“I am not going to be too picky at this point [about] which job I should get,” Jerome Acks says. Fresh out of the School of the Art Institute’s grad program, Acks is desperately seeking employment. His prior work experience runs the gamut, from computer work at Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland to a job framing artwork. “I would like some sort of art job, like studio assistant or a teaching position—but these types of jobs are slim pickings,” says Acks, who’s primarily looking to support his real love—painting.

But graduates like Acks face a bleak job market: In June alone, 62,000 jobs vanished nationwide. That means more people clamoring for fewer positions. What does it take for job seekers to get a leg up on the competition in this economy? We call in job coaches, résumé polishers and a stylist to find out whether the extra help will amp up Acks’s hirability and land him a sweet gig.

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