Buyer's Market

Everyone knows we are in a "Buyer's Market." It doesn't matter if you are shopping for a house, looking at the stock market, or simply shopping, everything is on sale. The housing market is depressed with houses and interest rates both at an all-time low so anyone who is thinking about buying a new house or refinancing their current home should do it now. Stocks are also on sale so if you have extra cash, this is the perfect time to invest. And the stores - what huge sales! Again, if you have the extra cash, buy a new wardrobe for 70% off or more. All great bargains, don't you agree?

Well, the same holds true for the job market. Even though the job boards still show hundreds of jobs, the reality is there are so few jobs and so many people looking for a job that the imbalance is really difficult to envision. The employer's are experiencing a "Buyer's Market" and those of us looking for a job are simply on sale. The question is, should we devalue ourselves or is this the only option we have if we want to once again join the ranks of the gainfully employed?

As you know I had my first job interview yesterday since losing my job. I had talked with the recruiter several times on the phone. I had answered a 4-page questionnaire regarding my level of experience giving examples of my experience for each question so that I was prescreened for this position. I dressed for success. I took a clean copy of my resume just in case the one the recruiter had printed off didn't look professional. I took my letter of recommendation. I was told that the main concern for the company and the people doing the interviewing was that they wanted a high-energy person who understood the dynamics of a family-run business. I fit the bill and was ready for the interview.

The interview started out with a tour of the facility given by the VP of Operations. I asked questions and interacted well with this person. We moved on to the conference room and he left to get the owner/CEO of the company to sit in on the interview. While we waited for the CEO to join us, we looked at the final product the company sells and talked about how it is packaged and prepared for delivery to the customer. The CEO came into the conference room and introduced himself and the actual interview started. Or should I say ended. It lasted for less than 15 minutes. Apparently there had been a discussion earlier yesterday morning and this position had been redefined. I no longer met the minimum qualifications for the job. They now wanted someone with a minimum of 10 years manufacturing experience. I have none and they knew this. The recruiter who sent me on this interview didn't even know the requirements for this position had been changed so drastically.

This was a complete waste of my time and theirs; but, it is a buyer's market and they can take their time. The number of candidates they can interview is endless. The need of the company is their only time constraint. However, they should at least communicate with the recruiter.

On a side note - the CEO actually made the statement that I had to have typed the letter of recommendation because he knew Richard Petty didn't type it. Of course I requested the letter, but I didn't type it. How asinine and presumptuous! Do I really want to work for someone who jumps to those kinds of conclusions? Do you?