After Grim Employment Report, Obama Stresses Green Jobs

Why are these three people smiling? Andrew Malkin, Joolee Lee and Jason Desmarais all were laid off...

Why are these three people smiling? Andrew Malkin, Joolee Lee and Jason Desmarais all were laid off in the slumping economy but now are working for the digital publishing company Zinio. It's among the companies that are increasing payroll despite the recession.

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How to Score Work in a Growing Field

Desmarais' new job is very different from the one he once held, he said, but his organizational and management skills helped him make the transition.

Jason Seiden, the author of the upcoming book, "Super Staying Power," said that if you're considering switching industries, it's important to get a firm grasp of what job you want and what skills you can apply to it.

If you're not sure what industry would suit you, Seiden said, it's worth consulting former bosses, colleagues, friends and family to get their take on what your talents are and where you could apply them.

"Ask them directly, 'What am I good at, what am I not so good at?'" he said.

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Once you're actually interviewing for a job in a different industry, Seiden said, be sure not to turn off prospective employers by spending too much time lamenting your last job loss. Frame your industry switch as an opportunity that you're eager to take, he said.

"As an employer, I don't want victims," Seiden said. "I don't want people who don't want to be here, but I do want people who are adaptable and resilient."

Sometimes it's skills gained outside the workplace, Seiden said, that will help you land that next job.

Randi Melton, the owner of a new child care center in Sioux Falls, S.D., said one of her new hires was a woman laid off from a credit card company.

The woman's experience raising her own children, Melton said, helped her get the job.

"I figured if you have four kids, all within five years of each other, then obviously you have experience" that's relevant, Melton said.

"Anybody that's willing to work and learn," she added, "is trainable."

ABC News' Nathalie Tadena and Kristina Wong contributed to this report.