Q: I am a city employee, working in a technical inspection role. I have been in this field for nine years, and I’m not going anywhere, except to that dreaded brick wall at the end : oh wait, already there! I have recently divorced, lost my house and currently am going through bankruptcy because everything was in my name. I have back problems from childhood accidents and need to start over in my life with my daughter, and I can’t seem to find a better-paying job. – Mike

J.T.: The key is to take a step back and ask yourself, “What are my unique gifts in life?” and “How do I help others on a regular basis?”

Dale: Yes, ask yourself those questions, but odds are, Mike, that the answers won’t, by themselves, get you a new career. You need to combine insights about yourself with insights about other jobs. Start visiting with other departments within the city government, and also examine every job that intersects your own – construction firms, law offices, UPS : everything. Also, attend industry functions and spend time at the vendor fair, or whatever they’ll call the area with the booths. You’ll find places where your experience meets other jobs. That way you won’t be throwing away the big asset that bankruptcy doesn’t touch – your skills and wisdom.

J.T.: Then, there’s a lot you can do tactically to help with a career change, such as getting your resume professionally redone, speaking to staffing companies to get a sense of companies that could hire you, and also working with an image consultant who can help you update your interviewing wardrobe and overall style to improve the visual impression you make. As Sandra Dee once said, “People hear what they see,” so put some time and energy into repackaging yourself. If you are on a tight budget (OK, silly thing to say – we know the answer to that), then get creative. Ask friends who have a flair for appearances to help you with your professional makeover. Here’s the truth: Employers won’t see you as something other than a Lead Abatement Worker until you do, so seek some help and find your professional potential. Life is too short and your daughter too precious to waste any more years dreaming of a new career. Get in the game, and make it happen.

Q: I’ll be finishing college in ’08, and I’m starting to think about the job market. How does one “get the job”? – Rebecca

J.T.: Let’s start with personality. “Getting the job” usually comes down to EQ as opposed to IQ; that is, emotional intelligence is more important than the old notion of intellectual intelligence. In short, having people skills is more important than book smarts. There are books on the subject of EQ that you can get, which allow you to test your EQ level. Also, there are lots of books on people styles that can help you as well.

Dale: J.T. is modestly overlooking her own assessment tool, the ISAT (Interaction Style Assessment Test), which will let you understand just what you need to work on. You can find it at jtodonnell.com. However, I’d like add another “Q” to the discussion, the “Adversity Quotient,” which refers to, among other things, to a person’s ability to find creative solutions to problems. Instead of looking for jobs in all the usual places, you can find ways to expand your search. If you visit with recruiters, you might ask who are their toughest competitors, and thus identify companies who are not interviewing.