Staying Positive in a Down Job Market

Yesterday, we posted the latest segment from Paul’s Making Sen$e series. In it, he spoke to two very distinct groups — laid-off white collar executives and ex-cons looking for work — and was struck by what he heard from both groups: that staying positive in the face of constant rejection is the key to succeeding in this extraordinarily difficult job market.

Today, we’d like to feature a few extended clips from the discussion with former executives in the Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook. Many have been out of work for months, and a few have been looking for jobs since the beginning of 2008.

Barbara Tomczak, a former human resources executive, has been looking for a new position for over a year. What struck us was her discussion of how HR execs often use salary ranges that job applicants plug in to online applications as a means to winnow the field.

And since we posted the resumes of the group of ex-convicts we spoke to in Chicago, we thought it only fair to also post the resumes of the out-of-work executives. We were also able to film them making short introductions about their past work experiences and how long they’ve been searching for work.

Resumes: Chris DeMaio, John Frech, John Kessberger, John Leone, John Lopata, Peter Sturdivant, Bharath Tolappa, Barbara Tomczak.