The Good News and The Bad News

The Good News - The recession is over. Unemployment dropped 2/10ths of a percent. Job losses are at their lowest point in 2 years.

The Bad News - We are in a 'jobless' recovery. In many industries and geographic regions, it is still very difficult for people to find a job. Accounting students are finding it more difficult than ever to get offers for internships and full-time jobs. Bottom line - there are still too few jobs and too many applicants in the public accounting industry.

I've been providing alot of advice lately to those who are struggling to find work in our industry. Like I have said before, in times like these, those who can separate themselves from the rest and provide themselves a competitive advantage will be the ones that will have the best chances of finding a new job in this difficult job market. Don't take my word for it though, here's a few links to other blogs and Twitter accounts you can follow that will provide you with the advice you need to learn to effectively brand yourself, network, and help you stick out from the crowd.

Blogs
Dan Schwable's personal branding blog
CareerSherpa
CollegeRecruiter.com blog links

Twitter
@keppiecareers
@JobHuntOrg
@CAREEREALISM

Job Angels is another great resource where people help others to find employment, and has a presence on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to help facilitate a large, grass-roots community.

What about jobs at McGladrey? Well, we still have 170 positions posted on the Career Search page of our Career Website. Be aware however that we are well into our campus recruiting process, and those positions that are classified as 'Entry-Level' are likely soon to be filled. For the most part, interviews are complete and offers have been extended for those opportunities.

For our experienced-level audit and tax positions, we hope to fill most of those before busy season begins, so submit your resume ASAP to make sure you are considered. But I do ask you to please take my advice and the advice of the others who you see listed above. If you are limiting your job search to applying online, you are greatly limiting your opportunities to find a job. Separate yourself from the pack by networking, gaining referrals, and staying positive and persistent in your job search efforts. Hopefully , the good news will soon overpower the bad news as the economy continues to recover. In the meantime, take the advice of those who know best about what job search strategies work best.