Job-Seekers Face Stiff Competition
November 13, 2008
The jobs outlook is bleak but there are prospects for seasonal work. Nearly 4 million Americans are now claiming unemployment benefits. There were more than a half-million new applicants last week -- the highest since Sept. 11.
There's a brand new Crate & Barrel store dressed up for the holidays at Old Orchard Mall, but Emily Edbrooke of Skokie is finding it's another retailer where the seasonal jobs are already snapped up.
"It seems every place I go they are full and they have people," she says.
Edbrooke is a college-educated teacher looking for extra work --- typical of the pool of candidates applying for positions in financially tough times.
"The quality of candidates this year are definitely more educated and a lot more experienced," Alex Bender of Crate & Barrel says. "Their availability is really open. They're just great candidates."
Unfortunately, seasonal retail hiring is expected to be well below last year's figures. Only 53 percent of retailers report plans to hire the same number of workers, and 26 percent say they'll hire fewer numbers of part-time help.
Remember all those sports agents in the film "Jerry Maguire?" The executive recruiters at Michael Page International are on a similar mission. But with so many layoffs and so much downsizing, highly educated professionals are no longer turning to these firms simply for better paying positions.
"Candidates are coming to us because they simply need a job," says Casey Mulligan of Michael Page International.
A year ago their resumes would have been slam-dunk placements. Not any more.
Recruiters here say there is a bright spot: Chicago firms, trying to avoid the expense of relocating executives, insist on hiring local. But your resume needs to be more stellar than ever.
"It's never a breeze, even in a good market," says Stephen Renken of Michael Page International. "It's always hard work."
There is one area that has strong demand: auditors to help employers take stock of their operation before announcing downsizing.
Contact:
Max De
Paola
Michael Page
International
203.905.5253
