94% of Employers Okay With Candidates Who Took Lower Level Jobs During Recession

The vast majority of employers – 85 percent – reported that they are more understanding of employment gaps post-recession. Nine-in-ten (94 percent) said they wouldn’t think less of a candidate who took a position during the recession that was at a lower level than the one he/she previously held. The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive© among more than 3,000 employers across industries and company sizes.

“More than 5 million workers in the U.S. have been unemployed for six months or longer, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,” said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources for CareerBuilder. “While job seekers have voiced concern over how they may be perceived if they’ve been out of work for a while or took a job for which they were overqualified to make ends meet, the study shows employers understand the tough challenges the economy has created for workers. What is most important to employers is that workers show they have stayed active in sharpening their skills.”

When asked what can help job seekers increase their marketability, employers stated that they should pursue a variety of activities to build, expand and strengthen skill sets:

• Take a temporary or contract assignment – 79 percent
• Take a class – 61 percent
• Volunteer – 60 percent
• Start your own business – 28 percent
• Start a professional blog – 11 percent

In addition, CareerBuilder experts recommend the following:

• Follow stories on hot industries and job functions. Information Technology, Engineering, Healthcare, Sales and Customer Services are among the top areas for hiring nationwide.
• Use keywords. Most employers use electronic scanning devices to screen and rank candidates. Make sure to pepper in words from the job posting into your resume as it relates to your experience, so your resume comes up higher in employer searches.
• Come in with ideas. Whether it’s an idea for a marketing campaign, new revenue stream, cost savings, etc., the candidates who come to the interview with ideas show they’re excited about the opportunity and always stand out from the crowd.
• Make connections. A warm resume placed on the hiring manager’s desk is more likely to get noticed. Expand your network of contacts through social media, professional organizations, social clubs, etc., to make new inroads into organizations.
• Follow through. Two-thirds of workers reported that they don’t follow up with the employer after submitting their resume for consideration. It’s important to take that extra step in letting the employer know you’re interested, and make sure you always send a thank you after an interview.