What's Wrong With Kids Today?!

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Rachel, what's wrong with kids today?


By Rachel Mar 5, 2010 - 1:03:28 AM


Dear Rachel,

Maybe I’m over-reacting because I haven’t done this for a while, but what is wrong with today’s kids? Over the past couple of months I’ve been called to talk to young people applying for jobs in media at our agency because the person who usually does this is out on maternity leave. Some of the young people I meet are impressive but too many are on the moon. They don’t come prepared for the interview, and they don’t really seem to care what sort of impression they make. It’s as if they are doing me a favor by showing up. Some are downright arrogant. I wouldn’t hire any of them. What gives? Sign me, Beaned in Boston

Dear Beaned,

I will jump to their defense, if briefly.

These days I don’t think young people have the work experience behind them that kids of earlier generations had, like summer jobs and part-time work in college. So I think when they go looking for that first job they suffer from a lot of misconceptions about how they should present themselves.

They think they must come across as self-assured, and too often the result is to appear arrogant.

But I think another problem is that many have come out of college media programs where they think they learned everything there is to know about media. When they get to the interview they want you to know just what they know. So they chatter on, and you have to listen.

In their defense, I think they’re probably pretty good kids beneath the bluster.

How do you handle them in the interview?

I think you should be polite but very firm about what the agency expects of people it hires. See if they’re listening. If they are, it’s a good sign.

I also think you need to take control of the conversation. Don’t let them talk on.

Ultimately, your goal is to filter out the ringers to get to those who would make good hires for your agency. As soon as you realize the person you are talking to is not going to make the cut, move to end the interview with a few polite comments along the lines of we’ll call if we have something that’s right for you.

You may go through dozens of such interviews before you find your person, which might seem like a lot of time better spent doing more worthwhile things. But it’s a good investment of time if the person you settle on is a good hire.

If you don’t find that person after dozens of interviews, you may want to widen your net.
The one mistake you do not want to make it is to hire that person who’s the best of a bad lot, the least annoying of a not very promising set of candidates. If you have doubts about that person in your first meeting, you need to trust your gut and take a pass.

You can’t hire weak candidates and shape them into good workers. It doesn’t happen. Trust me. I know.



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