Just What The "HE**" Are Employers Looking For Today???? (employment, 2009)

[LoveBoating]

A major college degree.....yes!
A certificate saying "Certified ....... "....yes!
Experience that completely matches what they are looking for....yes!

Gee, what if a person doesn't have the first two above and can not financially get either? What if, the computer programs used in the past don't match what a lot of companies use? What if, the qualifications a company lists don't totally match a person's experiences?

I know that in today's (2009) employment situation, companies can (and will) be extremely picky about who they hire and it most likely will not be just one interview and "your hired"........BUT, give me a break! What about the people out there that weren't "at the top of their Class" and don't have all the "top-notch" skills/experience that a lot of companies are looking for? What do these people do in order to go back to work?
Not all of Society is "degreed", "certified" with lots of experience!!
Reading some ads in the local newspaper and on different job websites is just plain depressing for some of us!!

[annerk]

Being up-to-date on computer skills with current programs is probably the single most important things that you can do to be marketable in this economy. I don't care if you are a doctor or a plumber or anything inbetween, if you don't have current computer skills, you're dead in the water.

[annerk]

You could also go back to get training for something completely different that doesn't require a degree and you could learn in a few months.

[Alaskan Mutt]

Originally Posted by LoveBoating

I know that in today's (2009) ........BUT, give me a break! What about the people out there that weren't "at the top of their Class" and don't have all the "top-notch" skills/experience that a lot of companies are looking for? What do these people do in order to go back to work?
Not all of Society is "degreed", "certified" with lots of experience!!
Reading some ads in the local newspaper and on different job websites is just plain depressing for some of us!!

I was in the same boat. So I applied for one of the companies ultra low paying, part time, no benefits, grunt jobs instead. Once I was hired I spent the next year, much of it on my own time, learning the tools needed to move up within. I did ok.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by Alaskan Mutt

I was in the same boat. So I applied for one of the companies ultra low paying, part time, no benefits, grunt jobs instead. Once I was hired I spent the next year, much of it on my own time, learning the tools needed to move up within. I did ok.

I think you hit the nail on the head. I think a lot of middle and later career people are refusing to start at the bottom again, in many cases because they feel it's below them or they are entitled to a better job or they refuse to work for half the amount they were formerly making (even though it's still 40% more than they are getting with u/e. )

I also think that some people have a hard time adapting to today's way of doing business. It's not the same "good old boys" network where you come to work, brownnose your boss, get a raise every year, a promotion every ten years, just because you've been there longest and/or are the oldest. Now you've got to be the best and most qualified in order to climb that ladder--and best and most qualified are often the youngest and best educated.

[LoveBoating]

Thing is, at my age (60), I'm feel too old to learn something new (my wife agrees) and, on top of that, I love the kind of work that I was doing in previous years. Because of both my hip replacement and rotor cup surgery, I can not (as well as don't want to) go back into working in a warehouse like I did years ago. Both of my surgeons told me "not recommended at all" about going back to the old type of work.....just "too physical" I was also told by them. Actually, I could get a job fairly fast by going back to warehousing, but just cann't do it!
As far as getting new computer skills (programs), there are no classes that cover certain programs that I would need to know. I had never used Solomon before starting a job I use to have, but I was taught on-th-job to use the program. Because of my love for using a computer, I had no problem at all learning the program. Today, companies want an applicant to have already used the computer programs that they have! I'm good enough with a computer that I sure can learn a new program.....if given that chance!
Oh well, just what can some of us do, but

Originally Posted by annerk

You could also go back to get training for something completely different that doesn't require a degree and you could learn in a few months.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by LoveBoating

Thing is, at my age (60), I'm feel too old to learn something new (my wife agrees) and, on top of that, I love the kind of work that I was doing in previous years. Because of both my hip replacement and rotor cup surgery, I can not (as well as don't want to) go back into working in a warehouse like I did years ago. Both of my surgeons told me "not recommended at all" about going back to the old type of work.....just "too physical" I was also told by them. Actually, I could get a job fairly fast by going back to warehousing, but just cann't do it!
As far as getting new computer skills (programs), there are no classes that cover certain programs that I would need to know. I had never used Solomon before starting a job I use to have, but I was taught on-th-job to use the program. Because of my love for using a computer, I had no problem at all learning the program. Today, companies want an applicant to have already used the computer programs that they have! I'm good enough with a computer that I sure can learn a new program.....if given that chance!
Oh well, just what can some of us do, but

You contradict yourself. You first say you are tool old to learn something new, then say you are sure you can learn a new program. You are sending out mixed signals. You can learn or you can't. Which is it?

[subsound]

Not sure anymore myself, everyone wants something different colored by their internal expectations. I feel like a dancing monkey just feeding people what they want to hear to get into the job...then trying to look good so I don't get on anyone's bad list (and I have a MBA and 10 years experience). Even then people want top notch personnel for bottom notch prices. I went in recently to check a company out (fiscal management area) and they gave me a salary quote if I was interested, I seriously looked for a camera because I thought it was joke...I could have made the same working at BK.

Even if you do a good job, it's damn hard to get a *good* promotion in house (better to look outside for a promotion) in my experience...either it takes forever and a half or your salary is lower then it would be if you left.

The world is not as it once was, everyone is a mercenary with little expectation for loyalty now.

[Alaskan Mutt]

Originally Posted by annerk

I think you hit the nail on the head. I think a lot of middle and later career people are refusing to start at the bottom again, in many cases because they feel it's below them or they are entitled to a better job or they refuse to work for half the amount they were formerly making (even though it's still 40% more than they are getting with u/e. )

I also think that some people have a hard time adapting to today's way of doing business. It's not the same "good old boys" network where you come to work, brownnose your boss, get a raise every year, a promotion every ten years, just because you've been there longest and/or are the oldest. Now you've got to be the best and most qualified in order to climb that ladder--and best and most qualified are often the youngest and best educated.

I think this even applies to people just starting out. I know when I was fresh out of college with degree in hand I had high expectations. Did not take long to ditch the high expectations when the first job I got after college was at 7-11. I changed my way of thinking in a hurry.

[bluebelt1234]

Originally Posted by LoveBoating

Thing is, at my age (60), I'm feel too old to learn something new (my wife agrees) and, on top of that, I love the kind of work that I was doing in previous years. Because of both my hip replacement and rotor cup surgery, I can not (as well as don't want to) go back into working in a warehouse like I did years ago. Both of my surgeons told me "not recommended at all" about going back to the old type of work.....just "too physical" I was also told by them. Actually, I could get a job fairly fast by going back to warehousing, but just cann't do it!
As far as getting new computer skills (programs), there are no classes that cover certain programs that I would need to know. I had never used Solomon before starting a job I use to have, but I was taught on-th-job to use the program. Because of my love for using a computer, I had no problem at all learning the program. Today, companies want an applicant to have already used the computer programs that they have! I'm good enough with a computer that I sure can learn a new program.....if given that chance!
Oh well, just what can some of us do, but

You should check with your local unemployment office to see if they offer any kind of training. Also, look at community colleges. Since you obviously have a computer with internet access, look at online training. There are classes you can take online. You are never too old to learn something new.

As far as degrees are concerned, employers are also looking for high specialized degrees like engineering, nursing, accounting. You can't just go get a degree in anything you want and expect to find a great paying job. I don't think a degree in Art history will get you very far when pursuing a career as an executive.