How To Be Competitive in a Slow Job Market

Manufacturing companies in the U.S. are competing with the speed and mass production of the Asian market. Hiring for U.S. companies becomes a question of finding the right technology to boost their ability to compete. For the job seeker to be competitive it is a matter of having the right skill set to rise above the rest.

Know Tech Trends

In the tech sector changes come about quickly, and employers look for versatile candidates. It is necessary to workers to be mindful of the direction of tech trends and rising technologies. “Rather than focus their careers on hardware, many tech pros have chosen to devote themselves to building software and cloud services. But that’s not to say that hardware jobs are disappearing anytime soon: Whether 3D printing, the open-sourcing of data center components, or the rise of self-driving cars, there’s seemingly always a new twist in the hardware game that will demand skilled workers. It’s just a question of having the right skills.” says Nick Kowalski in his article “Dip in Manufacturing Jobs Continues”.

Address the Job Requirements

Many job descriptions for technology jobs are written as a wish list with all the technical skills the employer could ever hope for, rarely will they find what they want in one person. As an applicant you must show why you are a strong candidate even if you do not possess all the skills they desire. What you do not have direct experience with should be addressed as well, Elisabeth Greenbaum Kasson explains in “How to Outwit Excessive Job Requirements”, “If you’re inexperienced with a particular technology, highlight your work with a competing product. If you don’t know Red Hat Linux but have worked extensively with Ubuntu, you can stress the commonalities between the job spec and your closely related experience.”

Advance Your Education

Mastering your job is your best credential, however to rise above others it may help to finish your degree or get an advanced degree. An education is a benefit in and of itself but more than that it can aid you in commanding a higher salary. If you want to move up in your career an advanced degree can be the difference. Bob Hadick is quoted by Engineer.com in their article, “Is a Mechanical Engineering Master’s Worth It?”, “Management and director level jobs generally want a Master’s,” he says. “They don’t necessarily make it a stated requirement, but that’s where the jobs go in practice.”

Market Yourself

Recruiters and employers use social networks to find talent. If you want to be noticed keep you social networking up-to-date and professional. If you are in the tech sector use the community boards to demonstrate your skills. You will get noticed if you are regularly posting your own ideas or sharing news relevant to your expertise. On Market Street Talent’s site they make this point, as well, in their article “Why you must leverage your social networks to find opportunities in tech”, “The best option for all tech professionals is to cultivate a great online presence. We suggest you start by spending a little time updating your LinkedIn page, or update your Facebook page with professional information. We also suggest that now is a great time to build a website, or online portfolio.”
In a slow market it may be harder to find opportunities but if you are using the right search and marketing strategies you can compete!

– Susan Mitchell

 

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