As I watched CNBC's recent town hall special "Where the Jobs Are," a comment made by panelist Jeff Taylor, founder & CEO of Eons.com, resonated with me:

"I see right now people [are] very intimidated by the numbers. You can't control the numbers."  

How true! If you sit and watch the news reports on the faltering economy or get caught up in tracking the unemployment rate, it's bound to get you down. Hey, let's get it out there so it's not the 800 pound gorilla in the room. Yes, unemployment is at its highest rate since 1983, and, yes, 4.4 million jobs have been lost since the recession started. No, it's not fun to think about, and, no, it's not exactly an enviable time to have to conduct a job search. To get through this, the only job search that needs to matter to you is yours and yours alone.

You'll psych yourself out by focusing on the numbers and risk paralysis by analysis. Turn the 6:00 news off if they start talking about the loss of jobs again. Get back to basics and keep things on a personal level. You are in the midst of a job search. Strategize and stay focused. Block the numbers out.

As the saying goes, plan your work, and work your plan. (Jeff Taylor said that during the CNBC special, too. I like the way Jeff thinks!) 

Great Resource:
CNBC's online special report for "Where the Jobs Are" includes a sector breakdown of the top 10 states, types of jobs, and top companies hiring right now. Check it out here for healthcare, financial services, government, tech & communication, education, retail, construction, and manufacturing.