Consider your job search without borders.  Yes, it’s hard to find a job period let alone find one you love.  But just like dating, keeping your options open and not settling for the first one that comes along applies to your job search as well.  Have you ever wondered what it would be like if your choices were endless?  Think about the possibilities of being able to change the outcome each and every time you had a chance to try reliving the perfect interview or accepting the ideal job offer. When you know that you are in it to win it, nothing else matters and your quest is less about choosing from the limited jobs than it is from grabbing one of the limitless opportunities that are out there for you.

Spring is the time to get rid of the old to make way for the new.  Flowers do it.  Birds do it.  So why don’t you do it?  It’s okay to take stock of what’s not working in your life.  But do you ever focus on what is working in your life and do you take it for granted?  Purging the past to make way for the new doesn’t mean just going through your closet to see what does or does not fit.  Accepting what does not work and heralding what does work makes your career cleanse an easy process.

Like Rapunzel in the ivory tower throwing down her long braid in hopes of a rescue, does your career feel like you need more than a prince on a white horse to help you out?  Having a job these days has become more than a blessing given the alternative.  But do you somehow feel that you are sacrificing more than you think?  Feeling trapped in your situation even though you are collecting a paycheck is not any better than not having a job-you’re tangled by your circumstances no matter which side of the braid you are holding.

Sometimes you think you know how you come across to others but you don’t.  You may think you rock in your presentation skills, or present a cool and calm presence or think you are a superstar when it comes to nailing a job interview.  When was the last time you went on a job interview and what was the outcome?  I thought so!  If you’ve been pounding the pavement and think you are just doing fine networking your butt off then think again.  If no one has offered you a job or even given you a second look, chances are you are not the picture perfect job candidate you may think you are.

Whether you are out of work, in between assignments or just taking a break from it all, you have the right to set the bar in terms of how you value your time and more importantly, your worth.   Just because your friend calls and asks for some “free advice” doesn’t mean you should always put yourself in a position to discount your services.  It’s good to help out a friend or former colleague or make referrals because you want to in turn help someone else land a job, but this does not mean you should give your services away for free.

Not sure if your career path was the one fate chose for you or you chose for yourself?  If only there was a little book that lit up every time you made a wrong turn or career choice.  Wouldn’t it be comforting to have a bunch of men in gray suits and fedoras running around trying to help you get back on track even though your heart or mind or whomever was pushing you in another direction.  Finding your way back to what you know and love is hard enough when you have distractions from life pushing and pulling you in opposite directions.  If you feel your career needs a visit from “The Adjustment Bureau” you are probably not alone.

You may be a high-ranking executive, or someone who is still working his or her way up the corporate ladder, or perhaps you are just trying to break into the business.  Wherever your position on the career chain, you may now or in the future be in a position where you have to navigate the politics of your work environment. Knowing how to maneuver in a complicated system holds the same challenges whether you are a veteran or a newbie in the business.  If you are figuring out your next career move within your own company, or exploring what opportunities might lie elsewhere, remember that wherever you may roam the politically savvy attributes you hone will come in handy along the way.

Deciding whether to quit the job you have in search of a new one can be a daunting task when faced with the unknown.  Do you leave the devil you know for what may appear to be greener pastures?  Do you take the proverbial leap of faith in search of your dream job?  What may appear to be an easy answer may actually put you between a rock and a hard place when it comes to making a choice and finally a move.

If you feel like a hopeful nominee, a reluctant runner up or a cocky winner, stand in line because your job search is a far cry from the glitz and glamour of The Oscars. You may feel like you have to dress the part or at least give good face to the crowds who are cheering you on.  But, inside your stomach churns in tangled nervous knots and you wonder how you got here and whether being in the job spotlight is such a good thing.  Having the feeling that every interview is like the opening of a gold envelope and that all you have to do is sit, smile and wait-makes the process maddening at best and at the very least, glad you don’t have to give the red carpet a whirl.

Remember when you felt secure and comfortable knowing that you were on the right career path, confident that the job you held was going to hold you long into retirement.  Well, wake up now, that dream was a good one while it lasted. There comes a time in everyone’s life where the dream and reality take a sharp contrasting turn. In the midst of this struggling economy, where you may find yourself without a job, wondering what you did wrong and if you could just do it over again you would have played your cards right.  Anything, so as you don’t have to look for another job again.   Breaking up is hard to do but going back to what wasn’t working is even harder still.