Job Searching in a Difficult Economic Climate - By Prashant Singh

Hello and Namesta to all.

We have all read recently about the economic meltdown and the number of layoffs and redundancies from various organisations. This is definitely a shift from the climate we have seen over the past few years and this has affected millions across the Globe. We cannot ignore the situation, but it does not mean we need to put our careers or job searching on hold. Despite the economic downturn there are still good job opportunities out there.

How can candidates make make the most of their job search in this environment?

1) In the current market the number of job openings will be fewer. Pick the information channel that best suits the specifics of your career and your preferred position. For example: If you see a requirement for a Technical role and you feel your strength is more on the Functional side then this may not be the ideal role for you. You should focus on finding a role that you want to do and one that fits your skills and experience. It may still be worth contacting that company and making them aware of yourself as they may have a suitable role that is not advertised.

2) Contact Recruiters about opportunities. I would advise to call and speak to the concerned Recruiter regarding opportunities that are either available or may be coming up. Take the opportunity to find out about the team you may be working in, the culture, the working environment, work/life balance, etc…. A 10 minute conversation with a Recruiter can be a goldmine of information.

3) Look for opportunities in the Hidden Job Market: As blogged about earlier in “The Hidden Job Market How Do I Find It” many opportunities are not posted on job boards and many roles can be found by connecting with your network of contacts (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Plaxo, etc…). By relying solely on using Job Boards in your job search it is likely you will not see all of the roles actually available but will see a much smaller percentage of the actual roles available than what there really is.

4) Ensure that your resume is up to date and has all the details and skills that you possess,For example: If you are a Technical Architect, make sure that along with your role and responsibilities in the projects you have worked on that you also detail the environment that you have worked in, what technologies that you have used, etc….

Make a difference in you career today…for a better tomorrow. Wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New year ’09.

The author of this article has been with Oracle India Recruitment Team for the past two years and can be contacted on prashant.x.singh@oracle.com

Other Countries Are Gaining in the War for Talent

I read an interesting blog earlier today titled:

Other Countries Are Gaining in the War for Talent

It is by Raghav Singh and while it is based around the labour shortage that is happening in the US - the article was interesting as it noted: "While a disproportionate number of skilled immigrants still come to the U.S., the numbers that are staying home or are going elsewhere is increasing. Over the last five years, the U.S. attracted an average of 73,000 skilled immigrants annually, down from about 107,000. That may still seem like a lot, but Canada attracted 56,000, Australia 20,000, and even tiny New Zealand managed to get 10,000."

In today's market place when I am recruiting staff here at Oracle, it is no longer about who is available in a city or location - but more so who is the best talent we can identify for a role. In Australia and New Zealand many skilled IT people overseas look to move here for either lifestyle choices or the opportunity to work on new projects, etc... By being able to consider people from outside Australia and New Zealand this increases the potential number of candidates we speak to.

From a candidate perspective moving overseas is a big decision to make. We have hired many people from overseas who have joined us at Oracle in ANZ. I think that before you put you start looking for work overseas you have to go through a thorough thought process and be able to answer:

1)Why do I want to move overseas to a specific location(lifestyle,family,work, etc)?
2)If I have family, is everybody in the family comfortable with this decision?
3)Have I considered salary expectations and cost of living?
4)What Visa requirements must I meet/have to go through?
5)What time frame do I need to be able to relocate?

Moving overseas can be great for your career and also be a great adventure in your life. If you are overseas and would like to think about work with Oracle in ANZ or APAC, have a look at opportunities besides your current location, we may be hiring for that dream job you are looking for now.