The Real Reason Potential Employees Aren't Finding Work Today

Gordon Carlsen is a dead set legend as far as I am concerned – because here he is, a successful business owner, saying the same stuff that I do day in and day out, e.g. if you are going to apply for a job, make an effort. I am a bit miffed that he was forced to delete his Facebook post due to the haters, because it's those comments to which I am addicted. And now I will never know what stupidity was being hurled at him, although I have a good idea having read the comments in the news article. Ignoring the haters, there are other comments on this news article that highlight just how big the problem of jobseekers' not having the right approach to their job search is. What is very clear is that there are jobs out there (and good ones too) but that people are not approaching these opportunities with the right attitude. Here are some comments:

Now, let's be clear about something. These are EMPLOYERS complaining about how hard it is to get people to work for them. It's not a recruiter saying there are no candidates – these are businesses who recruit directly. So even when people know they are dealing directly with an employer, some are just not making an effort. This is not a Western Sydney problem (there were a few accusations of that in the comments too), because my favourite phone call with a potential employee was with a young lady from Sydney's North Shore who told me that she couldn't work Thursdays or Fridays because she has a very 'active' social life and can't commit to work on those days.

That, folks, is word for word. The problem is attitude. You are not entitled to the job you want. Especially if you are not prepared to work to get the job you want. If you are offered the chance of a job interview, go to it. Make an effort with your appearance. Don't think that you are so important that the work is beneath you. And this does not just apply to kids who never made it to year 12.

There was another news article recently about how university graduates who have never worked are struggling in the workplace because they have not learned some basics: like turn up on time and don't spend all day on your smartphone messaging your mates. There is no point blaming schools for not having 'ready for work' programmes (they do) or to blame parents for bringing up kids who think that they are entitled to everything (because at some point you are responsible for your own behaviour, not Mummy and Daddy). And there is definitely no point in saying that this is all about kids from lower socioeconomic suburbs – because the North Shore princess who didn't want work to interfere with her social life graduated from an expensive private school.

This is about you. If you are young and inexperienced and need work, get off your chuff and get a job. And when you do, turn up, work hard and respect your colleagues. Leave your attitude at home – your mum might think you are the most amazing person ever born. Your boss doesn't.