A recent news item stated that college-educated people had the hardest time finding jobs in the U.S. As someone who's had a lot of experience in job-hunting over the years, here are some things to think about:

• In the "old days", long before the Beatles and the Internet and cellular telephones, villages and towns had people such as shoemakers, druggists (not "drug dealers"), carpenters, leather workers, grocers, and farmers (vegetable-fruit-and-livestock producers).
• These people met needs that the rest of the community had.
• As the U.S. developed metropolitan areas, we became more specialized. That was reflected in our college courses. Not just engineering, but civil engineering, aeronautical engineering, electrical engineering. Not just "business", but management, human resources, information technology for business, accounting (all types), international commerce.
• As our U.S. economy went "SPLAT!" and many people found themselves out of jobs, the need to rethink HOW we look for jobs became evident. The specialized jobs they insisted on finding just weren't there.
  

JOB: Work that somebody who needs to have done will pay you to do.

If what you need is income to pay the bills (car payment, rent or mortgage payment, credit cards, your kids' shoes, your kids' braces, electric power, cable bill, etc.), then you need to take a fresh approach.

• Look around your community and size it up: What is it that people will pay to have done?
• Keep in mind that in your financial emergency, you are looking for temporary measures (hopefully) to get an income. As the economy improves, then you can return to seeking out job descriptions more suited to your "comfort zone".
• Do you know how to repair things? appliances, TVs, computers, electric tools, wood damage?
  
• Can you make something that people want? Example: A couple in Miami, looking for a way to support their five children on two incomes, not one, decided to start a cupcake store because the mom had been baking cupcakes all her adult life. The concept worked and is growing after a modest start in a shopping center.
• Can you teach people (adults, children, teenagers, whoever) how to do something? Is it information or a skill that people are willing to pay you for? If you're good at math, try tutoring kids who are struggling in elementary, middle or high schools.
• Could you use your vehicle as a delivery device? (Check out the local licensing laws.)
• Could you provide pet care for people who are on vacation? You could drop by the house, walk the dog(s), feed the dog(s), give the pets some personalized attention.
• If you're skilled at writing, what about providing writing services for small businesses?

Take a look at your current resume. Are there some talents indicated there that you could transform into an income-producing activity?

Moral of the story: In the U.S., we've moved (in mentality) back to basics, back to the small town, neighbor-helps-neighbor kind of world. Rethink your approach to a job search to find job ideas you never thought of before. You may have noticed that the hamburger fast-food places are still doing well---because their prices fit our entertainment budgets. There are worse things in life than flipping French fries.