Dear Kate & Dale: Ever since I left high school, I’ve had extreme difficulty securing work. I looked for two years before finding my first job. Then I was laid off two years later. I got married and was a full-time mother. I divorced and remarried, and eventually got a bachelor’s and master’s in sociology. I was a substitute teacher and a temporary archival assistant, but could never secure a permanent position. My student loans start to come due in January. Am I doomed to homelessness, starvation, ill health and defaulted education loans? – Sharon

Kate: OK, so you’re not the best job-hunter in the world, but let’s not let that drag down everything. In fact, let’s try a technique that will turn your search around in minutes. Sociology is a big, broad field. You need to pick a focus, as opposed to simply wanting a job. Get on the Internet and put “sociology degree jobs” into Google. I just did this, and found a site from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Among the information on their site is a list of 54 entry-level job titles. Go through it like it’s an eye exam – which is better, A or B? B or C? You end up with a list that you can then rank-order. Let’s say that “aging specialist” is your No. 1 pick. Now you have a direction, something to check out.

Dale: All from that list of job titles. You also can join a professional association and get its membership roster, and, bang, there’s another list. I suspect that you’re thinking, “But that approach just narrows the possibilities and makes finding a job less likely.” Just the opposite. Once you have a focus, the jobs are easier to spot.