When your job involves helping other people find a job, it's important to be aware of and ahead of economic changes and their impact on hiring practices. And after a rough year, for everyone, I'm happy to report that things are looking up.

Employment Rates Slowly Bouncing Back

Since the 2000 technology boom, employment has fallen 19.1%. But AdAge.com recently reported that last October saw a gain of 2,200 jobs in advertising and marketing, the first positive month in a year. And media jobs rose, albeit slightly, in September and October, the first back-to-back monthly gains since 2006.

While advertising and marketing hiring increased in October, it dipped again in November. However, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel-- employment is down nearly 10% from its all-time high in 2007.

USA Today Predicts Upswing in Early 2010

Staffing and hiring needs--along with the economy--may not be what we would call "stable" just yet, but they are on the upswing. And Ad Age has some predictions for the coming months that paint a better picture than many are used to.

Job Seekers Need to Be Ready to Be Hired

What's that mean for job seekers? Keep at it! You want to be ahead of the curve when hiring really picks up. Don't give up now; keep your resume fresh update your LinkedIn profile and get networking now. And if you have a job but have been considering looking for greener pastures, this should ease up on the pressure to stay where you are, just because it's safe.

If you're in recruiting, now is also a good time to step up your marketing efforts and start reaching new prospects. And with more jobs on the horizon, everyone, whether happily employed, looking for a job, or helping others find jobs, can benefit from reconnecting with old contacts.

Sales recruiting is obviously about sales, but in many ways, it’s also about marketing--as a job seeker, a recruiting agent or company. Selling yourself, even if your job is in sales, takes a certain finesse, particularly when times are tight. And this hold true whether you want to market yourself as a potential hire, your candidate as a recruiting agency, or your brand as a company.

It’s no surprise that job seekers need to market themselves, both to a recruiter and to hiring managers or other people along the interview process. By extension, recruiters often need to help sales candidates by selling them in a slightly different way. But recruiters can and should sell themselves, and therefore their candidates, by focusing on the right kind of marketing for their recruitment process and track record. Companies aren’t exempt either; they need to work with a recruiter to create a triple-win situation.

Here’s some advice for all parties that will lead to better candidates, more accurate placement and higher job satisfaction all around.

Be Professional

You’d be surprised at how often professionalism flies out the window when dealing with hiring, even among those looking for a new job. Everyone involved in the hiring process should use polite conversation, and job seekers especially should be sure to dress the part; casual attire may fly for those who work there, but you need to impress at an interview. And please, refrain from slamming companies on social networking sites; it will come back and bite you. Same goes for interviewers and recruiters; never trash other candidates.

Be Honest

Honesty may seem counter-intuitive to traditional marketing advice, but it plays right into the need to be professional at any and all levels of a job search, no matter what side you’re on.  Job seekers, be upfront and honest about your resume and experience; never lie to fill in the gaps. Likewise, HR people need to provide accurate job descriptions and requirements. As for recruitment agents, we often have an insider perspective into companies where we’ve placed people, and that feedback is valuable to both applicants and hiring managers.

Be Promotional

If you’re in sales, this goes without saying, but it holds true in any interview situation, and on both sides of the table. And while it may be your job to sell for the company you want to work for, or to sell your candidate to the HR manager, you often need to sell yourself first. The trick is to demonstrate your skills and abilities without bragging or inflating them; see the above two pieces of advice if this is unclear. Examples and track records work great here to prove your point. If you’re just starting out, doing your homework can go along way to tailoring your pitch to exactly what they need.

The bottom line? To be in sales, you need to be able to market. At least yourself. And whether that means building a reputation as a recruiter with great placements, earning the esteem of recruiters with the badge of a “great place to work” or showcasing yourself as a necessity for your next employer, sales and marketing skills go hand in hand.

These days, it seems like every other news story is about the economy and the job market (or apparent lack thereof). Everyone knows someone who has been laid off; people who were once looking for their next big career move are now hunkering down and riding out the storm at a job they no longer love because they are afraid to look around and end up out of work as well, and people aren't being promoted the way they used to. The amount of job turnover and open positions is down...but that doesn't mean you should lose hope.

Reports vary on the impact the economy is having on hiring, and consequently, on recruiting, but it's not all bad. Open positions might not be as easy to come by, but qualified candidates are always in demand and working with a recruiter can be a huge advantage to getting yourself noticed. Often, they have the ability to be pushy where, as an applicant, it would not be in your best interest to badger an HR manager.

Let's not forget that colleges across the country just flooded the applicant pool with recent graduates. Together, all these factors have left a lot of job seekers wondering how or when they will ever get hired.

The answer can be sooner than you'd think, if you get serious about your job search. A great first step is connecting with a recruiter who specializes in your area, as well as reaching out to your existing network of friends, colleagues, business connections and recent acquaintances. But you can't just sit back and wait for these people to come to you with your dream job offer; you need to work at it. The key to finding a job quickly, and nailing the interview, is to do your homework. Now more than ever, you can't afford to be lazy or take a day off from your job search. You need to treat looking for a job like it's a job in and of itself. Here's how.

Dust off your résumé

People seem to hate updating their résumé more than any other chore, task or assignment. It should be easy: talk about yourself and what you've been doing! But a lot of people struggle and either downplay their skills or inflate them into a work of fiction.

If you are really treating your job search like a job, this is your first assignment. Sit down, and get rid of all your personal distractions. Look up examples online and avoid sounding formulaic. Break out the thesaurus if you have to. The trick to a great résumé is highlighting what you brought and took away from a position, not just the daily tasks you faced. "Organized spreadsheets" is a bad way to explain that you "developed and implemented a new filing system to streamline operations." See the difference?

Work with a recruiter

News flash: working with a recruiter is free for job seekers. When you are placed, the recruiter or head hunter will receive a percentage of your salary for placement, but this isn't taken out of your pay and you owe them no fee for their service.

Again, let's imagine that finding work is your job while you are technically out of work. "Hiring" a recruiter is like calling in an expert. They probably know more people than you do (it's their job) and a lot of them specialize in a certain field, like sales recruiting. Recruiters often get inside information and advance leads on jobs, and they have spent quite a lot of time building up their credibility, so it speaks volumes to have them working on your behalf. They also don't get paid until you do, so it's in their best interest to work hard for you.

Apply everywhere

A lot of people get their hearts set on one job and stop looking while they wait to hear back from this dream position. Ever heard the famous line "he's just not that into you?" Don't wait by the phone.

You don't literally want to apply everywhere; to extend the job metaphor, would you try to take on the entire office's responsibilities? No, but you also wouldn't sit in a cube and perform one task all your life. Branch out and explore options related to your field but that differ from what you're used to. Also, don't be afraid of geographic barriers. Some jobs might be open to telecommuting, or maybe you'll find a new city you love. That said, don't apply for positions you are vastly under or over-qualified for, but don't be afraid to stretch a little.

Do your homework

OK, so maybe this is more reminiscent of school, but we all bring work home from time to time. The point is, you need to stay on the ball, whether it's in the search, application, interview or follow-up process of the job hunt.

Your "homework" encompasses a lot of things, from continually updating your résumé and/or portfolio to writing a new cover letter specific to each job you apply for. Yes, you can get away with a standard cover letter and will save a lot of time by mass emailing people with one form letter, but at least take a moment to personalize it to the position and company. If you really want the job, I say start from scratch; your passion will naturally come through. You also want to do the research part of your homework by getting some background on the company, especially before an interview. Then, make sure to follow up with a thank you. Keep a running list of where you've been and where you are in the process, as well as who has résumés but you've yet to hear from.

If finding a job is going to be your job, at least for the time being, make sure to set aside some time each day to check job sites, network online, and stay current on your industry. You should continue to wake up at a reasonable time and get dressed, so you feel more productive. As for those college kids who are willing to work for a lot less just to get their foot in the door? Remember what you have on them: years of experience. And if you yourself are a recent graduate, you might want to suck it up and stay at mom and dad's for a little bit.