Molly Fahey has a bachelor's degree in physics, a master's degree in mechanical engineering and no job since January.
So she's sweating it - literally - at a free workshop and workout for the unemployed at a gym in an upscale suburb of Washington.
"It's a very difficult time right now," Fahey, 26, says after the strenuous workout as sweat continues to bead on her forehead. "It's challenging and you can feel overwhelmed. Coming here was a really positive experience. I got some good information on resume writing and the job search in general, and working out is always a great thing to do," the lanky marathon runner says.
Fahey and half a dozen other men and women have just spent two hours in an aerobics room in a gym, listening to Malcolm Munro, who calls himself "The Career Fitness Coach", sharing tips on how to build a killer resume and urging the group to leave their personal comfort zone as they try to find a job. "If you want to get a job, you have to give 100 percent to this," says Munro.
"One hundred percent means you're going to have to do some things that make you feel very uncomfortable. I have clients who have been out of work for over a year, and when they started doing things that made them uncomfortable, they found a job within weeks," he says.
What Munro means by pushing the comfort envelope is doing things like meeting 20 new people a day, having business cards printed, learning to hand them out - essentially, making a change in the way the job hunter has done things.
Ken Harris, a fit-looking 44-year-old who lost his job as a personal trainer, struggles to keep pace with fitness instructor Libby Rubin, a tiny strip of a woman whose energy levels could light up a small city.
"I wasn't feeling great when I got here," Harris says. But after the hour-long workout and Munro's pep talk, he feels as if "my gas tank's been refilled" and he has a new focus.
The reason the job hunter's bootcamp combines both the physical and mental is because both are vital to landing a job, Munro says.
So jobseekers need to add every possible weapon to their arsenal to catch the interviewer's eye, Munro and Rubin argue.
Finding a job, especially when the economy's in the doldrums, requires bolstering "a mind, body, spirit connection," says Munro.
Questions:
1. What is the name of the career fitness coach?
2. How long has Molly Fahey been without a job?
3. What are some tips in this article for job hunters?
Answers:
1. Malcom Munro
2. Since January.
3. Meet 20 new people a day, print out business cards and learning to hand them out.
(英語點津 Helen 編輯)
About the broadcaster:
Chantal Anderson is a multimedia journalist at the China Daily Web site. Originally from Seattle, Washington she has found her way around the world doing photo essays in Greece, Mexico and Thailand. She is currently completing a double degree in Journalism and International Studies from the University of Washington.