When I met Rick Nelson last November I was struck by his optimism and his pluck. Here was a guy who had been out of work for nearly a year, but didn't seem at all bitter. He diligently looked for work every day by surfing the internet, combing through newspapers, and networking at job fairs.

When I revisited Nelson this week, he remained ever the optimist. While he has found temporary work at an outplacement firm, he is still searching for another well-paying permanent job.

But he faces a lot of competition. Right now there are more than eleven million Americans out of work. We'll know next Friday how many more will be added to the jobless rolls when the government releases the February employment report.

John Challenger is the CEO of the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas and Nelson's boss. Challenger says the hardest part of job hunting is staying motivated. He advises jobless workers to join trade groups and professional organizations. He also suggests reaching out to friends, family, and former co-workers--anyone who might know of a possible job opening.

Nelson was downsized from a job as a human resources specialist at a small Chicago firm. Prior to that he worked in law enforcement. He is now expanding his job search from human resources to the security industry.

Nelson has a lot of confidence in himself. Hopefully that confidence will pay off and land him a good, full-time job soon. I'll let you know when it does.