Why are there more jobs than applicants and what really changed? →

Finding a job is an ongoing process. People change jobs on average 12 times during a career. So job seekers, job hunters, and even the employees need to understand how to make their work stand out and where the next job could be.

Things have changed for the employer and the applicant regarding how they look for jobs. The significant change is the applicants who have become much more decerning and don’t want to settle.

“If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all heart matters, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.”

―Steve Jobs

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."

—Confucius

One example can be found in looking at food service jobs. It has only been about two years since large fast-food chains offered to start wages of $7.50 an hour. Some even had assistant managers at under $10.00 per hour. Today many chains pay $14.50 and $15.00 per hour and have added benefits. When the industry needs to double the wages and benefits offered in this short time, it shouldn’t be surprising that potential workers might have some resentment, especially when they often can do better than the new wage offered. Workers just aren’t settling and may not find their love but want to find one they like better.

Employers don’t want to settle either as they try to find good fits for their jobs, and offering better wages and benefits is expected to help solve the problems, but they have been slow to change their perception of what a good employee might be.

Potential applicants still have to get their resumes through the scanners, which continue to use their algorithms to weed out a lot of applications. Unless applicants understand how the algorithms work and what keywords they need to use, their resumes won’t even be seen for a job they might be well qualified for.