Unemployment at 9.8%; 6 job seekers per job: What's A Person To Do?

The Front Page of the Sunday, September 27, 2009 edition of The New York Times carried what could be considered an ominous report. The story, written by Peter S. Goodman states, “Job seekers now outnumber openings six to one, the worst ratio since the government began tracking open positions in 2000. According to the Labor Department’s latest numbers, from July, only 2.4 million full-time permanent jobs were open, with 14.5 million people officially unemployed.”

Further on, the article states that “Shrinking job opportunities have assailed virtually every industry this year. Since the end of 2008, job openings have diminished 47 percent in manufacturing, 37 percent in construction and 22 percent in retail. Even in education and health services — faster-growing areas in which many unemployed people have trained for new careers — job openings have dropped 21 percent this year.”

The following Friday, the Labor Department released unemployment figures of 9.8% and job loss figures in excess of 250,000 for the previous month. Both numbers were much higher than all the experts expected. Then, on a Sunday talk show, Alan Greenspan predicted that the unemployment rate would climb above 10% in the next couple of months.

While the experts analyze the “why’s” of this predicament, the person facing unemployment or uncertainty about their current position such examination and debate is academic. What that individual wants is the type advice and information that can be useful in finding new or more stable employment. Let me give you the same advice I give people almost everyday in my role as a recruiter and career coach.

1. Keep Things In Perspective: employment, like politics is really local—not national. Nationwide there are six people for every available position, but the situation isn’t that bad in this area. While I haven’t seen any official figures, my conversations with hiring managers, job seekers, etc. would indicate that it is about half the national number. While this might not seem like a good situation, when you consider that most employers prefer to have three candidates to interview for a position, it simply means you need to work harder at distinguishing yourself from others seeking that position. National unemployment figures include areas like the rust belt and automobile states, where there have been massive shutdowns and layoffs. Again, the Oklahoma region’s unemployment figure of 7.1 is much better than the national figures. Finally, remember that job losses are usually confined to certain industries. If you are in a high job loss industry, ask yourself what skills you have can be used in other industries that are not experiencing the accelerated layoffs and losses. Then begin focusing your search activities toward them.

2. Last year at this time, researchers found that there were 151 million hits on the job boards—you figure your odds considering how many more job seekers are using them today. Research consistently reveals that less than 10% of people who use job boards either exclusively or as their primary means of looking for jobs actually find new positions—again, you figure your odds. The same research indicates that people who focus one the type of position they want, define their skills around that position, identify the companies that can use those skills, research the name of the person that position would report to and then contact them directly have a success rate of 86%. You figure your odds and I think you’ll agree that direct contact beats the job board odds, doesn’t it?

3. Beware of your “social media” activities. MySpace, Facebook, etc. may be fun ways to pass the hours, keep in touch with friends, etc. but it also becomes your “real” résumé to potential employers. Increasingly, they are doing searches for this type of media on potential employees and even the postings of your fun loving buddies can disqualify you from a position. My advice, if you have such a site, make sure it doesn’t contain anything that could come back to haunt you. Just because you limit access doesn’t mean that a tech savvy company can’t read what is on your site.

4. Consider Linkedin.com as a primary social media for job search. This is for business and professional people—not a place for your fun-loving drinking buddies from college comments. Within a few days or weeks you can become connected with hundreds or thousands of people in your industry.

5. Engage The Hiring Manager’s Senses. Have your résumé and job search materials printed on attractive, heavy paper that feels good to the touch and mail them flat (even if you have faxed or emailed a copy). Make sure the lay out of your résumé has good eye appeal (inviting to the eye). Always take extra copies of this résumé with you to interviews. When writing cover letters, thank you notes, etc. use “power” words that create powerful mental images in the mind of the reader.

6. Never Appear Desperate! Nothing turns an interviewer off quicker than when a potential candidate begins telling him or her how badly they need a job! Stay focused on what you can bring to the company, not how badly you need a job, how much you need to make or how bad your financial situation is. Always create the impression that they must “sell” you on going to work for them!

7. Approach Every Contact With Potential Employers As A Conversation. The most effective mindset that you can take into an interview is that you are about to have a conversation with someone about how you can help his or her company achieve their corporate objectives. Such an attitude does two things for you. First, the word conversation implies a give and take discussion about something. Thus you give yourself permission to ask questions and answer their question with more in-depth answers. Second, it causes you to focus on what you are offering the company that can help them achieve their goals rather than focusing almost exclusively on what you can get from them

8. Don’t Do All The Talking! In a conversation both people get to talk. Ask questions like “What made you decide to go to work here” and “If I am hired, where would you like to see me in 12 months?” Invite them to elaborate on their questions. In sales, the rule of thumb is you can’t close the deal until you know two things: A) How your product can help them and B) What their objections are. In interviewing as in selling, the only way to find these things out is tactfully asking questions.

9. Always Send Snail Mail Thank You Letters within 12 hours of any interview that reiterate the things that seemed to impress them during the interview.

10. Keep your skills sharp by reading industry publications and attending professional association meetings, or perhaps take a class or two related to your profession.