Sales pitch.

• Author: Rundles, Jeff
• Position: RUNDLES [wrap-up] - Viewpoint essay

In the transition from summer to fall, I have seen quite an increase in networking. It seems as though people who have found themselves out of work in the recession--and all those college graduates being sent out into an uncertain work world--kicked back for the summer and around Labor Day spruced up the resume and began to make the calls, the LinkedIn connections, and the e-mail introductions.

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As a writer for a business magazine I appear to know a lot of potential employers--the traffic for my advice, or at least my connections, has been like 1-25 at rush hour. I'm happy to help. I have made calls, sent e-mails, put my name down for a recommendation, and basically done anything I can do to help. For these types of assistance, all of these job-seekers have been very appreciative.

But on the issue of advice I have been less successful, and in my conversations with potential employees I have become flat-out flabbergasted. Not just with the job-seekers, but also with their so-called education.

The reason is simple. I do indeed know quite a few businesspeople, and many who are hiring and even desperate for good people. What they need, however, are people who can sell--and not one of the job-seekers I have come across wants to be in sales.

With older folks, too, but especially with younger people, 1 have heard this almost to a person: "What I am looking for is a staff, salaried job in management."

Well, I had news for them: First, get in line, everybody with a college degree wants a staff, salaried job in management. Second, in the corporate slaughter of jobs over the last few years those very jobs are the ones that have disappeared.

One of my connections applied for the management training program at a large bank. I asked what he thought that might entail, and when I told him that the people I know in "banking" are, in fact, in "sales," that these "management training" people are selling loans and other bank products, he said, "Oh."

What about a telecommunications company: Except for the engineers who install systems, the CPAs in finance and the receptionist, everyone else is in sales, especially the most senior executives and owners. Website development firm: Except for the developers, pretty much everyone else is in sales. Trade show booth company: nothing but sales...