In 1973 I left a lifetime job with a large (now seriously downsized) corporation, in order to hack my own career path. I did it by combining project contracting and temp work since then. I would only recommend it to the resilient who love surprises in their lives more than a predictable pay check. We're the best of the U.S. workplace -- intelligent, accomplished, talented, creative, resilient, and natural marketers who can fit easily into different work environments, as conditions change.

The conventional resume as read by callow HR people is the enemy. You could help more by stopping with the "sob" stories. Instead, convey tales about how the battle of the resume has been won by the best and the brightest of us. We're out here, and some of us have beautiful, confident voices.

in 1998, I was part of a buy-out at AT&T where I ran a international sales group with offices in Europe and the US.

Since that time I have worked as a consultant, worked for LYNX Technologies where the owner ran off with the money that the staff put into their medical and pension funds.

Since then I have worked part time as a contractor doing federal background investigations and worked selling real estate until the local Century21 went out of business.