While researching for today’s column, I found so many dismal stories about the job market…and for those searching for work I don’t have to tell you the market stinks.
According to Mort Zukerman of the Financial Times, one in six Americans are out of work…that means 6.7 million people! The longer someone is out of work, the harder it is to get a job…anywhere!
When the recession started in 2007, there were less than two job hunters for every job opening. Just twenty months later more than six people applied for the same job. Today, we are told we are in a better position with just 5.6 people applying for the same job according to the chart published by the Economy Policy Institute's Economy Track.
Are we counting all job hunters, even those who have given up hope? Is that sector of the job hunting market even traceable? Reports say Americans do want to work…there just aren’t enough jobs to go around, according to a story by Lawrence Mishel, who writes in The Huffington Post.
So how do you separate yourself from the pack and get noticed?
Last week I placed a good friend of mine, career expert Ginny Clarke, on Oprah Radio. Ginny appeared on the Derek Ashong Experience. Most recently, Ginny was a partner at the global executive search firm, Spencer Stuart. Today, Ginny is an executive consultant directing people to stand out in front of the pack during a job search.
The number one item on her list of things to do is to be sure to make your search for a job a full time job. Another must-do is to write your elevator pitch and get out there and network, network, network...so let’s get you started!
In Ginny’s blog she says, “One of the most important parts of managing relationships and effective networking is being able to tell someone about yourself in only a couple of minutes – the length of an elevator ride. What exactly would you say if you found yourself on an elevator or at a cocktail party with the hiring manager for a job you really want and you had 2-3 minutes?”
Ginny Clarke’s Do’s and Dont’s…
- Don’t try to cram your entire career into 60 seconds
- Do give highlights of most prestigious and recent roles, including company name and title
- Don’t assume people know or understand your space
- Do describe and quantify – industry segment, budget, revenues, employees, etc.
- Don’t oversell or ask favors – you are meeting for the first time
- Do be clear about what you think your strengths are
- Don’t be one-dimensional in your commentary
- Do offer an interesting personal fact about yourself
You can read more tips from Ginny at www.mycareermapping.com.
Please comment right here on Dear Job Hunter, or email me privately at trishhoffman@gmail.com
Trish Hoffman
Trish,
ReplyDeleteGreat blog. Per your request, I was going to post my comments to your LinkedIn blog, but I think they may be appropriate here as well.
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