Ready or Not? Survey Suggests Professionals Overestimate How Prepared They
are for a Job Search

TORONTO , Jan. 5 /CNW/ - Employees say they expect the unexpected when it comes to their careers, yet a new survey suggests there may not be a lot of action to back up that claim. Although nearly three in four (73 per cent) workers polled said they would be ready to conduct a job search if they lost their jobs tomorrow, only 34 per cent had updated their resumes in the last three months. Thirty-three per cent hadn't revised their resumes in more than a year.

The survey was developed by Robert Half International, the world's first and largest staffing services firm specializing in accounting and finance, and was conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion.

Workers were asked, "How prepared are you to conduct a job search if you were to lose your job tomorrow?" Their responses:

    
    Very prepared .................................... 27%
    Somewhat prepared ................................ 46%
    Somewhat unprepared .............................. 14%
    Not at all prepared .............................. 10%
    Don't know .......................................  2%
                                                      -----
                                                      99%*

    *Survey does not equal 100 due to rounding

    Workers also were asked, "When did you last update your resume?" Their
responses:

    Within the last month ............................ 16%
    Within the last three months ..................... 18%
    Within the last six months ....................... 12%
    Within the last year ............................. 15%
    It hasn't been updated in over a year ............ 33%
    Don't have a resume ..............................  5%
    Don't know/no answer .............................  1%
                                                      -----
                                                      100%
    

"Workers should always be prepared for new opportunities, whether they are the result of a job loss or possible promotion within their own company," said Kathryn Bolt , president of Robert Half's Canadian operations. "Keeping one's resume updated will ensure that newly acquired skills and notable successes are not forgotten."

Bolt added, "An impressive resume is just the first tool in one's job search arsenal. Maintaining an active network, solid recommendations and a portfolio of personal achievements are essential for career advancement and success."

To help professionals evaluate how prepared they are to launch a job search, Upwardly Mobile, Inc. (www.UpMo.com) recently collaborated with Robert Half International to develop a new tool, the Job-Hunt Readiness Evaluator. The tool is a free, 10-minute assessment that allows individuals to determine how prepared they are to search for and secure work. Those who take the assessment are provided with a personalized report to help them understand how they can enhance their preparedness. The Job-Hunt Readiness Evaluator can be found at www.rhi.com/jobhuntreadiness.

Robert Half International has more than 360 staffing locations worldwide and offers online job search services at www.roberthalf.ca.

    
    About the Survey
    ----------------
    

From November 3 to November 4, 2009 , Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 367 Canadian adults who are employed in an office environment and are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a representative sample.

For further information: Kristie Perrotte, [phone], [email protected]