Welcome to the Blue Money Report

There is it, displayed in all of its plainness, a statement that is more than likely true. So you will need to get yourself employed in the same occupation at another company or change occupations. Let's deal with what we know first.

The industries with the fastest job growth are services such as food, education, and health. In the last unemployment report, these three industries were the significant driver of the positive numbers. The regional availability of jobs makes it difficult to put a finger on any one trend but industries as varied as pharmaceuticals to security guard are offering opportunities based on skill that your last job may have required.

The quality of the resumes is not as important these days as the content. In resumes, these skills are merely scanned words. Possible employers are looking for certain phrases that will send up red or, in some cases, green flags. These keywords will get the attention of the software many companies use to find an interviewable candidate. Tailoring your resume with the right words will get you further than a fancy description of what you did previously.

Posting online may be risky if you are employed largely in part because employers are finding the internet to be fertile hunting grounds for new employees. Be forewarned, the internet generates a lot of applicants for jobs. Your resume will be swimming in a crowded pool so put emphasis on exactly what that employer is looking for, tailoring your resume to match those needs, and with a little bit of luck might just get you in the door.

The online services often provide chatrooms and message boards which, short of networking your own friends for job leads and opportunities, can provide the necessary human contact that job searches require. This goes back to the burning bridges warning. Always strive to know as many people as possible. For some, that won't be easy, but while you are working is the time to keep your eyes and ears open.

The search for work may not always be fruitful. Long term unemployment can begin to take a financial drain on you and your family. Remember that selling your assets in your 401(k) or 403(b) plan comes with harsh penalties if it is done before you are 59 1/2 years old. The ten percent federal tax is only the beginning of the losses that can be tallied from this type of move. The other comes from potential gains that won't be realized.

Desperation can lead to a chase after any reasonable employment in your chosen field. In the current job climate, even new jobs may not be safe. Be very careful uprooting family until you are certain that the prospects of stability are better estimated. This might mean temporary separation for several months. The flipside, moving without that certainty that the new job will last can be economically devastating on a family.

Looking for cash in life insurance policies is short term relief. When you return to work, the low premium policy that was cashed out will cost you a great deal more when you are trying to buy a new one.

While we are on the subject of insurance, covering your family with health benefits can be a costly affair. COBRA, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act allows you to continue health benefits for your family as long as your dismissal was not for extreme misconduct. Expect to pay 102% of what your employer paid and that will only last for 18 months on average. Be careful if you are in a long term unemployment situation. If you need to carry your coverage forward without regard to pre-existing conditions, you have 63 days after your COBRA benefits expire to get yourself signed up for a new policy without penalty or refusal.