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After months of slow, almost imperceptible job growth, private-sector payrolls are finally beginning to grow at a more significant and accelerated rate. However, one group continues to struggle with finding employment: the millions of Americans suffering from long-term joblessness. Their plight poses the biggest obstacle to continued job growth and could threaten to stall the recovery.

Unfortunately, the longer one is out of work, the more difficult it becomes to achieve success. You have to overcome a lot of employers’ preconceptions about candidates with significant gaps on the resume. You also have to overcome the many negative emotions that naturally accompany a long job search.

There is some hope for long-term job seekers in the latest employment figures, which show the strongest job growth since the recession ended in 2009.

For the long-term unemployed, the task of securing a job presents unique hurdles. One of the biggest obstacles can be time-pressed hiring managers who are under pressure to quickly narrow the field. As a result, they are often compelled to focus on those with the freshest skills.
For long-term job seekers who make it beyond the initial screening process, there is the challenge of addressing the significant gap in experience with the interviewer.

The long-term unemployed also face personal barriers. Many have lost self-confidence due to the length of time out of the workforce. Others have had a series of rejections, which may leave them feeling defeated. These obstacles are significant, but not impossible to overcome. Here is advice for the long-term unemployed looking to take advantage of the recent surge in job creation:

Re-ignite and re-connect with your network. There may be a large portion of your network with whom you have not spoken to in several months. Now is the time to re-connect with and expand your network. If you have not joined online networking communities like LinkedIn, do so now and start connecting with former colleagues, classmates and other acquaintances.

Move away from resume-centric job-search strategy. Most Americans take the traditional approach to job search: scour the help wanted ads and send out resumes by the hundreds. Even without the red flag of prolonged joblessness, relying on a resume to get your foot in the door is a numbers game that favors the employer. You might as well be playing the lottery.

Uncover the hidden job market. The other problem with relying too heavily on help wanted ads is that these represent a small fraction of the available jobs. This is why expanding and staying connected to one’s professional and personal network is critical. It increases the chances of being in the right place, at the right time, when one of these hidden opportunities arise. Avoid going through the human resources department.

Reset expectations. You may need to consider working for less money than you imagined, working in a different industry or accepting a job title that differs from your aspirations. However, your primary objective at this point needs to be getting back on the payroll so you can start filling in the experience gap.

Remain positive. Don’t be defensive or take on the role of the victim when it comes to your prolonged unemployment.

Step outside of your comfort zone. An aggressive job-search strategy often requires you to do something that makes you uncomfortable.

You will have to tell people you have not seen in 10 years that you lost your job. You will have to cold-call employers about job opportunities. An aggressive strategy also includes asking a friend or former business associate for the names of five people who might be able to help with your job search.