I'm praying for many things these days but most of all, I'm praying for two dear friends who have lost their jobs. I'm praying for them for two reasons. First, I'm praying simply for their economic needs. Second, and this is truly a tie-in to TDS, I'm praying for their sense of dignity and self worth. Work does powerful things to the human psyche and when a person is out of it- let's just say that it's easy to get discouraged and even question your self worth. So please join me in praying for those who are either unemployed or underemployed.

BONUS GUEST POST

I was approached by Megan Jones of CareerOverview and what follows is her excellent post, "5 Tips to Help You Follow Your Career Dreams During an Economic Downturn". Thank you Megan and be sure to check out her site.

5 Tips to Help You Follow Your Career Dreams in an Economic Downturn

The poor economy has scared many workers into staying at jobs and in careers that they hate because they are afraid of losing the financial security that they provide in a time when finding another job is an uncertain and often difficult task. Yet, the economic troubles going on shouldn’t force you into working in a job that causes you stress and doesn’t work towards your ultimate goals in life. There are ways that you can prep for a career and job change right now, and start working towards finding employment in your true passion. Here are some tips to help you get started.

1.    Plan, plan, plan. A career change shouldn’t be something you do on a whim, especially if you have a family and financial responsibilities to take care of. This doesn’t mean it can’t be done, but that instead you should spend time carefully planning and laying out what you need to do to accomplish your goals and a timeline on which you want to do it. This way, there will be fewer surprises and you can feel more secure in your decision.
2.    Do the groundwork before you quit. If you need to return to school, get additional training or make some new connections to start your new career, do this before you depart from your current position. Then you’ll be set when it comes time to look for a new job and you won’t have any time when you can’t work in the field you desire.
3.    Research it. Before you change careers, make sure that you’re making the change based on reality rather than your fantasy about what a particular job will entail. If you can, get some experience working in the field through side jobs or freelancing so you know what it’ll be like.
4.    Take time to reflect. With times hard for businesses of all kinds, make sure you’re putting yourself and your job on the line for the right reasons. Think about what it is you don’t like about your current career. If there are changes that can be made, consider these smaller steps first before making a big leap.
5.    Consider the financial ramifications. Making a career change likely won’t be kind to your finances if you have to pay for school and won’t have as much experience entering a new field. Make sure you can afford these things is an essential step to planning for a new career.

This post was contributed by Megan Jones, who writes about job search websites. She welcomes your feedback at Meg.Jones0310 at gmail.com

*Photo by KandyJaxx