We have all said it at one point or another. We’ve all sat our fat asses at a bar crying over how the economy has ruined our careers; how we don’t have a job because times are hard. What I haven’t heard and doubt I ever will is “Hey my name is Vee and I’m unemployed because I have no talent.”
There are more than 77 million baby boomers and only 49 million in the Gen X group to take over the jobs that are moving more and more towards recruiting younger talent within the Gen Y generation. Gen Y, a 74-million-strong work force, can but has not capitalized on the competitive advantages we so effortlessly enjoy.
The worldwide recruiting market is over $130 billion in software, services, content, consulting, and staff. It is estimated that U.S firms alone, spent $72 billion on recruiting in 2012. Still think there are no jobs available??? I think NOT!
Talent, my fellow peers, is why we don’t have jobs. We go to college, get a Bachelor’s Degree and expect to solve world hunger, or at least your 5 roommate’s high munchies, with absolutely no skill in anything but finding test banks. And, as is typical of our entitlement stricken generation, we are quick to place blame on everything but ourselves for having to eat ramen noodles until we’re 30.
Don’t fret my fellow degenerates, I have some tips to combat this harsh reality:
1. A failing economy is not why your pockets are empty. The faster you accept this the faster you can begin working on the things that are affecting your profitability. Ask yourself this question: What are 5 things that I am GREAT at.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
If you cannot instantly fill that list with skills and qualities that people would pay you for, then YOU do not add value to those around you. My great grandmother once told me that if I was going to be a prostitute I should be the best damn prostitute my city had ever seen. Never mind that I was 5, it was the best advice I’ve ever received. Being good is mediocre. GREAT is the goal.
2. Specialization has killed intellect… Recent trends show that employers are increasingly more interested in Liberal Arts majors. This is because these prove to know a little about everything and truly specialize while participating in the work force rather than by memorizing theory in a classroom. Who would have thought that hippie in your Intro to Psychology class who had no idea what they wanted to do with their life would be more employable than you? So, while I don’t recommend you change your major, you should certainly make it a point to be adequately knowledgeable in a variety of topics and develop a diverse skill set. With a Bachelor’s Degree becoming as valuable as a High School GED, being a jack of all trades is our only hope.
3. Networking: Did you know that 90% of all jobs are never listed on the internet or in print? Want to take a stab at how these jobs are filled? That’s right, start talking to strangers, learn to use LinkedIn, and research professional networking events in your area. Creating relationships, even with those who cannot help you at the moment, will be paramount to your success.
4. Are you Portable? “But But… I don’t want to leave my friends.” Here is the scoop on Miami; several researchers and publications put Miami at the top of the list of cities with the worst job prospects. Is your city like mine? Have you researched how demand for your line of work is spread? Do away with geographical limitations on your career by being mobile. The people that matter will always find a way to stay in your life.
Vee Fires 
A great and very interesting post!
As I wish to pursue a degree in literature most of my friends and family joke about how I shall never get a job afterwards, but you’ve given me hope! Haha. 🙂
Very true, lack of real talent is the reason why some people are unemployed, or rather unemployable. I have two degrees (Anthropology and Communications), and I am currently unemployed. However, I am spending as much time learning new skills as I am applying for jobs because I realized that I need to become more technically savy/specialized. So, I have decided to learn to code for the web, and I have spent all day learning HTML.
Not only is the job market in Miami a pitiful failure in municipal leadership (corruption, misdirected priorities, missed opportunities, etc.), it is also the result of the utter lack of entrepreneurial will … but enough of that. The Miami-Dade unemployment rate is 8%, while Broward is 6.7%. Miami also has one of the most highly concentrated small business markets in the country, yet after I returned from silicon valley, and visited a number of other places including Budapest, Hungary, I realized how stuck in the “old days” this town is. Following trends, not forging them. Utterly incompetent with technology. WIth such a pent up demand for talent and real, lasting leadership, Miami is poised for a cultural/business revolution by the millennials. But first, they have to pick up their asses, stop using recruiting firms, put down the self help books and hit the pavement like you said.
The only thriving industries in greater Miami – entertainment and real estate, are driving this place into the ground because your job won’t survive another big recession if those are the only real ways to make it here. Jackson and UM both experienced massive layoffs at the end of 2012, and the baby boomers that prop up SFla’s healthcare market are kicking the bucket. More industries need to develop, with wealth backing them up. Then you would notice talent coming out of the woodwork.
So yes, you are correct in all four of those very important points – if all you want is a job. But I think what it all boils down to is WILLPOWER and RISK… I think the risk part covers your point 4. Being able to go where the opportunity is – that is a must for any college undergrad to know walking through the door. But the ability to pull the opportunity to you… now that is the American Dream. Regardless of how great it feels to work at Google or Disney, just know that corporate loyalty to its talented employees is dead; you may be a human, but to them you are just a resource.