Until March, I had been the head of an upstart television production company based at a major Hollywood studio. Coming out of the gate swinging, I sold some passion projects and people were taking notice of my production capabilities. My career was where I had wanted it to be; when I lost the job earlier this year, I was certainly scared of the financial implications but also felt like a weight had been lifted. As an old boss used to say, “It’s not a problem, it’s an opportunity.” Being in that job brought to the surface the entrepreneurial spirit I knew I had.

While I look for work, I am simultaneously building a company based on an idea a buddy of mine and I had about two years ago. This new venture has afforded me the opportunity to test my business acumen as well as creativity. I wanted to establish an online community for the employable that could create opportunities, connections with others going through a shared experience, and create dialogue to turn our collective situation around…and www.jobblehead.com was born (we will launch in a few weeks).

While I continue to pound the pavement in an effort to generate an income while I build Jobblehead, it comes as no surprise that the opportunities out there are slim. Ideally, I’d like to segue into another business to take advantage of my skills working with content creators in a collaborative environment. I spend lots of time researching companies, sending emails to executives I admire (in an attempt to get on their radar), joining online groups, as well as trying to connect with hiring managers directly. Each morning I wake up to about 13 emails hoping that perhaps one or two of my inquiries will result in a meeting — but alas they’re mostly spam.

This recession has taken its toll on the country, displacing families, depleting 401k’s, etc. But I keep in mind that this is the land of opportunity, yet simultaneously understand that the days of climbing a corporate ladder to get my gold watch at the end of 20 years of loyalty are no more. I take comfort knowing I’m not alone in this struggle, but I do my best to remain focused on the task at hand with a positive outlook.

Readers, are you starting a business while unemployed? Share your stories in the comments section.

It’s been a number of weeks since I last posted to this blog. I’ve been really busy. Not busy making contacts, that could lead to my next full-time job; instead, I’ve been really busy working as a consultant.

In several of my earlier postings I mentioned making a contact while interviewing for a certain CFO position. Although that introduction was too late for me to be considered for the CFO position, it did lead to the CEO of that company deciding he wanted to meet me to discuss other possibilities. To make a long and complicated story shorter, a series of discussions led to a full-time corporate strategy and financing consulting assignment that began in late August.

The assignment is extremely interesting. I work with solid and dedicated people, and the compensation is good. But, I’m away from home from Monday morning until Friday night, working 55 to 60 hours a week (I’m paid by the week, not the hour), and have little time for activities which might lead to another full-time position.

I’m certainly not complaining. I made the decision to take on this assignment knowing that it would affect my job search activities. I didn’t expect to work quite so many hours per week, but it can’t be helped when there are deadlines to be met.

This assignment could stretch out for several more months, or it could end within the next few weeks. There could be other projects when this one is completed. Even if the opportunity exists to remain in a consulting role for months to come, I’ll really need to decide soon if continuing as I have been is in my longer-term best interests. Some readers will say that to have a full-time position, even as a consultant, in these tough economic times is to be in a great position and that I should continue to devote all my energy to creating value for the company so that there will be follow-on projects. Other readers will observe that consulting positions are often the first to go if a company decides it must cut expenses; even if the position has been created to address a very specific, time-sensitive issue (as mine was), and they’ll insist that I need to somehow find the time to continue my job search. Both will be valid comments and I’ll need to decide sometime soon which way to lean.

Readers, are you postponing your full-time search to keep up with a less-stable contract position? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Here, Ms. Middleton reports on interview killers:

According to a new survey of nearly 500 human-resources professionals released by the Society for Human Resource Management, there are plenty of ways to derail a job interview—and some of them may surprise you.

The basic don’ts: arriving late to an interview or trashing a previous employer. But some hiring managers say even experienced professionals have made other slip-ups.

Often, job candidates speak in a too-familiar way with hiring managers—a major problem, according to 20% of survey respondents. Mary Willoughby, director of human resources at the Center for Disability Rights in Rochester, N.Y., once interviewed someone who was so comfortable, he commented on a sty she had near her eye.

“My mind was made up at that point,” she says. The candidate was not hired.

For 67% of hiring managers who responded to the survey, dressing provocatively is a major deal breaker—even more significant than having a typo in your application materials (58% found this to be an interview killer). Chantal Verbeek, head of enterprise talent at ING U.S. Financial Services, says she’ll forgive a typo if the applicant’s skills are extraordinary, but revealing or sloppy apparel equals an instant rejection. “You’d think that’d be obvious,” she says.

Job seekers have also been blasting HR managers with questions about benefits, vacation time and schedule flexibility much too soon in the interview process, according to the survey. (Thirty percent of hiring managers say it’s okay for applicants to inquire about salary in post-interview follow-up conversations.) Some 39% of hiring managers surveyed said applicants shouldn’t bring up salary at all—unless the interviewer brings it up first.

Readers, what kind of actions do you think may have cost you an interview? Share mistakes that you’ve made in the comments section.

When I was laid off after completing my M.B.A., I took time to develop a strategy for moving my career forward. What kind of job would be best for me as a new M.B.A.? How would my job choice affect my career progress? In order to determine what course of action would be best, I needed to assess what skills and knowledge I could offer an employer, and figure out what opportunities would be available for me to apply those skills and knowledge.

I’m a little biased, but I believe that a solid track record in project management is an excellent preparation for entering the executive ranks. Project managers must establish and clarify goals, assess and manage risk, negotiate with stakeholders, manage change, and take ultimate responsibility for the success or failure of their projects. In addition to my work experience, the M.B.A. supplies additional skills. Unfortunately, work experience plus an M.B.A. doesn’t automatically equal “executive,” so I needed to determine what kind of opportunities were out there at my current level. Since most people find their next job through their network, that was a natural place for me to start.

In my area, the largest employers are financial services and insurance companies. Since the economic slowdown had a substantial impact on those industries, job opportunities have been extremely slow in coming. Because I have specific job experience in healthcare, that industry is also an option for me. An additional factor is the timing of my search. Between the slow job market and the tendency for many local employers to delay fourth quarter hiring needs until the first quarter of the following year, finding work through my local network has been slow. With an M.B.A. and the desire to advance my career comes the need to look for work outside of my personal network. There are a number of options for a national executive job search, and I chose to focus my efforts on a few niche Web sites for job searches. I found the response to be as slow as my other job search activities.

Given the combination of my previous work experience, my additional M.B.A.-related skills, the slow local job market, and the even slower national job market, I decided to rely on a mixed strategy for my job search. I use my network to search for local opportunities, and focus on search Web sites for national opportunities. I focus the local search for jobs where I’m qualified based on my previous experience, while I’ve seek out national opportunities where an M.B.A. is required.

Readers, how have your expectations changed during the job hunt? Share your thoughts in the comments section

My six-month contract job didn’t turn into a full-time position. I did, in fact, receive an offer but it was for a continuing part-time position at significantly less pay. I know it was the best the organization could do under the current extremely constrained conditions but I still felt disappointed and let down. I felt a bit disappointed in myself, too, because I fell easily into the routine and perhaps became complacent. I would have taken a full-time offer had it been extended but fate had other plans. It kicked my butt into gear and gave me the courage to turn in a different direction.

A friend had recently started with a company I’d never heard of in a field I knew absolutely nothing about. I actually teased her about what she was doing but became intrigued as I learned more. Half joking, half terrified, I asked her if they planned on hiring anymore people. She checked, told me yes, and within 30 minutes my resume was in the hiring manager’s hands. A couple of days later, I was sitting in the lobby, having just written my last blog, petrified, excited, and completely uncertain.

The energy was high, folks were friendly and everyone was so busy that my interview was delayed by at least an hour. The first interview was short but comfortable. After some chitchat about the company, I gave my prepared remarks on how my completely unrelated background but highly transferable skills and intrinsic motivation made me the perfect fit. He said “sounds good” and suggested I wait for the other decision maker to come back from her meeting to finish things up.

So with that, I think I was hired doing account management for an e-commerce company. I got a tour, met more of the team and was sent over to HR to pick up a packet that I was terrified to open for the entire weekend. I had a job — I think. I worried through the several days that passed until I had an official start date. I even had a completely irrational fear that I wouldn’t pass the drug screening (no poppy seed muffins!). Until I walked through the door on my first day, I kept mentally adding the disclaimer “I think” to the end of “I have a job”. But I do have a job – a new life, a new direction that came in a totally unexpected way, and it happened because I asked. I’ve asked a lot of questions during my journey of unemployment but this time I was lucky enough to ask the right question at just the right time.

Readers, have you recently landed a position in an unexpected way? Share your stories in the comments section.

Here, Ms. Huhman shares advice on how recent graduates can find work after a layoff:

What mistakes do job seekers who haven’t spent much time in the workforce tend to make?

Lack of focus — a specific career goal is the single most important component in a successful job search. People spend more time researching a laptop purchase than they do researching the career that’s right for them. When you went to college, you did your research. [Another mistake is] not following up, this stalls any job search. Not following up on an interview or a contact can cause you to miss out on opportunities. I had a client who received a rejection letter in the mail. He thought the interview went well so he was mystified. At my suggestion, he called the recruiter for feedback. As it turned out, he got the wrong letter; they very much wanted to hire him.

If you’re competing with more senior-level job hunters, what are some strategies to get back into the workforce and to make a recent grad more desirable?

Most recent graduates are extremely flexible—or at least they should be. Many more senior-level job hunters have a particular salary and location in mind; not to mention they are often more set in their ways in terms of organizational style. Gen Y candidates have less experience and often are not as bound by salary or organizational style. Recent graduates bring a lot of technological expertise to the workforce that more senior-level job hunters have not had time to explore. It is definitely essential that recent graduates find a way to apply their technological expertise to the positions for which they are applying.

If younger workers haven’t had the chance to build valuable full-time experience, how can they speak about their most recent position?

During interviews, younger workers can speak about the practical experience they gained through internships, class projects, leadership roles and volunteer work. Even if you’ve never worked at a job a day in your life, you still have experience. Talk about what you know and can do based on your hobbies, what you’ve learned in class, [and] what you’ve learned doing extra-curricular activities.

What is a misconception of people who have been let go from their first job?

That unless you get a full-time job you will lose all your experience. If you are willing to work a few hours for free, few organizations will turn you away and this is a great way to set yourself apart within your industry. Even though you are technically unemployed, future employers will be impressed with your ability to fill your time with relevant experience. Unemployment is a good opportunity to find an unpaid internship with a company that impresses you. This is one of the best ways to get your foot in the door and in front of key people.

Readers, have you experienced a layoff after recently entering the workforce? What is your strategy for getting back to work? Share your stories in the comments section.

Like many folks, I have always loved the holiday season. But as we all know, the job search process is a drawn out one and as the holidays approach, I can only believe things will slow down all that much more. Many folks are out for the holidays at different times and scheduling interviews is even harder than usual.

Regardless, I don’t think my job search tactics are going to change entirely. There are still opportunities for networking, applying online, and meeting with recruiters. When things do indeed slow down a little, I will use the time to catch up with some recruiters I have met, follow up on some interesting roles that I had applied for, and follow up on my networking.

During the past months, I inserted all of my networking contacts into an Excel spreadsheet. I have promised myself that I will reach out to each of these folks at least quarterly. Even if I am just wishing everyone a happy holiday season, I am keeping the network alive. My big mistake during my last job was not doing this.

While I will still be plugging away, I do plan to use this time off as an opportunity to do some family activities while the kids are off from school. I intend to take a few days off from the search so we can have some fun doing whatever they want to do. Kids grow up fast so if I am home while they are off from school, it would be a shame not to take advantage to some degree.

So, as the holidays approach I feel it is critical to keep things in perspective. Being an M.B.A. on unemployment stinks for both the ego and the bank account, but I am hardly deserving of any sympathy. When I was in this boat during Christmas six year ago, I remember feeling down about not having a job and then reading a local letter to Santa. The young girl that penned the letter did not ask for a doll or a video game or an iPod. She asked Santa for a coat and boots so she could deal with the Chicago winter. After seeing that, I knew my “problems” were not really that big. I decided that we could certainly afford to contribute a few bucks to the local charity that played Santa for these kids. The funny thing is, less than twenty minutes after I called in my small donation, I got a call with a job offer.

Readers, how are you planning to job hunt during the holiday season? Share your stories in the comments section.

I have always viewed having time off from work as an opportune time to reflect on who I am, and where I want to go. It is my first step in the job search process in finding my next suitable employer. The ultimate question being: What will make “me” happy?

I approach my ultimate question by taking a clear look at myself, an exercise I have undertaken in great detail before each career transition — the last time just three years ago. Of course, this has triggered other questions including:

What are my personal values? And how do I prioritize these?
What have I accomplished?
What environment/culture do I enjoy working in?
What are my interests and strengths? What am I most passionate about?
What are my long-term goals?
What is my desired lifestyle balance?

Numerous popular surveys such as the Birkman First Look and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator have been helpful as a starting point to confirm my self-assessment and my most naturally inclined behavioral tendencies. Taking this inventory of myself allows me to focus on the possible job functions I should direct my job search toward and potential locations I would consider living.

This week, I started an outplacement program offered as part of my termination from my previous employer. With the program, I have access to career coaches, a variety of group learning sessions, and some formally arranged networking sessions. Having completed my self-inventory, I am able introduce myself in a more thought-out and concise manner.

The process of taking inventory of myself has always required adequate time for reflection, my approach not surprisingly confirmed by the results of my personality assessment surveys. It challenges my belief system, and I wonder if my life experiences are pushing me toward a more defined type profile or a classification that is further balanced and integrated. Does it really matter which category one fits into? I don’t believe so, as organizations need all different types to build successful teams. I believe the significant learning in this process is to define your authentic self, in order to create a successful interdependent relationship between you and your future employer.

Readers, did you take time to analyze your skills after a layoff? Share your experiences in the comments section.

Last week a friend told me about the most unlikely place he found a job. It was during his child’s swim meet when a fellow parent casually asked what he did and where he worked. That impromptu poolside conversation turned into a new job for my friend.

His story segued into a conversation on unconventional sources for job leads. It also motivated me to try something different. Since then I’ve been asking people “What was the most unlikely place you found a job?”

They’ve answered with stories ranging from encounters during dog walks to waiting in line at Starbucks. Some of the stories were about situations in which I’m unlikely to find myself. But even those answers produced three tangible benefits.

First, it put people at ease. I wasn’t asking for a favor. I was showing an interest in them, giving them an opportunity to talk about themselves. This two-way sharing generated a stronger connection than my usual approach ever had.

Second, the question fired up their creative thinking. It got them out of the passive listener role and most of their answers were interesting and helpful. Before I could even ask, most offered additional suggestions about professional organizations, job boards or, best of all, names of people they would contact for me.

Here is the real gem in all of this. Asking people about their own experiences evoked empathy, support and action. They instantly remembered their own anxiety during their job search. It elicited a quicker, stronger, and warmer response than I’ve experienced before.

The takeaway of this experiment is the optimistic reminder that I never know when or where opportunity may strike. The real challenge might be recognizing it.

Readers, where is the most unusual place that you have heard about a job opportunity? Share your stories in the comments section.

Here, Mr. Crant talks about finding work at a small company:

What approach should a job seeker take when beginning to look for work at a small business?

Start by finding just one individual with a similar background or skill set as yourself. Do a People Search on LinkedIn to find this starter profile. Take a look at where they worked before joining their current company. Start by creating a list with this first new company name, and continue. Now search their current employer’s name to find other individuals similar to your function. Now you have a list of people to look through and this is where you can begin to create a larger list. These are companies that individuals, similar to yourself, went to work for after leaving this current company. Some will inevitably be larger companies that you have heard about, but many will be these smaller companies that you have never heard of before.

What are some qualities to highlight during the interview?

Highlight your abilities to work independently, without the need for too much support. Illustrate through example where you have taken the reigns and have worn several hats at once. Show them that you can bring significant industry expertise to their team. This will help a smaller company manager see you as just the self-sufficient addition with the expertise that they may be looking for to solve their needs. Of course, be sure to convey that you are a team player too, but they should feel you are happy and ready to expand your role and wear multiple hats as needed.

Is networking more important than in larger organizations?

In smaller companies it’s much more like a family. Contact and network with several individuals within the company, and work to build chemistry with these contacts that you may uncover. As your dialogue with the company evolves and they begin to discuss you internally, you will have already warmed up those discussions of you by laying a foundation of chemistry through your networking activities.

What are some mistakes that job seekers make when applying for work at a small business?

The largest single mistake is when individuals with large company background fail in their roles in these smaller companies, underestimating the level and type of support you will have in your job function. Yes, you need to do what you did for the larger company, but you very likely will also need to do the support functions that others performed for you in your previous role.

How have smaller companies taken advantage of talent during the recession?

As in past recessions, smaller companies have asked their employees to do even more to help the companies survive and thrive. But after a while, all of that extra workload must be redistributed by hiring new talent. Make sure to position yourself as an asset that can help these smaller companies take that next step in their own growth.

Readers, are you seeking work at a smaller company? Share your stories in the comments section.