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Debbie Kaplan, who was laid off three-weeks ago from a non-profit, was one of the many who attended a free daylong job search event Monday hosted by the New York Public Library and Vault.com.

"The last hired is usually the first out. So I knew it was coming down," she says.

Job-seekers spilled out into the hallway to listen to advice on how to talk to recruiters. They packed the tables at speed-coaching sessions to get any advice they could on how to land that next gig.

"Unfortunately, in this climate, I think everyone has to got to think of their different skill sets and perhaps market themselves to different segments of the market," says job-seeker Agnes Melvin.

Career coach Bernie Siegel says those seeking jobs should remain energetic and optimistic, which are both attractive to recruiters. And, he suggests being specific about the job you want, while never underestimating the power of networking.

"Most jobs aren't publicized. And if you meet enough people, and tell them what it is you're interested in doing, you might know someone who knows of an opening that isn't a publicized opening," says Siegel.

Career coaches tell NY1 that it's not just about beefing up your resume and getting an interview. There's a lot more, they say, that has to be done now to get that competitive edge.

"The web is a wonderful thing," Siegel says. "If you can identify an industry that you're really interested in, you can go on the web and find people that are in the industry, maybe they wrote an article, maybe they're an executive, and contact them. Ask for 10 minutes of their time, just to talk to them about their industry and their company."

Siegel says you should make the initial contact through email, and then set up a time to call.

Officials at both Vault.com and the public library say they saw a need for this event, and they're changing the way they do business because job-seekers need them more than ever.

"We're in the process of adding a ton of new content related to careers in healthcare, energy, government and education," said Vault.com Chief Executive Officer Erik Sorenson. "These are the hot four areas that in 2009 will open up a lot of career opportunities."

The library has added industry-specific databases for job seekers to research.

"We're about 30 percent more than we were before January. And I see it," said John Ganly, assistant public director of the New York Public Library. "The last time we had a recession that I remember was 1989-1992, and it was about three years, and I would say this is going to be about equally as long, if not longer."