1. Today's Strong Job Seeker's Market. the Ins and Outs from a Monster
Today's Strong Job Seeker's Market...the Ins and Outs from a Monster.com Leader!
I would like to thank Najwa Margaret Saad and Bob Korzeniewski for inviting me to speak today.
Let me share a little about myself: I have been in the human capitol business for over 15 years now. I’ve built and lead SMB and Enterprise level sales teams that range from large inside telesales call centers to strategic outside field sales teams.   While working with all types of organizations from private to public and small to large I have developed successful recruitment solutions to solve various talent acquisition challenges. 
Along the way I have learned a lot about the ever changing labor market and what it takes to successfully attract and retain top talent. I’m going to share some data with all of you that impacts both employers as well as job seekers. I’m also going to share with you some tips on how to find and get the right job for you.

2. WORLD EMPLOYERS Happy Monday
Before I dive into some statistics. I have a short video to kick us off.
Happy Monday

3. Search Advertise Hiring Managers Interested People ASAP ENGAGE
Recruiter
Search
Advertise
Interested People
Let’s start with what the landscape of the employer looks like.
You can see from this graphic that there is a lot going on. Recruiters are constantly being pulled in different directions.
Along with this there is a ton of noise and distractions out there. So many choices for recruiters to choose from to help them find the right candidates. So many tools for them to use that help manage the recruitment process.
You may be asking. Why is all this important to me?
Well it’s important to know that the majority of job seekers do not engage directly with a hiring manager unless they have first been screened by a recruiter. To stand out from the crowd the best talent is aggressive and tend to go straight to the hiring manager.
It’s also important to know that recruiters are very busy and often do not get to all the resumes they receive. This means unless you were in the first 50% who applied you will need to be very aggressive in your communication and not give up.
Third you see here that there are numerous ways for recruiters to find you so it’s important to be in more than one place. Of course I would say start with Monster but don’t end there. Get your resume and profile out to all the major job and networking sites.

4. Washington DC Area Hiring Difficulty
Washington DC area jobs average a Hiring Difficulty of 60, above the national score of 49.
Among select Washington DC area jobs in demand, the most difficult position to fill is Information Technology (82).
Hiring Difficulty is a score 1 through 99, where 1 is the easiest job to fill and 99 is the hardest job to fill; the score is compiled based on jobs, resumes, salaries, average posting period, job board source and unemployment rates
This graph illustrates how difficult it is to hire in the DC area and which positions are the most difficult.
If your looking for a job in IT then you can see here that you are going to be in high demand. While it may be harder to find opportunities in some other fields.
This is important because it can help level set your expectations on salary and how long it might take to find the right job.
Source: Wanted Technologies

5. Washington DC Area At-A-Glance
882K
Job SEARCHES
Each month1
18K
New Resumes
Each month1
54%
Bachelors degree and above2
Security clearance – 14%2
U.S. Veterans - 6%
This is data directly from Monster.
You can see there are a lot of people actively looking for new opportunities. Your not only competing with people unemployed but also those who are looking for something better.
70% of the employed workforce has said they are open to new opportunities and continue to look.

6. Job seekers are doing their homework…
68% research a company before going through the application process.
What they’re investigating:
Organizational values
Products and services
Employee Testimonials
Job seekers are more educated about their potential employer than ever before.
Don’t be cast aside because you didn’t do your research.
It’s a different world today. In the past you would need to know someone at the company you were interested in working at to get inside information on culture and vision. Now that information is available from multiple people in multiple places at the touch of a button. *

7. The Power of Mobile
“If you are not on Mobile….you are not truly accessible.”
30%
Google Searches each month are job related
70%
Job Seekers search on a mobile device
80%
Drop-Off due to poor mobile application process
Everyone is living in their phone today.
To help with the application process keep a copy of your resume on your phone, or on google doc, or drop box.
Do you want to be the 80% who don’t complete the application or the 20% that do?

8. The Application Process
Lastly, don’t get lost in the black hole. Do your research, stand out from the crowd and don’t let not hearing back from a recruiter stop you from continuing to try to work your way in a company you believe you are destined for.

9. YOUR
WORLD
Now that you have an understanding of what it’s like on the other side of the fence. Let’s talk about your world.

10. Just like the employer you as a job seeker have a lot going on.
Your looking at multiple companies that are also looking at multiple candidates. It can get pretty crazy out there.
So let’s break some of it down.

11. Most in Demand Occupations, Certificates, and Skills in the Washington DC Area
Hard Skills
Computer Occupations, All Other
Software Developers, Applications
Network and Computer Systems Administrators
Registered Nurses
Computer Systems Analysts
Information Security Analysts
Web Developers
Management Analysts
Retail Salespersons
Computer User Support Specialists
Supervisors, Retail Sales
Accountants and Auditors
Marketing Managers
Supervisors, Food Preparation and Serving
Truck Drivers (Heavy)
Top Secret Sensitive Compartmented Information
Driver's License
Certified Registered Nurse
Certified Information Systems Security Professional
Basic Life Support
Project Management Professional
Certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
Commercial Driver's License
Continuing Education
Certified Public Accountant
Occupational Safety & Health Administration Certification
Advanced Cardiac Life Support
Food Safety Programs
HAZMAT
Java
Linux
Structured Query Language
Quality Assurance
JavaScript
Technical Support
UNIX
Systems Development Life Cycle
Application Process
Microsoft SharePoint
Cyber Security
Web Services
Hypertext Markup Language
Microsoft SQL Server
Systems Integration
Extensible Markup Language
Python
This list shows the most in demand occupations, certificates and Hard Skills. If you can check off some of these you are in pretty good shape. If not you may want to start thinking about what you can do to acquire some of these skills and certificates.
Most job seekers tend to look at their work experience in terms of the different jobs they have had most importantly the different job titles they have had.
I would encourage you to look deeper into the skills you have acquired and the training you have had.
Source: Wanted Technologies

12. 4.0% UNEMPLOYMENT STATS Northern VA Area Information Technology
RECRUITING
ECONOMICS
UNEMPLOYMENT STATS
Northern VA Area
4.0%
Information Technology
What about the unemployment rate in Northern VA? Anyone want to guess?
Facilitator Note: Get the audience to yell out a few answers.
Click: __4.0___% unemployment rate in Northern VA
Why is it important to know this information? Because as I’ve mentioned, you are in constant competition with other job seekers for the same jobs.
Where you look for a job can impact how difficult it is to find a job.
Source: National unemployment and local unemployment BLS data
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

13. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE BY EDUCATION LEVEL
RECRUITING
ECONOMICS
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE BY EDUCATION LEVEL
5.1%
This graph shows you the unemployment rate by education.
If you don’t think an education is important think again.
Not only does education affect your salary it can also effect getting a job in the first place.
If you have an associates degree you may want to look at options to get your BA.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

14. Northern VA Jobs data
This data shows there are 137,946 active job listings in the Northern VA area. With a pool of 3,327,000 potential candidates to fill those jobs.
This means on average you are competing with 19 other candidates for every job you apply to.
The good news is that this is a considerable amount better than the national average.
Compare that to VA Beach/Norfolk with a 39 on the higher scale and 31 candidates per job. Your living in the right place.
Source: Wanted Technologies

15. Looking for a job can be a full-time job.
Now that you know the jobs out there it’s time to start talking about finding them. Which can be a full time job in itself.
So, when are most people searching?

16. WHEN JOB SEEKERS SEARCH MOST
60% SEARCH BETWEEN
8AM&6PM
SEARCHES SPIKE AT THE
& END OF SUMMER
START OF THE YEAR
HIGHEST TRAFFIC
ALL WEEK LONG
In the last two years, there were 70% more job searches on the first Wednesday of the year than the average day on Monster. And five out of the top 10 search days of 2015 occurred in January. It’s apparent that a lot of people equate a new year with a new career.
Companies are not all that different. Job postings increased from 229,000 in Dec to 260,000 in Jan. 2016
This is a significant increase considering there was very little month over month change throughout 2016.
Monster Job Seeker Data, 2016

17. 38% 18% 16% 43% 12% RESEARCH & APPLY TIMES RESEARCH 1-2 HOURS RESEARCH
SAY IT TAKES
30+ Minutes
TO APPLY
43%
60+ Minutes
12%
We talked about this before. While 68% of job seekers spend time researching companies prior to applying.
The majority of job seekers spend between 1-2 hours researching a company before applying to a job.
You can easily stand out from the crowd by being the most educated and prepared candidate.
Don’t be turned off by a long application process. I know it can get frustrating however many organizations have EEO and OFCCP compliances they must maintain. So be patient. You may just be the determined person they are looking for.
2015 Talent Board Candidate Experience Research Report

18. Your Plan
Ok, now that you understand the employers landscape and your own. It’s time to put together a plan and put it into action.
But before we get started I want to share with you a short video to keep you on your toes.
Wake up call

19. Identify your Core Values and Goals
Assess who you are and what your looking for
Create a chart to help you map out your values and goals
What makes you happy? What interests do you have? What is important to you?
By creating a job search chart you can start to really understand what your looking for and what it takes to get it.
This will also help you identify any skills gaps you may have that are necessary to achieve your dream job.
Start with your current or last job then start thinking about your dream job.

20. Market Yourself Revise your resume, cover letter and social profiles
Now that we know you want. You need to market yourself to the right companies.
Start with a word cloud. This can be found in the Google chrome app store. Compare your resume to the job description you want to apply for. If they don’t match up you need to rethink your resume.
Use a resume writing service – go to the Monster career center to learn about Top Resume. You can get a free resume evaluation at Monster.com
Use action verbs and present tense for your current job, delete the objective or replace it with a summary if you’re switching industries or career paths, and quantify your achievements (if you managed a budget, what’s the annual amount? If you manage a team, how many direct reports do you have? If you saved the company money, how much?).
Create multiple resumes and cover letters for each job you are applying
Keep it to a one page if possible but no more than 2
Peruse your social media profiles from the viewpoint of a recruiter or hiring manager. Do your profiles look professional? Delete questionable posts or hide them on Facebook. Make a plan to start posting news-related items pertinent to your current or desired industry or role. Connect with employees who work at the company you trying to get hired at. Quota attainment, presidents club etc.
And again, submit your resume to multiple job boards and create profiles on multiple social networks.

21. Start your search Don’t get overwhelmed Search by skill where possible
Create profiles with job alerts
Apply ASAP
Track the companies you have applied to
Now that you have your core vales, goals and resumes. It’s time to start your search.
It’s important to not get stressed out over this. There is a lot out there just take your time and use the technology to do most of the work for you.
Set up alerts so you get notified right away of any new opportunities. Don’t wait. Apply ASAP.
80% of all applications are received in the first 7 days of a job being posted
Applicant tracking systems tend to organize applicants based on application date
Don’t limit your search by job title. Most companies have different jargon for their job titles. Search by your hard skills.
Provide phone and so it’s easy for recruiters to connect with you.
Keep track of who you know and are talking to at each company
Prepare a list of references and make sure you are connected to them on social media.

22. Build your network Follow the company and executive team on Twitter
Shape your story
Keep your profiles current
Don’t underestimate your friends
Attend local networking events
Have a professional photo
Give as much as you get and be active
The best job candidates familiarize themselves with the ins and outs of their prospective employers.
Make sure your profile tells the story of not only where you have been but also where you want to go.
Craft a personal blog entry that illustrates your insight with examples from your experience and promote it on your social networks.
Leverage your connections and try to attend networking events such as this 2 times a month.
Have a professional photo – Yes employers look at them.
Make sure to give back what you get. Submit referrals to individuals in your network, help out a friend, provide advice to others.

23. Get ready for the interviews
Bring your energy
Prepare your answers for common interview questions
Do your research on the company
Have well thought out questions that play to your strengths
Plan the “walk me through your resume” line
Practice, Practice, Practice. With a friend, family member, mirror etc.
Ask for feedback
Well, now that you have done all this work the interviews will come pouring in. Make sure your ready.
Visit the career advice section of Monster for a list or the top 100 questions.
Basic interview questions:
Tell me about yourself.
What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
Why do you want this job?
Behavioral interview questions:
What was the last project you led, and what was its outcome? 
Give me an example of a time that you felt you went above and beyond the call of duty at work. 
Can you describe a time when your work was criticized? 
More questions about you:
How would you describe your work style? 
What would be your ideal working environment? 
What do you look for in terms of culture -- structured or entrepreneurial? 

24. Land and expand Continue learning Grow your network Stay informed
Stay current
Stay positive
If you get the accept the job or keep looking…
Continue to research companies and pick up a new book in the field your looking to move into
Stay connected to those in your network and keep building. You never know who you might meet.
Maintain your resume and profile with current accomplishments
Continue to be positive. Finding the right company/job can take time.
Before I go I have one more video to show you.
Find Better

25. Thank you!