Job Hunting Through A Depressing Recession

by: Vicki Hidde

Find hard-to-get jobs can be a challenge with the gloomy news bombarding us instantly on the internet or hourly through broadcast outlets. The recession word is bad, but when economists, high net worth Americans, and business leaders begin to use the big “D” word, it sends shock waves through our economy.

If this news has not changed our buying habits, it has the momentum to do so. Recently, I read that five states were in crisis mode – California, Florida, Michigan, Nevada and Arizona. Forty-four states are impacted less with the news and there was one state that is growing modestly – Louisiana. In some parts of the country this downturn has limited impact on the economic climate. However everyone is walking on eggs and expecting the floor to fall. Unfortunately, many times we get what we expect.

Should you find yourself unemployed in one of the states struggling or in the state with growth potential, you still need a job. Let’s take a look at an economy that is on the way down or near the bottom. You could say they’re in crisis mode. Sometime unemployed individuals have the opportunity to take advantage of retraining and higher education programs.

Before you enroll in any program, interview a candidate in the program, a professor teaching subject content and a student who has graduated from the program. There will be a couple of exceptions to this advice –one is if you have a passion for medicine, nursing or a specialized medical program in demand – high demand, this may me a good move for you. The operative word here is PASSION. Another consideration might be do you have the aptitude and intellectual capacity to succeed in such a program. I am recalling the old question, “What do they call the person who graduated at the bottom of their class from Harvard Medical School?” The answer, “Doctor”.

Based upon my experience, it is much easier to find a job if you’re ranked in the top 10% of your graduating class.” If you’re going totally refocus your career, you need a plan to excel academically.

There are emerging fields of studies. As one engineer told me, “The technical jobs in demand today, were not on the career radar of students seven or eight years ago. Technology changes so rapidly, there are always new opportunities.”

One added tip here. If you want to identify those new technologies, you may want to join the military. They used the latest technologies. Or another avenue is to do some information mining. What is the next generation of technology? Perhaps you could find a vein of information by reading college publications at renowned technical universities. Or even the regional newspaper from such areas as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, or others.

While I am not trying to confound the process of job search, there is so much contradictory advice. Most of the advice will work for some but not all. You may need someone to help you sort through the process. That someone needs to be fearless in staring down the beast that confronts the unemployed.

During a downturn late in the last century, one of my friends suggested that I write a book. I laughed and said, ”All the Barnes and Noble needs is one more book to confuse folks on resume writing or career development.”

Today as I review all, oh no not all, but some of the information on the internet, I see why job seekers are confused, paralyzed and baffled. Job search is mining for opportunity, identifying the vein with the most potential, developing action plans, identifying secondary options, facing the reality and executing your plan. Inactivity minimized stamina at best and at worst it paralyzes.

If you can’t stare down the “black economic beast”, find someone to help you to get your career on track.

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