Are you harboring bitterness or anger towards your current or past employer?

Do you find it difficult to be upbeat when interviewing or networking because of past job experiences?

Have you spent sleepless nights worrying about how to explain your choppy resume?

If you are currently in the job market, you need to dump this baggage fast!

Here are 4 key job search facts you need to know:

Fact #1:
Your past employer is not investing hours in a personal vendetta against you.

Fact #2:
Employers know that the demise of dot.com companies and the economic downturn of the last 4 years have resulted in choppier resumes.

Fact #3:
People you network with don't want to hear about your past woes. They want to know what you're doing to move ahead!

Fact #4:
Your face and presentation will mirror the internal dialogue you are having with yourself.

Helpful Hints

The employer or net-worker you seek to impress is not interested in lengthy explanations about your employment history. S/he is self-involved like the rest of the world. This works in your favor. Here's why. Most people will not ask for details beyond a logically delivered account of your employment status. They will accept what you say at face value. The employer (or net-worker) will ask questions if s/he wants more information.

So a two or three sentence clarification of your employment status will suffice. For example, "My company reorganized and I was among a number of people that were downsized. I am now seeking to transfer my considerable experience into -fill in the blank." This is an effective explanation that focuses the listener on the present and future, not the past.

Speaking of the past, if you are carrying around years of hurt or slights by the boss who mistreated you, let go of this immediately.

These memories can be painful and hard to forget. But they keep you stuck in the past. Not the place you need to be to get a new job.

To get help leaving this baggage behind and to shift your approach, consider working with a coach or counselor. Once you've shined a light on what you're so angry or hurt about, the anger often dissipates.

Remember, the single most important marketing tool you possess is your attitude. Everything will flow, positive or negative, from your outlook. Your attitude begins with what you are telling yourself. Start crafting an internal dialogue that will portray you as resourceful, determined and optimistic.

Finally, the most successful people I know have not had everything fall into their lap. They've experienced amazing hardships. But they don't spend time talking about their failures or who done them wrong. Their eyes are on the road ahead. Further, they focus on the next good thing that they want to create for themselves.

What's the next good thing you want to create?

Dale Kurow, M.S., is an author and a career and executive coach in NYC. Dale works with clients across the U.S. and internationally, helping them to survive office politics, become better managers, and figure out their next career move.

Visit Dale's web site at http://www.dalekurow.com/phone_ebook for information about her latest E-book, Phone Interview Skills Sharpened Right Here!