The job search can and does feel like a crap shoot these days.  When you may feel no matter you do, how many networking events you attend, how many job postings you apply to, you are in a mean game of rock, paper, scissors and you are always a mis-match!  Even when you feel like your job search is more like a guessing game-guess again. You can win at this if you just sit back, and prepare yourself for an inevitable crap shoot with the occasional win.

What’s on your holiday wish list this year?  Are you still looking for the right relationship, enough money in the bank, the perfect job or maybe a raise?  Are you grateful for what you have or are you still searching for a reason to get up in the morning?  Have you been deservedly naughty or particularly nice and just waiting for a bounty of beautiful gifts to descend upon you?  Whatever your lot in life you are in a unique position to hit the reset button and start over as the New Year approaches.

Living life large may not have been in the cards for you when you accepted the job offer, but sometimes you feel that your survival depends on how well you can play the career game when the rules inevitably change over time.  It’s not just about keeping up anymore or doing a good job.  You have to be very astute and understand the hidden dynamics of any workplace environment whether you have your eye on the corner office or not.

Time spent in quiet contemplation sets the necessary foundation to help focus you more than list building and speed-interviewing can any day. When you feel the need to plan ahead, think about slowing down and taking a career sabbatical.

For all of you out there dreading the seemingly inevitable, your own unemployment, your fears are not the answer. What you need to keep in mind is that your fear, like everyone else’s, is real and you can control how you think and how you react in any given situation.  Keeping your thoughts focused on the here and now and not what lies ahead or what comes next, will keep the fear of rejection at bay, at least until you come up with a strategy to find your next opportunity.  Remember, when all is said and done, if you have your health, your family and a good support system, all you need to keep telling yourself is that, “It’s just a job, isn’t it?”

You may not be one of the millions who are knocking on doors, scouring the job boards and filling out their bi-weekly UED forms, but you may just be as lost and confused as your unemployed counterparts.  You may have a job to go to every morning, a paycheck you collect twice a week and health insurance-but, are you happy?  Just because you have a job does not mean you are any more or less fulfilled than the guy who is struggling to make ends meet.  You may think, “What have I got to complain about, I should count myself as one of the lucky ones.”  True, but are you happy?  If you are still pondering this question, welcome to the world of the “under-employed.”

Which ride would you be?  You can tell a lot about a person by what they do in their leisure time.  You might ask how this helps you in your career pursuits but just hold on to your teacups and let me explain.  Exploring what motivates you personally may help you define what motivates you professionally.  You might seek to balance your lifestyle in a way that supports you professionally.  Meaning you may be on the go at work and desire a more leisurely sport, or you may have a more sedentary job and therefore go thrill seeking during your playtime.

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.

When you feel like your job track has been all over the place and you’ve been running the relay like the Long Beach Grand Prix, it’s time to figure out how many laps you’ll need to get to the finish line.  It’s not enough to make sure you are in top order, but going the distance when the road is anything but clear makes you wish you were a bystander rather than in the race. When you are not sure where you are headed other than the circles you keep running, it’s time to course correct your career and get yourself moving in the right direction.

Knowing when to make a left when you are going right, or to turn when the road seems to bend out of nowhere enables you to right the course of change when you come to a career crossroad in your search for the perfect job. Given the experience of sudden turns, bumps, changes in the terrain helps you to focus on staying the course even if you are not always sure where you are headed. It’s not as important to always have a clear vision of where your career is headed.  It is important however to manage the obstacles, challenges, opportunities and gifts you come to find along the way.