---

BOSTON - James Kennedy was an Army officer and lawyer in the 1980s before he got an MBA in finance and international business.

He then pursued the corporate path as a managing editor for Bank of America and Time Warner, a director of finance and exchange operations in San Francisco and a renewable energy consultant in Seattle.

From 2003 to 2008, he taught multinational strategic management, ethics, governance and other international topics as a professor in multiple countries.

"I think one of the biggest things that we have to do in today's job market is continually reinvent ourselves, remake ourselves, do new jobs," Kennedy said. "And I've done that already a half a dozen times in my working life."

Kennedy might have to reinvent himself yet again, this time as "job seeker." He returned to Massachusetts 10 months ago and is still looking for new work. He has been on the job hunt during a time when Massachusetts' unemployment has climbed to 5.5 percent - high for the state but still lower than the national average of 6.5 percent. Potential employers are excited about his skill set but cannot afford to fill open positions.

While past recessions have often had less of an impact on those with resumes like Kennedy's, the current economic downturn may be different as many area employers face the pressure to downsize their upper level ranks.

According to several employment specialists, hiring is still happening, but the market is extremely competitive and companies are taking longer to fill higher-level positions.

Jonathan Restaino, an interactive design and marketing agent with Aquent talent agency, said hiring has become a drawn-out process because companies need to be sure they pick the right person from among the applicants.

"It varies by level. Senior positions take longer because there are so many qualified candidates," he said. "Entry level positions can fill in a week - two weeks, maybe."

Restaino said these openings still need to be filled, and that employers are looking for the opportunity to start the hiring process.

"The favorite phrase I'm hearing from clients is 'green light,' as in 'I'm waiting for one (green light) to put positions on,'" he said. "I'm having a lot of good conversations about 2009, and strategically trying to put together what is going to be the right fit for when those positions do open up."

It may take longer for that to happen. From April to October, the national unemployment rate jumped 1.5 percentage points, from 5 percent to 6.5 percent.

The last time there was that steep an increase over a six-month span was from Aug. 1981 to Feb. 1982, when the rate went from 7.4 percent to 8.9 percent.

However, today's 6.5 percent unemployment is 4 points less than the peak in the early '80s and less than the unemployment rate at any time over a three-year span in the early '90s. Massachusetts is in slightly better shape. Since 2002, the state's average unemployment rate remained just over 5 percent.

It is this prospect that keeps Kennedy optimistic that his variety of skills will eventually land him a job. In the meantime, he is staying open to a variety of possibilities and staying patient.

"You have to be really gentle with yourself so that you can be kind to the other people in your life, and take stock - take inventory," he said.

Kennedy has worked with Cleary Consultants, a 27-year-old agency catering to companies looking for candidates to fill high-level positions.

CEO Mary Cleary said there are still many markets looking to fill six-figure positions, except that the process has slowed down.

"The areas I think that (companies) are growing in, and continuing a pattern of growth, would be the technical, the IT. I would say the biotechnology field - health sciences," she said. "One of the areas that we're growing would be the green space."

Leanne Owens, an area manager for Aquent, said the increased number of high-level, qualified applicants is slowing the hiring process.

"When an employer does have a role that is in high demand that marketers and creatives are going to covet, they can name price, be selective, protract the process," she said. "It's a bevy of opportunity for them to find great people. So I would say that the process is longer."

The selectivity has changed other employment factors.

Michael Giordano, a senior marketing technology agent with Aquent, said the economics of hiring temporary consultants rather than full-time employees whose benefits can double staff costs has put higher positions on hold while contract work is done to fill immediate needs.

"We are seeing quite a bit of contract work," he said. "Hiring managers are still hiring and it's just taken on a little bit of a different shift from maybe a lot of permanent to a mix of permanent and contract work."

Cleary said contract work allows companies to reduce the risk of hiring someone new. Her company takes the temporary workers on its payroll, taking the risk herself.

"With the temporary market, my firm takes full responsibility of that person," she said. "(The company) replaces them if it doesn't work it, but it's no risk. It's 'try before you buy.'"

Several employment specialists said the best attributes for experienced candidates are versatile skill sets, flexibility with job positions and an aggressive, active search in many areas.

Restaino, who has been in his current role with Aquent for two years, said networking is also a great way to immerse oneself in a prospective field.

"Get involved in networks, go to events," he said. "Be around the people in that market and do what they do."

Kennedy has been following that advice for decades. The first stock he ever bought was a solar stock 31 years ago. Ever since, he has been extremely interested in the green industry.

He said he would love to be involved with green initiatives or start his own wind power company. Earlier this month he went to a green industry training event to increase his expertise.

Kennedy continues to stay active and looks forward to the day, hopefully in the near future, when he will get the green light from a company.

"It only takes one employer to say yes," he said.

This report was produced for The Sun Chronicle by the Boston University Statehouse Program