With so many people now losing their jobs these days because of the recession, searching for a job may not be easy, as you have to compete with many others who may be in the same predicament as you are. It is quite prudent therefore for you to follow some time-tested and quick time-saving job search tips as compiled by some experts in the task of looking for jobs.

If you are a job-seeker now because you were laid off from your previous work, file for unemployment benefits early and do not procrastinate so your benefits check can arrive fast and help you in your lack of income at this time. This is the first tip you should attend to right away. What is the point delaying anyway, if you are entitled to the benefits? Take advantage of the privilege immediately, so you can at least soften the impact of your job loss.

Apart from taking advantage of the above privilege, you can consider the below mentioned tip in order to start your search for the next job:

1. You must be reachable by phone anytime in case a company hiring needs to get in touch with you. Check your email regularly too as this could be another way that they will contact you. In your personal resume which you will be submitting to firms you will apply with, be sure to put in your cell phone number so you can easily be called by anyone in case you happen to be away from your home phone. Having these communication tools ready, and working, could help you land a job earlier than you expect.

2. Be more than prepared, by always having an up-to-date resume ready to send – in fact you should have this ready even if you have not lost your job yet but is in danger of losing it, what with the economic situation feared to worsen further. It is quite easy to have several versions of your resume filed in your computer in case you will be applying for a job which will call for other qualifications not now included in your present records. You will never know what will happen in the coming days – with a ready resume you can react to any opportunity that is too good to pass up when it comes your way.

3. Get help by utilizing free or inexpensive services that provide career counseling and job search assistance, such as college career offices, or state offices of the Department of Labor. The local public library in your area is also one possible source of information on the availability of jobs.

4. Create your own template/s, as another way to have copies of your resume and cover letter, always ready to edit when you have to. Instead of preparing different copies of your job application documents, you can just have one copy in a template the content of which you can easily change to match the requirements of the job you are applying for. Of course, the contact information and your opening and closing paragraphs will not require changes.

5. Use job search engines which are available when you do your search for jobs online. In fact these facilities now are the most useful tools for job seekers and are a very economical way of job-searching. All that you have to do is spend time before your computer without spending transportation money. Using this online tool will just be like you are in the office of the firm with which you are applying for a new job.

These are just but a few of the tips you can use. Remember to check them out anytime you need to, especially now that the job loss situation will likely continue to deteriorate, until such time when the government finds effective solutions to the recession now confronting us.