As a employee of Workforce1, I have seen the number of people coming into the center dramatically increase in number the last year. I have also seen the level of frustration in these customers rise, understandably. A common case seems to be that a customer is unsure how to navigate this new and uncertain job market. While previously applying online to jobs, they would recieve responses quickly. Now, they are hearing back less often, if at all. The previous generation of workers is having an even harder time, as many workers who have been laid off have been in their positions for a decade (or more) and some have never had to create a resume adn are unfamiliar with the internet, internet job search or job applications. As the economy gets worse, the opportunities become less, and there is more competition for the jobs that are available. This has created an employers dream-where they have greater choice of candidates, but leaves the job seeker at a disadvantage. The job seeker can now expand their area of job search to 'lesser' positions, or, as many articles have been suggesting lately, utilize the time to explore oneself, ones goals and do some serious career exploration.
For those who do not fit in either of these categories finds themselves at a loss. From 90% of the customer that I have talked to that have found new jobs, the answer is the same; they had a personal connection. A resume tells us so little; it tells nothing of the persons personality, their work habits, or their interpersonal skills. One candidate may have two years less experience than another, but may be a perfect fit for the company. The employer rarely finds this out, because the candidates resume has been discarded and the candidate was not called in for an interview.
Networking, and making professional connections are the methods that I have seen that have had the most success in this economy. A personal recommendation to a position or the ability for an employer to meet someone face to face give the candidate a competitive edge over a name on a resume. I have also seen sucess from internships or volunteer work. If the internship is sucessful, the company knows the candidate can already do the work, and if there are no immediate openings, the job seeker still has access to a valuable contact within the feild.
Although it is difficult and frightening for a lot of job seekers, the new method of job search seems to be focused on networking, whether it be in person through interest groups, memberships or alumni assocations or virtual (even diigo!)