Here is an article to give all the job seekers a little hope:
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/06/09/ap6523233.html
It’s been a slow year for the staffing industry, but we are starting to see a bit more variety in the openings becoming available. It is still an “employers market”. We are seeing clients “holding out for the right one” and wanting to see candidates who match all their needs. Employers seem more wary of making the wrong hiring decision in the down economy, and this is creating slow-to-fill openings … even those for which qualified candidates are few and far between.
We realize it’s frustrating out there. It’s hard to maintain a positive attitude when it feels like your resume is being sent into a black hole. Don’t blame yourself - get your resume up to par, but it is not necessary to rewrite and rewrite - in most cases, it’s the economy, not the resume, that’s the problem.
It is important to remain calm. Although the hiring managers may understand that a candidate is showing the signs of stress, they might select another candidate who maintained a more professional bearing in their interactions. Showing strength in the face of hardship is often the sign of a strong candidate who will be able to transfer this ability into managing stressful job situations.
It is important to aim your resume or cover letter at the specific opening. This is always important, but is even more important when there are many individuals competing for the same job. Going that extra mile says that you are truly interested, not just shooting off resumes. A little extra time spent giving specific details in a cover letter of when and how you developed the skills for the job can create immediate interest. Forgo sending the same, overly formal cover letter to everyone you approach - the main focus should be how your skills match the requirements listed in the job description.
Keep in touch with recruiters at places with multiple openings or companies of specific interest to you. Remind them that you are interested in hearing about any available opportunities by email or in a brief phone conversation. They’re more likely to contact you if they know you’re interested and looking. Keep contacts to a minimum - once every week or two should be sufficient. If your messages are not met with polite feedback, that company may not worth be your time. A harsh attitude says more about that company’s values than your qualifications to work there.
Focus on the positive - refresh your skills by taking classes or through your own research. Do some volunteer work to keep your mind off your search and to have something new to add to your resume. Work at that hobby that you usually have to keep on the backburner. Spending your time day in and day out looking for a job can make the situation even more stressful - there are a lot of factors out of your control and job searching is hard work - give yourself a break.
It might take a while longer to truly pull our economy out of this, but keep looking and don’t lose hope. You’re not the only one experiencing this - there are a lot of very skilled individuals looking for work. We’re all looking forward to a strong recovery, and one of these days its going to break loose.