Once upon a time, I can remember opening the newspaper to the classified ads and there would be several pages of nothing but job openings. That was back in the day when even though the internet was around, people still used the newspaper to look for help wanted ads. Then, when using the internet as a job hunting tool became more and more popular, the ads were pretty much plentiful. Fast forward to more recent days when the help wanted section of the classifieds has been reduced to one full page, maybe 2 pages if you are looking in the Sunday paper. The listings on the popular job search sites aren’t what they used to be but I guess it depends on the industry or type of jobs you are looking for.
What it boils down to is that since the economy started its downward spiral, it affected the workforce. With all of the companies downsizing and laying off positions, jobs appear to be harder to come by. In my situation, I didn’t go all the way through college (only a few Community College courses) so I don’t have a degree to back up my work experience but does that even matter? Not necessarily. I have spoken to people with college degrees who either A) can’t find work in their degree field or B) the degree doesn’t seem to be enough. Employers seem to want a combination of the degree PLUS so many years of experience.
Here’s what I have learned: A) Not all jobs are necessarily advertised in the paper or on job boards. B) Sometimes, it’s who you know (friends or acquaintances could be a great source) C) To gain the necessary experience, consider Temp/Employment Agencies (they work with your experience when placing you and the good ones offer free training as long as you remain active with them) D) Networking is a good source of finding out about job opening. I will explore these topics in a separate entry.