Day After Labor Day Pep Talk for the Jobless

It already feels a bit like fall. Children have all returned to school. Vacation time is over. Put away your summer attitude and get down to brass tacks. It’s time to refocus on where you need to be—gainfully employed.

The jobless rate was reported at 9.7% on Friday, a slight gain over the previous month, and it is likely to climb again. You could let that get you down. It would be easy to get down in light of unhappy statistics.

However, there is an undercurrent in which jobs are beginning to appear. Capitol Communicator reported last week “that things are starting to heat up on the business front” for DC area communications agencies. As I see it, new business leads to job opportunities. Also, the federal government, according to the Washington Post last week, will need to replace more than 270,000 retiring workers for “mission-critical” positions in the upcoming 3 years. More temporary jobs are starting to emerge as organizations find they need extra help for annual events or to replace people out on special leave, such as maternity.

Yes, most employers are back from vacations and refocused on business, and jobs may be slowly opening up, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue trying just as hard as you did right after losing your last job, whether because of a layoff or other reason. Or, that you don’t stand a chance in a highly competitive job market. You need to do whatever it takes to stand out, show off your strengths and offer employers what they need, and do it better than anyone else competing for the same jobs.

It’s a new season. Let’s get going.