What I’m Reading This Week: It’s the Economy (Stupid)

I cannot believe another week has zoomed by.  No matter what kind of job you are looking for, I am sure that the constant doom and gloom about the financial markets this week didn’t make matters any easier for you.

Hang in there — if there is one cliché I know to be true, it’s this: When one door closes, another one opens.

If you are looking for a few more encouraging words, check out Sital’s most recent post at Career Hub.  As always, she has great advice, this time on how to refocus and reinvent yourself in light of the current upheaval.  Her spot-on advice should go a long way to getting you through some of the doubt you are undoubtedly suffering right now.

Penelope Trunk’s Brazen Careerist also has an interesting take this week on how layoffs are affecting Americans — specifically the uber-rich among us.  Here insights may be a bit more pie in the sky that you’re interested in right now, but I always find that the comments on her post are at least as illuminating (if not more) than Penelope’s original post.  Plus, Penelope is one of the best writers out there, so even if I vehemently disagree with what she has to say, her writing is always a joy to read.

I loved this post on The Inside Jobs about how to be happy in your current job. Given the economic environment we find ourselves in today, many currently employed folks are sticking with the bird-in-the-hand job, rather than scoping out new birds/jobs in the bush. In that spirit, Liz Wolgemuth writes about 10 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Job. It’s a great read.

If you’d rather read some practical job search tips, then check out this post from the Career Doctor.  Randall answers a reader’s question about the protocol involved in sending out cover letters electronically, which seemed apropos after my post on Tuesday about how to write a cover letter.

Last but not least, monster.com had a blog post last week about wise money management tips in a tough economy.  Follow the links to see whether you are doing everything you should be to insulate yourself from this recession. 

That’s it for my reading list this week.  Have you read something recently that you think our other readers would appreciate?  Leave a link in the comments section!