My friend and colleague, Deb Bergeron, founder of Ocean of Possibilites Life Coaching, recently reminded me of the importance of leaving a job with intention.

Career and work transitions can be intimidating and exciting at the same time, and the extremes of emotions can slow down or even halt your efforts to create a new plan. Finding the right kind of support can often provide a new perspective, an objective view or a balanced opinion that renews your motivation and resolve.

If you or someone you know need help figuring out the next step in their work or career? Then consider an innovative and upbeat program offered by the Institute for Civic Leadership.

Some people say you should approach your job search like it was a full time job.

To the contrary, I think you'd be better off creating a better balance in your life by attending to priorities that fell through the cracks when you were working full time.

Honoring a commitment, completing a task, or acting on something that's been on your mind, can give you a sense of satisfaction and control during a time when you most need it.

So, in addition to effective job search strategies, consider the following list of life priorities as you plan your time:

In the April 19 edition of the Portland Sunday Telegram, Ann Kim wrote a useful article about social networking and how it's being used by today's job seekers.

She interviewed me wanting to know if my clients utilized Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn as part of their job search strategy.

Perhaps it's because the majority of my clients are over 45, and are not the largest users of social networking, but I had to honestly say "not many".

I'm home with my feet up after standing all day and talking non-stop at the MaineJobs.com job fair. Amy and I were pleased to provide a community service by offering resume consultations and a seminar on how to stand out in the job market.

Even though I can't capture the interesting and provocative Q&A's from the seminar participants, I can pass on the tips I outlined during the sessions.

Some days are harder than others. How discouraged or down you feel may depend, at least in part, by how much you've heard or read the news on any given day.

No matter what your situation is--employed, looking for work, contemplating a new career--being in a positive frame of mind will only help you as you go about your life.

Since everyone seems to be so busy these days, here are three simple tips that might easily be included into your weekly activities:

A journalist for the Associated Press, who was writing an article on the topic of refining your skills when you're unemployed, interviewed me today.

Apparently, she was inspired to write the article after reading the statistic that over 14% of Americans are underemployed. I guess she was wondering about the possible link between being underemployed and one's skills being rusty.

In the past 6 weeks, several of my clients have landed full-time jobs--and very good ones at that.

While their fields, backgrounds and areas of expertise were distinctly different from one another, (e.g. training, marketing & communications, engineering, human resources) their process for finding and eventually securing a job, was quite similar. As I thought about what contributed to each person's success, I concluded that there were several factors that the job seekers shared in common.

Here's a list of their winning strategies:

If you've lost your job, or feel stuck in a job because of the sluggish economy, one of the best things you can do is focus on those things that are in your control. Resist what can become a habit of worrying or thinking that you have no options.

A colleague recently sent me an article by author and educational activist, Parker Palmer, titled "Now I Become Myself." It was an easy, but interesting read, since it presented ideas that