You may have learned skills through belonging to groups or from hobbies you pursue.

Back a few years ago, you could get mad at your employer and quit and easily go find another job.

Not in these trying times, jobs are so hard to come by that if you have one, you need to stay there in order to pay bills.

President Obama challenged lawmakers on to “pass this jobs bill” — a blunt call on Congress to enact his $447 billion package of tax cuts and new government spending, designed to revive a stalling economy and his own political standing.

So many people have lost homes, cars and even their family due to unemployement.

What happens if your job just doesn't seem to be working out? If you think something is not right about your job, go to your supervisor and discuss the matter and possible solutions. Inquire if training, coaching, or reasonable accommodations may resolve the problem.

If the problem is not corrected, then make sure you write down what is happening. Include what you have done and what was said to you. Follow the grievance (complaint) procedure outlined in your employer's employment policies.

Working for someone else implies a contract between you and your employer. You provide skills and abilities and your employer provides pay.

This is called a labor exchange. Remember that you got this job by promoting yourself as a productive worker. You have agreed to use your skills, your ability to learn, and your willingness to help your current employer succeed. You will be evaluated as an employee while you are working. The following information can help you stay gainfully employed.

ou were hired because the employer felt you had the skills and abilities needed to get the job done. You will now need to prove to your employer that he or she made the right choice in hiring you. It is important to start a new job with a good attitude and thorough preparation.

One way to prepare for a new job is to list any issues or problems you have that may affect your employment.

Then, list a solution to the issue or problem. Use the Problem Identification form for listing this information. Review the form and follow the steps you listed in order to be best prepared for your new job.

The first things that employers will look at are your job habits. Before they can assess your actual job skills, they will see how you fit into the organization. Here are some key habits to keep in mind.

If you constantly have to have run ins with your Supervisor, then maybe there is a personality problem

After completing school, many people think they are finished with their education. Learning always takes place, even though we may not be aware of it at the time it happens. Every time you master a new task, you have learned something new. It may not seem like learning, because you were not sitting at a desk while a teacher was lecturing. Teachers are another word for expert. Experts come in all forms.

Fellow employees, your supervisor, the trainer, and teachers are all experts in their own fields. Some have formal degrees, some have experience, some have common sense, and some have different combinations of all of these.

The employment contract with companies is different now than it was even twenty years ago. People used to count on working for one employer for many years, often until retirement.

That company would decide when, where, how, and if you needed training. Now the employment relationship is not as stable. As a result, companies are no longer committed to helping you develop the skills necessary for advancement.

You should think of yourself as working for "My Career, Incorporated". You need to insure that your product, YOU, has the best competitive advantages available. You have to make training decisions for yourself.

Skills can come from all aspects of your life, not just work or school. For instance, many parents have organizing skills, since they need to juggle many schedules at once.

You may have learned skills through belonging to groups or from hobbies you pursue.

View the Skills Assessment form for a blank assessment form you can fill out. List all the things you know how to do and how well you can do them. What are your strongest skills? What skills are you most interested in developing?

Each job requires skills related to that particular job. Some job-related skills can be learned quickly, while others may take years of training. Look at the job you hold now and the job you want to hold in the next few years. Make a list of the skills needed for these two jobs.

Rate the skills in terms of their importance. Compare your job-related skills assessment to your skills assessment. How many skills needed for these two jobs do you currently hold? How many skills don't you have? These are the skills you need to develop. See the Job-Related Skills

Assessment form for a sample job-related skills assessment and a blank assessment form you can fill out. Compare your job-related skills assessment to your skills assessment. How many skills needed for these two jobs do you currently hold? How many skills don’t you have? These are the skills you need to develop.

So far you have looked at the skills you now hold and the skills you need to improve or obtain. Now you need to decide where to get this training.