Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

When Myrna was hired last year as a paralegal assistant in a medium-sized law firm in LA, she immediately resigned from her clerical job in San Fernando Valley. "The pay was almost double, so naturally I left my job of five years," said Myrna. Eight weeks ago, Myrna was laid off due to the recession. "It’s been so hard getting another job. As my savings are nearly gone, I am now in panic mode," admitted Myrna.

How does one become a successful job hunter in the midst of the current economic crisis? Here are some helpful advice.

1. Be Positive.

First of all, don’t be like Myrna who has described herself as in "panic mode". You need to appear cool and calm, collected and patient. Prospective employers can easily spot a highly-stressed individual a mile away. So, stay positive. Statistics say there is an average of over 3 million jobs available in the US every month. Even in a job market that has 10 percent unemployment, there’s still 90 percent employment. Just believe there’s a job there that’s just waiting for you and you will get it.

2. Target Your Focus.

If your industry or line of work has little promise of employment amidst the current crisis, take a look at other industries. Identify the projected top performing industries and jobs. Good prospects are the health care industry, the food industry, and computer-related companies. Surf the internet for recession-proof jobs and target those companies. Just focus on growth industries and forget about those that are heavily affected by the recession.

Choose your target companies well. It is important that you don’t waste time and energy applying for jobs that have little chance of success. Pick a few companies that are going strong and then actively pursue them, whether they have openings or not.

3. Sell Yourself in relation to the bottomline.

Most job hunters ask the question, "What’s in it for me?" Change your way of thinking. In these hard times, employers are looking for ways to save money and increase profits. Forget the old mindset that your job-related skills or length of service are selling factors. Sell yourself as a profit center rather than just an employee. Think about how you can help the company save money and make money. If your skills are not enough to help employers improve the bottomline, then improve your skills.