Recruiters offers tips for Central Illinois residents trying to get hired

EAST PEORIA (25News Now) – Companies across America are working to hire and fill open positions, but those looking for jobs said they filled out applications only to be rejected.

Mark Jacobsen of East Peoria said he has been unemployed for almost a year. Mark said he has applied for a few jobs every week for the past year but has yet to receive a job offer.

“I have experience with forklift work as a warehouse worker and that’s where I mainly apply,” Jacobsen said. “It’s just very discouraging. I almost don’t want to try to apply anymore.”

Jacobsen and others online said they experienced the same thing.

25news interviewed two local staffing agencies to get their perspective on the job market.

“I think that’s frustrating for people because they’re like, ‘Oh, they’re hiring!’ They’re hiring!’” said Melanie Hedgepeth, owner of Absolute Staffing Solutions, Inc.

“But then you come in there and want $17 to $20 an hour, and you’ve never done the job before. You have to be a little humble, accept a little less and just grow.”

Kylie Rathmann, employment specialist at Express Employment Professionals, said employers don’t just look for a high school diploma or GED when applying for jobs.

“You look for holes in your story. “If you only work here for two months or six months there, they will see that you are not very reliable,” Rathmann said.

Hedgepeth recommends job seekers visit a recruiting agency and create an actual resume, which is not a fill-out form on a site like Indeed or ZipRecruiter.

She added that many companies had imposed a hiring freeze until after the election due to economic uncertainty.

“There is hardly anything out there at the moment. So you have to stay where you are because things are going to open back up,” Hedgepeth said.

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