What Does It Take to Get A Job In America, Today?

     America is the land of opportunity: a place where dreams are possible and become a reality. This is the place various countries to emulate. So, what is happening to the workforce in America today?

     The workforce as we once knew it is quickly dissipating. Just a few decades ago, Americans were told to work hard in school, become well rounded by participating in community activities (joining the boy/girl scouts, participating in extracurricular activities: sports, clubs, etc), obtain a college degree and be active on the campus and community as well; but most importantly, get good grades. These were the things drilled into our minds and most that accomplished those tasks were successful, until the downfall of the community. Therefore, has this theory become a myth for today’s career goals, I think so? The job market is at its lowest point; it is a revolving door. There are so many unemployed professionals with at least twenty years of experience within their industry, but unable to gain adequate employment.

     Recently, I conducted an experiment where I sent three different resumes to various job boards and a multiple companies, to include professional placement firms. Additionally, I had my resume critiqued and edited by a few professional resume writing companies. Each company that critiqued my resume provided different outcomes, solutions, and totally different resumes at the cost of $80.00 to $500.00. Did these new resumes get the interviews of my dream job, absolutely not. However, I did get a few interviews. During the interview process, some that ranged from two to four different people, and/or panels; I soared in the interview; but did not score the job. This means, I interviewed for one position four times. Can you imagine the cost of multiple interviews for both the company and me, and a job offer not made! One particular interview, the hiring manager (quite younger than me) blatantly stated she did not believe I would fit the company culture (could this be an undercover age discrimination tactic?). What is your corporate culture? I asked immediately and there was silence. She could not explain the company culture in words. What is wrong with this picture? Now, on to the next interview, the panel sat in awe as they began to review my resume and listen to my responses. As I exited the interview, the hiring manager shook my hand and said, “You know more than I could ever learn, your interview has left me speechless!” I thought those were very simple questions based upon what they were seeking within the position description. Needless to say, there was never a call back or decision letter received. Moving forward to the job board experiments, utilizing the top national and local job boards, the results were insulting to say the least. My educational and professional workforce background is in human resources and business management. However, my email inbox filled quickly with a slew of technology, engineering, and six sigma positions, none of which I qualified to work. Oh and not to mention, I received commissioned only insurance and illegal money laundering offers. Now, to be completely honest, within my resume a list of skills consists of ample software knowledge and six-sigma trained. However, I should never receive job notifications for positions such as, Director of Technical Support, Help Desk Manager, Six-Sigma Instructor, etc.

     This is my personal story; hence, after surveying many unemployed professional, the results were unbelievable. Many of those workforce professionals have taken jobs with half of their past salaries and value of their work expertise.

     To bring this to a close, the many hiring processes that are in place are failing the workforce professionals who are actively seeking employment. Hiring workers just to fill a seat or because of who you know, can cause a company millions of dollars in legal suits, start the revolving door syndrome, and a loss of customers. Therefore, my question remains with a little tweaking: What Does It Take To Get A Professional Workforce Job in America, Once You Have Obtained Ample Experience?

     Proper training and staff alignment is essential for any company in order to have a professional balance and diversity within the workplace.  Some of the questions your human resources department staff should ask are the following:

1. When did we last upgrade our Applicant Tracking System?
2. Has the department-hiring managers been thoroughly trained in company policies and procedures, to include basic employment laws?
3. Are the employees sitting in the best position within the company?
4. When did we last review and verify our current staff latest credentials?

These are just a few questions that I highly recommend you ask your staff, as it can benefit your company greatly.  You may be losing excellent candidates by using an out of day applicant tracking system and unstructured hiring practices.  In addition, many employees will obtain professional training and degrees while working in their current positions. Please understand, if your employees are obtaining advanced training and degrees, they intend to better themselves within the company or with your competition in most cases.  Most importantly, every company should have a balance of age, education, gender, and experience.  Never exclude anyone based upon his or her age and experience.  First, it is age discrimination. Secondly, their experience can help your younger staff and your company to become the next greatest company in America.

     If this article has inspired you in any way, please contact me at personalassistant@ramonataylor.com.  Let me help you to find solutions to your hiring practices and the retention of true professional employees.