Some Jobs Still Hard to Fill, Survey Finds

There are still jobs that are hard to fill, even in a difficult economy. That's the findings of The 2008 Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations (EDGE) Report produced by Robert Half International and CareerBuilder.com.

Other findings:

• More than half of employers said it is challenging to find skilled professionals; Gen Y workers are the most difficult to recruit.
• Sixty-three percent of workers are more likely to try to negotiate a better compensation package today than last year (up from 58% last year).
• Nearly two-thirds of hiring managers said their companies are willing to negotiate higher pay for qualified job applicants.
• About 8 out of 10 employees are satisfied with their current work situation. Yet, more than 3 out of 10 said they will likely leave their jobs in the next 2 years.
• More than half of workers surveyed said it is challenging to find a job today.
• A lack of qualified workers and the higher cost of gas/commuting were among the top factors impacting companies' ability to recruit skilled labor.
• Many employers are likely to offer reduced work schedules, "bridge" jobs, and consulting arrangements as an alternative to retirement.
• The time to fill open positions ranges from 4 to 14 weeks, with senor-level roles demanding the most time.
  

The shortage of qualified workers has grown more acute, according to the survey, with 59% of hiring managers citing it as their primary recruiting challenge. When they do find qualified professionals, firms appear anxious to win them over. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of hiring managers said they are willing to negotiate compensation for top candidates.

The Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations (EDGE) Report is an annual survey on employment and compensation trends by Robert Half International and CareerBuilder.com. The survey includes responses from more than 500 hiring managers and 500 workers, and was conducted from May 7 to June 1, 2008 by International Communications Research in Media, Penn. It was designed to compare the perspectives of hiring managers and workers on the state of the current employment market.

DISC-Focused Teleclass Announcement

Profiling Pro is sponsoring a teleclass on Thursday, Sept. 4 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. EST featuring Edie Rische, CPBA, NCRW, ACCC, CPBS. The workshop, "Strengthening Your Business Relationships -- Assessment Tools for Better Connecting With Clients" will focus on how to use DISC and PIAV to strengthen your credibility with clients through better customer relations; what customers anticipate and should expect from you (the product/service provider); how to build trust and rapport with a style different than yours; how to accurately observe and identify behavior before administering an assessment; and how to anticipate and prevent client issues before they happen.

Edie Rische is a Certified Professional Behavior Analyst who has been widely published for her resume samples and interview questions. She has presented DISC and resume writing presentations to manufacturing employees, delivered a 10-week telecourse to professional business women, and moderated an online chat for resume writers. She retired as the owner of Write Away Resume in June 2008 before becoming a workshop facilitator for DISC behavior styles.

If you are unable to participate live in the teleclass, you may pre-register and receive the recording afterwards (all registrants will receive the recorded session). The cost is $35 for Profiling Pro Administrators, $26.25 for CPBAs, and $45 for non-associated professionals. Click here to register.

I'm A Guest Author!

As you know, from time to time, I feature guest authors on this blog. Now I've been asked to be a guest author on another blog, Teena Rose's "Start, Operate, Profit!" blog for resume writers. I invite you to read my first post, where I select my "TOP 5" favorite posts from Teena's archive.

Teena's blog focuses primarily on start-up issues for new resume writers -- a natural, considering that she's the author of a book on the subject, "Starting a Home- or Office-Based Resume Business."

Teena also has a much stronger grasp of the ins-and-outs of online technology, and I'll be drawing on her expertise in the next few months to help my readers understand more about this, and how they can incorporate in search engine optimization and other techniques to help them generate new customers.

If you're a member of my E-List for new resume writers, you can expect that I will be asking for your help in the next few days to identify topics for future posts on Teena's blog.

"Beautiful" But Mostly Ineffective Resume Designs

I found this blog post on the Internet and was intrigued by the concept -- "beautiful" resume designs. Although I should note that the post was titled "Beautiful Resume Ideas That Work."

Not to be catty, but I seriously doubt that these resumes "worked." For one thing, only a handful of them will work with today's resume management systems, which don't handle unconventional graphics well.

Some examples:
Okay, this guy is applying for a graphic marketing position ... so he gets a little more leeway than most candidates. But really ... writing on your resume with a red crayon? That just screams "I have kids!" (even if you don't). And what's with all the CAPITAL LETTERS? Shouting won't get you an interview. And most important, other than a listing of his "program experience" and educational history, I (the reader) have no concept about his ability to excel in either design (certainly not judged by the design of his resume) or marketing skills. No mention of relevant work experience, internships, projects, or volunteer involvement in any of these areas. Ugh.

Next. In the "I don't know what I want to be when I grow up category" is Jessica, who decided that her resume (for a design position? I think?) should be in two columns. She probably could have fit all of the relevant information in just one column. She has experience volunteering in a pharmacy ... and putting out a publication. You don't have to give us all the nitty-gritty details about your volunteer work, dear Jessica. And putting address "on request"? Please. Are you in the Witness Protection Program? Either just leave it off, or put it on there already!

While these resumes may represent some cutting-edge designs, as resume writers, we need to remember our audience, first and foremost. Many of them will be receiving the documents via e-mail. They prefer Word over Adobe Acrobat PDF (or even .JPG files, which some of these were).

NO ERRORS! I don't care how great it looks. If you don't spell things correctly, the resume will go in the round file.

Most of these were for entry-level positions, so one page isn't unusual. But you don't have to include ALL of your previous work experience in order to fill the page. Instead, elaborate on the client's relevant information. When working with entry-level clients, a common mistake is to include too much of this irrelevant information.

Design for the photocopier (or the scanner). While many of the resumes were pretty, if they were to be scanned into a resume management system, they'd be a mess. Multiple columns, ornate design elements, lightly colored fonts ... all of these are the enemy of the bureaucracy. If you can be assured that your client is going to hand his/her resume directly to the hiring manager in person, that may work. But in today's diversified world of job searching, you need to design resumes that work WITH technology.