There was an interesting story on CBS Sunday Morning on April 3 concerning unemployment among baby boomers.  They opened the story at a Florida job fair where there were 2000 applicants, many of which looked closer to retirement age.  The premise was that people over 50 are having a hard time getting hired if they have been laid off. 
Here are some interesting statistics:  people over 50 are actually less likely to be laid off, but those who are struggle to find new opportunities.  Laid –off workers 34 or younger have a 36% chance of finding a new job within a year, according to the story.  For those in their 50’s or older it is only 24%.  For job seekers over 62 the number is even lower. 
There was a survey done by a Texas A&M professor in which over 4000 fictitious resumes were sent out in response to job ads, using high school graduation dates from the late ‘50’s to 1986.  The survey found that employers were 40% more likely to go for the younger applicants. 
That’s a real problem because more and more boomer are continuing to work as their retirement nest egg shrinks.  These people are a new underclass that could end up being a huge burden on the government.  Many are finding jobs well below their skill levels, which also affects their ability to save. Some are giving up all together and using unemployment benefits as they can – or finding other ways to get by.
Why the differences?  There is a perception that older workers will cost more, that their benefits will cost more, and that they are more demanding in their jobs.  There is also the idea that folks slow down with age, even though this older generation is a lot more healthy and energetic than those in the past.  Ultimately many employers are opting for “young and cheap” versus mature and experienced. 
So – my question is, is this really true for high tech companies?  It seems that technology companies, especially new ones, need experienced professionals to help them grow and be successful.  In the searches on our job site, nmtechjobs.org, many of the opportunities say “experience preferred”.  True, there is a choice between a newly graduated PhD with no experience and the latest info vs. a veteran who knows the ropes.  Also true that the more cutting edge tech companies have products so new that there aren’t likely to be very many with appropriate experience for the technology.  In the end, the industry does value and need its experienced workers.  Good luck!

Tags: hiring process, hiring talent, Hiring Trends, job seeker, recruiting

It is really difficult to write a good resume because you want to tell folks all the good things about you – but they just want to know if you can do the job!  I’ve discussed resumes from the employer angle a number of times, and they are searching for truthfulness and a fit.  They are also trying to get some sense of the person and their work style. Because they may receive PILES of resumes for a position, the more clearly and concisely you present your skills, the more likely your submittal will get noticed.
There is an art to focusing in on the skills a prospective employer will want while still presenting the breadth of talent that you offer.  A number of websites offer general tips for presenting your best side.
One service, #1 Resume Writing Services, provides a simple list of 10 tips online.  The list is as follows (for further discussion see the Resume site):
- Use titles or headings that match the job you want (assuming they are accurate!)
- Use design that grabs attention, so they’ll notice your resume in the pile
- Create content that sells – the art of descriptive phrases that attract attention
- Quantify, and use power words – numbers are powerful in themselves when describing achievements
- Analyze ads and job descriptions to identify key words – clues as to what the employer is asking for
- Identify and solve employer’s hidden needs – things like “plays well with others”
- Sell the benefit to employers of the skills you have – don’t just list the skills
- Create an image that matches the salary you want – such as the number of years of experience
- Prioritize the content in the resume – make sure the important stuff is at the top
- Most important – tweak and target your resume and cover letter for the job you seek.  Highlight the skills you have     relevant to the position.

After you have done the work and have targets in mind, have someone familiar with the industry review your resume.  They can help you with target words and presentation.  Also  our High Tech Job Forum will do a once-over for you free of charge.  We work with a number of high tech employers to help them recruit and would be happy to give you a sense of whether you are on target.
Good luck!

Tags: applications, candidates, job application, job seeker

NPR presented a program Tuesday, February 8 on “All Things Considered” on how to search for jobs effectively. They interviewed folks in the recruiting field as well as hiring managers in large companies.
One contributor suggested that finding a job requires the same type of marketing as starting a new company. A recruiter with a large firm said that now 70% of jobs are not published. Even without publishing jobs, large companies receive almost 10 resumes for each position in the company, whether it is an open position or not.
So – what to do? Throughout the last few months there have been multiple articles on job seeking tips, and having watched this process I think we can boil them down to a consistent list.
First, just mailing out resumes blindly gets you nowhere. You have to have a contact to help you get a foot in the door – just to get them to read the resume! I remember getting a series of resumes, all from New York, all with cover letters in the same format. It was obvious that some recruiting firm was providing a template and probably charging for the service, but it didn’t get points with our hiring people! It was also fairly obvious the “applicant” knew nothing about our company
This brings up another point. Always do thorough research of the company you are targeting. Your cover letter (VERY IMPORTANT) should show that you know exactly what the company is about and should be able to address why you want to be a part of the team.
Your job search has to include visiting the employer somehow. If you can find a contact in your network, use it! If not – try a people search on Linked In to find contacts in companies you are targeting.
By the way, one recruiter estimated that you have to make at least 100 contacts a month in a successful search (and that doesn’t mean just dropping off a resume). Remember you are marketing yourself and so the effort compares to trying to sell an idea or product to customers. It’s tough right now, but perseverance pays off.
Here’s one idea, and a reason you NEVER burn bridges when you leave a company. One job seeker pulled up her employment history and contacted old employers asking if there was an opportunity for her. She got a job with a company she had worked for 10 years before, in a temp position! This is a good strategy for job seeker and employer – the employer has some knowledge of the applicant which helps in the vetting process.
Hard work, and sometimes depressing – but keep your head up and keep hunting!

Tags: applications, candidates, job seeker, recruiting

An article in Time (January 17, 2011) as well as other business publications, predict that those working in the technology sector should fare better this year.  The Time article gave a number of statistics that are interesting to those seeking jobs.  The volume may not be what it was, but there are definitely opportunities.
Jobs in network-systems and data analysts are the second only to biomedical engineers in growth in that sector.  Companies have been spending more on software and computer services, and internet marketing and social networking companies are doing well. 
Health services is another area of positive growth, and again requires training and education, just like the technology services areas.  In fact, the Time article shows that in 2011 and 2012 over 37% of the new jobs will require a bachelor’s degree or higher. 
There is also some good news for the manufacturing sector, as some companies are going to lean manufacturing and bringing the work back to the states.  Various companies have stated that they want more control over their process and product.  General Electric’s head of technology for the appliance section sees lean manufacturing as a way to lower manufacturing costs as much as 30%.  Unit labor costs have fallen across the country. 
In New Mexico the growth is slow, and appears to be focused in manufacturing and mining sectors.  The UNM Bureau of Economic Research predicted that it will take years to replace the 50,000 jobs lost in the state.  The Bureau director predicts that the job growth for 2011 will be about 1.3%.  The manufacturing sector accounts for about 3.5% of GDP in New Mexico, as opposed to approximately 9% of GDP nationally.
The New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership works with New Mexico manufacturing companies to improve processes and increase efficiency.  Ron Burke, Center Director, said that in the last 5 years the number of manufacturing companies in the state dropped from 1700 to 1500.  On the other hand, those who have survived the downturn are coming out strong, and some even have a backlog of orders – hopefully that means more job opportunities in the industry.  Ron said that one reason for the successful survival of these businesses is that they have worked on training employees and improving their processes.
Let us hope that these smart technology and manufacturing companies in our state can add good jobs for the people here who have great skills and need them!

Tags: applications, hiring talent, Hiring Trends, industry news, job seeker, technical jobs

The movie “The Social Network” has stirred interest again in the many ways social networking can be used.  One market that is expanding rapidly is online recruiting and hiring for corporations and even small companies. 
An increasing number of recruiters and organizations are turning to LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and more obscure niche social networking sites to speed up the recruitment process and reduce costs.  The process does, however, need to be managed appropriately. 
As I browsed LinkedIn I saw company (group) memberships that allowed current and past employees to join, and there were job listings on the site.  Some provided alternative links for non-employees to check out  jobs. I also noticed that companies join professional organizations in their industry and through that link attract more-qualified candidates for their needs.
There are a number of ways to use the social media to recruit.  Company blogs may include job opportunities with links to social media sites provided.  For a specific set of skills a company may post a technical question on their network and use the responses to identify a potential recruit.  The social networks also provide another way for a company to highlight their organization to attract a specific group of people.  Organizations may encourage employees to create a LinkedIn account to enhance its employee referral program. 
Cautions for companies diving in to the new social media – don’t stop using your other sources, but allocate efforts among the different recruiting tools.  Also, make sure that your application process is sophisticated enough for the new group of tech-savvy applicants.  Seamless processes help insure that the folks you are interested in will get through.  Otherwise they may  just get impatient and move on to another opportunity.
For job seekers, the trick is to get involved in these networks by searching for appropriate groups and individual links that further your career search.  As mentioned above, getting involved in discussions related to your experience could get you noticed by a recruiter.  Make sure that your own social network page is professional and targeted to the market you are interested in. 
As always, good luck!

Tags: applications, candidates, For Employers, hiring talent, Hiring Trends, industry news, job seeker, recruiters, social network