We all know someone affected by these uncertain economic times.

Maybe you’re worried about your own.

There’s no doubt anymore that the economic downtown has hit home. With all the bad news, it’s easy to feel the situation is out of our control, but it’s not.

The truth is there will always be job opportunities for talented, business savvy professionals who have the right tools to find them. What are those tools?

• Update your resume. What have you accomplished since you last wrote your resume? If it’s been many years since you’ve updated it, spend time brainstorming how you were valuable to your last organization. It can be helpful to schedule time with a colleague or former manager to help you with this process. Be sure to include new classes or training you’ve taken, both on or off the job. If putting your successes into words is not one of your strengths, look into hiring a professional resume writer. A well written resume can knock months off your job search.

• Refresh your skills and learn new ones. Community colleges are booming with enrollment up by at least 9,000 students last fall over a year ago. Local colleges offer a wealth of classes for a variety of professions, covering multiple skills. Classes are offered at convenient times, including nights, weekends, and increasingly, online. Professional groups and organizations also regularly offer seminars and workshops.

• Put your network into action. With the explosion of social networking Web sites, keeping in touch with former colleagues and building professional networks has never been easier. Linkedin.com is a networking site that is designed for business professionals.

• Seek support. Invest in the strengths and expertise of others to help you find a job. Hiring a professional career coach, resume writer or headhunter can be a wise investment, leading to a shorter and more lucrative job search. It will build your confidence and give the support you need.

• Stand out at interviews. The hidden question behind every interview by a potential employer is “how can you be valuable to me?” Focus on what you can offer the employer, not what the employer can offer you. Find a coach or a friend to help you practice.

• Be realistic about the time you have to invest. Finding a job is a job itself. Make daily and weekly goals to make it more manageable. Set a large goal of making at least 40 professional contacts and break it into manageable pieces – connect with two people a day, 10 people a week. By month’s end, you’ll reach your goal.

Amanda Johnson is a Sammamish-based career consultant and a job-search instructor at Bellevue College.

Job workshop at

Sammamish Library

Join Amanda Johnson for an interactive evening filled with proven techniques for landing a job.

Learn how to stand out in this crowded job market, expand your network and effectively market yourself. Sammamish Branch of the King County Library, 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 13. More info: www.kcls.org/looktoyourlibrary/., or www.careersolutionsplus.com.