Whether or not the US economy has hit a recession, one thing is clear these days: Uncertainty¹ is in the air, and it affects nearly every economic sector², including the job market.

不论美国经济是否在消退，如今有一件事是明朗的：不确定性弥漫。而且它几乎影响到了每个经济领域，包括就业市场。

Adjust Your Approach? 调整策略？

"The unemployment rate has risen, but it is not at a point that should cause job seekers to panic," says John Challenger, CEO of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. "Even at 5.2% or 5.3%, there is still demand for workers. Those seeking jobs in construction or mortgage lending might have a more difficult time finding employment, but we have not seen a significant downturn in hiring in other sectors³."

再就业公司Challenger, Gray & Christmas的首席执行官John Challenger说：“失业率上升了，但还没有到引起求职者恐慌的地步。即便失业率在5.2%-5.3%，依然还有人员需求。 建筑业和抵押贷款行业的求职者日子是不好过了，不过其它行业的人才需求还不至于太低迷。”

Alexandra Levit, author of "They Don't Teach Corporate⁴ in College," suggests job seekers may want to alter their approach due to economic uncertainties⁵.

《企业那些事，学校教不了》一书作者Alexandra Levit建议求职者在面临经济不确定时改变找工作的策略。

"Perhaps this means earning a paycheck at your current job while conducting interviews over your lunch break or doing volunteer work on the weekend that might lead to a paid gig," she says. "If you are currently unemployed⁶, you may have to settle for a situation that's not 100% ideal in order to keep yourself afloat through the downturn."

她说：“也许这就意味着除了现在这份工作，你还可能需要做点兼职，比如在午餐时间进行采访或者周末做义工。"她说：“如果你现在没有工作，在不景气时期为了维生，就不要对工作机会挑三拣四了。”

David Bach, a workforce⁷ development specialist in San Francisco, says job seekers can "improve their competitive edge by becoming more aware of the top ongoing⁸ employers." Fields that are less affected⁹ by the evolving economy -- such as education, health care, and energy -- make an ideal focus right now, he adds.

旧金山劳动发展专家David Bach说，求职者能”对那些热门雇主多加关注，提高自己的竞争优势“。他还说，可以赶紧关注那些受经济变化影响较少的领域，例如教育、医疗和能源。

Tips for Reaching Your Goal 实现目标的提示

Experts recommend the following actions to increase your job-search success in an uncertain economic climate.

专家建议遵循以下方式来在不确定的经济环境中提高找工作的成功率。

* Tailor your presentations; don't be generic¹⁰. "In developing a resume and other promotions¹¹ materials, think about how your current skills and talents apply directly to the responsibilities you'll hold in the new job," says Levit.

量身订做你的自我陈述，不要大众化。Levit说：“在做简历等其它自荐材料时，考虑自己当前的技能和才华如何能直接应用到新工作中。”

* "Create a target list of companies," says career coach Julie Jansen, author of "You Want Me to Work with Who?" She suggests sending the list to 25 people, asking them if they can put you in touch with an employee at one of the listed companies.

职业教练、《你想要我在哪家公司工作》一书作者Julie Jansen说："列出一张目标公司清单” ，将这张清单发送给25个人，并问问他们是否能让你和所列出公司的一位雇员取得联系。

* "Make yourself and your skills more visible," says Bach. He suggests posting and refreshing¹² your resume in more places, such as online job boards, and going to job fairs.

Bach说："让自己和技能更受关注。“ 他建议在更多地方贴/刷新简历。例如：在线求职公告栏，参加招聘会。

* "Create an advisory¹³ board of smart and empathetic people and confer with them regularly about your job search," says Jansen.

Jansen说：”组建一个由聪明、善解人意的人们组成的顾问团，定期和他们商讨找工作的事宜。“

* "Hone and utilize¹⁴ your 'elevator pitch' as often as possible," says Bach, referring to a 30-second summary of your professional assets.

Bach说：“尽量多磨砺、利用好你的‘自我提示演讲’”，他指的是三十秒对职业价值的概括。

* Keep your spirits high. Don't let the process overwhelm you or weigh you down. Jansen advises, "Make a list of your five favorite things to do, and do them!"

保持良好的精神状态。不要让找工作将你压得喘不过气或打垮你。Jansen建议：”列出自己最喜欢做的五件事，然后去做吧！“

* Make an effort daily. "Do one thing each day -- like emailing a new contact or attending a networking event -- that moves your job search forward," says Levit. "Your worst enemy is inertia¹⁵."

天天向上。Levit说:"每天做一件事，例如发一封新的求职信或者参加一次社交活动，它们能推进你的求职行动。你最大的敌人就是惰性。“