How Job Seekers Spend Their Time

If it's true that people spend about 18 minutes each day job hunting, that leads to this conclusion: that they check their search agents from the "traditional" boards (eg Monster, CB, etc.), apply to a few jobs, and consider their work done for the day.

As you noted on WWDS, it is ignorance of so many other options and approaches to job hunting that limits their time at this activity.

I agree that LinkUp is a great resource (in fact, I have a link for it on my website: http://undergroundjobnetwork.com). That said, I take it one step further -- I tell readers to find out who's hiring, then find out how to contact a decision maker.

That makes all the difference in both how long and how well one conducts a job search.

Lorraine of FL 11:38AM January 13, 2010

According to the 2008 ATUS data (http://www.bls.gov/tus/tables/a2_2008.pdf), people who *actually spent time* searching for jobs spent 2.69 hours a day, weekdays, in this activity. If you were to take the entire population, job seekers, the fully employed, the retired, those in school, etc., then the number is more like 3 minutes (0.05 hours) per day. I would think that the gainfully employed wouldn't spend much of their workday seeking their new job, nor would the retired. And this is 2008 data, when there were many more jobs available. 2009 data should vary considerably. Also, the amount of time spent searching for a job by someone unemployed probably varies by amount of time unemployed and whether there is another source of income in the household.

There, a posting that actually points to a reference site.

Dave of CA 4:52PM January 06, 2010

Eighteen minutes a day? It is more like 3 to 5 hours everyday. Reviewing the various job websites, studying the business section for current market trends, evaluating local colleges for continuing education and personal development courses. I really think this author wanted to revoke a response for another article.

KBatenchuk of OH 12:27PM January 04, 2010

GL

Perhaps you could provide the link(s) to the data.

Being an engineer *and* an entrepreneur, I like data and facts. Neither were provided here.

Based upon my own personal observations in Portland OR and San Jose CA, and the job search group that I co-manage, I find your article to be incorrect especially when it comes to available jobs. The companies downsizing are simply requiring remaining employees to do more or to stop doing certain work.

An incorrect conclusion about the "truth" and an amateurish attempt to link disjoint facts such as "...There are jobs available in every company. They might not be advertised (70 percent of the jobs on Linkup.com are never advertised elsewhere) and may not even be an opening, per se. But every company has a job or task that needs doing..."

Where is your proof about jobs existing at every company? The inference is that there are unfilled positions. No proof and the probability of this being true tends to zero. An example of why this is not possible. In Portland Oregon, over 50% of businesses are sole proprietorships / single employee. As one sells to these companies, it becomes very clear that the vast majority don't intend to hire another employee and rarely use consultants (because they believe that consultants don't provide value).

I suggest that your agenda is to promote your company.

Your article demonstrates poor journalism at best. I sure hope that your run your business better. I certainly wouldn't hire or recommend you though.

davide of OR 5:16PM January 03, 2010