Nov 8, 2009 10:36 am US/Central
Experts Say Now Is A Good Time To Job Hunt
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Since losing his job eight months ago as a loan underwriter, Ben Vaky's been hard at work looking for work.
CBS
The unemployment has topped 10 percent, making it the worst jobless rate since the early 1980s. That means 15.7 million people in the United States are out of work. But this might actually be a good time to look for a job. CBS 2's Vince Gerasole explains why you shouldn't give up.
Since losing his job eight months ago as a loan underwriter, Ben Vaky's been hard at work looking for work.
"It's been tough. It's been really tough," said Vaky.
The 28-year-old has kept busy calling contacts, sending out resumes and reworking cover letters.
"I definitely have gotten down on myself, but it's just trying to keep a smile on my face and realize that tomorrow is another day," said Vaky.
But check the calendar. Over the next eight weeks, millions of Americans, including the people who hire, will travel out of town for the Thanksgiving weekend.
They'll carve out some time for holiday shopping; and maybe even ring in the New Year at a fancy party.
But Vaky says he'll keep on keeping on with his job search.
"I might miss out on that opportunity that wasn't there before," said Vaky.
Those who work every day in job recruitment firms say Vaky's right on target, especially this year.
"Is it the busiest part of the year? No. But there are definitely some great opportunities," said Casey Mulligan, a recruiter with the firm Michael Page International.
With Wall Street bouncing back, headhunters say the demand from businesses for their candidate finding services has been rising since mid-summer.
From finance to healthcare to telecom, many are immediate openings that have been kept on the backburner for months.
"Companies realize the world isn't ending, there is a future there and they have a serious need for filling these positions," says Geoff Hoffman with executive recruiting firm DHR.
Ben Vaky's already noticed the difference. In recent weeks, he's landed two job interviews and remains optimistic about heading back to work soon.
"It's a lot better than the alternative. I could crawl under a rock and give up, but it's just not who I am," said Vaky.
Economics say unemployment rates still remain at troubling levels, but some sectors are at least getting ready to bounce back, and taking the holidays off from your job search could have the gift of employment going to someone else.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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