wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

I think it's great that this guest actually responds to people who comment on the comments page. Usually all comments go unanswered which is why I wonder what the point of commenting is. Perhaps people just want to "sound off". Seems like a waste of time to me. (I say this as I sit here doing just that ...i.e. wasting my time!)

@KM from Washington DC: I'll be blunt with you. It's very competitive out there. The reason people complain they lost out on a job because "someone who was wired for it" got the job is because that competitor devoted a lot of time to get that job. (I don't deny there's nepotism and favoritism, but managers who hire people that way don't last long.) Yes, it's true. You have to start preparing to get your next job two years ago. You work at it all the time. If you wait til you need a job, yes, you're toast. Think about this. If you triangulate around a manager, learn his operation, meet the people he works with and work inwards, aren't you more likely to get the job? Yah, it takes time. I can't fix that. But I write a ton of stuff about how to be the person who gets that job. Try it. Complaining helps nothing.

@ulla: The math is simple. When the majority of workers are over 50, employers will figure it out. They will have to hire people over 50 if they want to get the work done. There are public agencies that help people >50 find work. Here's an example in Ohio: http://www.matureservices.org/

What's missing in the head hunter's perspective is that most of us can't afford to devote a month or two of our lives becoming an expert on a particular company's particular problems (i.e., actually doing the job) only to not get the job (the probability of which will still be higher than the probability of getting the job). Now you've wasted 2 months of your life doing something that's never going to be of any use to you or another company you may want to work for. . . without pay.

And what's this about walking into a company's offices and "talking to the manager"? On what planet is this kind of behavior greeted with anything other than a security escort out of the building?

@RJ: Good point. I'm aware of the law about what constitutes an independent contractor. If you leave a job and then serve as a contractor without meeting the IRS rules, you can be subject to payment of all taxes your employer would have paid (and penalties, I believe). Among the rules: If it's the only place you're working for, you use only their tools, and you use their office space, you're an employee and the IRS demands its cut.

@Susan: Most of the job hunting methods I teach are based on the way consultants get their contracts. If you think I'm telling people to get jobs rather than start their own consulting businesses, that's because it's the topic I was asked to discuss. I'm a big proponent of starting your own biz. It can be your best "next job."

@Nicole: You're right. I was a grad student at Stanford when Granovetter was teaching there.

@wanda from nyc: Networking is not about getting a job. It's about participating in your professional community and making a contribution to it. I don't know your situation, but I will tell you that asking people for job leads and job introductions is like putting a monkey on their back. They don't want it. It takes time to develop the relationships that lead to referrals. All I can tell you is, start contributing to your professional community now. You will reap later. In the meantime, pick your employer targets and go after them specifically.

The headhunter dismissed schooling & training too quickly.

there are many courses and certificate programs at every college to learn new skills, update existing experience.
In a (good)Certificate program (not expensive) you get lots of new contacts in that industry and can often get an internship which give you work experience in that field.

Great Labor Day Feature: how to humble yourself sufficiently to get a job from corporate America.

Beg hard enough, and maybe Citibank, Goldman Sachs, Chase or AIG will throw you a bone, if they're not too busy looting the U.S. Treasury.

Only in the U.S. would Labor Day be turned into a salute to the majesty and power of corporate America, and the need for working people to plead and beg....

A little class consciousness wouldn't hurt, if only once a year. Maybe Brian's a little too secure in his job and benefits.

Gee.... what ever happened to Privatizing Social Security, wasn't that a great idea??? I'll bet that most of the people who lost a considerable percentage of their retirement fund in the stock market recession of last year wish that they could have paid it into the Social Security System for guarenteed credit to their pension. And according to the insurance industry's own business model, having the greatest number of people paying into the risk pool, profits both the insurer and the insured. What greater pool of contributors than the United States tax payers, other than those greedy thieves that avoid taxes and off-shore their wealth? The multitude of private insurance companies can remain as local administrators but under a Federal business model that eliminates exclusions, refusals and other forms of Fraud on the insurer's part.

A BIG problem is people in their 60's looking for work -- it is impossible even after getting interviewed. Check out the NYT TODAY!

There needs to be HeadHunter organization for older people-- non-profit, that does not cost a lot to employers or job seekers.

Do you know of ANYTHING like that??

I am trying to say this in a polite way, but as a consultant...

I've been shocked by some of the advice that I've heard from the "head hunter".

Successful consultants are able to successfully land contracts, short-term and long-term positions - sometimes on their own, sometimes with head hunters, etc.

There are many more ways to think about the problems presented, not the opinion of one person who just places people in positions.

For example, the person who wanted to invest in a class.

Is investing in a class a good choice? No. However, she could buy the software, teach it to herself using free tutorials, and then land small projects where she uses that skill set.

Consulting is about finding your own niche and creating your own niche.

Why are people going to a head hunter to let them define how they should seek a job or acquire new skill sets?

Early in the program it was acknowledged that many companies are laying off workers and asking them to stay on as consultants to save money on benefits, taxes, etc. This has been happening for some time, and is, in fact, a violation of federal IRS and state labor regulation. There are definitions of "employee" under these regulations, and criteria to define them, and if someone is continuing to fulfill these criteria the employee is violating these federal and state regs. The IRS has a process for determining this.

Many companies are not aware of this, and can be fined substantial amounts of money, sometimes 3x damages.

The down side for the worker under these conditions, aside from the loss of benefits, is that they are now paying all of their employee taxes rather than the half they normally pay, ~15% vs ~7.5%.

Mr. Corcodilos should be aware of this when providing expert opinion on this topic. It has been a widespread employer practice since at least the 1980s.

This episode demonstrates exactly why both employers and employees should pay into an expanded Social Security retirement fund and to Medicare/Medicaid for a permanent, transportable benefits package that aren't lost with a job and allows companies and employees the freedom to join and leave the work-force without the coercion of ecomonic insecurity threatened by the job market.

As a self employed consultant in arts/culture sector for over 10 yearw, I have been networking for months and months, and no one is getting back to me even when I get a contact thru colleagues.

I have ads out, and am thinking of doing some direct mail (email) -- since it is not expensive.

Also lost 2 contracts last winter because the organization was awarded grant money and then the state never paid it!

Any recommendations????

Duncan Watts wasn't the first one to make the observation about the best contacts for job-seeking being on the periphery of your network. That distinction belongs to Mark Granovetter, who wrote about "the strength of weak ties" back in 1974.