The economy stinks, you're out of a job, and frantically looking for work, The bill collectors are hounding, and lurking; and you're thinking of going berserk. You tried everything, even read all the current job search books too, and to plan an effective strategy that works; you hired a career coach or two. You hear voices in your head, confirming and justifying your worries anew, they share the following fatal concerns leaving those tough solutions up to you:

• "I'm confused and don't know the kind of work I can do."
• "I'm angry and feel like an animal trapped in a zoo."
• "I don't have any marketable skills, nope haven't got a clue."
• "There are no jobs to fit my skills; I've barely seen a few."
• "I'm not happy and want to start my life brand new."
• "The job search is a political hassle from my point of view."
• "People frown and judge me, "You're not working yet? Gosh, it's been a month or two."
• "I'm lost, terrified, and my self esteem is suffering too."
• "I don't know where to start, and I don't know what to do."

Your coach just smiles and says, "Looking for a job is not hard as it seems, if you do it right, you can have the career of your dreams." "Proper preparation always takes you to your goals, you'll see, so you can have control, reclaim your power and find the proper key." Your first reaction is to smack her in the face for her surface sage deductions, "How the heck does she know about these horrible job seeking conditions?" The career coach gently guides you with these challenging instructions:

• "You must discover your passions and know who you really are; that is her uggestion."
• "Review your skills and achievements and what really turns you on; that should be your destination."
• "It works to choose your best career options based on who you are; to reach your aspirations."
• "You must then research careers that fit your passions; for jobs that fit your required conditions."
• "Formulate a resume geared towards your chosen field; with clear objectives and no obtuse distractions."
• "Prepare and memorize a script about yourself; to use in interviews and presentations."
• "Network, network, positively with the world outside and always build relationships; in order to make good impressions."
• "Interview with employer needs in mind; not yours; and don't forget to like them first; using your innate intuition."
• "Negotiate based on how you can make them look good; to overcome their objections."
• "When you get the job, support your boss to become a star; and you'll receive recommendations for advancement and promotions."

Ultimately, what you are coached, really starts to make some sense, consequently, you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and stop sitting on the fence. Finding a job is the most frustrating and hardest work there is; you'll find! but to be frank, 'That's the Way It Is', you just gotta keep up with the grind! It's imperative to be your own employer now; no matter the lousy conditions, do what's expected, and never give up, no matter your current obstructions. The job search is really a numbers game and if you 'hang in' long enough, I predict you'll get a job, even though the trip is extremely trying and tough.

More than 70 percent of America’s workers are still living paycheck to paycheck according to a recent American Payroll association poll. And current tough economic times have everyone wondering what they can do to stretch their paycheck a bit further. We’ve compiled a list of what we feel are ten of the best ideas to help stretch your paycheck. With a little extra effort, you can yield some big savings. 1. Stop Buying Bottled Water Americans spend a staggering amount on bottled water - $15 billion last year. Name brands in small bottles can cost more than $10 per gallon while tap water costs about ½ of a cent per gallon. If you feel the tap water in your area needs further filtration to be palatable, many commercial filtration systems are available that filter water directly at the tap or in containers which translate to a cost of approximately 18 cents per gallon. 2. Skip the Gourmet Coffee OK, maybe you can’t go cold turkey on your morning latté, but you can at least reduce the number of times you stop for that special brew. At an average price of $3.00 per cup ($15 week, $60 a month), this is a savings you owe yourself. (more...)

Stress The World’s In A Mess, How Do YOU Handle The Stress? You need stress in your life! Does that surprise you? Perhaps so, but it is quite true. Without stress, life would be dull and unexciting. Stress adds flavor, challenge and opportunity to life. Stress is with us all the time. As you probably know, too much stress can seriously affect your physical and mental well being. A major challenge in this stress-filled world of today is to make the stress in your life work for you instead of against you. Recognizing the early signs of your stresses and then doing something about them can make an important difference in the quality of your life, and may actually influence your survival. Here are some suggestions for ways that work in having more control of your life and handling stress. Choose following techniques you think will work best for you and make them a part of your everyday life. (more...)

Have you ever had a time in your life when you realized you were just going through the motions? Going to work each day to get paid, so that you could afford to do the other things in your life you truly enjoyed? Have you ever thought, ‘there’s got to be more than this!?” Perhaps you feel that way now. What you may long for at a time like this is to regain your sense of self. To restore yourself and get a new sense of your well-being. To do so, you will need to align what is important to you deep inside with the daily life you lead on the outside. After all, you probably spend more time at work than anywhere else—shouldn’t you feel like you are contributing to your sense of self while you are there? What is Self-Renewal? Self-renewal begins when you take time out to reflect on what is working and not working in your life, to determine what is really important to you so that you can reframe, refocus, and rejuvenate. Self-renewal requires that you, by choice, step back—away from whatever it is that you are doing and that you look at what you want in life and work to determine how the two can be more synchronized. (more...)

Tips for Organizing your Desk During the Job Search Your desk is the most important part of your office when you are looking for a job. It is your private work space, However many people make the mistake of using your desk as a storage space which can add to confusion. In order for you to be focused on the task at hand, the desk should be clear and free of distractions, such as piles of paper, books, notes, bills, etc. In order to manage these items without losing them, find the information you need to work on, and still have a clear and organized work space, you need to create Action Files. Action Files are your Action Items; temporary homes where papers live until they either end up filed away permanently or thrown away. Your Action Files may sit on the far corner of your desktop, in a file drawer, or in baskets on a credenza. Whichever method works for you is fine. Label them appropriately according to what actions fit best with your job search. (more...)

Recruiters, Search Consultants, and Headhunters What is a Recruiter? If you are considering a career move, a resource you may wish to consider is a recruiter. Recruiters, sometimes referred to as head-hunters or search consultants, are independent consultants engaged by client companies to locate qualified candidates for professional positions within the client company. They do not charge a fee to the job seeker. Fees are paid by their client company. Recruiting or search agencies are not the same as Employment Agencies or Career Counselors or Outplacement Agencies. 1. Employment agencies assist candidates in finding a new job and may charge the candidate for their services. 2. Career counselors are engaged by job seekers to professionally prepare for and conduct a successful job search that is useful and works. Their services may include skills assessment, personality testing, and career guidance counseling. Fees for their services are paid by the job seeker. (more...)

The purpose of the telephone call is simply to set up an appointment! When phoning, be as presentable in dress and demeanor as you would be in person. Otherwise, you place yourself in an inferior position to the person you are calling. Always identify yourself before speaking. Speak in an enthusiastic manner. Techniques: Keep a script of what you want to say in front of you. If you get thrown off track by some unexpected question or reaction, it will be relatively easy to recover when you have your thoughts written out. Of course, they have to be adapted to meet the individual situation, plan to proceed as follows: The Secretary: It is important to establish rapport with the secretary or receptionist, who is a facilitator and valuable business contact. When talking to the Executive’s Secretary be firm and positive, without seeming to appear arrogant. If you seem hesitant or unsure of yourself, you may be put on the defensive and your chances of getting to talk to the person you are calling are minimized, expect to get through and to get the interview. (more...)

Top 10 Thoughts We’re Really Thinking When We Procrastinate and Feel Stuck If you don’t stay ahead of it, procrastination and feeling stuck are insidious little varmints that scuttle around the baseboards of life, contaminating your best intentions. These little saboteurs love to perch on top of your to-do list, gloating, knowing full well who’s Boss. For twenty years I’ve been coaching people how to defeat their own self-defeating behaviors, especially feeling stuck in procrastination. Clients ask why they sabotage themselves, and why they can’t seem to follow through. (more...)

Do you feel that someone is continually taking advantage of you? Do you seem to have to fight aggressively? Do you know how to win and get the resources you need? Do you struggle to get what you want from people whose help you need, but over whom you have little direct authority? If so, you may need to brush up your win-win negotiation skills. Effective negotiation helps you to resolve situations where what you want conflicts with what someone else wants. The aim of win-win negotiation is to find a solution that is acceptable to both parties, and leaves both parties feeling that they’ve won, in some way. There are different styles of negotiation, depending on circumstances. For instance: (more...)

It’s tough out there. Ask anyone looking for a job in nearly any field, and they’ll be able to recite a long list of challenges that job-seekers face on a daily basis. Companies are closing or suspending hiring for the foreseeable future, competition for open positions has never been fiercer and the outlook for the nation’s economy hasn’t been this bleak in generations. Now more than ever, job hunters need to be resourceful in their efforts to secure gainful employment and few websites offer more of these resources than LinkedIn. Why should you add LinkedIn to your job-seeking toolbox? Here are some very good reasons: (more...)