Who Will Fill The Jobs America Needs?

Earlier this month the DOL reported that for each job opening in May there were 4.7 people looking for work in America – how pitiful, although this was down from well over 6 in mid 2009. When I graduated from college there was one chemical engineer graduating nationally for every two Chem E job openings meaning all of us in my class throughout the country that year got good jobs based on our education.

Now I have written about the importance of higher education many times before on this blog – in fact, along with the FairTax, higher education is the other passion for America that Carol & I have. The account herein is illustrative of the failure of our universities to produce graduates that can do the work that contributes to increases in our standard of living.

Disappointingly I have recently received the two (certainly) unsolicited inquiries below re my availability for job positions in the chemical process industry. Although both of the ones below are from search firms I also receive many inquiries each year from principals directly.

Now while we are worried about jobs being created (by whomever) we should also wonder what type of jobs are available. One of the most patriotic subscribers to ReturnToExcellence.net quite often has things published like "Jobs having us serve burgers or sell Chinese made products to one another certainly is not the answer." He often asks if a husband paying a wife to cook or a wife paying a husband to cut the lawn is the type of economy that can be sustained? This may very well be the type of economy America is heading for. BO is stifling innovation & the resulting wealth-job creation (on purpose) so we have far too many jobs still existing in America that rightly should have been moved to developing nations long ago. The type of jobs that are needed to sustain our economy are hard to find & where they do exist we do not have enough people educated or trained to perform the work – & entrepreneurs know this.

Please read the two job inquiries below, that I have no intention of answering or even encouraging receiving more of. Ask yourself if you know anyone personally that could fill either position or better yet ask yourself if you know anyone who even understands what they are looking for.

7/14/11

Dear Engineers, Scientists and Potential Job-Seekers,

Our client is the world leader in integrated power plants for the production of electricity and air quality control systems. They have solutions for all energy sources including coal, gas, nuclear, fuel-oil, hydropower and wind and are a leader in innovative technologies for the protection of the environment (reduction of CO2 emissions; elimination of pollutant emissions). They have a presence in nearly 100 countries throughout the world and currently have over 93,000 employees. We have been retained on this exclusive search to identify a Manager of Quality and Process Improvement.

6/24/11

For Hiring Managers, Engineers and Scientists:

In today's competitive marketplace a recruiter needs to provide a value-added service for clients in order to distinguish himself. My "value-add" includes the technical knowledge I bring to the table with a Chemical Engineering degree, twenty-two years of experience in the Executive Search industry, and "prior life" experience as a graduate of Princeton University's Philosophy department. The combination of such diverse sets of experience has sharpened my problem-solving and research skills, giving me a unique view of the most efficient and successful methods of conducting searches for rare, hard-to-find talent.

Last week, in a CBS News report, the CEO of Dow Corporation stated that there are over a million technology/science/engineering jobs currently open in the United States, with only 200,000 graduates available to fill them. In such times, despite the "soft" economy, the help of a skilled and experienced recruiter can be vital.

Please call me if you have a challenging recruiting need which requires a creative and insightful approach, as well as a work-ethic based on complete thoroughness. My goal is to bring you satisfaction in every aspect of our work.