Guide To Help Black Men Survive A Turbulent Job Market

1Guide To Help Black Men Survive A Turbulent Job Market From when the recession began in December 2007 to June of this year, more than 6 Million people have lost their job. Black Men have been one of the groups hardest hit. According to the Department of Labor the jobless rate for Black Men is 15.3% compared to 8.8% for White Men and 9.7% for the entire population. "This is the worse market we have ever seen," says Tawana Wood, Chief Resume Writer and Owner of CountrysBestResumes.com, a national resume writing company with head quarters in New York. Our clients are not just the recent college graduate hopefuls, more than 85% of the clients we are seeing are seasoned professionals. Many who have never needed a resume before the market took such a deep dive. Ms. Wood states from what she has seen, black men appear to be in the most challenged position. States with higher concentrations of blacks have reported the highest unemployment rates, says Wood. Michigan has a 13.9% rate, South Carolina 11.6%, California 11.2%, North Carolina 11.1%, Georgia 9.5%. Ms. Wood offers free resume workshops to nonprofit organizations with missions focused on serving black men. "Since I am a black woman, I am particularly concerned about the unemployment rates for black men" says Wood. Ms. Wood offers the following tips to help black men better market themselves:1. You Must Bring It!Highlight your strengths and achievements. Try as much as possible to quantify your achievements. If you are a Bus Driver, list how many miles you have driven to date and list the fact that you have a solid record of safety with no accidents (if that is the case).2. Research Your Industry and Job TitleDo as much research as possible before crafting your resume. Make sure your resume is focused. You want to make the decision easy and in your favor. 3. Check Your ReferencesBe sure to find out what people are saying about you. A bad reference can cost you your job. 4. Check Your CreditIt has become common practice for companies to check your credit before hiring you. Know what your credit report says. 5. Check Your Social Network SiteMany employers will check your myspace, twitter, or facebook account. Make sure there are no embarrassing photos of comments out there. 6. Hire A Professional To Help YouProfessional resume writer is a new term for many but they have been around for a long time. Many Top professionals do not write their own resumes. Rather, they work with a professional writer who helps them identify their brand message and craft a compelling resume document. 7. Network, Network, NetworkMore than 80% of job openings are never advertised, but filled through word-of-mouth networking - the "hidden job market "word-of-mouth networking - the "hidden job market." The likelihood of a job opening not being advertised at all increases with the level of the job. Due to growing costs associated with employee recruitment, an employer may opt to ask a colleague or current employee for a referral. Advertised openings are usually the last resort efforts to finding talent. Join networking associations, attend networking breakfasts and luncheons. Volunteer your time. Many nonprofit organizations are supported by Fortune 400 & 500 companies. This may be your way in. For More Information, go to http://www.CountrysBestResumes.com