If you go to some career-oriented websites, you may find a career assessment test. These can be valuable sources of information, but I submit that doing your own personal inventory may be more fruitful.

Here’s what I mean. A resource you’ll find on a website (or in a book) will be something that, presumably, anyone can use. The good part of this is that no matter who you are or what your experience is, you should be able to use it. The bad part is that it’s tailored to the whole world (or at least the whole workforce), not to you personally.

With this in mind, I would not discourage anyone from using such tools. Rather, I would simply advise that one also create a personalized career assessment test, something along the lines of the following.

1. What is my career plan for the next several years? (If you don’t have one, now’s a good time to make one).
2. How has my plan been going so far?
3. Am I satisfied with where I am in my career? If not, what options are available to improve things?

Now, you may not be a career expert, nor do you need to be to ask these questions of yourself. This is just a starting point, as you brainstorm alone. Once you honestly answer these questions, you should do whatever further research may be required to get the additional information you need.

Remember, then, that no one knows you like you do. Use this to your advantage when doing any kind of career assessment test.

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Some would say that using the newspaper classifeds to find a job is not unlike using a feather quill, inkwell, and parchment to write a letter. It’ll work, but what a time-consuming ordeal.

These days, online searches are really the way to go. And some newspapers have come to realize this, coordinating their job postings with job posting sites.

Does this mean you should never pick up a newspaper to look for jobs? No. Many job listings will provide an email address to which you can send your information, and a lot of them also provide a company website URL for more details.

So, here are some key points about newspaper classifieds vs. online job sites:

• Generally, everything you can find in newspaper classifieds, you could also find online—without paying for a newspaper.
• Online searching is much easier when trying to find jobs in a certain location or of a certain type, thanks to online search features.
• In the case of certain (often smaller) employers, ads may appear only in the paper, since the lister is trying to save money.

In short, if you’re not already paying for the newspaper for some other reason (such as the comics, my favorite section), it’s usually much more efficient to stick to the computer.  You’ll have to get online to email your resume anyway—unless you’re content to pay for a stamp and envelope (and wait for the mail system to do its work). One other nice bonus—searching online doesn’t produce an ever-growing pile of paper.

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Ever worked part time night jobs? I have. No benefits, crazy hours, limited income. Nevertheless, such employment can be a good thing if looked at in the proper perspective.

One such job is that of night auditor. A night auditor is responsible for general bookkeeping duties and must also take care of guests checking in, checking out, or needing something during their stay. Handling phones is another very important aspect of the job.

Most hotels offer such positions, and it is often the case that an employee with this function will only work 3 or 4 days a week. During the other days, another employee capable of fulfilling this role will do so.

As this job normally pays just above minimum wage and is not even full time, can it really be helpful? Yes. If you are a student, for example, working an overnight shift offers ample time to get in a couple of hours’ study. You’ll still have to take care of cleaning, laundry, and making rounds, but you can budget your time wisely so that most nights you’ll have time to hit the books.

If you’re not a student, and if you don’t have an online side-job you can do while at work, you’re still in luck. The experience of customer service, phones, cleaning, and other operations management are excellent skills to develop. For this reason, any such position performed heartily will, in a few months’ time, give you the confidence that comes from doing such things well—this can help greatly in your career, whatever it may become.

If part time night jobs are all you can get right now, don’t worry. Just make the most of it and look at it as an important step in your career.

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Beats me. But I can tell you some of the careers I wish I could have done. If you’re reading this, maybe you still have time to choose one of them. Anyway, here’s the first half of a list of ten careers that I’d love to have (but don’t). They’re not really in any kind of order.

1. Surgeon or some kind of MD

A sure way to become mega-rich and get to help lots of people at the same time. Granted, you’ll have to spend several years going on 2 hours of sleep per day (a.k.a. “internship”), and you have to practice practicing medicine on corpses, but hey—a few years later, you’re driving a Porsche and living anywhere you want.

2. Engineer

Another way to create a lot of wealth, but also create buildings, bridges, planes, automobiles, or whatever. Fun, rewarding, and you’ll probably never be out of work.

3. PR person for some celebrity

Yeah, you’d be way rich. And if you’re glib and enjoy your share of the limelight, this would be just right for you. As long as the person you represent is in demand, so are you. If they fall out of demand, make sure you’ve done a good job building your resume.

4. Ivy League professor

A chance to live a cloistered life of never-ending learning (with research grants, even), while also being highly regarded by peers and students alike. Big salary to boot.

5. Super geek programmer

If you know all about C++, JSP, ASP, PHP, XML, and a host of other computer-related acronyms, you will be in big demand and able to make a very comfortable living. Not bad.

The next five will follow…stay tuned.

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Most of us prefer full-time, 40-hour-a-week work. We tend to like weekends off, and, if we are skilled, expect appropriate compensation for the value we provide to a company. Does any of this sound like what you get from temporary jobs? Well, no. But such jobs can be valuable career builders, provided you keep the right perspective. If you’re in a temp job situation, waiting for the right career break, it is essential to not let discouragement get the better of you. The most important thing to remember is that the circumstances you’re facing now are not permanent. Things can and do change in a hurry, but you’ve got to stay positive.

Some of you might wonder how this will help. Put simply, maintaining a good attitude and appreciating what you have keeps you focused and helps you give your best–even if the job you’re currently doing is menial and low-paying. People will like you better, and you will also like yourself and your life more. Moreover, you may very well pick up some new skills that will help you later.

Perhaps more to the point, temporary jobs can be a character-building experience. If you weather several months of this and are able to stay positive, at the end, you’ll be a stronger and more capable person at the end. Then–and this is key–when the right opportunity doesfinally come along, you’ll be ready. You will believe in yourself and your abilities, knowing that you can make it through tough situations. Your confidence (and perhaps new skills you didn’t have before) will go a long way in getting you the job you’ve been waiting for. Until then, remember to think of whatever temporary jobs you have to do in the right way.

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