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It could get difficult: applying for job after job, checking  phone messages and emails waiting for the right HR person to contact you and going to interviews to no avail. It’s frustrating and the struggling job market isn’t making it any easier, as the 8.1% national unemployment rate looms over America. You might be one of the 5.1 million long-term unemployed Americans who are getting restless with the job search, but with that restlessness comes neglect, something that might push your job prospects back.

Whether you are looking for a career change or applying to jobs for the first time, it is easy to forget the little details of the job hunt. Make sure you are not forgetting these little but important pieces of the job search process.

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If you are out on the job market trying to get employed, or even trying to begin your own business, you’re fighting an uphill battle if you are not networking. You could send countless “cold call” emails so that maybe a handful are read, or you could send just a handful you know will be read. Networking makes business easy. It’s the networking itself that requires real work.

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In the office, communication is a key factor in getting your ideas and thoughts across. Whether it’s a suggestion for a new project or speaking your mind about an existing one, communicating with your company peers and executives could make the difference between advancing your career or staying stagnant.

Find it difficult to get your point across at the job? Take heed to these five tips on how to communicate more effectively, and let your voice be heard.

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You see it everyday; celebrities that once had respectable careers continue the desperate push to remain relevant. They appear on red carpets and release independently produced music videos and mixtapes, yet they can’t seem to make anything close to the impact they once had. Blog commenters wonder out loud why they even bother. But, they continue to pursue their dreams. Watching their unrewarded work ethic begs the question: when is it time to call it quits?

Quitting may be a strong word when it comes to pursuing your dreams. At the very least, stars and business people alike need to take time to reevaluate their goals and change course when they experience prolonged bouts of failure. Success can be a numbers game, especially for the entertainment industry. Competition is fierce and everyone can’t make it to the top spot. The music industry in particular has an awful habit of trying to duplicate successful artists. But, there is only one Beyonce, Rihanna, etc. Duplication is futile.

Instead of copying the paths that have already been blazed, successful people adjust their course as they go along. Success requires flexibility. If you are not seeing the results you hoped, reevaluation of your goals and decisions may be in order. As the saying goes, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.” If you’re not seeing the results you want in you career, ask yourself the questions below to help set yourself on the right path.

Is this still my dream, or has something changed? You probably started the path to pursue your dream with the best intentions. But, people change, as do industries. Now that you’re experiencing the negative aspects of your chosen field, ask yourself if the stress you’ll experience seeing your goal come to fruition is worth it in the end?

Is your dream realistic? Did you start with a solid plan before you started pursuing your dream? Make sure your goals are SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound.

Spending eight hours a day at work comes with certain compromises: putting other obligations on the shelf, leaving personal issues at home for the day and keeping your focus on the task at hand. For some of us, eight hours of shelving our lives could be problematic, especially when you are keeping up with the kids in case of emergencies, keeping current with the antics of your friends on Facebook and Twitter (or that of your favorite black women’s website *winks*) and looking for your next job opportunity.

As a businesswoman, it’s difficult when our lives and our daily concerns have to take a backseat, but it is necessary at times to get the job done. Keep in mind that these few things should not occupy your time and energy while at work. They could ultimately do more harm to your career than good:

In the midst of less than admirable unemployment rates and even the rise of job uncertainty for those who are employed, learning to master a second skill is an option to ensure income flow in case a pink slip is waiting in your future. Finding an alternate source of income in addition to your 9-5 is highly recommended if you can find the time. Some call it a side job; others, like me, consider it a side hustle to keep you one step ahead in case of unexpected emergencies or layoffs.

Side hustles don’t necessarily include you going door to door selling baked goods or manufactured candy bars. In fact, many jobs can be done from the comfort of your own home. Are you unsure of the variety of opportunities that can bring in some extra cash without leaving your house? We’ve got you covered.

Check out these 7 jobs that you can do from home to generate extra income.

By Blair Bedford

If you have ever watched the movie The Devil Wears Prada, you might have finished the movie thinking that such behaviors on the job are a part of the normal work experience. Uh, I don’t think so. From demanding supervisors to noisy co-workers, we have all had our share of experiences in the workplace that were not-so ideal or comfortable, but we were able to tolerate it to get to where we wanted to be in our careers. But how do you know when the fine line between uncomfortable and intolerable has been crossed while on the job? Here are a few examples of certain situations that should raise a red flag:

Kathy Caprino, a contributing writer for Forbes, highlights some of the worst career mistakes one can make in her article The Worst career Blunder You Can Make. She herself went from “unhappy corporate VP, to marriage and family therapist, to fulfilled career coach and executive trainer” so she knows what she’s talking about. Check out the summary of her suggestions.

1. Don’t Ever Feel So Secure That You Get Too Comfortable

Just because you’re doing super in your position doesn’t mean that your job is secure, says Caprino. Many factors determine job security including the state of your industry, relationships with colleagues, etc. Always invest in your skills, not in your job.

2. Grow Your Skills

This is an obvious point. You should always be looking to learn and grow in terms of your personal assets and skils. “The key is to continually expand your professional toolbox, not just stay put,” Wrote Caprino.”The business world is changing at the speed of light, and we need to keep ourselves current, adaptable and open to these changes to be of continuing value.”

By Blair Bedford

A “bucket” list, as many might recall, is a list of accomplishments and encounters to experience before passing away. From skydiving to visiting a new country, bucket lists are complete with goals that round off the complete picture of living life to its fullest.
Create a bucket list for your job to help you reach certain goals, make moves, and make your work more about making it to the top and enjoying your job rather than just about getting paid. You might have a few goals in mind for how you want to conquer your latest career move, but here are a few other professional objectives to include on your bucket list to maximize the experience in your career and your resume at the same time:

We’ve all had to go through some less than glamorous jobs or deal with strenuous work to make it to the next level. Sometimes it helps us figure out what we DON’T want to do, and sometimes we suck it up so that we can get the experience that everyone keeps talking about. But some people don’t put on a happy face. They make it known, whether through conversation or by facial expression, that they HATE their job and every muthalover in the office. These are signs that you thoroughly loathe your job and that’s it’s time to do something about it–quit and find something better or suck it up and quit pouting!