英語學習點: The Job Market 人才市場

Most people feel miserable when they are made redundant from their job.

Not Jason Schneider. After struggling to find a new post, this 26-year-old American decided to go freelance.

You'll find him in New York's Central Park holding a sign advertising his services: it says that he tells jokes for a dollar and that laughter is guaranteed.

But Schneider says that it is not an easy way to make a living. He finds himself on duty 80 to 88 hours a week.

Times have been hard for job seekers in many developed economies since the economic downturn started in 2008.

As with everywhere else, in Britain the job market has been slow and vacancies are difficult to come by.

Jobless people are having to think outside the box in order to rejoin the workforce at a time when companies are having to lay off staff.

Joe Busby, a graduate from Gateshead, has also found a way to stand out from the crowd and possibly catch the attention of a prospective employer. Busby has printed his CV on a T-shirt.

But there are more conventional ways to win a new position. Experts advise job hunters to brush up on their skills.

They should intensify their networking and consider applying for jobs for which they are overqualified.