Simply Hired Blog

Entry level jobs are no longer entry level

By Lesley Mitler

There’s a nasty trend sweeping the entry-level job world. At first, I overlooked it, thinking it was some kind of mistake. But now, I’ve seen it so often, and it’s clear, this is no mistake.

What’s going on? Take a look at the qualifications section of any entry-level job posting. Employers all say they want at least one or more years of experience. At least one year of experience required for a job that is supposed to be for someone right out of college?!

That’s right. Many employers are looking for recent grads with some work experience to fill entry-level roles. Or perhaps it is a thinly veiled way of attracting employees who graduated a few years ago and may be looking for a next job.  I can’t speculate about the actual motive.  But I do know that many recent grads are perceived as “not ready” for entry level positions.  Here’s why:

1. Employers have had negative experiences with recent grads who accept positions that aren’t the right fit. You’ve probably seen this too. Someone takes a job – just to “have a job” – and leaves for something better within 6-12 months.  While I would have to fault the employers as well for not more diligently ascertaining the employee’s commitment, it has left many companies with more than a distaste for the recent grad.  An employee that leaves a company is costly, especially if it is within the six months.  According to data from “WorkSource Oregon,” it can cost 150% of an employee’s annual salary to replace them due to lost productivity, cost of hiring a new employee and administrative costs of terminating an employee.  In addition, benefit costs as a percentage of total compensation are about 30% and training costs can be significant.  It takes about 5 months for a new employee to contribute 75% of ideal productivity – so the first several months of employment are clearly costly.
2. Companies today have higher expectations for their entry level employees.  They want their new hires to already have skills like problem solving and critical thinking and they are less willing to have them learn on the job.  Internships and volunteer work can help them develop these skills, as well as providing them with the familiarity of working in an office environment for people with different personalities and management styles.
3. Entry level candidates are lacking the skills needed to advance beyond that first position.  It is thought that students are not graduating with the skills or background employers need. This may be as a result of a disconnect between traditional college curriculum and the skills employers are seeking in today’s grads.   Often, what the college graduates are interested in is not what employers are willing to pay for.

With this attitude from employers, what should college students and recent grads do?  Change your attitude. Your first job probably is not where your career will begin and end. Look at your first job as the beginning of your professional career. Make sure you pursue and choose a position that will help you get relevant experience to the career you want to pursue. Take a job that will allow you to develop valuable skills. If you just take a job to have a job, you are likely to be the victim of the Quarter Life Crisis.

The ideal is to start planning when you first enter college.  That might not be possible for you now, but tell younger siblings and friends to apply for internships and volunteer opportunities early.  Pay it forward.  

Lesley Mitler is president and founder of Priority Candidates, which prepares college students and recent graduates nationwide to get hired for their first jobs. An alumnus of Duke University who is based in New York City, Lesley has been featured in USA Today, The New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, Smart Money and dozens of other publications.

How to get to “Yes” when everyone is saying “No”

Surefire strategies from master closers that will build your personal brand and get you the job you want.

By Robin Fisher Roffer

My father is a hero, not just because he was a Marine in WWII who fought bravely in the Pacific, but because when he got stateside, he became a world-class advertising sales guy, a real closer. To this day, he regales me with Mad Men style stories about his time at Los Angeles’ KABC radio in the 60’s. Can you say stewardesses, martinis and Playboy Bunnies? 

My dad still tells me, “You’ve got to over deliver, baby! That’s how you get the business and keep them coming back.” He also taught me that enthusiasm was the secret sauce to any successful salesperson. Needless to say I’m one over delivering, enthusiastic closer.

I thought I had learned everything I needed to know about closing from my dear old dad until Superstar Sales Coach Linda Clemons threw her sales mojo at me during a coaching call.    

If you want to ace an interview, find out your prospective employer’s pain points. Selling yourself is old news -- serving is the approach to take today.  Linda echoed this and instructed me to ask my prospects, “What is keeping you up at night?” Or, “Are you happy with where you are at right now?” Or, “What’s your single biggest challenge?”

She told me that our job when engaging with prospects is to relieve their pain and be the solution. She said, “Your skill set and unique qualities need to answer your prospect’s needs and wants. You have to find out what’s important to them and link that to what you offer.” 

In this tough economy it’s not uncommon to be challenged on price. What if they think that your salary requirements are too high? It helps to come back with, “Apparently you have a reason for feeling that way.  May I ask you what it is?” 

Sometimes it’s not about price at all. Your prospective employer seems elusive and they are down right playing hard to get. What do you do? Well, for starters, know that they would be running away if they didn’t want to be caught. You have to tell them more about you and how you can make a difference at their company. “It’s KNOW, not NO” Linda says.

One of the worst things you can do when you’re interviewing is talk too much and oversell. But, how do you know when to shut up? My dad always said to give great eye contact and listen carefully. If you are present, your prospect will let you know when you’ve lost them. Linda adds to this wisdom with three powerful slogans:

1)      When in doubt, leave it out.

2)      When you go long, you go wrong.

3)      If you confuse them, you’ll lose them.

In other words, if you’ve brought a PowerPoint to flip through keep it short – 10 visually exciting slides tops. Delete anything resembling an eye chart. Tell your story lickety-split – making your interviewer the main character. You’ll get to “yes” a whole lot faster!

Robin Fisher Roffer, founder and CEO of Big Fish Marketing, is America's leading personal brand strategist for executive level career professionals. She's the best selling author of 3 books including The Fearless Fish Out Of Water: How To Succeed When You're The Only One Like You. Discover Robin's secret formula for igniting your career with a personal brand at 8 Steps To Igniting Your Personal Brand.

4 Steps to Getting the Most Out of Networking

By Roger Sittler

No one would argue against the benefits of networking, however, how best to benefit from it isn’t always so clear cut. There is plenty of networking advice, opinions and tips, so much so that people even disagree with each other. Some of the specifics depend on the type of industry you work in and the types of company culture you are in, but there are still some overlying rules. Below, I have addressed the four basic steps for any networking event, regardless of the type of company you work for, the industry you are in, or the type of event you are attending.

Step 1: Know your Purpose – What is your reason for attending the networking event? Are you there to promote the brand of your company in the community and gain some exposure in a new market/forum/etc.? Are you there to make connections with potential clients and make new business contacts? Are you there to meet potential employers or even prospective employees for your own organization? In most cases you will be there for multiple reasons, but whatever it is, know it ahead of time and remember it.

Step 2: Stay Focused – After you’ve thought of your purpose, don’t let it leave as you walk in the door. Keep your cell phone in your pocket and stay focused on networking. This is not the time to take calls or fire off some emails. There will be some libations flowing, but keep your consumption to a minimum. Spend more time on the floor of the event than at the bar.

Step 3: Follow up – You spent the time to meet all of these people, so make sure you don’t let that time spent go to waste, follow up with them. If you have a CRM that you utilize to track contacts then get these people logged into it. Set up some reminders to reach back out and follow up with them.

Step 4: Have a Networking Approach – Try and keep your discussions and conversations with co-workers or friends to a minimum. Some people suggest spending only 5 minutes each with 20 people. I’m a fan of spending 20 minutes each with 5 people for every hour you’re at the event. Stay dialed into each conversation and don’t move on until it’s appropriate to end the discussion and seek out a new one. Take business cards with you and gather cards as well.

And finally … make sure you give and don’t just take from the event.

Roger Sittler is a Senior Director at eHire, responsible for Business Development and production standards. Roger has over 10 years management experience in sales within the technology field and uses his insights to help professionals with their job search.

The Secret to Articulating Your Value

By Robin Fisher Roffer

Most of us know that it takes more than a sharp resume, well-cut suit and an impressive degree to land a great position. That might have worked in the last century, but not in this one. Today you have to crisply define your value in a succinct, benefit-driven way that tells those in your sphere of influence why you and the work you do matters. 

What I’m talking about is crafting a value proposition that comes from your highest self -- two or three sentences that you use at the beginning of every interview, on your bio and LinkedIn profile and shrink down to 140-characters on Twitter. To make an unforgettable impression, your value proposition should contain your mission, unique skills and expertise and how those things serve your target audience.

Whether you're a television executive interviewing with a network struggling to increase ratings or you're vying for a marketing director position inside a major corporation challenged to engage customers, you have got to be the solution. If you’re not the solution, then you are irrelevant. 

To create your own value proposition, think about your hiring manager’s pain points and the solutions you provide. If you’re not sure what those points are, ask them to tell you their single biggest challenge. Then use these helpful tips to deliver your value in a way that solves their problem.

1. First, convey WHY you do what you do (a.k.a. your mission).
2. Share your point-of-view, i.e., “I believe that…”
3. Declare what is unique about you – how do you stand out?
4. Next, tell them how you’re the solution to their pain.
5. Offer some credibility that gives them reasons to believe you.
6. Keep it simple – be conversational and don’t use confusing terms.
7. Finally, make sure you whet their appetite so they’ll want to hear more!

Here is an example of a value proposition for a Project Manager or Team Leader:

“I am a collaboration catalyst. I believe that bringing people together to arrive at a solution creates buy in and unifies the company towards a common goal. The magic happens when I pull together people from different areas of the organization and then lead the charge to move projects forward effectively and efficiently. My specialty is in helping to set and achieve goals better/faster/cheaper by welding radically different perspectives into a single team effort, avoiding wasted or dead-end thinking. I’ve demonstrated this unique skill at both Dell and IBM with astounding results and I know I can do it for you!”

Your value proposition should have the same confident tone as the example above. It must aim to serve, rather than sell. When you are finished saying it, there should be no mistake that you are a true asset and undeniable talent.

I learned long ago the power of taking charge of your perception to build your brand.  In fifth grade, I sang, “I’m the Greatest Star” in front of my entire elementary school. My favorite lyric in that number is, “I blow my horn until someone blows it.”  Needless to say, I belted it out and haven’t stopped since.   I invite you to do the same. 

Robin Fisher Roffer, founder and CEO of Big Fish Marketing, is America's leading personal brand strategist for executive level career professionals. She's the best selling author of 3 books including The Fearless Fish Out Of Water: How To Succeed When You're The Only One Like You. Discover Robin's secret formula for igniting your career with a personal brand at 8 Steps To Igniting Your Personal Brand.

Nationwide Job Openings Increased for the Third Month in a Row

Simply Hired® today released its August 2012 Employment Outlook, which reports nationwide job openings increased in July, with a 4.5% increase from June. Job openings increased in all 50 of the major metros, with Grand Rapids (9%) and Cleveland & Akron and Salt Lake City (both 8%, respectively) showing the largest increases.

Job openings increased in 14 of 18 industries in July. The largest growth came from hospitality (11%) and non-profit (9%). Occupations experiencing the largest growth in job openings were law enforcement, fire and safety (15.8%) and engineers (excluding computer) (14.1%).

The nation’s top five hiring companies are:

• Kindred Healthcare
• McDonald’s
• AT&T
• Best Buy
• Mollen Immunization Clinics

The nation’s top hiring companies continue to be healthcare-related, followed by technology and financial companies. For more details view the full press release.