Tips for Active Job Seekers in the 2009 Job Market
Over the course of the first half of the year, I have observed several stalled or mishandled job searches. Here’s how to avoid the common errors:
Be Open Geographically - Be willing to consider smaller towns and new locations that are farther from home. A particular city may not have an abundance of jobs, but if you are willing to consider a broader geographic area you will hear about many more job opportunities. Also, if your personal finances are in order and you can move with less relocation assistance from the hiring company, this can also help you get more interviews and be able to seize opportunities that others may have to pass by. Discover the good things about an area that you have never considered before!
Be willing to listen and investigate – When you hear of a new opportunity outside of your career comfort zone, be sure to listen and gather facts on the job, the company, and the area before you say “No thanks”. You may find some compelling reasons to consider the job such as – the city has an almost zero crime rate, the company is willing to buy your house on the relocation, the job has excellent promotion potential, etc.
Don’t wait - many people target a specific city and then open up their geographic parameters after spinning their wheels for several months. Instead of this approach, consider points 1 and 2 above while you are focusing on the local market. The interview cycles are taking months now instead of weeks like in 2008, so if you don’t put your name in the hat immediately when the job first becomes open it may be too late to try later. Also, if you are targeting a specific city such as Houston, be aware that companies are receiving over 100 qualified engineering candidates. You may find yourself waiting a long time to get an interview and then competing against 10 All Stars candidates for the same job. Put your resume in on the jobs you are qualified for immediately and seriously consider any interest from the market! Do not turn down plant visit interviews while you are waiting for a job to come open in your ideal city! Once you cancel a site visit they will NOT consider you again.
Know your niche – Keep your resume current with industry buzzwords and make sure your resume clearly communicates your technical abilities to reduce cost and make money for your employer. Give examples. Consider customizing your resumes for different jobs to fully highlight your abilities in the key skill areas. You must be clear in your resume as more often resumes are being read by digital image processors or human resources personnel who are searching only for a few key words! Your resume needs to stand out based on solid technical content. It is no longer good enough to be “qualified” for a job, you now must be competitive for the job. In other words, it is a given that companies can take their pick of qualified candidates – to get hired you must be more competitive than the other candidates. You must be a better technical match, have a better track record of success, and be a better interviewer than the rest of the qualified candidates. You are most competitive when you interview on jobs that require your exact skills in terms of equipment you have worked on and the type of processes you have worked in. If you know the company’s maintenance management software or the ASME or API codes that affect their plant, these insights will make you more competitive. Look for anything that gives you an edge to help the company that other candidates won’t have.
References – If you know people in common with your prospective employer try contacting those people and ask them if they would be willing to be a reference. It can be a small world out there and a good word from an in-house reference can give you an edge in a competitive job market.
