Use the Economic Recovery to Your Advantage in a Job Search

There are reports of various signs of economic recovery in many financial sectors of both the public and private sector. Is the economy improving, really? All statistics seem to indicate that yes, this is indeed the case. This is potentially good news for job seekers everywhere, since many positions are now ‘thawed’ and employers are hiring again. If you’re looking for a job that finally suits your specialization, or if you’re already employed in a position matching your skills, but you’d still like to access a better one, now is the time. But this improving economy also has its own peculiarities when it comes to an efficient job search, and you could gain more advantages if you know how to navigate it right.

These are our top job search tips when job hunting in the setting of an improving economy. Follow these guidelines to make sure you land the best job you deserve in the unstable waters which come with the thawing job market.

Source: The Telegraph Use the Economic Recovery to Your Advantage with our tips!

1. Don’t settle for the first offer

Be aware that there is a wealth of jobs available in an improving economy, and even if those 10 options you’ve been reviewing seem to be the only ones you have, more will soon follow. Therefore, there’s no need to settle. You can afford to be picky and to know your worth. If the job seems fine, don’t turn it down, but take a shirt while to apply to other options as well and see everything the market can offer you. You never know when a better opportunity might come up, and the top job search engines are always updated with new entries.

2. Negotiate your salary even if it seems decent enough

When you’re finally in the position to accept the job you want, take the same liberty of thinking about the salary and negotiating it, instead of simply accepting the first offer on the table. The fact that the economy is improving means that there are plenty of job offers out there and you could find a better deal elsewhere if your current employer isn’t offering you enough for your worth as an employee. Another good idea is to do a quick Craigslist job search (or you can use other job search engines like Snagajob or Careerbuilders) to see what the usual pay is for similar positions, in order to know what your salary ask should be.

3. Be cautious and do background checks

Just because there are more job offers out there and there will be even more job offers in the near future, as this economic recovery unfolds, doesn’t mean that there won’t be any dubious ones. Make sure you run plenty of background checks into the company you’re considering working for, to make sure everything is in order. Look for what other employees have to say about the work-life balance, or any potential other problems. Also look at the overall financial stats of the company to see if things are stable or going upwards. Sometimes, sinking ships are still hiring (maybe as a desperate measure to avoid the impending bankruptcy), so take a good look at that metaphorical ship before boarding it.

4. Be flexible about relocating

Since we’re dealing with an improving economy, as we said, many companies will probably be open to extending their ranks to the right people, and even be willing to pay extra in order to encourage valuable potential employees to relocate. If you’d be willing to reconsider your place of stay, some companies just might make that effort worth it. Maybe even offshore, why not?

5. Get a raise or the promotion you want

On the same note of knowing there are plenty of companies looking to hire people so your employer will face serious competition if they don’t motivate you to stay, here’s our final tip. If you’ve been eyeing a raise or a promotion you’ve felt entitled to for a while, now is the time to ask for them. Precisely because other employers could offer you a position (or financial rewards) better suited to your skills, your employer would be wise to consider it as well.

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