The document provides advice on searching for a job during an economic recession. It discusses the current state of high unemployment but notes there is still hope. Some key recommendations include getting creative, staying positive, managing your online brand, conducting informational interviews, networking, contacting companies directly, volunteering, using online job search tools, preparing for interviews, negotiating salary, and taking advantage of extra time to learn new skills. The overall message is to stay optimistic and actively pursue various job search strategies.

1. How To Search for a Job in
a Recession
-Julie Greenberg Co-Founder
GraceWorks
August 10, 2009
1

2. A Little About Me…(Julie Greenberg)
• Co-Founder of Jobnob.com
• BA from Northwestern University
• MBA from Stanford University
• I know how you feel because I’ve been there
2

3. The State of Affairs
• Unemployment is high
3

4. The State of Affairs
• There IS hope!
• Unemployment is not a stigma
• There is a lot you can do to move
forward the process of getting a job
4

5. Job Boards: the black hole
This is the old way of searching. It doesn’t cut it
in today’s world. 5

6. So What to Do?
• Get Creative!
– Recessions breed innovation
• Be Positive!
– You WILL work again (it’s just a
matter of time)
6

7. What Do You Do?
Welcome to Sales & Marketing!
7

8. Your Online Brand (beyond the resume)
• HR, Recruiters and Hiring Managers WILL try
to learn more about you:
– LinkedIn
– Blogs
– Facebook, Myspace
– Twitter
– Articles/Press
8

9. Your Online Brand (an example)
9

10. Your Online Brand (gone wrong)
10

11. Managing Your Online Brand
• Be mindful of what you put out there
• You need to take control of your online brand
• Decide what you want it to say about you
• Be known as an expert
– Get quoted in press
• HARO- Help A Reporter Out
– Talk at conferences
– Get involved with industry organizations
11

12. How To Get a Job
(when there’s not one available)
• Just because there’s not a job posted doesn’t
mean that you can’t get one!
• And anyway, how successful has submitting
resumes online been??
12

13. How To Get a Job
• Informational Interviews
– Don’t ask for a job! It’s
informational
– Make new contacts
– Learn about a company
– Learn about an industry
– How to get them:
• Alumni directories, LinkedIn, look at
the website and call/email
13

14. How To Get a Job
• Network
– Get out and meet people!
– Attending events (like today’s!)
– Join a jobseeker group
– Join industry groups
– Try meetup.com
– Meet up with old co-workers
– It’s good to get out!
14

15. How To Get a Job
• Contact HR before there is a job
posted
– Create a relationship
– Let them know why you want to work
at that particular company
– Follow up once a month/every other
month
– Be the first to know about a job and
get your resume read!
15

16. How To Get a Job
• Volunteer
– Startup/company
– Nonprofit
– Organizations
– Events
16

17. How To Earn Extra Cash
• Expert sites that pay:
• User Testing sites that pay:
• Panels or Focus Groups
• Temping
• Freelance Work
17

18. Additional Tools
• Professional Networks/Directories
• Organize Your Job Search:
• Resume
– Simple font you can read on a screen
–
18

19. The Interview (aka: the sale)
• There are 2 Questions the interviewer is trying
to answer:
1. How can this person help me and my company?
2. Do I want to work with this person?
19

20. The Interview
• Be Prepared!
• Do research on:
– The company: what issues is it having
– Know why you are interviewing at THAT company
for THAT job
• Practice:
– Do mock interviews with friends (reverse roles!)
• Ask thoughtful questions
20

21. Negotiating Salary
• Closing the sale
• This is a negotiation
• It’s not just about the salary
• Know your partner & the
times
21

22. Salary Resources (old)
22

23. Salary Resources (new)
23

24. Take Advantage of The Time
• There are good things about having more time
• Set a goal:
– Learn a new skill (play the guitar)
– Achieve something (run a marathon)
• You will feel better about yourself
• You will get hired faster
24

25. To the Future!
• Stay positive & be creative
• Get organized & get out there
• After you get a job, continue to network and
build your brand
• Give back & help others
Julie Greenberg
julie@jobnob.com 25