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The “common theme” that I followed for this class is improving job search skills among adults who have been downsized, specifically those who work in lower-level professional or clerical positions. The type of skills this covers includes the traditional ones (interviewing and resume creation) and technology-based ones (such as the use of social networking websites). This emphasis on technology is particularly important, given its near ubiquitous use in recruiting.
The Performance ProblemThere was once a time when it was possible to obtain a job right after graduating high school or college and stay with that company for the duration of your working years. Today, the odds of landing a position at a company following this “cradle to grave” model are incredibly small. Add to this the weakening of the economy due to the credit crisis, globalization, and seemingly out of control inflation, and you have a fairly grim picture for the average American worker. And it doesn’t look to be getting much better – in May 2008, the U.S. unemployment rate jumped half a percentage point, the highest such increase since 1975 (Nutting, 2008).
The Recommended Intervention Based on the Performance Analysis Model provided in class, the best course of action is two-pronged. The first can be addressed by allowing participants to practice the skills that have remained relevant over the There should be little trouble obtaining participant buy-in for this intervention, as downsized workers over 40 tend to have higher rates of participation in outplacement programs than their younger counterparts (Gowan & Nassar-McMillan, 2001). These workers are highly self-aware, and realize the necessity to freshen up their skills.
Chan, S. & Stevens, A.H. (2001). Job loss and employment patterns of older workers [Electronic version]. Journal of Labor Economics, 19(2), 484-521. Gowan, M.A. & Nassar-McMillan, S.C. (2001, December). Examination of individual differences in participation in outplacement program activities after job loss [Electronic version]. Journal of Employment Counseling, 38(12), 185-196. Nutting, R. (2008, Jun 6). Jobless rate soars to 5.5% in May. Marketwatch. Retrieved June 9, 2008 from http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid={6B9B2E20-06E8-4FC0-AD5A-3029D5057F89}. |
IMA6 - Chinda
Interactive Media, Summer 08
One group of workers that is particularly vulnerable within this new economic framework are those who have been with a single company for a significant amount of time. “Two years after a job loss at age 55, just 60% of men and 55% of women are employed, compared with employment rates of more than 80% among nondisplaced men and women who were working at age 55” (Chan & Stevens, 2001). Older workers can be caught off guard when they are removed from a position they fully intended to spend the rest of their working lives at. Having been removed from the job market for such a long period of time, their job seeking skills have more than likely atrophied from lack of use – putting their future employment prospects at risk.
past several decades. Primarily this consists of resume writing, networking tactics, and interviewing skills. The second part of this solution consists of providing information about the aspects of job hunting that have changed. Technology (the Internet in particular) has become pervasive in our society and integral to obtaining nearly any job in the U.S. It is critical that those older workers who do not have previous experience with technology gain it, and a blended (computer-based distance instruction plus instructor led in-classroom training) platform would serve as a perfect opportunity for them to do so in a relatively pressure-free environment.