Manufacturing is NOT Dead

These are very tough times in our current economy and manufacturing jobs have seemingly disappeared throughout the USA. Many CNC machinists, manual machinists, electricians, engineers, maintenance mechanics, production supervisors, quality engineers, etc. have found themselves looking for jobs in all industries. The truth is, Manufacturing is NOT dead; however, the old way of searching for manufacturing jobs certainly is DEAD.

As you may already know, we have been developing jobs and helping people in manufacturing get jobs for almost 20 years. We know the manufacturing industry is hurting, but we assure you, it is NOT dead.

Nowadays, when a job is posted online, approximately 300 people apply for the same position. These numbers make it very hard to people in manufacturing to find jobs. Most job seekers are unaware that less than 20% of all jobs are advertised or publicly announced. In a recession economy, even fewer jobs are advertised. So what does this mean for the average manufacturing job seeker?


The quote I oftentimes use when conducting hidden job market seminars to teach job seekers how to find jobs in a tough economy is quite simple:

"Everyone knows someone who knows someone you ought to know."

This statement is true, and for those of you who take heed, you will benefit greatly by retaining this knowledge throughout your job hunting procedure.

Here are some tips every manufacturing job seeker must put into practice:

1. Start reaching the hidden job markets by intensifying your networking techniques. Don't simply network with those you know. Network with everyone you come into contact with. You just never know who is a plant manager, human resource representatives, shipping manager, etc.

2. Follow up on your leads. Most job seekers believe they know how to "network" and get a business card from someone; however, very few follow up and actually contact that person. What's the point of networking if you will never contact them again?

3. Visit industrial areas and go door-to-door to hand deliver your resume and attempt to get on the spot interviews. I know this is a bit scary for some; however, it has proven to be a very effective way for people in manufacturing to get jobs.


Even in this tough economy, we know firsthand that many manufacturing jobs are available. The problem is, these jobs are not always posted online for the world to view. Remember, less than 20% of available jobs are advertised. This means that there are approximately 80% of hidden jobs out there. It's time to get out there and find them.

Zenja Glass is the VP of a staffing firm and Career Author of "25 Reasons Why I Won't Hire You!" and job seekers most requested training guide, "How to Set Up Interviews Without a Resume!" found at 25ReasonsWhy.com. She is also the Co-founder of a national manufacturing job board USAManufacturingJobs.com. She has been featured on MSNBC, ABC NEWS and FOX NEWS.