Job Trend Report for 2012: Film, Video & Digital Media

Are you interested in the world of entertainment and media?

Last month, ProductionHUB, the search engine for media & entertainment, announced some trends so entertainment industry professionals can be better prepared for the job market in 2012.

Below are some facts & figures to provide some insight into who these employers wanted to hire: Continue Reading

One Final Semester – What’s Next?

The job market isn’t exactly ideal for recent college graduates, but recent studies have shown that hiring is finally headed in a positive direction. Bloomberg Businessweek reported that recent graduates of the class of 2011 are seeing progress due to a “window of economic growth,” and that window could be responsible for the greatest increase of hired, newly graduated employees since the school-to-work transition of the class of 2008. Although the increase benefited this year’s college grads in general, grads with degrees in business and accounting saw the most success. Continue Reading

Increased Suit Sales May Mean More Interviews; Hiring Activity Continues

Is the recession helping Men’s Warehouse sell more suits? The Houston-based tuxedo and suit retailer reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings, thanks in part to increased sales.

While there was no indication from the company as the reason behind the increased sales, workplace authority John Challenger believes it could be a surge in suit-buying by out-of-work Americans trying to look their best for job interviews. “After years of many workplaces going casual, a trend that hurt suit retailers, job seekers wanting to dress up for interviews don’t have anything in their closet that fits or is in fashion. So, they are heading out to restock their suit collections. Places like Men’s Warehouse that offer good value are going to do better than high-end retailers selling $1,000 suits,” noted Challenger. With the job market so competitive, is it important to dress up for interviews? Are dress codes in the office returning to a more formal or traditional business attire because of the economy?

A look at the monthly employment figures from the government can be somewhat disheartening for the millions of job seekers hoping to land a position in the slowly recovering economy. After all, total non-farm payrolls suffered a net loss of 54,000 jobs in August while private payrolls grew by only 67,000, well short of the growth needed to make a dent in unemployment. If you are in an industry like construction, manufacturing or retail, the picture looks even worse. Construction added 19,000 jobs after two months of losses totaling 13,000 jobs. Manufacturing payrolls fell by 27,000 last month while retailers’ payrolls shrank by nearly 5,000. Looking at those numbers, one might simply assume that there are no jobs available in these industries. However, that is not the case.

While it is true that employers in these areas lost more employees than they gained, there was still plenty of hiring. The Bureau of Labor Statistics latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey provides a clearer picture of hiring activity, albeit a month behind the other employment data. In July, for example, the report shows that construction companies hired 351,000 new people, up from 289,000 a month earlier. Additionally, there were another 76,000 job openings that were left unfilled at the end of the month. Manufacturers hired 294,000 in July and had 228,000 more openings. Retailers hired 603,000 and still had nearly 300,000 openings to fill heading into August. So, yes, payrolls are still showing net losses, but these numbers show that hiring is occurring.

It is critical that job seekers not give up or even let up on their searches due to the assumption that no jobs are available. What can job seekers do to improve their chances of being one of the people hired? Are all of the job openings reported by employers advertised in the help wanted sections or online? If not, what can job seekers do to uncover this hidden job market?

Learn Proper Interview Techniques and Get the Job of Your Dreams

A lot of people were recently forced back into the job market, placing career veterans in direct competition with recent college graduates for entry level jobs. Despite the recession, a lot of companies are still hiring, but employers are more selective because mistakes in the current economy are twice as costly as they were before the recession hit. That means a lot of great people are going to have to work really hard to get themselves noticed.
If you already know your resume is impressive and up-to-date, then it’s time to start honing your interviewing skills.
Carole Martin, “The Interview Coach,” is hosting a “ Live Speed Interview Event” on January 14 and 15 at 8:00 p.m. EST, via teleconference, to help people learn how to shine once they land an interview with an employer. Martin’s live teleconferences are actually two 60-minute “tele-classes” that can be attended by anyone interested in acing an interview and getting a “dream job.”
Four brave candidates will be interviewed during each session and receive immediate feedback. I say brave because the other candidates will be listening and – I hope – taking notes and learning from Martin’s expert advice.
Candidates who register for Martin’s Live Speed Interview Event will receive all the relevant details by email.

Where the Jobs Are

A recent study that addresses the recruiting trends for next year was just released by Michigan State University. The study showed some surprising results, given the turbulent job market, and it has implications for all young adults.
First, overall hiring is expected to decrease by 1% next year. Not a huge surprise. But what is surprising is where the hiring is expected to take place.
There are three types of employers who are expected to hire next year:

• Those that need global talent
• Those that need workers to replace boomers (example: the federal government), and
• Small, fast growing employers (example: the video game industry)

In fact, companies who have between 54 and 300 employees are expected to increase hiring next year by 7%.
So, what does this mean for those young professionals who are entering the workforce for the first time or for those who are looking for their second job?
It means that you are going to have to work harder to land the job. Typically, small companies do not have a strong on campus presence (or any at all, for that matter) nor do they hire based on the academic calendar.
Here are a few recommendations to finding the right companies.

• Know what you want to do and why. Be specific. A career goal that states: I want a job that uses my critical thinking skills will not cut it. Rather, an objective like: “business analyst position in the health care industry that utilizes my analytical skills and abilities” is much more concrete and more successful in the job search process.
• Identify and target the employers you want to work for. Network with everyone you know to see if there is anyone who works there and can help get you in. Approach the organization in person with resume in hand. Believe it or not, that has a very high success rate for young professionals (16%).
• If all else fails, be creative in how you approach the companies. I once had a client who wanted to work for Saucony. He noticed that on their web site they claimed that they could be guilted into going running with candidates. So, my client bought a pair of Saucony shoes, brought his resume in person just before lunch time. He asked if anyone was available for a run. I know that approach is a little out there, but he got their attention.
• Be sure to follow up with all your contacts. Keep them posted on your progress. Send them information that they can use. Example: One client wanted to work in the video game industry in quality assurance. He knew this was the entry level opportunity in that industry and he had 7 employers targeted. When playing a well known game, he noticed that there were some behind the scene errors. He emailed the hiring manager with that information and got a job offer shortly thereafter.
• Keep networking.

Article by, Susan Kennedy, career counselor for college graduates and young professionals

Largest number of jobs lost

It seems like every day on the news we hear more and more about jobs that are being lost. Last Friday the numbers of jobs lost were the highest in years. So many of our clients are anxious about what to expect in the job market that they aren’t sure they where to start.
Understand that most of the hiring right now is coming from companies who have between 53 and 300 employees (Michigan State University). Those organizations actually reported a projected 7% increase in hiring for next year.
When approaching an organization of this size, keep in mind that they may have a small HR department. This has an impact on how you should approach them.

Continue Reading

Developing the Right Resume and Attitude for an Uncertain Economy

There is no doubt that our current economy is a little scary to say the least. Companies are laying off in mass numbers while gas, food, and energy costs are reaching record highs. It can be very difficult to maintain sanity in the midst of such uncertainty, let alone think about finding a job. But with responsibilities like bills and family always present, one must learn to keep pushing forward.
If you’re trying to find a job in our unsettling job market, you may feel less than excited about your prospects. However, you can find a job…and a good one at that. You just have to develop the right attitude, and an even better resume.
Make Yourself More Marketable
With layoffs on the rise, more people are competing for the same job. So in order to make yourself more marketable, you’ll need to perfect your resume. This means, no spelling or grammatical errors. You’ll also need to make sure your skills stand out above the rest.
One way you can do this is by conducting thorough research on the company and position to illustrate how you can enhance their goals. When describing your skills, try using action-oriented words like designed, marketed and researched, instead of phrases like “responsibilities included.” And also focus on specific achievements, like how much money you made at your previous company, and on which projects, to help employers assess your skill level.
Consider Economic Growths, Declines, and Specific Regions
Before you even apply for a job, it’s good to look at which business areas are growing, which are declining, and how your region is fairing economically. For example, a May 2008 Newsweek article reported that finance and accounting, engineering, technology and science are seeing growth, while construction, manufacturing, and automotive seem to be declining. In the same article, it noted that Midwest jobs may be on the decline due to its strong construction focus, while cities like New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Dallas may see a rise due to their professional focus.
After you conduct your research, if you find your field isn’t negatively impacted by the economy, you may still want to conduct more research to learn details such as whether managers and administrators, or hourly employees, are keeping or losing jobs. And if things aren’t going so well in your industry, you might consider a slight career shift, such as moving from software development to hardware networking, or even switching cities. That is if the prospects for long-term employment seem more promising.
Maintain the Right Attitude
In this economy, it is important to keep a positive attitude about your career prospects. Because the fact of the matter is, if there is a job available, someone must eventually fill the role. So why couldn’t it be you? You are just as qualified for the job as you were before the economy worsened. So try not to let the economy’s current state negatively affect your job search.
Under stable conditions, getting on track career-wise requires strong determination. But in a weak economy, it takes more. So take time to perfect your resume, conduct extensive research on your field, and keep a positive attitude. You will see that despite the economy, you’ll be able to thrive.
Heather Eagar is a former professional resume writer and owner of http://www.ResumeLines.com who is now dedicated to providing job seekers with resources and products that promote job search success from beginning to end.