As Oregon Job Rate Slows, How Can You Stand Out as an Applicant?

Networking is the lifeblood of landing a job in the 21st century.

Photo: Bonnie King, Salem-News.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - The Oregon unemployment rate continues to hover around 4.1 percent, which is aligned with the national average. The only problem is that the unemployment rate hasn’t budged in nearly a year and a half. It is a record-setting situation, the lowest consecutive slump in over 40 years.

Oregon Sees First Decline in Jobs Since 2016

Oregon does rank 20th for employment in the country with job growth at 3.6 percent, mainly in the hospitality and construction industries. However, Oregon saw its first decline in jobs since 2016.

Recent Oregon job cuts from April 2018 include:

• Retail saw the worst numbers with a decline of 2,500 jobs
• The health care industry saw 1,400 jobs lost
• Professional business jobs decreased by 1,100 jobs

This comes after job gains in March. What does this stagnant job economy mean for Oregonians? Potentially fewer jobs with increased job competition among the state’s job hunters. This may make your job search more challenging.

The following are a few ways you can stand out among the thousands of those actively seeking employment during a job economy slump.

How To Be a Stand Out Applicant

In the throws of a slowing job economy in Oregon, standing out from other job hunters is vital. If you haven’t applied for a job in awhile, or if you are fresh out of college eager to start your career, there are key aspects of landing that job.

1. Develop a Powerful Resume

Having a powerful resume is an essential element to landing a job in a poor job economy. Even in the digital era with LinkedIn serving as the professional’s social media, hiring managers will still ask for a resume.

If you think you can get by with a few dates and bullet points, think again. You need your resume to stand out, showcase your skills, and be highly organized. The best place to start is to find a resume format that will keep you on track.

When showcasing your professional accomplishments, you’ll also want to keep it concise. A headline at the top is a good idea these days as well. Hiring managers actually only look at a resume for a total of seven seconds, so make it count.

Your resume should also speak to your industry. For instance, if you are in a creative field like marketing or social media management, the stuffy resume approach may not be the best. Instead, it could be a colorful infographic style to showcase your creative side.

2. Start Networking

Networking is the lifeblood of landing a job in the 21st century. It may not land you a job straight away, but it will get you through the door and in front of a hiring manager.

You can attend local mixers in your industry, join professional or non-professional Meetup.com groups, and connect with previous colleagues. You should also take your networking game to the next level via LinkedIn.

“When it comes to networking in LinkedIn, there are two primary functions – just like in real-world networking: Building your network and nurturing relationships,” William Arruda of Forbes explained.

3. Do Some Online Stalking

One of the most valuable things you can do to land that full-time gigs research on your interviewers. This includes the HR manager, the director and managers in the department the job is in, maybe even the CEO or COO.

This online pre-interview stalking session serves two purposes. The first purpose is to get familiar with the interviewers to make it less tense when you meet them. The second is to get some background information that may help you connect with them better.

Your pre-job interview research can also include recent press releases on new product launches, news, company mission and aim, experience of employees, salaries, and even company and CEO ratings by employees.

4. Stay Motivated

In a job economy lull, it can get pretty frustrating if you haven’t scored a job after a few weeks. Just remember, patience is a virtue and stay motivated. The worst thing you can do is convince yourself that a potential employer isn’t interested.

In fact, that may not be the case at all. They may have so many applicants that the hiring process is taking longer. Stay motivated, think positive, and don’t wait around for a phone call. Keep applying, and a job opportunity will open up.

Wrapping Up

There is no telling when the next Oregon employment upswing will be. Summer is coming, and that’s good news for hospitality and construction jobs. But as the pendulum swings back toward the rainy fall season, more job cuts could come down the pipe. Stay vigilant and be job-ready at all times.

Source: Salem-News.com Special Features Dept.