By: Colin Daymude
So, why would anyone want to “hide” open jobs? They wouldn’t of course (well there are a few reasons but those are the exception not the rule). It’s just that the media exposes you to certain jobs and certain methods of getting those jobs.
Why? Because that’s where the money is, that’s where the news is and that’s where the excitement is.
So the solutions you are looking for are not really hidden, you are just not exposed to them. Get it?
But before we talk about where all the jobs are, first we have to explore where the jobs aren’t because if you continue to look there then you will continue to miss important opportunities. Let’s start with big corporate America.
Why is Corporate America a barrier and a Gate you must get past? For two big reasons:
1) During times of recession (when it is most difficult to locate a good position) most large corporations are subject to the scrutiny of their shareholders and the pressure to perform means that layoffs will occur swiftly and hiring freezes will be put it place. In other words, it’s not only a bad place to be but it is a bad place to look.
Most of America is made up of small firms vs. the very large one’s we hear about every day. In addition these smaller firms are often in a niche market which can actually grow in a down economy. These companies can be more flexible and creative and often buck the trend of the overall market.
2) They can lead to a false sense of security in your job search. Because you are associating yourself with these large firms, it is easy to feel like you have some “traction” in your job search.
It makes sense that if you should stay away from big business, corporate America, especially during a downturn in the economy then your search should be concentrated with the rest of American business.
And that logic is completely sound; take a look at these numbers:
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are approximately 5.7 Million Employer Firms in the United States.
* 5,666,761 of these firms had less than 50 million in sales
* 30,998 of these firms had 50 Million to 2.5 billion+ in sales
Of course the total employment for the big companies is much greater per organization; after all who can compete with Wal-Mart’s 1.8 million employees? The total employment for the smaller companies is actually slightly higher at 56 million vs. 55 million.
But would you rather be a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond? That’s your choice of course but I would rather have 5.6 million more chances with smaller firms. So even though the number of available jobs are very similar, I can apply at 5.6 million more companies if I stick with the smaller firms.
And again, we want the companies that are actually hiring, NOT just the one’s who have positions on payroll.
America is made up of small businesses and they have distinct advantages over large companies which have shown recently to be a very bad employment choice. 50 years ago that scenario may have been vastly different but this is a new global economy and one that will reward innovation and differentiation.
Two things that are difficult to come by at most large firms. Complacency is a natural part of the evolutionary cycle of most large businesses. People get fat and happy and no longer have the drive to move forward. And that’s why so many have failed recently; it just took a down turn in the economy to put the final nail in the coffin.
In The Job Genius I have one of the most comprehensive job listings for small (and large) businesses available anywhere. In fact I have millions more than are available on Monster.com or Careerbuilder. Over 750k new jobs were listed just last week.
