As the owner of a staffing firm and a specialist in the employment market you can imagine when someone finds out what I do for a living they are curious about the market conditions. Over the past two years I have had countless people comment on the numerous amount of people whom are without jobs and the uncertainty in the job market, and of course I agree with them to a certain extend. There are many different things to consider when you are discussing the unemployed: where they live and how willing they are to travel, industry specialty and field of employment, level of position, and the selection and the overall flexibility of the individual candidate.
To lend you insight into the full picture and give you a direct example of a recent occurrence at our firm, I will provide you with a story of two separate candidates that came to us two weeks ago seeking employment. Our first candidate had a solid and stable background, held a degree and had all of the credentials – except flexibility and attitude. This candidate had been unemployed for nearly 8 months. She would not consider a different position, would not travel out of the town in which she lived, and would not consider even the slightest decrease from her last salary = completely inflexible. Because she has been unemployed for quite some time she also had a poor attitude and didn’t present herself as a pleasant person. She had become tainted and poisoned by her circumstances.
The second candidate that came in two days later had the same exact credentials including a delightful personality. She exuded confidence, flexibility, (she told us she would commute from Hartford, CT to Manhattan) and was willing to lower her salary up to $20,000.00. Within two days we had an interview for her and she was hired permanently for the exact salary she had made at her previous position. She didn’t have to go to Hartford or Manhattan but was able to replicate the same commute as she had in her previous position. In addition, she never actually even hit the unemployment market, because her company gave her notice. My point in telling you this story is attitude and flexibility account for a great portion of your job search. In today’s market you must exude confidence and an award winning personality – otherwise you will immediately be out of contention for that second interview. Remain flexible in every way possible ensuring that you have all of the bases covered at home. If you need help from neighbors or friends, don’t be afraid to ask – everyone needs a little assistance now and then. Once you secure your new position and show the firm that you are competent and reliable and have created tenure, firms become much more accommodating and flexible as no one wants to lose a talented and skilled employee.
