Unemployed Job Searchers Can Edge Out Employed
Strategy and Time Management are Keys
by Richard Bayer, Ph.D.

Too many job hunters fall into the trap of believing it’s only the currently employed who get the best job offers quickly and command the highest salaries. Unemployed searchers may feel they’ll get only second best. But research conducted by The Five O’Clock Club clearly shows that this is a myth, and that those without jobs found new positions faster using Club techniques than those searching while still employed .

 The Five O’Clock Club’s research shows that, on average, members unemployed at the time of their search found employment within 7.66 weekly Club sessions while employed members found jobs within 8.58 sessions. Of the unemployed job finders, 73 percent found work with equal or higher pay than their previous jobs.

There are two main reasons for this. First, the unemployed simply have more time for an adequate search. Unemployed job hunters can spend 35-40 hours per week on their search (i.e. the equivalent of a full-time job!), while the still-employed may find it difficult to devote even 15 hours to searching, thus slowing down the process. And not only do the unemployed have fewer distractions, they may have a much stronger need and drive to find a new position quickly.

Second, without the correct job search tactics, all the time in the world can be worthless. The Five O’Clock Club offers strategy-planning sessions in which members meet with professional counselors and peers on a regular basis to learn the methods to maximize their marketability. The Club’s research uncovered two specific parts of the search that most dramatically affected search outcomes. The first is targeting the right industry and field for you. What are your goals in terms of targeting? If your targets are wrong, everything is wrong! If you are interviewing in the wrong target field, not only do you become an unlikely candidate for the position, but you probably will not accept the offer.

 What’s more; even after acing an interview in a correctly targeted field, many do not receive offers. The trick is in the follow-up and that’s the other overlooked part of the search: turning interviews into offers. For example, the job-hunter should write a letter addressing issues brought up in the initial interview, not simply restating his or her credentials. If the hiring manager voiced concern about your understanding of his industry, the job hunter must conduct research and demonstrate such understanding in the follow up.

 We want to take the fear out of the job search. Our methods, used in conjunction with time management, are the ultimate keys to success. With the right guidance, unemployed people have many more options and opportunities than they realize.