Asia, a better place for job hunting in 2010

Job Hunting? Asia is a good place to be 

Manpower new survey shows that China is a good place to be for those on the job hunt, projecting that 19% of the 4,137 Chinese company's surveyed expect to increase their workforces in Q1 2010. Manpower says that with China driving the hiring numbers in the Asia Pacific, the area is expected to return to pre-recession pace while job prospects improve move slowly in the Europe and the Americas.

The report also indicates that emerging cities may be where the most jobs open up in the first 3 months of 2010 (see below). While all 14 regions surveyed anticipate head count growth, the strongest hiring climate is in Chongqing where the Net Employment Outlook is +22%. There are also upbeat hiring prospects in Shenzhen,with an Outlook of +20%. Xi'an, which improved its employment outlook by notable 11 percentage points, and Qingdao employers report hopeful Outlooks of +19%.

The government's four trillion RMB stimulus package is almost certainly one of the instruments behind this new wave of talent demand, and hiring intentions could indicate some positive indications in the global economy. However, whether these numbers are sustainable in the coming year will depend on China's ability to continue it's expansion and innovation.

Do Your Resume Right

Monique Rupert, Vice President of Professional Services for Kinaxis, recently responded to a Linkedin question: Why are supply chain professionals having so much difficulty marketing themselves in the job market? She says maybe candidates should be marketing themselves a little better."

Here are 6 tips from Rupert for job seekers in the supply chain

1. Candidates must list specific business accomplishments at each job, not just general job duties.
2. List which business problems/processes they have been working on. It's easy to say inventory reduction of X, but how did you accomplish it?
3. Don't under-emphasize technical skills: these should be brought to the forefront, most SCM business problems require some type of technology to assist in solving the problem.
4. Industry expertise is nice, but not required. I find that 90% of supply chain business problems are consistent across industries, with minimal uniqueness per industry.
5. Candidate location is not that important, but they should be close to a major airport. Many of the candidates don't want to travel. If they aren't willing to relocate or travel, it will be difficult to find a match.
6. Entry level jobs are hard to come by in the consulting world and in private industry as customers do not want to pay top dollar for someone who doesn't know more than they do. The key for entry level jobs is to be very flexible. Willing to live anywhere, relocate on your own and willing to travel. We can have more junior people learn on bigger projects and then grow from there. Entry level candidates really need to demonstrate drive and ambition.

They key to success is indicating all the right skills and points so your resume is not passed over.

 Source:China Supply Chain Council