• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, August 7, 2003

Job Seekers Change Methods in Employment Search

According to a just-released survey conducted for The New York Times Job Market, nearly half (49%) of job seekers surveyed in the metropolitan New York area say they have changed their methods of pursuing employment to include more creative tactics. The most popular creative job search tactic being used by job seekers is cold calling prospective employers (72%).

Beta Research Corporation, on behalf of The New York Times Job Market, conducted telephone interviews with 250 hiring managers and 200 job seekers in the New York metropolitan area. In addition to cold calling, job seekers say they have used or would consider the following tactics in their current job search:

• Sending employers a letter of qualification 58%
• Sending unsolicited resumes to prospective employers 44%
• Showing up at a company for an interview without an appointment 41%
• Passing out their resume/business card on the street 26%
• At least one or more of the above job search tactics 76%

The survey also says that men more aggressively use some of these creative tactics than women and are more likely to have distributed their resumes/business cards on the street (20% vs. 8%, respectively) or to have shown up at a company without an appointment with the hope of getting a job interview (35% vs. 17%, respectively).

Job seekers say they are willing to sacrifice one or more of the following incentives to get a job in the current economy:

• Shorter commute 56%
• Higher salary 54%
• Opportunity for advancement 40%
• Benefits 38%
• One or more of the above 90%

In lieu of receiving a higher salary in a new position, job seekers say they are willing to accept one or more of the following incentives to land a job in the current economy:

• Good benefits 58%
• Good company management 52%
• Less job stress 50%
• Shorter commute 45%
• Employer with strong brand identity 41%
• One or more of the above 92%

You can find out more here.