Back to the Future — A Recruiter's Thoughts

OK I admit it. I'm a baby-boomer looking to recruit Millennials. Or is it called Gen-Y now? Or the "Me" generation? Wait, am I talking about you guys coming out of school . . . or am I talking about those of us who graduated in the 60's and 70's? You know us. The workaholics. The crackberry users. We can't text message and we never learned how to get out of work on time to make it to our kids ballgames. Some of still can't set the VCR, we have old Beatles records in the garage, a turntable that doesn't work, and probably some 8-tracks somewhere in the house.

Now you are hearing some of the boomers say that "we are worried about the Millennials because they want balance in their lives" & they want "teamwork". Duh. THAT IS WHAT WE WANTED!

You guys are much better than we were. We had race riots in L.A. and in Detroit. We ducked bullets at Kent State. We went on Peace marches against the war. We went to Woodstock. Listened to the Who and the Rolling Stones. (My God, are those guys that old ") Our parents were so worried that we would be in charge some day.

When we finally got in charge we didn't know how to stop working. We really weren't friends with our parents because we learned to do things "because they said so". Phone cards. No reason besides "I'm the dad, that's why".

So here we are now wanting to hire you but are concerned about your "work ethic". The sad thing is that we are saying to you EXACTLY what was said to us when we were trying to find jobs. Many of you graduated in the top 5 percent of your class. 95 percent of you didn't though. That's ok. 95 percent of all doctors who graduated weren't in the top 5 percent of their class. Hey, Michael Dell and Bill Gates didn't even graduate from college. Last I know they did fine.

If you are stressed about finding a good job let me give you some thoughts that might make you feel better:

• The best class I ever took in school was typing. 9th grade. Mrs. Howard was my teacher. Roosevelt Junior High School in Rockford, IL. I've used what I learned in that class more than any other class. Ever.
• No one has asked to see my report cards at any job I had. No one cared.
• No one asked to see my college transcripts. No one cared.
• Don't worry about knowing what you want to do 20 years from now. All of us who knew what we wanted to do changed our minds 423 times. Some of us still are.
• Hiring managers who want to stereotype you based on your age, your education, your ethnicity and/or anything else create their own problems. Ignore them.
• Your biggest challenge is getting in the door. Not working once you get in the door. You will be fine. You ask questions. You know how to get along with adults. Remember, you get along with your parents. We didn't.

The best job you get in your life will probably be one that you find by networking. Not on CareerBuilder or Monster. Your parents, your parent's friends and your friend's parents will try and help you all they can. Ask.

Also pursue careers that you feel you can be passionate about. The only problem with relying on your parents advice is that they may not be aware of some emerging industries. They may also have a prejudice on a company or an industry based on their own experiences with that business 30 years ago. (Hey, can you tell that I REALLY didn't listen to my parent's advice on jobs!)

Book's like the "Princeton Review's Best Entry-Level Jobs" can give you great insight to companies.

Finally, let me give you a couple of tips on interviewing with some babyboomers.

• You only have one chance to make a first impression. It is easier to "overdress" than "underdress". Guys – ties. I don't think earrings on guys are cool. My sons have tatoos. I don't. I don't want to see them in the interview. Ladies – I want to hire you, not date you. Dress appropriately.
• Be early.
• The interviewer wants to know what you can do for them. Make sure they know that before you find out what they can do for you.
• Send a thank you e-mail.
• Send a thank you card, too. (Remember that first impression thing above )
• Relax.

Finally, things that are too good to be true usually are. For most of us we "didn't get rich quick". So, we believe that there aren't many jobs out there that are really that way.

Have fun. Looking for a job can be great – especially if you know that the perfect one for you is right around the corner.

Video resumes are a short-term fad

Video resumes are the hot new topic in recruiting these days. It seems that everyone has an opinion, and job listing sites like CareerBuilder have launched video resume services.

At first glance a video resume seems like a natural step in the recruiting process. But here are five reasons why video resumes will be a short-term fad:

1. Looking good on camera is a learned skill

Professional newscasters, anchors, and reporters, go to school for years to learn how best to present themselves on camera. Others of us have never practiced. We don't know how to sit, we don't know what to wear, we don't know where to look, and nobody has taught us how to appear relaxed.

As I recently found out in a brief media training session, there are actually people who teach you all of these things before an on air interview. And, I can promise, they are not cheap! If video resumes become the norm, colleges will be forced to create semester long classes on how to present yourself on camera, and those of us out of school will need to hire personal media trainers just to get a job. For most people these are totally unnecessary expenses.

2. Written communication is a more important

The majority of my co-worker interaction takes place via email or instant messenger. This is true for most large technologically advanced companies, and the trend is only going to continue. Phone calls are a rarity and face to face meetings are even rarer. Having face-to-face people skills is important when selling or giving live presentations, but in general, written communication is much more critical.

More and more companies are finding a wide range of benefits to promoting remote work arrangements. These new ways of working lead to decreased one-on-one communication and increased written communication. Occasionally I will receive an email with misspellings or terrible punctuation, and this typically makes me think the person is not up for the job or just plain lazy. So ditch the camera and create a blog to show recruiters what you're all about.

3. Most jobs never require you to be on camera

How many jobs actually require you to be on camera? I can't think of more than a handful. Unless you are a media professional, public relations expert or high-level figure in a large organization you will not be on camera. Even if you are in one of these positions, you better believe you will be professionally trained for hours before going on camera.

Further, let's face it, we are all different. Some of us are a little shy, some might panic alone in front of a camera, and some are energetic, charming and charismatic. These traits don't necessarily have any bearing on how well we will perform our jobs as a desk jockey. If the average person will never be on camera during their career, why does it matter how they appear in a video?

Read the rest at The Brazen Careerist.

Company Spotlight: W.L. Gore

When you hear the term Gore Tex, the first words that most likely come to mind are snow, jackets, fleeces and warmth. The first words that should come to your mind are, "How can I get a job there?"

You heard me right, W.L. Gore. The company behind the famous weather-resistant fabric, Gore Tex, has embraced one of the most cutting-edge workplace cultures for over 50 years.

Why is W.L. Gore so great? First off, there are no job titles. All of Gore's employees are called, "associates," and bosses are referred to as "sponsors," whose main role is to help others find their best positions in the company.

Secondly, there is no such thing as passing an idea up the proverbial ladder for approval. Bureaucracy is a waste of time, and Gore recognizes that. If an employee has a new product idea, which Gore highly encourages, they simply seek out other "associates," and either get to work or scrap the idea.

The only way to become a manager at Gore is to find people who want to work for you and get their support. Doesn't that sound refreshing? It's like natural selection for the right reasons. Rather than, "Who do you know and how many degrees you hold?" it's "Who wants to work for you and why?"

Headquarters are located in Newark, DE, a relatively small, but beautiful college town. Being 45 minutes south of Philadelphia and an hour and a half from the beaches and casinos of Atlantic City means that there's always plenty of entertainment.

According to a 2006 workforce management article by Patrick Kiger, because of their unorthodox "flat" organization, Gore has trouble recruiting the right talent to come work for them. The company receives 38,000 applications annually and hires a mere fraction.

To me, this is mind blowing. Maybe it's because of Gore's rural Delaware headquarters or maybe it's because they aren't out actively recruiting young people. But I can't think of many places I would rather go to work.

If Gore isn't going to come to campus career fairs, then Employee Evolution will just have to bring them to you. Check out their website, apply for a job, go tour the plants and see if they really are as cool as Malcolm Gladwell describes in one of my all time favorite books, The Tipping Point.

W.L. Gore had it right 50 years ago and they still have it right today. Hopefully more startups will take note and launch with a "flat" structure because, as established hierarchical companies are finding, shifting from the norm is not an easy thing to do.

The BIG Transition — Getting from College to Career

"What good is a book if you can't make time to read it?" It's the query I used to ask myself when walking into my college dorm and seeing the pile of career advice books glazed with dust. "C'est la vie," I thought. "At least they make me seem smarter."

If you're like me, you don't have the time or patience to read everything cover-to-cover. You hover over the bold text hoping to get the gist. Then it's back to the grind.

If this screams YOU, then at last, there's a career advice book that's right up your alley – Getting from College to Career by Lindsey Pollak.

"You can read every page or skip the tips that don't feel applicable to your situation," says Pollak. "This book does not contain a step-by-step, all inclusive guide to getting a job. Rather, it offers the very best tips I've gathered on a wide variety of topics to help you stand out from the crowd."

One of the biggest qualms I hear from peers seeking career advice is the corporate-centric tone of most publications. If you don't want to be a cubicle jockey, what are they even good for?

College to Career skips the corporate jargon and gets straight to the point. Sick of hearing about nothing but business scenarios? This book is the universal roadmap to being a solid individual, regardless of your ambitions.

To prove my point, I had my friend Laura read the book and see if the advice suited her passion, nursing. She didn't want to give it back.

"It emphasizes little things that affect us all," Laura said. "It doesn't matter what career you're in."

One of the most valuable features of College to Career is the "Make this work for you" checklists. After making key recommendations, Pollak encourages her readers to apply it to their own lives giving a step-by-step plan on how to achieve. There's even a check-box you can pencil in after you're finished. I'm a sucker for checking things off.

All-and-all, this is the book I wish I had transitioning into adulthood (interestingly enough, Amazon.com reviewers say the exact same thing). But I guess it's not too late. If you're already part of the real world (like me), you can still take advantage of Pollak's millennial-friendly guide to fitting in with the rest of the working world.

Gaining respect in an atmosphere of Gen-Y scrutiny is no easy task. Especially without adjusting yourself to some of the working world's in-place standards. Luckily, Pollak's youth-oriented charisma in College to Career makes the transition a lot easier than it seems.

The World Under Millennial Reign — Heaven or Hell?

If you can't remember a time when the world was not wired, you are a member of the Millennial Generation — the 33 million Americans between the ages of 15 and 25. You are special. You are different. The fate of the planet is on your shoulders. No pressure.
-Tom Tresser, What the World Might Look Like When the Millennials Run It

With all the back-and-forth jibber-jabber between Gen-Y and "everyone else," I often wonder what the world will really be like 10 to 15 years down the line.

According to one dissenter, I'll be a bankrupt thirty-something living in my parent's basement. But honestly, that's a bit of an exaggeration…they'll at least let me have my old room back.

All jokes aside, it amazes me that many older peers anticipate a grim existence under Gen-Y reign. Sure, we're often categorized as narcissistic and (here it comes) entitled, but we're also said to be optimistic go-getters.

And who isn't a little whiny in corporate America anyway? Last time I checked, even the CEOs were bitching about something. Let's, for a moment, throw aside our (supposed) self-righteous attitudes and take a gander at a positive critique of Gen-Y.

"Smart, savvy and civically engaged," says Tresser, "there is no doubt millennials will affect profound change on the political level."

We've already established ourselves as doers. In 2003, 83 percent of college freshmen were volunteering (up from 66 percent in 1990). Sure, we can attribute this to the competition factor associated with college applications, but the number of active college philanthropies today speaks for itself.

As Gen-Y begins to take elective office, Tresser predicts millennials will enact "new initiatives to protect children, promote literacy and safety and reform dysfunctional educational systems." Experts also expect a substantial political shift on a consumer level. "Their loyalty will lie with socially responsible business practices."

Personally, I see people themselves becoming more socially responsible. In my short 23 years, I've witnessed a remarkable shift in environmental activism. It used to be something we quietly talk about. Now it's something we're beginning to act on.

As blood continues to boil between the U.S. and foreign countries, people are finally demanding that we cool the pot. I anticipate a global shift in the definition of community where everyone has a seat at the table.

Of course, talking politics (especially 10-15 years down the line) is a risky business. There's enough "what ifs" associated with the future to keep the most avid Gen-Y antagonist equipped with an arsenal of comebacks. But keep yourself optimistic. We may not mold a utopia, but we'll get things headed in the right direction.

What do you think? Heaven? Hell? Or will we still just be stuck in purgatory?