Whether you want to completely revolutionalize your professional life or your hand was, ahem, forced (According to Forbes magazine, America's 500 biggest companies have laid-off nearly 200,000 people since November 1, and claims for unemployment benefits are the highest they've been in decades), navigating a career change during an economic downturn might seem more than a little daunting. However, the smart job seeker knows that when everyone else is giving up on the job search—or fearfully holding onto the one they have—opportunity abounds: all it takes is a little strategy.

Be Realistic

It's a lot easier to reach for the stars during an economic boom than during a downturn. When you're applying for jobs, be honest with yourself, your experience, and your expectations: an Executive Assistant doesn't become CEO overnight! Don't go after jobs that are completely out of reach, because in the end, if you continuously don't get them, you'll be hugely discouraged—strike a balance between achievement and over-doing it.

Also, in many cases, a prospective employer will ask for salary requirements from you, but remember: your current salary is public knowledge and easily accessed by a person interested in hiring you. Let's face it: we all need (and deserve) to be making more money! But if you're requesting a salary that's significantly higher than what you're making at your present job, do your research and be prepared to make a solid case for why you deserve said salary.

Bolster Your Skills and Knowledge

There's no better time to become, well, better. Going back to school for a Master's or PhD during a recession might seem counter-intuitive (especially if it involves even more student loan debt), but there are plenty of ways to beef up a knowledge base that will in turn engender a seamless career switch and/or make you a more attractive candidate to a prospective employer.

More and more schools are offering online degrees and super-flexible (days, nights, and weekends) programs. Stick with reputable colleges and universities, though, because there are a lot of generic "online degree" programs out there in cyberspace that are nothing more than shams.

In whatever form it takes, garnering some more education is the single best way to make a seismic career shift: the only way to move from real estate to curating Renaissance art is by learning about it. Whatever course you decide to embark upon, though, remember: a recession is (hopefully!) temporary, but an education is forever.

Tell the Truth

In non-recession days, people might have been able to exaggerate or stretch the truth in terms of their skills and qualification. Not so any longer. So many people are on the hunt right now that employers don't need people who Almost Qualify (or who beef up their qualifications to try and fit the bill), because chances are they have someone applying who is either perfect or even over-qualified (i.e., someone who was laid off and just needs any job in their field, even if it means a pay cut or title change).

In lieu of lying, be creative in your application approach. We certainly don't advocate sending a singing telegram or cornering your prospective boss in the steam room at the gym, but sending a quirky (note: we didn't say crazy!) cover letter or enticing the boss's assistant with flowers or chocolate to put your resume on top of the pile is attention-grabbing and will surely at least score you an interview. 

Apply From Within

An unfortunate by-product of a stubbornly sluggish economy is that in many cases, people are more desperate for more money than for striking out in a whole new career or industry. So a lot of hiring is being done from within companies, the candidates being people who are posting for higher-paying jobs, and who already have the experience and company knowledge. This is, at its baseline, a good way to gain core skills and amp up your resume, plus make more money to boot. So if you're staying put, make the most of it: enlist a mentor, grow your skill-set, challenge yourself—that boost will prepare you for a faster bolt when the time is right.

Use the Resources Around You

Most of us know a multitude of people who are gainfully employed, and in a recession, friends, acquaintances, and family members become especially important during a job search or career change. Nothing is more valuable than a personal contact at a company, because nothing can be more frustrating than applying for a job using an online resource, only to feel as though your resume got sucked into the Jobless Vortex, never to be seen or heard from again. Whether your friend's brother Brian is a bank branch manager or your aunt Sandy is the president of a Fortune 500 company, don't be bashful about enlisting their help. If you feel awkward about coming out and asking them to shepherd your resume to the right (hiring) person, simply frame it as, "Any chance I could take you out to coffee pick your brain about applying for jobs at Company X? I'd love to get the inside scoop." Networking works.

While you're at it, make sure that you have someone you trust carefully read over and edit your cover letter and resume—typos and/or incoherence are unacceptable, even during the best of economic times.

 
Use an Agency

It might seem old-fashioned, but employment agencies and headhunters are also reliable allies during a recession. You have absolutely nothing to lose—companies pay them to screen applicants, so they're a good complement to all of the other components of your search.