Do you believe in yourself? This seems like a silly question, but I believe that it is at the heart of a successful job search.

I was chatting with a client over the weekend about this. She's been out of work for a while and is in the process of finding a job. She's not had much success and has reached the point of taking anything. I told her this is unacceptable and will lead to further frustration in her job search. Companies don't want someone who will take anything. We review her resume and I suggested some changes.

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In reading the news and looking at the unemployment numbers, it's easy to get discouraged. Large businesses aren't hiring at desired rates, and small businesses are cautious as well. Besides the large numbers of Americans looking for traditional work, there are hundreds of thousands who recently fell off the unemployment roles as "discouraged job seekers". While the unemployment rate is officially 9.5%, the true number of unemployed and underemployed is around a staggering 17%. What is one to do in these times?

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It's understandable that when your job search isn't panning out, you might start looking for anything that will bring in money. Financial constraints can add to the feeling of desperation. However, the "I'll take anything at this point" will hinder your efforts to find work that fits your individual traits and needs.

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We Americans have just finished celebrating our most important day as a nation, Independence Day. Our holiday has become a celebration that brings together friends, family, and neighbors to celebrate a nation that in many respects is the envy of people the world over. I know of no other nation where individuals strive to move to in order to pursue their dreams of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

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I am preparing for a trip to another conference this summer. I find that in order to be the best I can in self-employment, I take in classes, seminars, read books, and also coach with others.

One of my passions is to be generous and to help others. I know that when I'm treated extremely well, I reciprocate and also become a raving fan of that business or person. Additionally, I believe that's the way to survive in the market.

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People who work at jobs that have a pension component or other retirement supplement by their employer often calculate their last day of work by a formula that calculates a point total to create the maximum benefit.

This came to mind the other day when talking to an employee at a client I'm working with. It's a large financial institution, and she's been there for 25+ years. She's very well thought of by peers and superiors, and in my view, could be considered a linchpin as defined in Seth Godin's latest book Linchpin. It's amazing how much she knows and how she helps us get things done.

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How is your work affecting your health? Studies show that work can have a significant and negative effect on your health. This came to my attention this past week.

I've known for some time that I am a stress eater. Even though I am now in a much better place, I have found that losing weight has become more difficult than in the past. I am optimistic that the problem will be resolved, but I also wonder about others.

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I had the privilege of having lunch with a friend recently to work on some future opportunities I’m exploring. We spent some time reviewing my personal history. It’s clear to me that I shouldn’t be where I’m at today because of some disadvantages and events. However, the one thing that came clear from this reflection was the power of belief.

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Many Americans are scrambling this week to pay their taxes before the April 15 deadline. It's a stressful time for many of us. Do we really need the added stress? Add to that the stresses of work and it's almost easy to see why Americans take so many anti-depressants. Our lives become a pressure cooker balancing all the responsibilities of home, work, and family.

Sometimes the stress from work comes from being in the wrong place. We are working long hours at jobs we hate to make money to pay bills for things we buy to take our minds off the work we hate. Cool, huh? How about the following statistics from my friend Dan Miller's book 48 Days to the Work You Love:

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Social Media has exploded onto the scene in the last few years. There are almost too many sites to name. The biggest ones are probably MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. What you are doing on these sites, or not doing, can aid or hinder your job search success. You need to remember that the information you display on these sites is visible to virtually anyone.

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