I'm often asked by both candidates and clients, "So how is the job market?" Candidates want to know if they will be able to find their next job. Employers want to know how hard it will be to find their next employee. And this question of, “How is the job market?” seems like a reasonable way to start that conversation.

For the past few weeks, I've been writing about changes in how people look for jobs. This week I interviewed local luminary Sharon Armstrong. Sharon has 20 years of experience as a human resources consultant, trainer and career counselor.

How employers share job openings and how candidates apply for jobs is increasingly out of step with how humans actually process information. Think about it. In our tablet and smartphone world, could there be a worse way to hire than the hidebound ritual of:

If you haven't looked for a job recently, you might find that a few things have changed. Slapping together a resume and shotgunning it out to positions you saw posted online will usually result in ... nothing at all. Really. Don't bother.

Have you met people who seem to always be in the right place at the right time in their careers? They start with early successes, build a strong reputation, and then gracefully leap from one great opportunity to the next.

Have you ever wondered how do they do that?

Have you ever heard this advice? “For every $10,000 in annual salary your search will take a month, so if you want an annual salary of $70,000, your search will probably take seven months.” Or perhaps you’ve heard that the average job search takes four, six, or eight months.

As you wait for the elevator to arrive after another mediocre day at the office, you give yourself an all-too-familiar pep talk. "I'm better than this, and I've completely had it with this job," you tell yourself. "I'm outta here for good."

If you are ready to leave your job -- to take another job or simply to take a break -- you want to do it gracefully.

Before you write your resume and launch your job search campaign, Billie Sucher thinks there are 10 questions you should consider carefully.  I urge you to read her post, the questions are great.

Colin Daymude - a CareerRealism expert - compares jobseeking to a diet, and claims that many jobseekers are binging on fast food when they should be adding healthy foods. But how does one avoid the bad habits and consume the good ones? Here are 3 jobseeking habits to avoid: