Jobs: Keeping Your Options Open

Advice:  Steven Toole is Vice President of Employer Marketing with Jobfox.com.

With unemployment now at a 26-year high and several hundred thousand Americans continuing to lose their jobs every month this year, it’s not only tough to find work, but keeping your job is far from guaranteed for most people. Although unemployment has certainly been this high before, it’s never been this high in a post-Internet world.  While the Internet was supposed to make it easier for people to find jobs via traditional online job boards, today’s employers are inundated with electronic resumes from millions of job seekers, choking the system.  The result is that it’s harder than ever for employers to find that proverbial “needle in a haystack” of resumes and applications.  In turn, it’s harder than ever for you, the qualified candidate, to break through the clutter of hundreds, or even thousands, of applicants vying for the same job. Here are a few tips to help you position yourself in today’s job marketplace.

1. If you’re currently employed, be prepared.  Start a “passive” job search.  Update your resume now, and get familiar with job search tools, especially if you haven’t had to look for a job in a few years.  Use free online tools. Jobfox.com is a great place to start. It not only blocks your current employer from seeing you on the site, but Jobfox will only show you jobs that are truly a good fit for your unique skills, experience, location, education and income range.
2. If you’re currently out of work – Don’t give up.  There are jobs out there.  The Department of Labor estimates several million job openings available each month, despite increasing unemployment and layoffs.  Unemployment among women is lowest in the fields of healthcare (2.1%), life, physical and social sciences (4.4%), management (4.7%) and legal professions (4.9%) – well below the national average of 9.7%.
3. Consider going back to school. Whether part-time or full time, getting that advanced degree or certification makes you more marketable.  There is a direct correlation between education levels and employment levels.  The national unemployment rate among workers with no high school diploma is 14.8%.  Contrast that with the rate among workers with some college coursework or an associate’s degree, which is currently half that rate, at just 7.4%.  Add the bachelor’s degree and the unemployment rate drops again to just 4.4%, meaning that there are a lot fewer college educated workers out of work than those with full degrees.
4. Give your resume an extreme makeover. Your resume has a few seconds to sell you to employers.  You may have labored over it and tweaked it endlessly, but that doesn’t mean it’s doing you justice.  Hand it over to a reputable pro and you’ll probably be amazed at how good you could look on paper.
5. Network wherever you can. In addition to the obvious professional clubs and associations, talk to your friends, relatives and neighbors about where they work. You may be surprised to learn that someone you know works at a company where you just applied or a position just opened up for you.
6. Volunteer. Use the skills of your occupation for a charitable organization.  This keeps your skills sharp, builds your reputation for what you’re good at, demonstrates passion to prospective employers, and presents great networking opportunities.

Steven Toole is Vice President of Employer Marketing with Jobfox.com, www.Jobfox.com. a social media web site that confidentially matches professionals with their most suitable career opportunities.

It's a great time to volunteer

A report issued last week by The Corporation for National and Community Service concluded that volunteerism is up this year despite the economic situation, with more than 61 million Americans contributing 8 billion hours of community service worth $162 billion dollars. Now is a great time to volunteer, which provides several benefits for job seekers and employers alike:

• Feels great -- good for self esteem and good for employee morale.
• Great networking -- meet people from different professions and network with workers from different companies.
• Skills sharpening -- great way to flex your skills muscle by taking on projects you otherwise wouldn't have access to in your current job, especially if you're unemployed.  Organize an event, design a flyer, or even help build a home.  If the nature of your volunteer work is within your profession, it looks great on your resume and shows enthusiasm and passion for your field.

Some of the 20+ Jobfox team members throughout the country who recently stepped up to donate blood.  Blood supplies in the Washington DC area whre Jobfox is headquartered are at a half day level, underscoring the need for folks to get out and donate blood.  Visit the American Red Cross website to locate a blood donation center near you, to host a blood drive at your company, or to find additional volunteer opportunities.

Unemployment Rate Reverses

In its latest monthly unemployment report released today, the Department of Labor reported the July unemployment rate at 9.4% nationwide, indicating the first monthly decline in unemployment since the economic crisis began over a year ago. While this may seem little consolation for the 200,000+ people who lost their jobs in July, on the whole it's good news for everyone as it clearly demonstrates that the worst is behind us as a nation.

Naturally, we welcome those affected by the economy to create a free profile on Jobfox.com to be matched to thousands of jobs currently active on our site, and consider having a Jobfox professional resume writer critique and/or rewrite a resume in order to make the best presentation to potential employers. Because despite the fact that American employers shed a quarter million workers last month, there have been an average of 2.7 million job openings per month from January through May this year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And while unemployment is at 9.4% overall, the unemployment rate among professionals with a college degree is much lower, actually less than 5% nationwide.

GlobalTranz Fuels Nationwide Growth with Reps Sourced through Jobfox

As GlobalTranz builds a nationwide network of Agents, it has turned to Jobfox as its most reliable source.

“Our goal is to add 200 Agencies a year,” said KJ McMasters, Director, Business Development. “We’re looking to partner with highly experienced people in the transportation industry who are interested in the opportunity of owning their own business.”

Given the current economy, GlobalTranz has seen a sharp increase in the number of people inquiring about its opportunities – many of them under qualified. “Everybody is applying for any job right now,” said Kayla Goodhue, Business Development.

Looking for a way to narrow the field of candidates for Agent spots, GlobalTranz found Jobfox on an online search. The company had used a transportation industry job board, but it took a significant amount of time to wade through the resulting resumes and inquiries that came in.

Sophisticated matching with Jobfox produces a ranked list of candidates that fit the job profile among the millions of matchable candidates throughout the Jobfox community. Likewise, qualified candidates see all the jobs that match his or her qualifications and preferences.

Using Jobfox to match with qualified candidates has paid off for GlobalTranz in time saved that would otherwise be spent sorting through candidates and inquiries generated via traditional job boards. Jobfox’s ranked match results allow the Business Development team to focus its efforts on only the most qualified people. They also find it easier to view candidate profiles in Jobfox, so they know more quickly if they want to contact someone.

Because new Agents sell GlobalTranz services, expanding the network naturally grows the company’s revenue. Since it began using Jobfox, GlobalTranz has added eight new Agency owners.

GlobalTranz is one of the thousands of employers using Jobfox to match their jobs with millions of candidates. Job seekers looking to be matched with great employers like GlobalTranz should complete a free match profile at www.Jobfox.com.

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Six Service Sector Industries Show Growth

In a report issued today by The Institute for Supply Management, a private research group, concluded that US service sector jobs shrunk at a slowing pace in May.  Service sectors that grew in May include the following, with examples of employers hiring in each sector via Jobfox.com:

• Real Estate: ZipRealty, Ameriprise Financial, MetLife
• Rental & Leasing: Avis Budget, Metroplex Management, Icon Capital, Oakwood Worldwide
• Arts, Entertainment & Recreation: Brinker International, Entertainment Cruises, Washington Athletic Club
• Utilities: Boston Power, Maxus Energy Corporation, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
• Retail Trade: American Girl, Bridgestone Firestone, Foot Locker, KMart, Sears
• Construction: Abel Womack, MC Dean, Morgner Construction Management, Vanguard Construction & Development
• Accommodation & Food Services: Hilton, Hyatt, Cheesecake Factory, Ted's Montana Grill

To see more, browse a sample list of employers hiring on Jobfox.com. Employers hiring in the services sector should talk to their Jobfox representative about matching their jobs to millions of candidates on Jobfox.com. Job seekers in the services sector should complete a free match profile to be matched to these and other employers on Jobfox.com.