Despite the persistent coverage of overwhelming job losses on the news these days, things may not be as bleak as you think. Yes, reports show that unemployment hit 8.5% in March. But to show you that you can still find a job in this downturn, Carmen presents the first OTM Job Center special today, where she'll talk to recruiters and CEOs of companies that are hiring now!
Joining her in the first Job Center are Jason Ferrara of Careerbuilder.com and Jeff Taylor of eons.com. Jeff agrees that the situation is terrible: one out of six Americans is affected in some way by unemployment -- a staggering number. However, he also points out that 4.5 million individuals still found new employment in March. So the jobs are there -- they just take more persistence and creativity to find now.
It may be necessary to start researching and looking in places you normally wouldn't. Calling them "hidden hotspots," Jeff lists three of these types of cities along with the big industries hiring there [Correction: Jason Ferrara of Careerbuilder.com listed these hidden hotspots on Fri's show]:
- Corpus Christi, TX - construction, urban planning, civil engineering
- Columbus, OH - education, science, academia, research, tech
- Chattanooga, TN - government, jobs at big companies headquartered here (like VW)
There are other hotspots -- you just have to do your homework and find where your skills are needed.
However, Carmen cautions, you should be very careful before deciding to displace yourself and possibly your family to another part of the country to switch careers and especially if you're looking to work in a completely new industry. Switching careers, industries and locations at the same time is not for the faint of heart!
Look locally first. Something else to keep an eye out for are smaller companies that may be hiring. There may be a small company within 10 miles of your house that hiring! It's all about research, research, research.