With unemployment rates at national highs, the competition to find a good job is going to be tougher than usual. Professionals who are seeking work will have to try even harder to get in front of human resource managers at the companies that are actually hiring. Seeking a job is not just about sending a clever resume and waiting to hear back from a hiring manager anymore. As a former recruiter and Human Resource manager, I can tell you that if you want to stand out amongst the thousands of unemployed Americans and get your foot in the door with a company that can promise you any type of career advancement, now is the time to change the way you look for work. Here are ten tips to help you land a job – even in a bad economy:

1. Revamp your resume. The old resume, with all its detailed explanation of your work history and education, is not going to be effective anymore. Hiring managers are being bombarded with piles of resumes and they just don’t have time to read through them. Take the time to put your top five best qualities in an easy to read bulleted list along the top half of your resume then print it out on quality off-color paper to help it stand out. If you are going to a job fair, hand your resume out inside a nice matching folder or attach a business card with your personal contact information. It’s amazing how a resume like that will get noticed long after the initial contact has been made.
2. Take advantage of all the services available for job seekers. The unemployment office or your local colleges can tell you about many of the services available for job seekers in your community. You may be eligible for educational programs, help with your resume, interviewing skills, childcare, transportation or clothing needs. If you are serious about finding a job, you can take advantage of any and all services available to help you.
3. Tell everyone you meet you are available for work. That’s right, as silly as this may seem, you want to let the world know you are ready, willing and able to start your new career. Most jobs never even make it to the advertising stage and new openings are often filled by word of mouth. So let your mouth do a lot of the work for you and tell people you encounter daily that you are seeking employment. You never know who they know that may be looking for a new employee.
4. Be accessible. It’s amazing to me as a former recruiter just how many people will take the time to register for work, but then when a job assignment becomes available, those same people can’t be contacted by phone, email or any other means. If you are looking for a job, be sure to list several ways to contact you. List your home number, a cell phone number, a family or friend’s number and provide an email address so you can be contacted. And please make sure there is a professional sounding voicemail or answering machine available so someone can leave a message for you in the meantime.
5. Dress for the job you want. When you are out looking for a job, whether you are registering with temporary agencies, going to the unemployment office, job fairs or other career events – it’s pertinent that you dress appropriately. So if you are looking for an office job, wear office attire. If you are looking for a food services job, wear black slacks and a white top. Hiring managers and recruiters are looking for people who can show up to work on time dressed and ready to work. Don’t come in wearing the latest trendy attire, flip flop sandals, or outrageous accessories and expect to be hired. It’s embarrassing for the recruiter and it makes you look bad. Why not be remembered as the professional adult you are?
6. Have a good attitude. It’s so important that when you are out looking for a job that you have a positive, sincere and enthusiastic attitude about things. Walking around with a sour attitude, making negative comments or being demanding will not get the results you desire. It is not the recruiter’s job to listen to you vent about how frustrated you are, hear about how people are allegedly discriminating against you or that you have a lot of personal problems. This is your time to shine – present your best side and be positive and only positive things will follow.
7. Communicate effectively. When you are interacting with people, look them in the eye, smile and see what happens. And speak clearly, don’t slur your speech or use slang terminology when speaking to others. Most recruiters make their impression of you in the first 15 seconds of meeting– why not give them a good first impression?
8. Use all your tools. You may be out of work, but you have many tools at your disposal that you can use to find a job. You can utilize the computers at the unemployment office, your local library, or a friend’s to write an eye-catching resume, look for jobs on the hundreds of job sites and explore local company websites to find out more about them. You can make calls to human resource managers at those companies to find out who may be hiring now or in the near future. You can take college classes either locally or online to improve your work skills. You can use the telephone to speak to career counselors and get support and advice you need to be successful in your job search. Whatever tools you have access to – use them to your advantage.
9. Be punctual. If you have been selected for an interview, or to register at a job placement company, congratulations you are on your way to getting a job! It’s critical to show up on time and ready to answer those tough questions about why you should be hired over other candidates. If you are running late, it’s always better to call ahead of time and explain or reschedule the meeting rather than not show up at all or late. Respect the other person’s time and you will get more favorable results by showing up on time.
10. Follow up. Just because you had an interview doesn’t mean you should sit back idly and wait around for them to call you. Wait 48 hours, then place a quick courtesy call to the person who interviewed you, ask directly about the status of the interviews and always ask them if they have any further questions about you. It’s a nice way to build rapport and open up that communication. It’s ok to ask them when they expect to make a decision so you have an idea on when to follow up again.

And remember, recruiters and Human Resource managers are people too. It’s unreasonable to expect them to remember every single detail about you since they meet and interact with so many people everyday. Be patient with them as they often have to go through many frustrating processes to get department managers or companies to make a decision about whom they want to hire and when. Consider the recruiters as your partner and treat them with respect and they in turn will work hard for you to help you land the job you want. Be sure to keep in contact, continue to look for work and your persistence and good attitude will pay off in the long run – with a rewarding career. Even in the midst of a poor economy, there are new companies being formed, new opportunities to work and openings for hard working people. Just be positive and those things will come your way.