How to find a job in a bad or lousy market

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

A good resume and cover letter
Plenty of determination
Flexibility

Step 1

** Be flexible on your choice of jobs **

When the job market is tight and jobs are limited, you cannot afford to be choosey! So I suggest you be more open to the jobs you'll take.

Now that doesn't necessarily mean jumping at the first offer, unless you financially have to or it's been a very long period of unemployment. In these cases, you're more desperate for anything and cannot afford to pass.

For example, if you're goal is to find a management position and you're not having any luck, then maybe you'll have to settle for a support one instead. Or maybe look for management ones in a different field, geographic area, etc.

In other words, expand your options!
Step 2

** Be flexible on interview and job-search times **

You may not want to use your lunch, personal, or vacation time to job-search or take interviews. But when jobs aren't as plentiful and you're out of work, then you need to do it whenever you can!

And if an employer wants to interview you on a weekend, late at night, or early in the morning, then you may have to do it. True, you may not like this at all. But if you want the job, then you'll have to work around them!

This is something I've had to explain to many people. Some think an employer has to work around your schedule. It's the other way around! You work around them.

So be prepared to use your own free time for job-hunting activities and interviews.
Step 3

** Expand your search **

Maybe you've limited yourself to a particular industry or profession. Or jobs at a certain level of responsibility. Perhaps jobs that only pay a certain salary. Etc.

Well these are perfectly all right under normal circumstances. But when the job market is tough, you have to be willing to go beyond this. And that means possibly switching fields. Or accepting a job that's a step or two below what you're doing or want. Or settling for less money; in some cases, way less if you're desperate for work or have been out of work for a very long time. For some, it means a longer commute or working in another city or state.

In other words, you need to go wherever the jobs are! And in a tight job market, you cannot afford to be choosey. If you've exhausted your unemployment benefits and/or opportunities within your local area, then maybe it's time to look beyond that.
Step 4

** Hone your resume **

When times are tough, your resume needs to be at it's very best! This means making it even better than you would under normal circumstances. It needs to scream out, "Hire me!"

Why? Because I'll be getting many more resumes than I would normally get. So yours can very easily get lost in the pile. To help get yours noticed, it needs to be top knotch!

That means making sure it's tailored to the field, type of work, company, and/or industry. It needs to be worded properly and make you look like the real professional you are. At the same time, it needs to avoid sounding too cocky.
Step 5

** Make contacts **

Networking and giving out your resume to anyone and everyone who can possibly give you a job is what you'll need to do when jobs are in limited supply.

So I suggest you always carry them with you, whevever you go. Why? Because you never know who you'll run into. You might just run into someone who tells you they're looking for people and asks if you have a resume. Or mentions a place where they're hiring.

In other words, always be on the lookout for potential jobs!
Step 6

** Use agencies **

Employment agencies can be a big help because they have "ins" with employers. In other words, employers use them to find good people and trust the agency's judgment. So if the agency likes you, the employer is more receptive to liking you too. And that gives you an edge over the ones who walked in off the street.

TIP: Avoid agencies that charge you!

When times are tough and you're looking for work, the last thing you need is spending money wastefully. So I suggest you save your money and use agencies that don't charge you a penny.

Stick with those agencies that charge you nothing. They'll be paid by the employers directly, so there's no reason for you to have to pay anything.

And hit temporary and permanent ones. When jobs are hard to come by, you may have to settle for some temp work to fill in gaps, bring in money, and possibly lead to full-time work. It's also a great way to sample a variety of companies and jobs. So use it to the hilt! Plus, many agencies offer resume and interview help.
Step 7

** Expand your skills **

If you can, use your period of unemployment to add to your skills or improve them. This will help make you more marketable to employers. And in some states, they may even pay for your training!

For instance, if your computer skills are pretty basic and at the beginner level, then take a computer class to bump your expertise up.

TIP: Community colleges offer non-credit classes that can help

I've taught these types of classes before. They're called continuing education and offer a wide variety of topics and subjects. Some are for pure personal enjoyment. But many others are job-search related.

For example, I did one on ways to provide great customer service. In that class, they learned about various techniques to provide service and did lots of role-playing. And even though several worked in it for many years, they still got something new out of it. Another class was on resumes, cover letters, and interviewing.

My point is that these classes are short-term training that won't cost you an arm and a leg. Classes can be as short as 2-3 hours up to a few weeks. For instance, an Excel class may be an entire day spent in the computer lab. I've taught many of these kinds of classes before.

And not only can you take individual classes, but you have a variety of certification programs you can do. They're not as in-depth as degree programs, but they consist of a couple of classes concentrated in a specific area. For instance, project-management. You make take one class on the basics and another on MS Project (software).

So use those continuing education classes to help improve your skills, add new ones, and make yourself more attractive to potential employers!
Step 8

** Consider retraining **

If you're having an extremely difficult time finding jobs in a particular field, but you're not qualified for something else, then consider going back to school for an actual degree--2 or 4 year.

Many of my students have been in worker retraining programs. These programs are designed to prepare you for a new career in another field. And depending on your state, you may even qualify for worker retraining funds that'll help pay for your schooling!

Check out the various colleges in your area--community (2-year), techical, and 4-year to see if they offer them and what programs they offer.

TIP: Worker retraining in a college may be in a different department than admissions

Some schools have a separate worker retraining office that you'll need to go through. They'll explain how things work, see if you qualify for worker retraining money and admissions, etc.

Other schools do all this through their regular admission office. So if this is something that appeals to you or might be a good option, then be sure to mention you want worker retraining. That's the "buzzword" that will help them direct you to the right spot.

Your local unemployment office may also know about worker retraining programs at various schools in your area. And possibly need you to complete some paperwork on their end. So you may want to check with them too.

Comments

luv2blog said

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on 7/30/2008 Open-mindedness and a diverse portfolio is really important now. ^5 on the article!

on 7/25/2008 I'm glad you found this article useful. Job hunting is not very easy, even when times are good. But when times are bad, like now, it's even harder. When my book comes out in a couple of weeks, it'll have plenty more good tips and techniques!

nikitagharat said

on 7/25/2008 Really nice and helpful tips. I am definitely adding this page to favorites.

Thanks for being my friend,
Nikita Gharat
http://www.smartyoungsters.blogspot.com