Apparently job seekers are still having a hard time with find a job; needless to say since the unemployment rate is still above 8%. In those difficult times "who you know" can be a big time help. If you don't have a lot of friends and resort to finding a job online, you might want to at least keep up with the challenges of doing so today. Just because job postings are up doesn't mean you should shoot off your resume to every Tom, DIck and Harry.

As if being unemployed isn't bad enough in itself; for many of the long term unemployed the reality of dealing with extended resume gaps while in a shrinking economy is a reality that's simply overbearing. It's no secret over 40% of the those unemployed have been without a job for six months or longer. The number is slightly smaller for those unemployed for 12 months or longer (not much smaller 30% or so). With unemployment coffers running at or near end despite extension after extension, you would think that would be the worst of it. Wrong. Have you ever been on a job interview after being unemployed for six months or longer? How do you explain the long term unemployment situation?

While everyone knows the economy is pretty stinky right now, for those without a job for a while it's much worst. Even after diligence in job search efforts, the fact of the matter of trying to overcome the negative stigma during a job interview of being unemployed for so long is quite a mountain to climb. That is assuming you can get past the tidal wave of skepticism to even land a interview to begin with. So what's the strategy if you can land an interview? Well, for one thing be positive. If you made it to the interview stage with the gap on your resume, chances are your potential employer is going to be impartial. In which case, it's very important to be honest about your situation including facts i.e. job market conditions for your industry, due diligence in your job search, salary adjustments to market conditions, etc. Another more pro-active strategy is simply not waiting until your job situation reaches long term status. Get involved with volunteering, something - anything that shows you are actively involved while you're outside gainful employment. The last thing you want to do is pass the impression that you have simply been collecting unemployment and waiting on a gift to fall out of the sky. Besides, volunteering is a great way to meet new contacts and network for a new job. Dealing with resume gaps in a shrinking economy is a nerve racking task but it can be done if you put a plan together and avoid resorting to panic. Who knows, with the trends of social networking your resume may not be as important, with some employers, as in the past anyway.