Monday, June 29, 2009

As a job candidate, your resume always looks better if you currently have a job, and I’ve always believed that it’s better to look for a job when you’re employed.

In a recession, however, people who never expected to be job-hunting this year are finding themselves unexpectedly unemployed in a hairy job market.

If you you’re unemployed – even if it’s not your fault – it might be putting you at a disadvantage. The Wall Street Journal just reported on employers who favor “passive” candidates who already have jobs. One employer told WSJ, “If they’re still employed that means they have some significant value.”

Yikes! How can you show that you have significant value if you’re unemployed? First, a top-notch resume is critical. Second, if you can do freelance work or teach while you’re looking for your next job, that shows that your skills are being put to good use.

Whenever I write resumes for unemployed candidates, I always find out if they have been doing any freelance consulting work. If so, we list that as the current position. Sometimes my clients wouldn’t have done this on their own; they think it doesn’t matter because it’s not full time. Who cares? Many employers will be impressed that you were able to go out and drum up business for yourself as an independent contractor. That speaks to your sales abilities, work ethic, industry reputation and business acumen.

Likewise, if you have a master’s degree, why not look into teaching at a local college?

It’s not right for everyone, but consulting and teaching can bring in much-needed cash while making you a more desirable candidate.

Read the Wall Street Journal article