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Job Seekers Newsletter
March 2007
Welcome Everyone!
The Work Ministry Team hopes that the year 2007 is moving along positively for you and the job market is offering you opportunities that match your goals!
Comments About the U.S. Job Market
Larry Kudlow, an economist who advocates policies that support job creation, calls the US economy today the Goldilocks economy. “It’s not running to hot, or cold, just right for now.”
Last year, the US economy created 2.2 million jobs, and entered 2007 with an unemployment rate of 4.6%. But the rate is spread unevenly across the US, with Hawaii at 2% and states like Michigan and Ohio above 6%. More importantly, some forecasters expect the rate of unemployed to drop to 4% or less by the end of the year, which is great news for job seekers! Get the help you need for your job search and keep the faith!
A special note about job search strategies
As the economy enters into 2007, one of the key features noted is the low level of inflation. At this stage of the recovery, the US economy should be experiencing upward pressure on companies to raise prices, which converts to consumers paying more for goods and services. Instead, we see the opposite:
- Manufacturers, especially in China, have experienced five years of rising costs for materials (metals, plastics) and energy, but have not been able to pass their costs along and raise prices.
- The oil industry, over the past several years, has witnessed steady declines in the costs of a barrel of oil (peak of $78.00, low of $51.00 a barrel) and has watched prices for fuel and gas at the pump collapse as well.
Both of these events are great for consumers, but also send a message to management. Profit goals cannot be achieved by raising prices, given the downward pressure for lower prices. Instead, companies have to succeed by better management: setting and achieving goals for cost-savings, efficiency (getting more done with fewer resources) and productivity. Your challenge as a job seeker is to draft resume content that demonstrates experience in cost containment, productivity and an ability to leverage the resources of a company to meet goals. All other factors being equal, if two or three job seekers are comparable in experience, the person who shows the capacity to make things happen with company resources will get the job offer.
Alliance Partners
We welcome a new alliance partner: Business and Professional Women, an association dedicated to women's issues of career management. Check out their site: www.bpwusa.org
We support the following resources in service to job seekers:
- Jobkabob.com: sell your skills, not your work history.
- Career Concepts USA: Job Fair resource
New Job Postings
KPMG is one of the big four consulting firms and currently has about 200 positions posted in ten states. We have additional jobs from major employers as well. Please visit our site and check out the opportunities!
Networking Tip Of The Month
Several months ago, a marketing pro did a phone screen interview with a hiring manager and thought the session went well, but heard nothing further. Recently, he got a call from the HR Director. She was impressed with his resume and stated that there was interest. When he asked why there had been no follow up, she said: “The hiring manager is no longer with the company and he may have been troubled by the depth of your experience.” So an opportunity has now been renewed with a change in management. There are many reasons why a job seeker does not hear back from a company, and almost all of them have nothing to do with the job seeker! Keep networking!
Networking Group of the Month
Business Persons Between Jobs was founded in 1972, is based in St. Louis, MO and is the oldest, continuing faith- based job support program in the US. BBJ is dedicated to helping greater St. Louis businesspersons and professionals involved in a career transition and helping employers find the right professional for their growing organization. BBJ is open to men and women of all races, religions and creeds. For more information, please go to www.bbj.org. Hey St. Louis! Keep up the good work and go Cardinals!
Important Information
Leaders please review your Job Support Group web page and see if all information is accurate and up-to-date. Please send any corrections to work@workministry.com.
Remember networkers: once you have landed your job, complete our landings survey.
Quote of the Month
"I wanted a perfect ending…Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle and end… Delicious ambiguity. Gilda Radner (rest in peace)
A Prayer While You Are In Transition
The will of God for your life is simply that you submit yourself to Him each day and say, "Father, Your will for today is mine. Your pleasure for today is mine. Your work for today is mine. I trust You to be God. You lead me today and I will follow."
- Kay Arthur
We hope you have enjoyed our March Newsletter!
The Work Ministry Team
Contact us at (847) 428-5049
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