Your Career Coach

Dear Michele,

I think I work for the biggest jerk in America. He's a blowhard, and blames everyone else for anything that goes wrong. He makes all these rules then never obeys them himself. He comes in late and leaves early, but then calls to make sure we're still at our desks. I really want to quit but I know finding a new job in this recession will be impossible. I am stuck and getting angrier every day.

Sometimes I think that quitting and being broke would be better than one more day in this hellhole.

-- The Apprentice

Dear App,

It's always better to find a job from the perch of having a job. Wanna be sneaky, though? I like the idea of you mounting a stealth campaign, right under this jerk's nose. You're going to mount a stealth campaign to get you the hell out of there. How to do it?

Start by meeting with your network at coffee, or at lunch, or on the weekends to explore other opportunities that are open. If you are in IT, or healthcare, or environmental fields, hiring is going great guns. So get out there and find a place for yourself. It may take a little bit of time, but if you keep working on it, on the down low, you will find something new that will be great for you. Then, one fine day, you will walk into your boss' office (maybe he'll be there, maybe he won't) and tell him you're moving on. Won't that be sweet?