If You're Unemployed, Here's Why You Should Be Concerned About Your Job Search In 2024

Why should you be concerned?

Unemployment is low, jobs are being advertised, so it's easy to get tricked into thinking your job search will be easy in 2024, even when you're unemployed. ? In reality, it's much more difficult to find a great job fast today if you're unemployed. Here's why you should be concerned:

An Inc article described that while there are many jobs being advertised, there are many times higher numbers of currently employed candidates looking during the post COVID good economy. So it's tougher to find a good job in today's strong economy, especially when you're unemployed.

During recessions, most job seekers are unemployed, because most currently employed workers feel it's too risky to try and change jobs. That's not what's happening in 2024.

Let's look at the numbers, so you can see why it's tougher to find a job than you might think when you're unemployed now.

• 9.4 Times More Competitors Than Jobs: Today, there are more than 9 times as many currently full-time employed workers searching for jobs than advertised positions. No, not every currently employed worker is searching for a job, but widely published estimates show 50% are looking, or 80M+ workers, for only 8.5M available jobs.?
• Today's Numbers Describe?A Job Shortage: But there's all those advertised jobs, right? According to the BLS's most recent reports, there were 8.5M job openings in March 2024 (BLS reports job openings 30 days after month-end). And when 80M+ job seekers are competing for 8.5M advertised jobs, it's a job shortage that makes your job search more difficult, especially when you're unemployed. Jobs are especially competitive for white collar experienced staff, management and executive positions.
• If you're unemployed you should be especially concerned: If you've ever searched during a recession you probably remember how tough it was for unemployed workers to find a job. Sure, there was high job competition during recessions, but most job seekers were also unemployed ... but today, most of your competition is currently working.?

And that makes it even tougher to find a great job fast today, especially if you're unemployed.

But you've got outplacement, a career coach or a resume writer, won't that help?

Outplacement and most career coaches teach?average job search and resume strategies, designed around applying to jobs online (or networking after jobs are posted) and hoping you get lucky against poor odds. While this is how they were taught (professional resume writers also) to coach you in their certification training,?including?average advice that makes you look average and some just plain bad advice that causes you to lose opportunities, even when you're qualified.

If you have an easy job search situation, present little risk to employers, are looking for a lateral move, and you're currently employed, these approaches can work in a less competitive job market.

But when applying for jobs in 2024's competitive job market and you also present employers risk (including things like unemployment, age 40+ changing career/industry/location, searching for a remote position/promotion/raise), you can't afford to make these mistakes without making your search longer, more frustrating and more expensive.

They just aren't enough to make your job search fast when you're unemployed in 2024, or have other job search challenges/employer risks in a highly competitive job market.

This approach is deadly to your job search when you're unemployed, and your competition is currently working. Average resumes and job search strategies invite a poor comparison to currently working candidates, spawning unemployment discrimination, long/frustrating job searches, burned through savings, financial and career disaster.

Good thing there's a better quality source of job search/resume help that can teach you to find a great job much faster, saving you time, frustration, and money.

I can show you what to differently to fix your resume and job search, to help you prevent a long job search. I'll teach you how to make your resume/job search strategy sync with employer hiring processes, and how to recognize the bad advice that's keeping you unemployed.

Want to learn how to change your job search method to accelerate your job search so you can find a great job fast, even if you're unemployed?

I help people solve the most difficult job search problems, including job search acceleration, getting past ATSs, ageism, remote positions, product/job function/career/industry/ geographic change, unemployment, "bouncy" recent career path, job search turnaround, seeking raise/promotion, industry in decline/consolidation, long term gaps, family leave, or other of the most challenging job search issues.

Join me for my next free Resume Webinar (enroll at https://x.resumewebinar.com/Registration for no charge) and learn how to accelerate your job search, so you can find your next job faster in 2024.

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#jobs #resume #career #unemployment