One of our core services is to help individuals with their resumes in an effort to give them the advantage in a competitive job market. But, with the economy being the way it is, we have found that even the best-looking resume may not be enough, and that we may need to help job seekers even more than that.

Case in point – The New York Times recently reported about a job opening for an administrative assistant at the Burns Harbor, Indiana branch of trucking company C.R. England. The job posting itself wasn’t what made news.

What are surprising were the number of applicants for this $13 an hour job. According to the report, nearly 500 people had contacted C.R. England to be considered for the position.

The staggering applicant-to-job ratio for this particular post may seem amazing, but it’s clearly not isolated. We’ve heard numerous tales over the past few months of how hundreds of applicants rush to even the lowest-paying jobs.

Surprisingly enough, these numbers include those with years of experience, with skills and education that, at least in the C.R. England case, far overqualified for such a job. The key argument? Once the economy improves, these people will bolt.

But for those who are overqualified, with years of experience and education behind you, what drew you to this lower position in the first place? Was it the fear of not having any job at all? Is it desperation? Or are these applications simply going through the motions?

This doesn’t have to be this way. Perhaps it’s time to take a good, long look at your work history and re-evaluate what direction you are heading.

In truth, you may find that searching for another job isn’t exactly what you should be doing. As I have written previously, freelance opportunities provide the benefits of both extra income and flexibility, far more than, say, a floor gig at Bed, Bath & Beyond (Which you may have to battle hundreds of other applicants to even get!).

Taking it a step further, perhaps it’s time for you to set up shop and start your own consulting firm, as many have already. Some of the things you will need to consider, as part of this, are:

• What types of services do you intend to offer?
• Do you have the skills and experience to succeed?
• Can your professional network help you find, or themselves be, consulting business leads?

There are options beyond the conventional job. What you decide to do is up to you. But if you need some help, we are here to provide it. Feel free to contact us with any questions.

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