This is the first in a series of presentations I use in a half day seminar on finding work.

1. TODAY’S JOB MARKET
UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS NOTHING NORMAL ABOUT
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE JOB MARKET.

2. WHAT’S DIFFERENT?
2009 WAS THE WORST YEAR IN THIS GENERATION...
FOR BOTH THE EMPLOYERS AND THE EMPLOYED
THERE WERE NO TEXTBOOKS TO BORROW FROM
AND NO REFERENCES THAT MADE ANY SENSE
EVEN THE INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES SOUNDED TRITE!

3. EMPLOYERS’ PERSPECTIVE
EMPLOYERS ARE SCARED THAT THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE TO LAY PEOPLE OFF
AGAIN.
THEY WANT EVERY HIRE TO BE PERFECT.
THEY FEEL LUCKY THAT THEY MADE IT THROUGH 2009
BUT WITH THE “REBOUND” COMING SO SLOW THEY REMAIN WORRIED.
ARE YOU SO GOOD THAT YOU CAN HELP THEM KEEP IT FROM HAPPENING
AGAIN?
ARE YOU JUST SEEKING THIS JOB BECAUSE YOU NEED A JOB OR ARE YOU
SEEKING THIS JOB BECAUSE YOU WANT THIS JOB?
ARE YOU GOING TO QUIT AS SOON AS YOU FIND SOMETHING BETTER?
I KNOW ... I’VE BEEN THERE. AND IT’S NO FUN FROM EITHER SIDE...

4. CANDIDATES’ PERSPECTIVE
HOLY COW! I NEED A JOB!
PLEASE HIRE ME.
WAIT! I’M NOT SURE I WANT TO WORK HERE.
I CAN WORK HERE UNTIL I CAN FIND SOMETHING BETTER.
I THINK YOU SEEM LIKE A NICE PERSON.
I THINK YOU SEEM JUST LIKE THE GUY WHO LAID ME OFF.
HOLY COW! I NEED THIS JOB.
WILL ANYONE EVER WANT TO HIRE ME?
WILL I EVER FIND A JOB AGAIN?

5. WHY IT MATTERS ...
THIS PERSPECTIVE MATTERS BECAUSE IT’S IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND GOING IN THAT YOU’RE BOTH SCARED.
THEY’RE SCARED THAT THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE THE
“HARD DECISIONS” AGAIN.
YOU’RE SCARED BECAUSE YOU DON’T WANT TO PASS UP THE
NEXT INTERVIEW LEADING TO A GREAT JOB FOR THIS ONE WHERE
THE JOB IS JUST OK.
WE BOTH NEED TO RELAX.
IT’S JUST A JOB.
WE WORK FOR MONEY. EVERYTHING ELSE IS JUST A BENEFIT.

6. THE MOST IMPORTANT
THING TO UNDERSTAND?

7. THAT YOU’RE OUT OF WORK
DOESN’T MEAN THERE’S
SOMETHING WRONG WITH
YOU.

8. THE PEOPLE YOU’RE
TALKING TO KNOW THAT.

9. YOU NEED TO TOO!

10. ONWARD