With the present economic downturn, more and more people are asking the question “How much time will it take me to find a job?” While there is no easy answer, much depends on you and what you do in terms of trying to find a new job. Here are some things that will help you speed up the process.

• When you lose your job, go gracefully. Don’t take the opportunity to burn your bridges. Ask for a letter of recommendation. Never badmouth your previous employers.
• Get up every morning and work on finding a job with the same dedication and time you would put into working. After all, finding a job is your new job.
• Spend more time contacting companies and less time checking job ads in newspapers and online job banks. More employees are hired through direct contact with a company than through advertisements.
• Brush up on your interview skills and practice your responses to typical interview questions.
• Be open-minded about taking a job that pays less or has less status than your previous one. In this economy having a job is much more important. You can always work your way up too within the company too.
• Consider moving for the right job. There are certain areas of the country where the economy has not battered the job market as much as in others. Don’t move before you have a contract however.

Use your time wisely when you are looking for a job and be open to every possibility. You may find that it takes longer than you expect it to but these tips will help to speed it along.