News, insights and advice
from our experts.

Right now, as we’ve moved from winter to spring and anticipate the warmth of summer, the job search pretty much is a good one for candidates:

Employers added 455,000 jobs in March (according to the payroll services firm ADP), about 20,000 fewer than the number added in February. This means more than 1.5 million jobs were added in the first quarter of 2022.

Still – and good news for job seekers – the labor market remains tight. This means it’s still hard for employers to find job candidates.

This means it’s a great time to look for a new position!

But while the job market favors candidates, the job market also has changed a bit when it comes to the “how” of the job search.

Here are some strategies to help you “up” your job-search game this year to truly help you find the best position for you at the highest pay rate possible for your skills, experience, and the industry in which you work.

• You may not need to write and include a cover letter with your resume.

The important words to remember here are “may not.” Notice also that we’re not saying “you don’t need a cover letter.”

Instead, it appears that some job candidates aren’t including a cover letter with their application and yet are receiving interviews and job offers.

Note also that many jobs don’t require cover letters: cover letters often are written by candidates seeking professional, technical or otherwise highly skilled jobs.

This doesn’t mean a cover letter is ONLY a good idea for those higher-level positions; any candidate looking to explain an employment gap, why they’re changing careers, or to otherwise strengthen their case in a recruiter’s or hiring manager’s eyes will find them really helpful.

Yet it’s also true that entry-level openings in contact centers, logistics companies/warehouses, etc, often don’t even ask for them.

Therefore, if you have a few years of experience and are looking for a higher-level position – the kind for which employers usually expect to see a cover letter with an application – you probably don’t need to include one.

If a posting says “include a cover letter,” it’s best to include one. (Or at least attach a “personal note” to your application, as described in the link above.)

Cover letters signal to employers that you’re willing to do a bit “more” in your application. That you take the job search – and your application for the job – very seriously. So seriously that you’re willing to “work” for the chance to work for the employer

But if you have really top-notch and really hard-to-find experience or skills, you certainly can try not including it because job candidates like you are exceptionally hard to land right now and recruiters/hiring managers are much more willing to let go of the “traditional” way of doing things if it means they’ll be able to hire you.

• If you haven’t aced the Zoom interview yet, keep practicing.

Zoom (or more precisely, video interviews) isn’t going anywhere when it comes to job interviews.

Even if you will be working on-site for a company, chances are really high that you’ll have at least one of your interviews with a company via video.

You should practice with a friend or family member, if possible (even if just via your smartphone rather than a laptop/desktop camera). You should dress as you would for an “old school”/before-times” interview: dress professionally for the type of position you seek.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for a higher starting pay rate…

…because you very well could receive it.

This especially is true if currently employed and looking to switch jobs.

Indeed.com reported in February that those who switched jobs “received an average salary increase of 52 percent.”

In fact, while those who left companies pre-pandemic for another employer weren’t primarily looking to make more money, job seekers in the February survey said the “top reason” they had for leaving their current company was to make more money.

Indeed reported that “on average, job switchers left their first job after five months,” and almost half (48 percent) found one that paid “an average of 38 percent more.”

All of this is great news if you’re looking for work in 2022…

…but you need to remember that this won’t last.

The job market always switches from one that favors job candidates to one that favors employers (and then back again).

These often take many months or a few years, but the switch always takes place. 

You can count on it!

In fact, some economists are saying we could be headed to a recession in a few months. Recessions almost always mean many companies lay off workers.

And then employers will “have the power” when it comes to your job search.

A recession may not arrive later this year, or even in 2023, but it will arrive.

So keep that resume updated, your video interviewing skills fresh and make sure to take advantage of the current candidate market to find the best job for your skills and goals.

Hire Dynamics’ clients really need you now.

Many of the companies who work with us to find great team members are offering great pay rates, perks and other benefits to great people looking for temporary, part-time and full-time opportunities.

Whether you’re searching for forklift jobs near me, warehouse work, or just any jobs near me hiring. You’re in the right place!

Make sure to check out our current openings and send us your resume.