No one at present can get away from the recession, or credit crunch, as is the term that is commonly coined, and the effect it is having on every countries job market. The impact on the job market is extensive and I for one, do not know of anyone who has either not been made redundant as a result of the financial climate or has been threatened with redundancy. News programs are full of disheartening statistics about highest rates of unemployment since the twenties and it most truly certainly is tough, when its you who have been told you may be at risk.

No job or career is believed to be impervious to the credit crunch and downturn in the job market, I know of people in high powered positions that have lost their jobs and many more who have been threatened by job loss. As a result the way job searchers are searching for employment, whether they are currently employed or not has changed dramatically. As the unemployed are searching for more job security and for more recession proof jobs that are in markets and sectors that should continue to grow and prosper during the current recession. People are also searching for standby jobs, 'just in case' anything happens to their current position.

The major points to bear in mind when searching for a job are as follows:

Bullet Proof Jobs Specifically search for jobs that are not going to be affected (or minimally) by the financial downturn. Industries like education and teaching, retail food, health care and energy sector jobs are all still relatively bullet proof and can certainly help to give job security. Indeed there has been a large uplift in the amount of workers that are retraining as teachers in the last 12 months, for the aforementioned reasons.

Social Network Sign up to twitter, facebook and all the other major social networking website and push yourself and your attributes to everyone and anyone who will listen, network is the point here. It can also be done face to face in seminars, get togethers etc. The more powerful your network, the more helpful it will be to you.

Apply First By registering up to online site news boards and job RSS feeds and then applying with a targeted resume, covernote and references can mean all the difference, especially when a lot of people are actively pursuing for jobs. The immediate reply can really help, especially if you chase it up with emails as well to check on the status of your application.

Be Brave If you may find yourself unemployed, does not imply that you should take any employment offer, be brave and take on part time or temp employment in the short term until you outline out what it is that you need to do. E.G., do you have a hobby that you could pursue and turn into a job for yourself? By making time to think and wonder who you are, you will really benefit.

Ultimately, by thinking optimistically and about how you can locate work and forming an action plan, you should be ok. With a optimistic disposition and don't get bogged down with the media hype on how hard it is and things should work out fine!