Job hunting seems to have become more of a challenge in today’s economy than in the past. The reasons for this are many, but let’s examine 3 of them and present some solutions:
The Challenges: More Competition, Fewer Jobs Available, Education Credentials
More Competition
There are more applicants and candidates for positions than at any time in our country’s history. One reason is that the population is larger than it has ever been at 350,000,000.
Fewer Jobs Available
Another reason is because there are fewer jobs due to outsourcing overseas, new technology and economic circumstances. Additionally, federal regulations have inhibited small businesses from forming or the ones that exist from hiring. Small businesses comprise roughly 90% of all jobs in our country.
Education Credentials
Let’s face facts: having a Bachelors degree is almost a requisite in today’s hiring environment. Companies prefer that degree. A few companies still value experience in lieu of a degree, but not many. In a lot of instances, a Masters degree is required or preferred. And if college is not for you because you are pursuing a technical position (machinist, mechanic, administrative assistant), 2 year technical schools become a priority to qualify for such positions.
With all of the challenges that face today’s job hunter, what is a comprehensive method to search for a new position? A job search is basically a numbers game IF you have talents, skills and ability. Here is a method that will work for you IF you follow it closely:
Make at least 1 quality resume submittal per day. That means submit your resume and application to a job for which you are eminently qualified. If you are an administrative assistant and you apply for a project manager’s position, that does not count as a quality submittal. However, if you applied for an office manager’s position, that would count. If you only do 1 of these a day, you will have 30 quality submittals in a month’s time, 60 in 2 months. Consistency is the key. Making 1 quality submittal per day is infinitely better than sending out 10 resumes on a weekend and then sitting back to see what happens. Making 1 quality submittal a day keeps you engaged in the process.
Make contact with at least one professional recruiter who has a position open in your geographic area. The most efficient way to do this is through conducting a Linked-In search for recruiters. If you make 5 contacts per week (most recruiters do not work on Saturday or Sunday), that is another 20 – 22 contacts per month that you have made. If job searching is truly a numbers game, you will have made 30 quality submittals and 20 recruiting contacts per month. This will go a long way in getting you the exposure needed for an effective job search.
Philippians 4:6
