DEAR JOYCE: Do you find that liberal arts majors are not as marketable as they used to be? -- D.B.

Vocational and technical grads have always been tapped for hiring before their liberal arts brethren, so the employment-timing ratio between technical grads and liberal arts grads hasn't changed. But this recession is so far-reaching that few majors are immune from job problems -- even engineering, information technology and health care.

Better news: Despite the tight-as-a-tick job market, some observers have recently turned optimistic, expecting a hiring pickup in the retail, government, nonprofit, entertainment and leisure sectors.

The takeaway: Unemployed liberal arts grads, there's no need to become resigned to home detention. At your earliest convenience, act on the following tips.

1. Your No. 1 job-finding destination is the career services office at your college. Admittedly, some career centers are more helpful than others. But that's the place to start because they have job listings, community contacts, career counselors, job search advisers and a wealth of online and print resources to help you untangle confusing decisions that lie ahead.

2. Consider a post-grad internship. Work for a few months in an industry of interest, even if you don't get paid for your labor. The internship transforms you from a blank canvas into a newbie with relevant experience. Locate your school's internship coordinator through the institution's career center.

3. Focus on the skills you can market and be ready to rattle them off. Relate your skills to an employer's challenges. For example, a history major seeking a job in a political campaign might articulate an ability to explain ideas, see relationships between factors, examine evidence, do research and make decisions. What talents do you have to sell, and why will anyone pay you for them?

4. Take responsibility to research the job world as you want to know it. Read at least three substantive books that deal with your situation, such as:

-- "Smart Moves for Liberal Arts Grads: Finding a Path to Your Perfect Career" by Sheila J. Curran and Suzanne Greenwald (Ten Speed Press).

-- "Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World" by Lindsey Pollak (HarperCollins). Continued...