First things first – the good news. It ought to be cause for celebration that news filtering in from experts show that the employment market is on its way to recovery, indicated by the strong surge of job advertisements in online jobsites like Seek, Trade Me and the like particularly in the cities of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, who have all seen positive growth in the area of job availability.
I can tell you that since our opening our virtual doors and listing our very first job ad in January that we’re seeing more and more companies tell us that they need staff. It’s an encouraging sign that the local economy is building this year.
That said, the question of whether or not people still do have a chance of getting employed begs to be asked, a question that Kate Ross was able to answer in a recent article on nzherald.co.nz.
According to Ross, the ratio of applicants to jobs is currently at more than 600 to one. This was shocking news to us, so we just had to comment.
Clearly, this shows two things: one, that a lot of people are looking for jobs and that two, companies will surely have a hard time sorting through that pile of information – a headhunting headache. We thought things were bad, but not this bad. But that is why when we designed ChristchurchJobs.co.nz we built in modules to help match up jobseekers to employers and recruiters…
In such situations, Ross and her agency come to the rescue, lending a helping hand not just to employers seeking to find the right employees but also to applicants looking for a job offer acceptable to their standards.
Ross further notes that because of the sheer number of CVs being sent in, they usually get precisely that – quantity, and not much of quality. So, a quick tip for jobseekers hoping to land employment: submit well thought out resumes and unique, impressive cover letters. This will give you an edge over the 600 others you are competing with for that coveted job.
Ross also shed light on the long-standing myth that the recession has equalized the playing field so much that candidates with excellent credentials are willing to take on jobs below their skill level. The truth is that those who submit excellent CVs still have a better chance than others of landing that job, and that most of Ross’ clients have more than one job offer, giving them the power to choose and to bargain.
What does this imply for employers? Being outbid by the competition means they have to start looking for a new candidate from scratch, and it’s not easy to even find one on top of all their other work-related responsibilities, which leads Ross to suggest to employers that they should close a deal once they find a candidate that they like, and not dilly dally like they have all the time in the world.
Finally, Ross gave a little tip that to me is very important. Keep your online resume current and up to date. As someone who works in the job recruitment business, Ross and her company keep historical data on each applicant, which they can recall at any time. All your past interactions with them and your data is readily available, so keep it updated. Who knows what might be in store for you in the future that wasn’t available to you in the past.
My tip for any employer that is looking for a new staff member….try advertising your next job vacancy on www.ChristchurchJobs.co.nz we have the “extra” tools that you need and they are free !
- Sreening questions - Free
- Insert your company video into your job ad - Free
- use images in your job advert description - Free
And our guarantee to you; that if you don’t fill your job vacancy, simply tell us and we’ll relist your job ad for free, contact us for more details
Upload your CV and let recruiters find you
