What do I see as the biggest dangers for the unemployed?

What are the biggest dangers for the unemployed?

I spent the morning at the Wausau Region Chamber’s Economic Outlook Summit listening to Clare Zempel. Mr. Zempel, a noted economist shared his view of the economy and taught those not economically-focused what indicators impact the likelihood of a return to a recession.

An audience member questioned the impact extending unemployment benefits had on the economy. The response was somewhat anecdotal but I could relate. The speaker spoke of a Milwaukee manufacturer with more than 100 openings that could not be filled. The only applicants were not able to read and write even at a basic level. Even with peak unemployment, employers struggle to fill positions.

Is there complacency among the unemployed?

I can relate. Three former clients asked me to recommend clients for positions they had open. A restaurant general manager asked if I knew a night manager to recommend. Additionally, a director of sales and development for a printing firm asked for people to recommend for a newly created network administrator. Finally, a regional sales manager asked if I knew an account manager for his retail food industry sales position.

All three were struggling  to find qualified candidates. I reached out beyond my client base and still found no good fit for them.

I tend to work with very proactive people. The majority of my clients who are unemployed use a strategic job search process with networking. Therefore, they are not unemployed for a long period of time. As go-getter people, they know how to network, reach out to their connections, and employ active search strategies.

However, I do work with unemployed people who used unemployment the wrong way. Some people who waited too long to see me. They spend the first part of their unemployment period doing the bare minimum. Otherwise, they used old style resumes coupled with a point and click job application strategy.

What is the point and click job application strategy?

This strategy is used by people who think online applications are the end all for job search. They apply, sometimes in high volume, but they simply apply online and never take it the next step.

They never check out networking connections and never spend time connecting with resources. In addition, they don’t volunteer or find ways to access the hidden job market. They assume (incorrectly) that all jobs are online and the more the better.

Wrong! As I said many times in the past, the secret to job search is not volume nor is it assuming that a job will fall in your lap. Job search is hard work. Spend that time wisely using the best resources and getting out of your chair to connect.

To get your job search working for you, simply click here.