As the job climate continues to waver, potential applicants should do extensive research about the companies they apply to in order to determine if there is room for growth, or if the business is suffering.
"Be aware of events that have happened or how successful [the company] is or isn't," Bill Driscoll, president of Robert Half International's New England district, tells the Modesto Bee. "Some companies might be honest. Others wouldn't. Do a Google search of the employer who will interview you and ask questions around that. I don't think a company wants to hint that there's no career growth."
Employers that are not out of their recession stage may give themselves away by mentioning that their interest is immediate rather than long term. Prospects should ask the interviewer about the company's past performance and projections to get a better feel for their confidence in the business going forward.
Justin Hirsch, president of executive search firm JobPlex, points out that some of the slowest sectors to recover from the recession have been manufacturing and financial services.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the manufacturing industry lost 5,000 jobs in May, with transportation equipment, paper products and printing taking the biggest hits.