and Nicholas Aquilano.
career opportunitiescareer planningcollege graduatesDr. Daryl D. Greenjob strategiesU.S. unemployment
July 13, 2013 at 8:28 pm
I think most people do understand the amount of resumes that are being placed out for jobs. As the blog stated, people are fighting for jobs even when they’re over qualified for the job. When fighting for a job there is only so much a person can do to their resume which is why they begin sending out as many resumes as possible to different companies. I knew people in school that began sending their resumes out to every company possible hoping to get a chance at one of them. This is obviously not an overly effective method but people will want to try anything when they run out of options.
Just as you mentioned with the minimum qualifications and recommended qualifications. I’ve seen these type of placements all the time and almost every one of them calls for so many years of experience and a certain degree of schooling. The hurdle is that school students are barred from even trying to apply because of the years of experience required and not the degree. This is what forces them to accept an entry job and have to spend more years working their way up the totem pole.
July 14, 2013 at 7:30 am
Josh
Adding to your thoughts..According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, one out of every two Millennials—age 18 to 32–is either unemployed or under-employed. “Numbering approximately 80 million people (there are actually more Millennials than Baby Boomers), this cohort is now the most educated, yet most-indebted generation in history” [1].
The workforce is challenged by both globalization and international outsourcing. Michael Malone and Tom Hayes note an interesting term called “robo-hiring” through computer modeling and software filtering (which is impersonal and test scores and checked boxes count more than life experience).
Today’s millennial job seeker must figure out how to use the “robo-hiring” to market themselves as unique; to rethink their social media presence. Malone and Hayes suggest “Turn your public social media presence into a showcase of your personal brand and portal of interests and skills”. This all sounds like a good approach for the already digital generation, but until the economy improves, I fear this generation will continue to be challenged to find work in their fields of education.
[1] Why Your Kid Can’t Get a Job by Michael Malone and Tom Hayes
July 17, 2013 at 10:34 pm
Josh, during my undergraduate time, I was a member of SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise) and was able to gain some skills to help out with job interviews and take the edge off for those who were going to be having their first interview. We also were signed up for an email list that would send out job listings through SIFE’s partners in the region. Nearly all of them would had a minimum requirement of work experience to apply. As a college athlete, internships and work experience in the summer was not a viable option, so these “job opportunities” did not benefit me whatsoever. However, I can understand the need for these stipulations. As a study by Eric McWhinnie (2013) found that Graduates of the top 100 four-year programs who gained real work experience (for instance, completing an internship, working part-time, or participating in employer mentorship programs) feel better prepared for the workplace. Of those with such work experience, 77% say college prepared them well for employment, compared with 59% of students who lacked similar experience.” Due to this, students must typically work their way up from the bottom.
McWhinnie, E. (2013, May 24). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/05/24/college-grads-unprepared/2350633/
July 29, 2013 at 4:27 pm
Corbett, I would to respond to your earlier post about being a member of SIFE (students in free enterprise), and how much it helped you gain skills and relationships upon graduation. Building professional relationships is an astronomical tool in gaining employment that is absent from most college students extracurricular activities. According to a recent article on MainStreet, “employee referrals now account for 40% of hires nationwide.” A 40% chance of landing a job is pretty good odds in today’s economic climate for simply having a friend or acquaintance. This statistic should be eye-opening for college students who are zoned into video games or intramural leagues after class. Get out there, be social, build these relationships. It can be as simple as attending a seminar, or attending job fairs even before you are ready to graduate. Referral support is even growing among large companies, as it avoids the hefty payout to recruiters. Also, according to the New York Times, referred employees are 15% less likely to quit, (Schwartz, 2013).
Brian O’Connell April 2,2013
Best Way To Get That Dream Job? Referrals
http://www.mainstreet.com/article/career/employment/best-way-get-dream-job-referrals
Nelson D. Schwartz. January 27,2013
In Hiring, a Friend in Need Is a Prospect, Indeed
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/28/business/employers-increasingly-rely-on-internal-referrals-in-hiring.html?pagewanted=all
July 10, 2013 at 7:41 pm
Mimi,
Excellent points! Thanks for your personal story.
You bring up an interesting point!
All,
Is there a societal responsibility for educating the unemployed about job strategies? Most local governments have an unemployment center. Are they effective? If not, why?
Professor Green
July 10, 2013 at 8:21 pm
I have not had any direct association with an unemployment agency so I am not in the best position to judge their effectiveness or ineffectiveness. However, in terms of if there is a societal responsibility for educating the unemployed about job strategies I would say there is a societal responsibility. I think we owe it to ourselves to be our brothers’ keepers and if we know of anyone who needs help or asks for help in either preparing a resume or preparing for that job interview we should render all the help we can. Many job seekers may not be aware of the many services offered by these employment agencies. I, for one think of employment agencies as an agency that hands out unemployment checks to those who qualify according to their guidelines. There should be more awareness on the various services that are offered to get that candidate back into the workforce.
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As a hiring manager who has filled multiple vacancies at my company employment strategy has changed over the last five years. I have noticed a definite change in the screening process. Often when faced with more than 30 resumes an initial screening is necessary. We now list “minimum qualifications” and “desired qualifications” in all of our job postings. Many candidates do not make it past the initial screening because they fail to realize the importance of these minimum qualifications. We call these minimums “hurdles” because either you meet them or you do not. An example of a hurdle requirement might be that a candidate must have three years experience in manufacturing. Students read these requirements and think they are implied based on their resumes, when in fact often the hiring managers don’t have the time or experience to “read between the lines.” Candidates need to explicitly state why they meet minimum requirements, or make it easy for hiring mangers to show they meet the hurdle requirements. I would advise reading the job postings and tailoring the resume to the position so that all hurdles are met. This will significantly increase the chances of passing the initial resume screening.
Adam,
Excellent! It’s supports my propositions that a lot of folks are blinding putting in online applications without a full understanding of the employers’ expectations.
Professor Green