If you examine the sectors that have not only weathered this recession but are in growth mode, you will notice a pattern. The majority of them can be categorized under two headings: Protection and Detection.

When I talk to my clients about networking, one of the most difficult concepts to get across is the informational interview.

People who are out of work need ways to connect with others that will be personally enriching, use their skills and boost their confidence and ability to get a job. The best way to do this is to volunteer.

It’s called niche marketing, my friends, and it works. Who would you rather hire, the guy who says he is “open to anything” or the one who has deep experience in the specific area for which you’re hiring?

I had a bit of an epiphany the other day about why I enjoy being a career advisor. It links to one of the pastimes I enjoy most: playing Scrabble.

I was quoted in this past Sunday’s Career Couch column about how fraught networking with those who are employed can be since there are so many people out of work these days.

I have been an MIA blogger lately, I admit it. Here’s why: I’ve been preoccupied with an injury. Now of course it could have been worse. During my ski vacation in March, I took a fall and tore a major ligament in my knee. Through plenty of physical therapy and (aggressive) exercise, it healed well. But as my friends and family will attest, I agonized over whether to have surgery to restore full capability for all the things I love to do.