by Julie Adamen

As you know, the employment market has changed, so much so it even affects our recession-resistant industry. From my position, I see the effects first hand so I thought I would bring to you what I have gleaned these past several months about the state of employment in our industry. I bring this information to you in case you are thinking about moving up, moving on, or are already unemployed and are having a difficult time understanding why you are unable to procure a position. It's not always a pretty picture, but it is reality. Read on:

The job market

Finite jobs. Without developers continually feeding new projects in to the pipeline, there is not the volume of new jobs coming in to the industry as there once was. Thus, there is little cause for manager movement other than the gain/loss of accounts and the normal attrition of managers.  For the first time in my memory, there are more managers than there are available jobs. The supply problem is additionally compounded by the fact others outside our industry are seeking to gain safe haven in our recession-resistant field. I receive resumes daily from real estate people, general business people, and dog-groomers that all want  in to the business, figuring that heck, they drove by a community association once, so they  figure they can easily manage one (or ten)!  Despite their lack of qualifications, their sheer numbers add to a large supply of people willing to take jobs in our industry. It is my opinion this condition isn't going to change any time soon.

The implication for managers.  A finite source of jobs means that those who quit their positions on a whim, deliberately, or were let go can no longer be assured of immediate employment. Without another position lined up, they can be assured of facing of immediate unemployment for some time, maybe even months.
 
What's out there?  The job seekers
With unemployment at 10-20% (depending on who's statistics you prefer), you can be certain that some of those numbers are in the community management business, or are those people trying to get in to the business. If you are on the market, this with whom you will be competing:

No experience.  Maintenance people. Recreation people. People in construction. Realtors. Brokers. Board members. People from the development world… Anyone who has had some passing acquaintance with community management and is unemployed it seems is now trying to get in our business. What's the chance for them? Unless they make a very concerted effort obtain industry education and network with industry people, potentially for months, the chances of their landing employment is not good.   When those who put forth this effort do land a job, they still have to start at the bottom and work their way up (much to their surprise and chagrin).

Some experience.  When it comes time to lay folks off (as in when an account terminates), the first out the door are normally the least experienced. Some of them have enough experience and more importantly wherewithal, to gain employment in community management, but it may take several months. They too will need to obtain their industry education and continually network with industry folks at CAI luncheons, or what have you. Or, they may simply fade away to find jobs outside our industry.

A lot of experience. Years in the business, good track record, well-executed resume, more than the minimal professional designations, maybe a degree, and most importantly - a good reputation. These people are the most likely to find employment quickly. They have professionally prepared themselves whether they intended to or not by doing the right things from the get go.   There are some truly qualified people out there, and when the right job comes up, you can bet they are the ones to get that job with the least amount of time or energy.

The (unemployed) walking wounded. This is a very broad category, including but not limited to those who have been terminated, have been on disability and are back on the market, have personally been a mess in the past and now got-it-together, those with a spotty-to-poor track record, those with poor references, the financially arrogant ("I'm worth it!"), the bridge-burners, the job-jumpers, and the terminally clueless. These are the folks that 2 years ago could procure employment. Now - not easy.

The old adage that "it's easier to find a job when you have a job" was never more applicable than today. According to the Wall Street Journal, some companies prefer only to hire the already employed  The article quotes Ryan Ross of Kaye/Bassman International Corp.: "If they're employed in today's economy, they have to be first string." This is bad news for the walking wounded among us, in that their chances of landing a job grow slimmer as the executive peruses  the wounded's resume and wonders: "Why has he been unemployed for 9 months?" as that resume heads for the shredder.

Is there hope for the walking wounded? Yes there is, but not without some very careful job-search management and more realistic expectations. 

What's out there - job wise

Portfolio. Management firms for the first time in memory have their choice of portfolio managers. Not a big choice, but a choice nonetheless of experienced community managers.   The real estate agents, board members, maintenance folks and others do add to the volume available for consideration although they are not your direct competition. Yet, some may be hired over you because they had a connection in the company, or simply presented better and would work for less salary. 

Yes, there is portfolio work available, but on a much more low-key basis.  Management firms are running lean and mean, no longer hiring people when there is only a partial portfolio to assign to them because they could count on 5 new accounts in the pipeline tomorrow.   Firms now hire only to fill a full or over-full portfolio.

Onsite.  There is movement in the on-site world as site managers are still subject to the whims and politics of the association, but overall it churns, not as quickly nor as urgently, without that steady flow of new developments being completed. Employed site managers are more likely to be staying put for longer the usual where in previous years they may look about for a new position when the job became a little testy. Their current position is known quantity; it's relatively safe and relatively stable. Why rock the boat just now? Not to mention they, like everyone else, may not be able to sell their home and move on to a new position just yet.

Onsite jobs may be more limited than they once were, but the experienced, large -scale site manager or high-end high-rise manager pool is just as finite as it ever was. Associations still don't have the wide choice of "perfect" applicants they think they will. That hasn't changed, and in fact, this shortfall of possible candidates for on-site work will get worse as time goes on. 

A large portion of our large-scale and high-rise site managers came up through the ranks of management companies that were heavily involved with developers. These firms were in a position to promote from within, bringing up a new crop of site managers. These diminished with disappearance of new development.   Not to mention, our site manager population isn't getting any younger, and will eventually retire out. Where will the managers come from to replace those carried out on their shields? This will lead to a very interesting dynamic in the next 8-10 years when development of large community associations begins again.

What's a manager to do? Examine your situation.

Examine your real reasons for wanting to leave a job.  We seem to be in a reflective mood as a country, so before you leap, reflect on why you want to leave your current position: Is it based on emotion, or is it based on fact? If you are just sick of your job, your boss, your account(s) or the way the accounting staff parts their hair…  My heartfelt suggestion is not to leave in a huff and flurry of hastily gathered belongings prior to the door hitting you on the way out. Stop, think, breath and examine. Is it really that bad? Or will it be worse or the same elsewhere? Are you assured of another position? No? Then be prepared for several months of unemployment (hope for the best, prepare for the worst).  And always, always leave a current position with the appropriate notice given and all of your duties executed right up until the end.  You never know, you may need to go back there someday and executives have a very long memory, especially when they have an abundance of candidates from which to choose.

Let go? Examine why.  I talk to a lot of folks who have been laid off from their jobs in community management. Some were support staff and/or were lowest on the totem pole; thus they got the ax when accounts departed.  It's a bummer, but it's a fact of life. Others are more senior folks who, for the life of them, can't figure out why they were let go while people with less seniority had been spared. It's heartbreaking, but the truth often lies in one of two things: Their position and anything like it has been eliminated and there is nothing available to support their salary, or, they had made themselves less valuable than a fellow employee who was not laid off.

Less valuable? How can you be less valuable than you were a year ago?

Simple supply and demand.  When the manager supply rises without an increase in demand (no new housings starts in the pipeline) the price for that supply is lowered. As I discussed, there is a large group of folks - from inexperienced to very experienced - doing whatever it takes to get/stay employed in our industry. Companies have gone lean, only hiring those who provide a real return on their investment of salary, and often that salary is lower than I previous years.
 
The Help: Become a value-added manager

A larger pool of good managers mean underperformers may be dropped from the company payrolls. Management executives with whom I speak stand in wonder that finally, finally, they have a decent pool of managers from which to choose, allowing them to cut less-valuable managers (and others) in favor of hiring a better staff member, one who brings more value to the company for the salary paid that employee.  It allows them to run more efficiently. Want a job? Bring added value. 

 If you want to stay employed or gain new employment, think: What value do I bring to the table? "Value" means something different to each company, but the basics are the basics:  Buckle down and get your industry designations as the beginning of a value-added manager.  A CMCA is good start, but I'd advise moving up to your AMS and then on to your PCAM. A college degree is valuable, yet higher industry designations and people and communication skills - more so. Industry participation is valuable because it's always nice to have employees involved and the company name involved along with them. Being a team player is a very valuable trait. Having a great attitude is valuable across the board. Mentoring a co-worker brings value not only to you, but to them and to the company. Going the extra mile instead of simply showing up is valuable. Last but not least, not being a whiner is - priceless. When you add up all your effort to become better at your profession, your employer sees the value-added for account retention, employee retention, and a better bottom line for the company.

The Wrap Up: Be prepared for the realities of a job search in today's market.

Even in our industry, the employment market has changed. The pros of our industry - those who have managed their careers well, who have had steady employment, increasing responsibility, industry designations and good reputations - on site or portfolio -  will be the most successful. Those who have less than stellar track records, as well as the walking wounded among can find employment yet may be unprepared for the amount of time and effort it will take to gain that employment. The most difficult effort will go to those attempting to enter the business as they may find the dues, in terms of industry education and participation may, in their minds, outweigh the gain of the entry level salary.

Can you find employment, new employment or get promoted in this market? The answer is yes, but no longer may you do so with the ease of knowing there are more jobs than managers. There aren't. This is additionally complicated by the influx of all those folks trying to get in to our recession-resistant industry. My message to all of you is this: Now more than ever, how you manage your job search, search for a promotion, and how you have managed your career in the past are crucial to you at this time. The better your career management, the greater your chances of landing a job you want.