You can meet the challenge with the right job search plan. From our experience, focused, prepared and connected job searchers land the job.  We recommend:

First, revise your focus by customizing your goals and expectations to the current economic environment.  Start by widening your net. Rather than having your heart set on the most prestigious firms or institutions that are not hiring, also target internal company positions in robust industries with positive hiring projections.

James, a recent college graduate with an interest in advertising, was pursuing the most sought after advertising agencies exclusively.  He has now revised his plan to include marketing and entry-level jobs in the health care and renewable energy fields.

Next, strategize how to creatively enter your desired field in such industries. Develop plans A, B, and C.  Plan A targets your desired job (e.g., pharmaceutical sales), Plan B targets a related job within your desired industry (e.g., customer service) or an entry-level position with an industry consumer, and Plan C targets a position that showcases your core skills and performance (e.g., insurance sales).

Jon is dying to get an entry-level marketing job at Under Armour, a hot performance apparel company (Plan A).  Realistically, he knows that he’ll be competing with people with solid work experience and perhaps an MBA.  So he expanded his goals to include entry-level jobs in other sports manufacturers (Plan B).  He is also pursuing sales and administrative jobs at local health clubs (Plan C).  He wants to establish a proven track record of industry-related work experience while also building his knowledge and skills.

 We also recommend that you target small companies since recruiting trends project an increase in hiring.  You’ll have to be creative to find such opportunities, small organizations don’t usually recruit on campus nor do they hire based on the academic calendar.  Online research, business publications (e.g., Fortune, Business Week, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, The Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, Wired) or industry or local business associations, are great resources to identify best places to work and hot companies, sorted by size and industry.  Your family’s accountant, financial advisor, lawyer or insurance agent may introduce you to smaller organizations with openings.

Next, once you’ve identified desirable companies and industries, prepare by creating a plan to build industry-specific knowledge, experience, and track record.  Research the industry thoroughly.  Arrange to volunteer, intern or gain part-time employment.  Such experience confirms your interest, builds your knowledge/skills, and demonstrates concrete accomplishment. Your experience and tangible results will stand out in your cover letters, resume, and interviews.  You’ll have an additional, distinct edge since hiring managers get excited when they know that candidates can contribute on day one.

Finally, target specific companies within your desired industry and devise strategies to approach those organizations.  The most successful job search plans focus on proactively connecting with specific companies through networking, getting a foot in the door, and then standing out. 

Typically, most seniors and graduates passively wait for jobs to appear online.  Yet, such job boards boast only a 4% success rate even in a strong market.  In the current environment, most openings are not posted.  In reality, over two-thirds of jobs are filled through networking and it’s usually the 3^rd or 4^th level contact that leads to success. 

We guarantee that you have a much more extensive network than you think.  You can begin networking with those who know you well:  Family, family’s contacts, friends and their families, professors, neighbors, bosses or coaches. Networking with your professors has become increasingly important.  Recent survey data show that 40% of employers contact faculty directly for referrals instead of recruiting on-campus.  Your alumni association is another great networking resource.

When you effectively develop and work your network, you’ll position yourself to learn about opportunities, bolster your credibility, and land the job.  Additionally, when you engage with your network on an ongoing basis, you’ll always be in charge of your career, versus scrambling in the midst of a crisis.

In addition to networking, it is also highly advisable to get a foot in the door by engaging with the company.  The good news is that the industry preparation steps we suggested above, achieves this goal.  When you get involved through job shadowing, interning, volunteering, or part-time work, you have the opportunity to get known, make contacts, learn about opportunities, demonstrate your capabilities, and energize your resume. 

If you widen your net to target strong industries, develop a broad range of job goals, reach out to and engage with desired companies, and make your resume sizzle, you’ll thrive in this challenging job market and land your desired job.