ClearRock

BOSTON - February 7, 2008 - With higher unemployment, growing concerns about the economy, and greater competition for fewer available openings, people need to adjust their job-search strategies, according to ClearRock, an outplacement and executive coaching firm headquartered in Boston.

"To be successful, job-seekers need to increase their job-search activity, as well as make other necessary adjustments," said Annie Stevens, managing partner with ClearRock (http://www.clearrock.com/).

Among the changes people need to make in a more competitive job-search climate are:

• More face-to-face meetings. "People need to have more face-to-face meetings with networking contacts and recruiters - rather than only over the phone - in order to uncover more information, and make a better impression," said Stevens.
• Stepped-up job-search activity. "The numbers of letters and phone calls also need to increase," said Greg Gostanian, managing partner with ClearRock. "A target should be up to 40 phone calls a week, and between 15 and 20 letters to prospective employers, recruiters, and others. While it's important to keep quality in mind in developing your contacts, there's no question that part of this process is a numbers game. In a slower economy, job-seekers need to better their odds by making more contacts."
• Willingness to be more flexible. "Candidates should be more flexible about such issues as receiving contract or project work, part-time employment, and being hired at a less-than-desired starting salary," said Stevens. "The objective should be to obtain work from an employer. Get on board, and then show what you can do, and how you can help achieve their goals and objectives."
• Readiness to relocate. "Fewer candidates today are willing to move to other locations for jobs, so those who are open to relocating for a new job increase their chances for success," said Gostanian. "When you expand the geography where you are willing to live, you have a bigger playing field, and a greater number of opportunities."
  
• Scour the "hidden job market." "In a good job market, only about 20 percent of available positions are ever advertised or posted. In a slower economy, fewer jobs than that are advertised or posted, because employers don't want to be inundated with resumes from larger numbers of candidates.
  Job-seekers will have to dig deeper into uncovering unadvertised positions through networking, and making more direct contacts with potential employers," said Stevens.
• Less reliance on Internet job boards and help-wanted ads. "Applying for jobs on Internet job boards, and posting your resume on career websites, should still be part of an overall job strategy, but job-seekers should spend a lower overall percentage of their time on these methods," said Gostanian. "Fewer job openings mean more people are chasing advertised and posted positions."
• Locate and connect with contacts through social networking sites. Social networking websites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, and Friendster, among others, "are ways to re-connect with and reach out to potential networking contacts," said Stevens.

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