Looking for Work in an Economic Downturn
By Carrie Mayne
Finding a job is hard work. Finding a job during a recession is
even tougher. It may even feel impossible to those faced with this
daunting task. Companies are restructuring, downsizing, laying off
or shutting down every day. Does this mean you’re not going to find
work? No. But it does mean you’re going to have to work even harder
to find a job and you may not find your ideal career completing
position at this time. Jobs are out there. No matter how weak the
labor market is, people still move out of jobs for various reasons
and create vacancies.
The job search advice given throughout this publication applies
to any economic climate, but here are a few tidbits specific to the
current economic situation that you can add to your arsenal:
- Realize that the competition for any position will be intense. With more
people out of work than usual, the number of applicants for any one position
will likely be quite high. For that reason, you’re best off focusing your job
search toward occupations for which you are currently qualified. When the
labor market is tight, an employer may consider hiring someone who isn’t fully
qualified for a position with the idea in mind that the candidate can be
trained for the skills s/he is lacking. Nowadays this will not be the case, so
it’s better to focus on jobs that are on par with your skill level.
- In some situations it may even be to your long-run advantage to consider
accepting a position for which you are overqualified. If, for example, a
company that operates in your field of interest is only filling positions that
are lower than your skill level, you could look at it as an opportunity to get
your foot in the door. If you’re hired you will likely have many chances
impress the bosses and show your full range of talent so that when the company
does open up higher-skill positions you’ll have an even better chance of
getting one.
- If you have enough flexibility in your personal situation, consider taking
an internship, going part-time, or working freelance. Again, it’s about
getting your foot in the door and any of these situations will allow you to
forge a relationship with an employer that could pay off in the long
run.
- Think broadly about the labor market and understand how your skills may be
applicable to other occupations or industries. You may be surprised to find
out that with little or no training you could look for work in another
occupation or industry. Often people don’t realize the transferability of
their skills. Widening your search scope will increase your chances of finding
gainful employment. (See end of article for list of online skills analysis
tools.)
- Keep abreast of information regarding the distribution of federal stimulus
money. Following that trail could lead you to companies who will be hiring in
order to complete government contracts.
- And last, but not least, consider going back to school. If you feel ready
for a career change, or think maybe your field won’t come back as strong when
the economy recovers, consider starting a training or education program in a
different area. Of course, you’ll want to be sure to educate yourself on all
the different programs out there, and be sure to choose something that fits
your talents and interests and is projected to have strong growth and good
wages.
Maybe this information leaves you hopeful and energized
about your job search, or maybe the recession has got you so discouraged that
you just can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. If the latter statement
describes you best then just keep this one thing in mind:
the U.S. economy has bounced back from every other downturn in history.
There’s nothing to say it won’t be true of this one either.
For more information:
