Really? Di Chapman did more investigative reporting to bring us this installment from The Daily Job Hunt blog. Food for thought!

“Dreams are never destroyed – only rearranged.” – Paul Abram Constantine

Susan Howington of Power Connections articulated something to me a few weeks ago about a disturbing trend in job search throughout the country. She said to me, “Diane, we have a new situation going on here. Job searchers over 45 are having a hard time finding work, as are job searchers in their 20’s right out of college. So, what can we offer the two groups of professionals who are benched due to our economic debacle?”

I recalled that, as I was researching the articles for The Daily Job Hunt blog, my eye had been caught by some reports of “downtown” rebirth in some of our nation’s older, smaller, and admittedly, less “sexy” cities. This rebirth phenomenon is being driven by young people who are graduating colleges and finding that there is no place to go but home – to places like Omaha, Portland, and Orem. Their presence in their home cities is driving a renaissance of an artistic coffee culture, teeming with revitalization and energy.

Surprise, surprise! Once again, what’s old is new. As Parts I and II of this “Where the Jobs Are” series revealed, trends are taking us “back to the future.” I contend that where the youth are now going, perhaps those of us who are “young at heart” should think about as well. I’m just sayin’.

Now, as the John Cougar Mellencamp song goes, “I was born in a small town,” so there is a part of me that derives satisfaction from seeing some of our older, more established cities and towns in America spring back to life. Yes, I’ve worked in New York City, D.C., Dallas, Phoenix, and Orange County, but my roots are Midwestern near the Canadian border in North Dakota, which by the way, is teeming with oil exploration right now.

Brad Briggs, a staff writer for StreetAuthority, reported in a November 2011 Investing Answers that there’s a modern-day boom in my birth state, where it turns out shale oil can now be profitably extracted from the ground. Apparently, in the last four years, it isn’t just jobs in oil exploration and extraction that have popped up, but the need for thousands of workers to help meet the demands of the oil field workers who have moved there. Ward Koeser, the mayor of Williston, North Dakota, told Briggs that the town had between 2,000 and 3,000 job openings, and if you feel inclined to move there, you could probably land one of them in one day to one week’s time.

And, again, just a few days ago, Investing Answers featured a report by Nathan Slaughter of StreetAuthority who reported that when it comes to investing success, the wealthiest investors in the world tend to invest in natural resources. As North Dakota booms in its quest to produce oil, Slaughter reports that there is also a boom in shale oil drilling in the NW corner of Louisiana’s Desoto Parish, which is already the nation’s top producing natural gas field. At this point in history, where there is shale oil drilling, there is opportunity.

As my title promises, there are jobs happening in Omaha, as well, which Kiplinger named in 2011 as the “number one best value city for its vibrancy, cost of living, and low unemployment rate.” Greater Omaha hosts over 30,000 businesses, and the city is one of few in 2012 who maintains a triple-A credit rating. Some of the resident businesses there are household names like Omaha Steaks, Mutual of Omaha, Gallup, PayPal, Aflac ,and TD Ameritrade. You’ll also find a footprint there for Google, Verizon and Yahoo!, among many other technical brands.

If there isn’t enough great statistical information to attract a job seeker to Omaha, there is the youthful, energetic vibe of the redeveloped downtown district. Since about 2002, when the younger set decided to meet there for coffee and jazz, the evolution of the downtown area has been a testament to the city’s solid economic health and growth while the rest of us have been licking our wounds.

Look, I’ve talked to a number of my readers who need jobs, but who cannot cut family and friendship ties to a place like California, and I completely understand. But, I also know that it’s easier to whine and moan about why you cannot do something, rather than take the proverbial well-planned leap. As terrifying as it sounds, moving to take a job can be one of the best things that will ever happen to you, particularly when the move is to a place where the buzz of productivity fuels optimism and well-being. I know, because it has happened to me.

I also know that young people who are hitting a wall in California or Arizona or Nevada or Florida could be encouraged to go where the jobs are. Isn’t that what WE did in our day? Who among us didn’t hop in our “beater” (okay, okay, or a BMW) and drive to a distant place, waving to mom and dad as we backed out of their driveway?

Any discussion of hopes and dreams brings up the notion of a rewarding job with a promising future. It is the springboard to our desire for homes, marriages and children. The American Dream was built on a good job, first and foremost. Right now is one of those times when the dream seems to have died. But perhaps it hasn’t – perhaps, as my dear friend Paul Abram Constantine says, it’s just been “rearranged.”

Diane Y. Chapman is the Chief Communications Officer of Power Connections, and the founder of Words To Your Advantage Speaking and Writing Service. She is also a contributor to How Smart People Sabotage Their Job Search: Ten Mistakes Executives Make and How To Fix Them, available on Amazon.com.

The job market sands are shifting metaphorically and geographically, and this series of blogs explores where the gains in jobs are happening now – an industry list that might surprise you.

Listen up!

If you don’t read anything else about the job market this year, you MUST read this. And I mean ALL of you, whether you are unemployed and seeking work, or gainfully employed and sitting back because you think your situation won’t change.

I have a word to the wise: keep your eyes on the shifting sands of opportunities. And by the word “sands,” I mean the metaphorical job market shifts; and literally, the geography of where jobs are headed inside the United States. Depending on your own personal circumstances, this information may surprise and delight you; or drop on you like a bomb. Nonetheless, it’s important for you to know.

If you’re currently employed, you probably exhibit the tendency to put your head in the – ahem! – sand – about shifting job market factors. Humans seem to have an aversion to smartly gathering up protective information about things when they don’t believe that something will happen to them. I know of many people, and perhaps you do as well, who, instead of dusting off their resumes because there are rumors of changes throughout their organizations, prefer to sit back and say, “I’ll wait to see what happens.” As a resume writer since 1990, I cannot tell you how many individuals I have worked with over the years who frantically called to come in for a resume composition at the very last possible moment of needing one.

If there is ONE word to describe what’s happening in this country and where the jobs are, it’s CHANGE. Yeah, I said it. Change. No doubt, if you’re like everyone else, this is the last thing you want. I encourage you, though, to look at the information I’ve compiled, and enthusiastically assess how it affects you, your career and your life. As difficult as change may be, it holds the potential to be the best thing that ever happens to you! Honest!

Where the jobs are – the top growing industries, and how their jobs are changing.

The June 2011 issue of Wired Magazine dedicated a large section of its pages to delivering the jobs-related facts and figures that have now emerged in the rubble of the financial catastrophe around us. There are jobs out there, and some of them are growing swiftly, but they may not be in the places we used to find them. The good news is, if you’ve got your game on, these industries, according to Wired, grew at a pretty good clip from 2006 to 2010. Amen to that! Here is a summary of the list, with some percentages attached to the growing industries:

I won’t beat around the bush on the good news. Wired asked Linked In to analyze the 7 million US members who had switched jobs since 2006 and present the industries to which they had gone. The results? The “renewables and environment” industry grew enormously since 2006, a whopping 56.8%; as well as jobs involving the Internet, which grew 29.8%. Jobs in the wireless industry grew 21.4% from 2006 to 2010 – no surprise there. Jobs in the computer industry and network security grew 21.8%.

Now for a few stats that might surprise you. Jobs in online publishing grew 29.1% since 2006. The professional training industry grew 13.9%. Railroad manufacture grew 9.4% and medical device manufacturing grew 12.5%. The E-learning industry grew 18.7% (we saw that coming), and graphic designers saw their field grow by 7.8%. Who knew?

If you’re in the business of computer games, oil and energy, information services or biotechnology, your field grew by 11.1%, 7.3%, 8%, and 12.8% respectively. But wait! Time magazine reports that Farming income – farming income – was up 27% last year and is still rising. Farming is expected to grow another 20% this year.

The most amazing thing, though, according to Wired, is how the jobs themselves have morphed since 2006. “Old-fashioned industries” are being transformed, with the lines between blue and white collar positions becoming blurred, and educational requirements evolving in ways that are more horizontal than vertical. The hopeful result in all of the shifting trends in job creation is that our country’s middle class will once again start to emerge strong and healthy. This is good news for all of us. Change is happening.

My next segment on The Daily Job Hunt is part two of this report on Where the Jobs Are! Although some of you will claim it’s the other shoe dropping, I think it’s fascinating information that could hold promise for millions of people. Perhaps for you it will put the wheels in motion to a new, promising life. Buckle up and get ready!

Diane Y. (Di) Chapman is the Founder and President of Words To Your Advantage Speaking and Writing Service, and the Chief Communications Officer of Power Connections Executive Outplacement and Leadership Coaching Service. Connect with Di at www.LinkedIn.com/in/DiChapman and follow her at www.twitter.com/InspirationalDi

Pack your bag for a road trip and get ready to roll!

I ended Part I by encouraging you to fasten your seatbelt and get ready to be surprised about where, geographically, the jobs are happening in this country, and what appears to be shaping up into a bonafide trend.

Earlier we talked about industries that have experienced job growth (Yes, job growth!! It does still happen!) in America since 2006, and the nature of changing job descriptions. The June 2011 issue of Wired Magazine did an amazing job of discussing where the opportunities are popping up, and how shifts in job descriptions may offer many of us an opportunity to reinvent ourselves. The magazine is optimistic about the potential that is shaping up in the job hunting landscape.

I offer you some towns worth checking into, according to Wired Magazine’s June 2011 issue:

Provo-Orem, Utah has become an attractive location for IT talent. Wired reports that Overstock.com recently opened a development office there and plans to hire over 150 employees. Also, Brigham Young University there fosters startups that are ultimately sold to bigger players.

Do green jobs interest you? Fort Collins, Colorado has revved up to meet the growing demand for clean energy.

Waco, Texas has recently attracted three aerospace companies, and is known as an excellent geographical area for aviation maintenance, avionics and dispatch.

Longview, Texas is also hopping, particularly in industrial manufacturing and distribution. Eastman Chemical employs more than 1500 people there.

Moving into the Midwest and beyond, Bloomington, Indiana has become a hub for the biotech industry and is home to the Cook Group, a $2 billion medical device maker.

Reading, Pennsylvania is now the place where batteries are made, including new types for hybrid automobiles. A company called East Penn has received a $32 million grant from the Department of Energy and has hired 150 people to help it churn out over 2.8 million batteries per year by 2013.

Finally, in the South and Southeast, Spartanburg, South Carolina has become a Mecca for plastics production, and hosts the country’s only BMW factory.

Plus, notably, there is a badly needed renaissance along the I-85 corridor, which Wired reports has become a new region for middle-class manufacturing opportunities. It’s no secret that this strip of Americana has a labor pool of low to no-income Americans, and is among the statistics for the lowest per-capita income in the country. The following companies have established manufacturing facilities along the Interstate:

Hyundai Motor America located and opened its only US factory in Montgomery, Alabama and employs 2500 people. Firstmark Aerospace in Creedmoor, North Carolina produces components for airplanes. Centurion Medical Products supplies kits for surgery implements made in Salisbury, North Carolina, and has recently expanded it operations by 20%. Jobs there include professional positions such as engineers, chemists and biomedical specialists.

Also popping up in the Carolinas are Kemet, a precision capacitor manufacturer in Simpsonville, South Carolina, and Comatrol, a manufacturer of hydraulic components in Easley, South Carolina. Atlas Lighting Products, a maker of industrial lighting fixtures, is expanding orders as I blog in Burlington, North Carolina. Wired mentions two other companies who are moving forward at a productive clip: Hartness International, a packaging machinery manufacturer, and Wabtec, a railroad components manufacturer, both in South Carolina.

The opportunities for work in this recession do exist, even though they might require a relocation. Whether you decide to pursue them – or not – is up to you, but if you’re currently unemployed and need to put food on the table, these are some leads.

Like I said up top, get ready to roll. Oh, and don’t forget your sunglasses. The future in these locations is so bright, you might have to wear shades!

Di Chapman is the founder of Words To Your Advantage Speaking and Writing Service, and the Chief Communications Officer for Power Connections Executive Outplacement and Leadership Coaching service. Find out more about Di at www.powerconnectionsinc.com, www.LinkedIn.com/in/DiChapman, www.thedailyjobhunt.wordpress.com and www.twitter.com/InspirationalDi

Today, anyone, looking any way they want, can apply for a job.  We can’t stop them from applying and we can’t not hire them because we don’t like the way they look. Our country has created laws to protect people from being judged out of their right to find employment, and from making an honest living.

We are to hire people based upon their qualifications and talents.  Making hiring decisions based on age, ethnicity, religious affiliation, marital status, sexual preferences, children, pregnancy, past illnesses, weight, clothing, body piercing, and yes, tattoos are illegal – or close enough to it that we wouldn’t dare admit that we aren’t hiring someone based on any of these personal characteristics.

For kicks, try changing the words and singing the following NEW lyrics of “Signs” to say:

“And the sign says People Who Lost Their Jobs in This National Recession Need Not Apply…..”

Today, talented, educated and successful people are ousted from corporate jobs through absolutely no fault of their own.  Companies are merging and buying and divesting, and as a result of these business dynamics, the workforce of one company wins, sending the people filling redundant positions out on the street for no reason other than one company gets the upper hand on determining who stays versus who goes.

Anyone who is living in this country, who pays any attention at all to what is happening in the local, national and international business arenas, and the financial debacle of state and federal governments, has to have some level of awareness and understanding of the fact that there are a lot of complicated issues and dynamics going on that negatively impact respectable and hardworking people.

Who would have thought that in this day, after all we have been through, we would see signs that say “No Unemployed Will Be Considered.”

How could we turn our backs on this group of people? How do we heal our country’s damaged economy if we don’t hire the unemployed?

I am flabbergasted at such insensitivity and short-sightedness. I don’t understand what the rationale for this could possibly be and until I do, I think this selection practice is socially irresponsible.

There, I’ve said it.  It’s wrong.

Please help put a stop to this senseless hiring trend and let’s help fuel the economy by hiring the unemployed.

Susan Howington is the Founder and CEO of Power Connections Executive Outplacement and Leadership Coaching Service.

I want to see people, regardless of age, education, and demographics, pursuing meaningful professional goals, making money, employing others, spending money, and contributing to the U.S. and local economies in whatever way they can. To have professional opportunities and viable career paths awaiting American young people injects a healthy enthusiasm and energy into our society.  It concerns me that our young people are discouraged and hindered by the lack of job opportunities that exist today.

And yet, the young adults in this country have the great luxury of time on their side. In time, they will find their way into the professions they were educated to pursue, and into careers that will be complimentary to their talents. They will find ways to make money and to build their futures. They have the time ahead of them.

Contrarily, baby boomers, the 50+ year-old professionals in our culture, do not have time on their side. Many of these professionals never anticipated they would be out of work at this stage in their careers, and no one ever anticipated how difficult it would be to get back to work!  So many boomers have experienced unemployment for 9, 12 and even 24 months at a stretch in this recession.

The “protected” age class in the U.S. is 40 years-old and older. As a Career Transition Coach, I really don’t see many 40 – 49 year-olds being discriminated against. I do, however, see many 50+ year-olds being laid off, flat-out ignored, or disregarded in the job search process.

It is this group of people we need to employ. This is the demographic that needs our attention at this moment in time; they have gone through their savings, and tapped into their 401Ks and IRAs. Whatever financial cushion they had three years ago is seriously threatened or gone.

If boomers were all employed, they would be spending to keep themselves healthy, to put their kids in college, to go on vacation, and essentially to live full lives that fuel our economy.  If Corporate America continues to disregard the talents, contributions, and energy of this demographic, the expense of supporting the baby boomers as they continue to age will be an astronomical burden to our children as they begin their career and wage-earning years. And, yes, the expense will be carried by every other taxpayer as well.

By not employing this demographic group of talent, we can potentially “defuel our economy” by paying later for their lack of financial solvency now.  And do you want to know the real kicker about this situation? BOOMERS WANT TO WORK! They have always believed that hard work would pay off for them. They have always planned to create a retirement for themselves through their own efforts. The average boomer today is  knowledgable, tech-savvy, and counting on being productive for many more years.

Please come back to keep reading as I blog about why it is advantageous for a company to hire from the 50+ year-old talent pool.

This is just one of the entries in my blog that is part of the Fuel The Economy series.  I believe that each of us with decision-making influence can help fuel our local economy.  By helping our local economy, we can help lift America out of the economic ditch, and back onto the road to recovery.  If each of us does our part to help make this happen, a difference will surely be made.

Susan Howington, Founder and CEO, Power Connections Executive Coaching, Leadership Development, and Outplacement Service

I would have never imagined what a challenge this class was going to be. And what a work out!  In an hour, I was told that it is not uncommon to burn 500 calories – wow!

The cardiovascular workout is substantial. But what is really astounding to me is all the moving body parts that one has to coordinate. Correctly done, being able to “move your body like you are made of Jello” would be the best way to describe the required movements.

One night after my second class, I went to the instructor in complete amazement of her moves and asked, “How do you do that one move where you…?”

She answered, “You mean this?”

“Yes! That!” I replied enthusiastically.  I was referring to a particular move that, let’s just say, required an expert level of upper and lower body flexibility.

“Oh, you’ll get it eventually,” she said. “I’ve been dancing since I was three years old, so this comes easy for me.”

Well, regrettably, my muscles were not trained, even at a wee age, to have this kind of flexibility. There were no ballet or dance classes in my history that helped to program my brain or my body to make the Zumba moves.

There are some people in the class who dance like they know all the moves. Then there are others in the class who look like me – behind by 2-3 steps and looking lost half of the time. I aspire to get to the proficiency level of the people in my class who appear to know what they are doing.

It is not unlikely for me to get incredibly frustrated at not understanding how all the body parts and muscles are supposed to move. As a result, I often find myself shutting down completely. It’s too much simultaneous movement. When I get to this point, I have learned to focus on just one movement at a time. Once I master that move, I focus on adding another move. If I came to class after having a whacky day, and find it hard to concentrate on the dance, I stop, get a clear mind, and begin again working on one movement at a time.

I liken my Zumba experience to the job search process, and how some people handle all of the moving parts. Some have been through job search before – they are often more confident, and they move about easily because they are familiar with the basic moves, if you will, of the search dance. In some cases, they know what they are doing, or at least they think they do.

Some people in job search are like me, trying to get into the rhythm of their search, feeling foolish and frustrated because they know they have not mastered the moves, or are doing the moves all wrong. To those of you who feel this way, I encourage you to reach out for help. When you’re confused, focus on one or two moves, and don’t worry about all of the moving parts. Doing it all at once, and doing it well, can be difficult.   Create one or two strategies and stick to them. When you have mastered the act of one strategy, try another one. Find a career coach to break it down for you, move by move, strategy by strategy. Stay with it, and I promise you, the coordination will come.

I am feeling more comfortable with the Zumba rhythm now, and each class is becoming less frustrating and more enjoyable. I think I’ll sign up for the next group of classes!

Susan Howington is the CEO and Founder of Power Connections Inc., an executive coaching, career management, job hunting, and outplacement firm.

We are still early in the 2011 year.  If you are not satisfied with the results of your job search, then it is time to shake it up and do things differently going forward. Here are five tips I believe will bring a higher level of productivity to you in your job search, regardless of your professional level.

1. Get Clarity about What You Really Want to Do! I know this sounds like an obvious and fundamental thing to know before you even start your job search, but it is amazing how many people are hesitant to commit with a focus on what they are looking for and what they want to really do. They are mistaken in their belief that if they stay open, they will increase their options. The opposite is true. If you are vague and lack focus, your network is uncertain about how to help you, and you will not be able to concisely present your talents and abilities when the right position comes along.

2. Conduct an honest audit of the search activities that worked for you versus what didn’t work. Write down which activities brought you closest to landing a job. For example, if you can honestly say that applying for jobs advertised on the internet job boards generally yielded opportunities to interview, then definitely continue with this course. If you can’t say that you had a string of interviews as a result of your internet job board efforts, then decrease the amount of time you spend applying for jobs on the internet. Assess every activity you participate in, and determine what yields the most interview action for you, and gets you that much closer to landing a new job.

3. Target Potential Employers. Once you know what you want to do, determine who you want to work for and what you can do specifically for them. So many job seekers talk about wanting to work for certain companies simply because they are the biggest employers in the area, or because the company has a good reputation for treating its employees well. You need to know what you can do to contribute to the success of that company, and then talk about this to people you know who can potentially endorse and refer you.

4. Network More – or Network Less. Let’s start with networking more: If you are not getting out and spreading the word about what you want to do, and for whom, with your former co-workers, former bosses, neighbors, the parents of your kids’ friends, etc., you are missing out on a potential resource of job leads and referrals.

You know you need to network less if you are networking because it gets you out of the house; or you are enjoying the social aspect of being with other unemployed people; or it is the biggest job search activity you engage in during any given week.   If this is the case, it is important that you give consideration to executing the first three tips, and network going forward with a clear message about what you want to do, and with whom.

5. Volunteer Your Professional Services. Once you know what you can do to contribute to a company’s success, approach the business with the idea of allowing you to come in a few hours a week to help them out. Not only will you get attention, but you may actually get the opportunity to show them what you can do, and ultimately land yourself a job with one of your target companies.

Susan Howington is a sought-after expert in the Executive Career Transition field, applying her practical knowledge and visionary wisdom as a coach and industry speaker. She is the Founder and CEO of Power Connections, a national Executive Outplacement and Executive Coaching Company.

She can be reached at susan@powerconnectionsinc.com, or 949-285-9541. Her website is www.Powerconnectionsinc.com and her blog can be read at www.Powercareercoach.wordpress.com.

Yes, I know the benefits of going to these groups:  sharing tips, sharing job leads, building a network to help make contacts in target companies, swapping stories, encouraging each other, etc. I know these benefits well, and I am a strong supporter of the groups that have been around helping and supporting people even before it was “en vogue” to do so.  But, come on, enough is enough. We really need to focus our time and efforts on getting back to work.

Looking for work is hard!  While networking is not easy for everyone, it is generally easier than researching, identifying and positioning ourselves as worthy and viable candidates for posted or unposted positions. It is so much easier to create a strategy based on networking with as many people as we can, and betting on the odds that with the more people we know, the more job leads we’ll have. By adding more networking groups to our weekly calendars, we are creating one more activity that can distract us from going out and creating our future. We need to be able to discern whether we are working on finding a new job, or socializing and accumulating contacts.

So, you ask, “If I don’t go to networking groups, then how am I supposed to spend my time?” Good Question. Let me give you a few ideas:

1. Create a campaign that positions you as an expert in your field. Manage your campaign like you would a project at work.

Put your stake in the ground about who you are as a professional and what it is that you are good at! This is an important and necessary claim to make because the business world today does not appreciate generalists! The business community is looking for experts.  (Believe me, I don’t like this point any more than you do.)

For example, write a one page report about a business activity that you are credible enough to comment on, and send it to your network and target companies. Or, create a Power Point presentation about a business strategy you know a lot about, and give this presentation to business associations/groups that will give you an audience. Write a blog and/or twitter on the topic of your professional expertise! And, just a tip here – please don’t revert to blogging about being unemployed, or topics related to it. This is not in sync with your area of professional expertise.

2. Spend time researching the companies on your target list, and get to know everything you can about them: know why you want to work there and why they should hire you!

When you are networking, talk about these companies armed with the knowledge you have gained from this research. People will be impressed, and will be more prone to take you seriously, and therefore, more apt to help you.

3. Volunteer your expertise to for-profit companies first, and not-for-profits that need your professional expertise, second.

A “for-profit” company could say “no,” to your volunteering idea, or they could say “yes.” If they say yes, someone might quit while you are volunteering, which puts you in line to be hired. Or, someone might be impressed with your work and hire you as a consultant that could lead to full time work later. If they say no to your idea of volunteering, you have at least gotten their attention and impressed them enough that they will remember you when a job opening pops up.

“Not-for profit” organizations will jump at the chance to have your time. But, I encourage you to donate your expertise (versus your time – there is a distinction here.) To be able to tell a potential employer about the “talent you are sharing and the work you are performing ” for a not-for-profit is much more impressive than talking about volunteering your time.

In conclusion, if you are organizing another transition support group because you want to “give back,” then I would encourage you to give back instead by

a) getting back to work and circulating the job leads open in the new company you just joined within the transition communities you just left; and

b) hiring those you met in transition.

Make it a point to look for the talent and experience you need from the networking community first. This is how you can support the unemployed, versus enabling the out-of-work executive.

“Everything that can be counted doesn’t necessarily count; everything that counts can’t necessarily be counted.” – Albert Einstein

This is one of the blogs in my series of how I believe we can each, in our own way, help fuel the economy.  If each of us did our part to help make this happen, one by one, a difference can be made.

Susan Howington, Founder and CEO, Power Connections, Inc. Executive Outplacement, Career Management and Coaching Service

As a career management professional who works predominately with executives in transition, I live and breathe the job search process with my clients every day.  I experience the ups and downs of each client’s job search.  As their Professional Agent speaking on their behalf to hiring companies, recruiters, and influential business people, I glean valuable feedback about my clients.  I learn why they would be considered for hire, and why they would not be considered for hire, all of which is valuable information and helps us to know how to best position and present them for the opportunities they are pursuing.

Through casual conversations with some of these groups mentioned above, I am hearing that it is increasingly becoming the employed person’s job market, and that due to the overwhelming number of resumes received for an open position, part of the vetting process is to simply eliminate the unemployed from the resume stack.

I find this to be very alarming, because the initial selection process is not being done on merit or talent, but merely on employment status. What a shame! So many highly-talented professionals are being ignored and over-looked.

If your business has deployed this practice in your hiring process, I implore you to rethink this strategy!  Here are 5 reasons why you should be hiring the unemployed:

1. You will Fuel the Economy.   Let’s face it, if you hire an unemployed person, they will begin again to spend money and buy things. They will go to out to dinner more often, they will travel, and treat themselves to the little and big purchases that were put on hold while unemployed.  The positive ripple effect of just one person earning a paycheck is undeniable in the community at large.

2. For the public relations value.  The person you hire will enthusiastically announce to their friends, family and networking universe (think LinkedIn, twitter, blogs, transition support groups, church, etc., etc.) that they have been offered a fabulous position with a fabulous company (i.e. your company.)  This whole universe of people will be responding with positive congrats and acknowledgment. They will be thinking about how wonderful it is that your company is hiring someone they know.

3. To acquire committed and loyal talent.  If you hire someone who has experienced unemployment for longer than 4 months, I guarantee you will not find a more committed and loyal team member.  No one I know has enjoyed being out of work in this precarious and fickle job market.  No one ever thinks that they will experience long-term unemployment.  So the alternative of being out of work again, or having to continue their job search, is not a desired option.  These candidates will be tremendously committed and loyal hires!

4. To increase the tenure of key talent. The candidates who were unemployed before you hired them will stay with you longer.  I believe this to be true.  At the executive level, many want to be in meaningful positions where they can use their collective experience and the relationships they have built through the years to contribute significantly to the mission of your business. Allow them this opportunity to play a meaningful role, and you will have real talent committed to you for the long haul, through the good and bad times. This may not be the case with a new hire that has less experience, who was recruited and enticed away from his or her last position.

5. It is the socially responsible thing to do. Hiring the best candidate, regardless of whether they are currently employed or not, is the right thing to do.  Your business will benefit from the talent you have acquired, your current workforce will respect you, and you will engender good will and a favorable impression in your community.  Do the right thing for all – and ALL will benefit!

This is just one of the entries of my blog that is part of the Fuel The Economy series. I believe that each of us with decision-making influence can help fuel our local economy.  By helping our local economy, we can help lift America out of the economic ditch, and back onto the road to recovery. If each of us does our part to help make this happen, a difference will surely be made.

Susan Howington is the Founder and CEO of Power Connections Executive Outplacement, Career Management, and Career Coaching Service. She is also an industry expert and speaker. She can be found at www.PowerConnectionsInc.com, and www.LinkedIn.com/in/SusanHowington.

Recently, we at Power Connections were honored when CBS 2 Chicago, and a number of other media requested our input on this very important topic. We were thrilled when they showcased the Power Connections’ “take” on this!

The ultimate measure of success in a job search process is literally whether or not you land a job. But, equally important is what you learn about yourself and others along the way. In nearly 20 years of working with executives in transition, I’ve seen and heard it all, particularly in the realm of how even smart people sabotage their job searches.

So, in the interest of giving you great information in a precise, quickly read format, what follows are my “Eight Mistakes to Avoid” during a job search, to keep yourself from unknowingly working against your own success:

1. Forgetting the importance of “First Impressions.” – Just because you’re an accomplished executive doesn’t mean you don’t have to worry about how you present yourself in person. Dress nicely, whiten your teeth, bring your haircut up to date, and accessorize appropriately for your job search. It will substantially add to your credibility.
2. Making it hard for others to help. – When you are networking with others to find work, don’t ever come across as too picky, or over-communicate what you’re looking for.
3. Communicating in “executive tone.” – If you’re like many executives, you value forthright communication and sometimes use this same blunt, commanding style with your network. Lighten up your style.
4. Building a network that looks like you. – Just as diversity in the workforce is important to the growth of a business, diversity of your network is also important. Never pass up the opportunity to meet new people.
5. Changing Your Speech. – An elevator speech that you enjoy giving  is from the heart.  When you take the time to craft it, stick with it. if you change your speech every time you give it, people won’t understand you.
6. Expecting help at no cost. – People don’t have to extend themselves for you during your job search, but they usually do. Be sure to show your appreciation for any help they lend. It can be something as simple as a cup of coffee.
7. Failing to give attention to a less than perfect reputation. – Some of you may not be well-liked in your industry, or by former employees. Get out and network as much as you can to do damage control, and help as many people as possible. Word will spread that you are not such a bad person after all.
8. Underestimating the power of a third party. – Gain credibility with a respected third-party endorsement. It is always far better and more effective to have someone else talk about how wonderful you are.

Susan Howington, CEO and Founder of Power Connections, www.powerconnectionsinc.com