Job Seeking in Tough Times

Just a few years ago, college graduates were being offered unprecedented signing bonuses. Some companies even offered to pay off their college loans. Now, soon to graduate college students can’t find companies for internships and college graduates are looking at a job market where downsizing is a common term.

At every level of employment, job seekers are struggling. What this means is that finding a job is more work than ever before. There are a few things that can aid in this search.

Executive recruiting firms hire white-collar workers. Because they work on commission, they tend to work with higher income individuals. These recruiting firms don’t need to be located in your state to help find you a job. They typically place outside of their home area.

Consulting can be an avenue for people with strong technical skills or field specialties. You can either use a consulting firm, or if you are well networked, you can approach companies you already know. Sometimes the company that downsized you will hire you back as a consultant.

Online resume services cater to the entire gambit of job seekers. Places like CareerBuilder.com and Monster.com used to deal exclusively with white-collar workers. Now they are starting to offer hourly and mid-range jobs. EmploymentGuide.com deals exclusively with hourly positions through mid-range management. There are more—search online to find them.

Temporary employment agencies are useful for finding both temporary and permanent jobs. Some specialize in certain fields. These can become the backdoor into a company.

Networking is still the best way to beat out competition for a job. Don’t overlook this opportunity. Networking is a skill everyone needs to learn.

Want ad in newspapers still provides job leads. To make the best use of this medium, be sure to check and see if the paper posts theses jobs online. Some will automatically forward your resume to a matching job when you post it at their online site. Another place to find want ads is in professional trade journals. These ads are typically listed at the back of the magazine.

In a tough job market, it seems as if you’ve looked and looked and found nothing. However, part of the problem may be where you are looking. Employers don’t use every medium to post their job. That would be too expensive. They must pay for any newspaper ad they post. They pay to list jobs at Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com. At EmploymentGuide.com, they typically pay less than it would cost to advertise in the local newspaper. You need to be sure that you check all these places, and you need to check them on a daily basis for new posting. The quicker you apply for a newly posted job, the better chance you have. Employers hate the hiring process as much as you do. If you are qualified—they want to find you right away so they can quit spending time looking for an employee. Make it easy for them, and make sure your resume quickly communicates the skills they are looking for, and is easy to read.

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