After reading this article in today’s Strib, I couldn’t help but comment based on real life examples. At any given time I work with and meet dozens of job seekers every week and have a very close pulse on the movement within the local job market.

Here is what I am seeing in the job market: increased employer confidence which translates to a willingess to have more conversations with job seekers, an increase in job postings, increase in options for job seekers to consider, and an increase in job offers being made.

I am also seeing job seekers who have been on the street way too long who have grown tired, become jaded and cynical and even down right surly.

The news of employers hiring is good news and should give job seekers hope. But I agree that hiring will continue to be slow and certain jobs will likely to come back sooner than others. Typically these are jobs that are revenue generating jobs like sales, new business development and interactive marketing. Others should follow over time as long as employer confidence is good. I am also seeing employers looking for different skill sets, different combinations of skills and employees who can jump in and contribute quickly.

What all this says to job seekers is that now is the time to get your second wind, bury the negative attitude and forge forward. The news of increased hiring doesn’t mean kick back and coast thinking a job will drop into your lap. You will still need to implement a good job search plan because you will have a lot of tough competition. But hopefully your effort and hard work will pay off sooner than later because the news is out, employers are hiring.

…..are the words found in many job seekers resumes and cover letters, especially as job search have become longer than most job seekers had planned on. Job seekers have broadened their searches to include other job markets outside of the metro area. But does increasing your geographic target area increase your chances? Does saying “willing to relocate” make you a more attractive candidate?

The answer: it depends. It is not uncommon for Executives to launch a national job search and not uncommon for an perspective employer to expect to have to pay for the relocation costs associated with the search. However given the large pools of highly qualified candidates, if an employer can avoid relocation costs by choosing an equally qualified local candidate, they often will. Remember, we are coming off of very tight economic times and employers are being very conservative with hiring and the expenses associated with hiring.

For the general job seeker, being willing to relocate will require them to take extra measures to convince the perspective employer that they indeed are willing to relocate. I have heard countless stories from employers about how they pursued a candidate “willing to relocate” but when push came to shove, the candidate wasn’t really and the employer wasted a lot of time. This has made employers very hesitant to consider “out of town” applicants.

If you are sincere about relocating here are a few tips to help convince a potetial employer. First is to truely evaluate if relocating is a realistic option for you. This includes having a heart to heart conversation with your family, including kids. Determine if they are on board with the possible reality of selling your home, leaving jobs, school, and friends. Secondly truely research communities you would want to move to even if there weren’t a job there. Don’t get drawn to cities just for the job, consider the lifestyle, schools, access to transporation, healthcare, or cultural events, whatever is important to you. Once you choose some cities, if a job becomes available then indicate in your cover letter to the employer that you have already identified that community as a place you want to live and be a part of.

Also be willing to go to those identified cities to network in person. Be prepared to incur this cost yourself. You could then indicate this to perspective employers that you have done this on your own, which will help that employer truely believe you are sincere in your willingness to relocate.

Lastly in the event you get a job offer from a company out of town, realize that though they may be willing to incur the cost of relocating you there may be a repayment clause in the offer if you leave that job within a certain time frame. So before you state “willing to relocate”, ask yourself what are you willing to do to convince that employer that you really are.

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article regarding the effectiveness of Outplacement. Outplacement is a service, paid for by an employer, to help their laid off workers prepare for job search. The benefit of this service is that it is of no cost to the individual and often provides them with help drafting a resume, and launching a search. The draw back is that the individual doesn’t choose the program suited to their needs and timeframe. Outplacement programs are often set by the former employer well before a lay off occurs. The difference between an outplacement firm and a career mananagement firm is that the jobseekers works together with a career consultant to design a program specific to their needs and timeframe. Whether it’s launching a job search, assessing a completely new career, or evaluating entrepreneurship, a career management firms work with 1 individual at a time to make career decisions and develop a plan consistent with their long term career and life goals. It’s not just about finding a job, it’s about proactive development, management and planning that helps professionals realize rewarding careers – for a lifetime.