After working hard for four years of your life and spending anywhere from roughly $60,000 to over $100,000 on living expenses and tuition, you still haven't found a job. Fear not, because you are in significantly better shape than those tenured professionals who have only one specific skill set, and have recently entered the unemployment line. Some major advantages you have are that you are young, cheap, and fresh to the professional world. With a college degree you have become prepared to work for several different companies that would love to hire an ambitious and energetic college grad.

With a top-down approach to finding a job, one must start extremely broad and recognize which industries are doing well now, will do well into the future, and will always be steady. These industries and professions are health care, engineering and sciences, computer sciences, finance, and education.  The continuing path of technological advancement, a "greener" society and economy, a growing life expectancy, stricter financial regulations, and a mandatory change in the quality of public education, create opportunities that can drive these industries. One industry which is overlooked and underestimated is that of skilled trade. With everyone striving to obtain white collar jobs, the skilled laborers like electricians, plumbers, mechanics and carpenters are excellent professions to make a lot of money. These jobs are physically demanding, and do not require any sort of college education, but in times like these, obtaining a hard skill can be very beneficial. Not only will your work always be in demand (although still slow in times of economic despair), but you will have the ability to start a business in a profession where the population is contracting, and have monopolistic advantages to make white collar money.

Types of companies which are good for employment in tough economic times would include large private and mutual companies. The reason being in that these types of companies are large enough to withstand economic downturns, and also have no shareholders, and therefore are not faced with short-term market fluctuations, or pressures to meet shareholders and analysts earnings or value expectations. In a mutual company, the "members" own the company. The term "members" refers to whole life insurance policy holders, who have the right to vote for the company's board of directors, and may even be entitled to any dividends that the company declares. What determines financial strength in private and mutual companies is a "surplus", meaning that there is excess cash on hand to help companies bail themselves, and their policy holders, out in uncertain times. Also, these companies tend not to rely on short-term financing to run their businesses, and therefore are not vulnerable to the availability of credit, as are several commercial and investment banks. In addition, like a personal portfolio, a company that is diversified over a variety of business ventures is almost always less vulnerable to economic tribulations. These companies are known as "conglomerates."

With the above industries as the broad view of possible employment, let us now narrow down specific job titles that are in demand:

Actuary: Actuaries try to determine the likelihood of events and quantify the contingent outcomes in order to minimize financial losses associated with uncertain and undesirable events. Actuaries are used for plans in insurance, pension plans, and social programs.

Accountant: Provides assurance about financial information that helps business managers, investors, tax authorities, and the public at large to make business decisions with their financial resources.

Financial Planner: helps individuals create a strategy, fit to their specific situation and goals, in regards to:  cash flow management, education planning, retirement planning, investment planning, risk management, insurance planning, tax planning, estate planning, and even business succession planning.

Computer Software Engineer: design, create, develop, test and evaluate software and systems which would make computers work. Software engineers work with all types of businesses, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and even for themselves, known as "freelancers."

Computer Programmer: an individual who writes computer software, yet is not a software engineer. Programmer's write, test, debug, and maintain the detailed instructions of computer programs. Computers follow these programs to perform their functions.

Electrical Engineer: deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. Professions can cover such industries as power, electronics, control systems, signal processing and telecommunications.

Chemical Engineer: converts basic raw materials into a variety of products, while also dealing with the design and operation of plants, and their equipment, to perform such work. These products include materials needed for aerospace, automotive, biomedical, environmental, and military applications.

Mechanical Engineer: applies the principles of physics for analysis, design, manufacturing and maintenance of mechanical systems. Mechanical engineers help to design and analyze motor vehicles, aircraft, heating and cooling systems, watercraft, manufacturing plants, industrial equipment and machinery, robotics, and medical devices.

Teacher: We all know what a teacher is, and what they do. Positions are available, and do require a graduate degree. This profession may seem competitive in suburban areas, and it is. However, inner city school districts are always in need of student teachers.

Consultant: practices in helping organizations improve their performance, through the analysis of current business problems and developing plans for improvement. Consultants may provide change management assistance, coaching skills, technology implementation, strategy development, and operational improvement issues for more effective and efficient ways of performing business tasks.

Physical Therapist: provides service to individuals to develop, maintain, and restore maximum movement and functional ability throughout a lifetime. These circumstances can be due to aging, injury, disease or environmental factors.

Physician: practices medicine, and ultimately maintains and restores human health through study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease and injury.

When all else fails there are a few options one could fall back on. If you are a trust worthy individual, and great with kids and domestic responsibilities, becoming a nanny is always an option. There are always great benefits such as free living expenses, attending family vacations, and having a low stress life. Also, why not become an entrepreneur? Yes, it is a risky venture, and I would not recommend it if it is a capital intensive endeavor. However, if you have some talent and can offer a service, print up some flyers, some business cards, create a website, and run the business out of your bedroom or garage. Furthering education could be an option, all though even more costly than your undergraduate one, but if you have the money or don't mind the loans, academic institutions always provide opportunities. Don't forget your family business either. If an uncle, cousin, or parents own a small business, offer up your services. You don't need to be placed on the payroll, but to make some money on the side while looking for your first "real" job is always helpful. In addition, you may be able to learn a few pointers on owning and running your business in the mean time. It is important to remember that your first job does not have to be your professional career, and usually never is. But, while you are there, it is vital to acquire skills that can benefit you in the future. Lastly, tap into your personal network of friends, family, acquainted alumni, and even strangers. You never know who exactly you are meeting, or who people know, that might have an opportunity for you.

Limiting the sectors and industries to investigate may not be the best option, but you usually want to aim for an entry level position in a relatively stable industry, be sure to avoid the following: Airline, automobile, restaurant, newspapers (print editions), other elastic industries such as luxury and recreational items.  These industries have either never shown tremendous strength in the history of their existence, are being replaced by alternatives, have very high level industry entry barriers or are ultimately elastic. Elastic is a term used in economics which describes demand that is very sensitive to a change in price or consumer buying power. When consumers are ever so slightly strapped for cash, these items will be the first to go, or at least be put on hold. As for printed newspapers, the internet is slowly, but definitely, withering away the print market. Newspapers across the country are suffering dramatically from this.

Who would have ever thought that the year 2008, and now 2009, would be such a struggle? These times provide an excellent opportunity to check your personal character and to grow humble. It is important that you learn from today and remain accountable for your actions tomorrow. You may not always get what you want in the beginning, but if you work at it, it can become a great life lesson. Never stop trying, and never give up. Failure is inevitable and sometimes uncontrollable, but quitting or fighting, is your choice.

Mike can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .