There are advantages of a counter offer. Because hiring a new employee can be quite expensive, you may have a strong position in any renegotiation of your compensation package.

For most employers, it is cheaper to keep you on than find a replacement. You need no training, and there is no learning curve as a new hire takes over your projects. There is an entire list of reasons that it benefits a company to keep the personnel it already has. If you give your current employer a chance to provide you with a counter offer, you can negotiate to get a very good deal.

There are downsides to accepting counter offers, however. If you have been looking for a new job, there is often a reason that you aren’t happy with your current position. More money may not be enough to deal with those issues. Furthermore, many counter offers are based on any raise or promotion the company already had planned for you. You might just be getting your yearly raise a little early — with no added bump later on.

Even if you accept a counter offer, you have no guarantee that your employer will not fire you a few months down the road. In fact, according to statistics from the National Business Employment Weekly, four out of five people who accept counter offers and stay with their current employer will leave within a year. Some are fired, because employers assume that they are disloyal and will continue looking for new opportunities, but many will quit, because the underlying issues that originally drove them to look for new jobs were not addressed by increased compensation.

When considering a new job offer, be sure that you are comfortable taking this new job before you inform your current employer. Many employers will consider that as an informal resignation. The mere fact that you have been looking for a different job can be enough to get you fired from your current one.

In order to land your ideal job, you will need to have the most effective search tools at your disposal and be very creative in the process.

Finding Job Openings

It is well known that the most coveted job openings will not be posted on any job board or in the newspaper. Most of these positions are filled through referrals and networking. Many employers will only go to job fairs or career seminars because they are more likely to find candidates who are passionate about their careers and hungry for new opportunities.

A good place to start your search would be the college from which you earned your degree or any specialized training.

Many colleges, both large and small, have career placement departments that assist graduates in securing employment. They often have access to many opportunities that are not posted elsewhere. The placement department can also give you interview tips. You may have a fantastic resume – but it won’t mean a thing if you can’t land the job.

Be In The Know

Before each job interview, you should research the company and gather as much information as possible so that you will be prepared. It helps to know how long they have been in business, what other opportunities are available, the size of the organization, and its financial worth.

Your work is not done until you immediately send a thank you letter to your interviewer thanking them for their time. This simple act of courtesy can leave a lasting impression.

Your search begins and ends with you. You should know what your goals are and how to go after them. If you have a clear vision and a plan to get there, then you will find the right opportunity.

If you’ve read the news by now, trying to get a job in an auto plant is like trying to get on an elevator that’s going down – and you’re trying to go up.  The same is true if you’re trying to get a leg in real estate.

Instead of wasting your time trying to join an industry that’s experiencing some bad times, try to set your sights on industries that have remained stable or are experiencing growths.  These include:

-    Health care (nursing, caregiving, special care, medicine, physical therapy and other support manpower)

-    Law enforcement

-    Information Technology (network administration, software design and development)

-    Support Services (customer service, administrative assistance)

-    Sales and business development (product management, retail and wholesale)

-    Engineering

-    Education (teaching, school administration and other related support services)

2. Boost your resume.

If an employer sees nothing promising or exciting in your resume, they won’t think twice about throwing your piece in the trash bin.  Before you try to hook a recession-proof job, consider revamping your resume right now.  Take a copy of your latest and review it.  If your resume is several months old, there’s a high likelihood that it needs a makeover.

3. Focus on accomplishments.

A common error among jobhunters is detailing their job descriptions in their resumes.  Although this is helpful in establishing their work experience, it may not always give the prospective employer a good idea of what you can do.  Emphasize on the results that you have produced instead.

4. Adapt your resume.

Typing out and printing a generic resume is a huge mistake.  Generic is average, which means that you have very little to help you stand out from the crowd.  If you want a recession-proof job, make sure your resume is something that your employers will find attractive.

Consider the industry you’re targeting.  If the job calls for someone who has a strong sales experience, emphasize your sales background.  If the job calls for someone who had been involved directly in marketing and promotions, show your qualifications in these departments.  The more relevant your resume says you are, the better you’ll be at landing a recession-proof job.

5. Expand your reach.

Other than advertised job vacancies, consider other venues for finding recession-proof jobs.  Look for trade magazines, papers, clubs and associations.  You could also tap your network of professionals in the same field.

6. Get further education.

In tough times, you ought to arm yourself with tougher credits.  One is by obtaining additional training or education.  Getting certified or expanding your professional qualifications will help make you a more desirable hiree.

Recession-proof jobs are usually the most popular among jobhunters who are probably considering the same strategies as you right now.  It’s likely that for every recession-proof job that is available out there, there are thousands of other jobhunters out to get it.  If you have better qualifications courtesy of better training and experience (in case you’ve had hands-on education or internship), you’ll come out as the best, most capable candidate.

However, a resume writer’s services can be quite expensive, so you may want to consider a few other factors before hiring help.

Check if there are any basic improvements you can make. If you haven’t had a chance to proofread your own resume yet, do so. Just double-checking your spelling and grammar may be enough to catch the reason that you aren’t getting many callbacks.

Make sure that your resume is geared towards the type of career you want. Especially if you are changing careers, your resume may reflect skills and a work history that doesn’t focus on the type of job you are looking for now. Consider making a list of the ideal abilities of someone in your dream job, and then reworking your resume to show that you have these skills.

Focus on describing your accomplishments. Your accomplishments will set you apart from other applicants, and can clearly show a potential employer why they should hire you.

If you are still having trouble, though, it may be time to seek professional help. Many resume writing services can truly improve your resume and help you find the job that you want. However, keep in mind that paying a professional resume writer doesn’t guarantee that your resume will land the perfect job. Instead, a good resume is just an edge in your competition with other applicants.

There are also plenty of individuals who look for work as resume writers but cannot provide you with the help that you need. It can be hard to find a reliable resume writer. While professional services may seem high, using a low-priced service can actually be a problem. Extremely inexpensive resume writing services may be little more than scams.

At the minimum, you want to work with a resume writer who is easy to contact, can provide you with samples of both resumes and cover letters, and provides their costs in writing ahead of time. You may also want to work with a resume writing service that offers additional services, such as job search consultation and interview preparation.

You might want to consider choosing your resume writer through the Professional Association of Resume Writers (PARW). PARW maintains a list of certified resume writers, and their certification has come to be considered the industry standard. So, if you are considering a resume writer with a simple Internet search you can locate the resume writing service you plan to work with.