NEWSWEEK: When do you think the job market will improve?
Jeff Joerres: A recovery probably won’t happen until the latter part of next year or the beginning of the year after. We are coming off less than 4 percent unemployment. It may take several years to get back there. This [recession] is going to have a lasting effect on the labor market.
Which specific sectors have been hit hardest? Which seem to be doing the best right now?
It is amazing how hard manufacturing has been hit. They have been in it the longest. When we look at the first-quarter survey, durable manufacturing is at a 25-year low for hiring intentions. Manufacturers have been saying for a long time that this is a recession and other industries have been saying it’s not so bad. Manufacturers can say now that they have felt it the hardest and the longest. There are some segments that, all things relative, aren’t down as badly as others. Public administration and some areas of services aren’t down as much, and education is still doing well.
How does the job search change in this type of environment?
This has had a particularly interesting effect on the under-30 group because they never dealt with this before; they missed the recession of 1990 and 1991 and always thought they could get a job. That age group has spent most of their career in a period of time when skills and individuals were in the highest demand at entry level and particularly in skilled positions. Therefore, loyalty wasn’t considered, salary was considered.
If you look at what motivates many people, the majority of people over 30 look for a job that makes them content, a work-life balance, and the chance to grow—then they look at salary. Within the under-30 group many look purely at salary. Maybe this is the time to adjust your thinking. The priority hasn’t shifted totally yet because all the realities of the market haven’t set in yet for many people. You could have lost a job or been dissatisfied in a job and left recently. But it’s only after six months of looking for a job that someone says: I can’t do this anymore, maybe I need to make a compromise and do something that is not as interesting or something that pays less.
With so many companies talking about job cuts, is anyone safe? How do you protect yourself?
If you are valuable to your company because of your attitude and your skills and how you have involved yourself in helping the company succeed, you are protected. But if you have considered yourself more of a mercenary, you may not be on the protected list. Now is the time that companies don’t have to tolerate that kind of attitude because they have options. Skills matter, and they will matter in the future. Now is the time to hone your skills, and to make sure your attitude is at an all-time high.
In your opinion, which workers have had the hardest time bouncing back from a job loss?
The middle tier of wage earners. Entry-level workers are used to switching jobs. It’s still painful but they had a lifestyle geared to a lower income. But a dual-income, middle-wage family—when the paychecks were combined—really enjoyed a nice lifestyle. If one is now laid off and cannot find a job in that city with a high enough salary, they are faced with a really tough decision. Do you take a position to pay bills that might be a step backward or do you not work because of a fear of ruining your resume?
Could a step back or off a career track really ruin a resume?
No, not if you can explain the chunk missing in your resume thoughtfully. For example, someone who took a movement backward might say to me, “I have two kids at home and I didn’t have a choice, I had to do this” or say, “I thought it was important to work while I looked for a position in my area, and I told my employer I was going to do that.” But you shouldn’t say, “I couldn’t find anything else, so I took it.” You’d be surprised how many people say that. You should really think about what you want to be doing now and in the future; and, when you make a decision, make sure it is backed up by thought. Then I don’t think you have much to be concerned about.
How do you differentiate yourself in a market like this, when you’re competing with hundreds of people who have similar skills?
If we assume people have the same skills, then it’s attitude—how badly do I want a job and how do I present myself? I receive 30 to 50 resumes a day and that’s addressed personally to me, not the human-resources department. You have to really make the effort of networking, showing you are improving your skills even while you’re out of work, show that you are taking this seriously.
In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge facing firms today?
The biggest challenge facing firms is keeping their quality-employer status because the labor shortage will come back and skills are still important. It was only 18 months ago that they were giving signing bonuses to people on the shop floor. That will come back. But for now, they are wondering how to adjust their employee base to meet demand and profitability, yet not hurt the future branding of their company and the loyalty of their workforce.
What is the biggest challenge facing new college graduates seeking work?
New college graduates are in a very difficult position because they went into a masters program or an undergraduate program with confidence that they’d be able to come out and pick the geography and industry they wanted. But they will have to pursue jobs as they pursued academics—in a very serious way—and they will have to take a few chances in order to secure a position.
