Job searching in a recession

Ryan Saale was in a bind. He was planning to move back to St. Louis from Santiago, Chile earlier this year but, with the job market taking a downturn, it wasn't an ideal to a start a job search -- much less from 5,000 miles away.

In preparation for the big change, he started doing freelance public relations for a large arts organization in St. Louis, while still in Chile. "Taking on the extra work was challenging, but freelancing for three months before moving helped get me revved up for job searching, building contacts and networking," Saale says. By trying a different approach to job hunting, Saale ended up finding a permanent position after a colleague on the freelance project recommended him.

"During a recession it is best to move forward with force, while your competition is moving slowly. It is easy to use the economy as an excuse," says Roberta Chinsky Matuson, president of Northampton, Mass. based Human Resource Solutions. "Successful job seekers know that even in tough economic times, there are opportunities. You just have to dig a bit deeper."

If you are getting ready for a job search during troubled times, here are some tips from the experts.

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Morgan also suggests brushing up your sales skills (persuasion, negotiating and influencing) even if you aren't in the sales industry. You need to sell your best product, which is you, so make sure your personal pitch is relevant, timely and effective, she asserts.

Rachel Weingarten, author of "Career and Corporate Cool," recommends job sharing or taking over for someone on maternity leave or during the holiday crunch. "A lot of people don't want to commit full-time skills to a part-time or temporary gig. In this economy though, it can allow you to not only try on a job for size, but to also improve your skills, impress a potential long-term employer and network like crazy with people in your chosen industry," she says. "Instead of nervously waiting for the right full-time career, you can potentially make something better happen in the short term."

Networking is easier than in years past because of the easy access to your network and those of your friends and colleagues, Matuson declares. "Now you can go onto [social networking] sites and see who in your network knows someone at a company that you might be interested in working for. You can then ask them to make an introduction on your behalf."

"As we all know, past behavior is indicative of future behavior, so if you've been successful in growing sales, slashing overhead costs, improving profit margins on specific products, capturing new clients, etc., then clearly and prominently position those achievements within your résumé and other job search communications," Enelow suggests.

"Confidence is key. You'll need to be able to explain the situation in a way that is authentic and sincere without sounding bitter or defeated. Try to stay positive and share what you've learned from the experience -- employers hire folks with good attitudes and the ability to handle adversity."

"Searching for a job is the same in any type of market. You should be prepared, professional and do the work for the interviewer," Morgan says. "Don't make them guess or imagine how you could fit in -- that is your job ... If you can't make yourself relevant, your résumé will quickly be on the bottom of the pile."

You can also leverage dreaded tasks by seeking out ones that match a future interest, Morgan adds. "If you dream of running a nonprofit but are an operations manager, volunteer to run the community day for your company. A former law colleague is now the head of PR for a botanic garden because she leveraged her hobby. "