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This blog is primarily about the workplace, economy and how to attain a work-life balance. I work in the talent acquisition field, aka headhunter, but I have a unique approach and understand that there are people and lives associated with resumes. I will give you the truth about the job market and hiring process and answer any questions you might have that careerbuilder and monster are afraid to answer.

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Housing market professionals left out in the cold

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Contributed by: Harley Collins on 3/13/2008

I received hundreds of resumes in the last month from people jumping ship from industries associated with the foundering mortgage banking and housing sectors. I fill jobs for the entertainment, fashion, media and interactive industries.

And I am seeing people who have spent years riding the housing wave that has not only crested, but violently crashed on the shores of a sandy economy. I feel for them all and do not see a lot of hope for these people in today's job market.

Even with higher gas prices, I see people willing to drive each day from places like Calabasas, West Hills, Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley to Hollywood, West LA, Torrance and places that involve commutes of miserable magnitudes just to have a job that pays far less than what they were making just a few months ago.

People from Countrywide account for a lot of the resumes I see, but I also receive many others from companies that do everything from home furnishing to residential security.

The sad truth is that hiring managers in companies want perfection ad the labor market has unfortunately become pixelated to that people are now pigeonholed not only into specific types of jobs, but also industries.

For example, an executive assistant doing their role in the mortgage industry basically does the same things as someone in the entertainment field. But companies not only want someone with the right technical skills, they demand someone with experience in their industry.

As a result, when an industry fails, such as the mortgage industry, qualified people find it more difficult than ever to apply their skills to a new company not affiliated with mortgage banking. This is a disturbing trend as it makes the pigeon hole even smaller and is a trend that transcends industries.

It bothers me to know and see first hand how few options the modern American worker has, especially the white collar professional. We have seriously got to the point where we take ourselves so serious that we miss the bigger picture from our little pigeonholes.

Those in charge of making hiring decisions have a great responsibility to their company in finding the right people. But they also have an even bigger obligation to making sure their companies are diverse and that they have people with a broad background who can see outside the tiny pixels of a profession and industry.

A diversity of perspectives strengthens an organization. A work place where people can not only do their jobs but also learn new industries adds life and excitement to the mundane and sensory deprived atmosphere of just about every office environment.

Companies and those charged with helping their organization grow cannot afford to be as myopic in the hiring process as they have been as they are losing out on some of the greatest talent in the labor market.

I would encourage people to look closely at those coming from the mortgage banking industry and people affected by its present troubles.

Whether it is someone from marketing, finance or an exceptionally skilled executive or administrative assistant, do not rely solely on a particular industry to gauge talent, look at what the person can bring to your company and how they can strengthen it by having a different perspective.

My next entry will focus on some insider tips from the trenches of the hiring process including how to effectively use the Internet, resume basics, age discrimination and how to get attention from the first people who will see your resume - people like me.

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