Even though the generation known (rightly or not) for slacking has grown up and gone to work, it turns out that Gen Xers haven't totally abandoned their old nonchalant ways. A recent survey by outplacement firm Drake Beam Morin reveals that members of this latte-swilling crowd, which DBM identifies as being born from 1965 to 1981, are much more passive when looking for jobs than are Boomers (born from 1946 to 1964) and mature workers (born in 1945 and earlier).
In particular, Gen Xers rely more heavily on recruiters and job announcements than do other job seekers, who network more regularly and create their own career opportunities, according to the study of more than 15,800 executives, professionals, and managers who used DBM's career-transition services in 21 counties during 2000.
In the survey, only 36% of Gen Xers said they found new jobs through networking, compared with 46% of Boomers and 51% of mature workers. Part of the gap could reflect the fact that the younger generation hasn't been in the workforce as long as older workers. Thus, they've simply had less time to develop their web of contacts to schmooze with.
INACTIVE MANAGERS. Still, Greg Pettenon, managing consultant for DBM's Deerfield (Ill.) office, is concerned about what he calls a "disturbing trend." Notwithstanding the scores of Gen-X entrepreneurs who launched their own companies during the dot-com boom, too many others in this age group are failing to actively manage their careers, Pettenon says.
Instead, they're waiting around for job postings (19% of Gen Xers said they found jobs this way, vs. 13% of Boomers and 12% of mature workers). Or they're counting on headhunters to do their job-hunting work for them (18% of Gen Xers used search firms to find their current positions, while only 13% of Boomers and 8% of mature workers did).
"By networking, you are telling the employer what you want before the opportunity presents itself," says Pettenon, who adds that the meeting-and-greeting way of job searching is the best way to build a successful career. "If you respond to an ad, there is going to be a remote possibility that the job is going to be exactly what you are looking for. If Gen Xers don't take ownership over their careers, they will be looking for something that isn't there."
With layoffs rising, fewer jobs are available at the moment, so networking is becoming more important. Pettenon suggests that job seekers join professional associations and reach out to friends and university networks. But make sure that you can tolerate the crew you choose to mingle with, because it can take time for a payoff to arrive. "It is about establishing relationships over time," says Pettenon. "You don't go to one networking meeting and hope that a job materializes."
THIRD CHOICE. One other place jobs don't seem to be materializing quickly is the online job boards. On average, only 3% of the job candidates in DBM's survey said they landed jobs using the Internet. Pettenon is hardly surprised. Most employers hire first from within, he says, especially for plum positions. If they can't find what they want on the inside, they look for referrals from current employees.
Only after those two methods fail to turn up a good candidate do they consider hiring via the Internet or using other forms of classified advertising, he says. "I think that's why the Internet has been unsuccessful [for job seekers]," Pettenon adds. "It's a lot more meaningful for employers to bring on someone they know and trust already."
Remember that old college buddy who has a job at the company you've been wanting to work for? Maybe it's time to invite him out for a round of margaritas. Er, make that lattes.
Copyright 2001 , by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.
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