Job Hunting Through A Depressing Recession

by: Vicki Hidde

Find hard-to-get jobs can be a challenge with the gloomy news bombarding us instantly on the internet or hourly through broadcast outlets. The recession word is bad, but when economists, high net worth Americans, and business leaders begin to use the big “D” word, it sends shock waves through our economy.

If this news has not changed our buying habits, it has the momentum to do so. Recently, I read that five states were in crisis mode – California, Florida, Michigan, Nevada and Arizona. Forty-four states are impacted less with the news and there was one state that is growing modestly – Louisiana. In some parts of the country this downturn has limited impact on the economic climate. However everyone is walking on eggs and expecting the floor to fall. Unfortunately, many times we get what we expect.

Should you find yourself unemployed in one of the states struggling or in the state with growth potential, you still need a job. Let’s take a look at an economy that is on the way down or near the bottom. You could say they’re in crisis mode. Sometime unemployed individuals have the opportunity to take advantage of retraining and higher education programs.

Before you enroll in any program, interview a candidate in the program, a professor teaching subject content and a student who has graduated from the program. There will be a couple of exceptions to this advice –one is if you have a passion for medicine, nursing or a specialized medical program in demand – high demand, this may me a good move for you. The operative word here is PASSION. Another consideration might be do you have the aptitude and intellectual capacity to succeed in such a program. I am recalling the old question, “What do they call the person who graduated at the bottom of their class from Harvard Medical School?” The answer, “Doctor”.

Based upon my experience, it is much easier to find a job if you’re ranked in the top 10% of your graduating class.” If you’re going totally refocus your career, you need a plan to excel academically.

There are emerging fields of studies. As one engineer told me, “The technical jobs in demand today, were not on the career radar of students seven or eight years ago. Technology changes so rapidly, there are always new opportunities.”

One added tip here. If you want to identify those new technologies, you may want to join the military. They used the latest technologies. Or another avenue is to do some information mining. What is the next generation of technology? Perhaps you could find a vein of information by reading college publications at renowned technical universities. Or even the regional newspaper from such areas as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, or others.

While I am not trying to confound the process of job search, there is so much contradictory advice. Most of the advice will work for some but not all. You may need someone to help you sort through the process. That someone needs to be fearless in staring down the beast that confronts the unemployed.

During a downturn late in the last century, one of my friends suggested that I write a book. I laughed and said, ”All the Barnes and Noble needs is one more book to confuse folks on resume writing or career development.”

Today as I review all, oh no not all, but some of the information on the internet, I see why job seekers are confused, paralyzed and baffled. Job search is mining for opportunity, identifying the vein with the most potential, developing action plans, identifying secondary options, facing the reality and executing your plan. Inactivity minimized stamina at best and at worst it paralyzes.

If you can’t stare down the “black economic beast”, find someone to help you to get your career on track.

(c)2008 Resume Source, all rights reserved.
www.resume-source.com

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If you like to have fun and break up what could otherwise be a boring day, maybe an employer like Southwest Airlines is right for you! Remember, it's YOUR career!

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A REAL Economic TEA Party!

I have been asking the questions, “How could so many experts fail to forecast the 2008-2009 downturn in our economy? Where are all the pundits when you need them?“ So I suggested that a group of the most optimistic career professionals that I know get together and discuss economic indicators that we can use to make labor market forecasts in the Tulsa Metro area.

Five of us met at Panera Bread at 71st and Garnett on March 5, 2009. As we settled down to discuss the economic outlook and enjoy a glass of tea, we all shared the same fears about the economy. Upon reflection one of the biggest factors that all of us face is our attitude toward this current economic bump in the road – we all hope it is not a deep ditch. We all agree that a Pollyanna approach is not in anyone best interest. What is Tulsa Economic Attitude (TEA)?

Collectively there were 95+ years of job search, recruitment and career development experience in the room, all of whom have seen many economic cycles come and go. We have all been glued to the media outlets for any sign of good news about the economy. We could find nothing to be optimistic about! Nothing! But…!

Travis Jones of Career Development Partners commented, “ This is an occasion for employers to realign their teams and obtain top talent for future projects, as well as take advantage of career training to improve the depth of their workforce. More importantly, it is a good time for dissatisfied, under-utilized workers to explore new opportunities and find a position that aligns with their true interest and career goals.”

We all agreed that out of this economic realignment the economy will emerge stronger with more opportunity than in previous decades.

Angela Robinson with the JobGuide shared that her advertisers are reporting that their employees are happy to have jobs and their turnover rate is decreasing. She also pointed out that the economy is like a rose, the petals may fall, but the bush will bloom again. When you see the blooms of spring, know that the economy will once again show growth.

Diana Bacon with ProDrivers was talking about a recent television report showcasing the jobs in transportation. She pointed out that while transportation is slowing somewhat, experienced drivers with good driving records can find jobs.

Ramona Gresham with Goodwill Industries Staffing also attended. Ramona, in addition to her work with Goodwill, is a high-tech recruiter who places top talent with global companies. “While the economy is tight, many companies are always looking for high-performing talent. My clients realize that the economy is cyclical and they need top talent to address changing market place demands.”

In suggesting the TEA to Sonny Lane with the JobGuide, the driving force behind my involvement is to help people who are listening to the bad news and sometimes become paralyzed with fear. It seems that everyone I talk to tells me, “Your business must be booming.”

However, during a soft economy, we spend much more time educating clients on the realities of the job market. If you are spending all of your time researching the job boards and you feel there is no opportunity, you want to rethink your web-based job search plan. Recently, I attended a networking function and was told about 10 to 12 opening with Tulsa employers. If I had been in almost any city in the country, I would have heard about a job or two. Making contacts with key influencers might be a path to a new career.

On March 11, the unemployment numbers for January 2009 were out. Tulsa’s unemployment inched up to 5.0%. While there was an uptick in unemployment, these are not bad numbers based upon the economy nationwide. We should consider ourselves fortunate. One day later the Tulsa World put these same numbers in a grim light – They focused on non-seasonal adjustable rates while I focused on seasonable adjustment data (see article here).

At the TEA my optimistic business associates and I turned pessimistic when I asked each to predict the economic outcome for January. I am calling us the Pessimistic -5. As pundits, we did not fair very well in predicting the unemployment numbers for Oklahoma in January. Our prediction ranged anywhere from 5.3 to 7%.

Anyone who knows any of us would tell you that we are optimistic, but faced with the bombardment of bad economic news, even the most hopeful and confident professionals have trouble finding a needle of reality in the haystack of gloom.

If you are ready to face the realities of this job market, you may just find a career opportunity much better that the one you have left or are leaving.

To do that, we suggest the following:

1. Polish your resume until it sizzles!
   
   
2. Present it to decision makers with the depth of experience that can recognize true talent and have a vision for a bright future.
   
   
3. Shake off pessimism and super optimism and work within the reality that 95% of us have jobs.
   

In any job market there is natural attrition. Why not let the job market work for you? Try something new - you just might find a new career that will offer the building blocks for a brighter future.

(c)2008 Resume Source, all rights reserved.
www.resume-source.com

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What Unexpected Numbers?

What’s the reality of these uncertain times?

If you have a job what steps do you need to take to keep that job?

If you don’t have a job, how can you fast-track your job search?

Recently, I read an article published on the Web by Bloomberg.com, stating “First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week and total benefit rolls soared to a record high, a sign companies may keep shedding jobs as the recession worsens.”

Before reading the report, I went to the Department of Labor to review downturns in the economy since the late seventies. Personally, I am more interested in what is happening or has happened around my back step in Oklahoma instead of national unemployment statistics. Recessions much like job search are local in scope.

I have been helping people shift gears in their career for almost a quarter of a century. And I’ve seen a few bumps in the road along with times when the economy hits a ditch. To say the weekly numbers are unexpected, is like sticking your head in the sand and pretending everything is peachy.

If you have had your head in the sand or have turned the TV and Radio off, this might be a surprise to you. Where I sit in Oklahoma the unemployment numbers for December indicated that 95% of the workforce had jobs. When the numbers are tabulated for January and February, those numbers will be higher. But the sky is not falling, there is still opportunity.

Those of us who are in the ancient ranks, throughout our career, have done things that we didn’t want to do. This generation may be called on to put their dreams in a box and take them out on another day. Or they may find a super highway to make their dreams come true.

The optimist in me says, find you path to the super highway and make things happen. While it may not be easy, and sacrifice may become the watch word for the emerging generation. But if it is giving up luxuries so you can build a future, that sacrifice becomes a privilege.

To put some perspective to my optimism, I began writing résumés and coaching clients in the fine art of job search, during what the Labor Department, called a recession in the late nineteen eighties. I have privately called that downturn a depression. The stories popping up today are just another version of what happens when people lose their identity - the one they have built through their career.

I am all in favor of a safety net to help those discourage and need assistance in finding their way. Finding a counselor or career coach may put your identity into perspective. After the shock and anger subsides, it is time to evaluated job opportunities at your back step. What type of job opportunities are there within 5 miles, 10 miles, 20 miles, 100 miles, 500 miles? Has your job skill joined the ranks of the buggy whip manufacturer? Do you need more training? Can you shift gears and transfer your skills to another industry? What are your options to find immediate employment?

Yes there will be unexpected turns, dead-ends and opportunities? Arm yourself the knowledge to distinguish opportunities and treats to your future.

(c)2008 Resume Source, all rights reserved.
www.resume-source.com

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