With this week's news showcasing the layoffs at Bank of America, opportunities at smaller companies are likely to become increasingly attractive to job seekers. While we don't yet know the outcome of President Obama's proposed American Jobs Act, he did point to some very interesting statistics that relate to small businesses. According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses in the US have generated 64% of net new jobs over the past 15 years.
Approximately half of the jobs available in the private sector are with small businesses.This means that job seekers who have been focusing on only those jobs at large corporations may be missing out on some serious opportunities.
One of the biggest challenges when seeking out career opportunities with small firms is the research aspect. It can be more difficult to get details about a smaller corporation. Luckily, most small businesses now have websites; however, they are generally not as elaborate as large corporate sites and do not always provide enough information to job seekers.
When researching smaller companies, you may have to dig deeper to get the information you need.
If you are thinking of joining a small business, you can also use LinkedIn to research past employees. Former workers will often volunteer valuable information and provide the ‘inside scoop' that can't be obtained elsewhere. While conducting company research pertaining to smaller firms can be a bit of a challenge, the small business community should not be overlooked when it comes to job hunting. They are a large part of the active job market and job seekers should leave no stone unturned when it comes to uncovering potential career opportunities.
Debra Wheatman is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC). She is globally recognized as an expert in advanced career search techniques with more than 18 years' corporate human resource experience. Debra has been featured on Fox Business News, WNYW with Brian Lehrer, and quoted in leading publications, including Forbes.com, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and CNBC. Debra may be reached at [email protected], or you may visit her website at CareersDoneWrite.com.
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