Get ready! Signs of recovery in hiring

Dear Job Coach:

2009. What a year! I’m hanging on to a low wage job, but I’ve been looking for work in my field for 6 months now. Any hope for 2010?

Holding my breath

Dear Holding,

We all know that the economic recovery has not been robust, but there are signs that things are beginning to ease a little. Buck up.

In the US there are the “green shoots” of the stock market beginning to recover and foreclosures beginning to slow down. Things are improving in Canada as well. In today’s Vancouver Sun, journalist Derek Sankey notes: “Economists have widely predicted the labor market is expected to grow most in the second half of 2010 … Don’t expect the out-of-control hiring blitz seen during the peak boom years of 2005-2007, … but job seekers should prepare to launch a competitive search.”

So how can you be ready when the market is ready for you?

• Look for opportunities to grow in your current job. Think of any job, even one that’s not in your field, as an opportunity to develop skills. If you see your job as marking time, it will show. If you’re not engaged, look for a way to be engaged.

When I was a student, I worked as an aide in a hospital – a job that paid very little and was not in my field. The work was hard physically, but not particularly challenging. I noticed that the children on the pediatric wards had no activities to keep them entertained on the weekends. I volunteered to put together games and crafts that would keep the kids occupied. I learned a lot about teaching, about organization, and about working with children -- which showed up in my resume when I applied for my first job.

• Line up your references. You never know when a great opportunity is going to turn up. Scrambling for references at the last minute puts pressure on the people you ask. They may not have time to write you the letter that shows you in the best light.

• Update your resume. If it hasn’t been updated in three months, take a fresh look. I suspect you’ve done something or learned something in the last three months that will make you more appealing to an employer. Maybe you’ve finished a project that had some impact on your organization. Maybe customer service calls are down as a result of what you’ve done. Maybe you’ve learned a new piece of software. Maybe you’ve taken on new duties as a result of downsizing.

Things really are starting to get better. Be sure you’re ready to take advantage when they do.