Bradley Richardson crossed over to the dark side last year. Now he's trying to enlighten it.

Since writing "JobSmarts for Twentysomethings" in 1995, the Dallas-based author has guided fellow Gen-Xers through the worst job market since World War II.

His real-world assessment of what it takes to land and keep a job made him a top speaker on the national college circuit, doing about 50 campus gigs at $2,500 a pop last year.

But with less than 2 percent of his peer group -- those between 18 and 34 -- currently unemployed, now it's Corporate America's turn to scramble.

The 32-year-old "X-pert" coaches such companies as Southwest Airlines, Navistar, The Associates Corp. and PricewaterhouseCoopers on how to snare, care for and mentally feed young up-and-comers.

"I decided to switch audiences: Take the information I'd learned on campus from students and career-center directors and give it to companies that could use it," he says, sitting in a conference room at Southwest, where he's helping the airline with its summer internship program.

He half-jokingly calls his latest focus "crossing over to the dark side" because, while he's learned to understand the realities of business since graduating from the University of Oklahoma 10 years ago, Richardson still has a Gen-X state of mind.

"Call it cynicism or pragmatism, but the idea that I'm going to work hard, put my nose to the grindstone and my boss is going to look out for me and I'm going to get a raise or promotion is a crock," he says. "You've got to play the game."

Such irreverent thinking made "JobSmarts for Twentysomethings" (now in its fifth printing) a popular money-maker that flew at the top with such career-guidance books as the perennial "What Color is Your Parachute?"

And that's the frame of reference that companies urgently want to tap as they struggle to recruit and retain those sought-after young adults.

Everyone wants to hire the "best and the brightest," says Richardson, using his fingers as quotation marks to emphasize the cliche. "Who doesn't? I'd like the slow and dim-witted, please."

Companies pay Richardson to politely dish out the tough news: Bright, young talent has plenty of career options and expects to be well paid, nurtured and listened to.

Yes, these "kids" can be cynical, brash and self-absorbed, often considering themselves free agents rather than loyal employees. But they've watched their parents be "downsized" and see self-reliance as job security, he says. They'll only stay at a company if they are challenged and valued.

And yes, they often lack people skills and need assistance in developing them.

Companies may bristle at what they hear, but smart ones will take the message to heart and adapt, he says.

"The winners will be companies that get a handle on what students are thinking, what their expectations are and how to meet those realistically," Richardson says. "This is not just a touchy, feely, trendy Gen-X issue; it hits the bottom line."

Richardson's journal of his experiences became the foundation for "JobSmarts for Twentysomethings" published by Random House when he was 26.

Two years after his graduation, the career center at OU invited him back to share his experience with business students. "That was a riot, because I couldn't get into the business school when I was there."

His blunt message of what students should expect struck such a receptive chord that OU asked him back three semesters in a row and began telling other universities about him.

Texas AM University called one day and asked what his speaking fee was. He'd never thought to charge for his college chats.

"I threw out what I thought was an insane figure of $500 plus my travel, thinking they'd laugh at me and say, `No way.' " Several hundred college speaking engagements later, Richardson still marvels at that first check.

His first corporate call came from ATT shortly after "JobSmarts" received favorable publicity from the Chicago Tribune and USA Today. He thought the caller was a solicitor trying to get him to switch his long-distance service and nearly hung up on her.

Instead, she offered a challenge: The communications giant wanted to reach out and touch a younger labor market, having just laid off 40,000 workers.

ATT wound up underwriting a 20-campus book tour, giving away hundreds of books at each stop.

"It was a phenomenal deal, but there was such turmoil in that organization. I dealt with no less than eight different contact people in a year," he says with a little shiver. "It really taught me a lot."

Lest you think tight employment scene is a temporary, strong-economy situation, Richardson says, consider the "birth dearth."

Nearly 80 million baby boomers in their late 30s to mid-50s make up half of the workforce and 70 percent of American management. The next wave of Xers is nearly 40 percent smaller.

That means a serious leadership shortfall until Generation Y (a.k.a. the "Echo Boom" or "Bull Market Babies") kicks in with its legion of 72 million born since 1980.

Even Southwest Airlines, a mainstay of best-places-to-work lists, feels pressured by the low unemployment rate.

"We have to be more creative at getting people in at the entry level, exposing them early to Southwest so that we can grow from within," says Teresa Laraba, manager of corporate employment.

Chicago-based Navistar got religion last year, realizing the truck and engine manufacturer was top-heavy in long-ensconced, 50-something guys.

Bob Goldie, director of strategic staffing, brought in Richardson to help create "compelling reasons" for vital new blood to join Navistar.

"We cherish the workforce that we have, but don't want to miss out because we think the new people are going to adjust to us," says Goldie. He believes the key is a culture that gives more than lip service to fresh input.

That, the 53-year-old admits, is easier said than done. "There are some epiphanies involved for people locked into their thinking."

Richardson advised Navistar to quit focusing on those with advanced business degrees and those at the top of their class.

"We all know people who were 4.0s and can't make ice," he says. "Take a look at undergraduates and first-generation college people who are hungry, have that work ethic and you can train as you want."

High on Gen-Xers' priority list these days is job development, although that's not quite as high as money.

"Being good at this doesn't mean you have to be ultra-hip and allow your employees to bring their pets to work," Richardson says. "Chick-fil-A is a good example of a conservative company in a less-than-sexy industry that does a great job of attracting and retaining young talent."

The company has low turnover because it respects and empowers its workers and helps them reach personal career goals.

Every large company contends it's a "global leader" with "world-class training." They all have glossy color brochures depicting a good-looking, diversified staff talking about the fun and challenging work.

"They fail to tell you that you're going to be working 70 hours a week, your girlfriend is going to dump you because you'll be traveling so much and that you'll be the youngest person in the office by 15 years," Richardson says. "People are going to find this out sooner or later."

Often when that happens, he says, the disillusioned take significant recruiting and training dollars as they walk out the door.

Published 8/15/1999