Career Development

I'm frequently asked how to make the transition from working in an organization to striking out on one's own. But here's a question that's rarely discussed: What if you're an entrepreneur or solo practitioner and must decide whether to return to the business world? Can you -- and should you -- go from your living room back to the boardroom?

Q: I worked in the health-care industry for 15 years as a geriatric nursing assistant, but I recently decided that my career wasn't paying the bills and went back to school for a B.A. in organizational management and communication. The problem is, I have never worked in an office setting and I'm not sure how to go about learning etiquette, how to speak appropriately, etc. I thought that once I got a degree, everything would be self-explanatory, but it really isn't. Can you help?

As the $787 billion federal stimulus package was being deliberated by Congress in February, the White House estimated that the act would increase employment by 3.5 million jobs, including 24,000 combined in New Hampshire and Wyoming. So far, though, those states say the stimulus has added fewer than 1,000 jobs.

The recession is complicating job hunts-and the lives-of two-career couples, particularly when one lands an offer out of town. The search for employment is forcing more couples into long-distance relationships.

After earning his degree in Russian linguistics, Jamie Hyneman worked a number of odd jobs, including animal wrangler, building inspector and Caribbean charter-boat captain.

Growing up in Florida, Mr. Gould enjoyed working in restaurants as a waiter and bartender. But he also liked working with numbers, and after graduating from the University of Florida, he went into finance. He got a job in New York as a fixed-income trader in 2000, and later raised money to invest in new markets and help develop avenues for investments.

When unemployment is high, job-seekers may need to go where the jobs are, "to make ends meet, to get on with their lives," says John Challenger, CEO of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

According to Stephen M.R. Covey, author of "The Speed of Trust," trust is the confidence one instills in others based on character and competence. Mr. Covey says that a lack of it has a major impact on performance. "Everything slows down in a company with low trust. You see an increase in bureaucracy and redundancy, and excess policies and procedures. Organizations are becoming painfully aware of how expensive this is, and they are taking steps to become trusted players from the inside out," he says.

Get a free comprehensive CV analysis done by an expert.

It was 4 p.m. on a recent Friday-a time of the week when I usually relax and leave the rest of my to-do list to finish over the weekend. But as this recent weekend approached, I kept pushing myself, heart pumping, to get to the bottom of my list of planned tasks for the week.

The 25 most difficult questions you'll be asked on a job interview Being prepared is half the battle. If you are one of those executive types unhappy at your present post and embarking on a New Year's resolution to find a new one, here's a helping hand. The job interview is considered to be the most critical aspect of every expedition that brings you face-to- face with the future boss. One must prepare for it with the same tenacity and quickness as one does for a fencing tournament or a chess match.