5 Ways to Shake Up Your Job Search

By Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer

With 2010 in full swing, things are hopefully starting to look up for those who had a tough time in 2009, professionally or otherwise. While the hope is that those who have been unemployed in recent months have found a job, recent numbers show us there are still a large number of people looking for work.

Out of the 15.3 million people reported to be unemployed in December 2009, 6.1 million have been unemployed for more than 27 weeks, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In December, 4 in 10 unemployed workers were jobless for 27 weeks or longer. That's a long time for anything, especially to be out of work.

This year, try doing things totally different than you've been doing in the past. Write a new résumé, revitalize your cover letters and kick up your job search a notch.

Here are five ways to shake up your job search in 2010:

1. Instead of job searching where you live ... try relocating
We know it's not easy to just pack up and move somewhere for a new job -- we're only suggesting that you think about it. Assess where you are, personally and professionally -- if there's nothing keeping you in your current city, expand your job search to other areas and see what you get. It's no secret that some cities have been hit harder than others, so try looking in thriving areas. It definitely won't hurt.

2. Instead of networking with only friends and family ... try broadening your network
Everyone knows that one of the best ways to find a job is through friends and family -- hiring managers are more likely to pay attention to a résumé from someone they trust than by searching through hundreds of applications. If you've been doing this, but your job search is still coming up short, it's time to cast a wider net. Reach out to former co-workers and managers, old college professors or members of clubs or associations you belong to. Take your job search to Twitter or other social networking sites, so everyone knows you are on the hunt. Become a fan of your desired employer's Facebook page and engage with it.

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