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.
First, keep in mind that they probably will not have an on-campus presence. They just do not have the resources. They also do not hire based on the academic calendar so don't wait until graduation to start looking.
Second, because the HR staff is probably small, they will be very reluctant to post jobs. Again, they just do not have the resources to qualify and review hundreds of applications for every position they post. So, how can you get in to one of these companies? Simple: NETWORK.
Imagine the following scenario (and it is a true one): In one of my past lives as an HR director in a terrible job market (at a company with 200 employees), I foolishly posted a job in the local newspaper. I received about 500 resumes for that one job. My phone was ringing off the hook. I had about 10 things to do at the same time. The end result? I asked around internally to see if anyone knew of someone who could fill the job I had posted. I found someone through networking.
Article by, Susan Kennedy, career counselor for college graduates and young professionals
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