Be Prepared for the Opportunity

I saw a story on the news last week that exemplifies just how much different the job market is today compared to when the recession started in December of 2007. The scene was a ski resort in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The manager of the resort said that in prior seasons he had to advertise in foreign countries to get enough people to fill all the positions needed to run the resort during the ski season. This season, however, is much different. "We're 100% domestic this year", he said. He also said that the quality of the workers has improved several fold, adding that most of the workers are highly educated and have significant experience in other fields that prepared them very well to work with the public at the resort.

A story like that really brings it home about just how seriously this recession has impacted the job market. And it's not just the recession that's had an impact. The downturn in the economy only exacerbated the already steady flow of jobs that had been traditionally "American" jobs to other countries where the wage rate is significantly lower than in the United States. Some of those jobs are never coming back. Many companies that have downsized are merging with others and eliminating duplicate positions.

What does this mean if you're in a job hunt? One thing that it certainly means is that preparing yourself to enter other professions, or at least new environments in your current profession is not just a wise idea...it's essential in today's economic climate.

Most people have good, transferable skills that would be valuable to another employer, but they struggle to put themselves down on paper effectively. Multiple studies have shown that professionally written resumes get more interviews, and if it reduces your search by a month, a week, or even a day, it pays for itself. But getting the interview is only half the battle. Studies today tell us that there are six to seven people vying for every job opening today. During the boom times, it was more like 1.5 people competing for each position. A little time spent in preparing for the interview can make all the difference between success and failure in the job hunt.

Do you know how to negotiate effectively for your compensation package, or do you plan to just accept whatever an employer offers? Where you start in compensation can affect you for the rest of your career.

Your resume, the interview, and the compensation negotiation are all critical in making your job hunt a successful and long term, rewarding effort. Don't put yourself in the position of looking back and saying, "I wish I had been better prepared to take advantage of this opportunity."