Opinion Learning on the job

I thought of that cartoon after recently writing about the startup HireArt,which specialises in matching job seekers with job creators by testing applicants on real-world skills that mimic the jobs they’re applying for. The co-founders,Eleonora Sharef and Nick Sedlet,were flooded with emails after the column appeared,from people who were either seeking jobs,wanted advice on how to better apply for a job or wanted to share their frustrations in finding a job. I asked them to analyse their mail to see what it tells us about today’s job market. Here are some of their conclusions,starting with internships.

Internships are increasingly important today,they explained,because skills are increasingly important in the new economy and because colleges increasingly don’t teach the ones employers are looking for. Experience,rather than a degree,has become an important proxy for skill,they note,and internships give you that experience. So grab one wherever you can,they add,because,even if you’re just serving coffee,it is a way to see how businesses actually work and which skills are prized by employers. Of course,for all these reasons,said Sharef,“it is almost as hard to get a paid internship today as it is to get an actual job.”

Since so many internships are unpaid these days,added Sedlet,there is a real danger that only “rich kids” can afford them,which will only widen our income gaps. The key,if you get one,he added,is to remember “that companies don’t want generalists to help them think big; they want people who can help them execute” and “add value.”

But what,they were often asked,does “add value” mean? It means,they said,show that you have some creative flair — particularly in design,innovation,entrepreneurship,sales or marketing,skills that can’t be easily replaced by a piece of software,a machine or a cheaper worker in India.

HireArt heard from many people,as did I,who have been out of work for six months or more and can’t get an employer to even look at their résumé. That is no coincidence. No employer will say this out loud for legal reasons,but if you’ve been out of work for six months or more,they won’t even look at you because they assume nobody else wanted to hire you. This is a tragedy that may need a public policy fix. In the meantime,what to do?

For starters,said Sharef,“do not let yourself get to the point where you have done nothing for six months. Don’t let yourself go without building something on your own or taking an online course … to show that you have not been slacking off.” Even if you have been out of work for more than six months,stay engaged in the industry that you aspire to join,so you can better craft your job interview answers.

What are the biggest mistakes? One,said Sharef,is a cover letter that tells an employer all sorts of things that the applicant has done but fails to explain how being hired would “add value” for that company. Two,she added: “Trying to be everything at once… Employers don’t have the mental capacity to decide for you how you are going to help them in one specific capacity. It’s important to have a narrative that speaks to what you’re good at and what you can do” exactly.

Finally,if you can’t find a job,try to invent one. Employers appreciate candidates “who’ve started their own businesses,” said Sedlet. “Even if it doesn’t work out,employers can see that you have passion and motivation — and it teaches a set of skills that have universal value: marketing,sales,product development.” So there it is — underneath all the headline employment numbers,this is what’s really going on out there.