Author's Name: Richard N. Bowles

Charles Dickens put it well. For some people, many people, these are the best of times. But for others of us, these are the worst of times. The rules of the game have changed. Without warning. Without warning. Especially for job seekers, or those trying to change jobs.

The job search process behaves differently now than it did in the past. Things have changed. Tremendously.

The turning point was 2008. We all know what happened then: the so-called Great Recession, the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression of 1929. We're recovering, but we're recovering slowly. The landscape has shifted radically and for a long time. What worked before, doesn't work anymore. What was easy, now is difficult or seems impossible. Our complaint: unemployed. I wrote a resume. I sent it to all the places I should have. I went to all the online "job boards" and looked for openings in my field. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month. All of these things worked the last time I was job hunting. But now? Zero! Nothing!