| You can't open a newspaper or switch on the | | | | doesn't mean uploading your CV and occasionally |
| news at the moment without hearing about the | | | | looking out for travel jobs in the paper - you |
| economic downturn that the whole of the | | | | need to make phone calls, network and tailor an |
| western world is suffering from. Hardly any | | | | application to every single job you apply to. You |
| sectors are immune, and many companies are | | | | may also consider signing up to an agency, and |
| making redundancies in order to stay afloat. The | | | | you'll definitely a specialist for your industry, |
| worst part of this is that companies often slow | | | | whether you need an expert in legal or online |
| their recruiting, and there are far more people | | | | travel recruitment. |
| competing for the smaller number of jobs. | | | | Bear in mind though that even then, recruiters |
| It can seem hopeless, but having spent a long | | | | aren't an excuse to slip into habits. Be sure to |
| period of my life in online travel recruitment, I like | | | | chase them up, or you may well slip off their |
| to think I've learned a few tips to help you find | | | | radar, and it doesn't hurt to continue looking under |
| work - even in times of recession: | | | | your own steam. |
| Be Focused | | | | Employers will increasingly turn to the internet to |
| If you have recently lost your job, you can end | | | | learn more about you, so consider joining |
| up panicking and being tempted to apply with a | | | | professional networks like LinkedIn. A blog too is, |
| standard CV to anything and everything. This isn't | | | | in some professions, a great way to show off |
| a good strategy, and can lead to further | | | | your talent and knowledge so consider this as a |
| despondency (if you're applying for jobs that | | | | strategy to give you the edge. |
| you're not qualified for, or have no experience of, | | | | Don't Burn Out |
| then the likelihood is you'll never hear back and | | | | If you panic and allow the newspaper talk to get |
| consider it a slight against yourself.) | | | | the better of you, you may well find yourself |
| Instead of using this shotgun approach, take time | | | | spending every waking hour searching and |
| to pick the jobs that you want the most and the | | | | applying for jobs. While this will almost certainly |
| ones that you are best suited to. Then, take the | | | | yield some results, you may find you just end up |
| time to tailor your CV to each application and | | | | feeling exhausted, frustrated and disillusioned. Be a |
| make sure that you meet all of the requirements | | | | little more selective with your jobs, and don't let |
| that are listed on the ad in your CV and/or | | | | the job hunt completely consume you. Consider |
| covering letter. Don't make them read between | | | | devoting the morning (say 9am-1pm) to looking |
| the lines and be explicit with it, or you'll risk | | | | for work, and spend the rest of the day taking |
| blending in with thousands of other job seekers | | | | your mind off things with something else - go to |
| with similar skills. The truth is that if you send a | | | | the gym, or do some gardening. You may well |
| generic CV to every employer you end up being | | | | find that taking the pressure off, and allowing you |
| an average fit to everyone, but a great fit to no | | | | to think about something other than jobs will allow |
| one. | | | | you to come back refreshed, and make those |
| Don't fall back on the idea that the number of | | | | applications that bit more irresistible. |
| applications you make is a 'score' of how well | | | | If All Else Fails, Consider Retraining... |
| you're doing. 5-10 tailored applications to targeted | | | | It may make sense at first to look at areas |
| jobs every week are far more likely to pay | | | | where you have experience, but if it really isn't |
| dividends than 50-100! | | | | working for you (or you simply feel like a |
| Be Flexible | | | | change), this could be the perfect time to retrain. |
| The worst thing about looking for work in a time | | | | While online travel jobs (my area of expertise) |
| of recession is that you become more beggar | | | | are limited, there are other areas of work which |
| than chooser. In particular, you may need to drop | | | | are considered 'recession proof' - there will always |
| your salary expectations and be prepared to | | | | be the same (or more) demand for teachers, |
| travel. Jobs may be more prevalent in other | | | | police officers and health care. There are also |
| areas of the country, so you greatly enhance | | | | areas of work which come into their own in |
| your employment prospects if you're prepared to | | | | recession - accountants are all important as |
| relocate - maybe even consider international work | | | | businesses have to keep a close eye on their |
| if it's an option. Because less people will be | | | | books, and consultants are often in demand as |
| prepared to go this extra mile (often literally!), you | | | | companies look to cut costs. |
| may find that the competition is considerably less | | | | Getting a job during a recession is hard work, but |
| fierce giving you the edge that is so vital during a | | | | if you are serious about it and make it a full time |
| credit crunch. | | | | job in itself, you'll certainly be able to get one. |
| Be Pro-Active | | | | Keep these tips in mind, make sure your CV is up |
| Successful job hunting always requires you to | | | | to date and the best it can be and there's no |
| work extra hard to outdo the opposition, and you | | | | reason you can't move on to bigger and better |
| really need to be especially proactive in times of | | | | things - even while the world's economies falter. |
| recession. I always tell clients that proactive | | | | |