The U.S. government recently reported that that nation’s employers added a modest 80,000 jobs in October. The Country’s jobless rate now stands at 9%. Given the beating the U.S. job market has sustained over the past decade, everyone in and around Dublin, CA has felt the impact in one way or another. As the economy continues to struggle, few in the Tri-Valley can claim that they do not know of anyone who is either unemployed or underemployed. Unfortunately for the long-term unemployed, studies have shown that the chance of returning to work after six months of unemployment is only about 50%.

The long-term unemployed face many challenges, not the least of which is what appears to be discrimination by companies against applicants who have been out of the work force for an extended period of time. Many help wanted ads contain language such as “must be currently employed or recently employed.”

“Unemployed people are facing some historic numbers and formidable competition. However, they need to pinpoint those areas they may be able to change, make a difference and increase their chances for success. Despite the odds, people are still landing jobs every day. Job seekers need to continually make adjustments, learn to run a focused campaign and never give up,” said Bob Wilson, managing partner of OI Partners-High Potential Inc. in Chicago.

For people who feel the stress of long-term unemployment, Wilson and his colleagues at OI Partners have shared some tips on The Work Buzz:

• Double-check your references: “Make sure that your references are telling potential employers what you think they are, and they are up to date on your skills and accomplishments. We suggest that our clients ‘groom’ their references constantly and determine in advance exactly what their references will say about them. Finally, use only those that will ‘sell’ you the best to potential employers,” Wilson says.
• Be sure you are targeting the right industries: The health care industry has added 630,000 jobs since the recession began. Also, according to OI Partners, the financial services, manufacturing, and professional service industries are the most likely to re-hire people they have previously laid off, which may be an indication that they have cut back too deeply.
• Increase your face-to-face contact: “Some long-term unemployed may be spending too much time looking for jobs and posting resumes online, and have not had enough face-to-face contact. Join networking groups, and increase your networking contacts by volunteering your services with civic, charitable, and religious groups. Continue attending professional association meetings, as well as finding out from your network what your target companies are doing in the marketplace,” said Wilson. “You want to become knowledgeable in the areas of your interest. The often used term ‘networking’ is so very important. When you meet a contact and are able to tell your story, you don’t know who or how many that contact will be sharing your story with in the days and weeks to follow your meeting. That is why face time is key – be sure to keep your network up to date and informed. It is how jobs are being filled today.”
• Use social networking Web sites to identify contacts within targeted companies and possible jobs that have not been posted or advertised: LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are particularly helpful for finding inside contacts. “Work these electronic networking media to identify fellow alumni, friends, and former colleagues who may be internal contacts who can be helpful in getting your resume reviewed,” said Wilson.
• Focus on the immediate value you can bring to an employer: “You may not have clearly communicated to potential employers what you can do for them right now and within your first three months on the job. Be sure to clarify your value proposition, including a performance pledge and a timetable for achieving results,” said Wilson. ”Employers want to find people who can help with one of three things: increase revenue, decrease costs, or mitigate risk.”

Other tips for the long-term unemployed include going back to school to both sharpen skill sets and to re-brand the extended period away from work, volunteer at least 10 hours per week, and start a new business on a shoestring budget. Many successful businesses have been founded after the loss of a job where the suddenly unemployed metamorphose from worker bee to entrepreneur.

With President Obama’s 2011 jobs bill on the ropes, the faltering U.S. job market promises to be a huge issue in the upcoming 2012 election campaigns. Many Republicans believe that as long as the economy remains weak, they will be able to deliver the knock-out blow to the Democrats and reclaim the Senate and the Oval Office. While voters are understandably angry at the incumbents for the malaise in the job market, sme argue that sustainable job growth can only come from the private sector and wonder why “Should government even be held responsible for not creating jobs?”