Tough Times in the Job Market

By John Juresic, MS, CPCC

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In tough economic times, the competition for jobs increases tremendously. A case in point for this article was some years back; a good friend of mine was applying for a teaching position at a local elementary school. He later told me, that there were a higher than usual number of applicants for this position. Several applicants even had doctorate degrees. The number of overqualified people applying for an entry level elementary teaching position was an excellent indicator for him that the economy was bad.

When the economy is down, and people are looking for a new job, they may have to consider looking outside their present industry. Instead of looking in the manufacturing sector, you may need to look at similar jobs in other industries such as construction or in the health care industry for example. You need to remember that your experience in one industry can certainly benefit another industry. And to be successful in these difficult times, you need to be open minded and creative.

One of the best things to do to increase your odds of landing that new job is to sit down and make a list of the various experiences that you have had. You want to be sure to include applicable volunteer work activity. Show how you used that experience when working on a problem, developed an action plan and then show what the results were. By including this in your resume you can demonstrate how your broad experience can benefit your prospective employer. Just because you only show a 5% increase in participants in your local blood drive over the previous year does not mean that it is bad. You can use that increase to show that you have good marketing and public relations experience. By taking that extra step, it will only increase your chance of landing that new job.

What To Do If You Still Have Your Job
The job that you have is a pretty good; at least it pays the bills. You start thinking, “what can I do to keep my job?” The headlines tell of more and more companies that are looking at the bottom line and searching for ways to stay afloat; employees that do not add to the bottom line may find themselves on the chopping block.

One of the most important things to keep in mind is to be flexible. You need to be willing to take on extra some work or be willing to move to a different project. Let your boss see you as a team player. Now is the time to show your commitment to the company. Put in the extra time and don’t miss any dead line. Become the go-to person for your boss.

Now is not the time to gripe about operation policies and procedures and do not gossip with your co-workers around the water cooler. Watch the company e-mail system. Remember that it is for company business not spreading roomer through the “grape vine” and spreading off color cokes. You don’t want to be sending a derogatory e-mail that could get in the wrong hands.
If the company has to cut into salaries to stay afloat, take it gracefully. Remember, that not taking home as much in the check is better than no check at all.

Be on the lookout for ways to improve your worth to the company. Take a class that will make you more valuable to your company. Explore ways that you can add to the bottom line of your company. Look for educational opportunities whether classes or workshops that you can take and that will help your employer. Remember, you can loose your job, but they can’t take your education and knowledge away from you. And last but not least, keep your resume up to date and make sure your network contacts are in place.

Going through tough times like this can take a toll on you mentally and physically. Be sure to take some time for yourself and get plenty of rest, eat right and get some exercise.