Where Are The Best Job Markets?

Here in the Midwest, and Michigan in particular, the job hunting outlook is somewhere worse than bad. The talking heads continue to disagree about the economy, some say we've hit bottom and are starting to rebound. Others talk about that bounce off the bottom that we haven't seen yet, like that's real scientific. And of course there's the school of thought that we don't suck as bad as we did a few months ago, so that's a good thing. But even if the economy starts to grow again and the stock market starts to increase (although the market today is basically at the same level as it was last November after the crash), jobs remains an independent issue. And until we are once again gaining more jobs that we are losing, confidence will remain low and spending will lag.

This new Gallup poll illustrates job gains versus job losses by different regions in the U.S. It claims that here in the Midwest, the worse of the job losses is behind us, and that job gains are actually picking up. Enough so that they offset each other, so the net job numbers breaks even. The South appears to be in the best shape, and has been throughout this recession even with the deteriorated housing and construction market there. The East is showing signs of improvement, but don't even think about the West.

Recently Canned?

TheCanned.com is a useful, free resource for the unemployed that also takes a lighter approach to being employment challenged. It has information on filing for unemployment, health insurance options, job sites, and related articles and blogs. There is a lot of information available there that is especially useful for folks wondering where to start. And it's kinda fun, check it out.

Employment Outlook Survey for 3rd Quarter

Manpower recently released their Employment Outlook Survey for 3rd Quarter of 2009 and the net predictions remain negative for Southeast, Michigan, but better in other parts of Michigan and the country. The bulk of companies surveyed still plan no changes meaning no new jobs being created. Possible encouragement comes from most regions surveyed showing fewer companies planning to cut payrolls.

What Do Job Boards And T-Rex Have In Common?

Article Title: What Do Job Boards And T-Rex Have In Common?
Author Byline: Lorraine Russo
Author Website: http://undergroundjobnetwork.com/

HINT: Think dinosaur.

Excerpts from a Quintessential Careers article:

"Job boards will be gone in 10 years or sooner."

We vote for 'sooner.' Job seekers are becoming much more savvy at finding opportunities outside of the boards. We are all learning how to develop networks and connect directly with the people making the hiring decisions.

"One of the job-board features that initially made them so attractive -- ease of applying for jobs -- has made them a significant nightmare for employers."

There was a time when job boards offered an almost-instantaneous (and convenient) method to connect employers and job seekers...now they have outlived their usefulness to both parties. From the employer's perspective, they are overpriced dinosaurs. And, only 12% of their hires come through the boards, so why do employers continue to pay for the 'privilege' of posting on the boards??

For job seekers, the boards give them the opportunity to apply for jobs that 1,000 other folks have applied for. Only spammers and identify theives seem to like them.

A fall 2008 webinar by Kenexa reported a 500 to 1 chance for a job-seeker to find a job through the big three job boards, Monster, CareerBuilder, and YahooHotJobs. ..today users find more shortcomings than advantages.

As a job seeker, this comes as no surprise. We've said many times here that the job boards are dead---time to stick a fork in 'em. As we noted in an earlier article, it’s no secret that job seekers are fed up with a cumbersome application process that leads no where (or, as we call it, the black hole). They know all too well what happens to their resumes after applying for a job through one of these sites: to infinity…and beyond!! The amount of spam mail they receive is a different story altogether.

Some job boards have become a major turnoff for job-seekers, who claim that every time they click on a page, attempts are made to trick them into agreeing to services, such as loan consolidations.

The problem is that the boards are trying to suck up as much revenue--from any source--before they go completely belly-up. Ginsu knives, anyone??

The stalemate between resume-inundated employers and job-seekers who feel ill-treated online is another reason Web 2.0 recruiting and job search are catching on.

We say it's about time! For more info on 2.0 recruiting, go here or just Google the phrase. Web 2.0 is basically a fancy catch-all name for sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.

Bottom Line: If you are a job seeker reading this post and NOT on any of these sites, hustle on over and sign up. Surveys show that about 1 in 5 employers are using social networks to look for job candidates.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Update on my job search

I fell victim to the economy a few weeks ago getting laid off from my job. As a Recruiter, if companies are not hiring, they do not need the people like me that do the recruiting. Until the economy shows signs of recovering, companies remain in a holding pattern. But I was pleasantly surprised at how many companies are still talking to candidates like me, and how much people are generally willing to help in any way they can. Networking remains the best way to find a job as the best opportunities are typically not advertised. And with today's technology and tools, there are more ways than ever to start and increase your networking activity to find job leads. Probably too many options to be honest.

I've found in recent weeks that people consistently ask how they can use Twitter to either recruit, or to network to find a job. I'm still at level one in the Twitter world, but here are a few individuals that can help you dive into using Twitter for your job search. Here is How to Find a Job on Twitter, including proactive and reactive activities. Here is a list of suggested Twitter users to follow as part of your job search, and companies hiring on Twitter. There's always Tweet My Resume and Tweet My Jobs where you can blast your resume out to hiring managers and Recruiters, or have new jobs sent to you once they are posted. You can find various companies and recruiters on Twitter that post individual jobs by searching "jobs" with your preferred location, skill set, or whatever (jobs, Michigan, recruiter). Once you start following these people or companies, your network increases. I don't recommend using any one resource for job hunting, just like as a Recruiter I never relied on a single source. But Twitter can be one part of your overall approach and certainly help you learn either who is hiring, or who to network with that can help you along the way.