The high rate of unemployment is down to 9.7 percent from just over 10 percent earlier this year; but you wouldn’t know if from the high number of still unemployed attorneys and recent law school graduates.  Despite what the pundits say we are still facing hard times.  So how can a job seeker not only survive but thrive during these hard times?  Let’s take a look at a few tips:

1. Don’t let it get to your head.  One of the biggest obstacles standing in the way of job seekers who have remained unemployed for months or even years is depression and an overwhelming sense of hopelessness.  It is important that job seekers remain optimistic by keeping things in perspective.  This is a recession and it is normal to remain unemployed or underemployed for longer than in boom times.
2. Get busy doing something.  Even if you can’t find paid work, get creative with finding ways to keep your skills up to par.  Find a volunteer opportunity and if you can’t do that, create one.  There are many nonprofit organizations who lack funding due to the recession, they could use an attorney to help them out once in awhile.  It can be a win-win situation if you provide a needed service and they provide an opportunity to keep your skills sharp. 
3. Go back to school. Have you thought about getting another degree? Taking a workshop? Working on self-development?  If you didn’t have time before, being unemployed can offer an opportunity to expand or improve your knowledge and skills.  The government is even providing some funding for adults who want to return to school, don’t allow the opportunity to pass you by.
4. Consistently work on your job search.  Even if you only spend an hour a day working on your job search it is better than allowing weeks to pass without doing anything.  Looking for a job is a lot like sales—the more pitches you make the closer you will get to a “yes.”

When it comes to recruiting passive candidates it is important that recruiters identity what the candidate may be dissatisfied with in their current job.  There are basically two major reasons why a passive candidate would decide to leave their current employer and it’s up to the recruiter to identify which of these reasons are incentive enough for the candidate to consider a better opportunity.

1. The candidate’s work or workplace environment has become a source of unease.  Maybe the work is now boring and there is no excitement left in the job.  Or, maybe his/her peers or supervisors are not a good fit for the candidate’s personality or the culture of the firm overall is out of sync with the authentic personality of the candidate.  To find out if your candidate is dissatisfied with their work or workplace environment ask questions such as: “If you had the power, what would you change about your company, type of work or the environment you work in?”
2. The candidate’s career has stagnated with the current employer.  The candidate maybe has not been promoted or there is no room for upward mobility.  To find out if your candidate is experiencing career stagnation ask them questions such as, “Where do you see yourself in five years? Do you think you get there by working with your current employer?”

By asking candidates questions about their current employer, the recruiter can cause the candidate to reflect on what their current employer is lacking or failing to provide the candidate.  And once the candidate realizes where the current employer is lacking, the recruiter can then show them how the new opportunity can fulfill their unmet needs.