The days of being picky about jobs are over, warn recruiters who say attitude is everything for those wanting to get hired while others are fired.

But they say some jobseekers are still failing to raise their game, despite dwindling opportunities.

SOS Ltd. human resources manager Maryanne Scott said: "I have had people say 'you want me to work on Pa-la-Ville Road? But I was on Front Street before my gym was there'.

"That attitude is not going to cut it in today's market."

Because of over-employment and Bermuda's high salaries many employees had high expectations, said Ms Scott.

"People have to change the way they think. It's an employer's market now probably the best employer's market I have ever seen.

"You are competing against a lot more of your peers, so what are you willing to compromise?"

Often job seekers also wanted a post comparable to what they had but that may not be available now.

Expectations get lowered once jobseekers are months out of the game, and the jobless get more desperate and feel the need to be reassured, Ms Scott said.

"They ask if there is anything out there, their tone is different the way they speak to you. We end up doing a lot more coaching now than a few months back."

Her views were echoed by Acting Director of Labour and Training Wayne Smith, who said students could no longer roll out of school and straight into work without breaking a sweat.

Jobs that fell easily to their parents and older siblings might not be there for the emerging generation.

"There are no guarantees," said Mr. Smith.

"Some Bermudians have a sense of entitlement and I would like to not only discourage that but completely wipe it out.

"We have got to get rid of it nobody is entitled to anything. You get what you work for and what you deserve. People need to pay attention in school and learn as much as they can."

And that diligence shouldn't stop once a job had been landed, said Mr. Smith.

"Get whatever professional development you can and give it your very best effort in your job.

"Come in early, stay late don't be on the Internet all day, on Facebook and other silly websites, when you are supposed to be working.

"Let's actually be doing work ask your boss for more work. The easier you make your boss' life, the more valuable you become and the more likely you will be to get promoted and get good references."

Despite the headlines announcing job losses Mr. Smith believes the new order had yet to sink in with most people.

"The majority of the people I talk to who are working don't see a problem. But for people who are unemployed they know it's happening.

"When you tell people 30 accountants didn't get their contracts renewed it doesn't register because they weren't among the 30 accountants.

"But the lady who came to see me yesterday who has been out of work for six months, she gets it."

The new reality is evident among the job agencies which are busier than ever.

Ms Scott said her agency dealt with more than 120 jobseekers last month 25 a month was more typical about a year ago.

Only about three of those 120 were looking to change jobs, the rest were out of work.

And the clientele has expanded beyond the usual clerks and executive assistants.

"We have lawyers and a lot of accounting type personnel and also guest workers dumped back into the job market who have permission to reside and seek employment.

"We had a batch of Bermudians with degrees and five to ten years' experience in accounting coming out of fund administration roles about 40 of them."

Ms Scott said the downturn had brought out a lot of paranoia in employees who see colleagues being made redundant and fear they might be next.

"There is a general uneasiness in our community right now, you can see it in the streets."

It's all a far cry from the Bermuda most people are used to and some are struggling to make the adjustment.

"It used to be if you lost your job on a Friday you could pick up another permanent job in about a week," said Ms Scott.

"This time around it is taking months to absorb people back into the workforce.

"Recruiters tell me if they had run a job last year they would have got ten applicants, this year they have 60. I spoke to someone in Government who said they had 300 applicants for one mid-ranking post."

Ms Scott knows one college-educated applicant with years of accounting experience who has been looking for work for about nine months.

Life is also different for those in work who are now being asked to do more for their money. "There are people a little bit more appreciative of their jobs."

Asked which sectors are still hiring, Ms Scott will not say for fear of sparking an avalanche of scattershot applications to businesses which might not have vacancies.

"There is work out there but you have to work harder to find it, people are keeping jobs a little closer to their chest."

Even when there are jobs going, employers are being very careful about filling them, said Ms Scott.

"I think employers are moving very cautiously about the positions they have and being very careful about the people they put in them.

"They are looking at everything very seriously now."

Asked about her predictions for next year she said: "I am not confident it is going to improve yet. I think we might see more redundancies between now and the end of the year.

"I think we will get a far clearer indication around January."

She is frustrated there aren't better official figures about the picture now but admits Bermuda still has a far healthier employment situation than in many other countries.

Aside from recession, there is a rising number of jobs virtually every year.

Bermuda also has a declining birth rate which will see the local labour pool decrease by a fifth by 2042, giving even more choice for locals in the job market.

But at the moment times are tough.

Expertise boss Doug Soares, whose firm has counselled more than 200 employees made redundant, said they generally fit into two categories.

"Some take advice well they work hard and immediately on their job search. Others amaze us with an 'I'm not worried, I'll take my time' approach."

Predictably the first group has fared much better than the second.

"As one might expect, the level of complacency among job seekers has diminished as time goes on.

"Some are quite desperate now and unfairly blame employers, assuming that their fate is a result of unfair hiring practices."

The truth is that the candidates with the strongest track record of performance will get or keep the job.

And over at SOS, Ms Scott also said that some jobseekers were too relaxed for their own good.

Some employees given big redundancy packages use them for big trips.

"It's not smart. Now people are coming back saying they didn't think it was going to take so long to get a job. They wish they had dealt with it a bit better."

She urged those with big pay-offs to consult a wealth manager at a bank.

Recessions have a way of making slackers become a little bit more productive because when the job cuts are made the least productive employees go first unless there is a contract that specifies otherwise.

Therefore, an employee who fears for their job should be thinking about how they can contribute more for under-pressure bosses, said Mr. Soares.

"Not only must employers rid their organisations of any sub-standard performance left over from the boom years, they are being challenged to raise standards to a level which is world-class."

* Tomorrow: What is Bermuda's official unemployment rate now?

Experts give tips on resume writing

Wretched résumés (or CVs) can cost job seekers dear, says Acting Director of Labour and Training Wayne Smith.

And he urged applicants who land an interview to get clued up on their employer or risk being overlooked.

He said: "People don't spell check résumés there are typographical mistakes and poor grammar and syntax.

"People just cannot string together a proper sentence and write something that is grammatically correct. It's the basics."

Résumés should reflect the job and skills that are required and make the employer think the applicant can do the job, advised Mr. Smith.

"Too many people don't take the time to update their CVs to ensure that their skill sets are highlighted to that particular job."

In other words failing to customise your résumé can harm your chances of being invited to an interview. Your résumé should be designed to entice a prospective new employer to interview you.

Layout is important. Dull doesn't do it, but too flashy is also a mistake, so organise the information clearly.

Mr. Smith said employers also complained about people being unprepared for interviews. "They haven't done any research on the company in question," he said.

Some hopefuls turn up without really having the skill sets they are boasting about, said Mr. Smith, adding: "Employers in general have complained about the standard of students coming out of high schools and sometimes the Bermuda College we have to provide a better educated population.

"It's a question of reading, writing and arithmetic."

SOS Ltd. human resource manager Maryanne Scott said nervous employees fearing the boot should register with a variety of employment agencies before they hear the worst.

"Get your résumé and references ready. Get a plan in place, don't leave it to the last minute although a lot of people do."

When preparing a CV for an employment agency list everything you have done, you might have some experience which you have long forgotten about but which can help you get placed.

Ms Scott said: "I want to see everything you can do because there might be something there which can make you more marketable, to get your foot in the door. I would rather see a three-page résumé than someone trying to squeeze everything onto one page."

However CVs sent for specific jobs should be succinct and tailed to the job advert.

And Ms Scott agreed with Mr. Smith that companies with vacancies are now being hit with stacks of résumés so applicants should make sure theirs are word perfect if they don't want them binned as recruiters ruthlessly weed out careless candidates.