the NPD community, thus providing some future guidance to job
seekers. This article contains some of the results of the survey,
which is expected to be conducted annually.
We announced the survey through social media and the PDMA
and Strategy2Market websites between March 3 and May 20,
2010. NPD practitioners were invited to participate through email,
blog, Twitter, and website announcements. As an incentive to
participate, we offered to share results with those who filled out
the survey. This solicitation approach favors professionals who
are active online or in new product development–related social
media, and the focus of the survey may be most attractive to those
NPD professionals looking for a new job.
One hundred thirty-one people responded. This group included
a broad spectrum of job functions: 24 percent were product manag-
ers, 14 percent were project managers, 9 percent were engineers,
9 percent were in marketing, and 8 percent worked in R&D (see
Exhibit 1: Job functions of respondents).
Before looking at specific job tactic results, we’d like to compare
the job status of our respondents with the national unemployment
picture at the time. Keep in mind that the U.S. was coming out of
a severe recession—the worst since the Depression. In April 2010,
the national unemployment rate for management, professional,
and related occupations was 4. 5 percent as reported by the Bureau
of Labor Statistics.1 However, our respondents reported a much
higher unemployment rate: 40 percent said they were currently
unemployed or doing temporary contract/consulting work. In ad-
dition, 21 percent said they were employed but actively looking
for a new position. Twenty percent reported being employed but
monitoring the situation in anticipation of making a move. Only 17
percent said they had a job and were not looking for a new position
(see Exhibit 2: Employment status of respondents).
The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported in April 20102 that of
those unemployed, 46 percent have been unemployed for 27 weeks
( 6 months) or more. In our sample, 77 percent of those unemployed
reported being unemployed for 27 weeks or more. The dramatically
higher unemployment rates in our sample suggest NPD profession-
als are experiencing higher unemployment rates than the national
average—or that we have a disproportionately high representation
of unemployed professionals in our sample.
Either way, because the focus of the survey is on the respon-
dent’s experience with the current job market, this sample bias is
acceptable. Seventy-eight percent of respondents have conducted
a job search in the last 12 months, giving us some current and
relevant information in terms of looking at what “tools” they are
using and which are considered most effective by them. Now let’s
turn to the survey results.
One question on everyone’s mind is whether job opportunities
are becoming increasingly available. Respondents reported that
job opportunities may be increasing now (slightly more than 50
percent agree with this statement and 34 percent were unsure).
A question of particular concern to unemployed job seekers is
whether prospective employers consider being currently unem-
ployed a negative factor in the hiring decision. At NPD Recruit-
ing, we have had a few employers tell us that they do not want
Exhibit 2: Employment status of respondents
What is your current employment status?
Employed
–
not
actively
looking
17%
Employed
–
monitoring
the
job
market
20%
Unemployed
25%
Semi‐retired
1%
Other
1%
What
discipline
best
describes
your
role
in
new
product
SOURCE: 2010 New Product Development Professionals Survey
Product
Management
24%
Other
24%
Project
Management
14%
Engineering
9%
Marketing
9%
R&D
8%
Executive
Management
7%
Strategy
5%
What discipline best describes your role in new
product development at your current or last company?
to interview anyone currently unemployed. Their belief is that
poor performers are laid off, especially in the first few rounds of
corporate downsizing. We would expect that the steep staffing cuts
experienced during this economic downturn would mitigate this
concern, but our respondents were equally divided on this issue,
thus shedding no light on the question.
SOURCE: 2010 New Product Development Professionals Survey
Employed
–
actively
looking
Temporary
work
while
looking
for
a
full‐time
position
15%
Job search tactics
We asked job seekers to evaluate various job search tactics
based on their own experience. Respondents were asked to rate 22
tactics frequently recommended to job seekers in articles, books,
websites, and other sources that offer advice on job searches. The
tactics are rated on page 12 in Exhibit 3: Top 10 tactics used by
job seekers.
We placed tactics in the top 10 if respondents rated them “some-
what successful” or “very successful.” Perhaps surprisingly, many
of the top 10 tactics turned out to be the traditional, proactive
methods that job seekers have been using for years. Rated No. 1
