Executive Job Seekers Find Mixed Market

Compiled ByTonya Vinas Hope. Fear. Rejection. Ambition. Drugs. Does this describe the latest self-help bestseller? No, it's just a summation of the feelings and experiences of two groups of executives using the Internet to manage their careers. According to two recent reports from online career management companies F-O-R-T-U-N-E Personnel Consultants (FPC) and ExecuNet.com, recent clients using services and responding to online polls are finding many ups and downs in the current job market. FPC's poll of 555 online visitors in March found that just over two-thirds feel the job market is weak. Yet, more than three-quarters of respondents believe they will find a job within six months. Also, while 42% of the responding users of FPC's executive recruiting Web site had been laid off, almost 24% are seeking a more challenging job while 8% want a better salary. Meanwhile, ExecuNet's quarterly Executive Talent Demand Index shows a drop of 26% in demand for executives in the first quarter of 2002. The same quarter in 2001 saw an increase in demand of 1%. The one bright spot of the index was an increase of 36% for demand in the pharmaceuticals/healthcare/biotech industries. No other segment saw an increase, including consumer/industrial manufacturing, which dropped 12%.