The past century has been an era of unbelievable changes. We literally have gone from the horse and buggy days to outer space in less than 100 years. At the turn of the twentieth century, 90 percent of Americans worked in agriculture, usually on small family farms. At the close of the twentieth century, less than 5 percent made their living by working on family farms.

The advancement of technology, with its need for thousands of technology related jobs, was the fuel that powered the shift in this country from an agricultural society to an industrial society. Before long a person's employment was at the discretion of and the will of the industrial machine. With the advancement of technology came the evolution of mass production from one that was primarily people oriented to one of mechanical orientation. In so doing, a new generation of the unemployed has evolved—a generation that can be separated into four different categories: job mismatch, no job, entering or reentering the workforce, or no direction.

Job mismatch
Job mismatch is the most common justification for people to quit their jobs. Experiencing a lack of fulfillment and corresponding low motivation toward work, along with a sense that they have chosen a field of work that is not a good match for their talents, are the primary factors that have caused people to quit their jobs without having other jobs lined up. The vast majority of these who quit their jobs are stressed out, even to the point of not wanting to go to work every morning. In some cases this job stress has been so acute that it has resulted in health problems. So, to ensure a less stressful and healthier life, they have quit their previous jobs and are job hunting.

No job
Many who had jobs have become victims of cutbacks, restructuring, and downsizing; many have lost their jobs after years of loyal service to a business, company, or corporation. These layoffs generally are not personality motivated; rather, the layoffs are economically motivated. A business cannot afford to stay in business if it pays more in employee salaries and benefits than it collects in revenues. Sometimes these cutbacks are known far enough in advance for people to begin looking for replacement jobs. At other times cutbacks come without warning and have a tremendous impact on families. For those who have experienced downsizing, layoffs, or cutbacks, it's much like a death or a divorce, especially if the victims are middle-aged and find that their work experience and expertise, loyalty and work ethic, or education are no longer enough to ensure new jobs.

Entering or reentering the workforce
This group has expanded rapidly in recent years. Some are homemakers who have chosen either to enter the workforce or reenter the workforce and pursue careers. Some are divorce victims who are forced to reenter the workforce. Still others have been victims of layoff or cutbacks and are trying to learn new careers or enhance their talents and gifts to become more valuable on the job market.

No direction
A large number of this group are young people who have little exposure to the outside world of work, so they don't know much about what is available. They then tend to choose occupations out of ignorance or based on trends and the values of society. Another part of this group are those who have been laid off and have no direction regarding which way to go next, have no training in anything other than the job that was taken from them, or feel that they are too old to start over.

Develop a strategy
A job search is similar to a typical business developmental plan: you identify your objective, you identify the resources needed to achieve your objective, and you develop a well-thought-out plan. So, if you are one of the 4.1 percent or more than 5 million who are part of the unemployed in this country, we encourage you to develop a strategy similar to the one listed below that addresses the three parts of a typical developmental plan.

1. Trust God. Check your spiritual pulse. Spend extra time in prayer and Bible study. Read the Psalms and Philippians.
   
2. Make a list of your assets as a person and as an employee. Identify your transferable skills and abilities, personality strengths, and career focus. Identify your work priorities. Outline your work history to show the responsibilities you have had and the types of work you have done. Develop a résumé. Keep it to one page unless you have been employed 10 years in the same field. Be ready to tailor it to fit particular job openings. Develop a reference pool. Compile a list of people who know something of your work history and are in a good position to evaluate your job performance.
   
3. Get involved with an accountability/support group. Share with God and other believers your feelings of loss, anger, depression, and stress. Pay special attention to the needs of spouse and children. Seek out at least one primary support relationship besides your spouse to help serve as a career coach. This should be someone of your gender.
   
4. Develop a short-term financial plan. Immediately take stock of your finances, including savings, spendable assets, and income, and include severance pay or state unemployment compensation. Acceptance of unemployment compensation while you are out of work and looking for another job is neither unscriptural nor unethical. Unemployment compensation is an insurance that your employer (or you, depending on your state) has paid for you. If you have peace about accepting the government's aid, then you should accept it. We urge you to pray about this matter and let God direct you. Set up a short-term budget. Cut expenses. Know your bottom-line monthly needs. Project your cash flow and determine how long you can afford to be unemployed. Call on believers if you need financial assistance or help getting through this transitional period. Accept help from your church.
   
5. Network through every possible contact. Use leads from people you know to make direct contact with potential employers. Get the word out about you and the objective you are seeking. Consider having business cards printed with key phrases regarding your career objective and your major qualifications printed on the back. Get involved in a church-sponsored job network group. Set and meet goals for daily calls and personal contacts. Qualify your contacts. Search the Internet for job-listing Web sites and respond to classified ads. Follow up on all contacts. If you were granted an interview, follow up with a letter.
   
6. Maintain a normal daily routine. Get up and get dressed for work. Physically go to your “office,” whether it is a room in your house dedicated to job search or your local library. Covenant with your spouse or friend to call you and hold you accountable to your goals and encourage you. Spend six to eight hours per day looking for work. Relax, read, and relate to your family members.
   
7. Continue to trust God and wait patiently for Him to provide your next job.

Conclusion
At this nation's present rate of industrialization and technological advancement, we are forced to come to grips with the fact that jobs are now less secure than they have been in the past. Over the long haul an employee generally cannot look to his or her employer for job security. However, the best way to increase the odds of being employed or staying employed is to know your talents, develop them, and be truly excellent in work habits. Since jobs are so insecure, flexibility is essential. Therefore, knowing how to find a career that best fits into the parameters of your talents, abilities, and capabilities and then focusing on the follow-through of that search—while relying upon God's guidance and His directive—are the primary ingredients needed to insure success in the job search market.