By Michael Mercer, Ph.D.
“Occupy Wall Street protesters will have a hard time getting jobs,” declares Michael Mercer, Ph.D., author of the book “Job Hunting Made Easy.” “They are displaying many behaviors that employers will realize they never want in people they hire.”
How can protesting in Occupy Wall Street result in harming future job hunting prospects? Dr. Mercer, a psychologist, lists destructive consequences from being an OWS protester, plus job hunting advice to help protesters who want a job.
“First, Occupy Wall Street protesters keep themselves out of the job hunting arena,” explains Dr. Mercer. “They will find it hard to explain to job interviewers what they did for months while unemployed. If employers discover they were busy protesting, those employers will light a match and burn their resumes.”
| |
Second, Mercer asserts participating in Occupy Wall Street displays “awful attitudes toward work, including lousy work ethic, irresponsibility, and an entitlement mentality.”
In what ways?
“Work ethic looks minimal to nonexistent among Occupy Wall Street protesters,” points out Dr. Mercer. Why? “Protesters want organizations to cave in to their demands. But, in a job employees need to fulfill employers’ and customers’ needs and demands, not their personal demands. Being immersed in day-after-day screaming about how organizations should bend to their will glorifies laziness and a lousy work ethic. That produces a person no employer would hire.”
Mercer also asserts Occupy Wall Street protesters display ”personal irresponsibility and entitlement mentality.” For instance, OWS protesters demand taxpayers pay-off their loans, including student loans. “This proves they crave to toss personal responsibility out the window. After all, no one forced them to attend college or get loans. Responsible adults repay loans. It’s a troubling and childish mindset to demand other people assume obligations you agreed to.”
This portrays Occupy Wall Street protesters as possessing a “distasteful entitlement mentality,” explains Dr. Mercer. He says, “As a person grows up, they must fend for themselves, make choices, and keep promises. But, job hunters who demand entitlements they did not earn will act like entitled and disgruntled employees – if any employer was stupid enough to hire them. And no employer wants to hire cry-babies.”
Importantly, “Occupy Wall Street protesters act thrilled ganging up to bully or harm innocent people,” observes Dr. Mercer. “Protesters’ traffic blocking show they do not care about how their actions impact other people. That is bullying behavior displayed by sociopaths. It is like a street gang. Employers avoid hiring job applicants who feel thrilled harming and bullying people.”
So, what job hunting advice does Dr. Mercer recommend to Occupy Wall Street protesters who want to get a job — eventually?
“First,” he recommends, “start spending your days job hunting, rather than protesting. Second, hang around responsible people who work and repay debts. Third, fulfill your humanistic desires by volunteering at charities during evenings and weekends. Volunteering teaches you to actually help people, rather than childishly demanding other people help you. It also revs up your work ethic, because you need to show up and produce results, rather than just spout rhetoric at social or political events.”
COPYRIGHT 2011 Michael Mercer, Ph.D.
http://www.MercerSystems.com
Michael Mercer, Ph.D., is nationally recognized expert on hiring the best using pre-employment tests. His 5 books include “Hire the Best - & Avoid the Rest(tm).” Dr. Mercer created 3 pre-employment tests - tests to help companies hire outstanding employees: (1) Abilities Forecaster(tm) Test, (2) Behavior Forecaster(tm) Test, and (3) Dependability Forecaster(tm) Test. You can get information - or answers to your questions: See website http://www.MercerSystems.com or Talk with Dr. Mercer - 847-382-0690.
Check out the latest Career Insider eNewsletter - December 1, 2011.
