Surviving the Frost… Job Prospecting in a Cold Economy
March 2nd, 2009 by Tim
Hitting a 12-year low, the Dow closed below 7,000 today after falling by nearly 300 points. Corporate layoffs also continued as businesses of all stature strive to keep a pulse. This national global economic crisis is far from over, and the light at the end of the tunnel appears only as a faint flicker to those affected most.
But amidst the doom and gloom, other stories are emerging. The next generation workforce is finding a familiar way to deal with the challenges, and inspiring stories of creative job prospecting are making headlines. I recently discovered that a friend of mine was one of the latest YP’s featured by the media for his efforts to find career opportunities.
Steven Dixon, 23, is a recent graduate of Auburn University and has joined many others who are fighting the hiring freeze in hope of beginning a successful career. Dixon has been searching for leads since December, but he’s recently created a buzz after his decision to place his resume on eBay… see the video.
Similar to Dixon, others are realizing that online resources and social networks can be utilized in creative ways to find jobs.
Bring Employers to You
You may have heard that job seekers are encouraged to increase privacy settings for their Facebook or Myspace accounts, or that they should clean up their profiles to make them appear more professional. Willy Franzen, of One Day, One Job has actually conducted an experiment aimed at drawing employers to Facebook users’ profiles. By using Facebook, Franzen encouraged five recent college graduates to ask for employment leads by creating Ads titled “I Want to Work for (company name).” You can read about the entire experiment and view the results here: Use Facebook Ads to Make Employers Hunt You Down.
Network, Network, Network!
Finally, what if you have already received the dreaded pink slip? Numerous young professionals across the nation are sharing a common bond… unemployment. But rather than letting their current situation bring them down, many groups are using it as an excuse to party… well, sort of. One networking organization out of California, Pink Slip Mixers (http://pinkslip.collectivex.com), organizes events for its members to “Network to Find Work.” When it comes to developing job leads, networking can not only get your name out in the community, it can also keep your spirits up by placing you around peers who may be in a similar situation. Word-of-mouth still remains as one of the most utilized recruitment practices, so get out there and talk it up!
*Don’t forget to check out our new job board for career opportunities: jobs.maypa.org
Tags: Career-Seekers, Economy, Employers, Facebook, Job Board
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