This article was published in today's Star !

Job seekers, rejoice: hirings likely to rise
76% of firms see jobs level or higher

Biggest challenge applicant's skill set



Some positive news for job seekers: A clear majority of Canadian employers expect to hire as many or more employees this year than last.

More than three quarters of human resource professionals (76 per cent) surveyed between Jan. 15 and Feb. 20 by Internet recruiting firm Workopolis said they did not plan to cut back on hiring levels this year, but would hire as many or more people than in 2003, according to a survey released yesterday.

But the competition can be tough: More than a third of the 400 employers surveyed said they received at least 50 unsolicited résumés every month. Another 29 per cent said they received more than 100 résumés per job posting.

The first challenge, according to employers, was finding candidates with the right skills.

About eight out of 10 employers cited "hard" or technical skills as the most important requirements when hiring a candidate. Nine out of 10 cited "soft skills," including oral and written communication as being the most important asset.

And personality counts as well. Almost eight out of ten employers say how a candidate fits into their corporate culture plays a key role in getting hired.

According to Workopolis, you can stack the odds in your favour when applying for a job if you:

Make sure you're applying for the right job in the first place. Be sure you have the skill set the company is seeking.

Follow-up on past contacts. More than 45 per cent of respondents said they kept résumés on file for future use.

Talk to recruiters. If you weren't selected for a position, find out why. Don't be afraid to request an additional interview.

Many skills are highly transferable. Be familiar with the market and industries that are of interest to you.

Workopolis is a partnership between Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd., The Globe and Mail division of Bell Globemedia, and Gesca Ltd., the newspaper publishing subsidiary of Power Corp. of Canada.

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"Change before you have to" : Jack Welch

Good article

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