Is It Your Resume or the Economy?

Posted by •


Most job seekers are wondering this same question - Am I not receiving calls because of the economy or is it my resume? I've read the articles, blogs, business week stories, monitored the job boards and discussed the issue with recruiters. Everyone has a different opinion and so do I. I took my daughter to the mall this weekend to buy her a new pair of shoes (hang in here with me for a few minutes and you'll see where I'm going.) Unfortunately for my daughter, she has a wide foot. Which means only select stores carry her size shoe and it only comes in select styles. She's still in children's sized shoes so this even further complicates the issue. We normally go to this same store to buy her shoes every time she needs a pair and it's the only one in my area that carries wide shoes for children. When I went to the store they were out of her size in every single style (over 30) except one. The clerk made the comment 'we don't get much stock here anymore, we're always running out.' I remembered reading and hearing that stores were reducing inventory and cutting back on shipments to try to save money. Here I was a paying customer and couldn't get what I needed. I thought to myself, hmmmm... maybe there is something to this bad economy thing. I decided I'd have to go home and just purchase new shoes online. To my dismay - no luck there either. Online stores were out... all of them. I thought to myself - WOW, I can't even buy my child shoes. It's not that I didn't have the money or wasn't willing to pay. It's that companies have gotten so cost conscious and are trying so hard to save a buck that now they don't even have the products available when a consumer is ready to buy. I really started thinking hard about the whole economy issue.. Maybe it was as bad as the media said? Then I walked into Toys R' Us. Let me tell you folks there is NOT A BAD ECONOMY. This past weekend I took my daughter to Toys R' Us and the place was so packed you could barely push a shopping cart through it! It was wall-to-wall people and mimicked black friday. Needless to say - I WAS SHOCKED. I can't get my daughter shoes but the local Toys R' Us store is having no problems at all. You know what this tells me? If parents have the money to go out to the stores and spend money on toys for their children things aren't really as bad as they seem. So here's my opinion whether you want it or not, or whether you agree with it or not. And let me preface by saying I am not an economist - I am writing this as a careers industry expert and every day consumer. The economy is NOT as bad as they say it is. There are jobs out there - you just have to know where to look. If you're not getting calls for interviews, it is not the economy, it is your resume. Before you get offended please allow me to explain. Toys R' Us is hiring. Just kidding. Well, actually they are hiring - so if you are really hard up for a job, now the cat is out of the bag. Secondly, because of this 'oh no we're in a recession' issue, companies are cutting back trying to save a buck where they can and guess where part of that cost cutting comes from? That's right, advertising on large job boards. I had one employer ask me if I knew a way they could fill the position without posting it so they didn't have to wade through the massive amounts of applicants. Companies are cutting costs and finding ways around the influx of applications which explains why there aren't as many jobs posted on job boards. It doesn't necessarily mean there are fewer jobs, it just means employers are going about how they post them differently. Yes, I do realize there have been cut backs, layoffs, and the unemployment rate is alarmingly close to double digits (so I do know that the economy has taken a hit) all I am saying is that it isn't as bad as some fear-mongers would like you to think. So what's a job seeker to do? Discover the shortcuts! Let me tell you a great little secret, ever heard of a website called LinkUp? I found out about them a little over a week or so ago and I cannot stop raving. This search engine is unlike any other - it searches actual company websites NOT job boards and posts all the open positions it finds. Think of how many jobs never make their way to job boards because they are filled by applicants who apply online at their company website - now think of how many opportunities you are missing out on!! Another way is to start networking like crazy. Start making connections. More job seekers are being placed through recommendations, word of mouth, and networking then most other means.

Comment

Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.

Register
Sign In
  • John Muniz
    John Muniz •
    These assessments run totally contrary to my experience and to the experiences of several of my professional colleagues who have also been unemployed for about one year now and who are not even getting the benefit of a non-automated response from the potential employers to whom we've applied.The job market is really as bad as reported in most sectors, if not worse, and in certain states, New York being one of them.The real nationwide unemployment number is now about 18%-20%, when you factor-in :1) people whose benefits have run out who are still unemployed2) those who have had to settle for a part-time job because they cannot find a full-time job3) those who are underemployed - people who have had to take a job well below their skill set, educational level and salary history just to have some money coming in. I am a highly-educated, highly-capable management professional with 20+ years of diverse work experience in the corporate sector. I am professionally competent in more than one area and I have added significant value / delivered results in the Advertising, Retail and Telecommunications sectors.I have a Master's degree from Columbia University, and I know I can do a wide variety of jobs better than many of the incumbents out there.Unfortunately, many employers now rely on software to evaluate or "score" potential candidates, and / or rely on inexperienced college interns who do not yet have the skills and experience to evaluate a candidate's background and capabilities, and now view this type of work as entry-level as you work your way up the HR ladder. Many employers have a very narrow field of vision, and are incapable of comprehending anything that does not fit neatly into their small box.Most employers will not even consider interviewing someone who clearly has the transferable skills to do the job well but no formal experience under a specific job title.It's like you're stuck in the field of your first job / job title because potential employers are incapable of understanding the core competencies of the work at-hand and looking for candidates who possess those core competencies. Over the course of my career, I have worked with several career consultants. I have a solid resume, a proven track record and sterling references. I have made every manager who has ever hired me look good, and left every department / company better off than before they hired me.If someone like me does not even merit a token interview for any of the positions I am targeting, then we really are in pretty bad shape.I have not even gotten a call back for a couple of entry-level positions I applied for. How is this possible ?I have been retraining for a new career in the entertainment industry while I continue to look for full-time work in the business world.Who knows, if the American system fails me, I may have to leave the country to find work. I can always train people in other parts of the world to do the jobs we keep sending over there better.

Jobs to Watch