There's a great possibility that if you blinked in the last few weeks, the whole world seemed to have left you in it's formidable tracks; perhaps slightly covered by a few leaves that jumped ship a bit early, lightly misted with that early-fall fog. It is definitely that time of year when I begin to wax poetic over just about everything. This is when it starts getting difficult to wake up for work because the skies are so perfectly gray-scaled, the air is so sublimely chilled, and your subconscious pretty much pins you to the mattress. So you're forced to cuddle under covers all day, right? Right.

But if you're unable to hide out under the covers all day with a copy of, say, "Holiday Inn" on repeat, and you're here, there's a good chance that you're looking for a job. That's another change that comes with the fall -- job and career shifts. That can be a huge change, and I'm talking bigger than the holes in your winter coats after they've been stuffed in the attic with the mice all summer.

Take the media's favorite defunct pop-princess train-wreck, Britney Spears. It must be tough growing up through the lens of someone else's camera. We've seen her spring, summer, fall and winter (and then some) and now she's tried her hand at a long rumored and anticipated "come back." After her disastrous performance on MTV's 2007 Video Music Awards, a lot of media (a little unfairly) called for her resignation from the pop scene. It's a little silly to ask such a thing, first of all. This is not a public official or monarch -- it's the same girl who dressed up in a school girl outfit and asked you to "hit (her), baby, one more time." And hey, media, if she did actually resign you'd have nothing to report on! You'd be looking for a job, too.

But, for the sake of this entry, and maybe even because I'm feeling generous, I'm going to help the former Mrs. Fed-Ex out with a little bit of job search advice. Say the impenetrable and impervious Spears did actually decide to retire and seek employment in some other industry. What would she do? Where would she go? How would she react to not being able to fire managers anymore?

Whenever you begin the search for a job, it's best to first sit down with a pen and paper and map out your strengths and weaknesses. Not only will this reassure you of your qualifications, but it will also help to narrow down your search to only those positions you are best suited for.

So, Britney, what are your strengths? You have a knack for performing ... most of the time. You've got quite a personality. You've got years of performance experience, which is a huge plus. What about weaknesses? You've got an unfortunate penchant for wardrobe malfunctions. Your dancing has gotten a little sloppy and disconnected. You have a tendency to lash out in violent ways. Okay, so maybe that list is a little bit lop-sided, but surely there is someone out there who can look past your umbrella-wielding outbursts to give you a bit of green.

So now we know what Britney's strengths and weaknesses are. How do these translate into the job force? Based on Spears's list, I'd recommend she limit her search to positions that will use her naturally bubbly personality to sell, sell, sell. She'd be perfect as a Sales Associate for Forever 21, or perhaps even American Eagle. She's been able to sell her particular brand of pop to the American public for years, why not skorts? This would also keep her out of the way of sticks and stones being thrown her way by avoiding some misguided and unfortunate wardrobe decisions, as she'd have to rep her brand completely. This would also be a position in which she could have the potential to move up the ladder, fully realizing her dreams of being a fashion icon no doubt.

I fully realize that Britney's recent run of activity comes off as a bit lazy. Her lack luster performance, her music now void of most life? but this could also be an unfortunate side effect of her busy schedule. It has to be hard going from club to club to party to pick up the kids. So, just in case Britney is unable to physically search for a job, I'm going to let her in on another secret: the EmploymentGuide.com's Job Alerts. All she needs to do is log on to EmploymentGuide.com, click on our Job Alerts link, and she'll receive a daily e-mail when new jobs are posted in her area.



How convenient is that? Now she can search for a job even when she is out with Cousin Alli. You've got your strengths, your weaknesses and now your job search done for you. Amazing.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Preparing for the Job Search Series next week: Finding the Right Fit.

A lot of jobseekers are asking the question how much am I actually worth? That is the question on everyone's mind even if you are in a position currently or if you are in search of a new career. According to the Department of Labor and Employment the state of Colorado unemployment rate held steady at 3.5%. This is under the national rate of 4.6%. "Labor market changes tended to be small and favorable for most areas throughout the State,” noted Mares. Last year at this time the unemployment rate was 4.4 percent. For more information, please click here.



What does this mean for you??? You have a better opportunity to increase your pay if you are in search of a new position within your company you are currently at or if you are searching for a new career with a new company. Below is a graph that shows a national compensation survey done by the U.S. Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Location: Denver-Boulder-Greeley, CO
Job Industry; Administrative support occupations, including clerical Overall
Year: 2005 Jun $16.10

For more information, please click here for more information

So ask yourself how much are you worth?

TGIF!!! I don't know how many of you readers out there are glad it's Friday, but I for one sure am. Wow, what a busy week it's been for me! I had quite a workload this week and consequently had to change my work schedule around the days where the majority of my assignments were due. Even worse, next week looms with much more schoolwork on my schedule. Not to mention the fact that I serve as Vice President of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity in addition to Judicial Chairman for the Interfraternity Council (IFC) at Old Dominion University. Now for those of you who envisioned "Animal House" when I said 'fraternity,' I'll go ahead and clear that misconception up. Just to give an example, next week I have a five hour community service event, three meetings and a flag football game in addition to my responsibilities to IFC. It seems like I never stop!

The thing that keeps my stress level down is to realize that no matter how busy I think I am, there are plenty of other people out there who are much busier than me. I began to wonder at the beginning of this semester how I was going to fit in all my schoolwork, extracurricular activities, work and still have a little fun. The best solution I've come up with is time management.

This should have been my first course as a college student. While I was very involved in various clubs and sports teams in high school, it's not quite the same when you're out on your own. Institutions of higher learning offer so many things to do outside of the classroom, it becomes easy to forget why you're really there: to get an education. The same is true of the workplace. When describing my last few weeks, I'm sure many of you were saying: 'Hey, that's me! I never have enough time to get everything done at work and at home!' From someone who has managed to find a good balance of work, school and fun, I can tell you that managing one's time properly is the key to success. A planner is the best investment of five bucks I can think of. Be sure to get one that breaks down each day by the hour. At the beginning of every week, fill it in as completely as possible in order to give you an idea of how your week will progress. I particularly like this technique because I can plan my work in order to give myself an hour or two of relaxation several times during the week. After all, all work and no play leads to a total burnout!

I also cannot stress the importance of getting a good night's rest. I always plan to get all of my work done in enough time for an adequate night's rest. If you aren't rested, it just makes the next days' events that much harder to accomplish and ultimately setting yourself up for failure.

Thankfully, I took my own advice and got all my work done for the week. With that being said, I'm off to the first home soccer game of the season! Have a great weekend!