Clued-up job seekers are using every tool at their disposal, writes David Maida
As New Zealand's unemployment rate continues to rise, people are taking extra steps to connect with a potential employer or even just find some temporary work.
Robert (not his real name) has been without full-time employment for a year and has been looking at an array of options.
"You just keep after it and talk to everybody that you can. About once a month I'll just ring my network of people and say, 'What's going on? What have you heard? Do you know anybody that knows anybody?' That sort of thing," says Robert.
He registered with every online employment service that would email job listings to him in various lines of work. Robert is now not just searching online and through the major newspapers but is even monitoring the small community papers to see if any opportunities exist.
He is also utilising Career Services, a government organisation offering employment advice. It has seen an upswing in demand for its services, says marketing and communications manager Wendy Goldswain.
"Our website traffic and calls to our 0800 number have increased quite dramatically over this year. I think it's attributable to just more and more people wanting to plan their careers and find re-employment," Goldswain says.
Career Services has offices nationwide from Kaitaia to Dunedin. They provide in-depth career guidance through a free phone service at 0800 222 733.
"We can certainly help them to prepare themselves for a return to employment."
The Career Services website at www.careers.govt.nz even offers online chats with career consultants. The site lists salaries by industry and educational level.
Robert is not the only mature worker seeking employment these days. Career Services has a section devoted to people aged 45-64 and says they make up an increasing percentage of the workforce.
"By international standards New Zealand's mature worker employment rates are high, and this group of workers is predicted to play an increasingly key role in the future as they make up for the falling number of younger workers entering the workforce," it says.
There is an online self-assessment guide to help job-seekers identify their skills, interests, qualities and values.
"We've got a lot of new content on our website about what to do in situations where you've been made redundant and some practical tips on how to go about job hunting in these tight economic times."
The tips from Career Services include:
* Tidy up your CV.
* Do your research.
* Perfect your interviewing technique.
* Look after yourself.
* Be adaptable.
* Keep on top of your finances.
* Keep your ear to the ground.
* Use the career tools available at www.careers.govt.nz.
* Keep positive.
Staying positive is often difficult when looking for work but it helps to plan your job search. Dedicate a certain amount of time each day and keep good records of who you've contacted. Take time to take care of yourself, get some exercise and stay well rested. Being unemployed can also be stressful because of the lack of things to do. You might consider volunteer work, contract work or part-time work which is well below your skill level just to have something to do.
Career Services also lists all industries and then breaks down specific jobs in each industry. It describes what is required and what it is like to work in each career. Real life examples with testimonials from people doing that job describe what it is like. Career Services also has links on their website to a multitude of job vacancy websites, recruitment agencies and volunteer organisations.
There is a special section on redundancy with Kiwis telling their stories of how they recovered after being made redundant.
The options it explores include:
* Getting back to work.
* Moving into a new stage of your career.
* Taking time out to train or retrain.
* Start your own business
Certain areas of the economy might also be better places to look for work than others. The economic downturn is expected to hit hardest in building construction, finance, insurance, motor retailing, property services, retail trade, hospitality, tourism, farming, horticulture and fisheries. It's more likely that employment in these areas will decline.
Growth areas include communication infrastructure, electricity, gas and water, food retailing, business services, sport and recreation, education and community services.
Employers and recruiters are receiving an enormous increase in the number of applications they receive for an ever dwindling number of jobs. A winning CV is now more important than ever. If you really want a job, you should tweak your CV for each application. Employers can quickly spot those CVs which were just spammed out in response to a bunch of job ads. Recruiters also take note of "serial appliers". CVs which show up again and again for different job applications indicate that a person is not focused on their objectives and is desperate.
A CV sent out in response to a job ad should be one or two pages, have clear headings, be error free and sell your abilities. It should clearly state your achievements and what you can bring to the role. Straight chronological CVs and CVs with a photo have gone out of fashion. But in some industries a video CV might be the way to go. Just make sure it's appropriate before going ahead with one.
There are also professional CV writing services which might be able to present you in a way you hadn't thought of which make you more appealing to a potential employer. You might also consider a professional portfolio. Proof of your skills neatly packed together shows you can put together a professional presentation.
A book which is updated every year is touted as the job hunters' bible. What Colour is Your Parachute by Dick Bolles covers all aspects of job hunting including, research, contacts, counselling, CVs and specifically how to use the internet to find a job.
The book describes the ways the internet can help - research, contacts and networks, obtaining skills, posting your CV and searching for vacancies. But Bolles cautions that contact information on websites is often outdated or incorrect.
Phone an organisation to find out who the appropriate contact is. Try to avoid the HR department and find the true decision makers.
Another way to make job contacts is through online networking sites. There is an unlimited array of specialist chat rooms, user groups and members-only websites which are dedicated to work-related interests. A networking site for just about every career available can easily be found by using a search engine. Even networking sites like Facebook or Twitter can be used to get the message out there that you are looking for work.
Contact David Maida at: www.davidmaida.com
