122. Freshen up your skills

"Don't give an employer a reason to pass you over because you don't know the basics," states Diane Morgan, director of career services at London Business School. Morgan says everyone should know basic office skills like Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel. "Since these are skills you can teach yourself from the Internet or a library book, there are no excuses for not having them."

Another alternative is CBInstitute.com, which offers easy-to-use online courses at all levels, including business etiquette, project management, foreign languages and typing. You can take courses at times that are convenient for you, so no matter how little time you have to invest, you can make it work. At the same time, the courses are affordable and reasonably priced.

Morgan also suggests brushing up your (persuasion, negotiating and influencing) even if you aren't in the sales industry. You need to sell your best product, which is you, so make sure your personal pitch is relevant, timely and effective, she asserts. "Rather than one 'job,' think in terms of multiple positions. Breaking in [to a new job] may be easier if you aim for part-time work within a company," advises Katy Piotrowski, career counselor and author of "The Career Coward's Guides."

"Line up multiple part-time positions and you'll benefit from more job security; if one position evaporates, you have the others to fall back on." Moreover, it will pad your résumé and your wallet. We're built around the placement team, not the individual recruiter. Resumes, clients and compensation structures are all shared. Hiring managers and job seekers all benefit from across-the-board access, and exposure.