thecareerbeat.com Blog

Poll: Almost half have been out of work 4 months

According to a Yahoo! HotJobs poll last week, 40% of site visitors said they have spent 4 months or more on unemployment benefits at some point in their careers.

But even more — 43% — said they have never collected unemployment. An encouraging sign, perhaps?

Q	What is the longest amount of time you’ve received unemployment benefits?
Never	43%
1 month (or less)	6%
2 months	5%
3 months	7%
4 months (or more)	40%
5432 Votes to date

Poll: Most job seekers don’t use Twitter

According to the latest Yahoo! HotJobs poll, only 8% of respondents said they have used Twitter to help with a job search. Lots of untapped potential!

Q	Have you used Twitter for help with a job search?
Yes	8%
No	92%
5226 Votes to date

Many Twitter users have found enterprising ways to learn about available jobs and contact recruiters. It’s a tool worth exploring. I use Twitter as a way to share tips about job searching and career issues; you can follow me at HotJobs_editor.

Check out this blog post for more tips on using Twitter for your job search.

The worst way to discover a resume error

In last week’s Yahoo! HotJobs poll, 15% said they have been alerted to a typo in their resumes by a recruiter or interviewer. Ouch.

Typos and other simple errors are very, very common in resumes. Ask any recruiter.

“There is nothing worse than receiving a cover letter addressed to a different person in a different company, misspellings of my name or my company name, or obvious errors in a resume,” says Lindsay Olson of Paradigm Staffing. “I receive resumes and cover letters like this daily, and it is hard for a recruiter to stand by their candidate if so little precaution and attention to detail has been given prior to hitting the send button.”

Hearing about your error from a beleaguered recruiter has got to be as fun as having a friend thank you for a 40th birthday card after he or she just turned 38.

A few tips for catching your resume errors:

• Spell-check, using the automatic tool that comes with Word.
• Proofread more than once. If possible, leave a few hours between readings to allow yourself distance. This will help in spotting errors.
• Have a friend read it over. You don’t need a cracker-jack copy editor, just another pair of attentive eyes.

Don’t let simple errors on a resume ruin your chances of landing the job! For more tips, see “Worst Resume Bloopers.”

Poll: Job fairs not very effective

Last week’s poll on Yahoo! HotJobs suggests that job fairs may not be the best use of a job seeker’s time and effort.

As you can see from the graphic below, only 12% of respondents said they got a job through attending a career fair.

Q	Have you ever landed a job by attending a job fair?
Yes	12%
No	88%
9898 Votes to date

The main takeaway: Don’t put all your job-hunting eggs in one basket!

• Diversify your search efforts: Use many different job sites. Check newspapers, local or alumni career resources.
• Network as much as possible, both online and off.
• If you attend a job fair, adjust your expectations. You may not get a job, but the experience could yield helpful information, leads, and contacts.

Poll: More than a third would take pay cut

In the latest Yahoo! HotJobs weekly poll, more than a third of site visitors said they would take a 10% pay cut in order to keep their jobs. (The number is even higher if you exclude the unemployed participants.) When the alternative is a layoff, a salary sacrifice becomes understandably preferable.

“Real pay cuts for people are something companies are very cautious about doing. We’re seeing some, and it is a sign of the times,” said John Challenger, CEO of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. He was quoted in the article “4 Types of Pay Cuts, and What You Can Do About Them.”

For complete poll results, see the table below.

Q	Would you be willing to take a 10% pay cut in order to keep your current job?
Yes	38%
No	30%
I don’t have a job	32%
10717 Votes to date

1 in 4 look to stimulus for career boost

Interesting result for latest weekly poll on Yahoo! HotJobs — nearly a quarter of respondents said they are looking to get a job or career boost from the U.S. stimulus plan.

Q	How much does the U.S. stimulus plan factor into your job/career plans?
Plenty. I hope to get one of the new jobs!	24%
Some. It may help me, if only indirectly.	13%
Not much, but I’m keeping options open.	20%
Not at all.	43%
5160 Votes to date

Poll: Almost half haven’t saved month’s worth of expenses

The latest weekly poll from Yahoo! HotJobs is a surprising look at the kind of financial buffer many workers have saved for themselves in the event of a job loss.

Q	If you lost your job, how many months could you live on your savings (excluding retirement funds)?
0	42%
1	16%
2	11%
3	9%
More than 3	21%
11167 Votes to date

Experts say you should have six months’ worth of living expenses in case of a job loss. It’s a worthy goal, and it could ease your mind during this time of anxiety. For some tips on building your emergency fund, check out “6 Ways to Save for an Unexpected Job Loss.”

Poll: Obama affect on employment hopes

Wow.

Q	Despite the continuing economic crisis, has President Obama’s arrival improved your employment outlook for 2009?
Yes	48%
No	52%
10042 Votes to date

Source: Yahoo! HotJobs site poll, 1/26/09

Good looks give you an advantage

If you want to get ahead, start by assessing your appearance. We live in a visual society, and hiring decisions — among other business decisions — are often made on first impressions.

That doesn’t mean start researching cosmetic procedures — although I am fascinated by stories of men getting liposuction or pec implants or even hair-dye jobs to improve their professional prospects.

It does mean making the most of what you’ve got and carefully honing your appearance, according to Jennifer Selby Long, an executive coach in the San Francisco area. Maybe a better haircut, a manicure, or better-fitting clothes can give you an image pickup — and a career boost.

In a recent Yahoo! HotJobs site poll, 3 in 4 respondents said they were more likely to get a promotion or raise if they improved how they look. It shows the power of a good appearance!

For on this topic, I recommend the article “Using Your Looks for Career Success (Without Going Overboard).”

Poll: Affect of the unemployment rate

Interesting poll results from last week’s poll on Yahoo! HotJobs:

How is the (rising) monthly unemployment rate affecting you?

It’s making me work harder!	49%
I’m less likely to look for a job now.	32%
It’s not affecting me.	19%