Finding a job in the New Year

SALT LAKE CITY — The number of people without jobs in Utah has been declining in recent months and that trend is likely to continue, a new report indicates.

But getting hired will require some persistence and creativity.

According to the Robert Half Professional Employment Report, a quarterly survey of hiring executives, 10 percent of them plan to add professional-level staff in the first quarter of 2012. The legal and marketing fields are expected to see the strongest hiring boost with 27 percent of lawyers and 14 percent of advertising and marketing executives planning to increase staff levels, the report states.

The report showed that technology and accounting and finance fields showed the largest quarter-over-quarter hiring projections, with businesses in the West North Central states projected to have the most hiring activity. About 15 percent of executives from the region said they planned to add professional staff during the first quarter, while 19 percent of executives in the transportation sector anticipated staff additions, the most of any industry surveyed.

The survey showed that 40 percent of executives were “very confident” in their organizations’ ability to grow in the first quarter, while 47 percent were “somewhat confident.”

While there will likely be jobs available next year, landing one is going to take some effort in an increasingly aggressive employment market, said a local analyst.

"Employers keep receiving more and more resumes, so (job seekers) really have to put themselves in the employers' situation and stand out from the competition so they can get that interview or get that job," said Emily Rushton, division director for staffing services firm Robert Half International in Salt Lake City.

Among the more common mistakes, Rushton said, is job seekers waiting for the phone to ring after sending out resumes.

She said being proactive and following up with employers is critical in making an impression as well as utilizing various other resources, including social media, to set yourself apart.

"With LinkedIn and all the other resources online, it should be really easy with a little bit of research for people to get on the phone and reach out to the hiring manager and let them know that they're excited about the opportunity and why they are a good fit for the position," she said. "Anytime you can make an employer's job easier, (that's good). It's all about the convenience of hiring someone."