Are you re-entering the workforce after raising kids? Looking to take the next step in your career? Have you just been laid off or fired?

No matter why you're on the job hunt, you're bound to find out that the landscape has changed since you last looked for work. First the good news. As the first of the baby boomers retire, employers are facing a shortage of qualified employees, giving job hunters more clout. Now the not so good news. Thanks to technology and an ever increasing demand for productivity, the work week for many people has stretched to 50 hours and in some cases even as high as 70 hours. That's according to author Sylvia Ann Hewlett, who studies these issues as president of the Center for Work-Life Policy. Even part-timers are working what used to be close to a full-time week. The bottom line? You can expect your new job to be more demanding than previous jobs you've held.If you're going to be working harder, it's even more important to get a job you'll really like-a job that will not only help you meet your financial and career goals, but will also reward your psyche, by stimulating your creativity and giving you that feeling of accomplishment that sometimes only the workplace (and of course, that paycheck) can provide.How do you get started? For most of us, this is the biggest obstacle we face when it comes to finding a new job. It's just so hard to get started. There's no real deadline and nobody breathing down your neck to make sure you send that résumé or call that contact.