For the last 29 years, I have listed, marketed, sold Maine

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And a recent real estate buyer who came in to the office from out of state has been at his job just as long. His job to find college graduates employment, hopefully in their field of study. He shared with me when I asked him how his job has changed over the nearly three decades one big basic shift. In the beginning, graduates were just anxious to get their first job, a job. He said they were grateful to be able to interview and most listed attentively as he described the entry level job. Most with hat in hat, and you really sensed he said that he ran the interview, asked the questions. Everyone on both sides of the interview table understood the exercise, the roles.

Now, he went on further to share that today the attitude is different. The atmosphere of a majority of the interviews can make him feel he is the one being interviewed. Grilled, pressured and put thru the test by many interviewees who feel entitled, demanding, expectant.

When some current day interviewees are told this is what the job entails, the pay scale, the “package” from vacation, sick days, advancements options, some look shocked. Other grin and ask you can’t be serious. Many question how can I live on that, pay off school loans or have a BMW, a ski side condo at some mountain they figure they will be spending weekends at winters. How will they pay for fun and games at somewhere else exotic during the other seasons?

He starts to feel an attitude come to the front and center stage of interview. And often has to remind the person needing the job that many folks are being interviewed. That there are only so many open slots and that the interviewee is not a prized athelete being chased, caught by the highest bigger. This is an entry level job in a time when having a job in your field of study, to use to start paying off those student loans and to begin living on your own, not off your parents is the key point here. Career advancement starts with an entry level first career job.

Some job applicants get silent, looking downward. Inwardly wondering how the bright promising high income future they planned on and expected was not to be. Some go in to denial and become arrogant, snide and outright rude to the fellow with the keys to the new office building and a job. A job beneath someone of their character, pedigree, that can be the best in their profession they remind any one who will listen. A reminder that a cocky attitude, or lack of a team player spirit or gratitude to just be on the team and maybe to settle to just watch, listen, see the game plan from the bench for starters sometimes goes in deaf ears.

How am I going to live on that and have all the toys, the life style and fun and games outside of work on that puny salary? You call that a salary?

This fellow said he always, always tried to find folks from northern rural climates, especially from farming, agricultural or wood timbering backgrounds like Maine for many of his job assignments. He said the tone of the interviewee is one of listening, asking practical questions. It was always obvious he was running the interview and not the other way around. There is politeness, being thanked for the chance to just interview and see what this job being offered is all about. They are excited to be considered for a job, their first job and will do what it takes to land it, secure it. Anxious to start right away and indicating, they need a job and will do whatever is expected and yes, they could start tomorrow if need be.

He has found that young adults who had jobs, lots of them growing up and they know how to work, like to be industrious, just want a chance to prove themselves. Not full of themselves, but realizing they have to pull their weight and not to expect anything for nothing. Parents, teach your children well. My kids were lucky to have grown up picking potatoes, managing that money and using much of it to buy worthwhile items like a winter coat that was taken care of. Old school, hokey, so Walton TV show like? Child abuse? Not at all. The jobs on the farms growing up, the lawns to mow, household responsibilities did not hurt them and they all know how to work. They had entry level jobs leading up to the career starting first employment in the degree they earned at college. The do not expect someone else to take care of them.

I remember asking a nephew from Massachusetts what he had planned for work one summer during his junior year. I asked if he planned to flip burgers, be a lawn expert in the neighborhood and this was his response. “Uncle Andy, I don’t want to flip burgers, I want to be the supervisor.” Right off the bat. Said like a stroke of genius that he had this employment gig figured out. Just by pass the entry level part, the working down in the ditches. Head right to the top, and have lots of other folks working under him, for him. A stint in the Navy after floundering in and out of school did this nephew wonders. He learned responsibility, a healthy attitude of appreciation and had his eyes opened on how the world runs, or is suppose to.

His parents, who were both from Aroostook County and raised with the same potato picker, work ethic background were not home when he landed after school. They live north of Boston MA. And to coax him to study, they “paid” him to stay off the computer. Hello? I would take the modem with me to work if fear of being parked for hours after school on line was the problem. Too much free idle time and not enough to do around the home for chores, or outside to earn spending money. If kids are handed twenty dollar bills, where is the incentive to work for them or to learn to be more caution with spending, planning use of the money they earn?
Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers