Are you Actively looking for a job?

While working with my daughter on her resume and discussing her job search I began re-thinking some recruiting terminology. From a recruiters' perspective "Active" job seekers are ones who are actively looking to change employers and "Passive" job seekers are ones who might leave for just the right opportunity but are not actively looking for a different job. From a recruiter's perspective landing a "passive" candidate means you have really done your job well. You used your network to match the right person with the right position and it is highly likely that all parties concerned will believe you have excelled at your job.

In the current job market I hear from far too many "passive" active job seekers. These are people who are unemployed, sending out resumes online, maybe telling friends they need a job but just not truly conducting an active job search. Maybe the passive active job seekers have given up before starting because headlines found, online, in television newscasts and in other publications everyday read "You Can't Find A Job" or the twin headline "You Are Doomed, You Will Never Make It…Don't Bother".

Maybe the active job seeker is behaving passively because they just do not know where to turn or maybe it is a combination of both negative feedback and a lack of information. If you are looking for a job today you cannot afford to immerse yourself in negativity and you cannot afford to meander through CareerBuilder, ajcjobs.com, Computerjobs.com aimlessly searching for something…. A job search in today's economy must be strategic, focused and planned.

People are being hired every day. Every day in addition to the negative headlines we receive information that is helpful for a strategic job search. Do you know who is hiring and expanding in your area? Do you know who is downsizing or filing for bankruptcy protection? Are you able or willing to relocate? If so do you know how the cost of living in other cities compares to your current location? Are you working to actively stay informed about business conditions within your target industry or profession? If the industry in which you have experience is not performing well have you revised your resume to highlight skills that might easily transfer to another resume? Are you listening to debates over which industries and companies will most immediately benefit from bailout money and using those comments to better direct your job search?

There are multiple sources of information in all these areas and you should always check sources against each other. Here are some basic suggestions to get you started:

1. Who is hiring and expanding in your area? Read local papers, check the Atlanta Business Chronicle online (email bulletins are available), check with the local Department of Labor, check with the local Chamber of Commerce
   
2. Who is downsizing? Same resources as number 1 above for local information and websites such as Fox News, CNN, MSNBC and others on a national level.
   
3. What is the cost of living if I relocate? There are cost of living calculators available at several sites online. One such calculator is located at www.bankrate.com and you might check a couple of calculators to determine the degree of consistency. There are simple salary calculators available on job search sites such as CareerBuilder.
   
4. Are you working to stay informed about your target industry or profession? This involves reading or listening to news, business shows and websites discussing what industries are doing well, what stocks are doing well, what companies might have hidden dangers and generally becoming an expert on your industry or profession. Do you know what industries are projected to benefit most directly from bail out money and have you identified target employers in that area?
   
5. Have you revised your resume to fit current economic conditions? If your work experience is largely linked to real estate sales, financing, and/or development there is a good chance your job search for work in that area will be more challenging than most. Certainly this market will turn around at some point and if you have the skills and ability to ride out the rough patch you will see a brighter day eventually. If you need employment right away, begin evaluating your skills, ask for assistance evaluating those skills from former co-workers, customers, friends, family, and determine where those skills might transfer. Then, re-target your job search to fit your transferable skills.
   

To quote my daughter, "Mom, that sounds like a lot of work!" and she is correct, it is a lot of work. It can also pay off very quickly and in very unexpected ways. Frequently at work people joke about managers executing business strategies by the tried and not so true method of "Ready, Fire, Aim!" While we shake our heads at the misguided efforts of others we need to be certain we do not suffer from the same phenomenon in our job search.

Regardless of economic conditions every job search you conduct should be conducted from the "Ready, Aim, Fire!" position. You simply cannot ever have too much information when looking for a job. I worked for a home builder when the mortgage crisis and resulting real estate slow down began. I was astonished at the people who, even as the crisis deepened, would leave employment in more secure industries and come to work in an industry that was clearly in trouble. If those people had been conducting an informed job search they would never have picked homebuilding as an industry in which to work at that point in time.

Please conduct a truly active job search and encourage others to do the same.