Let's face it, the job market is tight. And while job loss and slow job creation have affected everyone, they have disproportionately affected Blacks and Latinos. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 9 percent of Blacks and nearly 7 percent of Latinos were unemployed last month, compared with 4.5 percent of whites. And these numbers aren't getting better any time soon.

So what does this mean? Job seekers are going to have to go beyond traditional job-hunting practices to land that next job, warns Cheryl Compton, territory vice president for Spherion, a staffing and recruiting firm.

While there is no handbook to surviving a tight job market, DiversityInc has compiled expert advice on things you can do to gain an edge over the competition.

Use Your Network

Far too often, people expect job offers to fall into their laps. Unfortunately, unless you're about to inherit the family business, that just isn't going to happen. Instead, it's important to use your network of former employers, colleagues, friends and college classmates to help you get the word out that you are looking for work. While your friends and colleagues may not know of an open job, they may be able to put you in touch with someone in the field you want to pursue or the company you want to work for. That contact could be the one that eventually leads to your dream job.

It's also important to understand the role the web now plays in networking. "Networking is still the way you find a great deal of the good jobs, and networking has changed," says Compton. "Now we network via the web. Nowadays, it's really about going to sites like LinkedIn and Facebook [to] start to network to find other people in their industry."

For more details on how to network successfully, check out next week's story on the do's and don'ts of networking.

Go On Informational Interviews

An informational interview is just what it sounds like. It's an opportunity for you to gain information about a company or a position.

"If you have been invited to an informational interview, it is not only an opportunity for you to practice and perfect your own interview skills, it's also a time to get a sense of the culture for that company," says Compton. "Any time you have more information about the company, it benefits you."

Landing the informational interview can be tricky; people are busy and barely have time to interview when they are looking to hire, let alone when they are not. But keep in mind, most companies want to know where the talent is, so informational interviews can benefit the company too. Networking can be a great way to land the informational interview.

An informational interview is not like a job interview. If you are lucky enough to land one, here are some things you need to remember:

• You set the agenda for the informational interview. That means you need to do your homework; be prepared with relevant questions about the company and the type of career you are interested in. Plan to take notes; don't rely just on memory to remember the details of the meeting.
  
  
• Never ask for a job in an informational interview. This puts the person you are talking to on the spot and may make your contact feel misled about your purpose. Also, avoid asking specific questions regarding salary, vacations and benefits. Remember, you are asking for information, not a job.

• Just like any other interview or business appointment, it's important to be prompt, dress professionally, be prepared and follow up with thank-you letters or e-mails.

Attend Career Fairs

Each year, thousands of people flood career fairs, and unfortunately, many leave without a job--or more importantly, without any positive contacts. So what's the issue? Some hiring professionals suggest it could be arrogance on the candidate's part or a lack of preparation.

"People should be conscious of their overconfidence," says Andre' Lee, director of recruitment for INROADS, a nonprofit organization that trains and develops talented students from traditionally underrepresented groups for professional careers in business and industry. "During career fairs, there are so many people. You should be prepared to do a 30-second introduction explaining why you chose that company."

So how do you avoid over-confidence? Focus on your skills versus yourself, warns Lee. Employers are more concerned with what value you will bring to their organization and less about your personal needs.

Lee also says that your introduction should include all pertinent information about you: your name, what your degree is in, what you are looking to do, and what you can bring to the particular company. And don't forget to get a business card from the company's representative and to follow up as soon as possible, says Lee.

Talk to Recruiters

People have different opinions on headhunters and recruiters. And while recruiters and headhunters come in all shapes and sizes, you should remember that they work for the company, not you.

"The candidate should never pay the headhunter," says Compton. "If you are going to a headhunter and they want to charge you a fee, I would not encourage you to continue to do business with that recruiter."

Nailing down a recruiter can also be tough, warns Kevin Johnson, a New York City branch manager at Spherion. "It's really tough to just call an agency. Recruiters don't find people jobs, they fill jobs for companies. One of the best ways to find a recruiter is to look at job boards and search for particular positions. Line up your skill sets with what the recruiter is looking for and follow the contact directions, be that e-mailing your résumé and cover letter or filling out an online application,"  says Johnson.

If you get a job interview through a recruiter, Johnson says it's important to work with the recruiter throughout the process. Trying to go around the recruiter once you have a contact inside the company could hurt your chances with that job or with other opportunities the recruiter might have in the future.

Focus on Specialized Job Boards

It's undeniable that the Internet is the place to go for the latest information on available jobs; however, checking general job boards isn't the most productive thing you can do. Be sure to devote time to specialized job boards that match your field, or that target traditionally underrepresented groups, because companies posting jobs on these boards are more likely to be looking for people like you.

"Corporations post jobs in targeted places to reach a specific audience. This can be helpful to the job seekers from traditionally underrepresented groups because it makes jobs more accessible," says Carolynn Johnson, vice president of business development for DiversityInc. Johnson manages the DiversityInc Career Center, the leading diversity job board and career center in the nation.

Johnson also advises creating a job profile on specialized job boards because it "allows you to make technology look for jobs for you, when you aren't physically able to."  If you do create a profile, be sure to update it regularly with the latest information about yourself.

Spruce Up Your Résumé and Cover Letter

Your résumé and cover letter are your marketing tools. Make sure they are up-to-date and accurate and portray your skills and accomplishments in the best possible light.

Also, be sure both your résumé and cover letter are tailored to the specific job you are seeking. Most importantly, make sure they are free of error. After you've checked them for spelling and grammatical errors, have several friends or associates look them over as well. A cover letter and résumé are usually the first representations of you a company sees, and nothing can hurt your prospects faster than a typo or a misspelled company name.

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