Sital, couldn't agree with you more. Well said!

Rosa, This is a great list of go-to resources. Thanks especially for the hotline number. I will share with my job seekers group. Best, Chandlee

Thanks, Peter! I really appreciate it. All the Best, Chandlee

Thanks, Julie...Yes, the lawnmower invites reflection. There seem to be quite a few of us experiencing these life lessons and dilemmas. Thanks for the comments and I hope to see you again in person soon!

Isao, Thanks for the comment. Yes, professors--and their connections--can help you land your first job, too. In general, career centers don't like it when professors recommend one student over another for a job because it violates NACE guidelines on ethics for hiring--which say that all students should be notified about jobs and have the opportunity to apply individually. My favorite resource for positions in scientific research in university labs and the academic job search is the Academic Job Search Handbook by Julia Miller Vick and Jennifer Furlong. They also provide great information for grad students and post-docs in their column in the Chronicle for Higher Education. Both Julia Vick and Jennifer Furlong work in Career Services offices--if you take their advice in tandem with faculty it can be helpful. Career centers can also help students on navigating situations with faculty. For example, if you've worked with a professor for three years and she leaves your school without providing a recommendation for you, or if you are a Ph.D. student and are having trouble with an advisor--they can provide you with resources and help you explore your options. I hope that is helpful. Thanks again for the comment, Chandlee

Comment received from Penelope Trunk: Hi, I tried to post a comment via open ID, but I think it's broken. So I'm emailing you the comment. I like your insight about how things are working from the career center perspective. And I agree that alumni networks are very powerful when it comes to managing a career. That said, there are two things in your post that say a lot about the situation. 1. That you have a lot of great insights on this topic, but you left career center life to start your own business. 2. That you said career centers are taking the lead starting alumni groups on LinkedIn. But LinkedIn is actually set up to work fine for alumni networks without a career center taking charge. The architechture of LinkedIn for alumni groups is very effective at a grassroots level. And this is a great example of career centers constantly being a little bit off the mark. Okay. Still. There must be hope in this regard because career centers have to get better. Too many people are thinking too hard about the problem for things not to change. Penelope

Meg, I couldn't agree with you more...One of my clients recently got reconsidered--and hired--after sending a follow-up post rejection for the job. Your son's story is an inspiration. Thank you for sharing. Best, Chandlee

Rosa, What a unique approach to talking about the job search, great perspective. Love how you take the procurement approach here. One of my current clients is a sourcing consultant; she's going to love this! I look forward to getting to know your work! Best, Chandlee

Thanks, all! I think we are all on the same page here...It's great to see so many different perspectives on Career Collective. Many different approaches but not too many cooks in the kitchen!

Sital, This is an excellent post and very inspiring. The improv analogy is a great one--may give that a "go" sometime myself... I agree with you that sometimes a deep breath is all you need to launch. Thanks for continuing to share your adventures from "across the pond" with us. All the Best, Chandlee

Hi Tom, Back in March, I created, Many Career Minds. This is a group of career experts (resume writers, coaches, recruiters, and authors) to Tweet under the hashtag #mcm It's a bit quieter now, but there is still traffic under the tag. I hear you on spam. I wrote a "birthday" blog post on Spam last week: http://bit.ly/Ih5bL Let me know if I can be of help to you. All the Best, Chandlee

Thanks for your thoughtful comments. Andrea: Great tips. I, too, think being specific about what you've done and impact is very helpful. Tim: According to the latest ExecuNet research on Digital Dirt, 86% of employers now research employees online. I think it's great that you are blogging and sharing your expertise--make sure you advertise those posts on Twitter with a TinyURL! Wishing you both success, Chandlee