More people apply for sought-after jobs

Western Bay workers fed up with a lack of pay rises and wanting more job security are looking to change jobs in increasing numbers, following a national trend.
The Seek website revealed an increase of 90,000 job applications registered in January to March compared with the same time last year - something it attributes to Kiwis being dissatisfied with their current role.
A survey conducted by the website found 70 per cent of New Zealanders were "keeping an out out for their next employment opportunity in 2011", Seek general manager Janet Faulding said.
Nationally, the most sought after positions are call centre customer service roles - with thousands of applications received for each job advertised.
Also in hot demand are receptionist, IT help desk and waiting staff jobs.
Simon Oldham, sales and marketing manager for QJumpers, a Tauranga-based national recruitment agency, said there was increased movement in low to mid level jobs such as those identified by Seek.
"There's a lot of people in the market for those kinds of jobs. We are experiencing a large number of applicants in those roles.
"People definitely are looking for a bit of a change.
"It's been a tough few years in the economy. There hasn't been too much of a wage increase, and a lot of people have been cutting back on staff - we have had employees having to do more for the same amount of salary.
"If they haven't been feeling appreciated in other ways, they will be starting to feel [the need for change]."
But at the higher end of the market, people were still holding on to their jobs.
"We don't have as many high level jobs as there are in the big cities.
"Although people may be keen to change jobs, there aren't very many to go for. Everyone knows each other," Mr Oldham said.
Ross McCurran, senior consultant at Tauranga's Personnel Resources/ Temp Resources, said as the economy improved, workers were looking for new opportunities.
"A number of people right across the skill spectrum have made contact saying 'keep me in mind, I'm ready for a change'. Certainly we have seen that increase in people looking to change."
The period from February to April was often a time of movement in jobs, after people had taken leave over summer, he said.
Workers wanting job security during the recession had sat tight in their roles for the last couple of years rather than looking for a change, Mr McCurran said.
"That's probably why there's been an increase, because no one looked last year. People are feeling 'the recession is over, where is my pay increase?' If it's not coming, they might think maybe they need to look elsewhere."
Mr McCurran said an office administration role recently attracted 140 applicants, which he said was not unusual for that type of role.
And it was also common to receive applicants from people over-qualified for those types of jobs.
"That is reflective of Tauranga. People want to be here and they want to be able to work.
"What that might mean is there is a large number of people who are looking for work."
Claudia Nelson, owner/operator of Tauranga-based recruitment agency The Right Staff, said job applications had increased in the last three to six months. She highlighted the IT industry as experiencing a lot of job movement.
"There are people looking again, they are happy to change jobs.
"There seems to be really good activity in the IT market, which seems to give people confidence to get rid of jobs they have held on to.
"Our IT clients have good confidence, [whereas] many industries are still quite shaky - we don't see a lot of confidence in the construction industry."
While the Seek research indicated that the main drivers for people seeking out a new job were the absence of pay rises, increased tasks and responsibilities and a general feeling of being unappreciated, Ms Nelson said career advancement was the main reason she had seen for change.
"Many candidates have been looking for a while to change their situation.
"Mostly they are just ready for another step, stepping their career up a little bit, since typically they have held onto a role for the last two to three years."
1st Call recruitment managing director Phill van Syp said there was "definitely movement" as people sought to change jobs.
Most of the agency's work involved placing people who were already working in another company into roles, he said.
And the biggest driver for change was not money, but job security, he said.
"A lot of the time stability is a big thing. If companies are a bit stretched or a bit shaky, people are wanting that security thing - they want to make sure the have a job next week.
"They are looking to these bigger companies or organisation that look solid."
Jobs reached a 12-month high in March on the Seek website but the number of applications grew at a faster rate than jobs.
The Seek Employment Index (SEI), which indicates the ratio of new jobs on the website to the number of applications for those jobs, dipped 1.6 per cent in March after five months of consecutive growth, due to the significant rise in applications.
To beat the pack, Seek suggests tailoring your job application to each position, avoiding a "scattergun" approach.
"[Ensure] you are focusing your efforts on the roles which are the best fit to your skills, experience and in the industries you would like to work in," Ms Faulding said.
"Tailor each CV, covering letter and application that you submit to ensure you communicate your most relevant experience and skills to your future employer."
TIPS FOR JOB SEEKERS
- Tailor your CV for each application
- List your most relevant skills and experience first.
- Always write a cover letter to go with your CV
- Format your CV so it is uncluttered and consistent.
- Thoroughly proof-read and spell check your CV and cover letter