I teach/facilitate weekly workshops to job seekers on topics ranging from improving resumes to networking. I love what I do and I am incredibly grateful to have job that allows me to help other people.
Something really scary happened this week in my workshops. I had 32 people in the resume workshop and 31 people in the interviewing workshop, compared to 8 people last year at this time in the same workshops. The numbers grew overnight. There they were, packed into a room on a Monday morning, 32 bodies looking for work. I knew there had been lay offs over the past few months, but hadn't seen people coming to workshops. I suppose I was hoping that most of those laid off had secured jobs quickly.
Sadly, what I think happened was that they took the holiday season off. They probably said to themselves, after the New Year, I will really kick my job search into high gear. They didn't ask for help sooner because they probably didn't think they needed it. I can't be sure about this hypothesis, and it may not be applicable to all 32 people in that room. What I do know is that the job market is incredibly flooded with people looking for work. There is a severe competition.
With extreme conditions, we need to take extreme measures…I wish I knew what that looked like…
The realist has spoken.
Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.
