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Greetings! 
Welcome to Spring! Last month, I told you about the record snowfall in Worcester. I hadn't seen snow banks so high since the Blizzard of 1979, when I was living in Chicago. Aside from the unexpected 1-2 inches of snow which fell on Monday, most of it has melted, and I can see patches of green grass in our yard and purple crocuses pushing through the ground covering.
The U.S. Labor Market continues to recover. According to a recent Bloomberg News article, two former Fed officials say that "the jobless rate will drop to near 7 percent by the end of 2012". One of these officials, now chief economist for Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc., also said that "payrolls will start growing at a monthly clip of 200,000 to 300,000 with last year's average monthly pace of 75,750."
This news is further supported by a New York Times article, documenting that the private sector actually add 192,000 jobs in February, which is the highest in nearly a year, and the "12th consecutive month of gains by companies."
With these positive job growth stats, CareerXroads (a New Jersey-based staffing strategy consulting firm) just published their 10th Annual Sources of Hire Survey, revealing that "Referrals are the #1 Source for External Hires." What this means is that networking is the key to landing employment. My feature article: Three Simple Ways to Expand Your Professional Network will give you some strategies for meeting people who can lead you to hiring managers.
Is your job search stuck and your career stalled? Are you frustrated that your solo efforts aren't producing the results you want? If so, a Career Action Planning (CAP) Session may be just what you need to get a fresh perspective on your situation as well as new ideas and strategies to help you move forward. Dedicated to your career success, always... :) Joellyn
P.S. A great big "Welcome" to my new subscribers! |
 Big Jump in Private Jobs Bolsters Recovery Hopes (New York Times article, March 4) 
The economic waiting game may soon be over, as businesses signal that they are finally willing to resume widespread hiring. In all, the nation added 192,000 jobs in February, a big jump from the 63,000 added the previous month, the Labor Department reported on Friday.
The job growth was the most in nearly a year, and the 12th consecutive month of gains by companies, which added 222,000 workers last month. It followed an unusually weak report in January, when major snowstorms across the country prompted offices and factories to close.
Taken together, the first two months of the year produced growth at about the same pace as last fall. Economists say they are hopeful the pace will soon pick up further. Read the entire article here: |
Three Simple Ways to Expand Your Professional Network
Over the last 25 years, networking has emerged as a tangible tool for finding employment. This trend began in the US during the recession of the late 1980s, following the collapse of Corporate America. Rather than counting on job security, people had to learn to rely on their personal connections to help them find their next job.
Even before the '80s, Dr. Mark Granovetter of Harvard University conducted a study, concluding that 63% of all jobs were found through networking. After the year 2000, numerous source-of-hire surveys, the US Department of Labor, and other agencies have come to similar conclusions.
In February 2010 and in March 2011, CareerXroads (a staffing-strategy consulting firm in Kendall Park, NJ) revealed in their 9th and 10th Annual Sources of Hire Surveys * that "Referrals are the #1 source of external hires."
Their findings are backed by statistics from 30+ firms surveyed, reflecting that 76.7% of people who landed employment in 2009 and 77.8% who landed in 2010 knew someone who connected them with the hiring managers. In 2010, 50.3 % of these positions were filled through internal transfers; the remaining 27.5% were attributable via referrals; these percentages were similar in 2009.
So, whether you want to get hired from the outside or promote from within, it pays to expand your professional network. Why? Because when you are on the radar of hiring managers who are familiar with your skills and abilities, you will be top of mind for them for job openings, versus complete strangers who answer online ads.
Of course, networking is not a quick fix. It does take time to make new connections and build relationships. Even so, you have to start somewhere. Here are three ways to expand your professional network and increase your chances of meeting people who can connect you with hiring managers:
1) Professional associations: This is one of the best channels for strategic networking inside your profession. You can meet and network with members through conferences, workshops, online e-list discussions, or taking on leadership roles. Look to these three resources to find an association which will fit your needs:
2) Job search support groups: These are structured, facilitator-led groups designed to help unemployed (or underemployed) people get back to work quickly. You can network with other members who may know key contact people in your target employers. To find a job search support group in your area, check out Job-hunt.org: http://www.job-hunt.org/job-search-networking/job-search-networking.shtml. Select your state from the list and see the groups listed for that state. When you find one that appeals to you, click on the group name to visit their website.
3) Volunteering: Many companies are involved in volunteering, and encourage employees to volunteer individually or on team projects. Through volunteering, you might meet hiring managers or board of director members from local companies who can see your skills in action. If they have positive experiences with you, your efforts might even lead to full-time employment, within that company or elsewhere. To search for volunteer causes which resonate for you, go to www.idealist.org or www.volunteermatch.org.
With job security being more fleeting than ever, it really is about "who you know," not "what you know." Networking could be the key to your next dream job.
© 2011 Joellyn Wittenstein Schwerdlin, The Career Success Coach. All Rights Reserved. www.career-success-coach.com
* Download a copy of CareerXroads' 10th Annual Sources of Hire Survey here: http://www.careerxroads.com/news/SourcesOfHire11.pdf |
Is It Time to Partner with a Career Coach?
 Do you work hard on your job search but seem to get nowhere fast? - Are you burned out with your job, but don't know what other career(s) might satisfy you?
- Do you have trouble understanding how your transferable skills can be used in other professions?
- Do you apply for jobs online, only to get "thanks but no thanks" responses?
- Does it seem like your network can't help you with your job search the way you'd like?
- Do you have difficulty "sealing the deal" at interviews?
Is it time to take a risk -- a giant step forward -- to end the pain once and for all? You may surprised: the problem might not be what you think and simpler to overcome than you thought possible.
Regardless of the issues you face or what you may be frustrated or confused about, I can provide the clarity, creative thinking, objectivity, and perspective you need to get your career and job search moving in the right direction.
Let's get started with a Career Action Planning (CAP) Session, to help you figure out what's working, what needs attention and what the next steps are to landing your ideal career position in record time.
Go to my website to learn more: |
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About "The Career Success Coach"
Joellyn Wittenstein Schwerdlin is a career coach in private practice, who works with executives, managers, and professionals who are ready to make a change in their employment situation, but don't know what that change looks like or what their next steps should be. She uses a proven, 8-module career coaching program to help her clients identify and land ideal career positions much faster than they ever could on their own. Her program starts with a Career Action Planning (CAP) Session to first determine where clients are getting stuck, stalled or confused in the process of making their desired job and career transition.
Joellyn will be happy to discuss your situation on a free call. Contact her at 508-459-2854, joellyn@career-success-coach.com
or visit www.career-success-coach.com. |
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Quote of the Month: On "Ambition" 
"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." -- Mark Twain |
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© 2011 The Career Success Coach
All rights reserved. |
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