Visit your local library to begin researching opportunities in the industries and functional areas of interest to you. Be realistic, but focus on niche opportunities being created in new sectors, not on areas where jobs are being cut. Be positive. Forget the past. You can't change what's happened, and belaboring what should have been will only keep you from focusing on the future and achieving your goals. 

Mistake 2. Lacking flexibility - If you've been displaced from a shrinking industry, or if your skills are becoming obsolete, don't insist on remaining in the same fields. That's career suicide. Think creatively about how companies can tap your capabilities and experience. Visualize yourself in a work setting where your skills are truly appreciated, perhaps with a very small, young company, or with a local nonprofit that needs your expertise. 

Recognize, too, that the contingent workforce is growing at the professional and executive levels. Interim executives and contract managers are being hired like never before to work on specific, temporary projects. And according to temp-placement firms, up to 40% of professional temps are eventually hired permanently by their temporary employers.

Other entrepreneurial options are available as well. You may find that starting your own company or consulting venture, or buying a company or franchise, provides more long-term security and opportunity than working for someone else. Broaden your horizons and research your options, and you'll be amazed at what having a little flexibility can do for your prospects. 

Mistake 3. Remaining hidden and ashamed - The negative emotions associated with a layoff can be debilitating. If you allow yourself to be consumed by these negatives, you'll be unable to market yourself effectively. 

In some cases, seeking professional help can make the difference. Whether you consult with a professional career counselor or sign up with an outplacement firm, venting your frustrations and focusing on your future with them can be energizing. 

"Outplacement programs provide valuable support, mitigating the psychological trauma inflicted by the loss of a job," says Ken Row, human resources director for Battle Mountain Gold Co. in Houston. By seeking professional career help, candidates can "focus on the future and find a new position equal or superior to the recently vacated one," he says.

Learning to deal effectively with the psychology of losing a job is critically important. In today's economy there's no longer a stigma to being unemployed. And since effective networking and marketing of your skills requires a positive outlook, self-confidence and constant interaction, you must shed any self-defeating perceptions you have of yourself or your situation. 

Mistake 4: Avoiding social and support group functions - Remaining isolated and reducing social or professional activities will limit your opportunities to uncover job leads. Since 60% of all jobs are identified through networking, according to industry research, 60% of your job-search time should be devoted to networking activities. Every opportunity to talk and meet with others, socially and professionally, should be taken. No stone can be left unturned when it comes to finding leads. 

Mistake 5. Unrealistic financial planning - In an effort to minimize disruption to their families, many displaced executives fail to make any changes in their home budgets that may damage their current lifestyles. Or, in the other extreme, some drastically cut spending or rush to pay off all major debts. Either approach can cause problems. 

Before taking any financial action, prepare asset/liability and expense/income statements and plan your job search accordingly. If your resources suggest a five-month lead time, then seta goal of landing a new position within that period. As your search progresses, adjust your expenses and investments to increase your flexibility. While image is important, don't allow either false pride or an irrational need to provide unnecessary extras to your family to dictate your financial and job-search plans. 

Mistake 6: On-and-off-searching - Vacations, your golf game and the "honey-do" list can wait. Your personal marketing efforts should be a full-time effort. Take on a job search as you would any organizational project. Do your research and preparation, develop a strategic plan for achieving your goals and implement it with the commitment and intensity you demanded of yourself in your former position. Your job now is to find a job or other opportunity.

"Surplused employees who allow themselves to become diverted from the job-search process are doing themselves a disservice," says Burgess Buchanan, a human resources director in Houston for Texas Instruments." any successful endeavor requires commitment, focus and hard work. A job search is no different." 

Mistake 7: Failing to target small and medium-sized companies - Employment has grown in the past year, but the growth has been primarily at small and mid-sized companies that rarely make front-page news. In fact, small employers are feeding on the restructuring of corporate America. Many service organizations and consulting firms are thriving on the outsourcing trend started by the Fortune 500. Technology advances have allowed small firms to be competitive with major suppliers, and many need the expertise you possess to grow and expand. Targeting and contacting smaller companies will open up new vistas for your job prospects. 

Mistake 8: Isolating your family - Job hunting is a family affair. Just as the displaced executive feels stress and worry, so does each family member. A non-working spouse may feel obligated to seek work, which can be a plus if the couple pursues their searches jointly, supporting and encouraging one another. yet in most families, both spouses already hold jobs, making it imperative after a job loss to bring the family together as a unit and explain the situation. 

Children of all ages can feel stressed, confused and uncertain about how their needs and activities will be affected. Discuss goals and frustrations, listen to each other's concerns and share accomplishments. Express confidence in each other to strengthen the family's morale. Each member can grow from the experience. How you pursue your job search can be a model of success for your family. 

Mistake 9: Relying on traditional job sources - Recruitment ads, search firms and job fairs may present only 20% to 30% of all job opportunities, so build your network whenever possible. Expand it daily by developing a list of potential professional and personal contacts. Include everyone you know, even if the relationship is casual or remote. 

Use membership lists of organizations to which you belong, alumni directories, your church membership roster, etc., Develop a target company list and ask your contacts for names they can share of people in these and related companies. Develop a script so that you're prepared to present your situation and goals with confidence. This isn't just a numbers game, but requires intelligent planning, honing of your marketing skills and hard work. 

Mistake 10: Poor preparation - Develop an A+ résumé emphasizing your accomplishments. Then work on preparing A+ references and developing A+ interviewing skills. Finally, make sure you have an A+ job-search plan. If you recall your school days, an A+ grade is achieved through working hard and smart with careful preparation. Developing your résumé, references and search plan requires no less. All steps of the process must be linked together to create psychological leverage, which will enable you to gain a greater return on your investment of time and effort. With the proper tools in place, you'll build confidence and be able to anticipate the next best step in your campaign. Remember, luck is when preparation meets opportunity. 

Job-search malaise is curable with the right attitude and techniques. The difference between failure and success in your search is whether you allow yourself to become a victim of your situation or take command. Remember the senior engineer who thought he was washed up? He followed these 10 principles to turn what he initially thought was a disaster into a career opportunity. By focusing his energies on marketing his unique capabilities, within six weeks he achieved his first-ever vice president's title with a 30% increase in salary. 

You haven't lost your skills or capabilities, and while the job market is in flux, there are opportunities for continued career success. Instead of looking for just another job, you can find a better job, with a better company, for better pay. this is your opportunity to move to the next level in your career and life, but it's up to you to make it happen.