Need a job? Some companies are still hiring

Largo, Florida -- Despite the recession, there are companies still hiring. We called up one that's posted multiple open positions online to ask them what they're looking for in a potential employee.

After serving as a United States Marine, Tony Smith switched to targeting a different type of enemy. He traded in his rifle for a gun that shoots herbicide at water-loving weeds.

Smith now blends biology with time in the sunshine as an aquatic weed control technician with American Ecosystems.

"There's a scientific interest in it, as well as environmental. So, if you like the outdoors, this is the place to be," Smith said.

This was not his job in the military. He had to try something new.

"It's a unique job -- something that I had never heard of until I started here," Smith said.

The pile of resumes on his boss' desk prove -- despite the recession -- American Ecosystems and other companies are hiring people to fill those unique jobs. The company's president, Kevin Youngberg, says he's looking for folks who, like Smith, are willing to step out of their comfort zone.

"You've got people in fields that we've never seen before that are applying for jobs," Youngberg said. "And people that have been established in other careers and jobs for a longer period of time."

For Youngberg, the ideal candidates for his $30,000 per year, fully paid health care positions are ones who see this recession as a chance to take a swing at something they've always wanted to try -- or at a career that just, for whatever reason, really appeals to them.

"If you want to work outside in the Florida heat, and you've been cooped up in -- let's say -- a lab or something for the last 10 years... Now is kind of a good time to do it. It's a good time to make that jump," Youngberg said.

It's that bold switch that has made all the difference in Tony Smith's life.

"I love it. I've been here almost 10 years now, I'm the regional manager of the company, and I wouldn't do anything else," Smith said.

Our sister site CareerBuilder.com is full of job listings and tips for job seekers. This article covers more tips on looking for a job in a recession. And here you can take a career planner quiz that may suggest some new career paths that you haven't considered before.