I entered the job market in '08 and agree overall, but I will add a few caveats from my personal experience: > If you get hired via a staffing agency, you coul

I entered the job market in '08 and agree overall, but I will add a few caveats from my personal experience: > If you get hired via a staffing agency, you could be cut at any time arbitrarily. I once got laid off 24 hours after signing a contract renewal. Keep as good an emergency fund as you can manage. Assuming you are a useful employee, being a temp or a contractor can save you from being laid off because you are paid less, don't have the same benefits package, and are usually paid from a separate, more liquid general fund. If you believe in the power of personal anecdote, this saved my job once. > Cold applications are just a numbers game. Managers get 1000 applications for 1 seat. Yes, tune your resume/letter for the job, but don't spend too much time on it. I don't think this advice applies to everyone. If you apply for jobs that are a good match for your skills, or you are simply exceptional, your base success rate will be higher in the first place, and you will get more ROI from a tuned resume and a serious cover letter. Just be mindful of where you are putting your effort, and don't be afraid to change up your strategy if it's not working.