<p>Do you know anyone (friends or family) who lives in an area with a better job market? If so, I’d encourage you to strongly consider moving.</p>
<p>Is there a branch of a national temp agency (like Kelly) near you? Go ask them if you can test (document skills) locally, and have them send your file to a different branch when you move. They ought to be able to tell you if there are any areas where they need more people with your skillset than they have. If they can, I’d encourage you to strongly consider moving.</p>
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<p>I strongly disagree. The best way to get a job is to have a job. It puts you in contact with potential employers who can see for themselves what a good worker you are. It gives you the opportunity to be promoted from within. If it’s a national company, it gives you more ability to have a job waiting for you when you move. It puts money in your pocket, rather than adding student loan debt not dischargeable in bankruptcy.</p>
<p>I’ve got a Psych degree from a big-name school, had a good GPA, and graduated when the local unemployment rate was about 4%. I spent 6 weeks sleeping on the floor of my parents’ attic (they were not believers in boomerang children, so converted bedrooms to office space the same year each of us went to college) without getting so much as a good lead on a job, and eventually started temping. A temp job turned into a full-time job, and the skills I got at that full-time job got me a better job, and eventually I went back to school.</p>
<p>The people I know locally who have gotten jobs recently (local unemployment at 8%) all got them because they knew someone who worked for a company that was hiring, and the employee handed in the applicant’s resume and personally vouched for that person being a good worker. Not having those kinds of contacts makes it much harder to find work, and having a job that brings you into contact with people makes it easier.</p>