A local college student is completing a paper for her social work class. Did a Q & A with her today. She shared an interesting article with me. It went a little something like this...
Dear Scott,
1) Why is it so hard now for the long term unemployed to get a job in this job market? What has happened in the last few years that has so drastically changed employment opportunities? Honestly, the employment opportunities are there. They are just not the same employment opportunities people once had. In our region for example, the trades and jobs in energy are booming. These are, however, careers geared towards young people. Many of our long-term unemployed who are at or nearing retirement age cannot take advantage of these jobs. Long-term unemployment is also leading to a lot of complacency. Many, many people...for the first time in their lives...seem to have discovered unemployment compensation and other entitlement programs. It seems like a lot of would-be job seekers are content riding out these programs as long as they can. Employers, too, have not helped the cause. Wages have decreased in most areas except for maybe the trades and energy. Job seekers are comparing their take home from unemployment to the wages currently offered by most employers; job seekers are finding that their financial situation is better on unemployment than it is when working. We have some detail about this on our blog at careertalkweb.blogspot.com. If you don't mind, I'd like to share this dialogue on that blog to see if we get some additional perspectives.
2) What is the best route to take for a long term unemployed person seeking work? Explore any and all available opportunities...even if it doesn't seem like the right fit. I talk with employers everyday who are desperate to make hires. We host many of these employers at our career center, but very few people show up. A representative from the Builders Guild was in today, but only three job seekers showed up for the recruitment. I think sometimes people see an ad or an announcement for a hiring event, and that ad represents a very specific position. What the job seeker doesn't realize is that the same employer who may be hiring customer service reps may also be seeking sales people or office help. While the employer is out recruiting for one specific position, they are keeping their eyes open for candidates to fill other positions. A good example: A rep from a local community corrections center did a hiring event at our center last week. He was primarily there seeking security guards and site monitors. A social worker came to the presentation and learned that the same employer was looking for case managers as well. They were both pleasantly surprised to meet one another.
Long-term unemployed people cannot allow themselves to become inactive. Volunteer. Go to networking events. Utilize community resources. Everyone says that job search is done via the Internet. It's true. Job search is done via the Internet, but hiring is done in person.
3) Are there specific things one should be doing in this changed job market when looking for work? Networking...without a doubt. PA Department of Labor reported last year that 68% of new hires landed their new job as a result of a word-of-mouth referral. Most job seekers are using the Internet and newspaper for job leads. Each of these produces the lowest rate of return (about 1/100 job applications via the Internet results in an interview; about 10/100 job applications via newspaper.) Also, old-fashioned, door-to-door. there are now hiring signs everywhere. I have been posting pictures on them on the McKees Rocks Employment & Training Center Facebook page. They are all over town! I was in Canonsburg earlier this week. Now hiring signs are on billboards, the side of the road, in business windows, etc., etc. Even in depressed areas like McKees Rocks, businesses have the signs out. I spotted one in a hardware store, one at Jackson Hewitt, one for CDL drivers, and more.
Job seekers should also face the fact that the market has changed, and right now it is an employers market. Mitt Romney, in his RNC acceptance speech, talked about the guy who used to make $22 per hour, but has now had to take two separate jobs making $10 per hour each. That doesn't seem right, but it is the reality of the situation. Many people say to me, "I don't want to work two jobs." I've been working two jobs for more than a decade.
4) What other resources are available for the unemployed-besides public assistance, unemployment compensation? (Support groups?) PAPEN is the Pennsylvania Professional Employment Network (www.papen.us). This is a great networking and support group for white-collar workers, sales people, IT professionals, etc. Also, agencies like the one I have. There are neighborhood employment centers all over the region. The Mon Valley Initiative, McKees Rocks Employment & Training Center, Jewish Family & Children Services...to name a few. Our agency has hosted four different employers in the past week. All hiring yesterday! Very few people come out and take advantage of the service. Also, I tell those who have graduated college, a trade school or the like to revisit that school early and often. Even if it has been a number of years, most schools tend to help their alumni. People are apprehensive about returning to their schools for help.
5) Are there resources for the unemployed and their family? Pittsburgh has so many social services. We keep hearing about funding cuts and State budget crisis, but the truth is that there is help out there. Almost every Pittsburgh neighborhood has a social service agency (in and around the City anyway.) Everything from Goodwill to Salvation Army to small agencies like Focus on Renewal or Mon Valley Initiative.
6)There is a study out saying that being long term unemployed is worse than having a criminal record? What are your thoughts on this and why? Without a doubt! Every single employer I talk with says long gaps or a long layoff period in a resume is a red flag. Many employers are getting burned by job seekers who accept 'any job' because it is a job. The employer hires someone on, trains them, and puts them to work only to lose that person two or three months down the line because the worker has found a better opportunity. An HR rep from Waste Management told me that just the HR process alone cost them about $3,500.00 per hire. We run a reentry services program for United States Court; men and women in that program are more successful in the job market right now than those without a record.
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