The first question after nearly two years of unemployment is, “how in the hell did I get here?” The second is, “what’s next?”
The answer to the first question is, I think I know, but not really sure. In April, 2009 I was advised that the CEO was leaving and I would be too. I could resign with a 90 day notice, or they could terminate me without cause (allowed in right to work states). This notice was 2 weeks after I received my maximum allowable performance bonus. How contradictory and confusing is that? And it came a week before my vacation to London town.
I worked the entire 90 days and left without a severance since the economy forced the company to change its policy on severance packages. The lesson learned for me was that if you work in a corporate environment, you can not escape the politics of the corporate office if you return to the field. As it turns out, a new CEO arrived and brought on the HR Director who had worked with him at his prior facility to replace me. It doesn’t take a genius IQ to see that picture.
On to the second question. I was, am and will continue to be confident in my knowledge, skills and abilities, so why would I be concerned about landing on my feet with a comparable job? Eighteen months later you realize it is truly a jungle out there…survival of the fittest. An article by Fan Hansen in Workforce Management indicated that the most conservative official estimate suggests 15 million unemployed people are vying for 2.5 million jobs. As a follow up for a HR Director position I applied for, I was informed that I was 1 of 50 qualified candidates being considered for a phone screen that was culled from over 400 applicants. Never got the phone screen L.
I liken the job application submittal to pulling the handle on a slot machine in a casino. The odds of winning a
phone interview are small, but over time you get just enough interest to give you hope that you might win a face to face interview, which by the way, is really rare for the jobs I seek, as is hitting the jackpot. The longer you stay unemployed, new questions arise in the phone interviews – “What have you done since you last worked?” “With your credentials and experience why hasn’t anyone hired you yet?” In other words, “what’s wrong with this dude?” I just viewed an article by Deanna Hartley for Talent Management magazine that was titled, Don’t bother applying if you’re unemployed, which suggests that some companies appear to view the unemployed as “damaged goods” and that discrimination, albeit illegal, toward this group may exist, making it even harder for them to get back to work.
The most frustrating part of this experience has been when I win enough to make it to the final four (face to face interviews), and leave that meeting with the confidence that I nailed it and expect the job offer the next day only to be informed that they decided to go with someone else. In some cases I received no response at all, which leaves you hanging. I’ve seen the good and the bad HR departments in this journey and wonder how much the senior leadership understands HR where there the bad exist? There have been a few occasions where I have too much experience (more than the hiring manager), or not enough of a specific area in HR (labour relations – union contracts, benefits sourcing negotiation, etc.). I have been told I was over qualified and they would not consider me any further because they expected me to leave soon after I got the job.
Beyond the competition, I ask, “why haven’t I been hired?” It made me wonder if my former employer changed their position about me being eligible for rehire, which I found was not the case. Many companies give out only the following information about former employees when asked by prospective hiring companies: name, dates of employment, ending salary, and eligibility for rehire. Some companies will not be that generous in providing that information.
I’ve revised my resume several times and created a couple of versions that are specific to what kind of job I am seeking. I prepared responses to behavioural based questions (tell me a time when you … and what did you do?, or can you give me an example when you…and how did you respond to that?) that good HR departments use in employment interviews. I followed up with people who received my applications. I bought two new “power” suits specifically for face to face interviews. I learned how to use Skype for phone & face to face interviews.
The reality is who you know gets you in the door, and what you know keeps you there. A friend of mine I used to work with is also unemployed and she just landed a job via someone she goes to church with who hooked her up with the opportunity. I’ve pretty much been one to fend for myself and to refrain from asking anyone for help. I am almost at the point, where I will have to get out of my self-reliant comfort zone and begin a new journey of meeting people who know people who only know where the real jobs are.
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I request your thoughts and prayers for my step-son Jim who leaves soon to contribute to our country’s commitment to defend the democratic process of freedom in lands where people have been oppressed. Thanks much to Jim and those in the Armed Forces, past and present.
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