Is it really that bad out there?

An industry friend, who is the General Manager of a small, specialty sport distributor, sent me an interesting email last week:

Desperation seems to have made it to this [specialty] industry. Maybe it's been going on for a while and I just didn't have an opportunity to witness it first hand. But I have been surprised by some recent events.

I had to let a couple people go at my company recently. In my efforts to find replacements I have been stunned by the complete disregard for discussion or negotiation of salary or benefits by the applicants.

Some have tried to posture early in the discussions when I ask what their salary requirements are. But when I give them an idea of the pay range for my open inside sales positions, even when it's half of what they used to make, they say they will take what I'm offering ($30k plus $10k potential commission).

I interviewed someone yesterday who was over qualified for the position. I told him so when I spoke with him on the phone initially. But I invited him in to meet and discuss potential future opportunities - when I have a need for someone of his experience.

We talked. It was a good meeting. When I was wrapping it up, he just came right out and said, "I don't care what the salary is ... I'd like to pursue your current opening."

He was making $85k at his last job and he was willing to take what I was offering, which was less than half his previous pay. He didn't negotiate or ask about benefits.

I've interviewed four applicants. Not one has tried to "up sell" themselves, asked a question about benefits and, if relocation is necessary, would we pay any of the costs.

The basic attitude is - make me an offer, any offer - I'll take it!

Is it really that bad out there in this [specialty] biz?

My friend is a thoughtful, experienced professional with a good heart. I have several reactions to his rhetorical question and the implied questions he's not asking directly.

Here are my responses in no specific order:
1. People who are enthusiasts within a specialty sport derive career satisfaction from their involvement. They are not money - motivated and some are not career - motivated. Their joy comes from immersion in the sport. I would not expect them to have honed negotiating skills.

2. Inside sales people earning $30K plus bonus are probably early career stage and looking to join a thriving business. Maybe they've been laid off from a downsizing firm. Ergo, if a company is hiring, it's probably doing well and therefore the job seeker can take refuge there.

3. My caveat to my friend was to watch out for the "any port in a storm" people like the over qualified candidate. Because once things stabilize and then improve -- and we all know they will -- that's precisely the individual who will be out the door first. With a chip on his shoulder.

4. For all the candidates out there, here's an interesting twist. When interviewing for a position, even at a $30K inside sales gig, the hiring manager EXPECTS you to ask for more ... compensation, incentive, relocation, something. Shame on you if you don't.

5. My friend asks indirectly: Is it really this bad? If so, why aren't we hearing it in the [specialty industry] press? Answer: Because the trade press leads the cheers for the industry. They cannot come right out and say, "The Emperor is naked!"

6. He told me verbally big suppliers are concerned with the level of debt retailers are taking on because they are NOT too big to fail. Further, industry press proclaiming gloom only makes matters worse, he said. But some accurate, realistic reporting would be appreciated.

The relative importance or unimportance of a degree

Hi Eric,

I was interested in your previous post about candidates who falsify university degrees.

My wife and I are both management types. I hold a bachelor’s and a graduate degree in a liberal arts field from a middleweight institution. She has no college degree.

My experience is my degrees had no impact on getting interviewed or hired. My wife feels the opposite. Her lack of degree prevents her from being interviewed for many positions for which she is otherwise qualified.

Your opinion? Also, what’s the best strategy from those of us who don’t have flashy degrees from top schools?

-- Richard from Arkansas

Well, Richard, thanks for writing. And thanks for reading the previous post. You've touched on an interesting conundrum.

Employers look for a specific degree only in limited cases. A Mechanical Engineering degree is clearly an important credential for someone designing fitness equipment or bicycles because of the liabilities involved.

For most employers, however, a four year degree represents the general training and self discipline required to achieve the certification. It is not the degree per se but rather what it represents.

In your case, Richard, an advanced degree in liberal arts is a "nice to have" accomplishment with, as you indicate, little relevance to your daily tasks on the job.

Your wife, however, has the opposite challenge.

[Position statement: Some of the smartest people I know do not have four year degrees and some of the dumbest people I ever met have Harvard MBA's. It's true.]

Her "non-credentialed" status might get her removed from consideration for some positions. That's part of the reason I place so much emphasis on networking ... because if you network you can get beyond the basic "knock out" from the Hiring Prevention Department.

In most cases, relevant or transferable professional experience outweighs the sheepskin for employers. It becomes a non-issue when an employer looks at the big picture.

In my experience, telling the truth about the degree is most important. The people who lie and say they have the degree when they really don't -- in most cases when the degree is not a critital piece -- are the ones who get caught. And they don't get the job anyway.

The ethics of resume writing

Okay, let's get it right out there. A resume is a marketing tool. It is created with the intent of helping the candidate shine and capture the attention of a prospective employer.

As someone who reads resumes daily, I can tell you there are cases where people cross the boundary of fact and fiction. Surveys show one in ten candidates lies about receiving a degree they don't have. I know this because I verify degrees of candidates before they get an offer.

Here are some guidelines for creating an ethical and accurate resume:
1. Never misrepresent your achievements. Claim the credit you deserve.
2. Show the right position title. Don't amplify it to seem more important.
3. Make sure dates of employment are accurate. Prepare to explain gaps.
4. Share quantifiable accomplishments which can be verified.
5. Don't lie about the degree. Please. I'm gonna catch you.
6. Avoid talking "tech" on the resume. Especially if you can't walk "tech."

Seems simple enough, doesn't it?

Improve your marketability as a candidate

Times being what they are ... the challenges faced by recruiters are greater than before. Client companies hire us only when they've gone through their own networks and posted to web sites and sifted through the high volume of unqualified candidates.

Once a client company decides to invest in a real, honest - to - goodness search, they expect us to do a lot of recruiting to bring forward the most qualified and most marketable candidates.

A candidate can be highly qualified but totally unmarketable for a number of reasons. The top ten reasons as enumerated by one blogger are listed here.

Because there is more pressure on the recruiter to perform, there's more pressure on the candidate to be marketable. Some of the reasons listed are obvious (dead fish handshake, too much fragrance). But there are subtle and deadly indicators on this list as well.

For me, number 10 is the most important. Candidates must have sincerity/self-confidence/clarity/conviction for me to pass them through to the next round. If I feel they are measuring their answers or trying to out - think the question or participating for self - aggrandizement, it's game over.

The dreaded counter offer

Counter offer happens after an employee announces his or her resignation. The current company offers that person additional compensation to stay.

This is a very sensitive subject. As a recruiter, when a candidate is getting close to receiving an offer from my client, I always ask how they will handle the counter offer. We have a discussion about how accepting a counter offer is career suicide.

Did you know they're paying you more to stay while they start to search for your replacement? Where was this money before? What are the reasons you considered the new position? Will those reasons go away with slightly more money?

Here's a lovely post on counter offer from Evil HR Lady. Find the comments as instructive as the piece.

Make sure no one reads your resume

Here's a brilliant (sarcastic) post to a Canadian recruiting firm blog. The author lists seven ways to make sure that no one EVER reads your resume.

While this is written from the perspective of a professional recruiter -- and therefore has a bit of an "inside baseball" flavor -- it's possible to take away the salient points.

Allow me to translate from recruiter - speak:
1. Target your resume and correspondence to the people who can help you.
2. Use the "blind copy" function in group email. Everyone wants to feel special.
3. Make sure address a specific individual.
4. Please do basic research on the web. It's a sign of respect.
5. Write a brief note before attaching your resume.
6. Avoid self-deprecating comments in your communication.
7. Send the documents in MS Word or pdf format.

Now that you have the key, please check out the original here