The ABCs of Career Management for the New Year
by Vikki Hidde on 02/11/13
III. Do you know where the jobs are? Based on 25 years of experience in the career business the following numbers hold true (plus or minus 4% based upon the economy). If you want to research actual numbers the US Department of Labor will have statistics, but the statistics for this year will not be available for a couple of years:
a. 40+ % of jobs are with the local/state/federal government or public funded services such as education.
b. 5%-8% of jobs are secured by applying on-line.
c. 5%-8% of jobs are secured through temporary agencies; this is a good way to test drive a career, before taking the leap to a new company or new career.
d. 5% of jobs are placed with recruiters or as they are known in the industry –Headhunters. The best way to get a headhunters attention is to excel. Their client companies only want to secure the “best” talent when they are paying a fee. If a recruiter contacts you, listen and keep their contact information.
e. Print ads in the classified, jobs publications or industry trade journals account for 10% to 15%; during a downturn in the economy the number of classified ads shrinks.
f. College professors may introduce their top students to their company contacts. This is an excellent incentive to shine academically.
g. Job Fairs account for a small percentage. When talking with company recruiters at job fairs many tell me their goal is to find one or two good candidate. Other companies are there for mass hiring. Have realistic expectations when attending job fairs.
h. Using your network and getting a personal introduction is the best way to secure employment. Build your circle of influence one contact at a time.
i. Applying directly to companies is another way to secure employment.
j. Using social networking is an emerging way to secure contacts and open lines of communication in order to obtain an introduction to a new opportunity.
k. One of my favorite ways to apply is to let a decision maker know that someone with your exceptional skill set is available.
