Job Hunting – Tips on Job Hunting in a Brutal Jobmarket

It’s gotten brutal out there. Job markets throughout the US have turned into combat zones where only the best-prepared, most persistent and sometimes, luckiest, survive the carnage.

But by “survive” I don’t mean landing a near-minimum-wage job at Wal-Mart or McDonald’s if you’ve spent four years in college. Survival means finding the career position you’ve been trained for – and that’s a very tall order these days.

Unemployment overall is now hovering between nine and ten percent, as everyone knows who watches the evening news, but in some fields and geographic areas it’s much worse. For example, for job hunters between 20 and 24, it’s at 15%, and for older workers (those above 50), it’s at 12%. True, these rates are very, very gradually declining, but economists don’t expect significant decreases in unemployment until at least mid 2011.

Regional differences are significant, too, with job growth slowest in the Northeast and Southwest, according to USA TODAY, and the Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes areas experiencing the fastest growth, though from a low base. Overall white-collar hiring is now strongest in the Southeast..

Some specific fields are showing more promise than others – engineering hiring is up strongly, as are computer services, legal services, health care, accounting, and scientific research, according to the paper.

But whatever your field or profession, job hunting has become an act of survival these days, a set of tasks you really need to go about as methodically and intelligently as possible. Your future depends on it. And though opinions vary as to exactly what those tasks are, here are some that nearly all experts agree are vital for effective job hunting in 2011.

Develop a Top-Notch Resume – This is all-important. So don’t be shy about seeking out professional help in developing yours.

Network, Network, Network – Some things never change. Career experts estimate that at least 70% of white-collar jobs are still being filled through networking. Start by making a list of everyone you know who might know someone who can help you land a job. Also, get familiarized with LinkedIn, set up your profile there and participate in forums..Career development tips