The Future of the Job Market

Posted May 2nd, 2014 by Carroll King Schuller

I recently attended the “Career Thought Leaders Conference” in Baltimore, Maryland, a conference about the future of the job market.  I am very thankful that this conference was put on, and the speakers were fabulous.  I have been a professional business coach for a long time, and this conference propelled me into the future and made me feel as though I know what is going to happen to my clients in the future.  This allows me to better advise you and keep you on target in a changing workforce.

One of the main topics of the conference was big data and its impact on the job search.  Technology is going to have an even bigger influence on job hunting as the Internet and social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn give future employers a lot of information about potential employees before they even enter the building.  Resumes could eventually become outdated in lieu of these other online outlets that will dominate how you will find a job.

This means that personal branding, understanding who you are and what you bring to the table, will be very important. Skype is also becoming an important outlet for interviews, further emphasizing the need for a cohesive image.  A large percentage of recruiters in human resources departments are already looking for online job candidates.

Another change is that referrals are now where a majority of job placements come from, a fact many applicants have yet to take advantage of.  Referrals are only 6.9% of applicants, and almost 40% of hires at all firms are individuals who have been referred in (Jobvite Index 2012).  So, networking becomes very important.

In this changing workforce environment, we can work together to adapt your job search approaches and make sure that your skills and talents shine through.