With the nation’s unemployment rate at its highest level in 14 years, job seekers may find it difficult to maintain hope when it seems as though no one is hiring.

Despite growing unemployment and the faltering U.S. economy, those in search of a job have more control over their circumstances than they might think, says Ford R. Myers, president of Career Potential LLC, a Pennsylvania-based career consulting firm (www.careerpotential.com).

“There are specific strategies and tactics that consistently generate strong results in a bad job market,” says Myers, author of the forthcoming book, “Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring.”

He offers 10 career tips to get people through these tough times:

1.  Maintain your momentum. Stay busy, get active, and be productive in both job search and non-job search-related pursuits. Increase your level of networking.
2.  Seek help. Get career support from a professional. A qualified career coach can better prepare you for your next position. If you are struggling emotionally, get counseling help.
3.  Read career books and attend career seminars. Keeping informed of industry trends will help you gain greater knowledge of the industries and careers poised for future growth.
4.  Leverage technology. Utilize Web sites and online services. Create a career Web site, using tools like VisualCV and LinkedIn. Network through social-networking sites. Keep in touch with colleagues via e-mail.
5.  Differentiate yourself. Position yourself as an expert by writing articles, giving presentations or teaching a class. Get involved and play an active role in professional organizations.
6.  Use off time wisely. Gain more education by participating in classes, seminars, certifications and professional conferences.
7.  Pursue a temporary, part-time or contract position. Volunteer, provide pro bono work or do an internship/apprenticeship. This tactic is especially useful for those who wish to pursue a career in a different industry.
8.  Take care of yourself. Eat well, exercise, get plenty of rest. Keep in close touch with friends and family. Maintain your interests in hobbies and activities.
9.  Consider shifting industries and/or being more geographically flexible, to open up more career options.
10.  Improve/enhance all the documents in your career portfolio. Practice interviewing and negotiation skills. Focus your message on the tangible results you can produce.

With layoffs and the unemployment rate at their highest levels in more than 14 years, employers need to prepare themselves for possible after-effects of job cutbacks on remaining employees, a Purchase-based researcher reports.

The negative impacts include greater employee insecurity, higher stress, less teamwork, heavier workloads, and workers generally feeling that they are “less valued,” according to Sirota Survey Intelligence.

The impacts are similar to those felt by employees after the impact of 9/11 on the economy, when the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the highest number of mass layoffs since the bureau began collecting such data, Sirota said.

In September, mass layoffs, involving 50 or more layoffs from each employer, reached their highest number since 9/11.  There were 2,269 mass-layoff announcements in September versus 2,407 in September 2001. October’s mass-layoff numbers haven’t yet been released.

Sirota suggests managers take the following actions to help mitigate the after-effects of layoffs on employees who remain:1.  Communicate, communicate, communicate: Secrecy or lack of transparency will just add to employees’ sense of powerlessness.  Don’t delay in confirming whether there will be job cuts.

2.  Allow for an emotional response: Anger, concern, insecurity, and survivor guilt are all perfectly natural emotions for employees to feel. It’s crucial for managers to spend time assuring employees that it is OK to feel such emotions.

3.  Address the negative effects of less staff for the same work: Increased workloads for employees who survive layoffs are inevitable. Managers, however, can choose to involve their employees in the search for solutions, thus addressing both teamwork and efficiency simultaneously.

4.  Demonstrate continuing long-term interest in the careers of the survivors: Following layoffs is a good time to introduce ‘stretch assignments’ – those that will expand the skills of survivors and demonstrate your confidence in them.  It is also a good time to increase the frequency of discussions about career-related topics, including possible advancement opportunities.

5.  Determine how things are going – don’t just guess: Periodic, systematic, employee attitude assessments enable management to ascertain the impact of their actions on the day-to-day operations of the company. Employee attitude surveys also demonstrate to workers that they are still an important asset.