Jun 5, 2009 7:13 pm US/Eastern
Consumer: Tips To Help Land A Job In This Economy
WEST HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (CBS) ―
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The news about unemployment has been grim for months, and while some see signs of hope amid those dismal numbers, most job seekers simply want to know who's hiring.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The news about unemployment has been grim for months, and while some see signs of hope amid those dismal numbers, most job seekers simply want to know who's hiring.
"My phones are constantly ringing because people need the support," Valentina Janek says.
Janek, of West Hempstead, may have lost her job – but she found a spirit to help others who are struggling to get hired.
"We meet, we greet, we seek," she says.
They call themselves the "Long Island Breakfast Club."
"We meet once a month at different locations, we keep people positive," Janek says. "We turn job loss into opportunity."
Janek says they see a glimmer of good news on the horizon for job seekers. For the first time in 20 weeks, the tally of new jobless insurance claims dipped slightly.
"I just graduated – I'm a certified medical assistant," one job applicant said.
"I'm trying to get that bank spot," another prospective employee said.
At Hofstra University and others in our area, colleges are helping alumni in job searches and report that online job advertisements jumped by 250,000 nationwide in May. New York showed the sharpest increase, offering an additional 20,300 jobs. You must work to find a niche.
"I think in the competition, in the job market, there is really no room for forgiveness," Professor Fred Burke, executive director of the Hofstra Career Center, says. "You want to make sure you take the time to have a really crisp resume and cover letters."
You also must be willing to compromise, even if you feel you're overqualified for the jobs that are now out there, says Long Island Association economist Pearl Kamer.
"They want people who can hit the ground running," Kamer says. "They don't want to train you – that's a thing of the past. Good computer skills will be needed for all types of jobs."
In addition to computer skills, Kamer says that Internet technologies are growing, as are all sectors of the healthcare field. "Green" technologies, like solar power and those in the automotive and organic farming industries, are also a segment where jobs are available.
The experts say be aggressive but patient – a job that used to take four to six weeks to land may now take six to eight months.
If you're an employer looking to fill an open position, CBS 2 can help. Post your "Help Wanted" ads on the
CBS 2 Job Bank.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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