Using Craigslist to Find and Apply for Jobs

Recently Guy Kawasaki (Author, Former Apple Exec., Columnist, Entreprenuer and blogger) blogged about his experience posting an ad as an employer to find a creative person to work on one of his web projects. Based on the applicants that responded to his ads, he had some insight from the employer's perspective on how applicants make themselves more competitive.



His first observation was that the speed of applicant response is important. The early bird does often get the worm. His first response to the position he posted came only 31 minutes later and he received another 15 responses within a day. His advice: don't delay in responding to a position posting as the job may fill quickly. Don't take a break from checking for daily job postings!



The second thing he noticed was that some folks did not send a cover letter with their resume. Employers view this as lazy, so job seekers should always write a cover letter that addresses each specific job they want to be considered for. Resumes that did not include a cover letter were not considered.

In order to challenge applicants Guy Kawasaki gave them a task to see who would rise to the occasion. 84% of candidates responded quickly to a prompt that asked them to find visual representations for 5 different story ideas. Kawasaki's advice: If an employer wants more information or confirmation of your abilities to perform the advertised position- rise to the challenge!

Ultimately the person that they hired for the web site project, did their research and sent photos that were perfectly sized and matched to the site and taste of Guy Kawasaki. Do your homework- chances are you can find enough information to send a message that communicates, " I have done my homework and I care enough to figure out what kind of candidate you are looking for and product you want; AND I can deliver!"

The bottom line: Don't be lazy- include a cover letter that addresses your qualifications to do THAT job; find out about the company if possible, AND if they ask for more samples of your work or give you a specific task to test your abilities: RISE TO THE CHALLENGE!

Future Employment Trends

Trying to make career decisions can be difficult at best. Determining the best match for you based on a variety of factors, such as, training and skills, interests, personality, economics, and growth opportunity are important. Recently the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) published a report on 'tomorrow's jobs'.



The BLS examines the past and present to predict future trends in industry employment and the labor force. Population shifts affect the demand for goods and services, thus driving industry rise and decline. An example: an aging population trend can tip the demand for health care services. Additionally, technology and automation, and consumer demands can all impact employment trends in the United States.



Based on shifts in population demographics, technology changes and consumer demands, it is projected that by 2016 the fastest growing industries will be in service.



Health Care, Social and Human Services and Education will be the three fastest growing service industries. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that more than 3 out of 10 new jobs (nearly 5.5 million) created will be in health care, social service, or in the public and private educational sectors.



Residential building and extractive related industries are expected to have declines in employment opportunites by 2016; such as mining, forestry and manufacturing. Also any service that can be automated by computers will continue to experience a decline in overall employment.



Some good choices for career seekers and students:

Anything in health care: from a Nurse Assistant (NAC) to Physical Therapist or Pharmacist- the health care industry is a very solid industry. Social and Human Services Workers can expect to have plenty of opportunity for employment. Mental Health Counselors, Social Workers and Chemical Dependency Counselors will also have plenty of employment opportunities.



Technical Support service workers will also be in high demand. Software, Web and Brand developers will be in demand. Network and Database services will have an increase in employment as organizations and businesses update the way they manage their data and overall services.



Education and childcare service employment will increase as employees seek more training to update their skills. 12 of the 20 top growing occupations require an Associate's degree or more, which will increase the need for post secondary education overall and related services.



Overall Service occupations are projected to have the largest number of total job openings in the future (by 2016). Replacement needs in the service industry as people 'age' out or transition to other industries accounts for 60% of all future employment demands. Of service jobs, the largest portion will require some professional development, training and/or education.



As the population ages, the need for social and health services is expected to increase, demanding trained professionals in those industries.



Automation will significantly affect individual office and administrative support occupations that can be done by computers. Automation and technology changes will also result in a decrease in jobs in farming, fishing, manufacturing and assembly, and other extractive industries.



For a complete report go to http://stats.bls.gov/oco/oco2003.htm