This tough job market has evolved from the current global financial sector melt down and the resulting economic restructuring, and is likely to continue for a number of years. To thrive in it, one must first recognize that on-going career transitions will be more prevalent. Having a solid understanding of what you have to offer and how and where to market your services will give you a decided advantage in the increasingly competitive race for work opportunities. Managing the transition process from one engagement to another becomes a significant effort in itself. ""A Transitional Career"", as used in this book, refers to a work-life cycle incorporating a series of job engagements, which may be part-time or full-time, often separated by periods of non-paid activity. Job engagements may last for hours, days, weeks or months and may be consecutive or concurrent. ""Pursuing a Transitional Career"" requires a different perspective on searching for a job engagement than the more traditional approach of seeking a long term job commitment. As you will see in ""Seven Steps"", seeking new job engagements is a continuous effort. I wrote this workbook as a guide, taking the role of a personal coach to you, the reader. ""A Transitional Career"" can be very rewarding. This work-life cycle alternative has attracted management consultants, independent contractors and other professional service providers for decades. The ""Seven Steps"" workbook has been designed to help people who are: in job transition and want to find work; working but are concerned about their future career; interested in exploring consulting or contracting work; retired but need additional income; and, entering the work place for the first time.

Have you ever hired someone whom you never should have hired in the first place? If your answer is 'Yes', you're not alone. Few hiring managers have been taught to hire successfully. Since hiring is a decision that will have a huge impact on a company's most important assets - its employees - leaving hiring to chance seems unreasonable. There is no magic in making good hiring decisions; it's a skill anyone can learn. In ""Seven Rules for Hiring Extraordinary Talent"", the author brings his thirty years of experience working with companies to find, select and hire key employees to life. ""The Seven Rules"" outlines the most common mistakes in hiring he has observed and noted, and will show the reader how to avoid these mistakes. Told as a business story for effective and enjoyable reading, ""Seven Rules"" will serve as a guide for anyone involved in the hiring process. Ignore these rules at your peril, because they can be expensive.