This seems like another no-brainer. However, since there are fewer jobs available, a sense of desperation may creep in and you might find yourself applying for jobs that are a real stretch. As a rule of thumb, if you cannot check off 75% of the requirements listed for the job (including all mandatory requirements), then you should probably pass on applying for that particular position- no matter how smart, enthusiastic or willing to learn you may be.

As outrageous as it may seem, I have spoken to people who have left their jobs to undertake a full-time job search. In this economy, this is a bad choice, even if you think your present company is contemplating layoffs, working you into the ground, or you are otherwise dissatisfied. To Type A hiring managers (who seem to multi-task even in their sleep), it is incomprehensible that someone would be unable to do their job and conduct a job search at the same time. Moreover, in this economic climate, it is seen as evidence of poor decision-making.

If you have lost your job in this tough economy, you know you are not alone. Two years ago, when the unemployment rate for college-educated workers was less than 2%, periods of extended unemployment were highly scrutinized by employers. If there is any good news to being unemployed right now, it is that due tectonic shifts in the economy, employers are more accepting that job loss and unemployment may be due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control.