Coping With Last Month's Terrible Jobs Report

If you have been following the news even a little bit, you probably know about the terrible jobs report for June.  The economy created only 18,000 jobs last month, far less than was expected, and the unemployment rate rose to 9.2%.  These were by far the worst numbers for the economy in months, throwing a bucket of cold water on hopes that the job market would start to recover.  Although the Great Recession officially ended in 2009, it seems we are still dealing with its aftermath. 

What is a job seeker supposed to do during these trying times?

Although the numbers are certainly grim, there are jobs out there.  You just need to know where look.  Kerry Hannon of Forbes wrote a pretty good blog on this a couple of days ago.  She suggested you investigate areas of work that are hiring the most.  These include fields like healthcare, and there are certainly plenty of nonprofits that do that kind of work.  You can check our job board for the most common industries that are applying.

As Hannon says, you don't need to completely reinvent yourself to get into some of these industries.  If you are proficient in marketing, for instance, you could still get work in healthcare or any other field.  You just need to redefine your skill set to make it appealing for the organization you apply to.

Make no mistake: It's still going to be hard to find work in this climate.  By focusing your sights on industries that are actively hiring, however, you will find you will have a lot more success.