As the leader of one of the world’s largest executive recruiting firms, Kevin Kelly has a unique view of the job market. It’s one that the Virginia native says was initially shaped by a transformative phone call he received on Thanksgiving 1990. A former roommate was on the line suggesting he come to Japan. He didn’t have a job lined up but decided to take a chance.

People consider switching their careers for many reasons. The Center for Career Management at the University of Richmond School of Continuing Studies recommends consulting a career coach to develop a career plan for life. Such career evaluations can help people:
  Discover work values, interests, skills and competencies.
  Identify alternative career options that capitalize on their experience, knowledge, skills and abilities.

Squeezing every penny out of personal budgets. Raising a family as a single parent. Working two jobs. Believe me, I understand every challenge that students at Virginia’s community colleges face today. Thirty years ago, I was in the same place. My mother raised my three younger siblings and me on her minimum-wage secretarial salary. Tuition for community college was $275, toward which I received only a $50 Pell Grant. To make ends meet, I pumped gas three nights a week and all day Saturday and Sunday. While today’s tuition and income levels are higher, that tough balancing act hasn’t changed.

If you’re playing by the old rules to find a job in this economy, you may be playing for a long time. Computers and networking have become an integral part of the job search and have taken the process beyond the traditional response to a help-wanted ad. For people in unskilled jobs or who haven’t gone through a job search for decades, the new requirements can seem daunting. Free help is available, though, from some unusual places—including libraries, churches and online communities.