ONE DAY the economy was humming along and the next day it was in the tank. Then came a slew of bankruptcies, layoffs, store closures and pink slips. If you are among the bewildered workers who just got the ax, or if you are afraid your job is the next to go, it's time to get a game plan together. Dust yourself off and get focused; your next job is to get a new job.

Looking for a job takes discipline and in a tough market like this, it requires plain old fortitude. The stakes of the game are higher now due to increased competition for fewer jobs. In recruiter's lingo, it's a "buyer's market" now and companies have their pick from a large field of qualified candidates. This means job seekers will need to do more to impress hiring managers. Now more than ever, candidates will need to get it right with every aspect of the job search. In short, you need to be in top form to distinguish yourself from the pack.

To help you get started, the experts at 24 Seven are offering you some tips to help you find a job. We help people get jobs every day. We know a few things about what hiring managers want and what gets candidates noticed. If you haven't conducted a job search lately, we recommend that you peruse the pages here and get familiar with the process again. Even if you have searched for a job recently, you might want to give this a look anyway since looking for a job in a recession is an entirely different game.

So take a deep breath, get focused and get moving. It's time to get your game face on!