The critical factors that help job seekers get hired

Based on an analysis of 47 studies, a recent meta-analysis identified the critical factors that make job search interventions effective. The study shows that teach job search skills, improve self-presentation, boost self-efficacy, encourage proactivity and goal setting, and help to enlist social support are most effective. The analysis also shows that developing job search skills in combination with enhancing motivation is critical. The bad news is that job search interventions are less effective for long-term unemployed than for people who more recently lost their jobs.

Liu, S., Huang, J. L., & Wang, M. (2014). Effectiveness of job search interventions: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 140(4), 1009-1041.

Unemployed individuals over the age of 50 need to make more job applications

Older unemployed individuals still have a strong desire to work, but compared to younger unemployed workers, they make fewer job applications and search less intensively for a job. Older unemployed individuals may also limit their employment opportunities by expecting high wages according to a study conducted in Belgium. These results suggest that increasing job-search activities and adjusting salary expectations are useful strategies for older job seekers.

Journal of Vocational Behavior

Unemployment can change personality

Experiencing unemployment leads to a decrease in agreeableness towards others, to being less conscientious, and to being less open for new experiences, according to a representative analysis in Germany. Personality is typically seen as very stable in adults. However, important contextual and environmental influences can still affect one's personality. So, here's one other reason to avoid unemployment. It can not just affect career development and income, but the innermost core of who we are.

Journal of Applied Psychology