Job Search Tips for a Jobless Recovery

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But a better bet might be enrolling in a few courses in the engineering or earth sciences school instead, or perhaps find an industry-specific internship. If nothing else, you will demonstrate an interest in the industry.

Nonenergy jobs will require a bit more research. While the recession has forced some companies to back off from their sustainability efforts, many others are continuing to invest, including General Electric (GE), Wal-Mart (WMT), and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). Reaching out to alumni from those companies—whether or not they're involved in their company's green initiatives—is one way to get your foot in the door.

GOVERNMENT
With hundreds of thousands of federal government employees expected to retire through 2012, and another 200,000 to be added as part of the economic stimulus plan, the federal government is about to undergo one of its biggest hiring booms in a long time. Among the federal agencies expected to lead the way: the Social Security Administration, the Veterans Affairs Dept., the Environmental Protection Agency, the Defense Dept., the Food & Drug Administration, the Small Business Administration, and many others.

The federal government hires people for 900 different occupations, and different government jobs have different requirements. But that's a good thing—if you're not picky about where you work, chances are Uncle Sam has a job for which you're already qualified.

But it doesn't hurt to improve your skills. The official jobs site of the U.S. government, www.usajobs.gov, lists application requirements for every government job, which sometimes include specialized work experience. If you'd like to be an economist with the Bureau of Economic Analysis, for example, you'll need research or teaching experience—a cinch if you're enrolled in a graduate program. For some jobs, academic qualifications can replace work experience, and if you haven't already graduated, a few extra courses could do the trick. Want to be a statistician with the Census Bureau? You'll need at least 15 semester hours in statistics.

TEMPORARY WORK
Few college students dream of a career in temp work or freelancing, or a never-ending stream of post-graduation internships. Changing jobs every few months or juggling multiple assignments from multiple employers, typically for very low pay, is at best an uncertain path to a successful career.

But for job seekers in a jobless recovery, temp work has its advantages, and not just because it pays the bills. For graduates who lack the experience they need to switch industries or careers, a few temp assignments in the new role supplies some much-needed work experience that makes landing a permanent position more likely. Combined with the right educational credentials, temp experience can be the ticket to a permanent career in health care, education, government, or green business.

Temporary employees are typically the first to go when a recession begins—the industry continues to be among the hardest hit during this downturn—but they're also among the first to be hired as a recession winds down, as many employers hold off on making permanent hires until they're sure they're out of the woods. Bottom line: When the recovery begins, temp positions will likely be more plentiful than they are today.

That said, there are still plenty of jobs. Kelly Services (KELYA) places 650,000 people a year, while Manpower (MAN) finds jobs for 312 people every minute of every day. Tapping into your own networks—via LinkedIn, Doostang, and other sites—or reaching out to alumni in your targeted industries are also great options.

Lauren Brittany Glover is a writer for the B-Schools department at BusinessWeek.

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