The latest from Workforce Recruiting underscores a talent morality play occuring in an interview process near you. It's the new college grad VS the experienced, degreed worker. They both need the job you have – as they say in betting circles, who ya got?
More from Workforce Recruiting:
"About 1.5 million undergraduates will receive their bachelor’s degrees this year.
They will collide with 1.85 million workers with bachelor’s degrees or higher who are currently
unemployed. Although the unemployment rate for workers with degrees remains at a relatively low 4.1 percent, the rate has doubled in the past year and increased faster than the rate for those with no college, in large part because of widespread layoffs in financial and business services.
While the recession accounts for a large part of the drop in college hiring and the rise in unemployment among workers with degrees, the numbers also reflect a long-term trend toward producing more college graduates than labor markets can absorb. This trend is exacerbated by an equally long-standing mismatch in the fields of study that students pursue and the skill sets that employers require."
Who ya got? Who do I have in this head-to-head death match? It depends. All things being equal, I'm picking the demographic that best channels Marcus Buckingham and plays to their strengths in the interview process.
But sadly, it's probably easier to talk about how new grads and experienced workers can best compete against each other by talking about what NOT to do, rather than strengths. I'll mix in both.
For the new grad:
- Don't act like you've got more skills than you do. It's OK that you don't have a lot of experience. We actually like that sometimes.
- Don't have your parents call us. Helicopter moms don't help.
- We like the tech you bring to the table. Tell us how it can help us be more than we are today.
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Show us that you can turn on the professionalism in a way we wouldn't expect from a 22 year old. Don't be fake, just get this done within your personality during the interview process. You're probably going to be on the front lines with the customer, so we need that.
For the experienced worker looking for a good gig to get them through rough times:
- Make us comfortable that you won't view the gig as demeaning. We're worried about that, and it's one reason we'll put the new grad in instead of you.
- If we train you, can you stick around for a bit, even if the economy heats up? Need to know that as well.
- Let us know how your experience can help you perform at a high level. We want grown ups in the department, and we'd like to know you can also be a mentor, or at least a steady hand, to the kids.
- Don't hesistate on the money front. If we tell you what it is, we've got to know you can do it without buyer's remorse three months down the road.
- Make us believe you're as tech savvy as the kids.
That's my list. Hit me in the comments with what you're looking for, if you are hiring and see both of these profiles. Welcome to the new economy, where people are hurting and the competition for new grads and steady hands looks dramatically different.
If you're in the market and need to get a job, don't be a statistic – Adapt…
This is good advice for any job seeker Kris. I’m a little surprised you felt the need to differentiate between newer and more experienced workers. For knowledge workers it’s pretty clear that they have to bring a wide variety of skills-technical, academic, social-to the table in order to remain competitive.
In my industry (retail) the problem we’re facing is one of loyalty. Candidates are using us as a placeholder until something better comes along. They were laid off and they’re finding it difficult to remain within their preferred area of expertise.
Thanks again for the post.
For the new grad, don’t bring a sense of entitlement. That is the one thing I see from a lot of the younger generation – that we owe them something. That’ll get ya kicked out the door real quick.
Agreed with CCC on the entitlement issue. Additionally, new grads should show a willingness to further their learning and skills – as well as the initiative to do it on their own time, if needed. They should also highlight any internship experience to show they’ve had exposure to the business world.
Can you link to the original article?
I’ve always been partial to moist, chewy brownies. There’s no faster way to the employment line than a tray of well-prepared, slightly undercooked brownies.
The question is whether or not you put in walnuts. Walnuts in my brownie =’s FAIL!
Kris, what a great post. I get this question a lot from college students who are scared to be graduating this year because of the amount of experienced professionals who are also vying for the few open positions out there. Thanks for this – I will certainly pass this along to them!
Recent college grads to not hire people, but experienced workers do. The employer’s bottom line is concerned to cost and value. Does the applicant add value to the job per experience and skill set. Does he add value to the “team”. Can we afford to hire or not to hire him? Is the applicant worth our investment as to education and training if we invest in him.