What's your Career Resolution for 2010?

The 5th annual list of New Year's resolutions from Franklin Covey is now available. How does your list of personal resolutions stack up with this new list?

The economy was clearly the overwhelming influence this year with 44% of the respondents including resolutions pertaining to finances. Of course everyone knows that career and economics really go hand in hand. With 10% unemployment, careers, jobs and finances are front and center.

Did you make any resolutions for 2010? How did your 2009 resolutions work out for you?

2010 New Year's Resolutions from Franklin-Covey:

1. Improve financial situation or save money
2. Lose weight
3. Develop a healthy habit (e.g., healthy eating, exercise)
4. Change employment
5. Develop a regular savings plan
6. Break an unhealthy habit (e.g. smoking, alcohol, overeating)
7. Spend more time with friends and family.
8. Other
9. Get organized
10. Develop a new skill or talent

Keep in mind that the New Year gives you 12 months to acheive your goals. Stressing yourself because you don't get it right in the first month, doesn't really help.

Write them down and revisit them periodically throughout the year.

Take your time, stay positive and be deliberate.

Niche web sites Help Overcome Barriers to Employment

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is reporting that the average job search is taking about twenty-eight weeks. The word “average” is important here. Many of us know people who have been very lucky and picked up new roles in a couple of months while we know others who have been unemployed for over a year in this current recession.

Time-to-employment is impacted by many factors, over which the jobseeker has control including number of hours committed to job search and how willing a job seeker is to explore multiple career options.

Time-to-employment can also be impacted by other factors over which the jobseeker has not much control – at least not in the short term. Some of these factors could be discrimination around age, disability or race or previous gaps in employment. Although we know these factors are at work, it is often hard to prove that an employer may be unfairly screening you out of the candidate pool.

If you think you are being impacted by any of these factors, the last thing you want to do is pull back on your job search and lose focus. Instead, you want to improve your chances of being hired by adding one important strategy to your job search -Connect with transition resources that have a track record for success in niche employment.

These niche resources can help job seekers narrow the focus enough to hit the bullseye and land an opportunity in a shorter time.

For example, eSight Career Networks, lists jobs for the disabled, and offers career tips to help professionals deal with disability employment issues. The Fortune Society, works to help people who have been incarcerated improve job search skills and build better lives through meaningful employment. Workforce50 serves older workers with a full service job board and career information website for Boomers.

If your job search is being stalled by some of these factors, get a leg up by finding resources in your online and “on-land” communities.