Working World

Dear Jewish Fairy Godmother,

I’ve been unemployed for months and I’m getting very discouraged. I send out resumes and hear nothing. I make calls and get no callbacks. I still have a few months of severance pay left, but soon I will be living completely on credit. Any words of wisdom for us job seekers out there?

—Discouraged

Dear Discouraged:

These are tough times for everyone. Those with jobs are in chronic fear of losing them, and those already in your situation are losing hope day by day. I wish I could assure you this will end fast, but virtually every expert agrees it will not. You need a long-run plan.

First make a list of all your assets. Time is the one you have most of now, and that’s a good thing. Use it to map your financial reality and strip your living budget down to the bone. Be creative and evaluate options that will cut costs, such as living with roommates or relatives, or volunteering at places where you might get meals in exchange for help.

Also think about ways to generate some sort of income, such as selling things on Craigslist or eBay or picking up part-time work from friends and neighbors. Say no to nothing.

The same goes with job hunting. Right now your job is staying afloat. Network, network and then network some more. Pride is too expensive to hold on to, so apply for anything and everything. Customize your resume for each job; upgrade or downgrade your experience/job title as you need to, though remember that too many different resumes to the same place could get you blackballed. Be prepared to say yes to anything, from an interview to a lowball wage.

Use as little credit as possible and keep looking for a job upgrade anytime you can get one since any job can be cut at any time. Do what you to, within the law, to stay alive and solvent until this financial nightmare ends, and pray often.