Dear Reader,

It's no picnic to go to a job that you can't stand every day. You can't help wondering, "Why did I spend all that money on college, or study so hard, if I'm still working here?" However, instead of being stuck with feeling stuck, take action!

Breaking the job search into smaller steps can make it more manageable. Here are some basic things you need to do to get ready for a job search.

Decide what interests you
First things first, do you know what you'd like to be doing? This can be a daunting question, with so many different careers in the world. Many people feel uncertain about which occupation to choose. Consider your studies and interests: were there particular topics that you loved to study, or areas you excelled in at school? Focus on those. It might help to go to your local library or bookstore and check out some books about job searching, career exploration, and different fields that interest you. Some books to take a look at include:

• Barbara Sher's, I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It
• Richard Nelson Bolles's, What Color is Your Parachute?: 2007: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers
• Laurence G. Boldt's, Zen and the Art of Making a Living: A Practical Guide to Creative Career Design

These books can help you get focused. You may also want to seek the services of a career counselor, who can help you figure out your career interests, skills, strengths, and weaknesses. Your college can usually help with this.

Get your resume together
Do you have an updated resume? Highlight all relevant aspects of your career and educational experiences. Were you involved in community service organizations or other extra-curricular activities in college? Include them! Make sure to use action verbs, such as "developed," "created," or "implemented," and check the spelling, grammar, and succinctness. Ask your more experienced friends to read it and make suggestions as well. Referring to books on resume writing could offer you some other good pointers. You may also want to call your college's career services office, as they often have alumni services available that could offer you further assistance.

Think about your goals
Another thing you might want to consider thinking about is your short- and long-term goals. It sounds like a short-term goal is to get out of your current job and find one that satisfies your needs. Take out a notebook and jot down some ideas about where you want to be in one year, five years, ten years, or beyond. Do you want to be part of a large corporation, or is something smaller or non-profit more your cup of tea? Are you good at working in teams, or do you prefer to work by yourself? By doing this exercise, you can begin to see where you want to be.