Need a job? You'll need to have a job first
Filed under: Career
The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required) that "With unemployment at 9.4% and rising, it's a buyer's market for employers that are hiring. But many employers are bypassing the jobless to target those still working, reasoning that these survivors are the top performers."Some recruiting firms say that their clients are expressing a preference for workers who are "passively" looking for jobs -- fully employed but open to new opportunities.
It's tempting to dismiss this elitist hiring policy as a remnant of the Puritan idea that poverty was a reflection of some kind of moral shortcoming, but in a way it makes perfect sense: If someone has a job in this economy, they must be good.
The real issue here is that it's a buyer's market for employers, with positions that are normally mundane and unattractive attracting a flood of applications and resumes. With so much interest in so few jobs, employers can be far, far pickier than they'd be in a normal job market. They have to be in order to sort through all those resumes and make hiring decisions.
A friend with a degree from an elite university recently found himself unable to snag a part-time gig at Banana Republic. The employer's reasoning? He was overqualified and would leave quickly once he found a better opportunity in his field of interest. That's right: Having a college degree is a good enough reason to reject someone applying for a minimum wage gig.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-01-2009 @ 7:22AM
David C. Lucey said...
This article was utterly useless! If you have useful, worthwhile advice, please share it. If not, please stop these apparent efforts to put people into a state of suicidal despair.
Reply
7-07-2009 @ 10:18PM
TeacherTeacher said...
The author writes, "It's tempting to dismiss this elitist hiring policy as a remnant of the Puritan idea that poverty was a reflection of some kind of moral shortcoming, but in a way it makes perfect sense: If someone has a job in this economy, they must be good."
The author's opinions are incredibly short-sighted and biased. This isn't writing....it's a forum for a very immature person to write about his narrow-minded views of our world. This type of writer lacks compassion, insight, and basic logic. Wallet Pop appears to have hired inexperienced writers to keep employee costs down.
Reply
7-19-2009 @ 3:01PM
H.K. said...
Teacher and David,
I think you are giving this article more criticism then it deserves. There is truth to his opinion and he is entitled to state his opinion. As an executive in a large corporation, the hiring process has turned to the benefit of the employer. Due to the state of the economy, employers have the ability to be extremely selective.
David you said "please stop these apparent efforts to put people into a state of suicidal despair."
This statement really bothers me. If a random blog post such as this could send one to a state of suicidal despair, he or she needs to seriously consider their idea of self worth. They need some hope.
Teacher you said "This type of writer lacks compassion, insight, and basic logic."
As I appreciate your compassion, this writer is spot on with his logic. Could the writer have included a post about how to overcome these obstacles? Yes, it is a bit negative...but relevant.
The key is to be aggressive, persistent, and work hard. Ideally, work in a field that you are passionate about. If you can do this, you will work harder, feel better, and enjoy life so much more.