If you’ve been looking for work for an extended period of time, you know how frustrating it is. What can you do to change things up and make sure you aren’t getting yourself stuck in a bad situation and facing a long job search?
Long Job Search Survival Tips
You’ve heard the statistics: Managers prefer to hire people who already have jobs. The long-term unemployed face steep odds. Some 5.4 million people have been out of work for more than six months, and after about a year of being out of work, their chances of getting a job drop to 1 in 10 per month.
If employers want candidates who already have jobs, and hardly anyone lands a position after being out of work for six months or more, you may wonder why you should even bother applying for jobs. Despite these grim statistics, you can battle the odds and the stigma of unemployment, even when you’ve been out of work for six months or more. Remember: If a new job has eluded you for months, it’s possible your strategy and materials are holding you back.
Recently, Tim Muma of LocalJobNetwork.com interviewed me for their radio program about this topic. Click through to listen for tips to help make sure you keep moving ahead in the right direction — no matter how long you’ve been looking for a job.
photo by Werner Kunz