These are the questions I’ve been pondering more and more lately.  Let me know if any of you know the answers!

Hint: the easy answer(s) is/are “Fran, you’re depressed.” But I’m not! I truly believe that what I am is in the middle of a gradual process of realizing, maybe slowly accepting, what may eventually be reality for me.

OK, here we go.  What does it mean when:

1. Tt’s difficult to find jobs that seem “right” for you anymore? 

2. You do find jobs that interest you, but you’re missing some of the skills, background and/or experience they require?   

3. You wonder if you should sell the house you’ve lived in half your life just to downsize and save money?

4. You start feeling that applying for a particular job probably isn’t worth the effort because you “know” you won’t get it?

5. It’s been weeks since you found a job you even wanted to apply for?

6. You feel like you’ve already tried everything you can think of to get a job?

7. People tell you to freelance, but you don’t want to because you don’t like freelancing very much?

8. It looks like the jobs in the field in which you earned your graduate degree are all located out-of-state and you don't want to move?

9. You utilize every connection you have, but nothing ever seems to help?

10. You notice that more jobs require skills you never had or haven’t used in too long?

11. No one says you’re “too old,” but you suspect that your age is a strike against you?

12. Even you start feeling that your experience is looking “dated”?

13. You start to avoid some social situations because some people ask you, “Any luck getting a job?” and you hate that question?

14. In this terrible economy, some interviewers still ask you insensitively, “So, what have you been doing for two years?”, as if you’ve been out of work all this time by choice?

15. You’re finding it harder and harder to remain hopeful and optimistic about finding a job?

16. Your discouragement about your job search starts to spill over into other parts of your life?

17. Some people seem surprised that you’re feeling a bit less than your usual upbeat self?

18. You find yourself staying up too late and sleeping too late because – well, why not?

19. You don’t want to eat or drink excessively, but you can understand why someone might be tempted to?

20. You feel like you’ve run out of ideas, of options, of luck?