For those of you in transition (that’s the polite way of saying out of work), this may be a particularly challenging time. As an active career counselor who has partnered with thousands of people looking for work, let me share my perspective.

The first thing I remind my clients is that they only need to find one job–not turn the economy around. Secondly, we look at where they’re the strongest, which in most cases is a similar function in the same industry. Why? It’s easier to get hired for things you’ve done than for things you haven’t done–even if you know you could easily take on a new role. But you could run a two-pronged search so that some of your efforts are spent exploring new options. This can not only keep you motivated and engaged, but also can create more activity as when you run out of things to do for one part of your search, you work on the other.

Being up-to-date in your field is critical as we know job seekers face competition, and the message that taking a new course or learning a new skill conveys is that you’re motivated and a hard worker. Lastly, how you “sell” yourself makes a difference. Upbeat people get hired–sometimes even when they’re less qualified than other candidates– because the hiring manager feels that they’d be a good part of the team. So practice how you pitch your skills and abilities, not just what you plan to say. And good luck. Let me know if you have questions or if there are specific areas where I can be helpful.