Fast-forward to May 2009: There were 792,000 discouraged workers -- 392,000 more than the year before. The average duration of joblessness was 23.1 weeks, and 23 percent of workers were unemployed for less than five weeks. Fifty percent of people were unemployed for more than 15 weeks and of that, 28 percent, or 3.9 million people, were unemployed for more than 27 weeks.
Clearly, periods of joblessness and, in turn, job searches, are taking longer with each passing month. While no interlude of unemployment is easy, the longer a person is unemployed, the harder it can be to find a job. Just ask Christine Wilson.
Wilson, from Littleton, Colo., left her Fortune 500 employer in September 2007 to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a paid writer. She wrote and ghostwrote for various Web sites and, for a while, had great success. Eventually, she realized she needed a stable job and income, so she began job searching.
More than one year later, she remains unemployed.
"Being out of work as long as I have been makes me feel that an employer thinks I am desperate for any job," Wilson says. "Of course, that's not what I try to portray, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that being out of work for a long time puts people into a desperate 'I-need-to-find-any-job-to-pay-my-bills' category."
Disadvantages to a long unemployment
Indeed, the harsh (and unfair) reality is that some employers are dubious of candidates who have been out of work for long periods of time. Claudine Vainrub, principal of EduPlan, a careers and educational consulting firm, says employers might think the candidate isn't proactive enough in his job search, isn't motivated or has a losing attitude.
"Companies consider that as time passes, the job seeker gets more and more disconnected with his or her industry, duties and [they lose] valuable career growth time," Vainrub says. "[They might] sense that if the seeker is ineffective in finding a job and marketing themselves, they might not be effective in other tasks. Questions arise as to why this candidate has not been recruited yet and if the company is missing out on some important data that could skew the hiring decision south."
Another disadvantage to an extended job search is that, as time passes, Vainrub says the clock ticks for the job seeker and he or she becomes increasingly anxious or desperate to find a job.
"We can become demoralized from negative employer responses," she says. "[An applicant's] self-esteem decreases from the negative feedback [and] rejection. This can prevent professionals from portraying themselves positively, as they would in a regular situation, when they have job security."
Indeed, Wilson says she has problems dealing with personal negative feedback and feeling like she's never good enough.
"It's hard to maintain a constant, positive, upbeat attitude. After several rejections, it's really hard not to take it personally," Wilson says. "Employers have the choose-the-cream-of-the-crop situation going for them right now. I repeatedly tell myself, if the employer just knew me -- my qualifications, my personality, my work ethics -- he or she would hire me immediately and never regret it."
If your job search is taking years, here are seven tips to stay motivated and speed up the process:
1. Pump yourself up
Employers can smell fear, desperation and anxiety from a mile away. Show strength, perseverance, optimism and a good work ethic in your interview rather than a bad attitude. "Looking for a job for a long time is a particularly unrewarding experience and it generally will show in your interview," says Art Koff, founder of RetiredBrains.com. As hard as it may be, don't approach each interview with the negativity that you feel.
2. Network
Networking is obviously not a well-kept secret, but many people still can't grasp its power. Wilson says being unemployed allows her to grow her network daily, and most of the interviews she's gotten have been through networking.
"Look for jobs more intensively through relationship-building than through any other source," Vainrub says. "Find ways to connect to professionals and develop your network."
3. Seek part-time and project-based opportunities
The longer you are out of practice in your field, the less desirable you are as a candidate. Find ways to stay active in your industry, if only for a few hours each day, Vainrub says.
"Part-time and temporary work can lead to a full-time job if you perform very well and impress decision-makers and co-workers. Sometimes, it even leads to a new career path as an entrepreneur," she says.
4. Revamp your résumé
The résumé you used in your last job search is probably no longer appropriate. Consider having your résumé rewritten or updated by an expert, Koff suggests. You might be leaving off important information or missing several grammatical mistakes.
5. Offer to work temporarily
Many workers are looking only for full-time work, so if you can accept something other than that, you might have an advantage.
6. Ask an expert
You don't want to go to an interview with an employer you are really interested in working for and make easily correctable mistakes, Koff says. Practice your interview beforehand.
"If you are getting interviews but missing out on opportunities, consult with a professional career and interview coach," Vainrub says. "Understanding how to tackle hard questions is an art that can be mastered."
7. Redirect your job search
Consider looking for work in areas that are different from your past job experience, Koff suggests. "If you've been out of work for a year or more, it is likely that the job market for people with your expertise is just not there," he says. "Find something else or check with other parts of the country that may have an opportunity." ( msn.com )
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