Job seekers, this is your time. You're in the best position to get hired since the Great Recession as employers scramble to land talent in Minnesota's tight labor market. The same holds true for those seeking to move up with their current employer, as companies try to retain rather than replace valued employees.
Both groups enjoy a further advantage, according to career counselors and coaches: time.
Minnesota's unemployment rate held steady in December at a low 3.3%. Rising wages and high labor-force participation also suggest the job market remains tight.
While the low unemployment rate means you're likely to get hired faster, it also affords you the time to make sure you're pursuing the right path based on your skills, values and interests.
Time to network. Time to hone your résumé, LinkedIn profile, cover letters and interview approach. Time to weigh opportunities if you're between jobs, or the chance to leave one.
Meanwhile, abundant part-time opportunities and gig work can help you pay the bills during your search, counselors said.
Just don't take too much time, advises Christine Bartley of Career Leap Coaching.
"People have more confidence in turning offers down [right now], even when they don't have that next job offer in hand, because there are a lot more opportunities out there," Bartley said. "There still is healthy competition out there, too. It's [about] finding the right balance of how much risk you can tolerate."