Many of you have been struggling to find work in a down trodden economy. Considering the unemployment rate is the highest it's been in 10 years at 6.7%, you're not alone. Good Morning America filmed a segment recently that shared one woman's struggle. Laid off in October of this year, Julie Brock, a single mother of 4 has been desperately leaping financial hurdles ever since. While Julie searches the Internet everyday for open positions and even cashes out her 401(k), she worries most about paying her rent, buying groceries and exhibiting some semblance of the holiday spirit for her kids.

At a job fair in Hollywood, Florida, the Good Morning America team surprised her with a job offer from a company they sent her to interview with, a Christmas tree adorned with presents, and a decent car to get around in. Through tears of gratitude, Julie accepted the gifts and embraced her children in a hug. While this was an emotional moment for all, it got me thinking about how the OfficeArrow members are handling job loss and ultimately finding their way to new positions. While it's likely that those who are looking have polished their resumes and are diligently scouring the job boards daily, this might not be enough in this tough market. Here are some tips for expanding your job search and increasing your chances of landing a great gig:

The Big Ones

Sitting at home day in and day out glued to sites like Monster and CareerBuilder probably isn't enough to get maximum exposure in this market. Try local job boards, community colleges and newspapers. Of course, there is nothing wrong with sending your resume out at random either. Look up some of the companies you admire and would like to work for. Find out who their hiring manager is and fax them a copy of your resume. Even if they don't have a position currently open, they'll likely keep your resume on file and could offer opportunities at a later date.

Job Fairs

Job fairs are great opportunities to expose yourself and your skills to multiple companies in a short period of time. Typically, most (if not all) of the businesses represented there have job opportunities and are looking for folks to fill them. Come prepared with lots of resumes and dressed to interview. Most of the hiring process will be done right there. For information on where you can find a job fair in your area, click here.

Polish Yourself

One of the biggest issues with folks that have been vigorously trying to find gainful employment is a lack of confidence. It's difficult to keep spirits high when you can't get anyone to call you for an interview. So, it's important that you polish yourself. Treat yourself to a haircut or facial or anything that will make you feel better about yourself. Then, decide to be poised and confident in your job search and ultimately your interviews. There's no room to be a glum chum in the job market today, so be sure to maintain eye contact and hold your head high. You'd be surprised what impression simple body language can give.

It's incredibly difficult to push through when nothing seems to be going your way; but you have to. If your way of finding a job hasn't been working, it's time to change things up a bit. Hit the streets, visit job fairs or anything you can possibly do to put yourself out there. Tap into the part of yourself that knows you're good at what you do and that any company would be lucky to have you. Then share it with your interviewers. It's a tough job market, but it's nothing you can't break through.