By Maureen Perideaux

Pulse has dropped, breathing has slowed . . . is anyone here a doctor? This career is flatlining fast! Are you suffering careeritis? The symptoms include loss of attention to detail, wondering if it’s too late to change careers, compulsively checking the job boards and fantasizing about quitting and moving to Rio .

We’ve all experienced the drudgeries of work, the battles of office politics, a boss that does not tap into our strengths, the lack of challenging projects, etc. For some the episode is fleeting and they’re quickly back on their feet after addressing the issues that brought on feelings of frustration and depression. Others, however, decide on radical change. Perhaps they exit altogether and finally gather up the nerve to do what they’ve always wanted to do. But what to do when you’re just plain stuck?

It’s time to breathe some new life into your career and get the ideas circulating again. To get things pumping again, take action! It’s time to stop crying in your margarita and start asking questions:

· Is it me or the situation? Have I lost passion for my work entirely, or am I just fed up with where I work?

· What do I really want to do? Honestly. (Suspend all judgment at this point.) What makes me smile? What makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something important? If there were no constraints, no obstacles, no difficult people, what I would love to do every single day is ________________.

· What do I have to do to make this happen? Move to a new city ? Go back to school? Start a business? Learn a new skill or language?

· Who can I talk to who can help me figure out how to make all this happen? Get on the phone. Meet for lunch. Email. Brainstorm, seek advice and remain open to possibilities.

Now that the blood is flowing again, do one thing today that will move you in the right direction. Tomorrow, do another. Keep on going until you find yourself doing work you love.

Maureen is a regular contributor to Mujeres camino al exito.

By Paula Otero

Looking for work in this economy is challenging and fewer headhunters are knocking on our doors with good opportunities. But this is the very same reason that caution is important when working with a headhunter. Be aware of practices that can lead to time/money wasted or worst yet to the wrong job.

- Forced fit: Just like Cinderella’s stepsisters could not fit their feet into the glass slipper, a job too is designed with a certain shape/size of qualifications in mind. A headhunter who is on retainer gets his commission only when you are hired. Thus, a shortage of good-fit candidates may be replaced with here’s-a-warm-body. Oftentimes the job is not exclusively listed with them so they need to parade options to keep themselves top-of-mind with the client until the right person comes up.

- Nip-and-Tuck your resume: Key words will stand out to an employer and sometimes a headhunter will ask you to include those in your resume. This is fine if you already posses the general qualifications for the job but if the tweaking results in a re-purposing of your resume it goes into shaky practices and worst yet, land you a job you can’t sustain. I’ve seen endless cases of people who oversell their qualifications only to be called out and replaced shortly after. Honesty is the best policy when it comes to your job search; don’t be pressured into doing something you aren’t comfortable with.

- Double charging on fees: It doesn't matter if the agency is on retainer or contingency, either way, the employer pays the fee. The Association of Executive Search Consultants bans the practice of billing candidates for the job search. If any hidden fees creep up as “services” beware of doing business with that specific firm. Experts say the search should not cost you money.

- Oh, by the way, I already send them your resume! A headhunter should NEVER send your resume until you explicitly give your permission to do so. On one occasion, I caught a headhunter in a lie and realized she’d probably sent my resume before I approved her doing so. How do I know? She called and said “They really want to meet you, they love your background!” She denied sending it and skirted the issue. This is another practice banned by the AESC so beware.

Where are the jobs? It’s June and many of us are keeping our fingers crossed for a turnaround in the job market. Alma, a woman I recently spoke with at an event, told me she’s sent over 40 resumes out with not one single job lead. She currently freelances but the assignment ends on June 30. Like Alma, many Latinas find themselves caught up in what seems like an eternal job search. I just came across the survey results from a study by Dice Holdings, Inc. -- a provider of specialized career web sites for professional communities --  that gives a glimpse into hiring trends among companies. Although things are still moving slowly a majority of surveyed companies don't foresee layoffs.

Table 1: Has the current economic environment caused you or your Clients to scale back hiring plans for the next six months?
Yes, substantially 15%

Yes, slightly 37%

No 43%

I'm not sure 5%

Table 2: When do you envision that your hiring or your clients' hiring will return to normal levels?    

Fourth quarter of 2008 16%

First half of 2009 18%

Second half of 2009 6%

Not sure - we'll have to wait and see how the 60% economy evolves

Table 3: How likely do you think layoffs are in the next six months at your organization, or if you are a recruiter at your clients' organizations?

Very likely 7%

Likely 13%

Not likely 64%

I don't know 16%

Table 4: If you or your clients have positions to fill, has the time to fill open positions changed relative to last year?
Yes, it has substantially lengthened 11%

Yes, it has slightly lengthened 30%

No 49%

Yes, it has slightly shortened 8%

Yes, it has substantially shortened 2%

Table 5: What best describes the reason for the time to fill a position lengthening?
There is no urgency to fill open positions 12%

Slight caution related to the economy 26%

Inability to find qualified professionals 59% to fill open positions

I don't know 3%

Table 6: What trend do you see in salaries for new hires?

They are significantly higher than last year 4%

They are slightly higher than last year 48%

They are the same as last year 45%

They are slightly less than last year 3%

They are significantly less than last year 0%

Table 7: Are you seeing an increase in the number of candidates applying for positions?

Yes, significantly 17%

Yes, but slightly 34%

No 49%

As a young woman she once painted her bedroom orange and warned everyone to “keep out”. Today, as founder of Alivio Medical Center in Chicago, Carmen Velasquez makes sure the doors to medical care are always open to the uninsured, poor, working, mostly Mexican population. Carmen is a feisty and energetic woman who will tell you she is “not angry” but clearly 20 years ago made it her mission to make sure the thriving Latino community of Chicago would be cared for.

Carmen is today one of the most respected women in health care. I recently saw her speak at Loyola University and drew inspiration not just from what she said but because she is truly walking the talk. Website: www.aliviomedicalcenter.org

Why should walking through the hallways of any given company in the US be any different than walking through the streets of America? Inclusion in Leadership was the theme of this year’s HACE Chicago Career Conference that’s exactly the point keynote speaker Dr. Robert Rodriguez drove home. Companies are beginning to better understand the Latino talent pool, to enhance and make recruiting initiatives more effective.

Chicago, being the Midwestern city with the largest Hispanic population is poised to become a hub for recruiting in this area. Dr. Rodriguez pointed out the opportunities the Hispanic market represents for companies wanting to reach us as consumers. Because the fact is that Latinos today are better educated, hold better jobs which in turn means we have more money to spend and, when we’re not filling up our gas tanks, have more disposable incomes.

Walking through the exhibition area I met many recruiters who all told me their companies are committed to recruit and retain a diverse workforce. Like Dr. Rodriguez, I too look forward to the day when the norm means true diversity across all ranks and not just the one Latino over in accounting. But I will say this, every recruiter there walked away with a high pile of resumes to choose from as hundreds of attendees combed the isles, many standing in line waiting for their one-on-one with representatives of the companies they where vying for. This is encouraging and I hope that in this tough job market the networking and contacts attendees made yesterday turn into a solid career path. ¡Buena suerte!

Dr. Robert Rodriguez is the Assistant Dean at Kaplan University see more about his book www.latinotalentbook.com.