Don’t be scared, differentiate

Hello again from the recruiting desk. With Halloween upon us, there is plenty to fear this season besides kids in costumes and ghost stories. On October 5, Martin Feldstein, Paul Krugman, and Jan Hatzius spoke in Washington, D.C. to call for more government action to stimulate employment. They all predicted that unemployment would stay high unless further steps were taken. That’s pretty grim news, no matter who you are.

As a growing company, we are sensitive to the trying times that are affecting millions of Americans. We know there are lots of good, qualified people out there looking for work. Therefore, to help you get an edge in a difficult job market, we’d like to share some of our favorite techniques for helping you and your resume get noticed. High-end design and deep-level technology are resistant to the current economic conditions and off-shoring. Knowing that, what should you do?

Let’s start with the obvious: you can’t look to someone halfway across the world to apply a bandage to your wound. Similarly, understanding user needs requires developing context. According to the National Design Competitiveness Report, the United States still ranks quite high. Things are looking good for designers in the U.S.: the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that over the next eight years the need for design, depending on specialty, will increase between 9.6% and 12.9%. Compared to other sectors, these figures are quite impressive. Unsurprisingly, manufacturing and related fields are projected to continue their decline.

Now that you know the need for designers will continue, what should you do? Like any salesperson will tell you, you must differentiate yourself. While wearing a chicken suit and holding a sign at a busy intersection might accomplish something along those lines, we suggest a more measured approach. You know stuff; even better, you know stuff about your field. The key is to let people know who you are. One way to do this is by being active in the community. As Ascentium’s recruiters, we actively participate in the communities we recruit from. We attend everything from user groups to annual conferences.

Presenting compelling and useful information to your peers (or a recruiter) will help them remember you when they hear about job openings. Additionally, being connected to your peers will help you stay apprised of industry changes as you’re looking for work. Unfortunately, just like dogs, attendees of professional user groups and conferences can smell desperation. Our advice: drop the agenda. Find a group or conference related to your line of work, and show genuine interest. Your contributions will be more sincere and allow your personality to shine through—which we assume is a good thing.