This is a small industry in so many ways. It is also a people business where person to person contact is more prevalent than in most of corporate America. CEOs are more visible, networking among competitors is prevalent and talk is cheap. Many a young friend has had conversation with career guidance people, employment agencies, head hunters and search firms. The commonality among the outside industry labor groups and services is that they real004333ly don’t know us and the unique inner workings; we have grown incestuous over the past 50 years. We meet and speak on trade show floors, we congregate at summits, we serve in industry associations, we readily share data through industry services. Suppliers buy from the same sources, distributors open their doors to head to head competitors without discrimination. We do not have 6 degrees of separation, we barely have one. I have over 1,000 Linked In Friends and 99% of them have at least half of my business friends, as well.
We are also a family business. While there is a rapidly escalating trend of corporate growth, few of our companies are publicly held and traded anywhere. That means the probability of knowing the CEO, CFO, COO is almost a given. That familiarity is a positive in employment but can be a painful negative in job change. Were you to leave me and I was a family business … I could take it personally. Leaving a business that I manage for a better job, I should wish you well. It’s not me you’re leaving but “the company”.
I know the resumes of today have little semblance to the resume I used when last looking for a job in 1982. However, previous work history is still a needed ingredient. If the goal is staying in our industry, then the company names will be very familiar to the company looking to hire. While no longer in the “Rolodex”, the old company boss’s name is probably on the contact list. The take away from this is what you already know, it is a very small business and, to some degree, a very small-minded mentality overall.
Because I have spent 50 years in our industry, I can see trends that others might not see or care to see.
I see an increase in “pirating”. Sometimes the pirating is done under the cover of outside search firms, other times it is a simple and blatant call to the competitor’s employee. My own definition of pirating is to seek out and hire a person from a direct competitor to perform the same or similar job for me. Hey, we only need to look at sports. This is done every day of every season in every sport. However, pirating would be taking a head coach from one team to the next. I do not call taking an assistant coach from one team to make a career move up to be head coach for me, pirating. Yes, this conversation is subjective.
Taking a CSR from a distributor 5 miles away from me is pirating … in my book. Unless, he or she initiated contact with me for a career change. Lucky me. I have a fully trained CSR, ready to go on line in seconds. I also have the potential of gaining tactical advantages, new customers, new sources and a heck of a lot of privileged info. One of the most difficult of all agreements is a non-compete. Some work, most don’t. Overall, the courts tend to view non-competes as coercive agreements people must sign to get a job, but also agreements that can block that same person from making a living if the job does not work out. Courts usually don’t like to rule that a person with specific skills in a specific industry should be enjoined from “making a living”. Non-competes, if violated, must be resolved in court. The expense alone dissuades many a job seeker from litigation.
I see a trend in age discrimination. Despite the knowledge and skill set a person may bring to the table, seasoned candidates require more money. I see those plus 45 candidates often turned aside in favor of youth. It seems, in many cases, the knowledge and experience are not worth the expense and cheaper goods can serve the purpose. I see that with reps, I see that in internal positions such as marketing and even purchasing. I have always said … career wise, if you are not in striking distance of the ultimate job you want to get by age 45, your chances of making it diminish every year thereafter. I see today’s business climate reaffirming my opinion. If you want to be a corporate President, your resume should make you a serious candidate by 45 or, chances are, you will never be. I you want to be a VP of sales, your work experience and accomplishments, education and career should have all the needed ingredients by 45. This is not an exact number, but one views a metaphysical line of too old, too expensive. Remember, this is one man’s opinion.
I am also seeing factors that never existed in 1982 have an influence on job seeking. You are what you Tweet, you are what you post, you are subject to social media. Even if a future employer in this business is not your friend on Facebook, what you have posted will be part of your file either to referral or reputation. I believe in LinkedIn, blogs and social media such as Facebook. However, each can be used as a positive or negative. I suggest you get blogging. Not just writing, but pertinent industry blogs which become testimony to you and your net worth. I suggest you link your blogs wherever you can. LinkedIn should be used 110% for business and self-elevation, not anything else. Sites such as Promotional Marketing Professionals have to be looked at with a cautious eye as to who may be reading your posts and responses. Practice S.I. – Safe Internet.
Job stability has an even greater influence on job change than before. Gone is the 25 year watch. Too many job changes are, and always will be, a negative. Too many moves to direct competitors infers that “I can’t trust you”. It implies that you will move on from me a few years after I hire you.
If ethics were a measuring cup, the new normal line is far lower than it was in 1982. However, in a small industry like ours, ethics hold more sway. Leaving employer “A” and going to “B” with a customer list is just as unethical and just as illegal as it was years ago, and it is not easy to cleanse all computers and e-mail upon leaving. They know it; you have to know it as well. There deep traces in hard drives that never leave.
The requirement for references has not changed -- the possibility of your reference not being as loyal to you has changed. It’s like a cop show on TV where the witness says ... “I don’t have anything more to give you”. The cop says, “you do.” A good reference checker will uncover the unexpected.
So, build your career. Onward and upward in money, challenge and performance and always keep a watchful eye on how you position yourself for future scrutiny.
Joel D. Schaffer, MAS is CEO and Founder of Soundline, LLC, the pioneering supplier to the promotional products industry of audio products. Joel has 48 years of promotional product industry experience and proudly heralds “I was a distributor.” He has been on the advisory panel of the business and marketing department of St. John’s University in New York and is frequent speaker at Rutgers Graduate School of Business. He is an industry Advocate and has appeared before the American Bankers Association, American Marketing Association, National Premium Sales Executives, American Booksellers Association and several other major groups. He has been a management consultant to organizations such as The College Board and helped many suppliers enter this industry. He is a frequent contributor to PPB and Counselor magazines. He has facilitated over 200 classes sharing his industry knowledge nationwide. He is known for his cutting humor and enthusiasm in presenting provocative and motivating programs. He is the only person to have received both the Marvin Spike Industry Lifetime Achievement Award (2002) and PPAI’s Distinguished Service Award (2011). He is a past director of PPAI and has chaired several PPAI committees and task forces. He is a past Chair of the SAAGNY Foundation, Past President of SAAGNY and a SAAGNY Hall of Fame member. He was cited by ASI as one of the 50 most influential people in the industry.