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Nov 7, 2008 5:54 pm US/Central
Headhunter: The Meek May Not Inherit A Job
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
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Fiona Quick spends most mornings on her laptop, trying to find work.
CBS
As Wall Street continues to struggle, so does Main Street.
A new report out Friday shows the country's jobless rate is at its highest point in more than a decade. Just last month alone, employers cut 240,000 jobs.
Fiona Quick lives in Minneapolis and lost her job last January, 10 months ago.
"It was a little shocking. I obviously knew that there was -- what was going on in the economy and what was going on. I didn't realize it was going to be that sudden and that severe," she remarked.
She spends most mornings on her laptop, trying to find work. Being at the local coffee shop in the morning near her home isn't quite relaxing, or something she looks forward to.
Quick searches several internet sites for the latest openings. She also checks news reports online, to keep up on the latest economic news.
"It's a bit of traumatic thing, to be without a job," remarked headhunter Paul DeBettignies, who helps businesses to find and hire great talent.
He says Quick and other job seekers need to be aggressive.
Job seekers should assume their target company is hiring, until they actually know it is not. Send a resume and follow up. Experts recommend sometimes following up in five days, but those who want to be aggressive like DeBettignies recommends should do it in three days.
Next, find someone in your target company that you can contact, and let them know you're applying for a job. Maybe it's a friend of a friend.
Just like real estate agents preach "location," DeBettignies preaches "networking."
He suggests the website
LinkedIn for career networking online.
"So don't be shy, though, don't let your ego get in the way of being able to talk to your friends and your family and people in your church or your high school or college alumni. We never really broaden the horizons that far out, and we probably should," suggested DeBettignies.
Despite all the bad news like all the layoffs going on, DeBettignies says it's not quite the case.
Small and mid-sized companies are now hiring, he says, and that presents opportunities for a lot of people now looking for a job.
It's been tough for Quick to find a job as a business analyst or administrative assistant, but she's keeping her head up, and that's half the battle. She's even willing to change careers if she has to.
"I think one of these days I'm going to find the right job, or I'm going to find a job that will get me to the right job," she said.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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