Each of us has either experienced firsthand, or know someone who has experienced a mid-life crisis when it comes to career choice. We understand the crisis that can result when a person feels that perhaps they've been "stuck" in the wrong job for the last 15 years. We can even sympathize with the strong urge for a career change that some of us experience after dedicating so many years to a particular field of work.
In fact, the majority of today's real estate agents have evolved from these types of crises. Is it possible that you identify with these folks so much, that you've made them the primary, or even exclusive focus of your recruiting efforts?
In light of the information revealed by Business Week's recent survey (read Monday's blog for more on this), it seems that we are missing out on an enormous new resource. Young college graduates are facing a crisis that most people don't have to consider until reaching their mid 40's. They are leaving college with no prospect of being able to work in their area of specialty.
The good news for you is, they are hungry for a new direction. Another Business Week article includes several examples of intelligent, motivated, new grads who have had to settle for very low-level jobs. Take for instance, Sasha Muradalih, a University of Miami graduate with a Masters in International Public Relations. Unable to find a job, she is currently settling for clerical work. Then there's Stephanie Haller, a graduate of Humboldt State University (BA in Journalism), who is currently Managing a Hollywood Video store. The list goes on...
The point is this: It might be time to take advantage of this young, educated, and hungry generation, while they're ready and available. They want to launch new and exciting careers, and many of them will make great agents. One idea is to create a Manager development track that's more systematic, providing young people from a business/management education, with a vision of where they could be a few years from now.
What have you got to lose? Some managers have said it takes too much time to train people who are so young and may not work out. This could arguably be a complaint about candidates of any age...anyone who doesn't immediately appear self-sufficient. There is an answer to this: Numbers! Increase the number you source, which will increase the number of candidates you interview, which will ultimately increase the number of solid, young people you'll meet... who you know can knock it out of the park!
Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.
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