Finding work will happen faster if you are realistic, forward thinking and active. Likewise, you can improve your chances, if you planning ahead for future possibility to searching for a new job.

Face reality. With the downturn in the economy, jobs are fewer and competition is more intense. Be sure you don't waste time and energy following people who lay blame for the bad economy or company layoff. Those things won't change the tough market or your ability to stay employed or get reemployed.

Though obvious, remember that jobs are fewer and competition for openings is intense. There's no time to waste under these conditions. Don't look backwards on your circumstances or dwell on things you can't change. Your best defense and hope for recovery is to be forward thinking. In fact, whether you're unemployed or might become so, you should act now with preparation, planning and execution! Rest assured, getting ahead of a possible crisis will help you ride the wave much better.

Things you can do right now:

• Make goals. Have long-term employment goals that mesh with personal goals
• Be wise. Make sure your daily activities are consistent with these goals - current and future ones.
• Be ready. Always know the immediate things you could do to adjust as your environment and circumstances change.

With dramatic shifts in the economy, needed skills and roles will change just as dramatically. To keep up, you should audit your skills and assess your marketability. Then adjust accordingly in conjunction with your personal and financial goals.

Here are the steps:

1. Be realistic and open. Your current marketability might be dramatically different than your expectations.
2. Research and listen. Scour job postings of interest. Talk to recruiters and hiring authorities. What do they tell you about skills in demand, especially compared to your skill set? Are your experiences useful to new opportunities?
3. Find your options. With this knowledge, determine the positions and industries you can and should realistically pursue.
4. Don't overstretch. In this kind of job market, hiring managers can get exactly the skills they need without taking a risk on someone that doesn't have proven experience--don't aim for a position that's a stretch for you.

Some encouragement for your future goals

Facing the down job market might make you feel like you're abandoning your goals. Know that you can straighten back out as the economic climate changes. This is all the more reason to have goals that can weather economic storms, and employment changes. Stubbornly holding to your old expectations without flexibility will likely lead to severe emotional and financial set backs.