| Topic Name: |
Job Searches |
| Message Name: |
Easy thing: age discrimination |
| Date Posted: |
02/05/2002 |
| In Reply To: |
Let's just look at the hi-tech job market. My employer had an opening for a junior computer technician. We put out some ads and got over 200 resumes back. Even though the job description specified exactly what we were looking for, we got an endless number of resumes from people who have double digits of experience and/or demand a six digit salary. Sure, we would love to hire someone like those. If they accept the $50k a year (better than unemployment benefits, right?) even better. What's next then? They will keep looking for more excitment and definitely more money. In short, they will not last long. Wouldn't you call that overqualified? If someone gives an impression that he/she will jump ship at the next best opportunity because he/she has the potential to do more than the position can offer? The employer usually knows best what skill level would fit best. If you are too good (i.e. you would be worth more than the salary range assigned to that position) you are not going to get the job. Period.
Being underqualified is just a result of how your resume looks like and how you presented yourself in the interview. If your personality is right and you give the impression that you are the right man/woman, you will get the job. If you cannot do that, it's back to the mirror and practice.
I had the pleasure to go through all those 200 resumes. Only 10 or so stuck (resume indicated that the skill level matched the requirements) and were considered for interviews. Out of those only a couple were invited back for seconds (the ones who could prove themselves). One person in the end got the job (the one who was liked most by everybody - mostly on a personality basis). I am very happy with him and he's been doing a great job so far. It is all about personality and presentation. Despite the tremendous number of unemployed IT workers in the market it is still extremely hard to find good people. |
| Message: |
B.S.
It has been one year since my last full-time job ended. Since then, I have had a few small contracts, and one permanent position that lasted two weeks before 60% of the company was cut, along with me. Without financial help from my family, I would probably be dead by now, cashing in my life insurance so my wife can survive.
Do you think that there is no one in the job market today who can keep to an agreement? Start by looking at employers. I know that when shareholders needs are considered first, obligations to workers go out the window. It does not matter what an employer says about the duration of a job: it ends as soon as the need ends and the bottom line is threatened.
Older employees are the most obvious target. I once worked for a jerk whose favorite saying was that there was nothing in engineering that could not be done by an engineer with five years experience. You be the judge of that adage.
When I hear about more companies that have held onto their staffs in spite of falling profits and market shares, and found inspired ways to utilize all their talents to bring innovative products to market in bad times, I will start to believe the line about disloyal overqualified new hires that jump ship at the first opportunity.
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