Company-Paid Labor Market Survey Says There Are No Jobs WHAT NOW? Claims Adjusters, especially in Illinois, Michigan, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania are hearing nothing but bad news about potential open positions for their claimants or injured workers on wage loss benefits. Wage loss benefits will continue until the injured worker finds employment, so many employers hire job placement firms to assist in this task. A Labor market survey saying there are no jobs is not helping those in the risk management field. Here's What You Can Do There are positions available but you must get in front of people who are "in the know" and can connect you to those positions. Whether you are trying to find open positions for an injured worker with permanent restrictions, your son in-law, neighbor or friend, these tips will apply. 1. ALWAYS add keywords or tag lists at the end of your resume. Recruiters and HR professionals often search on keywords or phrases when searching resume databases. You want to make sure you are popping up in front of anyone who is looking for someone with your skill set. For example, if you are a CNA, you probably state that throughout your resume in the same format. But, you may want to include these phrases in your keyword, tag list: certified nurses assistant, C.N.A., certified nurse, CNA, nursing assistant, etc. Different people search in different ways, so you may want to add a list of industries where you have experience: transportation, logistics, etc. Because the market is inundated with people looking for work, the HR (Human Resource) professionals are able to look not only for someone with the skill set they require, but also they look for that skill set within the specific industry. There is a tendency for HR to search the resume database for appropriate matches BEFORE they ever post the job. This is the quickest and most efficient way for them to find candidates. So, if you are not getting in front of those searching a resume database, you will never even know about those open positions. 2. Don't forget to refresh your resume where it is posted for search. Go in, change something (anything) in your resume and re-post. This could be as simple as changing the words it is to it's. Another tip, if you hit control F, you can search for that word or phrase and change it throughout your resume quickly and easily. 3. Get good at doing searches. You will find you need to search for the open positions in your field using those same variations of open positions I just mentioned. Do some searches, use quotes for exact phrases, use various keywords to express the same thing, i.e., CNA , C.N.A. Also, look for jobs at specific companies where you are interested in working. 4. The competition can be a great source for finding work. Often, HR professionals will do a resume database search for their competition's former employees. These prospective applicants are often the best match for their open positions. You can use the same idea. Go to LinkedIn and search for contacts you can make who currently work for your former competitor. 5. Recruiters and hiring managers prefer chronological resumes. This does not mean you cannot add a section clearly describing your attributes suitable to the particular position for which you may apply. Attribute descriptions are best done through a cover letter. 6. Use your Contacts. Nowadays, everyone has a friend, family member or neighbor who is out of work, creating an environment where we are all willing to go a little bit farther to help others in their job search. Quite often, a "stranger," referred by a friend or colleague, makes contact by email about a referral or help with their job search. This is an opportunity to exchange information. Don't be afraid to ask for help, you will get it. Right now people love to help others in this job crisis. And, you may run across a job in your job search not a match for you personally, but is the perfect match for someone you know who is looking. (workersxzcompxzkit) Information provided by Interview with Katrina Paglierani of National Job Finders. www.nationaljobfinders.com/welcome. Thank you, Katrina, for your insightful contribution. National Job Finders, finds jobs for injured workers who cannot return to their pre-injury positions due to a work-related injury. Author: Rebecca Shafer, J.D. consults for mid-market and national accounts focusing on project management, risk management assessments, data review, benchmarking, and development of Workers' Compensation and Injury Management Programs. Projects focus on development of training and education programs, document design, evaluation and integration of insurance claims administration and TPA services. Contact her at: RShafer@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com Budding writer? Contribute articles* (300+ words) on WC cost containment. Contact us at: Info@WorkersCompKit.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker about workers' comp issues.
