Early in my recruiting career, I regularly placed experienced staff accountants in the 2-4 year range, one every week or two, about 25 or so per year.  That doesn’t happen as much anymore, the jobs filled are higher paying but the number smaller.  Companies are much more likely nowadays to fill staff jobs on their own, but that’s not the biggest reason.  Instead, there simply are not as many of these jobs out there now.

Bill is one of my close friends since childhood.  He’s a great friend in that he’s easygoing, always up for whatever I suggest, and always there when needed.  He’s likable, and in high school was one of those few people that everyone seemed to gravitate to, and transcended all social group.  However, even Bill would say that nothing in his background predicted future success, in fact just the opposite.  He was average or just under average in grades, looks, sports etc.  College was more of the same, good but not great school, C+ average.  As he said, there was always something that came up, which made it hard to study. 

Think of the job market life cycle as being similar to that of salmon.  Born in upriver fresh water, salmon swim the currents downstream to the ocean to spend their free youth.  Upon reaching full maturity, they migrate hundreds or thousands of miles back upriver to their origin.  They battle the currents, natural obstacles and any number of predators.  Most don’t make it, those that do spawn, then usually die.  The salmon migration is exciting, dramatic and mysterious.