If you still picture a steady progression up the ladder when you think of your career goals, it is time to shift your thinking. For most people, climbing the career ladder is no longer an option. The working world has changed so dramatically that linear career paths rarely exist, except as historical symbols.

But, without those trusty rungs to show the way, how do you figure out the next step in your career? How do you determine if you need to go to business school or graduate school? How do you identify your next job?

Making a career change is nothing new in today's job market.

I've heard it said that the average American changes careers at least once in his or her life. Long gone are the days of working for the same company from the time you graduate high school or college until that magical retirement day.

A growing trend in new resumes is to give short shrift to or eliminate the "objective" heading altogether. Here are some compelling reasons to include this very important career statement in your resume and a top-10 tips list for writing a memorable one.

Any job seeker looking for sample resumes usually doesn’t have to look very far.

A multitude of sites today are offering free sample resumes on the internet in addition to the avalanche of books that are released each year touting resume examples. With this kind of information overload it can be quite easy for the unsuspecting job seeker to become mired down in sample resumes, moving from one to the next in their pursuit of the ‘ultimate’ professional resume example that will land them the job of their dreams.

I looked up the definition of "to dither" before writing this article. It is to be agitated and in a nervous state.

My definition, however, as it relates to a job seeker is that some people will spend many minutes and hours, seeking a way out of looking for a job. It is a neighbor of procrastination.

But "dithering" also can mean, going from one activity to another. For example: Writing down names of people to call about jobs, but never making the calls or putting one's attention onto other things.

Richard Bolles, job search guru and author of What Color Is Your Parachute? predicts that you can expect to search for work 1-2 months for every $10,000 you hope to earn. So, if you’re looking for a $40,000 a year position, you may search for 4-8 months to land it. Back when the economy sizzled, that job search length would have seemed outrageous, but now, many people would be thrilled to only search for 4-8 months.

Now the question is: How can you limit your job search length regardless of what’s happening with the local economy?

My first job was secretary to Moses. Having to transcribe and make 2,430 copies of the Ten Commandments convinced me I was on the wrong career path! OK, maybe I'm not quite THAT old. But I did start out as a secretary. While I didn't mind the work, eventually I decided it wasn't very satisfying. I often felt like a "tool" that helped others contribute to the organization's success. I wanted to make my own contributions, to find creative ways to make a difference. It took me about 12 year to come to that conclusion, decide to do something about it, and change my life.