i continue to hear the "economy this", the "economy that", "it's impossible with the bad economy", and a whole slew of other rants. Quite frankly, I'm sick of it. Truth be told, the economy is bad, people do need help, and many people are just trying to figure out how to survive.

But, let me share something with you...oh well! What I've seen many people do and I've begun doing myself is to take advantage of it. Believe it or not, there is such a thing as thriving in a down economy. Truthfully, it's not that difficult. So, you're job laid you off or your company was downsized or it's just tough? Wouldn't it be nice to TAKE ADVANTAGE and do well in this bad economy?

You can by following the steps below:

• Get excited. There are plenty of excellent opportunities out there.
• Network, network, network. Get involved with sites like LinkedIn, Meetup.com, etc.
• Help out other people and join a charity. I really do believe that what goes around comes around. You would be amazed at what can happen when you realize that there are many people far less fortunate than you and what will happen when you genuinely become a philanthropist and start giving back.
  
• Take advantage of social media sites such as hubpages, facebook, myspace, etc.
• Exercise, eat healthy, and sleep more. You will have far more energy and will be able to accomplish much more.
• Become a leader. People follow leaders and great things will happen when you become one. Watch my video on leadership vs. management for some ideas.
• Laugh and have fun. Your attitude will change and you will begin to see opportunity.
  
• Think positively. Read success and leadership books.
  

Losing a job in any economy is rough. But, what about NOW in this really bad economy? What do you do? Below, I'll outline some tips that should get you off to the right start.

First and foremost, start networking and don't ever stop!. Everywhere you go, everyone you talk to, let them know what you are looking for, get their phone number, and make sure they get yours. Go to career fairs as much as possible, even if they aren't related to your field - you'd be amazed how many good contacts you can meet at these things and can always pick up some great ideas.

Secondly, identify what type of industry or career you are looking for a job in. Spend an hour or two every day just looking. In the beginning, don't look just at local jobs, search nationally. Pop over to monster.com or your favorite job site and try to find your "ideal job". Don't worry about whether or not you can get it yet, we'll get there in a moment!

Third, once you've narrowed down the types of jobs you'd like, open up Excel (if you don't have it, you can use the free Excel-like application called Calc from openoffice.org). Start listing all the phrases that you see used in the qualifications of those types of jobs. Keep doing this until you have a 100 or more.

Fourth, once you have the list of qualifications, start organizing them in a separate tab. Do this by grouping them on the type of skill. In other words, are they "personal skills", "technical skills", "leadership and management" skills, "specific industry skills", etc. You should notice that a lot of these skills, you currently have! If you don't, consider acquiring them by doing searches online at Google or YouTube. It's important that when you make your resume that you use the same types of wording used in other ads. See more on this below.

Fifth, begin creating a resume in Word (again you can use the free Word-like application available for free at OpenOffice.org). I'm gonna tell you something VERY IMPORTANT here. If you've ever taken some kind of resume workshop or class, they usually tell you to do it in this format and follow this and blah blah. Let me tell you something....don't do it! What works...and I can say this after having been a manager and hiring hundreds of people myself and interviewing thousands over the years....what works... is to BE DIFFERENT. Focusing on what makes you different can mean all the difference.

Sixth, once you've created that crafty resume, start working on your cover letter. Here, more than anywhere, is where you are going to make it or break it. You MUST be different. You must grab their attention. I've successfully used phrases like:

• You will see that my resume is different from most candidates. That is become I am different
• I'm confident that I will outperform all expectations because I've done that time and time again
• I am a pacesetter, trendsetter, and innovator. If you are not looking for a leader, then don't waste your time with me as we are not a match

All too often when I make recommendations like that, I hear people say "what if it don't work". Here is my question...what if it DOES WORK? Be different...it's the only chance you have.

So now, you've got this great cover letter and great resume. Now what? Get some letters of recommendation...some STRONG letters of recommendation. Include them in your application. It will set you apart and get you the interview.

What do you do on the interview? Be confident but not overwhelming. Show the interviewer the value you will bring to the company and how you are different.

Good luck and more tips coming soon.

If you're at all concerned about the bad economy, why not DO SOMETHING about it! Stop listening to the news and follow the thousands of people that are beginning to build a monthly income from home.

I've spent years, over the years, trying to find the ideal business opportunity. It's hard. There are VERY FEW business that not only do well but thrive in a bad economy. I have personally selected one which Robert Kisoyaki has said is the best compensation plan that he has ever seen.

Embrace this down economy....tons of people are trying to get back on their feet. With the right opportunity, you can help them and help yourself in the process!