The Interview Edge

Stimulus = Economic Recovery = Jobs Creation?

Stimulating economic recovery. Now there’s a misnomer.

Remember that Bush stimulus early last year? It did nothing.

Obama went down that same path, albeit in a far pricier way, with essentially the same result. We’re still in recession with unemployment continuing its climb.

Because it didn’t work the first two times, there’s talk of yet another stimulus. Political logic…

Of course, somebody has to pay for all this government debt. The massive sale of additional bonds required to fund the debt appears to be diverting funds that might otherwise be invested in the launch or expansion of businesses – that create jobs. Club for Growth’s Louis Woodhill paints the picture:

Q4 2008: Federal deficit - $303 billion
Business investment same period fell by almost 22%

Q1 2009: Federal deficit - $650 billion
Business investment same period fell by 37.3%

Employment and private business investment are directly correlated. Keep an eye on the Bureau of Economic Analysis measurement of real nonresidential fixed investment. If that number keeps declining, it doesn’t bode well for the jobs outlook.

Over 50 and Jobless

Age bias as it relates to employment is real. There’s nothing new about that.

Hiring managers often assume workers at a certain age cost too much, or they won’t stick (bolting for a better opportunity once the economy improves). They might figure older workers lack energy, or their skills aren’t up to date, or they won’t mesh well with a younger team or supervisor.

Sometimes those assumptions turn out to be accurate. Just as often, of course, they’re not.

This recession, though, has been particularly tough for older workers.

The latest (June) data shows a widening gap between younger and older unemployed workers. The 55 and older crowd have been jobless an average of 30 weeks – 9 weeks longer than their younger counterparts. And the 7% unemployment rate for older workers is the highest since 1948.

Could The Interview Be Over Before You Take a Seat?

You bet.

First impressions are a very big deal. Make the wrong one, and the interview will be over before it begins.

(By the way, it’s very difficult to change a person’s mind once they’ve formed an initial impression about you. This is not a quirk unique to hiring mangers; we all do it.)

Your smile, your handshake, your demeanor, your mannerisms – they’re all critically important and can have a tremendous impact on the success (or lack thereof) of your candidacy.

Notice something about that list? It’s all about nonverbal communication – and things that occur before you sit down and start a conversation.

The Internet Soapbox – and How it Can Impact Employment

Know someone whose tweets or status updates tend toward the caustic? It isn’t so much about sharing opinions; it’s more of an opportunity to bulldoze those who dare to have a differing point of view. Acerbic comments and barbs are routine.

This person routinely offends people with whom she’s connected electronically. (She is blissfully unaware of this, because most people keep their mouths shut...they know better than to behave in this way.) Because a handful of like-minded folks egg her on, the comments continue to spew forth.

Then the economy rears its head.

She loses her job. Or maybe she’s a contractor and sees her project load dwindling.

Now she needs help. She taps every resource at her fingertips, including her electronic network. Problem is, she’s unwittingly alienated quite a few people in that universe…people who might have otherwise recommended her to colleagues, or people who may even have hired her.

Once you’ve seen someone display “loose cannon on a rolling deck” tendencies in public (and yes, social networking sites count), you’re probably not going to be so likely to step up and give her an enthusiastic referral. Do you want your name associated with hers?  Are you going to want to hire her for project work knowing now that you can’t be entirely certain she’ll conduct herself professionally at all times? Will you be wondering what she might say to one of your clients or employees if she gets irritated?

Think about what you’re typing, and think before you share it. What you choose to post (and how you choose to convey the point) says a lot about you.