Attitude, Entitlement and Job Seeking

So, you are new grad, with a shiny new degree in hand and you are seeking that first job to launch into a long term career. You've heard that employers in Calgary are starved for staff, so out west you come seeking your fortune.

Perhaps you attend a job fair or two, and come away empty handed, as this person did.

My question is twofold after reading that editorial. First, did the author of that little rant actually try to engage some of the "disinterested" people he encountered to find out what kind of people they were seeking? Does his cover letter explain the relevance of his bahttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifckground to the position? I don't know the answer to those questions. What I do know is that you won't get hired just because you can fog a mirror.

What galls me reading that editorial is the attitude of entitlement that shines through. Here we have a candidate looking for a position, and after coming up empty-handed for whatever reason, they go off writing a rather lengthy complaint about how employers won't even look at them. I'm sorry, you aren't "entitled" to a job here or anywhere else just because you have a degree.

As I've said before, employers aren't going to hire "just anybody" into a job. In times when qualified, capable staff are hard to come by, the fit of someone into an organization is as important as the qualifications themselves. A bad fit can be exceptionally destructive, and costly.

I've just been through a round of interviews and hiring. While employers may consider candidates today that they would have rejected immediately in the past, those with questionable qualifications had better be able to sell the prospective employer that they have a passion and drive that will enable them to overcome that technical barrier. That's hard to convey on a resume, but that's the first document that an employer often sees - which means that's where you have to do it. Show some interest in your prospective employer - do a bit of research and find out what you can about them. Then tailor your approach to what they are seeking.

Don't shoot the messenger here, but no employer is going to hire someone with a bad attitude, an overbearing ego, or comes across as if they are entitled to the job. Qualified means more than just having the "right degree", it also means that you have the right attitude and willingness. A poor attitude shows - trust me.

Does Calgary have a labour shortage? Yes. Does that mean that everybody in Calgary is employed? No.