A great one on job growth potential:

I thought this was interesting; just saw this today, 7/10/08. It was sent to me by an associate, Rich Sauser. With all the gloom and doom these days - high gas prices, foreclosures everywhere - maybe there’s hope yet.
Steve Provenzano, CPRW/CEIP

Pockets of job market growth continue to emerge
 

NEW YORK, NY — Despite a macroeconomic slowdown that has kept the threat of recession looming for the past eight months, pockets of job market growth continue to emerge in the technology, healthcare and defense sectors. According to TheLadders Quarterly Executive Job Market Trends Report for Q208, 71% of $100,000+ job seekers said they have noticed a slow-down this quarter. However, undeterred by the economic slow-down, 58% of those surveyed described the high-end job markets in their cities as stable and 59% said they expect to land a new job in six months or less.

This optimism is echoed in the hiring patterns among the large American corporations according to TheLadders Quarterly Report. While hiring in the financial and consumer discretionary sectors has clearly been impacted by the continued fall-out from the mortgage market collapse, the technology, healthcare and defense sectors are all adding to their executive-level ranks nationwide.

There were 12,000 more $100,000+ jobs posted on TheLadders in the first quarter of 2008 than there were in the first quarter of 2007. The recession is grabbing the headlines, but there are always countercyclical segments of the market that thrive in a down economy. The reports are showing a lot of reliance in this marketplace.

Looking near and Far for Next Job

I believe a lot in networking before, during and after your job search. Yes, it’s great to find yourself a job. However, I really enjoy how I feel when I can help someone else get a better job, or help a manager, friend or entrepreneur find that special team player that will allow them to grow their business. So networking is key to helping your community (defining community is a whole other post - if not a book).  Look into area networking.  A lot of the different churches and synagogues are partnering up to build wider networks for helping everyone find there perfect job.

Here is one job support networking group in my area that I support as much as I can:

Willow Creek Job Connection Site http://www.willowcreek.needsmet.org/

Four Secrets to Always Having a Job, Part 2

2. Use the “3×3x3 rule” to create and implement your own professional development strategy.
Forget about waiting for your annual review; smart workers take the review process into their own hands. Assess your professional strengths and weaknesses. By building a game plan to leverage the first and minimize the second, you can identify how you plan to stay employable. I encourage individuals to follow the “3×3x3 rule” for skill development:

• A. Choose three skills you want to enhance.
• B. Identify three ways in which you could learn and grow each skill.
• C. Articulate three examples of how you can demonstrate your enhanced skills in this area to your employer.

Of course you will be far more likely to meeting your goals if you write these down (in 3 places – your goals, your daily planner, your email to a mentor or personal friend).

By taking professional development into your own hands, you remain focused and in control of your employability.

By J.T. O’Donnell, nationally syndicated workplace columnist

Four Secrets to Always Having a Job – part 1

How do some people always manage to be employed and on track for continued success? They follow the four secrets to staying employable.

1. Keep your definition of a “good job” reasonable.

As we progress professionally, we acquire skills and experiences that often afford us greater opportunities in terms of salary and benefits.The problem lies in making the assumption that once we are offered a larger compensation package, it becomes the starting benchmark for any job we take in the future. The result is the “golden handcuff effect” – a sense that we are held hostage by our current job because there’s no place else to go.

Smart workers know each job opportunity provides criteria that must be weighed differently against our wants and needs. Staying employable means simplifying our list and planning for the day when we won’t have the same level or type of perks. This keeps job options more plentiful and movement to new positions easier.

More to follow on 4 Secrets to Always Having a Job

By J.T. O’Donnell, nationally syndicated workplace columnist

Another Job Search Resource

While networking and personal contacts are far more effective then online job boards, it makes sense to keep an eye on all the possibilities. First, understand what positions to focus your network on, then see how job descriptions and duties are being written up and described. In other words, what are the current expectations of the ‘community’ for your next position?

With that in mind, here is another job board I found for the home building industry: BuilderJobs.com

It’s not a big listing, but most people only want one job at a time anyway. Good luck, Steve

Top Secrets of Expert Resumes

It seems no matter how good we have it, we all want a better job.
That means keeping track of job listings, networking, tracking down leads, analyzing potential employers and scheduling interviews. But these depend on other people, word of mouth, and the quality and quantity of job postings available at any given time.
Only your resume gives you total control over how you’re perceived by potential employers. It doesn’t have to be a passive job listing with subjective information on why you think you’re a great and wonderful person (which of course you are).
You need a high-impact career marketing piece that takes full advantage of the paltry 10-60 seconds of attention most resumes receive.
Perhaps you don’t think of you’re a very good writer, and just don’t like “writing about yourself.” You’re not alone: even published authors and top-flight executives who visit my office tell me they have trouble writing a decent resume. They also tell me, “My resume isn’t perfect, but I’ll explain myself in the interview.”
However, you may be the perfect candidate for a position and still not get the interview, for no other reason than your resume. Resumes are typically used to exclude people from positions more often then include them; whomever is left in the ‘potential’ stack gets called for an interview.
The bottom line?

What employers want to know from each person “sitting” on their desk is:

• What can you do for me?
• How can you fill this job effectively?
• Why should I talk to you?

Use a Profile to Focus on Keywords
Pre-digest your information; boil it down to keywords related to essential skills and abilities. These can be as basic as sales, marketing, client relations, target marketing, project management, budget planning or forecasting.
Once you have these items, group similar words together and list your level of proficiency, for example:

• Skilled in sales, marketing and new business development, including full responsibility for account acquisition and management.
• Proficient in total project management, from technical staff training to product design, development and roll out in major national markets.
• Comprehensive experience in finance, accounting and C-level audits, including strategic planning, team training, quality control and client relations.

This gives you total control over how you’re perceived by employers. Without this section, you’re basically a victim of your work experience and education, and what if your most recent experience isn’t related to your current career goals?

Consistently Market Your Skills and Abilities
Steer clear of fluff words such as “Self-motivated, hands-on professional with an excellent track record of…” Let’s face it. The first two items in this sentence could be said about almost anyone. As for your track record, let the employer decide if it’s excellent by reading about your abilities (on top) and your duties and accomplishments (under the Employment section).
This can be the most difficult task on any resume, and it has to be written just right. If it’s subjective or contains ideas that can’t be verified through education or experience, then don’t include it, or you’ll lose your credibility. Consider getting advice from a Certified Professional Resume Writer who typically won’t charge for a review.

A Title or Objective?
Think of a basic Title or Objective for the top of your resume.
This is typically very brief, just one or two words: SALES / MARKETING or ACCOUNTING / FINANCE, or something as simple as EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP. Give the reader some idea of where you’re coming from, and generally where you want to go, without blocking yourself from consideration for other positions.

Employment and Education sections.
Now your writing must consistently verify, support and quantify what you’ve stated in your Profile section. Help the reader actually see you at your last position by spelling out daily duties most relevant to your career goals. Quantify how many people you supervised or trained, explain types of clients you work(ed) with, computers utilized, and most important, results.
What are/were your achievements? Give facts and figures like budget amounts, how much you’ve saved the company over how long, awards, recognitions, etc.
Avoid the ubiquitous “References Available upon Request” at the bottom of your resume. If employers really want references, they’ll ask you. Consider “CONFIDENTIAL RESUME” at the top of your resume, and/or stating this in your cover letter. Always respect the reader’s intelligence!
Research the company’s brochure, annual report and job advertisement, if any, and tailor your resume as much as possible to the position.

Final Thoughts
Although personal networking is the best way to get a job, an excellent resume can open doors all by itself, and is still required in many networking situations. Of course, a brief cover letter should be targeted to the hiring authority whenever possible.
Tell employers what you know about their operation, and why you want to work specifically for his/her company. Make them feel like they’re the only person getting your resume. Consider this: a resume that’s only slightly more effective than the one you have now could help you get a job weeks, or even months faster than your old resume.
Resume writing is an art form in itself, and there are few hard and fast rules. You need a complete, professional job search strategy, and your resume must be a key part of that strategy. When you implement these ideas in the next update of your resume, you’ll almost certainly get more interviews.

Steven Provenzano is a former corporate recruiter and author of six career books, most recently Top Secret Executive Resumes. He has appeared on CNBC, CNN/fn, ABC/NBC in Chicago, on numerous radio programs and in various newspapers. He is a Certified Professional Resume Writer / CPRW and Certified Employment Interview Professional/CEIP.

He is President of A Perfect Resume Blog, Div. of Executive Career Services & DTP, Inc., and has written more than 4000 resumes.

Email any questions or materials to Careers@Execareers.net

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