There are something like 15 million people out there right now without jobs. I believe the average length of the job searcher is 7 months unemployed. Luckily things are turning around, and jobs are being created, but it has led me to be thinking about this 7 months marker.

When I graduated 5 years ago, a number of my friends already had jobs lined up. I started looking after commencement and was employed within 2 months. I'm pretty sure marketing majors are getting scooped up now like crazy with their new-found social media skills, but what about everyone else? How long are newly educated people spending unemployed?

Unfortunately I have had a lot of friends lose their jobs within the past year or so, but the majority of them have gone on to get pretty great jobs within the same field or different pretty quickly. What's the difference here? Why are they getting hired quickly and others aren't?

From what I can gather it boils down to personality, skill, age, market. If you're a go-getter, you're hired quicker because you can be a work horse and can possibly get things done. If you've got any kind of marketable skill, and are good at said skill, you'll be hired. If you're younger, you're probably cheaper, so you'll be hired. If the market keeps rebounding, you'll be hired. What every applicant needs? Is just to set themselves apart and demonstrate hard work and everyday smarts.

But what if you're not any of these? What if you've put in 15 years at a company and you're in your late 30s or early 40s? Well, you're at a serious disadvantage - but you can get back in the game by taking some classes and digging deep and working hard to compete with the youngsters. You've got life experience! If you're an introvert - try to be that old dog who learns new tricks, and do the best you can - or re-evaluate your priorities. If you've worked in a manufacturing company or a market that's being phased out? That's where my heart goes out to people. I guess it all goes back to education, and trying to learn new skills. The labor force in this country is where our trouble as a nation lies.

If you're a young, spry, well educated individual you shouldn't spend much time being unemployed if you're doing all the right things. If you are one of these people who have spent many many months unemployed - it's time to check your methods because you're clearly doing something wrong.

The whole idea for this post came from Tips for the Long Term Unemployed article I read yesterday. It will help you get back on track if you've fallen off the career / job search wagon.