The Unemployed Life

The New Normal: Jobs Barely Won

Remember the days when finding a job meant scrolling through an overflowing career board, submitting a dozen resumes, interviewing with a handful of employers, and accepting a job offer just a couple days later? Oh, how things have changed.

The average length of time it takes an unemployed person to find work these days sits at 30.2 weeks—an incredible 17.5 more weeks on average than it took a job hunter looking for work back in 2001. While you may find a job eventually, it probably isn’t going to fall into your lap like it may have in years’ past—just one of many “new norms” for job seekers that have been created by the recession.

After the jump, we have put together a roundup of five new norms for those searching for jobs, which you can either choose to embrace or ignore at your own peril.

Fewer jobs are out there. The overall number of jobs openings with U.S. employers is nearly half of what it was in 2001, according to statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With fewer positions available, it makes sense that…

Competition for work is stiff. Currently, there are about 6.4 applicants for each job opening in the U.S., a number that shoots up when you look at well-known companies like Nike, which reportedly gets close to 500 applications for every available position. So that means…

Interviews are more intense. With more applicants vying for fewer positions, job interviews have become even more significant in securing a job. Now that they have more professionals to choose from, employers’ expectations are at an “all-time high,” according to recruitment analysts, who say potential hires need to show initiative and research the company before showing up for an interview. And to keep in mind that…

Companies are taking longer to make a decision. Take it from this guy, who spent three-and-a-half months interviewing for a position at Facebook (only to find out that he hadn’t been hired), many companies are in no rush to make a hiring decision these days. In part because…

Prospective employees are willing to take a pay cut. When given the choice between remaining unemployed or accepting a job offer for a lower-paying gig, 64% of job seekers reported in 2009 that they would consider going the low-paying route.

What does it all mean? Job seekers need to step up their game to find new work and ace their interviews in these tough times. It might be worthwhile finding something to do in the weeks or months between interviewing and accepting a job offer—like, say, freelancing or volunteering—and it might be worthwhile to build back up an emergency fund once you’ve found work and gotten back on your feet.

Good luck!

Tags: finding a job, The Unemployed Life