Questions Answered from Job Seekers Looking for Jobs in Orlando
It’s hard to believe that almost two million people live in the Orlando MSA. Not only that, Orlando is the second to only Naples for population growth. Jobs are at the heart of these moves. Many move to Central Florida thinking we have tons of jobs and we spend all day on the beach. In reality, Orlando has great jobs and depending on your skill level, great employers look forward to meeting you.
I have been collecting job seeker questions about getting jobs in Orlando and here are some answers.
Q: I keep applying to jobs but the employer never gets back to me. What am I doing wrong?
A: I have asked employers in Orlando this question many times. Each company gives different answers but there are some themes. A lot of times, as hard as this is to say, you are not completely qualified for the job. This is why if you are sure you can do the job and have the experience, your resume must be able to prove that in 10 seconds (READ this Article). In my experience over the years, only 20% of resumes received go into the call pile. Secondly, some Orlando companies do “batch recruiting”. This is where they screen the first ten to twenty applications and hope to make a hire. If they do, everyone else who applied after the first batch (even if you are a perfect match) never hears a peep (unless the company informs you). The other popular reason employers don’t get back is because they already have people in the interview process (usually internally). I wish all employers would give you feedback on your application, but with hundreds potentially applying to each position, this task for a lot of companies is hard to complete.
Q. Should I move to Orlando before I have a job? I have been applying but since my resume says I live in Pittsburgh, I am not getting any interviews. Can you help?
A: If you are a nurse, engineer, sales professional, coder, housekeeper, bus driver, accountant (CPA), construction and other high skilled worker, you will have no problem getting a call from our Central Florida employers. However, if you are looking for an administration, customer service, theme park, government or similar type positions (hourly job included), many employers will not even consider you because they don’t need to. It is just too risky to hire someone from out of state who may start work but realize they don’t like the area. If you see a dream job, you should still apply and make sure they know you don’t require moving expenses and can interview on a one day’s notice.
Q: How can you tell if a company is a good company to work for in Orlando?
A: Thankfully, this is easier today than ever before but not fool proof. Most really bad companies can be found by just using Google with the company name with the keyword review. You can also use the YELP for company reviews called Glassdoor.com. I would also suggest looking LinkedIn and search under the company name to see who may have worked there. Look at their profiles to see length of time and it may help you get some valuable information.
Q: I have applied to many jobs but not getting any offers. What should I be doing in my job search to secure a good job in Orlando other than just applying to jobs?
A: Great question. Most people do a bad job search. They don’t use all the resources available to them to find great job openings. Sites like OrlandoJobs.com doesn’t have all openings. Indeed.com does not have all openings. Think of other ways to add to your research. I would suggest using resources like the Orlando Chamber and the Orlando Business Journal and companies you have never heard of before. Once identified, go directly to their company websites and see what types of jobs they have available. If they are a smaller company that does not have job postings on their company website but you find it an interesting company, call them and ask the person who answers the phone where to find out what jobs they have open to start the conversation.
If you have any questions, please email them to me directly! Roger@OrlandoJobs.com