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10 TOP TIPS FOR JOB HUNTERS today’s post-pandemic job market is complicated, but having the right attitude and resources can help you succeed WORDS: BARBARA ARNOLD
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he current labor shortage is a conundrum. “Help wanted: Chippewa Valley employers say they are desperate for workers right now,” screams a headline. Meanwhile, a recent Today Show segment focused on new college grads who have applied to more than 100 jobs without a single offer. In Wisconsin, some believe the extra $300 a week pandemic emergency funds plus standard unemployment benefits act as a disincentive for people to look for work; others contend that the extra funds are needed to meet basic needs such as rent, food, and gas. As for employees who have been working from home, some are suddenly being asked to return to the office as life opens up, and their response is to quit and work for someone else from home. A recent Wall Street Journal article reported that post-pandemic, more employees will work remotely than before COVID-19. Yet some managers continue to prefer the culture of office face time; they aren’t sure remote workers have hustle. In a recent interview on CNN Business, Best Buy CEO Corie Barry shared four challenges to hiring workers in retail right now: 1) Lack of child care; 2) Health concerns; 3) The face-to-face nature of retail work itself; and 4) More competition for new hires as companies raise their minimum wages to attract workers. Choosing a job these days isn’t just about money anymore, Barry said: “It’s about a wholesome set of benefits that we can put in place, and flexibility that we can put in place, so that we’re able to retain a diverse workforce.” What’s a job seeker to do nowadays? We reached out to these Chippewa Valley experts to compile a list of top 10 tips for job hunters in 2021.
CHASE ELLIOTT CLARK/CREATIVE COMMONS
1. MINDSET & SELF-CARE.
After 2020, who could blame anyone for being negative? Yet, a mindset of being confident and genuinely positive is critical. Eating right, staying hydrated, getting the amount of exercise and shut-eye your body requires is key, along with being with people who bring you joy or finding things to do that make you happy. Laughing’s good.
2. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT – AND BE ORGANIZED. “Know what you want. It will help not to be labeled as a job hopper. While being on unemployment right now may seem OK, it doesn’t look great in the big picture.” –Stephanie May, skilled manufacturing recruiter, SEEK Careers/Staffing “Think about what you want in a career: pay, location, hours, purpose. Start looking for employment opportunities or connecting with employers who meet that criteria. Being organized and prepared can make the job searching much less stressful! Having a tailored resume, cover letter, and references ready to submit is extremely important, along with keeping detailed notes of each position and company you are applying to.” – Carlee Norby, career services specialist, Chippewa Valley Technical College “Stay organized in your search, including keeping track of positions you applied to (and which documents you sent them), people you networked with (including contact info and conversation notes), positions you interviewed for, and sourcing new opportunities.” –Bryan Barts, director of Career Services at UW-Stout
3. BE RESOURCEFUL.
One of your first stops might be the Job Center of Wisconsin, your public library, or your school’s Career Services Center which have access to hundreds of resources plus specially trained career counselors. Also, be sure to check out recruiting agencies, and partner with a recruiter to help you find your dream career. Many resources are online. The Job Center of Wisconsin, for example, offers virtual workshops (dwd.wisconsin.gov/det/workshops/virtual.htm), while the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire offers free financial education through LinkedIn Learning (see article on page 81). “Oftentimes, people spend upwards of 40 hours a week looking for their next career and interviewing with several different companies before they find the right fit. With an agency like SEEK Careers/Staffing you have the chance to interview with one qualified Talent Specialist who will serve as your advocate to help you find the right job and fit for you.” – Travis Johnson, district team leader, SEEK Careers/Staffing
4. USE TECH AND SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT BE SMART ABOUT IT. “Set up voice mail, and clear out your messages. If you are actively job searching, and serious about obtaining new or better employment, make sure to have all lines of communication open. Active, functioning email address, phone number, voice mail, texting capabilities, etc.” –Emily Williams, customer service representative, SEEK Careers/Staffing
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<< Continued from Page 73 “Make sure your online persona is accurate, up-to-date, and that you are active using the resource.” –Bryan Barts, director of career services at UW-Stout “Beware social media platforms as they can send red flags depending on your posts or what you are tagged in.” –Carlee Norby, career services specialist, CVTC “Recent graduates are searching for jobs using LinkedIn Jobs, Indeed, and Handshake, a career management system used by universities and technical colleges. … Job seekers should be prepared for virtual interviews using Zoom and in-person requiring masks and physical distancing, as well as a combination of a screening interview via Zoom and an in-person final interview.” –Staci Heidtke, associate director of Career Services, UW-Eau Claire
5. CUSTOMIZE WITH KEY WORDS. “Target your resume and cover letter to specific companies. Make changes to these application materials based on the organization and the position you are applying for.” –Staci Heidtke, associate director of Career Services, UW-Eau Claire According to a recent article on Money.com, companies now use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to pore through resumes. The ATS scans for keywords applicable to the job. About 75% of candidates are taken out of consideration before a human even sees a resume. Make your resume and application match the job’s criteria, and be able to back it up with skills and experience.
6. APPLY EVEN IF YOU DON’T MEET EVERY QUALIFICATION, AND DON’T SETTLE. “Even if you don’t meet every single qualification that is listed, still apply. There may be opportunities to learn on the job or have a certification the company is willing to pay for. Your experience in other jobs and even other industries could be just what they need.” –Brooke Richartz, president, Chippewa Valley Society for Human Resource Management “It’s no secret that there are far more open positions than there are applicants. This is great for someone who is job searching. You
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have the chance to pick and choose: Find a job closer to home, a nicer shift or schedule, higher pay, better benefits, a flexible schedule, in a different industry, easier on your body physically or just all around better for you and your family.” – Stephanie May, skilled manufacturing recruiter, SEEK Careers/Staffing
7. NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK. “Eighty percent of getting a job is who you know. Building positive connections will open new opportunities to take advantage of.” –Carlee Norby, career services specialist, CVTC “Over 70% of today’s jobs are in the ‘hidden job market’ and are not advertised as posted positions.” –Staci Heidtke, associate director of Career Services, UW-Eau Claire
8. DON’T BE AFRAID TO FOLLOW UP. “Everything is online for the application process, and you haven’t talked to a single human yet? Give a phone call to check it. That could be what puts you back at the top of the list of candidates for a second look.” –Brooke Richartz, president, CVSHRM “Do follow-up by calling the employer to find out the status of your application … typically one week after applying. State who you are, what position you applied for, and ask for your status. Employers may still be collecting applications, pull yours to the top of the pile, or they may say come in for an interview or not.” –Carlee Norby, career services specialist, CVTC
9. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE INTERVIEWING.
With the many forms interviews can take – phone, Zoom, Facebook, online, and face-to-face – practice to make a good impression. “If you get an opportunity to interview with a company that you are only a little bit excited about or not all, interview anyway for the experience. Each opportunity to go over interview questions or in a different scenario (1:1, panel, virtual or in person) will give you more confidence for the next time you encounter it.” –Brooke Richartz, president, CVSHRM
10. FINALLY, BE PERSISTENT! Never give up. Never quit. Persist!
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NOT YET NOR MAL economists say the the Chippewa Valley job market is recovering, but it may never look quite the same
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WORDS: TOM GIFFEY
he condition of today’s labor option for many employers: For market in the Chippewa instance, businesses that rely on Valley – and the nation as a exports might not be able to increase whole – is a stark contrast to their costs of doing business because what it was just one year ago. And of international competition, he said. overall that’s good news for job-hunt“What normally happens when ers as the economy rises from its labor markets are tight is wages inpandemic-induced low point. crease, and we had some signs of that The jobless rate in the Eau Claire going into COVID,” added Thomas metro area shrank from 13.4% in Kemp, a professor of economics at April 2020 to 3.8% in April 2021, the UW-Eau Claire. “Whether that will latest month for which figures were continue now is hard to say.” available. That’s virtually the same While Kemp said the job market as it was in February 2020, before has recovered from the pandemic a the pandemic reached the U.S. bit more quickly than he anticipated, So he’s not have the surcondiprised tions that created it has by the bounced pandemic back. –Thomas Kemp, UWEC economics professor and the “It was responsalways es to it completely vanished? Not an external event to the economy exactly, say experts. itself,” Kemp said of the COVID-19 “I would say we’re not quite back recession. “The fundamentals of the to normal,” said Thomas Michels, a economy going into COVID were relalabor market economist for the Wistively strong,” and they remain that consin Department of Workforce Deway, he said. velopment. While Wisconsin’s labor “We kind of put everything on market hasn’t experienced the same pause willingly, and now we’re taklevel of turmoil as seen in some other ing our finger off the pause button,” states, “there are a lot of openings Kemp said. in restaurants specifically, and in That’s not to say the labor market other businesses, too,” Michels said. and the economy will ever be just “They’re having a hard time filling like they were pre-pandemic. The these jobs.” restaurant industry and many serBusinesses that are trying to vice industries continue to struggle, hire are encountering the same Kemp said, and consumers’ changing tight labor market they were before tastes and preferences may have the pandemic, Michels said. In fact, long-term implications. For instance, there are even more job openings Kemp said, pandemic-driven social now then there were then. According distancing seems to have led people to federal data, the number of job to invest more time and money in openings was 22% higher in March their homes and hobbies, which may 2021 than it was in February 2020. have long-term implications. Nationwide, demand for manufacBecause of the continued inturing workers rose 76% during that crease in online shopping – before, period, and it more than doubled during, and after the pandemic – Mifor businesses that manufacture chels of the Department of Worknondurable goods such as groceries, force Development expects to see clothing, and paper. continued job growth among related Other kinds of employers face occupations, such as delivery drivers, challenges as well. Restaurants order fillers, and distribution center have experienced a chronic shortworkers. This trend could have a age of workers for years, most likely positive impact on the Chippewa because of relatively low pay, Michels Valley, considering the presence of said. And while raising wages seems distribution centers for Menards, like an obvious approach to filling Walmart, and Fleet Farm in the vacant jobs, it’s not an attractive region, he said.
“We kind of put everything on pause willingly.”
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JOBS BY THE NUMB ERS
Chippewa Valley employment figures are recovering from COVID-driven lows of 2020
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COMPILED BY TOM GIFFEY
hen the coronavirus pandemic began in early 2020, much of the economy – and the job market along with it – was placed the equivalent of an induced coma. Now that virus caseloads YEAR OVER YEAR JOB have plummeted, COVID-19 restrictions have GROW TH IN EC METRO eased, and vaccines are plentiful, the economy has largely woken up. Economists say we’re not quite back to normal – whatever “normal” might be – but employment numbers have rebounded from their low point of last spring. (April 2021 vs. April 2020. Preliminary, We know the blizzard of numbers that come in not seasonally adjusted) news reports about the economy can be bewildering, so we’ve pulled out a few of the most relevant statistics about the labor force and unemployment from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (dwd.wisconsin.gov). Note: The Eau Claire metro area is made up of all of Eau Claire and Chippewa counties.
+13,282
TOTAL L ABOR FORC E (EAU C L AIRE METRO)
93,619
UNEMPLOYMENT R ATE
(EAU C L AIRE METRO)
3.8%
April 2021
April 2021
(preliminary, not seasonally adjusted)
(preliminary, not seasonally adjusted)
88,665
13.4%
April 2020
April 2020
(final, not seasonally adjusted)
UNEMPLOYMENT R ATE (WISCONSIN)
4.3%
(final, not seasonally adjusted)
UNEMPLOYMENT R ATE (UNITED STATES)
5.7%
(preliminary, not seasonally adjusted)
April 2021
14.9%
14.4%
April 2020
April 2020
(final, not seasonally adjusted)
(preliminary, not seasonally adjusted)
April 2021
(preliminary, not seasonally adjusted)
SOU RC E : W i s c o ns i n De pa r t m e n t o f Wo r k f o r c e Deve l o p m e n t
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LEARN FR EE WITH LINKEDIN Eau Claire library offers free courses for job hunters WORDS: BARBARA ARNOLD
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ot a library card? Then you can create a LinkedIn Learning account for free, and access the Eau Claire public library’s newly launched Financial Education resource page (ecpubliclibrary.info/ linkedin-learning). The series of online, interactive courses taught by experts from around the world cover key topics related to job search. The series has four tracks: 1) Financial Wellness and Planning, 2) Managing Personal Finances During Periods of Unemployment, 3) Job Seeking and Career Strategies, and 4) Building Resilience and Managing Emotions. Each course is broken down into bite-size segments of two to three minutes. You can pick and choose the segments that interest
you, or you can follow the courses sequentially. Course titles include 5 Tips for Building your Financial Life, A Career Strategist’s Guide to Getting a Job, 10 Ways to Stay Motivated While Job Hunting, and Thriving @ Work: Leveraging the Connection between Well-Being and Productivity. Three courses cover the digital aspect of job search today: Digital Networking Strategies, Video Interview Tips, and Digital Body Language. Over the past year, the reference staff at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library curated the courses from hundreds of LinkedIn Learnings offerings, with funding in part from a Community Possible grant from U.S. Bank.
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HONOR ED EMPLOYER UW-Stout names Menards inaugural
Career Services Employer of the Year WORDS: PAM POWERS / UW-STOUT
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W-Stout’s Career Services wanted to recognize employers for their commitment to students through engagement, recruitment, and hiring for co-ops, internships, and full-time professional roles. The inaugural Employer of the Year award was given to Menards during the Career Services Employer Recognition event in May. “We wanted to bring everyone together to recognize employers who do a lot for our students,” said Katie Hauge, employer relations manager for Career Services. “Menards is highly engaged with us.” The award was based on nearly two dozen weighted criteria, which included: • Consistently participating in Career Services recruitment events as well as additional career development programs and events to network with and hire UW-Stout students. • Build a professional talent pipeline through the Cooperative Education and Internship Program • Engage in campuswide activities that are share or reported to Careers Services. Some examples include collaborating with student organizations, supporting curriculum through capstone courses, classroom presentations, and Program Advisory Committee participation Menards takes part in the university Career Conferences, Employer in Residence program, and Cooperative Education and Internship Program. In the recent virtual Spring Career Conference, Menards representatives took part in individual, group, and general information recruiting sessions. For the 2019-20 academic year, UW-Stout students had a total of 28 internship positions, some students with more than one, across all Menards divisions. The university’s co-op and internship program partners with roughly 600 companies
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MENARDS RECRUITERS AT A CAREER CONFERENCE
annually to support applied learning experiences for more than 1,000 students. One of the goals of co-ops and internships is to familiarize students with a company so that they consider a full-time opportunity upon graduation. Menards hired 15 UW-Stout graduates from 2019-20 and has about 300 UW-Stout alumni working across the company. Menards has job opportunities for UW-Stout graduates from many undergraduate and graduate academic areas, including engineering, retail, business administration, design, construction, information technology, supply chain, communications, digital marketing, and more. This summer, co-ops and internships appear to be making a fairly strong rebound after last year when the COVID-19 pandemic caused many companies to dial back on them. Bethany Henthorn, Cooperative Education and Internship Program coordinator, said about 650 students are on track to participate this summer. “I am hoping we can hit 750 students,” she noted. This spring 122 students participated in co-ops and internships, and there were 114 in the fall semester. “We are hearing from students every day looking for opportunities,” Henthorn said. “Employers are hiring, and our students are in demand.”
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