Every week I check dozens of “career” blogs and other online publications, looking for things that will help you find a job, get promoted, develop your skills, and keep everything in perspective and balance. Here’s the pick of the lot for this week. I’m pointing you to items about climbing aboard a sinking ship, using time off to your advantage, interview chemistry, job boards, and how recruiters find you.

From 45 Things: Help Your Career By Stepping Onto a Sinking Ship
“Who, in their right mind, would jump onto the Titanic instead of off? In this tough job market, maybe it should be you.”

Wally’s Comment: Anita Bruzzese takes a contrarian look at whether there’s opportunity in companies that are headed for trouble. It’s good advice, though not for the faint of heart.

From the Wall Street Journal: Ways to Make Time Off From Work Work for You
“As furloughs gain in popularity, more white-collar workers will be exposed to the measure, which ultimately results in a reduced salary. Still, there are ways to make the best of a furlough that can keep money in your pocket and even help you take the next steps in your career — starting with how you take the time.”

Wally’s Comment: This is not a time to rest or mope about feeling sorry for yourself. If your employer gives you time off, use it wisely.

From the Washington Post: Interview Chemistry, a Blend of Art and Science
“Chemistry is key, not only on a date, but also in creating a connection with a job interviewer.”

Wally’s Comment: This article avoids all the pseudo-scientific nonsense about “instant rapport” and tricks that will make you appear to have charisma. Using this article as a starting point, look for things you have in common that you can chat about naturally.

From the Wall Street Journal: Experts Weigh In on Job Boards
“There are more than 60,000 job boards on the Web. Experts answer questions on which ones should you spend your time searching.”

Wally’s Comment: You should get some insight from this article, but remember that your mileage may vary. Be sure to adapt what you learn to your own, unique, situation.

From Microsoft’s Jobsblog: Nine ways recruiters find you
“Looking for a new job can be overwhelming – especially if you haven’t been in the job market, or even updated your resume, in years. With more folks looking and opportunities seemingly shrinking, I thought it was a good time to list the places where I start my search for candidates in the hopes of giving you a few ideas. Of course, the most important factors remain a well-written resume and effective leveraging of your networking opportunities. But as for where you want to start, here’s where I look.”

Wally’s Comment: This is only one recruiter’s process, of course, but there are valuable lessons to be learned from looking at the job search process from the recruiting side.

Want the secret to big success? Take some advice from Linda Alvarado’s mother.

Linda is the owner of Alvarado Construction. Today, the company is a large commercial general contractor, construction manager, and development company with offices in four states.

Linda built her company by following her mother’s advice. Her mother said, “Start small but think big.”

When Linda started out, in the 1970s, the odds were stacked against her. She was a Hispanic woman who wanted to create a big company in an industry dominated by white men.

She couldn’t do everything she wanted all at once. So she listened to her mother. She kept the big vision, but she started small. Her first company did sidewalks.

Over thirty years she’s done a little more and a little more and a little more. It’s been small steps on the way to a big goal.

That’s a great strategy. And there’s good science behind it.

Dr. Ellen Weber, of the MITA Institute describes the process this way in a post on her Brain Based Leaders and Learners blog. “Researchers found that when we break complex problems into simple steps – we add motivation for better solutions.”

In other words, when you go after a big goal using small, achievable steps, you get two benefits. You make progress with each action step. And you build both confidence and motivation.

That sounds easy, but there’s one more thing you need to know. Small steps that stay inside your head don’t count.

I’ve had too many coaching clients who wanted to do steps like “Think about marketing plan.” That’s not an action step. Thinking about action is not action.

An action step is something that produces evidence. It’s outside your head.

So, make a call. Or make a list. Do something positive, visible, and small that moves you toward that big goal.

Every week I check dozens of “career” blogs and other online publications, looking for things that will help you find a job, get promoted, develop your skills, and keep everything in perspective and balance. Here’s the pick of the lot for this week. I’m pointing you to items about staying positive, the post-interview, job hunting for introverts, getting the job offer, and what to do about gaps on your resume.

From HR Wench: Staying positive (and sane) while job searching
“Staying positive (and sane) during a year-long-plus job search is not for the faint of heart.  Here are some things I have found helpful.”

Wally’s Comment: It’s brutally hard to stay positive and keep moving forward when things just aren’t going the way you want. The HR Wench shares her experience with that challenge in her own Wenchie way. Read for knowledge. Read for fun.

From Michael Wade at US News & World Report: Beware of Post-Interview Impressions
“The interview went off without a hitch. All the questions were well-handled. Vibrations were positive. A couple of interview panel members even showed the candidate where his office would be and asked him which desk he’d prefer. He left believing the job was his. He never heard from them again.”

Wally’s Comment: Michael Wade suggests that whether you were or were not chosen for a job you need to analyze what happened.

From Fortune: Job hunting for introverts
“If networking drives you nuts and you tend to think a while before you respond to interviewers’ questions, you may find a job search especially difficult. Here’s what to do.”

Wally’s Comment: Garrison Keillor called them “shy people.” It’s hard for shy people to do extrovert-type things. If you’re a shy person, here are some suggestions for making a job search work.

From HR Thoughts: Getting the Job Offer
“The hiring manager’s wish list is right before your very eyes. Look at the position description and position posting and most importantly, listen very carefully to the interview questions. For those astute enough to hear them, the questions are filled with clues and opportunities. Do your homework and listen for the question behind the question. Let’s take a look at two interview questions to show you what I mean.”

Wally’s Comment: This is pure tactics. How to zero in on what’s important and bypass what is not.

From Fortify Your Oasis: Gaps in Your CV / Resume
“I suspect that a patchy CV affects a high percentage of people. You know the sort of thing – obvious gaps cropping up here and there in your working history. A bad move followed by a major piece of bad luck followed by another move to an awful company, a lull in the market, and the next thing you know it looks like moths have attacked your CV. How do you cover off on this problem as you put yourself out there in the marketplace on paper? If you were just given the chance to talk to a potential employer, you could probably explain the patchiness away in an instant; but unfortunately, you have to let your CV do the talking for you.”

Wally’s Comment: This is one of Rowan Manahan’s “Golden Oldies,” a post from the past that’s worth repeating.

Personal Development

Matthew Paulson presents Why You Should Refuse to Participate in the Recession posted at Fine-Tuned Finances

Peter presents Be Mass Media Free posted at we overstep saying, “Improve your awareness and mental health. Stop addiction to news, television shows and any low level mass media. Be mass media free and turn your time into something productive. ”

VYe presents Why Angelina Jolie wants to date me? Why me? posted at Sit Down Life saying, “When things are not going well, we feel that things will never change and get depressed, but things change. Good times come back. One thing which will never change is the change. Write it on a post-it and stick it inside your brain. ”

Jenn Givler presents Having trouble staying focused? posted at Create a Thriving Business saying’ “We all have trouble staying focused once in a while. The folks on Twitter helped me out a few days ago with some great ideas on what to do when you feel scattered and unable to focus. ”

jim presents Do You Love What You Do? posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity

thebarefootbadger presents  Wanting Less, Getting More posted at The Barefoot Badger saying, “As a society, our consumer appetites are voracious, resulting in degraded resources and mounting debt. The easiest way to balance our consumer habits with environmental and financial responsibility is to decrease our appetite for trendy, short-lived goods. Here, I suggest ways to restructure our habits and values so we want less stuff and integrate smart consumption into our lifestyles. Try it; it’s good for the your self, the planet, and your wallet. ”

semmy lauw wijayanto presents A goal setting is best when someone really understands what he really needs posted at My Self Help Solution

Nicholas Powiull presents  Closing the Gap Between Where You Are & Where You Desire to Be posted at Conscious Flex saying, “This article will help you close the gap between where you are and where you desire to be… very insightful – a must read. ”

Juliet presents Are You Using Your Personal Development Knowledge? |www.LifeMadeGreat.com posted at LifeMadeGreat saying, “Have you stored up a wealth of personal development reading books and blogs etc? Do you use it? How can you put it to use… ”

Kevin Ngo presents How to Change Your Focus posted at Motivational Blog

Applying the Law of Attraction presents  How Can I Apply the Law of Attraction? posted at Applying the Law of Attraction Membership Library saying, “If you can dream it, you do it with the Law of Attraction as your guiding principle. Without a doubt, the Law of Attraction is personal.”

Relax presents 5 good reasons why you should buy a lot of books posted at The Wise Curve saying, “Most of my monthly spending goes to books. Before you say that I’m crazy, please let me share with you why we should buy a lot of books.”

The Happy Rock presents Living In Fear – It Is Not Productive posted at The Happy Rock

Broderick Allen presents Sowing and Reaping posted at Broderick Allen – Personal Growth and Enjoying Life’s Journey

Jim DeSantis presents Who Else Wants a Positive Attitude? posted at On Line Tribune | Personal Challenges Blog saying, “Some people just cannot develop a positive attitude. Are you one of them?”

Personal Finance

MBB presents Best CD Rates (Certificate Of Deposit) posted at  Money Blue Book Finance

Josanne Anthony presents Money I’m Entitled To Throw Away posted at Brilliant Babblings

Patrick Smith presents Basics of car buying posted at Leaving The Folks saying, “Going to take advantage of low interest rates and good deals to buy a car? Here are some tips.”

FIRE Finance presents What Should We Do If Our Mutual Fund Goes Belly Up? posted at FIRE Finance

debt kid presents Goodbye Experian Fico Score, Nice Knowing Ya posted at Debt Kid

Mr. Banker presents High Interest Money Market Accounts (MMA) posted at Best Interest Rate Banks

retirehappy presents Warren Buffett’s Metric Says BUY! posted at My Retirement Blog

Deposit Accounts presents Stimulating $400 Per-Worker Tax Credit for 2009 and 2010 posted at Deposit Accounts

CreditCardAssist.com presents  To Close or Not to Close The Secured Credit Card Account posted at CreditCardAssist.com

Silicon Valley Blogger presents How To Make A Budget In 10 Easy Steps posted at The Digerati Life

vh presents Should I apply for unemployment? posted at Funny about Money

CreditAddict presents What to Do if Your Credit Card or Wallet is Stolen posted at Credit Card Addict

nickel presents How to Choose an Online Savings Account posted at  fivecentnickel.com

BankMan presents  Tips for safely banking and investing online posted at High Yield Savings Accounts saying, “Tips for safely banking and investing online”

The Smarter Wallet presents  Compare Credit Card Offers: Find The Best Credit Cards For You posted at The Smarter Wallet

Personal Health

Bill Urell presents  Starting To Beat Addiction With These Great Addiction Recovery Strategies posted at Addiction Recovery Basics saying, “Do You know how to beat an addiction? Here are a few addiction recovery strategies laid out in an easily understood article.”

Nancy Miller presents  Just Relax! 77 Easy, Painless Tips to Focus & Invite Tranquility In posted at Nursing Assistant Guides

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of personal development using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: carnival of personal development, blog carnival.

These are uncertain times. Kenny is losing weight.

Whenever the economy starts wreaking havoc on his world, Kenny starts losing weight. It’s not because he’s worried and can’t eat. It’s one of his ways to take control.

The odds are that you can’t do anything about the economy. Your company and industry will go their way without consulting you. So it’s easy to begin to feel that things are out of control.

When that happens, the thing to do is take control of things you can control. That’s what Kenny does.

He starts exercising again and paying attention to what he eats. That’s why he loses weight. But there are other benefits, too.

The exercise has stress-busting benefits. The diet and exercise program give him more energy. And he feels more in control of his world.

Paying attention to exercise and diet can do the same for you. Here are some other things you can do to feel more in control.

Get enough sleep. Most of the things that keep you from getting enough sleep are things you can control. Set a regular schedule for going to bed. Make sure the room is dark and quiet and cool.

Sleep is the time when your body and brain re-charge. People who get enough sleep handle stress better. They make better decisions, too.

It’s easy to get caught up in the events and stress of the day. So take some time every day to do two things that will improve your well-being.

Connect with people who love you. Relationships are the best source of support there is. Make time to get together with friends and family. Talk with them on the phone.

Do something to move your life forward. It doesn’t have to be big. Send out a few resumes. Follow up on some leads. Read a professional article.

One thing about a downturn is that it’s the universe telling you to do what you should have been doing anyway. Paying attention to exercise, diet, and sleep is a good thing all the time. Enriching relationships and moving your life and career ahead are good anytime.

But when the world is turbulent and out of control, those things pay special dividends. They help you take control of parts of your life and set yourself up for success.

Every week I check dozens of “career” blogs and other online publications, looking for things that will help you find a job, get promoted, develop your skills, and keep everything in perspective and balance. Here’s the pick of the lot for this week. I’m pointing you to items about finding the ideal mentor, how to not get hired, coaching, teams, and stupid things you can post on Facebook.

From the Nashville Tennessean: Ideal mentors encourage, offer fresh perspective
“Look for someone (within your company or outside) whom you can trust and who you believe trusts you — because trust is the cornerstone of any relationship. A good mentor is someone who guides you while helping you discover your strengths. He or she encourages you to be the best of who you are. Mentors can offer a fresh perspective and facilitate alternative thinking.”

Wally’s Comment: This is a good short article about choosing a mentor. Mentors can be a powerful influence on your career. Connecting with a good one can make that a good influence.

From the Orlando Sentinel: 10 Things that Scream, “Don’t Hire Me!”
“Not sure if you’re unknowingly blowing your chances at scoring your dream job? Here are 10 red flags to be wary of during your next job hunt.”

Wally’s Comment: Wonder why you’re interviewing but not getting hired? You’ll find some possibilities in this article.

From HR Thoughts: Coaching Works
“Leadership coaching is one of the best professional decisions I made for myself. I started working with a leadership coach while a member of an executive team strategically preparing for company growth. I continued the coaching relationship after changing employers and focused on my leadership. For me, coaching has been invaluable.”

Wally’s Comment: Quality coaching can make a big difference in your career. Your company may provide coaching. Your boss may do a little. But you can also hire a coach for the specific issues you want to work on.

From 45 Things: 5 Ways to Put the “I” in Team
“Is there a middle ground? I think so. What makes teams useful is when you understand they can be helpful in getting work done, but they can also be a bottleneck. You need to understand that while you can reap the rewards of being on a team, you also need to watch out for yourself and your own career interests. ”

Wally’s Comment: This is a great post because it discusses something important that’s often not even mentioned. Read this to get some ideas about how teams can affect your career.

From Career Diva: 25 Stupid Things You Should Keep To Yourself
“This is just a small sampling of what people on Facebook have been saying about themselves since an annoying movement called “25 Things About Me” started on the social networking site. Basically you’re asked by a friend on Facebook to write 25 things about yourself that a lot of people may not know.”

And

“People are trying so hard to be witty and out do their friends, that they’re disclosing information that could come back to haunt them. Almost every hiring manager I talk to lately says one of the first things they do is Google an applicant’s name. I’ve written about this in the past in my MSNBC.com column.”

Wally’s Comment: Eve the Career Diva always has good advice and this is some of the best. Be sure to read the comments, especially the first one from HikingStick.

The other day I read an article in the New York Times with the fascinating title: “Dieting? Put Your Money Where Your Fat Is.” It’s about “diet bets.” A diet bet is an arrangement “in which those seeking to lose pounds give themselves a new incentive: money. If they don’t lose more weight than the competition, they lose cash.”

I have coaching clients all the time who tell me they’re “committed” to something. It might be losing weight, or getting their MBA, or having family night once a week, or a whole variety of things. I know they’re committed, but what I worry about is their commitment to their commitment.

I don’t mean that to be funny. When the pressures of day-to-day life take their toll, one of the first things to go is commitment to that behavior or goal that seemed so important just a little while ago.

One client decided she wanted to attend seminary and become an Episcopal priest. Her husband was supportive, even though the program was demanding and would take several years. Their kids said they were supportive, too, even though they would have to start getting up earlier so mom could get to class on time.

That lasted until the second day of the new regime. That morning when my client went to wake the girls, the younger one said, “Oh, mommy, I don’t want to get up now. I didn’t know it would take this long!”

That’s how most of us feel when the excitement of a new commitment is driven out by the reality that it won’t be easy. That’s when seeking outside help can keep you committed to your commitment.

Diet bets are a form of competition. Competition is one way to work with others to stay committed. It works if you’ve got similar goals. It works even better if you’ve got a neutral scorekeeper.

Another way to have others help you reinforce your commitment is to do things together. Many people use a “workout buddy” to help them stay with a new exercise program. It works because of the accountability to another person.

A workout buddy is a form of “accountability partner.” That’s someone you report to about your efforts and how they’re going. Some of my clients use me as their accountability partner. Others use their spouse or a business friend.

Whether it’s competition, like a diet bet, or an accountability partner of some kind, getting outside help can help you stay committed to your commitment and moving forward.

Every week I check dozens of “career” blogs and other online publications, looking for things that will help you find a job, get promoted, develop your skills, and keep everything in perspective and balance. Here’s the pick of the lot for this week. I’m pointing you to items about how to find ways learn more and how to assure that you will never, ever get promoted.

From Brain Leaders and Learners: Move Intelligence Up a Notch Today
“If you believe IQ is fixed, then it could well be so for you, because of the way belief fuels or limits mental plasticity and brainpower. Want more intelligence by the end of today though? Then simply act on one or more of your multiple intelligences, and expect your dendrite brain cells to reconfigure for more intelligence in that domain.”

Wally’s Comment: Ellen Weber shares some tips on how to improve your overall learning capacity.

From the Kansas City Star: Uneasy workers return to school to ensure their marketability
“Money runs out quickly. Education lasts. That’s why Caron Pfaff of Kansas City, North, said she chose to accept a buyout package from Ford Motor Co. that included as much as four years of education. Her other choice was a voluntary lump-sum buyout.”

Wally’s Comment: The more you know the more possibilities you have. Education is an investment.

From the Washington Post: Want to Get a Degree Online? Get Ready to Work Just as Hard
“One way to get an edge in this job market is to earn an advanced degree. Just don’t assume that doing it online will be easy. Online master’s programs are often cheaper and more convenient than traditional ones, but they also present challenges.”

Wally’s Comment: OK, so you want to get that college degree and you’ve heard that it will be easier through an online program. Maybe. You may gain some scheduling flexibility. But you’d better have the discipline to study on your own and a learning style that is effective outside the traditional classroom.

From the Nashville Tennessean: Workers go to tech schools to retrain
“Because many businesses are stalling in this difficult economic climate and laying off workers at all levels, employees are scrambling to find training as fast as possible to fill open positions in such job-rich industries as technology and health care. That’s why many are turning to vocational-technology schools or even apprenticeship programs, finding they can earn good salaries after a few years — or less — of training.”

Wally’s Comment: Not everyone who’s learning is heading back to college. A little analysis of the job market indicates that some of the hottest jobs, recession or not, are jobs in technical areas. For those, tech schools, community colleges, and apprenticeships are the choice.

From Fortify Your Oasis: 5 way to ensure you NEVER get promoted

Wally’s Comment: What can I say? The post absolutely lives up to the headline. All the education and training in the world won’t help if you do these five things.

Mark Twain was right: “History does not repeat. But it does rhyme.”

That means this recession will be a lot like past recessions. That means you can learn from history while you adapt to the unique features of this recession.

Expect the environment to become even more competitive than it is right now. There will be more applicants chasing fewer jobs. That puts employers in a strong bargaining position.

If you’re younger, you’ll find that you’re competing for jobs with men and women who have a lot more experience than you do. Be prepared to stress your lower compensation needs and tech savvy.

If you’re older, you’re going to be competing with younger workers who have lower salary and benefit requirements and are as sharp as you can imagine. Be prepared to stress the value of the experience that an employer will get from you. Mention stable work habits and the fact that you’ll probably stay when the recession is over.

Whatever age you are, take the opportunity of being between jobs to work on your connections and your education and training. In addition to picking up a salable skill or two, you’ll also show employers that you’re interested in self-development.

Everything above is good advice today and it would have been good in any of the last few recessions. But you also need to be aware of how this downturn is different.

Most recessions in the US have lasted less than a year. This one probably will be longer. That’s because one of the economic problems right now is credit. And without credit it’s very, very hard to do business. So plan for the long haul.

On the plus side, online news, education, and networking tools give you options that simply weren’t available in prior downturns. Use them.

Nobody’s pretending that the next couple of months or years will be easy. Your challenge is to make the best of it.