Q: I’m getting discouraged. I have been at my current job for 25 years and have moved as far as I can. I am the sole supporter of a family of six, with a sick husband. However, I recently managed to receive a degree in business. I have been seeking a position within my company that requires a degree, but have not had much luck. It seems that no one in the company is interested in helping me. When I interview outside the company, they want to know why my company isn’t doing more to keep me. – Elizabeth

Dale: First, Kate and I have to give you a “bravo” on getting your degree while supporting a family. That’s a terrific accomplishment, even though it set you up for temporary discouragement. I’m guessing that you thought if you just got that degree, your company would look at you differently. Alas, after 25 years, to your co-workers you’re still “good old Liz” (or, given your discouragement, maybe “glum old Liz”). You say they aren’t helping you; well, I doubt they don’t know you need help. The final piece in your education is realizing that a degree isn’t enough – you need to help yourself to a promotion. You can go to Dauten.com and under “Columns” find a free self-test to help you figure out what to work on to increase your “promotability.”

Kate: Further, you should conduct an organized internal job search while working on your external search. To look internally, start by identifying three or more departments or divisions you would like to explore. Then you need to figure out who you need to know in each of those areas. You can build an internal network by volunteering for companywide committees or attending association meetings. Better yet, given your 25-year tenure, you probably can call the people you’ve targeted and invite them to lunch, telling them you want to learn more about what they do.

Dale: Meanwhile, you should be advancing your search outside your current employer. As you research and meet with other companies, your knowledge base expands – you’ll see how others handle tasks that are similar to those in your company. This means you’ll have information to share with some of those new internal contacts. Doing so, you will have broken out of the glass cubicle, the one where people see you as always doing what you’ve always done – and your new job will catch up to your new persona.

Q: I enjoyed the article where you mentioned that students are aware of less than 1 percent of existing jobs. On that note, do you think it would be appropriate to bring approximately 15 ninth-graders to an upcoming job fair? – Jan

Dale: It would be a terrific idea. Around the ninth grade, some kids are starting to figure out that they might not become pro athletes or rock stars, and might just be ready to consider alternatives. A job fair could get them thinking, especially if it’s one of the good ones, with real energy. I visited a marvelous job fair in El Paso a few months back. Besides the hundreds of booths, you could listen to live interviews on a big-screen TV with company representatives chatting about jobs and qualifications. Plus, they had meeting rooms with speakers – I was one of them – making the fair a great chance for students to listen in on real-world career issues.

Kate: Yes, do take them -absolutely! One thing ninth-graders need is exposure to what’s out there beyond what they see in their own homes and on television. They’ll hear people talking about jobs they never imagined real people doing. They’ll see real company representatives, and then will pay attention to the news whenever they hear one of those company’s names in the future. In other words, their awareness will extend beyond the time they spend at the career fair. Good of you to think of it.