Last October I left the company that I was with for fifteen years. The newly hired VP of Training & Development felt that my job should be eliminated - with me still in it. It came as a surprise, but ended a long period of time during which I had become more and more dissatisfied with my employer. With three boys, two mortgages, and only one major employer on my resume I felt trapped. What I had always feared - getting sacked - turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me.

I now have a comparable job with a much better company. I have learned that you don't have to be miserable in a bad job - there are better ones out there. As trite as it seems, you have to see this as an opportunity. What other choice do you have? Make a list of all of the things you want in a job, in an employer, in the area in which you will live, in your life. Assign a value to each of these. When you interview (as you will - it's a good market) make sure you keep this list of what's important at the top of your mind. Remember: You aren't really looking for just any job - you are deciding what you want to do for the next part of your life.

Feel free to PM me, too, if you aren't sure where to start; my company set me up with an outplacement company to ease the transition and I'll be glad to share information with you.

Good luck. Stay on the bright side of the road.