By Daniel W.
Are you ready to take a bite out of the employment landscape of the Big Apple? You’re not alone. Before you start your job search in this bustling metropolitan area of more than 20 million people, you should know where you stand; the stark reality is that there are two job seekers for every single job opening in the Northeastern United States right now. According to the New York State Department of Labor, as of February 2015, there were 840,000 jobs in the Northeast, which includes New York City. There are also 1.59 million unemployed in the same region. [1]
What to look for and where to look
How can a candidate stand out in such a vast field of employment options? Well, understanding what industries are growing and expanding is a good starting point. According to the New York State Department of Labor, the construction industry is exploding in New York City. Over the last year, it’s shown a 13.7 percent growth in sector employment. Other areas of substantial growth include promoters of performing arts, spectator sports and related industries (13.6 percent), performers and athletes themselves (12.7 percent), and scientific research and development (12.5 percent). Home healthcare services and architecture also grew significantly, though not quite as much. [2]
On the Internet, both Indeed and NYCityWorks have pages devoted specifically to New York City jobs. [3][4] The New York State Department of Labor also offers a portal into which job applicants can plug the ZIP code 10001 and specify how far afield they wish to look.
Be prepared to be patient. You can expect to search for at least two months for every $10,000 of salary in the job you want. Be prepared to be relentless too. Because “it takes a field of 200 possible positions to produce one job offer,” you have to think big. [5]
Getting help with job searching
Networking is crucial. It’s also difficult to create a network to help you look for jobs when you don’t know anyone. Both trade and professional associations can make the difference between landing a job and collecting unemployment. Such associations can put job seekers in touch with companies that can help them find job openings in their fields. Because of their positions in their respective fields, associations can provide better leads than simple job boards or other directories.
Many associations also publish regular newsletters that contain lists of companies that are either currently hiring or will be in the near future. “The Career Guide – Dun’s Employment Opportunities Directory” lists not only 5,000 companies nationwide that are looking for candidates, but it also categorizes them by state and region and even provides personnel director contact information.
Both the Encyclopedia of Associations and the National Trade and Professional Associations of the United States are published annually and contain information regarding almost 30,000 organizations combined, including many from New York City. Websites like Vault provide job seekers with rankings of companies based on certain criteria and also give a company’s employees a chance to rate the company. [6]
What about headhunting?
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, nothing works. You’re still jobless. At this point, it might be time to consider hiring professional help to get a job. Headhunters might be expensive, but hiring one might also be money well spent. Don’t balk at their name; legitimate headhunters may actually be an asset. They’ve already done a lot of pavement pounding and elbow rubbing for you, and they can get your resume and cover letter directly to a hiring manager at a company. Timeout has compiled a list of some of the most renowned firms in New York City. [7]
Resources:
[1] https://www.labor.ny.gov/stats/job-seekers-per-opening.shtm
[2] https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1utzqNEXvfodLSaKuVpHKr7W0IXz0_cOx7fWIJryAVLc/edit#gid=369514277
[3] http://www.indeed.com/local/New-York-NY-jobs
[4] http://www.nycityworks.com/
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