January 12, 2009 Winter sees hiring freeze Poor job market has many searching for work unsuccessfully
By ALEX NUNES
Post Star
For some, the one thing more discouraging than being laid off is the job search that follows it.
More and more people are finding themselves out of work locally and nationally. The Labor Department on Friday said the national jobless rate in December was 7.2 percent, a 16-year high.
In the Glens Falls area, unemployment was 6.4 percent in November, the highest rate for a November since 1997, according to the state Department of Labor's most recent data.
But there are some tips that could help people shorten their time out of work.
"The big thing is don't get depressed. Look at it as an opportunity," said Larry Bulman, business manager of the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 773. "It is a very tight market out there and people want to hire someone that brings enthusiasm and that's upbeat."
People should also consider pursuing a new career if the job market is poor in their most recent field, he said.
Bulman said he knows several people who capitalized on a nursing shortage by going back to school and eventually landing jobs in that field.
"It's important that people not be afraid to go get the training or education that they need to get to switch careers," he said. "What you got into 10 or 15 years ago may not be the occupation where there's a lot of hiring in the region."
The state Department of Labor has made projections on which occupations in the North Country have the best prospects for employment through 2014.
Accountants, auditors and automotive service technicians are listed among the very favorable. Agricultural workers, financial analysts and postal service clerks are listed among the least favorable.
The Department of Labor Web site, www.labor.state.ny.us/, offers tips on resume writing and how to file for unemployment insurance.
The department encourages people to file unemployment insurance claims in the first week they become totally or partially unemployed. A delay can cost a person benefits.
While the Internet can be a helpful tool for the unemployed, it also has some pitfalls. The convenience of online job searches and e-mailing resumes is tempting, but not the most effective way to find employment, said Stephanie Heber, general manager of Heber Associates in Queensbury, a staffing agency that places workers from the Capital Region to the Canadian border.
"Don't e-mail your resume around the world and expect to get a job immediately," Heber said. "You're not going to get a job sitting at home e-mailing resumes off."
Heber said many workers who use the Internet to find jobs don't research the company they are applying to or the open position.
Their lack of knowledge is often obvious in the resume, she said.
Job candidates should also be careful not to use inappropriate e-mail addresses on their resumes, and be conservative about what information they post on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, she continued.
A more effective way to find work, Heber said, is to aggressively look for jobs in your community and not procrastinate. It also helps to visit smaller businesses you may have previously overlooked.
While job searching can be time-consuming, volunteering while unemployed can be rewarding and a productive way to network.
"You meet people and you might get a job," Heber said.
