SmartHomeOwners

The job market will be extremely tight during a recession.  Folks are holding on to their jobs for dear life.  Companies are tightening their budgets by not hiring or by hiring for less pay.  But don't allow these obstacles to sidetrack you.  Let's explore some crazy ideas to find your job in a recession.

Dream Job or Not?

Let's face it - we all want our dream job to come falling into our laps with the terrific pay and accompanying benefits.  In a recession, however, getting ANY job will be a miracle.  Your dream job might be available, but if not, you should be willing to settle for less, at least for now.  The door for a dream job may open again soon, but for now you need to focus on gaining experience and earning an income.  So the first step to getting a job in a recession is to be willing to learn new skills and consider jobs that pay less for the time being.

Apply Early

When you first hear that the job market may be headed south, go ahead and start applying for jobs.  Don't wait until lay-offs are abundant in your area.  More lay-offs equal more competition.  If you hear rumors that your current employer will be laying workers off soon, go ahead and apply with other companies.  Don't wait until you're stuck without a job and competing with others from your current company.

Update Your Resume - Make it Unique

Your resume speaks volumes about who you are and what you can offer to a potential employer.  Be sure your resume is up to date and ready to send out immediately when possible job openings arise.  Also, consider hiring a professional resume writer to write and design your resume for printing and in an online format.  There are websites that will allow you to showcase your resume for free or for a minimal fee.  Many employers use online resources to hire new staff, so this can increase your chances of getting noticed a great deal.

*Tip:  Make sure your resume has all the necessary components to appeal to employers...your education and job history, special skills, character references and contact information.

Keep a List of Contacts

Your contacts could be your ticket to getting a job during a recession. Sometimes knowing someone that works at a certain company can help you get your foot in the door.  You might even list a few names of persons that you know well from your previous job, such as customers, suppliers or managers of other branches within the company.  These might be able to put in a good word for you or point you to a company that is hiring.

Make Yourself Available

Sometimes just being available for odds/ends jobs can land you a big job later.  Consider working as an independent contractor for several companies using the skills you've acquired over the years.  Can you do office work, answer phones, write online content, design websites, operate land moving equipment, or do lawn work?  Companies that won't hire you directly as an employee may use your services as a contractor. This enables them to get the work completed without adding someone to payroll!  Present yourself as a cost-saving asset that can help when they have an overload of work.

Be a Go-Getter

The worst thing you can do during a recession is to sink into negativity.  Don't develop the attitude that, "No one is hiring, so why even try to find a job?"  Instead, use your free time to get out and talk with people, research possible jobs in your area, and to submit your resume to at least one or two places every single day.  Don't sit back and wait on someone to call you.  Be aggressive in your job hunting and keep a positive attitude that you'll see the sun come out very soon!