How to Land One of the Jobs on the Top 10 Hardest U.S. Jobs to Fill

Responses from 1300 employers, to the annual ManpowerGroup 2011 Talent Shortage Survey, revealed the newest list of the Top 10 Hardest U.S. jobs to Fill. Some of the jobs on this list of hardest jobs to fill should be no surprise. The Department of Labor has been projecting a shortage of Engineers and Information Technology employees in the U.S. for years. However, some of the jobs that are hardest to fill might be surprising. For example who would have thought that sales representatives and administrative assistants would make the list of hardest jobs to fill in 2011?

For those who are unemployed, a good job search strategy could be to seek out the employers who are seeking workers to fill these hard to fill jobs.

With the high unemployment rate, one would think there is an overwhelming availability of talent and job skills from which employers can have their pick. However, that does not appear to be the case for employers seeking to staff these hard to fill jobs.

Some of the barriers identified by employers to filling these jobs include a lack of on-the-job experience of applicants. To fill some of these positions employers are having to consider on-the-job training for the right employee who appears to be a good fit for the company culture.

To land one of the jobs on the ManpowerGroup 2011 Top 10 Hardest U.S. Jobs to Fill consider the following job search tips.

1. Use specific niche job boards such as those that cater to specific professions: BestDriverJobs.com, Accountemps.com. Also consider job boards that cater to your specific circumstances. For example if you are looking for employers seeking diversity in employees, use a job board such as TheHBCUCareerCenter or Hire Diversity.
2. Look to community colleges or local Vo-tech training schools to develop the skills for skilled trades. Find a list of Vocational Training Schools here (VoTechSchools.org)
3. Attend specialized job fair events such as the SalesCareerFairs.com
4. Use a staffing firm or staffing agency like Manpower. They often can help jobseekers find jobs that are not even advertised.
5. Consider relocating to an area in the U.S. where your skills might be in demand.
6. Join professional associations to keep up with low cost training and networking opportunities. Eg. the International Association of Administrative Professionals

The Top 10 Hardest Jobs to Fill 2011 are as follows: Skilled Trades,Sales Representatives, Engineers, Drivers,Accounting and Finance staff, Information technology staff, Management and executives, Teachers, Secretaries and administrative assistants and Machinist and machine operators.

Resources:

Manpower Talent Shortage 2011 Survey

Manufacturing Jobs Desperately Need Skilled Workers