Jobs "summit": navigating still-bleak landscape
The latest government data indicates the economic recovery's jobs engine has stalled.
The Labor Department says only 18,000 jobs were created last month, and the unemployment rate edged up to a stubbornly-high 9.2 percent. And the number of new private sectors jobs in May was revised downward, to 25,000 from 50,000.
Against that backdrop, "The Early Show on Saturday Morning" held a jobs "summit," with two top experts on getting ppositions joining co-anchor Rebecca Jarvis to share job-seeking pointers with a dozen people from several, varied fields. Jarvis is also CBS News Business and Economics Correspondent.
On-hand were John Challenger, CEO of outplacement giant Challenger, Gray & Christmas, and LinkedIn Connection Director Nicole Williams.
Participants and their industries were:
Amy Goehner, journalism, jobless 19 months
Micael Westerholm, business development, age: 50, jobless six months
Shelley Tibbetts, public relations, age: 24, jobless 26 months
Steve Peckman, customer service, age:48, jobless 8 months
Allison Algers, sales and marketing, age 46, jobless 7 months
Ashley Taubman, recent graduate, age 25, jobless 2 months
Todd Obolsky, business writer, age 46, jobless 20 months
Kurt Beyer, recent graduate, age 22, jobless one-and-a-half months
Edmond Handwerker, e-commerce, age 27, jobless 7 months
Kira Whiteley, community development, age 25, jobless 10 months
Daniel Worth, finance, age 27, jobless 2 months
Ryan-Ashleigh Reid, actor and drama coach, age 23
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I am a recruiter in N.C. I recruit candidates all over the U.S. and as of 7:30am this morning I have over 200 jobs all over the U.S. The jobs ARE there, however, I think that some jobseekers are looking for 'job gems' in the wrong places.
During these tough economic times many companies are offering a lot of contract positions or several short term assignments to get through this time.
The problem that I find with a lot of jobseekers that I contact is that they refuse to even consider a contract assignment.
Contract assignments are a way for jobseekers to get job experience with a company that may otherwise be very competitive or near impossible to get into. Once you are in the door you build relationships and networks and add the hands on experience to your resume.
That will make you MORE competitive for future assignments and future permanent openings once there is an upswing.
These positions may NOT pay as much as the permanent position, however the job experience that the candidate will gain will prove to be valuable in the future and provide some income coming into the household.
Permanent does not = stability. A permanent job can end just like a contract position can.
As a recruiter, I am contacting candidates who, according to their resumes haven't worked since last year; yet when offered a position in their field at a slightly lower rate than where they were when they last worked, they turn it down.
My suggestion to jobseekers? Use this time to gain valuable job experience and look in unconventional places for jobs i.e. craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Indeed.com Job Forums and places similar. The economy has not only affected jobseekers, but it has also affected companies and recruiters and how they advertise the positions.
Good Luck to Everyone!!!
J
Just coincidentally, my business partner, Skip Freeman, a professional "headhunter," and I have published a book designed to help answer questions such as those posed in the forum, plus many similar questions, of course. The book (which I shall not name because of the prohibition on this site again "advertising") essentially postulates that there are NEW rules in the "hiring game"--and that's precisely what it is, a "game"--and that, in order to be successful, today's job seeker must learn these new rules and then how to effectively apply them.
Our book has become an international best-seller in the job hunting book category.
Job seekers wanting to learn such things as how to create a hard-hitting, effective resume, along with a targeted cover letter, how to properly answer the "gotcha" questions, how to effectively market oneself, etc., etc.--all the things Mr. Challenger and Ms. Williams briefly touched upon--can do so by reading our book.
Anyone wanting to learn more can contact me at mike@headhunterhiringsecrets.com.
Michael Garee