CAREER CORNER
No Magic Pill
Career necessities of a supply and demand economy
MANY VIEWPOINTS exist about wheth-
er there will be a shortage of science,
technology, engineering and math (STEM)
job applicants as more baby boomers re-
tire. My outlook on the situation is viewed
through the law of supply and demand.
There are 600,000 STEM jobs available,1
and six out of 10 supply chain jobs are
unfilled.2 This glut of open positions raises
the question: “Why are quality profession-
als and individuals in supply chain and
STEM fields having a hard time getting
hired in their respective industries?”
A study on the supply chain of middle-
skills jobs revealed that the labor shortage
could be a skills mismatch rather than an
applicant shortage.3 In other words, there
may be a large number of job candidates
who are just a few qualifications shy of
filling in some open STEM positions.
Let’s look at the facts: Labor and unem-
54 QP • www.qualityprogress.com
BY TERESA WHITACRE
ployment statistics from late 2015 show
the United States had a 5% unemployment
rate (7.9 million people).4
Maybe these unemployed individuals
could fill the 600,000 openings in STEM
and supply chain fields. And they might
need to add a few essential skills and a
small amount of experience to get their
careers back on track.
I’ve experienced periods of steady
employment and times when finding work
was a struggle, and I’ve helped friends
navigate ups and downs in their careers.
To maintain a solid foothold in the quality
field’s job market, start by answering some
basic questions. So, what’s keeping you
from employment?
Is it geography?
People may not live in areas where work
is available, and relocation might not be
desired or possible. But if all the jobs they
are qualified for are located outside their
preferred areas, they must decide whether
they want to change their profession
or geography. This leaves some people
feeling trapped between a rock and hard
place, but being jobless requires tough
decisions to keep your career afloat.
Is it your skill set?
An organization might have a job open-
ing that requires coordinate measuring
machine skills, for example, but it didn’t
receive applicants with that skill set; or
maybe there weren’t any applicants that
met the job’s industry experience require-
ments, such as plastics, metals, glass or
electronics.
When applying for a job, study the
skills, techniques, education, certifications
or industry-specific knowledge it requires.
If it’s a job or field you truly want to work
in, ensure you meet the qualification
criteria.
If you’re lacking skills or experience,
use those missing pieces as a map for
what areas of your résumé you should
develop. Consider whether you need
additional training, education or whether
you should take on a lesser role to gain
more experience. This practice helped me
maintain steady employment in the quality
field.
Attitude or behavior?
Try to get a sense of an organization’s cul-
ture and decide whether your attitude fits
well with the position and organization.
This also could be based on what type of
person the employer is seeking.
At a small manufacturing organization
I worked with, the CEO believed in using
the Predictive Index (PI)—a behavior
assessment that gauges how a candidate
might handle various situations and man-
agement styles—to determine whether
someone was the right team member.
For this CEO, it didn’t matter how
strong people’s work ethic or technical
skills were: If they didn’t fit the position’s
desired PI profile, they didn’t get in the
door. Today, this type of assessment has
become common. But it’s important for
employers to remember that people can
learn how to adapt to new situations and
cultures.
Current and future demand
Study industry trends, and see what is be-
ing projected for a job’s current and future
need. Some people may not enjoy trying
unfamiliar roles or taking a temporary pay
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cut to keep themselves employed, but it’s
necessary sometimes. I’ve done it, and so
have my friends, spouse and other quality
professionals I know.
You need to keep active and try new
jobs to stay current and relevant in your
field. This is especially true if you’re
hoping to secure a STEM or supply chain
role. You must develop new skills and be
willing to relocate or earn a certification,
which all require time and resources.
There is no magic pill to solve the real
and perceived industry labor issues, but
these tips can put anyone in a better posi-
tion to be hired for many of today’s vacant
positions. Look at the labor market and
your needs as just that—your needs. Do
what’s best for you.
As impossible as it seems, there is a job
for everyone. It may not look like it today,
tomorrow or next year. But if you leave
no stone unturned and knock on enough
doors, you’ll get where you need to be. QP
REFERENCES
1. “STEM Crisis or STEM Surplus? Yes and Yes,” BLS.gov, May
2015, http://tinyurl.com/stemcrisisorsurplus.
2. “The Skills Gap in U.S. Manufacturing—2015 and Beyond,”
report, The Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte, 2015,
http://tinyurl.com/manufacturingskillsgap.
3. Alicia Sasser Modestino, “Middle Skill Workers in Today’s
Job Market,” The Supply Chain for Middle-Skill Jobs: Educa-
tion, Training and Certification Pathways, The National
Academies, Sept. 3, 2015, http://tinyurl.com/
supplychainformiddleskill.
4. “Employment Situation Summary,” news release, BLS.gov,
Jan. 8, 2016, www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm.
TERESA WHITACRE is a quality engi-
neer and principal at Marketech Sys-
tems in Pittsburgh. She has an MBA
from California University Foreign
Credential Evaluation in Los Angeles.
She is an ASQ-certified quality auditor,
engineer, Six Sigma Green Belt and
manager of quality/organizational ex-
cellence. An ASQ fellow, Whitacre is an instructor for ASQ's
Pittsburgh Section’s certified quality inspector refresher
course and is deputy regional director for ASQ Region 8.
Visit asq.org/qp-wcqi
for more information
and to register today.
March 2016 • QP 55