Where the jobs are in NC (Apex: unemployment rate, title, health)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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I know (because a headhunter told me so last year) that sometimes headhunters dopost non-existent jobs in order to beef up their reserve of good candidates "just in case a client needs someone right away."
So it's good not to get emotionally worked up over what may appear to be lost opportunities. They were probably never there in the first place.
As far as hearing back from employers once you've applied -- I was in HR for several years at a broadcasting center. We received a huge number of resumes. Yet I always sent personalized, signed letters to all applicants who were not chosen. It was a kind and professional thing to do.
Those days are long gone.
Even with email, it rarely happens. I think with email, many applicants would reply "Why wasn't I chosen?" and that's a Pandora's box that no one wants to open.
I agree there are a lot of people with great resumes in this area. The "best and the brightest" have been hard hit by this recession.
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I have a small company in the business, and I have had over the years had people who worked for me who have more than once told me that when they attempted to apply to local job postings (for which they had highly appropriate credentials to apply) they got no response; and more than once I have seen the ads applied to and the resumes sent (and I have known the people and what they could do) and compared that with what the "employer" appeared to be looking for in the job; and all I could say was I would love to see what they thought were better fits for the jobs than these people. I believe that we are left with 2 realistic possible conclusions: 1) there are a LOT of IT people in this area with GREAT resumes; or 2) some/all of these postings are (for whatever reason) not "real jobs". Regardless of why this situation exists, I have reached the conclusion from watching this for years that there are far more listings for IT jobs here than there actually were here. I have long since lost track of the IT Headhunters I once knew, but I would love to hear one of them address this...
The head hunter agencies have totally killed the hiring process for anumber of ways. First, they post tons of positions that may or may not even exist. Then, it's another bump in the road if there is a company that could actually use you, they might not ever find out about you due to the head hunter's firm's policy, etc.
Then, if you're hired by a staffing firm you have to jump through hoops for something as simple as calling in sick. Especially for the IT world it's very depressing.
Do people actually get placed in permanent jobs or is everything a "3 month contract to hire" with no hiring taking place at the end of the contract term?
Another thing, true with many fields but perhaps with IT in particular, is that some employers don't realize what skills are transferrable, and insist on someone with X number of yearsr' experience in their VERY SPECIFIC programming language or industry, never mind that once you've used one programming language, it's usually an easy learning curve to switch to others. Or, the "X number of years experience" rule screens out people with X-1, even if they were a crackerjack employee.
Then there is the now-automated process of submitting resumes, where it's all about keywords. If you don't use the exact right keywords they claim they want, your application will be dumped before anyone even sees it, even if your skills are exemplary in a very related field. OTOH, someone who knows what keywords to plug can get an interview despite being far from qualified in a real sense.
The old days of getting a chance to explain that "while I don't have exactly the X, Y, and Z your posting lists, I have done [very closely related kind of work] for 20 years and would love a chance to explain how this can translate into being an asset in your department" that might have piqued the interest of a recruiter reading cover letters in the past.
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Originally Posted by gotsomedata
I have a small company in the business, and I have had over the years had people who worked for me who have more than once told me that when they attempted to apply to local job postings (for which they had highly appropriate credentials to apply) they got no response; and more than once I have seen the ads applied to and the resumes sent (and I have known the people and what they could do) and compared that with what the "employer" appeared to be looking for in the job; and all I could say was I would love to see what they thought were better fits for the jobs than these people. I believe that we are left with 2 realistic possible conclusions: 1) there are a LOT of IT people in this area with GREAT resumes; or 2) some/all of these postings are (for whatever reason) not "real jobs". Regardless of why this situation exists, I have reached the conclusion from watching this for years that there are far more listings for IT jobs here than there actually were here. I have long since lost track of the IT Headhunters I once knew, but I would love to hear one of them address this...
^^ I agree. It makes it very difficult for job seekers, but it hurts the company even more as they will have a difficult time finding the right fitting person for the position.
I agree, superorb. They seem to flood job boards with nonexistent positions. I know for a fact that they often have little or no connection to the employers - other than surfing job boards themselves, cold calling the employers, and sending job seekers out for interviews. Many of these jobs that they advertise are also advertised directly by the actual employer, so they're basically double posting; the catch is that if you interview through an agency, you're less likely to be hired, and if you are, you're worse off. The agency is putting a huge markup on your salary and giving you no benefits (sick days, vacation, healthcare) for the first six months.
Furthermore, they often had little information about the jobs they offered or employers they claimed to represent. Ask them tons of questions! This should reveal whether their alleged relationship is legit. Sometimes it can be, but more often it's not.
My take is that they're vampires who seek the blood of unemployed Americans for their own profit. I just don't buy the act that they sell - it's a lie that they can help you. You're out of work, desperate, and easy prey. They haul you in to interview with them, and please note, the sole purpose of the in-person interview is so that they can have you sign several legal docs - they only pretend to care about your qualifications. Then they're going to say they like you and are sending you out on interviews right away. If you're an employer, they're going to say they "have" several qualified candidates and they'll setup interviews right away. The purpose of this immediate action is to get you to focus on them and forget about helping yourself - so they can get their huge commissions in the way of your work.
Well I could obviously write a book here, but my advice is that neither employee nor employer should ever bother with these agencies. Don't remember the name, but there was a Raleigh temporary staffing company indicted for stealing their employees SSN and FICA payments (deducting from paychecks but not remitting to the government). The owner stole several million bucks.
The ads that make me laugh are those IT ads that require someone who can do everything: analyze needs, gather data, design a system, do all the programming while applying usability principles, and then develop and implement training.
They want an entire team in one person. I've known only one developer who could also create documents as well as any technical writer. One. And he's in the UK and speaks three languages.
It also doesn't make sense to me not to hire people with the most experience. I think it's because people who are doing the hiring, in their twenties, are thinking, "Wow! They're old enough to be my parents!"
Instead, they should be thinking of Chesley Sullenberger, the highly experienced pilot who landed his jet on the Hudson River and saved not only his crew and passengers, but untold numbers (had he crash landed in Manhattan).
Those doing the hiring should be thinking, "Wow! We'd be so lucky to have someone with that much experience!"
P.S. There are some good contracting agencies. I've been a contractor for many years, and it's not because the employers wouldn't offer me a "real" job. I preferred contracting at the time. That was the case with most contractors I knew. It was great work (while it lasted!).
The ads that make me laugh are those IT ads that require someone who can do everything: analyze needs, gather data, design a system, do all the programming while applying usability principles, and then develop and implement training.
The best one I saw was a posting that REQUIRED 20+ years managing web application development. I didn't think Al Gore invented the web until '92.
Curious about where you got this information? And what kind of jobs are these, exactly? And how many are available?
In fact, you'd be doing a great service to all the unemployed folks if you'd kindly post links to H/R websites, or classified ads, or mailing address (including the names of people actually making the hiring decisions) for the companies that you listed. Job titles and required experience would also be much appreciated.
Thanks.
Last edited by Green Irish Eyes; 10-13-2009 at 09:03 PM..
No need to provide more information, ApexIntruder.
The unemployed are well aware of which jobs are available and from which companies.
Are there jobs? Of course there are; the Triangle area has many companies. There just aren't enough jobs for all who are seeking them during these difficult times.
They are also well aware that one's education and experience are often a hindrance in obtaining a job outside of one's normal career path.
But thanks so much for your concern.
Last edited by lovebrentwood; 10-14-2009 at 07:33 AM..
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