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For those of you who seem to have chronic, ongoing difficulties finding steady employment, this is worth a read. I consult for any number of companies and have any number of conversations with CEOs. It is staggering how many of them struggle to find employees with even basic workplace skills.
I have mentored this one woman for years. She started out as an intern for my company umpteen years ago. But once she hit the workforce, she would lose her job every year or two, except for a seven-year stint at one place. She called me yesterday because got laid off and needed advice.
Her problem? While smart and hard-working, she tends to have a haughty attitude that's punctuated by snide comments about co-workers and bosses. Small wonder that, when the axe has to fall, she's first on the chopping block. But, despite all my advice, I can't seem to get her to understand that. She was complaining about how another woman was hired on the same day as she was, but because she was "Buddies With The Boss" this other woman is keeping her job. Too bad. Life is politics. When a supervisor has a choice between two equally competent people to lay off, guess which one is going to go?
Another former colleague of mine lost his job back in December. He couldn't understand why he got fired. When I mentioned that dogging the boss and always being 20-30 minutes late for work had something to do with it, he felt that wasn't the problem.
In short, proficiency at your job is a good and valuable thing. But there are other qualities you have to have to be reliable and employable, too. Decent social skills. The ability to show up on time. Dressing professionally for the job. And the phrase, "Well, that's not in my job description" should just be permanently banned from your workplace vocabulary.
Oh I agree with you and let me give you another perspective to consider. Part of the reason, I believe I was laid off, was my sales manager and I were going at it pretty good on the floor over me get screwed on some commissions, leads. So how does one handle that? Just play nice guy and continue to get screwed over? I am sure you mean well, but your pat answers are one dimensional. And before you say talk to him in a nice manner and complain I did all of that 2 months earlier.
Of course, there are many reasons why people don't get hired for jobs.
But the main reason is:
There aren't enough jobs for all those who need them.
You can be the most wonderful employee, but if a company has 100 applicants for 1 job, 99 people won't get that job. Period.
That is exactly right. For some reason people around here don't like to talk about the main reason. Instead they always focus on the unemployed and making it to be entirely their fault.
That is exactly right. For some reason people around here don't like to talk about the main reason. Instead they always focus on the unemployed and making it to be entirely their fault.
That's why I wrote that. I've read many threads here about people beating themselves up for not getting a job, but when there are so many applicants for these jobs, the odds are just against people.
I do agree that people should be easy to get along with and work hard at any job, but to continually blame the unemployed for not getting jobs when there just aren't enough jobs around is missing the point.
That's why I wrote that. I've read many threads here about people beating themselves up for not getting a job, but when there are so many applicants for these jobs, the odds are just against people.
I do agree that people should be easy to get along with and work hard at any job, but to continually blame the unemployed for not getting jobs when there just aren't enough jobs around is missing the point.
Absolutely right.
I agree no one needs trouble makers and backstabbers and slobs but PLENTY of people fall in those categories and are still working.
The same for people who go to work late (a pet peeve of my by the way, OP) or show up and do a half assed job.
Bottom line, how do you know "these things" about an applicant before he or she works for you? How is "not getting along with co-workers" an issue during an interview unless a reference gives this information?
What kind of idiot goes to a job interview and says I like to show up late to work and argue with my co-workers? Here's a great WSJ article about why so many don't get hired.
For those of you who seem to have chronic, ongoing difficulties finding steady employment, this is worth a read. I consult for any number of companies and have any number of conversations with CEOs. It is staggering how many of them struggle to find employees with even basic workplace skills.
I have mentored this one woman for years. She started out as an intern for my company umpteen years ago. But once she hit the workforce, she would lose her job every year or two, except for a seven-year stint at one place. She called me yesterday because got laid off and needed advice.
Her problem? While smart and hard-working, she tends to have a haughty attitude that's punctuated by snide comments about co-workers and bosses. Small wonder that, when the axe has to fall, she's first on the chopping block. But, despite all my advice, I can't seem to get her to understand that. She was complaining about how another woman was hired on the same day as she was, but because she was "Buddies With The Boss" this other woman is keeping her job. Too bad. Life is politics. When a supervisor has a choice between two equally competent people to lay off, guess which one is going to go?
Another former colleague of mine lost his job back in December. He couldn't understand why he got fired. When I mentioned that dogging the boss and always being 20-30 minutes late for work had something to do with it, he felt that wasn't the problem.
In short, proficiency at your job is a good and valuable thing. But there are other qualities you have to have to be reliable and employable, too. Decent social skills. The ability to show up on time. Dressing professionally for the job. And the phrase, "Well, that's not in my job description" should just be permanently banned from your workplace vocabulary.
Considering I just got told to resign because I did NOT say, "that's not in my job description", I think that last bit of advice is bullsh**.
Don't resign make them terminate you and sue them and/or get UI, like I did. I had the option of quitting, but I need the UI to live on for now so I took the firing. You can get UI even if you were fired, as long as you didn't violate company policies or threaten someone in the workplace. I was fired for sales performance and have been receiving UI for 3 months.
Don't resign make them terminate you and sue them and/or get UI, like I did. I had the option of quitting, but I need the UI to live on for now so I took the firing. You can get UI even if you were fired, as long as you didn't violate company policies or threaten someone in the workplace. I was fired for sales performance and have been receiving UI for 3 months.
I'm not completely unemployed and this state, according to the "Career Center" Vet Rep, we don't have underemployment.
I think job skills can be the problem for some people, but, definitely not all people. I believe social skills and likeability are the number one factors in determing things like layoffs. If the boss likes you you're golden if not well you better start looking. Unfortunately, not everyone is going to fit in every corporate culture and that is not the fault of the employee.
I had a manager once who couldn't stand me on site. We never clicked. By the time she became my manager I had been with the company for a couple of years and had had a good relationship with my previous managers. All the things I did my previous managers liked and appreciated she acted like she hated. She would make snide comments toward me and other employees she didn't like during meetings. She was a horrible manager and eventually got demoted, but, not before she got rid of the employees she didn't like. I was laid off due to a reduction in workforce, but, I was offered the opportunity of going back to my old district to work. I declined because the company was going thru a bankruptcy and I knew the layoffs would continue.
So, clearly my work skills weren't to blame since my old district would have hired me back.
I think the article makes some good points that apply to some people. But, I don't think this really gets to the heart of why it may be difficult for folks to get and keep jobs.
I'm not completely unemployed and this state, according to the "Career Center" Vet Rep, we don't have underemployment.
Don't know what you mean by underemployment? I live in Colorado and recieved it no problem.
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