Landing a job in this tough economy

November 11, 2009 4:36:09 PM PST
A resume alone doesn't cut it. Get real advice on landing a job in a recession.

Who says there are no jobs out there?
According to Richard, it's true that in this recession when the unemployed go looking for work there are less jobs to find. And what jobs there are, are sometimes really hard to find. It's easy to conclude: there are no jobs out there. But wait: At least 138 million people still do have jobs, and among them vacancies will inevitably occur: some will move, some will get promoted, some will become very sick, some will retire, some will die, each month. How many vacancies thus get created, all told? Well, according to a study done by Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Fed, there were about one and a quarter million vacancies each month, on average throughout the last ten years. So jobs do open up, jobs do fall vacant-maybe not in your (former) speciality, maybe not even in your geographical area, but nonetheless there are jobs out there, even during hard times. It just takes greater job-hunting skills to find them.

Richard Tips on developing 'greater job-hunting skills' for this recession:

  1. Assume that the task of finding another job is yours. You are in charge. Don't wait for the government (or anyone else) to come and save you. If you are a person of faith, pray as though everything depended on God, then work as though everything depended on You.

  2. Have the willingness to work hard at your job-hunt. Don't just give it 'a lick and a promise,' and then give up. Working hard means putting in time. Lots of time. This also means using more than one job-hunting method, to find those jobs that are out there.

  3. Take the time to do an inventory on yourself, list what you have to offer to the marketplace. Think you know yourself so well, that you don't need to do this kind of homework on yourself? Think again. Guidance for doing this is in the back of my book.

  4. Finally, go beyond what you learned about the job-hunt back in high school, or, worse, out 'on the street.' It's time to update your knowledge. For example, do you know the 16 different ways there are to look for a job? And, do you know the maximum number of these that you should use? And, do you know what is the alternative if resumes, agencies and ads, as well as the Internet, aren't turning up anything? And if you get a job interview, do you know what is the time-limit for any one answer you give to your interviewer? You see, the job-hunt is one of the most-studied human activities there is. You've just got to familiarize yourself with that research.
Richard's FIVE most helpful job-hunting advice sites on the Internet (for those who want guidance in developing better job-hunting skills):
  1., run by Susan Joyce. She gives you, for example, a wonderful list of job-hunting support groups all around the U.S. You should never job-hunt all by yourself, if you can possibly help it.

  2. http://www.rileyguide, run by Margaret F. Dikel. Back when she was Margaret Riley, she was the first to produce an encyclopedic job guide for the Internet. Her 'riley guide' is stunningly comprehensive, and always up-to-date.

  3., run by Mary Ellen Mort. On the face of it, it's only for Californians, but Mary Ellen has information found nowhere else, that job-hunters everywhere will love.

  4., run by Dr. Randall Hansen and his wife. They have a nose for turning up good sources of information useful to job-hunters.

  5., run by Nick Corcodilos. Nick is a seasoned headhunter (one who tries to fill vacancies for his clients, employers). But for years now he has been writing superb columns about scams and crooks who prey on naïve job-hunters. Before you part with any money for help, be sure to read him. *Incidentally, if you get desperate and you're thinking of paying a lot of money to some executive counseling firm, please go to and look up that company, before you pay.
Richard's favorite website if people are looking not for advice, but for actual vacancies advertised on the Internet:, run by Paul Forster and friends. There are lots of 'job-boards' out there-thousands in fact, that you will never have time to look at. But Indeed 'plucks' job-listings from thousands of job-boards, newspapers, associations, and company websites, and puts them altogether, for you, in one place. There are similar sites, but Indeed is my favorite. You can access them from Richard's site (below) or Susan Joyce's or their own (above).

When you are in an interview for a job, what questions can't an employer ask me? Employers can of course ask anything they want to, but there is a list of forbidden questions at: The list is for managers, but you can peek over their shoulder.

There are unemployed job-hunters who, even during a recession, seem to have a knack for tracking down vacancies and getting interviews, but they never get offered the job; what can you do? If you need some feedback about how they are coming across to people. Ask employers, if they seem kindly, 'what am I doing wrong, in interviews?' (Keep that plural.) Alternatively, there is a wonderful website called Checkster. It's at and for individuals it is (currently) free. You give them a minimum of three names, or more up to six, and Checkster writes them to ask how they see you. Their names are stripped out from their return feedback, and then Checkster summarizes it all, for your eyes only. It's analogous to what in business is called '360 degree feedback.'

About Richard N. Bolles:
Richard N. Bolles-is an author, consultant, keynote speaker, and workshop leader. He is is widely acknowledged as "America's top career expert" and "the most influential leader in the career planning field." He is best known as the author of the most popular job-hunting book in the world, What Color Is Your Parachute? A Practical Guide For Job-Hunters and Career Changers, which is used in 26 countries, exists in 20 languages, is updated annually, and has sold more than 10,000,000 copies. It was recently a #1 BusinessWeek bestseller, and has spent over 5 years on The New York Times bestseller lists. The Library of Congress chose it as one of 25 books through history that have shaped people's lives. The book has also contributed many new words to the business lexicon, including "informational interviewing" and "golden parachutes." Bolles has helped millions of job-hunters all over the globe and has trained thousands of career coaches and career counselors. He studied chemical engineering at M.I.T., has a Bachelors Degree cum laude in physics from Harvard, and a Masters Degree in New Testament Studies from General Seminary plus three honorary doctorates. He is also a member of Mensa and is listed in Who's Who In America and Who's Who In the World.
Richard's website: