The Employment Source: Pittsburgh PA – The Choice For Staffing, Outplacement, Job Search & Resumes.
In this article, I am going to give you four critical steps you must take if you want to find that job and get hired during a recession.
Step #1 – Get organized
I am constantly amazed how executives who were driven and forceful in their jobs become lost in how to start their job search. Getting organized includes these elements:
1. Treat your job search as a full time job. Totally dedicate your time to finding a job. Inform your family that your full-time job is to find a full-time job and nothing else!
2. Act as if your job search was a product or service launch. Plan your executive level job search campaign. Don’t wing it. Organize your activities in a project plan and measure yourself against your milestones and sub-goals.
3. Start your day just like you would if you were employed. Did you start your day at 7:00am and end it at 6:00pm? Then do the same for your job search.
4. Create goals for every day and every event. Get a daily goal and meet it. Develop your networking goals for each event and stay until you achieve them.
Step #2 – Get help
For many, getting help is equivalent to going to the dentist. But getting help is the smartest thing to kick-start your executive level job search campaign. Getting help includes:
1. Ask for a review of your resume. There are many services available to review your resume for free. Better yet, pay an expert to write your resume.
2. Learn from the experts. There are many experts out there that write articles like this one. Many experts also have website tools that are available for free downloads. Take advantage of these resources.
3. Get a career coach. For executives who earn more than $100K+, getting advice for your particular situation is a wise investment Make sure, however, that your coach teaches you how to fish, not just fishes for you.
4. Get a support group. When you launch a job search campaign when the headlines are awful, being upbeat and positive is extremely difficult. Get a small group of business associates and friends who can help you during this time.
Step #3 – Get real
Just a short while ago, executives could expect to find a new position in about 90 to 120 days. Now, realistically, it can take upwards of 8 to 10 months. Getting real includes:
1. Do what it takes to survive a 10-month search. Expecting your search to go faster and not preparing for the long haul is just nuts. Reduce your expenses to just what is necessary and cut back.
2. Invest in your career. Now is the time to invest in your career and not try to “do-it-yourself.” Investments include coaching, books, tools, events, memberships, and travel to targeted cities.
3. Develop quantitative benchmarks and metrics. Analyze your job search results and measure them against standards. When you do this, you’ll be able to improve along the way which guarantees results faster.
4. Design qualitative feedback loops. Behaviors are qualitative and you can “measure” reactions to your oral and written pitch. Their reaction is a qualitative feedback loop that you can automatically gauge.
Step #4 – Get Clear
Getting a message that is clear and succinct takes work. And trying to figure out what you want next is also hard. Getting clear includes:
1. Do extensive research on target companies and industries. The Internet has a wealth of information. My recommendation is to conduct research at least 1 hour per day – above and beyond job posting searches.
2. Test your messages within networking groups. Take someone out for coffee. Try out your verbal pitch, and get their feedback. I tell my clients that they should attend at least 2 different networking groups a week during their job search campaign.
3. Know what’s happening around you. Know what’s happening around the globe. Integrate current affairs into your oral and written pitch and show how you can address the issues of the day.
4. Stay focused and determined. Persistence is the key to finding a $100K+ executive level position during an economic downturn. Direction is the result and movement in your job search is guaranteed.
The Employment Source: Cleveland Ohio – The Choice For Staffing, Outplacement, Job Search & Resumes.
There’s no doubt that going on a job interview is a critical portion of a job candidate’s application process. If you were lucky enough to have a resume that got you through the door, the interview will provide you with an opportunity to further prove that you’re right for the position.
However, it’s quite common for a valid, potentially hirable job candidate to get into an interview and “fumble the ball.” If you’re not careful, you can easily make some minor mistakes that will ruin your chances at a position. So before going on your next interview, take a look at these mistakes that could definitely ruin it.
Don’t Arrive Late (or Too Early)
One fatal error that could hurt your chances of acquiring the position you desire is to arrive to the job interview late. The time of the hiring manager is very valuable, and you’re showing disrespect and confusing his plans. If you show up late, you give an indication of what the employer could expect from you as an employee – not a good thing.
However, it’s also good to keep in mind that arriving too early could work against you too. While arriving 15 minutes prior to the interview is perfectly acceptable, arriving 30 minutes early could also through off the interviewer’s schedule and is generally frowned upon.
Don’t Trash a Previous Employer
If you had a bad experience with a previous employer, don’t tell the prospective employer about it. If you left your last employer because you constantly clashed with your boss, simply say that your goals weren’t in line with your old company. But to say that the manager “sucks” will likely leave a bad taste in the interviewers mouth.
Don’t Get Too “Familiar”
Some hiring managers have complained that job applicants often get too familiar or friendly with them during an interview. If you’re talking about your bad kids or mentioning the wart on your back, you may not get called back for the position.
Don’t Dress Inappropriately (or Sloppy)
We all know that wearing a t-shirt or provocative attire is unacceptable during an interview, but many employers also frown upon attire that looks cheap, or even you not ironing your suit or having scuffs in your shoes. Remember, if there’s ever a time to look your best, it’s during a job interview.
Don’t Question Pay and Benefits Too Soon
You may be anxious to know whether the position you’re interested in will pay will or offer health insurance benefits, but the time to ask is not when you walk through the door for the interview. If during the interview, you’re offered the position then it’s good to be prepared to negotiate. Hold your tongue until that point, though, if you don’t want to appear to have a sense of entitlement.
If you think in terms of what you should and should not do in an interview, you can strengthen your chances of getting the position you want. Besides, what’s the point in working so hard on a resume if you’re just going to sabotage the efforts in your interview?
The Employment Source: Charlotte NC – The Choice For Staffing, Outplacement, Job Search & Resumes.
At large companies, recruiters rely on a computer program called an applicant tracking system that stores and filters resumes to find the best candidates for a job. To make the match, ATS software relies on keywords – words and phrases that tell the program a candidate is a good match for a specific job description. Just as search engines like Google use keywords to find the right Web pages, ATS software uses keywords to find the right resumes.
How Employers Use Keywords
While they can’t guess the exact keywords recruiters are using, resume writers try to find the likeliest possibilities for your industry and function.
Where do you find the right keywords to include in your resume? Professional resume writers recommend you start with the job posting, which will contain a description of duties and qualifications. The ATS will try to match as many of the words in the job posting to the words on your resume. The more matches, the better the fit and the better the chances you will get an interview.
Repeated words, section headings and specific terms comprise good candidates for keyword selection. Also look at similar job postings as a cross-reference to find the most likely candidates for keywords. Recruiters and headhunters can often guide you. Online and print publications also include guides for keyword research.
Other sources of keyword research:
1. Go to Web sites that represent companies and associations related to the candidate’s target industry in search of other buzzwords.
2. Search LinkedIn profiles of users who have similar jobs to see what keywords they’re using.
3. Go to association Web sites to see what keywords other industry professionals have used.
While you’re researching keywords, keep a master list to make sure the important words are represented in your resume when you apply for specific jobs.
The specific words employers seek relate to the skills and experiences that demonstrate your experience with the skills necessary to do the job. Both hard and soft skills will fall in this category. Industry- and job-specific skills are almost always included in keyword lists. Highly technical fields can also include specific jargon or terms that demonstrate subject expertise. Job titles, certifications, types of degrees, college names and company names also demonstrate an applicant’s qualifications. Awards and professional organizations can also be considered strong keywords.
Ultimately, job hunters should ask themselves, “What keywords would I use if I were writing this job description?”
Tuning Your Resume to the Right Keywords
The Employment Source: Olean & Corning NY – The Choice For Staffing, Outplacement, Job Search & Resumes.
At large companies, recruiters rely on a computer program called an applicant tracking system that stores and filters resumes to find the best candidates for a job. To make the match, ATS software relies on keywords – words and phrases that tell the program a candidate is a good match for a specific job description. Just as search engines like Google use keywords to find the right Web pages, ATS software uses keywords to find the right resumes.
How Employers Use Keywords
While they can’t guess the exact keywords recruiters are using, resume writers try to find the likeliest possibilities for your industry and function.
Where do you find the right keywords to include in your resume? Professional resume writers recommend you start with the job posting, which will contain a description of duties and qualifications. The ATS will try to match as many of the words in the job posting to the words on your resume. The more matches, the better the fit and the better the chances you will get an interview.
Repeated words, section headings and specific terms comprise good candidates for keyword selection. Also look at similar job postings as a cross-reference to find the most likely candidates for keywords. Recruiters and headhunters can often guide you. Online and print publications also include guides for keyword research.
Other sources of keyword research:
1. Go to Web sites that represent companies and associations related to the candidate’s target industry in search of other buzzwords.
2. Search LinkedIn profiles of users who have similar jobs to see what keywords they’re using.
3. Go to association Web sites to see what keywords other industry professionals have used.
While you’re researching keywords, keep a master list to make sure the important words are represented in your resume when you apply for specific jobs.
The specific words employers seek relate to the skills and experiences that demonstrate your experience with the skills necessary to do the job. Both hard and soft skills will fall in this category. Industry- and job-specific skills are almost always included in keyword lists. Highly technical fields can also include specific jargon or terms that demonstrate subject expertise. Job titles, certifications, types of degrees, college names and company names also demonstrate an applicant’s qualifications. Awards and professional organizations can also be considered strong keywords.
Ultimately, job hunters should ask themselves, “What keywords would I use if I were writing this job description?”
The Employment Source: Wellsville NY – The Choice For Staffing, Outplacement, Job Search & Resumes.
Searching for a job in today’s world is a very competitive task to undertake. While most of us like to think that obtaining a good job is more about our skills and qualifications than whom we know, this is not always the case. Therefore, the references that you add to your resume may be very well just as important to the potential employer as the skills that you list under your qualification section.
When thinking about the people that you will use as references for your job search, think more about the people that can positively contribute to your employment search rather then simply finding people that you know. Consider listing three to five people that can all add to different areas of your personality.
Add someone who will contribute greatly to your work ethic, education, skills, or other areas pertaining specifically to you as an employee or student. In many cases, a former supervisor, boss, or even teacher is listed to comment on this aspect of your life. Friends may be listed on the reference list to add to your personal character. However, family members are not a good choice. For personal character, preachers or members of your church are also good choices. Using a former customer or client as a reference can add to give detail about your work quality.
When choosing your references, think about people that will stand out and gain attention from the specific future employer. Try to avoid using generic references with every application and resume. For example, consider using someone you know that has an interest in the company you are applying. This may be someone who works there, is a shareholder, or a financial contributor. Also look for people that can contribute to the specific skills needed for the job. If you are applying for a nursing job, use references from your nursing school, clinical training, or former nursing jobs that can add positively about your skills as a nurse.
Keep in mind that you want to use people that know you well enough to add detail about you when called upon. You want someone that can say more than simply he or she is a good worker. The more specific positive detail a reference can say about you the better.
When adding reference to your resume, never list them on the same page along with all of your personal information. References belong on a separate sheet. Always wait to turn in a reference list and/or reference letters when they are requested. Some employers want references up front and others want to narrow down resumes before seeking out opinions from references.
Choosing the references you will use on your resume is an important and critical decision. Always have a purpose for selecting the people that you add to your resume reference list. In addition, always gain the permission and feedback from the person you list before turning in the resume.
The Employment Source: Charlotte NC – The Choice For Staffing, Outplacement, Job Search & Resumes.
When you are one of hundreds of resumes to be reviewed, most recruiters and hiring managers only spend about an initial 30 – 60 seconds on each resume. If they don’t see what they are looking for in that time, they will move on to the next resume. If, however, you provide information that is easy to decipher right at the start of your resume, they are more likely to continue reading about your background. The key is to provide the right information in an easy to read format.
Let’s face it, it’s convenient for you to maintain only one resume and shoot it off to every position which you see on the internet. But what if you’re doing yourself a disservice? By taking a few moments to tailor your resume to what the employer wants you could get yourself noticed and get your foot in the door.
First of all, print out a copy of the job description that is posted for the position. In the job requirements section of the description, highlight the specific requirements. Here is an example for a Software Engineer:
Requires a BS degree in Computer Science, 5+ years of experience in Java and C/C++ programming. At least 2 years working on SaaS products. Must have completed one full design cycle.
Now, on your resume, tailor your objective to the job title. For the above example, you could write “A challenging position as a Software Engineer with a focus on SaaS product line”. That’s your first eye-catcher for the person reading the resume.
Second, if you don’t already have one, insert a section into your resume after the objective, with the header “Summary of Qualifications”. Below this, in bullet format (bullets are very important here), type one line for each requirement. Like this:
* Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science
* 7 years of experience programming in Java
* 4 years of experience programming in C/C++
* Completed two full design cycles for SaaS product lines
You have now taken their exact requirements and reflected them back to the resume reader. This technique will make it easier for the resume screener to see exactly how you fit their needs and at the very least, they will continue to read your resume. Already they know you fit the minimum requirements as described in the job description.
It’s worth taking a few extra minutes each time you submit your resume to illustrate how closely you fit the job requirements. Give the recruiter and hiring manager a reason to keep reading to see just how well you fit their needs and get that job!
The Employment Source: Pittsburgh PA – The Choice For Staffing, Outplacement, Job Search & Resumes.
Job interview preparation is one of the key areas for being a successful job interview candidate. But wait a second. Did you know Stamford research department looked into what forms the basis of successful communication between individuals and this applies to job interviews too. The results were surprising. What you say accounted for just 10%. Your tone of voice accounted for 20%. The remaining 70% was body language and image.
People will always create an instant first impression of you within 5 and 30 seconds of your first meeting. Job interviews are no different. That is a very short time in which to create a good impression!
Job interview preparation is to a large extent centered round first impressions. These are made based on appearance, stance, body language, smile, eye contact and the way you speak. It is therefore so important to make a good first impression.
However it is not necessarily a level playing field. It is unfortunately well documented that tall good looking men are much more likely to succeed in an interview and in their careers than shorter less good looking men. This is particularly true if your profession is selling. I say unfortunately because if you do not have that genetic advantage then you start with a disadvantage.
Either way you need to make the most of your chance to create a good first impression.
When you look at the percentages above you will realize that the first impression you give to an interviewer can be key to your success. This is even before the interview has even started. If you look the part you are half way there….and some!
Once the first impression is established the interviewer will look to reinforce their initial thoughts. So every reply you give will be viewed in conjunction with that first impression in mind. Let us look at how we create a good first impression.
What to wear and appearance:
A safe rule of thumb is to wear darker clothes as opposed to light. It portrays a sense of seriousness. Avoid trying to be fashionable. It is best to dress in a conservative way.
For a man this is usually reasonably easy to summarize. Wear a suit and tie! You cannot go wrong dressed in a dark suit, white shirt with ’serious’ plain tie. For goodness sake do not wear a comical tie with a cartoon on it for example. It may be fine but is just as likely to portray the wrong image.
Why take the chance?
Wear the most expensive dark suit you can find. Make sure it is clean, ironed and fits. A job interview promises the reward of a better paid job. Make the investment! Buy a new white long sleeve shirt. Make sure you wear smart dark leather shoes, preferably black and definitely polished.
If it turns out you are over dressed then this will not count against you. Anyone dressed too casual or not neat or tidy will do their chances plenty of harm.
Make sure your hair is cut neatly and washed. Also it has been proven that facial hair will reduce your chances of success. Something about hiding behind it! It will not be the deciding factor, but if you are thinking of removing your beard do it before the interview!
For women it is a little bit more complicated. Avoid lots of jewelery. It is distracting! Avoid the bright colors and stay conservative. Make sure the skirt isn’t too short or the blouse too low.
Don’t try to be too individual. If you normally spike your hair up this could create the wrong impression. Being individual in your dress and presentation is at best risky and at worst disastrous.
Posture and body language
Make sure that your posture says ‘I exude confidence’. Not aggressive or over-powering just confident and self-assured. Improving your body language improves your attractiveness to other people. In previous chapters we discussed the need to visualize the interview and the feeling of self-confidence. If you feel self-confident this will transfer to your body language.
Ideally you want your body language to reflect that of the interviewer. This will sub-consciously make them feel more at ease and comfortable. Of course this applies to all social situations not just interviewing.
From the start sit up straight in the chair, do not slouch in your chair. If you have a confident posture then you will feel more confident. You will also give the ‘air of confidence’ to the interviewer. A confident straight posture also aids breathing which will help with nerves. Loosen up your shoulders so they feel relaxed.
Do not cross your arms or legs, this looks defensive which puts a barrier between you and the interviewer. It also gives the impression of not caring. Whether this is your view or not doesn’t matter, because this is the impression it gives.
Mirror body language
The mirroring of their body language is a sure fire way to gain empathy with the other person. Practice this with other people you are talking to. If they lean back you try doing the same. People who are ‘comfortable’ in each other company will tend to have similar body language.
Open hand gestures
As part of using your body language effectively use open hand gestures. This implies you have nothing to hide and are being open and honest. The opposite of this is closed fists, a sign of aggression or nervousness.
Smile
You must always try to smile. It creates such a good first impression. Don’t grin relentlessly it will make people nervous. Make it natural. If you do not smile naturally then practice smiling in the mirror. It is important that you do this right.
During the interview you want to try to smile as often as possible. But do choose your moments. Grinning like a cat will look odd! If you smile the interviewer will smile. If they don’t respond back smiling don’t let this rattle you and keep persevering.
Handshake
Your handshake should be firm but not overpowering. You will never get penalized for having a firm handshake but a weak one will create a poor impression. This is however less important than the other factors.
Eye contact
Eye contact is so important. If you constantly look away from someone it conveys two impressions. Either you are lacking in confidence or you are not trustworthy.
Make sure that you maintain eye contact with all the people you meet. Secondly throughout the interview maintain eye contact for a ‘natural’ length of time. This is about 50-60%. Too much and you will be form the impression of staring or being aggressive. Too little and you will be considered defensive or evasive.
Keep it natural.
Build rapport from the first moment. Both parties in an interview are looking to feel comfortable with their opposite number. When two strangers meet in such a formal way there can be awkward silences and over politeness.
In most interview situations the interviewer will come to the reception area to meet you and then take you through the building to the interview room, probably stopping off to grab a drink. These few minutes should always be used to make small talk and start to build a rapport. The interview starts, from the moment you meet the interviewer. It is not from the moment you enter the interview room and you are asked the first question. This is a crucial distinction.
The interviewer has to like the person they are interviewing otherwise they are unlikely to get the job. In over 95% of the situations the interviewer will be working closely with the interviewee on a daily basis.
It is important you use this time try to build rapport with the interviewer before you enter the interview room. Of course smiling and eye contact will help with this process. Make an effort to make conversation during this ‘pre-interview’ time.
Imagine you meet the interviewer at reception, walk for two minutes to the interview room, sit down and there has been no small talk or rapport. Both of you will feel a little awkward. This is a poor start to the interview as you need to build rapport to stand the best chance of getting the role.
Speak clearly
Make sure you speak clearly and confidently. Communication skills are a key element for any successful candidate. If you think you mumble or your speech is poor then practice. Having prepared thoroughly for the interview will help in this aspect.
Pay complements
It is often left unsaid but by paying an interviewer a complement they will think better of you. So, do you tell them they have nice hair? No of course not.
The complement should be low-key but get noticed. There should be opportunities when the interviewer is discussing the company, perhaps their recent expansion or their impressive sales growth.
”…..that is one of the things that attracted me to applying to this company”
”…..one of the reasons I applied is because my friend Joe works here and said what a dynamic organisation it was. He really likes it here.”
”…..that is really impressive sales growth”
”…..I like the open plan office environment you have here”
Even a casual comment about the better quality of the coffee from the vending machines helps to build rapport.
But be careful not to shoot yourself in the foot. ”Your organization has a much more professional working environment than my current one”. This implies you come from an unprofessional one with weak management which is hardly a selling point for your skills. Complements need to sound natural because in an interview you are expected to be polite and complimentary.
To summarize, when preparing for a job interview you need to be aware of the way you look and act. This needs to be in a professional and friendly manner. It is important because the first impression is crucial to your success.
Simple Steps to Update Your Resume
The Employment Source: Cleveland Ohio – The Choice For Staffing, Outplacement, Job Search & Resumes.
With the doldrums of Fall hiring behind us, Winter is a great time to update your resume. Winter is typically an active interview season. Don’t be late when opportunity knocks. If you haven’t updated your resume in the past year the following four steps will help you bring your resume up to date with new focus and polish.
1. Identify your new career objection.
If you’re dissatisfied with your current job this is the time to ask why. Before making any changes to your resume ask yourself the following questions:
* What part of my job would you rather not do in my next position?
* What skills, tasks or responsibilities would I like to continue in my next job?
* What other industry might I use my skills?
* What other occupation might I apply my skills?
Your response to these questions will shed light on the changes in your career path. Write out your answers and do a reality check to see how likely you are to obtain your new career direction.
2. Get rid of the old to make room for the new information.
Your new resume should reflect your current career direction. The first resume rule says that everything within your resume should relate to your career direction. This means you may need to delete information about outdated technology. You may also need to weed out old responsibilities that you no longer want to perform. If your resume includes special training or certifications that are no longer needed take them off as well.
Additionally, check your accomplishments from earlier years. If they do not support your career objection either delete or adjust them to relate. You might even need to take off your earliest employment entries if they represent a completely different career path.
3. Add your most recent employment entry.
Write your current employment entry in light of your new career focus. Do not include responsibilities that you do not wish to perform in your next job. Include only what you want to continue to do. Use job postings as a guide for key words that you’ll need to use as verbiage. Job postings also provide clues to transferable skills, technology and education that you’ll want to include.
4. Add the final touch, accomplishments.
No resume is complete without accomplishments. They are the talking points of your resume. Even if the past year hasn’t been as productive or positive as the past, find something to brag about. Think back on the challenges of the past year and how you solved them. Did you find a way to save time, cut costs or improve performance? Those are your accomplishments. They tell perspective employers that you are a problem solver for today’s difficult business environment. If your goal is an internal promotion your accomplishments remind your employer of the value you bring to the organization.
Once you’ve updated your resume you’ll be ready for any opportunity that comes your way. This may be your season for advancement, change or transition-get ready for it!
The Employment Source: Buffalo & Syracuse NY – The Choice For Staffing, Outplacement, Job Search & Resumes.
Looking for some job interview tips? Here’s some ideas on how to best use your employment history to win your interviewers over.
Your employment history may consist of anything from a Saturday job at school to twenty or more years’ experience in practical, professional, technical or managerial work in your chosen field. Wherever you are upon this spectrum, your employment history is of great interest to your prospective employer.
They will want to know how it fits in with your overall career and ambitions, what you have done that may be of direct relevance to the post you are now seeking and what you have learned about your work styles through your previous jobs. They will be looking for evidence of a continual path of development, even though this may include some changes of direction and some sideways rather than upwards moves.
Employers will want to know what difference you can make if they offer you a job so you must convince them of:
* How well you will! get on with your colleagues.
* Your ability to see tough assignments and projects through.
* What range of ideas you can contribute,
* How well you motivate others and what kind of team member you are
Which qualities and characteristics they are most interested in will vary according to the type of work you are seeking. The level of expectations they will have is to some extent dictated by how much experience you have had.
Whatever the situation, they will expect you to be able to give clear and cogent answers about all aspects of your work experience.
Here’s one of many sample job interview questions and answer draws on examples of candidates who have had very little work experience and those who already have a substantial career behind them.
This question is followed by a model answer and a quick analysis of what makes that answer a success.
Question:
How do you measure your success at work?
Answer:
My main measure of success is feedback from clients. If they place more orders with us or refer us on to other potential customers, then I feel this is a really useful measure. Keeping clients happy and returning often with more business is probably even more important than getting new clients, at least as a measure of performance. I also use attendance records of staff in my department as a measure of my management success.
I would be very worried if my department started to develop high absentee or sickness problems. Having a happy and motivated team instinctively feels like an important indicator for me.
Why this answer works:
* It shows you have good business sense.
* It shows you don’t just rely on one measure while ignoring other possible signs.
* You use the opportunity to flag up a couple of good points about yourself-you take your management role and your work with clients
* It acknowledges that you need to monitor success for yourself regardless of what other appraisal and monitoring systems are in place
* It concludes on a nice optimistic note.
Trends To Follow For Your Job Search
The Employment Source: Wellsville NY – The Choice For Staffing, Outplacement, Job Search & Resumes.
There is no denying the severity of the economic crisis; but it is equally important to accept the situation and start building your resources for the days ahead. Concentrating on conducting a job search is not easy – but with effort and perseverance, you should be able to tide over.
According to an online report citing the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be 13.7 million new jobs by the year 2010 in the services sector. The wholesale and retail trade will also witness an increase and will see 3.9 million new jobs by the same period. While the services and wholesale and retail trade sectors may not be indicative of the economy as a whole, these may be pointers to the fact that the economy may see brighter days in the near future.
Meanwhile, what are the trends being followed in the job market currently?
You can check out what others, including your contemporaries, are doing in the current economic and employment scenario. This will help you make an effective choice regarding your own career path. Some pointers to current trends can be turning to studies again to add to your own learning.
Is There an Increased need for a Particular Skill Set?
Do you think you could benefit from a computer course or a quick course in accounts and business management? Talk to a few people within your professional circle as well as those in sectors such as human resources, to find out what kind of qualifications they are looking at, in candidates. They can throw some light on current employment requirements and what recruiters are looking for in an employee.
Are You Willing to Take up a Different Profile?
This can be a big pointer towards how adaptable you are and what you are willing to undertake in order to accomplish your career goals. Often, in case of no vacancy in a particular department, you may be asked to start working in another position. You can choose to take up this arrangement and move to the department of your choice once things are more settled and moving into a positive phase.
Willing to Relocate:
If your company is dealing with financial or economic crises and has decided to shut down one office, are you willing to move to another place or do you want to stay put in the same place at the cost of a job? A lot can depend on this decision of yours as the company may choose to hire someone else at the new place. In a depressed economy, being willing to relocate for your company may help you retain your job which might get taken away from you otherwise.
Willing to Take a Pay Cut:
This is applicable not only to a depressed economy, but also to a company that may be struggling to make ends meet financially. Depending on your personal needs and liabilities, you can choose to stay in your current job and accept a cut in the pay and other benefits or decide to move out or quit. If you choose to stay back, remember to keep an eye on the way things are moving and if you are willing to accept the fact that the company may choose to shut down its operations.