If you have been looking for a job for a long period of time without success - first thing - you are not alone. Even when unemployment rates are low, there are people that still have a tough time finding a job. There can be a number of factors why you are having trouble finding a job and we will try to go over them here. Its best to not get frustrated, take a deep breath and know that you will find work one day soon. Sometimes the best rewards in life are ones that took you the longest to accomplish - so know that your day will come soon. 

 Typically job hunters fall into two categories:

1. You are getting interviews - but no job offers
2. You submit your resume - but get no interviews

Lets take a look at #1 - You are applying for jobs, getting invited to an interview - only to not get offered the job. This is a very common frustration that many job seekers are experiencing right now. What happens in an environment where there are many more people that need jobs over employers that have jobs available ... the employer knows this ... and can interview many candidates in order to find the perfect match. This leads to many frustrated job applicants.

If you find that you are getting interviews - the key for you is to work on your interview skills. You need to stand out among 10, 20, 30+ people at times and the boss needs to remember you and only you. There are ways to do this without coming across as too confident or brash. #1 thing to remember - is be yourself. This sounds like something your grandmother might say - but it truly is the best advice to any situation where you need to stand out. Don't confuse being yourself with good communication skills ... Eye Contact, Posture, Smiling, Gestures and other subtle non-verbal communication techniques should always apply (If your not the type of person to smile, nod, or look someone in the eye when they talk - that needs to change quick). When you are talking with others - try to practice good eye contact and listening well just like in an interview. 

In terms of what you say in an interview. It all comes down to the job you are applying for. My best advice would be to find out as much as you can about the company you are applying for. Go to the company website, if they have one, and search for information about the business that may not be something they have presented to you in the application. When you go and interview - try to identify skills that you have - that match up well with the company. 

Final thoughts to remember for interview troubles: Be Yourself + Strong Communication Skills + Tell the boss what skills you have that relate to the business in the interview.

Now lets look at #2 - You are applying for jobs, but not getting interviews. This more often than not is a resume problem and/or a job selection problem. If you have the skills for the job you are applying for, you should get interviews for the position. If your resume looks like a 4th Grader put it together - than you have a problem. The truth is, a 4th grader can put together an awesome resume (I've taught computers to 4th graders so I know :) - This means you better put together a good one to stand out. You don't need flashy paper or fancy flowers blooming on your paper, but I'm not going to say those things don't help. What bosses really hate the most - are resumes that look like they were ran off 100 times at the local copy store and distributed to whatever businesses were in the area. That goes in the trash every time - and hiring managers can spot this from a stack of 500 resumes.

You need your resume to be a stock template of your experience - education and other skills. However, always change it up each time you apply for a job to bring the most worthy information to the top. If a College Education is required for the job you are applying for - and you went to a good school - put that right at the top and explain how much you learned that will help make the company money. If the job requires you to lift 50lbs or more daily - put right at the top how you workout everyday and can easily lift that amount of weight ... in fact, even better would be to tell them that you would enjoy lifting that much weight because it would help you continue to stay in shape.

Always highlight skills that you have in your resume - that will directly make the company money. And put that right on the cover of your resume in the form of a cover letter - addressed directly to the hiring manager by name. 

 Hope these tips help a little. Remember that finding a job is often harder work than having one ... so keep working hard on your resume, communication skills and stay motivated to keep looking for new jobs.