“Job search is 'getting tougher'” plus 1 more

Posted: 18 Jan 2011 10:21 PM PST

By Jim Taylor
Newsbeat reporter People outside Job Centre

As the latest unemployment figures are released Newsbeat's been to Northern Ireland, which has more 18 to 24-year-olds out of work than many other parts of the country.

Official numbers for the UK show unemployment increased by 49,000 in the three months to November to 2.5 million.

One in five 16 to 24-year-olds are now jobless after an increase of 32,000 in the quarter to November to 951,000, the highest figure since records began in 1992.

The number of people on unemployment benefit in Northern Ireland in the same period rose by 7,000 compared to a fall across most other areas in the UK.

There are worries that more young people are now leaving Northern Ireland for England, Australia and the US, and not coming back.

Newsbeat got the views of people in Londonderry.

Courtney, 18 - out of work

"It's very hard - you need experience to get a job and I just don't have any.

"I left school and did a course in retail, but you still need experience in work to get a job.

"I've applied for a couple but I don't expect to get them.

"I'd never leave Derry though. I'd rather stick to what I know and stay with the people I feel comfortable with."

Dan, 22 - wants to be a youth worker

"I was out of work for two years.

"I kept getting interviews but couldn't get the job. No matter how I thought I'd done, it was the same routine. I never got picked.

"You feel like you're going round and round in circles looking for a job. You hear of people getting depressed and giving up.

"I thought about giving up myself but ended up volunteering for youth work."

Rachel, 19 - studying media

"When I was 16 it was so easy to get a job.

"I went round the town asking people, 'Do you have any work going?' and they all rang me back the next day.

"Now it seems as though there are 1,000 people going for every job.

"I know people who've been looking for six months and there's nothing available.

"I'm doing a media course and there's nothing in Derry. I'll have to move away to find a job in the media."

Darren, 24 - studying music

"It seems as though things are getting worse here. Most of my friends are out of work and on benefits.

"I think we'll move away at some point even if things are going well here just to see a bit more of the world.

"It's not good to spend too long in one place."

Matthew, 26 - working, but due to start nursing course

"I know it's tough because I was unemployed for a while myself. It was difficult because there's not a lot out there.

"I was probably being a bit picky as well in what I was looking for.

"Most of my friends have moved to England.

"I went there to go to university but have moved back. My friends think I'm mad to come back!"

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Where Job Seekers Should Be Online

Posted: 20 Jan 2011 06:09 AM PST

Lindsay Olson

In-person networking is an important part of any job search. But equally important in today's job market is finding your place online and becoming visible to employers who seek an employee with your skill set. Even if you aren't actively engaged in a job search, it's wise to build your online reputation so jobs are more likely to come to you.

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that companies are decreasing their reliance on job boards and refocusing their recruiting efforts by using employee referral programs and social networks like LinkedIn and Facebook. So if you haven't updated your online presence recently, now's the time to do it.

[See How Job Seekers Can Build Their Online Brand.]

Here are a few websites that will help you build your online presence and reputation:

The Big Three: LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. These are the top sites recruiters now use to find potential candidates, so you should keep your profiles fresh and participate in the communities as much as possible. Make yourself easy to get in touch with by displaying your contact information prominently and joining groups on LinkedIn (which lets others in that group contact you). Keep your Twitters updates public. And even if you lock down your Facebook profile in most areas, it's worth considering allowing anybody who finds your profile to message you without being a "friend."

Rapportive. If you use Gmail, Rapportive is an easy-to-use plugin that allows you to quickly connect with the e-mail sender on major social media platforms. When you receive an e-mail, it shows you the sender's location, an overview of her LinkedIn profile and photo, most recent Twitter and Facebook updates, and direct links to her social media accounts—all right in your sidebar.

Rapportive also tells you whether you're already connected to that person on LinkedIn, and if you're not, you can send an invitation directly from Gmail. You can also write notes for yourself about each contact for later use.

[See 11 Helpful Sites for Job Seekers.]

Quora. This social media platform integrates many of the features from LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, but in a different format. Quora is a question-and-answer site (similar to LinkedIn's Questions) where people ask specific questions tagged in categories and the community answers them. Answers can be voted up or down or edited by other users.

You can follow people on Quora like you do on Twitter, or you can follow questions. For professionals, the beauty is in becoming part of a community of experts in your industry. This platform allows you to connect directly with these people, and by asking smart questions and answering others you can position yourself as a knowledgeable—and hireable—expert in your field. It's not uncommon for the engineers of a certain product to answer a question or the CEO of a player in your field to throw in his or her two cents.

[For more career advice, visit U.S. News Careers, or find us on Facebook or Twitter.]

BranchOut. Similar to LinkedIn, BranchOut uses your Facebook contacts to show you which companies your friends have worked for and how you can make valuable connections through your extended networks. You can recommend friends, post jobs, and ask for networking help.

This tool is particularly useful for recent college graduates who have large Facebook networks but haven't yet started networking on LinkedIn. Since people tend to have different contacts on Facebook than they do on LinkedIn, it can also show you connections you may have overlooked. You may find an old high school friend or family member can make an important professional introduction.

Lindsay Olson is a founding partner and public relations recruiter with Paradigm Staffing and Hoojobs, a niche job board for public relations, communications and social media jobs. She blogs at LindsayOlson.com, where she discusses recruiting and job search issues.

Job Search

Thursday, January 20, 2011