Job Hunting in a Slow Market

The job market is intimidating. If you're looking for employment, you may want to consider recession-proofing your application strategy. Tough economic times have provided the unemployed with new challenges to overcome in order to find a new career. Unlike recent years, there are currently more people seeking work than there are jobs to go around.

With creativity and a strong work ethic, you can still stand out and find a great job. But to ensure you succeed in your search, you're going to need to show employers that you're flexible, motivated, and have clear career goals. Get started by evaluating your current job seeking strategy while keeping in mind the tips below.

Consider Your Field

Are you aware of where business is headed in your industry? You should be! With many markets suffering, you should be the first to know when to refocus your goals and when to look elsewhere for employment. Make a point to read your industry's trade publications and keep up-to-date on poignant blogs and news feeds. If your field isn't showing much promise for new jobs in the coming months, consider a temporary refocus in a healthier or more resilient industry.

Re-focus Your Goals

Your career goals are some of the first things that hiring managers will read and consider upon receiving your resume. Now so more than ever, it's important that your goals inform employers of what role you want to play in their company. What can you bring to the position that the competition can't? Refocus your goals to tell employers "what's in it for them", instead of what you hope to accomplish on a personal level.

Get Back To Basics

Make sure your resume proves to potential employers that you've mastered business basics in addition to having knowledge specific to your education or work experience. Standard typing abilities, use of essential computer programs, sales techniques, negotiation skills and business etiquettes are all good starting points. If you haven't had training in any of these areas, you can find flexible training programs for professional adults online.
Push Your Achievements

Let potential employers know that you're dedicated to your product or client. Hiring managers want to see where you've stood out in the past by improving productivity with ideas or organization, going the extra mile to meet a deadline, or saving your department or company additional expenses.

Think back to a situation in which you were outstanding as a critical thinker, an efficient producer, a money saver or a problem solver. Consider every role you've played in your employment history and assess how it effected your co-workers, superiors, and the company as a whole. What are your most influential accomplishments? Write these down, and add them to your resume.

Remember, your resume tells your story, sells your abilities, and leaves a lasting impression on a hiring manager. It's more important in the current job market than ever before that your resume leave nothing to the imagination. When re-evaluating your skills and revising your resume, keep in mind that you're not just proving to employers that you can do the job, but you're an asset to their company—they just don't know it yet.

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