The unemployment rate is approaching 10 percent. Will it exceed that number? If the credit markets are still frozen by mid-2009, it’s possible we’ll surpass 10 percent. But given interest-rate cuts and stimulus packages, that’s hard to envision. Korn/Ferry had to reduce its head count by 15 percent. That affected about 400 people.

Who won’t be returning to their chosen profession? People in derivatives and capital markets. Also, those using exotic financial instruments, particularly mortgage-based derivatives. That market is on life support right now.

What fields do you expect will offer the best chance for employment during the next decade? Health care, education, sciences, some areas of technology, but not commodities. Not jobs that can be done more cheaply overseas.

You’re handed a pink slip. What should be your first move? Talk to your employer about alternatives: Is there a chance you could take unpaid vacation? A three-day workweek? A three-month furlough?

What do people tend to do instead? Have knee-jerk reactions. They blindly fire out résumés. You’re not going to get a response to a blind résumé. You’re not just competing with the person from Denver; you’re competing with the person from Delhi or Dubai. It’s all about personal connections.

What do people underestimate the importance of during an interview? And what do they overestimate? They underestimate culture fit. Most people don’t succeed or fail based on an abundance or a lack of technical skills. They overestimate the importance of their educational accomplishments.

What was the first job you got fired from? I was delivering newspapers off my bicycle in Kansas at age 14, and they weren’t ending up where they should. I guess I wasn’t hitting the sweet spot.