More Jobs for Two Year Grads...But What Are They Missing?

We've reported it on the air at KQV Radio, and I have written about it several times on this blog.  The job market is simply better for two year, specific degree graduates than it is for a lot of four year degree holders. This trend was projected by The University of Pittsburgh's Institute of Politics in 2006.  The Department of Labor projects the trend to continue over the next 10 years.  So two year graduates, particularly those in the medical and accounting fields, should be doing quite well in the job market, right?  Wrong.

Duquesne University recently hosted an employer round table for HR representatives and recruiters from the Pittsburgh region.  These included professionals from the medical, energy, political, non-profit and education sectors.  One member of the group asked what type of two year graduates might be attractive to employers in the Marcellus Shale Industry.  This began a lengthy discussion about hiring two year or certificate-based grads versus bringing in and training people from other areas such as four-year schools, Veterans programs or even off the street!

The chief complaint from the recruiters may very well illustrate the difference between a two-year and a four-year graduate.  All those in attendance who had visited vocational schools with the intent to hire graduates basically said that the students had definitely obtained the vocational skills, but had developed little to no soft skills necessary for getting along in the workplace.  Examples included inappropriate dress during interviews, fowl language in and around the workplace, and an inability to get to work on time or at all.

Stephanie DeMaro, Regional Job & Internship Developer at Penn State University, appeared as a guest on Career Talk in May of 2012.  When asked why a student would choose to go to school for four years instead of two, she replied, "Students can get to work quicker with a two-year degree, but they do not receive the well-rounded educational experience received by those those who attend a four-year institution." A year and a half later, a group of recruiters sits around Duquesne University talking about the under-developed people skills of those students who have attended community college, a two-year business school or a trade school.

Participants from the round table discussions plan to meet again in October to further address the issue.  The group hopes to launch an educational support program that might allow local recruiters to work directly with the local business schools via those schools' career services departments.  The goal would be to help career services better prepare students for workplace environment and culture.

Six Careers That Are High In Salary, Short on School

http://education.yahoo.net/articles/good-pay_jobs_with_an_associates.htm

People Will Drive 30 Minutes To Do These Things, But Not To Work???

People will drive 30 (+) minutes to...

1. Ride a coaster at an amusement park

2. Eat nachos at a baseball game

3. Get drunk at a concert

4. Buy fireworks in Ohio

5. Have expensive coffee with a friend

6. Purchase cheap cigarettes out of state

7. Smuggle cheap cigarettes into the state

8. Visit a relative they don't really like

9. Obtain a lottery ticket in West Virginia

10. Purchase a bike they found on Craigslist

11. Meet a woman they met on Craigslist

12. Participate in a fantasy football draft

13. Swim at a wave pool

14. Ski

15. Mountain Bike

16. Sleep in a tent!!!

The list could go on and on...

BUT, they won't drive 30 minutes to work because it is too far.

One Reason Web-Based Training Beats Classroom Training

We conducted a workforce reentry series in the spring called Spring Into Reentry. A navy rep from Southern California participated in the session. She was planning a job fair at the time. Three employers were on the line...one from the Dallas area and one from Utah. Those two had offices in Southern Cal, and our participant was hooked up with those local offices.

Same participant has a worker releasing and relocating to Pittsburgh soon. Emailed me to find out about transitional housing or short-term housing options. I gave her contact info for two housing reps from the Pittsburgh area to try and develop a plan for her client.

You could never do this type of networking in a traditional classroom when only local participants can attend!!! A good use of the Internet!

What’s Wrong With Being An Insurance Agent?

Talk about a profession that has received a raw deal.  Insurance agent has been on the butt end of more jokes than it has been on job applications.  Remember the scene in Groundhog’s Day?  “Watch that first step! It’s a doooozy!” 

I am currently recruiting Benefit Representatives for one of the world’s largest and most respected supplemental insurance companies, and I cannot find people to fill the positions!  I talk to people all day long who respond to our job postings on the Internet.  After a short phone interview, half of them say, “Eh…I don’t really want to sell insurance.”  First off, I want to ask, “Well, why did you respond to the ad then?”  But what I really want to ask is, “What’s wrong with being an insurance agent?”  This is one of America’s most important professions, but often disregarded.

This will not be a popular statement amongst my law enforcement friends, so I will preface it by saying that I have more respect for police officers, firemen and EMT’s than any other occupations.  With that being said, I receive more protection from my insurance agent than I do from my local police department.  And guess what?  So do you!

Think about it.  If someone breaks into your house and steals all of your jewelry, it is very unlikely that the police will recover and return the property.  Your insurance claim, however, is likely to pay off.  If you are attacked on the street and unable to work, the police might find and arrest your assailant, but there is no guarantee.  If you have been paying your disability premiums, there’s a guarantee that you will not have to go without income while you are out of work.

Seriously, it’s not only time to pay a little more respect to our insurance agents, financial advisors, benefit reps, etc., but it is also time to start rethinking career choices.  This is a respectable and profitable position.  So many people pass on the opportunity.  Meanwhile, I am surrounded daily by blissful human beings working at the supplemental insurance office.  Happy to be working a flexible schedule…thrilled to be making a ton of cash!  Perhaps someone should create a TV show about insurance reps.  Then maybe more of our young people will want to get into this business instead of overpaying for criminal justice degrees with the hope of becoming private investigators.  

What's Wrong With Being The Garbage Man?

When I was a kid, I had a friend named Kirk.  Kirk idolized the garbage men.  He would follow the truck up and down the alley.  On rainy days, he would watch for the garbage truck from his bedroom window.  Kirk thought everything about the garbage men was fascinating.  I think Kirk grew up to be an accountant or something...I really don't know.  I do know that he is not a garbage man.

I can remember the adults in my neighborhood seemed almost envious of the garbage man.  At the ballfield or in the backyard, the dads would say things like, "Who do you have to know to get a job on the garbage truck?" or, "Do you know how much money those guys must make an hour?" 

Garbage man used to be a coveted position.  What happened?  I recently met with a Waste Management recruiter who told me that they are struggling to find drivers or drivers' helpers.  I logged onto the company website (www.wm.com/careers) only to find dozens of vacant positions in and around the Pittsburgh region.  I talked with a friend of mine who runs a staffing agency.  They staff positions at a Waste Management recycling facility.  He told me that they have open positions on a daily basis that they cannot fill.  Now granted, these may not be the most glamorous positions within the company, but they are entry level positions into one of America's largest businesses!

When and how did America become a top down nation?  Remember when you had to start at the bottom and work your way to the top?  Jobs that were once classified as 'good jobs' are now looked down upon.  It's almost as if CEO's and top execs are envied to the degree that everybody thinks they should be one regardless of education, job experience, talent and ability.  This line of thinking has left a void in the value of work.

Protect Your ASSets

Ask most people, "What is your greatest asset?"  Some will say their house or the car.  Others might refer to a savings or some kind of investment vehicle.  They're all wrong.  A person's greatest asset is their God-given ability to get up, go to work and earn money everyday.

Think about it.  If you wreck your car tomorrow, insurance will help you fix it or get another.  If, God forbid, a house fire occurs, you can eventually rebuild or buy a new home with the help of insurance.  But consider this: You are injured in the car accident and can no longer work...or you are injured in the fire and can no longer work.  Worst case scenario, an accident is tragic and a loss of life occurs.  How do you earn?  Who pays the bills?  How does a spouse or partner recover financially?

We insure everything from our homes to cars to jewelry to personal collectibles.  But we go to work everyday and do not cover our greatest asset.  People will read this and say, "Well, I have a life insurance policy through work," or, "My company has a short-term disability plan."  Most people go bankrupt or lose a business because of medical bills. People only lose their homes when they can no longer afford to pay their bills.

If you are in business for yourself, you have to think about this.  If you have not asked yourself questions like those outlined above, you are setting yourself up for failure.  Anyone working everyday should be asking their HR rep to review benefit plans.  A short term disability may be only 90 days.  What happens after that?

People may also turn a blind eye towards supplemental health plans.  Those people should look into the cost of a COBRA Health Insurance option then ask themselves not if they could afford it, but if they can afford not to have some kind of supplemental protection.

Food for thought.