Writing about listening to folk music on my local public radio station one Thanksgiving has become an annual tradition for me, along with a family gathering and lots to eat on the table. I was struck that Thanksgiving, and still am, by the lyrics of Bob Franke's song Thanksgiving Eve:

What can you do with your days but work and hope
Let your dreams bind your work to your play

Bob's lyrics remind me, especially this time of year, as we move from fall to winter here in the Northeast United States, that life is short and none of have as much time as we'd like to do the things that matter most to us.

That's said, this has been a really tough year for finding a job - any job - let alone focusing on finding meaningful work.    What's interesting though, is the common thread that runs through many of the stories that unemployed workers have graciously shared with me.  Despite the fact that they don't have a job, that it's the worst job market that they can remember, and life is really difficult, they are thankful.  They are thankful for the kindness of friends, family, and sometimes strangers, who have taken them in when the've lost their homes.  They are thankful for a meal, for a referral to a job, and for unemployment benefits that have helped at least pay some of the bills.

Thanksgiving is also my time of year to say thank you.  A heartfelt thanks  to all of you have contributed to this site and shared your job search stories, suggestions, and tips. I appreciate you taking the time to comment on posts, email me, or post on our Forum. 

As I mentioned, this has been the most difficult year for job seekers that I can remember and I appreciate all who have shared their advice for to help other struggling with a job search or unemployment issues, even when you are in dire straits yourselves.

More: Share Your Unemployment Story

_{Photo Andrei Orlov}

Despite the latest unemployment extension passed by Congress, many unemployed workers will start running out of benefits at the end of the year because the extended benefits provided by American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) are set to expire. In addition, the 65% COBRA subsidy, the $25 supplemental payment, and the partial suspension of Federal income tax will also expire. The National Employment Law Project (NELP) reports:

• Almost 450,000 workers will exhaust their 26 weeks of states benefits without accessing the temporary EUC extension program or the permanent federal program of Extended Benefits.
• Nearly 600,000 workers will not be eligible to continue receiving EUC past their current tier of benefits.

If another extension isn't passed, many workers will not be entitled to any unemployment benefits beyond 26 weeks of state benefits. That's because if you are not already collecting extended benefits, you will not be able to move to additional tiers of benefits, like you can now, because those extensions are expiring on December 31. The National Employment Law Project recommends contacting your Congress member and urging him or her to act now to extended benefits for all workers who are going to lose them.

Related: New Unemployment Extension News

Sometimes, I'm not sure how people even know where to begin looking for a job online. That's especially true if you haven't had to job search in a while. A job seeker I spoke to yesterday had no idea, first of all, how much information was available online and, secondly, where to begin to look for a job.

If you're confused or need a refresher, here are all the online job search resources you need to effectively job search online, including the best job search sites, job search engines, networking sites, online job search tools, and tips to ensure that you are using all the Internet job search resources available to help find a job online.

From the best sites for job searching to making sure employers can find you to using LinkedIn to job search to tools and technology that will expedite your job search, you will find all the resources you need to find a job online.

More: Online Job Searching
_{Photo Copyright Johnny Lye}

What's the best way to find job listings? Job search engines are a great way to save job searching time and to get job listings from job boards, company web sites and other sources all at once. If you use the best job search engines, (Indeed.com, SimplyHired.com, LinkUp.com), you can get at most of the jobs listed online from just one job web site. They search all the job boards, company web sites, association sites, and other job posting sites. You can search by keyword, location, and other advanced options, to get job postings that match your interests and qualifications.

The other job sites that you should use are the niche sites that focus on a specific location or on a specific industry. Niche job sites are especially helpful resources when jobs are scarce, because you will find job listings that may not be posted elsewhere. That will get you to the rest of the job listings that are posted online.

Related: Best Job Search Engines | Job Listings

_{Image Copyright Copyright Marcela Barsse}