Jobs go unfilled because employers now would rather have a vacancy than an employee that is not a perfect match for the job right now (even though the job will change in a few months). Employers used to hire less than perfect matches with the expectation that the employee would learn the job; now they want the perfect match.
I remember times of employee’s markets, when it was not hard to get several offers within three weeks. Now, someone who looks for three months is lucky to get one offer.
The purple squirrel syndrome is alive and well.
My niece, 21, is graduating from college next month and just got a job offer at an English institute in Santiago, Chile. She’s the second youngest of the six kids in the next generation and the first one to get a professional job!
In some areas of the country where unemployment is very low , if that is true it is because unwinding from a problematic employee can be difficult and burdensome - a bad fit can lead to potential legal problems, poor staff relationships/morale, a poor impact on customer relationships, etc.
Still, there are jobs in my region that go unfilled because they can’t find qualified, skilled employees. Some businesses have even relocated as a result. I’ve had employers who hire for jobs that don’t require a college education (but still pay a pretty good salary at multiples of minimum wage) who just want folks that can pass drug tests and who’ll actually show up on time and show up at all.
Look at these states with sub-3% unemployment.
My younger brother quit his job and switched out of the hotel industry because he hated hiring and having candidates come in shirtless and with babies he had to entertain babies while interviewing them. He’d hire the best of the bunch and many wouldn’t show up with no notice so he would have to do his work and shift plus theirs!
Wow, when a state like MAINE has unemployment below 3%, that’s something! Just a few years ago, we were really hurting and being told that jobs weren’t coming back.
Would you suggest that the OP’s daughter apply for these types of jobs (that appear to be “safeties”) instead of the ones that she is applying for (that appear to be “reaches”)?
Of course not but you are making blanket statements that just aren’t valid nationwide. Your comments weren’t directed at one job seeker in one field in one geographical area. She should apply for the jobs she is qualified for and in an area where she has interest. I do think, however, that more people should consider different areas of the country when looking for work and consider being mobile. I realize that isn’t in the cards for some people for various reasons but it is possible for many.
Plus, when jobs with lower requirements to entry are tough to fill, it does have an impact upward. A good job market can lift all boats.
This was my advice to my D who as a senior in college, got 3 great offers in about 2 weeks in 3 different cities, only one of which we’d consider a “major” city.
This feels like a very sweeping statement, not sure where it’s coming from?
My kid had the “several offers within 3 weeks” experience, most of her friends did too.
Today’s census report (or maybe yesterday) indicated that Millenials have much lower rates of migration than earlier generations.
That is going to hurt them financially in the long run. No matter how talented you are, there are never guarantees that the best career move for you is in your own neck of the woods.
In my own “volunteer career counselor” work with friends of friends I have noticed a VERY high premium put on “staying here” vs. my own cohort. It makes it very hard to launch.
You want a career in television and media? Move to Dayton Ohio or Duluth Minnesota, get a job at the public TV station where you will do absolutely everything. Three years later you can move up to a bigger market. But if you think you’re the only new grad in NY who wants a job in tv I have a bridge to sell you. I get that you want to be near your friends. But people in Ohio have friends too…
My daughter wants to stay in the city she lives in. She is probably in the minority as most of her HS friends have gone all over for jobs, some have already moved twice since college graduation (class of 2016). Same for my friend’s children who are in their twenties - they have scattered all over - wherever they found a job they like. Of course, this is anecdotal.
Funny you should mention TV, she has a HS classmate who is on air in a small TV station in the middle of the country somewhere.
Not sure how we veered off track, but on CC that is what usually happens. I have ranted quite a bit on this thread, but never about a lack of opportunities for my daughter to apply for in the location she lives in. My beef is with the process.
First, you get weeded out by some software because your years of experience don’t match or your resume is missing some keyword. Then, you may have to take an on-line skills test. Both of these steps are companies outsourcing part of the hiring process to somebody else or at the least purchasing somebody’s software to do these steps.
Then you get asked ridiculous questions by either the company’s recruiter, the hiring manager, or somebody selected to be on an interview team (who may have nothing to do with the position). Then they make you do homework, like a case study, where after you spend hours working on it you hope that your PowerPoint is what they want (hard to know as so many companies have their own preferred presentation style).
Some interviews are on the phone, some are video calls, some can be video calls with a blank screen (you are videotaped answered question posed by the computer), and some involve spending 4-5 hours at the company (where they may keep you from 10 am to 3 pm and not give you an opportunity to have lunch - this recently happened with my daughter).
At any point in this process (which may proceed in this order or may be in some other order), the company feels they can simply ghost you and leave you without any communication for weeks at a time. So you have no idea what your status is most of the time. I may be old fashioned, but I think job applicants should be treated with respect (actually all people should treat others respectfully, but that is probably another thread).
This is basically a consolidation of all my previous rants into one nice long rant!
“First, you get weeded out by some software because your years of experience don’t match or your resume is missing some keyword.”
Isn’t the standard advice to defeat this software screening to copy and paste the job description in 1pt white text at the bottom of your application?
Though the last time I applied for a job was before the Netscape IPO so I have no idea how well it works.
Everything described in post 172 that’s frustrating for OP sounds like it serves a purpose to me. Take a step back and look at it from a meta point of view.
Yes they should give you a lunch break if they keep you from 10-3. But in the real world sometimes you work through lunch. Maybe they want to see how candidates react to a little hardship. I keep a granola bar in my backpack and I’d pull it out and eat if I had to. I’d also be perfectly fine telling the interviewer why I’m eating my granola bar. It makes you look personable, prepared, calm, and assertive. Or maybe it’s not a test and the scheduler is just terrible - problems in interviews are opportunities to make yourself look good just the same.
And if you have to prepare a case study without knowing the company’s style. That’s an opportunity to ask, or research it. The best candidate will be the one going the extra mile to figure out what makes the best presentation. You can be frustrated that guidelines aren’t handed to you on a silver platter, or you can be the outstanding candidate and do what it takes to shine. Problems are opportunities.
I can provide similar alternative views of the other points; I’ve experienced all of the above and none of it has bothered me. It’s all part of the process and should be approached with a more open mindset if you want to come across as a strong candidate and maintain your equanimity throughout the job-hunting process,
I’ll share something hilarious I found out last week. I was chatting with a new hire in my group and he mentioned one of the guys on our team was his coach for the interview process. I turned to my manager and said, “I never had a coach!” Turns out there was a screwup somewhere along the line and I should’ve had a coach! But my manager said I crushed the final presentation and did an awesome job regardless. All of the frantic research I did on the company, presentation topic, and interviewers paid off. So, problems are opportunities.
That would have been viewed as highly inappropriate in my line of work but also in my field a lunch with a staff member would have been scheduled and your behavior in a business social/meal setting would been observed as part of your extended interview.
Interesting point - it does feel like employers have raised the bar so high, much like colleges. I can’t tell you how many times I heard a middle management Google employee saying “there is no way I could get hired into Google now”. And they often joke that they won’t pass their very own test/hiring questions that they gave to the potential candidates.
But on the other hand, I also agree with @doschicos , it’s not that hard to find employment these days.
I don’t know how to explain this phenomenon. You both are right 
What a great thread. Just seeing it now for the first time.
I interview for positions that require strong math skills, particularly an intuitive sense around probability. Here are two questions that I have found useful:
For this question, “10%” refers to 10% of what?
Good catch @ucbalumnus .
Movement is 10% of current position, not the length of the pole.