For the millions of people who are trying to keep their heads above water financially, one of the biggest factors affecting their struggle is the loss of income. Despite the fact that experts claim we are in a recovery period and the number of jobs lost is declining, there are still many people who are no longer employed or working fewer hours for less pay. It is impossible to overcome high debt balances when you have to spend every available cent toward your living expenses. Nevertheless, paying down debt is the fastest way to get your finances back in order, therefore it cannot be put aside until a more convenient time presents itself. Here are a few tips that might help you land a job when competition is high and positions are limited.

• Get aggressive and stay the course- Let’s face it, if you are out there pounding the pavement looking for a job, you are not alone. When the economy takes a turn for the worse, companies downsize and the number of people in search of employment goes on the rise. This is not a time when you can sit back and hope a job offer will come your way. You have to be aggressive in your job hunt and persistent, otherwise someone else will beat you to the interview.

• Remain focused- It is easy to become overwhelmed and under motivated when searching for a job when none appear to be available. Take the time necessary to update your resume and try to focus on jobs that actually match your skill set. Although you might feel desperate, whenever possible try for jobs that reflect your abilities, otherwise you might find yourself stuck in an underpaying job that leads to continued financial hardships down the road. With that in mind, sometimes you simply cannot afford to be picky. If the choice comes down to having no money or less money than you wish….clearly taking the lower paying job may be necessary. Do not allow yourself to get stuck in a rut, continue to look for higher paying jobs that better match your abilities.

• Learn new skills- Times are changing and the job market will continue to change as well. Perhaps the silver lining in this post recession era is the fact that many people are realizing their skills are not quite up to par in order to be competitive in today’s job market. There are programs available through community centers that offer free or low cost training for skills that are needed in today’s world. If you are unemployed, take the time when you are not job hunting to brush up on your skills, which will increase your chances when positions become available.

• Employment agencies- One benefit to working with an employment agency is they already have established relationships with local employers. With more and more companies reducing their in-house payroll, there may be temporary positions available that will help you earn extra money, while reducing the cost for the employer. Some nationwide employment agencies even offer benefits to their temporary workers, making it an option that should not be discounted.

It is challenging to find good paying jobs during the best economic times. This becomes even more difficult when everyone is cutting costs and concerned about adding the expense of an additional staff member. You must give job hunting your full time effort in order to find a job that will help you through these tough economic times.