Tesar-Reynes

In the course of interviewing senior management, there has been a constant buzz about the quality of the entry level people who have been recently hired and supervised by them. I suspect that this conversation is very parallel to when I came into the work force. I also believe that the accusations and frustrations surrounding the Millennials are more thought-provoking and different from the previous cohorts.

Almost all of the comments rotate around the generation’s sense of entitlement. There appears to be an almost universal sense that this generation sees themselves as unique, the best and the brightest that ever existed, and should be treated that way. The issues below tend to flow from this attitude:

Work Ethic

I will work when I want, I am able to multitask so I can text …

When a salesman calls, you have a perfect right to cut him off pretty quickly or not return the e-mail or voice mail. This is just part of the times. He gets it and no feelings are hurt. When a candidate calls a potential hiring company and gets no response or a curt response, there is a lost opportunity.

I totally understand that the corporate world, large and small, has been cutting all departments to the bone; HR has not been excluded. The department is overworked and understaffed. Pragmatically, answering unsolicited resumes has to be at the bottom of the to-do list.

There are two problems here. Firstly, today’s applicants are not your average letter writer. They are hurting; they are scared; and they are desperate. They are perfect vulnerable targets for good will. Secondly, as a good corporate citizen, …

When I wanted to move to Chicago from New York, I did it all the wrong way! I did not keep my wife up to date on the firms I was looking at, whether they required relocation or what their status was. My rationale was that why jerk her around with possibilities when there was nothing certain.

The only thing certain was the mushroom cloud in the kitchen when I mentioned the probable offer from Chicago…she had never even been there.

Now I am not the brightest star in the sky, but I am not alone. There are a number of candidates that I have talked with that have said, “Don’t worry, my wife is cool.”

In reality, I don’t know if they are cool. Because I’m a recruiter, I could be dealing with a prideful candidate or a fearful one.

One …

I remember when Kermit the Frog first sang “It’s not easy being green.” It was such a sad song. Much later, it was actually sung at Jim Henson’s funeral. It is amazing how things have changed – green is now where it is happening.

At our search firm, we have started a whole new sub practice for this category. What surprises me is how many people already have some chops in green and do not merchandise it on their resume. For example:

• I talked to two people in Detroit who work in hybrids and neither pointed that out in their experience.
• I spoke last year to some candidates in Ohio who were involved in batteries/power trains for future cars. They saw their work as …
  
  [ More ] February 19th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Getting a Job, Our Industry |

The economy, the news, your 401k and the world in general eat away at your psyche. Here are some steps you can take to ward off bad vibes if you are out of work.

1. Don’t Isolate

Make sure that you have friends in your life; physically meet them and don’t depend on the phone and e-mail.

2. Improve Yourself

Improve on an annoying habit you have; if you conquer that, move on to another one.

3. Get Physical

Exercise. It releases endorphins, a natural pain-reliever. This can range from a walk to working out; keep slowly increasing the duration of these sessions.

4. Learn Something New

You must have some topic you’ve been interested in; this can be work related, a new hobby, or some subject that’s always …