People with little or no experience need to understand that entitlement has no place in the workforce

What is the best way to help someone new to the workforce who is looking for a job?

Firstly, encourage them to accept and be grateful for an entry-level position that will grant them priceless skills and an opportunity to learn.

There is a tremendous sense of entitlement in our generation. I’ve spoken to many people who claim they can’t find a job. After a short conversation, it’s clear that they want to start at the top. They don’t even know what they don’t know — and their ignorance gives them confidence.

People with little or no experience need to understand that entitlement has no place in the workforce. You have to work for everything you want to get and everything you want to be. It’s so important to find a place where you can gain valuable experience and work your way up. I’ve seen people who took jobs for very little pay and felt cheated, and it reflected poorly in their work and attitude. Compare this to the people who came in with an attitude of gratitude and willingness to learn — they advanced very quickly in the company. With the right attitude, you can grow within a company and grow within yourself — gaining skills and human capital that translates into greater earning potential.

Also, help job seekers keep looking and trying. Candidates need to know a bit about how sales works. In business, not every call results in a meeting and not every meeting results in a sale. It’s the same with jobs. Don’t let job seekers get discouraged because they got one no at an interview. The candidate is in sales right now. They’re selling themselves to a company and they don’t know what their conversion rate is. Often, a lot of factors are playing out and the job seeker isn’t privy to most of them, so keep trying.

A final point: Those having a hard time figuring out what their unique abilities are should consider investing in a career coach. You don’t have to figure out life on your own.

—Joel Freund, Founder and CEO at Fluex Media

The best thing you can do is to believe in them and give them opportunities to grow. I don’t think you ever lose by giving someone a chance. It doesn’t always work out, and you have to be prepared for that eventuality, but you never lose by giving them an opportunity.

But while it’s tempting to think you can always take care of everyone and give them a job, it isn’t the case. Not every job or field is a match for every person, and you need to be aware of that when you try to help someone. You can then reach out to other people who may have more ideal openings for this particular person and help make the “shidduch,” as it were.

—Yossi Schuck: Partner, Bernath & Rosenberg, CPAs and Wealth Advisors

Try to help the person figure out what field and position he would like to go into and then help him network to find a job that has growth opportunities. Encourage him to excel in the job so he becomes a valuable asset to the company.

—Daniel Soloff, National Director, Agudath Israel Professional Career Services

Deciphering a Client’s Needs

The client wants to launch a new marketing campaign. But what if he doesn’t know exactly what his own needs are?

The most important thing to do is to listen and understand. Once you understand a client’s needs, it’s easy to deliver. The tricky part can be to really decipher the need. Sometimes clients themselves don’t even know what they are looking for. Asking the right questions and taking the time to figure it out together is the secret for a successful outcome. We call this Conversion Strategy™.

There are specific questions that we ask depending on the project such as:

What is the goal of this website?

What is the call to action for this campaign?

How do you see your brand five years from now?

Why are you doing marketing at this juncture? Are you looking to build brand awareness? Are you raising funds? Do you want to raise capital?

What is your target audience?

Once we get answers to all these questions, we can help our clients meet their goals.

—Ricky Blau, Principal and Chief Account Executive, GCNY Marketing

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 932)