Practical Ideas For Job Seekers Who Think They've Tried Everything

Ben has reason to be depressed. "Laid off" twice, not sure how strong a reference his ex-boss will give him, he's 50 years old and overweight, been job-hunting for eight months, having gotten a total of three interviews and batting 0 for 3. He blames it on his having mainly soft skills, a widely held skill-set.

His wife, too, is struggling despite great credentials. She's tried to land a full-time college teaching job but the best she's ever landed has been a part-time community college instructor position, no benefits. She said, "It's ironic that I teach a class in which I champion worker rights yet my own employer pays me what ends up being little more than minimum wage and hires me 49% time to avoid paying benefits."