This is not the worst time to be looking for a job — the years 2008 -2009 were much worse — but they are certainly the toughest I have seen in more than 10 years and among the most challenging in more than 20 years.  That doesn’t mean job seekers should throw up their hands and retire to the sidelines.  It does mean that applicants must be much better prepared if they want to break out in a very crowded field.

Goldman Sachs Forecast: BusinessInsider

In perhaps the fastest lapse time in history, the US economy has swung from boom to something approaching a free-fall.   Some business analysts are projecting that unemployment claims will explode over the next 30 days.

The good news for the candidates who do invest in preparation, they will enjoy a distinct advantage over the many who have not.  In healthcare, where the job search outlook appears much less dire, employers are being extremely selective given the flood of applicants.

The good news for the candidates who do invest in preparation, they will enjoy a distinct advantage over the many who have not.  In healthcare, where the job search outlook appears much less dire, employers are being extremely selective given the flood of applicants.

Hiring managers in most industries are currently distracted with a range of crisis-related tasks.  They have little time for applicants who are not prepared, those who fail to grasp the new rules for job search that extend from the resume to excelling in the job interview.

If you have not been in the job market in the last three years, the chance is you are not prepared.  The odds are good that you will be quickly frustrated.  This change covers everything — and I do mean everything — from the format and customization of your resume to your performance in the video screening interviews.  Employers can afford to be very critical.

If your strategy is to just show up and try to smart talk your way through the applicant screening gauntlet as you might have done in the past, you more than likely will be tossed. The first time you show them that you do not “get it” you will be eliminated from further consideration.  

If your strategy is to just show up and try to smart talk your way through the gauntlet as you might have done in the past, you more than likely will be tossed. The first time you show them that you do not “get it” you will be eliminated from further consideration.  

Now is the time to get ready, to learn the new rules of the job search road.  Find a knowledgeable friend or colleague who has the relevant experience and who will coach you for free or invest in a coach who excels in successfully teaching clients how to navigate this new world.  

The longer it takes for you to make the adjustments, the longer it will take you to find your next position.