According to a 2012 report from the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, the number of manufacturing jobs in the United States has declined at a rate that is greater than the loss of manufacturing jobs during the Great Depression. For this reason, solely using job search engines to find a new position is not enough. If you want to find a manufacturing job, it's important to use your knowledge of the industry to find the position you want.
If trying to find jobs online in your area is difficult, you may want to consider looking in another part of the country. A few states, namely Michigan, Texas, Indiana, and Ohio, are slowly adding manufacturing jobs to their economy. The National Association of Manufacturers notes that Michigan has added approximately 88,100 manufacturing jobs between December 2009 and March 2013. Most of those jobs were in high-tech manufacturing, ship repair, computers, and electronics. Try using job search engines to look for open positions in those states. If you have the necessary skills, the manufacturing company may be willing to interview an out-of-state candidate.
When hunting for manufacturing jobs, it's also important to know the industry's hiring cycle. The manufacturing industry hires very few workers from the end of October through December. The holidays, fluctuating budgets, and early preparation for tax time all prevent employers from hiring during the fourth quarter. Even if you can find jobs online, management may not be available to make hiring decisions. However, once January begins, and the budget for the new year has been finalized, many employers will start looking for new hires.
For this reason, you should heavily focus on networking, using job search engines, and searching manufacturing company websites from January through June. Take advantage of the month of December to prepare for the application season by updating your Linkedin profile, getting someone else to proofread your resume, and trying some interview roleplaying with a trusted friend. If you're just beginning your job hunt, you should also sign up for popular job search engines and create a profile.
Higher-level management positions are less affected by the manufacturing industry's hiring cycle. Usually, if a company loses a high-level management employee, the business will try to find a replacement immediately. If you are using job search engines to look for top-tier manufacturing jobs, it's important to send your resume as soon as you see an opening. Also, be sure to stay in contact with friends within the industry who will tell you when management loses key personnel. Sending your resume the day after a top employee announces his or her intention to leave can ensure you'll have better luck getting an interview.
Conducting your job search may seem daunting, but there are indications that the manufacturing industry will rebound. According to ASQ's 2014 Manufacturing Outlook Survey, 65 percent of manufacturers reported revenue growth in 2013. If this growth continues, you'll find even more local positions on job search engines year-round.
(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)
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