talented SALESPERSONS among those in demand amid employment CRUNCH

Salespersons will be the ones most likely to find jobs easily this year, according to job placement agencies, who are also advising job-seekers to find any employment as the labour market is expected to get crowded.

Other than salespersons, there will be demand in the fields of finance and accounting, information technology, engineering in the oil and gas business, and logistics and supply chains, said Simon Matthews, country manager of Manpower (Thailand).

He added that salespersons would, however, have to be more talented than in the past.

There will be high demand for sales engineers, he said. The financial crisis will also open opportunities for candidates who have expertise in finance and accounting, because many companies will be recruiting finance managers and accountants to manage their bottom line.

Managing director Satinee Mokaves of online recruitment firm JobsDB.co.th said salespersons would be No 1 in the recruitment plans of employers, followed by those who have expertise in IT. However, due to the sluggish economy, the website said employers might lower the fixed salary and instead offer more commission to reduce their overheads.

She said tourism and the hospitality industry would have been a major alternative for job-seekers, but the recent closure of Suvarnabhumi Airport had shut the door in these fields.

"The expansion in job opportunities related to tourism, such as spas, will be halted. Earlier, we had forecast that secretarial jobs and engineers would be two job categories that would be hard hit by the economic crisis," she said.

She said the job-seeker database on the website would be increased in line with the growth in joblessness, while employers are downsizing and freezing new recruitment.

Tidarat Kanchanawat, country manager of Adecco Thailand, said that while job opportunities existed for salespersons and back-office workers, there would be limited openings for executives, as few would change their jobs. She said job applicants who have special skills such as programmers and mobile application developers still had a higher chance of finding employment than general candidates.

But there is bad news for employees in the industrial field. They face the greatest risk of losing their jobs, as manufacturers are cutting production because of sliding demand.

Tidarat said export-oriented businesses - especially in electronics and automobiles - would not recruit workers, and some firms would cut workers. He said the number of jobless this year could be more than 800,000. Many at the managerial level may also lose their jobs.

Personnel Management Association of Thailand president Marisa Chaopruttipong agreed that those seeking jobs in tourism and related industries would face the toughest hurdles. However, educational and training businesses could gain as the unemployed may opt to further their education or develop skills.

Matthews predicted that joblessness in Thailand would continue to increase, saying that at least two industries - manufacturing and tourism - are considering downsizing production and employment to cope with the economic slowdown and the effects of the recent airport closures.

"They [job-seekers] know the situation and they have to open their eyes to apply for jobs through as many channels as possible," said Matthews, who added that finding job vacancies on the Internet would remain the top choice due to its greater convenience. He also expected to see the number of walk-in applicants going up.

 "We might see candidates ask for the opportunity to present their skills and talents to human-resource managers, not just submitting their resume like before. This is more popular overseas, but it will become a trend in 2009," he said.

More job-seekers are also expected to approach job-placement agencies. Job fairs will be an alternative channel for job-seekers, including new graduates, he said.

"From the recent job fairs held in campuses, students who will graduate have paid attention and posted their resumes at all booths. This showed that they don't have many choices to find jobs," Matthews said.

Satinee of JobsDB suggested that job-seekers, especially fresh graduates, improve their skills and take any job unconditionally.

"Whoever has more talent will have an advantage in getting jobs," Tidarat said. As corporate downsizing is imminent, companies could freeze recruitment, lay off and instead shift existing employees to new responsibilities.

As more people are looking for jobs through the Internet, a lot of resumes would be posted on websites. Yet, only few could be offered an interview opportunity and they are encouraged to try new ways to get a job, she added.