Job Search Tips From the Front Lines

Yesterday, ABC's Good Morning America ran an interesting segment covering a group of professionals who were some of the first workers laid off in the economic downturn.

The individuals featured in the story all lost their respective jobs a year ago, as the recession was just getting started. All but one of those interviewed have since found employment, but most were out of work for nearly a year, which was a long, tough road. However, the people interviewed seemed amazingly upbeat, resilient, and happy to have survived their experience. How did they do it? Here are a few of the tips that the job seekers had for the audience:

• Never give up! One woman featured in the segment estimated that she typically received about one response for every 200 resumes or applications she submitted. Despite the odds, she continued to apply until she finally found employment.
• Do what it takes to survive. Take a job - any job! A paycheck is the ultimate goal. Most of the people in the group had taken jobs at much lower levels or pay grades than what they had prior to their lay off. One man took a straight commission job so he could generate some income while he continued to search for something more lucrative.
• Change is inevitable. Be flexible, and prepared, to go with the flow of working in a different industry, or a lower level role, or whatever the case may be. One person interviewed even discovered a new career they enjoy more than the previous job they had lost.

While not an ideal situation, the group of people interviewed seemed stronger for having been through this experience and had learned a great deal from it. While the interviews showed that the experience hadn't been easy, it provided hope that you can not only survive a job loss, but may even come out stronger and better for having been through it.

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