I talked to more than a dozen reporters and freelance writers during the month of November. This happens every month, actually, because I am a source.
What does this mean? Sometimes we talk about HR. Sometimes we talk about the intricacies of looking for a job. Most of the time I refer journalists to other sources who might have something more interesting to say. At this point in my career, I am sick of talking about using Facebook to find a job.
So if you’re a writer who is covering the ‘career beat’ or anything related to unemployment, I owe you an apology. Sorta. I’ve been a little cranky, lately, because I’m irritated.
I think it is a fundamental failure of this country—and journalism—that we have a ‘career beat’ in the first place. What the heck is wrong with the world when banks and lending institutions are profitable but small businesses can’t get loans? Why do journalists want to talk to me about LinkedIn when the Dow Jones is on a record run but unemployment will only come down to 9% in 2011?
I find it odd that journalists are trying to advise and fix job seekers because some of the people hardest hit by unemployment in our country are journalists and writers. A good job in media with benefits is hard to find. When you finally get that job, dear journalist, please don’t give me The Ten Things I Need to Do to Find a Job on Twitter.
Give me something serious & meaningful. Have some common sense while you’re at it. You know that social media can’t get anyone a job because social media didn’t get you your job. And there are more unemployed people than jobs. There is no amount of career advice or guidance will help you get a job in an economy that isn’t creating new jobs. No article or blog post will fill a vacancy if a company has decided to take that job and move it to India.
Now of course it’s important to educate readers. Yes, it is important to help people find work. I think it is essential to teach basic skills to job seekers. I just don’t think it’s the job of a journalist to do that work. Journalists should meet the awesome people who in the trenches (schools, colleges, community centers, as well as students in programs for masters degrees online) and give them a platform to help Americans get back to work.
- Tell me who these resources are, what they offer, and how and where to find ‘em.
- Highlight the local institutions and resources where the real expertise is located.
- Use the critical mass of your audience to drive eyeballs to those centers of excellence that are putting people back to work.
I’m no Howard Kurtz, but I think journalists are getting it all wrong. I wonder why don’t we have more reporters investigating age & gender discrimination cases in the community. Why doesn’t the local paper tell me who is under investigation by the EEOC and which companies engage in unfair labor practices? And as a consumer of news—and a plain old consumer—I want to know why it takes an unforgivable amount of days to hire someone in America.
I’d like journalists to talk to more job seekers, business owners, and political leaders about the local economic issues in my community.
Sound boring? It is. But the economy isn’t celebrity gossip.
Right now, it’s of no comfort when the media offers ‘tips and tricks to master an interview’. Who is getting an interview? Who’s hiring? And how do I get a chance to speak to that person?
Tell me that.
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So I don’t mind speaking with great reporters who want to get to the heart of a story, but I’m not fond reporters and freelance writers who operate as advisors and counselors. Don’t ask me for the 50 things your HR department won’t share with you. Tell me a story, report on issues, and lead me to the real career experts. Don’t try to fix me.
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Finally.
Some time back, someone referred to the Law of 73, or something like that, which represented the fact that in any narrow topic there are, at most, 73 people who just talk amongst themselves convincing each other how it REALLY WAS.
I get the same feeling today within HR and amongst the 500 career advisors–everyone pretty much knows the same thing. Repeat.
Reporters have vanished. How else could a Tom Petters, here in my city, survive so long running the second biggest Ponzi scheme in history?
If you think they are going to dig into the inter workings of XYZ, Inc,…umm, well, you know. Fat chance.
You don’t like Tom Peters? I will admit to never having read any of his books. There’s a video somewhere out there where he’s with Seth Godin and they’re like BLOGGING! OMG! IT’S AWESOME. And it makes me giggle to see two old guys raving about blogging. I mean, yeah, blogs are awesome. I’d rather write for USA Today thank Punk Rock HR, though.
Laurie, you are sounding a little cranky today. Must be overcast and chilly in NC today.
I think the problem with much of the journalism you are talking about it that they cater to what people want to read, if they want to read any thing at all. People don’t want to read about, and hence journalist don’t want to write about, how hard job hunting is today, in a very slowly recovering job market. Jobs are being created, just not enough. So job hunters have to retool, reeducate and work their butts off. But that doesn’t sell so we get “The Top Ten Miracle Cures for Job Seekers”, etc.
But the writers have got to work too so they write what sells. Guess you can’t blame them.
I’m always cranky.
They say print is dying. The only thing that saves print is the celebrity section. So I say — if it’s dying, let it die with integrity.
Solid…but, I wouldn’t want you to be Howard Kurtz. Another Beltway hack who doesn’t live up to his job title – media critic. Why isn’t Kurtz criticizing the Sunday morning shows, for example, that failed Presidential candidate John McCain appeared for the 26th time on a Sunday morning show since he lost the election. John Kerry wasn’t on TV a quarter of that time….but I digress.
You, at least, criticize appropriately. So, continue being Laurie Ruettimann and not Howard Kurtz.
I’m with you on McCain. Also, who told Kyl he is allowed to have an opinion on START? What a moron.
Ok, where to start.
I know you thought I made a booboo by typing Tom Petters instead of Tom Peters. Mr. Petters was the guy whose claim to fame was that he got caught a few months before Bernie Madoff. Just google him+Minneapolis. Tom Peters is a tad better than Harvey “Cliche is my Middle Name” MacKay. Just my opinion, folks.
And, lastly, two old guys? Just you wait. Old men? Just think Bill Clinton (ok, don’t), how about Harrison Ford, Robert DeNiro, Bobby Redford…do I need to keep going?
Blogs ARE awesome. But most of us bloggers…not you, of course;…writing our blogs and giving out our advice is like the guy who writes romance novels but can’t get a date. It’s for our self-amusement, like, well…you know.
But back to your point about journalists and careers. I am still waiting for a serious journalist to write up all these “Screw ‘Em Fast and Hard” job boards, that take job seekers’ money for non-existent $100,000/year job access and a series of endless emails.
oh well. Keep up the good work.
I liked it when I thought you didn’t like Tom Peters. I thought that was pretty badass because he is a saint in these circles.
And I’m sorry to pick on old guys. Sorta.
Oh no, I don’t like him. But then, most ex-McKinsey guys don’t know shit about the real business-building world, but they are great presenters. He’s a saint in HR? Then there is no hope.
Name some others I can hate for you. I like this game.
How about an journalistic expose about consulting?
Perhaps if journalists started putting pressure where it belongs, companies wouldn’t have to pay $375 an hour for entry-level data analysis and would be free to start hiring again.
Just a thought.
Ask and ye shall receive:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-the-management-consultancy-scam-2057127.html
I will say this: my brother was a management consultant, and if you know what you are doing with the quantitative analysis and have an actual grasp of what’s going on in the business, then it makes some sense. The biggest problem he saw was usually top level management.
1. Figures the expose comes from not America.
2. Agreed about sharp consultants with relevant knowledge and skills.
3. The discovery of the problems of leadership is what caused me to jump from strategic consulting to comm & leadership development after less than 2 years on the job.
4. Thanks.
First: Welcome back!
“Why do journalists want to talk to me about LinkedIn when the Dow Jones is on a record run but unemployment will only come down to 9% in 2011?”
Journalists are probably overworked and underpaid at this point. Regardless, this truly infuriates me. I want to know why the companies won’t hire. My half-assed theory: because the people with the money can now hoard it. Why hire people or invest in research when you can just buy out the government and make millions more with so much less?
I’m really tired, and reading that has pushed me over the emotional edge I’ve been dangling off of the past few weeks. I need to reread tomorrow and I’ll be more coherent…maybe.
I love it when you’re riled up!
Laurie–When they want to talk about Facebook etc., refer them to the careerxraods.com Sources of Hire survey which shows ‘social media’ accounted for less than 1% of new hires in 2009 and all job boards combined (how many tens of thousands are there?) only 13%. How is it possible to be other than cranky these days?
When I was in the newspaper racket at a fairly small daily doing copy-desk stuff, we had a special section that I used to hate called Super Job Sunday. The ad peeps would fill ‘er up, and we’d have to either (a) dig pablum out of the AP b-wire or (b) send our poor hapless reporters out to do stories. When we were reduced to option B, the reporters could not WAIT to file something, anything, and get back to whatever they were doing before. Top Ten Tips is about as easy as it gets — get Laurie on the line, talk for 20 minutes, write for 10, send it to the copy desk and the nightmare is over for another four weeks!
I agree 1000%. But the reported versus actual unemployment is an outrage as well. I’m sure the actual unemployment figure is closer to 20%. Is this reported on? No. That’s the sad part about the Great Recession.
As someone who writes professionally and has a background in HR/recruitment, (plus gives career advice), I am always bemused that reporting on work stories goes like this. One type are the bully tales, sexual harassment outrages, or fingers in the food grinders as a result of appalling safety practices. The other extreme are the how to write a resume, or the HR feel good media release type stories. Something seems to be missing between the “how to’s” or “how we do it fabulously as an HR practice,” and the sensational. Maybe that’s where blogs like yours fill the gap. There are a lot of workplace practices that are not that flash, that miss out on really good journalistic scrutiny. You are either on the careers page or the front page.
Keep up the cranky rants. It’s a well needed perspective!
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